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Routeburn/Caples – 10th-3th May 2012
Tuesday, May 15th, 2012
Friday morning was misty around the tops but we still had clear views of the waterfalls, Lake Harris and the stunning scenery in the upper basin. We decided not to climb Conical Hill from the Harris Saddle as the views from the top would have been poor. Instead we sat in the public shelter and had morning tea. From here the track has been re-routed, passing several tarns and then linking up with the old track to traverse the Hollyford Faces. Fog hung in the valley below so we were unable to see Gunns Camp and the secenery in the Lower Hollyford Valley. The sun appeared briefly as we arrived at McKenzie Hut in time for lunch. Alterations here were also being carried out on the guided walkers’ accommodation as we wandered on passing another toilet on the side of the track and then on to Earland Falls and Howden Hut. Five DOC staff were waiting for a helicopter to come and pick them up after having spent the last few days there replacing the warden’s quarters with a new roof and replacing the hut windows with double glazed ones. We again watched as the pilot carefully winched up the old windows and repositioned some large containers and fadges. The workers were then taken out to the Divide to drive back to Te Anau.
After settling in our bunks for the night we were woken at 11pm by a party of 6 youths and their leaders from Invercargill. Silence returned after midnight.
By Sunday morning the rain had stopped so we set off down the valley in fine weather to the Mid Caples Hut for morning tea. As we soaked up the sunshine on the veranda the Iroquois landed below on a terrace and airlifted the SAR personnel once again. The scenario for the SAR exercise was that they were searching for two persons reported missing while researching a route suitable for an adventure race.The sound of the helicopter was heard coming and going as we made our way down the picturesque Caples Valley to the bridge across the Greenstone River. We crossed the bridge to have lunch in the sunshine and then back again to join the track and on out to the car park where our transport was waiting to take us to the Routeburn Shelter. Next stop was the Glenorchy Camping Ground for a shower and then the Omarama Hotel for tea .
Although we encountered helicopters at every hut it was a thoroughly enjoyable trip which I would highly recommend to anyone of average fitness and my thanks go to Bill, Steve, Robbie and Maurice for the great company. Phyllis
Mt. Buster – April 2012
Monday, May 7th, 2012
At the car park it was a wee bit windy but not too bad, so we picked the ridge we were going to go up and headed off on our climb. The climb was not too bad apart from the tussocks that we had to push though; they were quite big in places. The higher up we got the more the wind picked up and when we got to the top which took about two hours it was blowing a gale. We tried to find a place out of the wind to have lunch, but this was not easy. Robbie found a place, it was not the best but we had some shelter if we got down low.
After lunch we realised we were not quite on Mt Buster as it was about 500m to the south of us on a rocky knob, so we headed over to it and climbed up on top while trying not to get blown off. We had great views of the top of the surrounding mountains, Maniototo Plains and the Buster diggings. The summit of Mt Buster is 1334m.
At this stage the clouds were starting to build up inland so it was off down the 4wd track to meet up with the main track that goes from the car park into the Oteake Conservation Park past the Buster Diggings.
At the main track we assessed the weather and decided it was going to hold for a while so it was off to have a look at the gold diggings.
The Buster digging is a huge area that is probably 10km long and half a km wide. They stand out because the tailings quartz gravels are white and they look out of place within the tussock countryside. The diggings were mined from 1860s to the 1930s and were the highest altitude gold workings in N Z at 1200m.
To see all the diggings you would need a couple of days, but as we did not have this it was off back down the track for 6km to the cars. Along the way we saw some of the old water pipe lines they had put in to get water from the many creeks and streams in the area, and many of these had to go a long way. We stopped on our way back in a claim spot, to have a second lunch out of the wind. All in all it was a good day out with about 5 hours tramping, and apart from the wind we had good weather.
Thanks to Tim, Betty, Robbie, Els, Laszio Sam, Jac and Neville for a good day out
PS Thanks Jac for missing the turn off back onto the Danseys Rd and letting us get in front, so we didn’t have to get your dust all the way home.
Hoods Creek Opening Day – April 2012
Tuesday, April 17th, 2012
Pivotal to the reopening was the construction and installation of a steel stairway up the waterfall bank.
After the opening many of the those present walked the Hoods Creek Track, as well as the Podocarp and Swallows Tracks, guided by Club members.
Owners of Herbert Forest, Blakely Pacific generously funded track signage and the staircase , built by Apex Engineering, and have been very accommodating to the Clubs wishes and suggestions. North Otago Land SAR supplied radio communication for the day. North Otago Motor Group supported the guided day by donating a rental van for the use of the club to ferry members of the public to and from various starting and finishing places within the forest.
All Herbert Forest Tracks are open to the public, and maps are displayed and available for self guiding at the forest entrances at Swallows Loop track and the end of Breakneck Road. Please return the laminated map to the box when you return.
Rees/Dart – March 2012
Saturday, April 14th, 2012
The Aspiring National Park hosts this very popular scenic 4 to 5 day tramp. The contrast between the glacial fed Dart and the clear waters of the Rees are part of this diverse countryside.
A club trip took place over 4 days with 14 members, some new and some not so new faces making up the team.
The Glenorchy Motor Camp bunk room was the place to be on our arrival night, making for an easy start the next day with four vehicles, two at each end, swapping keys at the Dart Hut.We would arrive back at our travel vehicle, without the need for a pick up.
Most tramping people who get lost do so at some stage of their tramp but finding the start point can also be a problem as it was for one carload. A bit of pre-tramp excitement I guess.
Our party of eight started at Chinamans Bluff, Dart end with windy but pleasant overhead conditions. The walk beside the Dart River was easy going, while taking in the action of the many jet boats thrilling their passengers. The constant change of scenery from forest to open tussock to mountain views soon brings us to Daleys Hut for lunch. Sandflies are aplenty but its only the females that bite. With an afternoon of socialising the time soon passes. The forecast for day 2 is for rain and more rain and so we bunk down with wet weather thoughts on our minds.
A very windy night with an earthquake (some slept through it) made the hut shake.
True to predictions the rain arrived in the morning making it easy to know what to dress in for the day.
As we made our way across the tussock flats and along the water course tracks, the white waterfalls appeared, cascading down the mountainsides. The bush appears a vibrant green enjoying the drenching, sidestreams aplenty and the need for care when crossing. Its good to belong to a tramping club with experience and good judgement in the party.
Lunch break was taken out of the rain under the Biv Rock near Cattle Flat. With the rain still falling our stay was brief as more side streams were to be crossed before becoming impassable.
The smell of smoke from the Dart Hut gave away its near presence and soon we were in shelter once again. The busyness of people spreading their clothes to dry and the chatter of catching up with our other group in the hut take up the rest of the afternoon. As the rain stops and the rivers drop, we dream of a different looking day to come.
Day three reveals fresh snow on the surrounding peaks and a little sunshine. Bodies refueled and team photo (oops missed two) sorry Tim and Betty, we depart our separate ways. Our team soon encounters the fresh snow on the ground, then once across the upper Snowy bridge, it starts to fall. Who would want to be anywhere else?
Arriving at the Rees Saddle, the sun almost makes an appearance, while we have snack time. The initial steep descent into the Rees Valley is slippery, needing care as the snowfall begins to get heavier and the temperature drops considerably. A quick pace down valley to rewarm limbs brings us to our destination for day three, Shelter Rock Hut. The fire takes much coaxing to eventually bring the hut to a comfortable temperature. The bunk rooms are separated from the main hut by decking which was also the pathway for the local mouse population. Traps were supplied by the hut warden once advised of their activity and a new past time was created, watching which mouse would survive or not the setting of the traps.(Three dead mice).
Darkness again sends us back to the horizontal position, recharging our batteries for the last day. Day four, a light frost and the promise of a fine sunny day. Breakfast over, firewood replaced and with cameras clicking at the many magic views of the snow capped mountains we were off down the track on our journey to 25 Mile Creek. Early lunch in the sun and then open valley travel to our destination, Muddy Creek.
Our other party made it out safely shortly before us making for a remarkable trip with sun, rain, snow and great company.
Thanks to team members, Ann, Steve, Bill, Stewart G, Jim, Neville, Phyl,Tim, Betty, Robbie, Jac, Dave, and Jane
Maurice.
Wednesday Walkers Stewart Island Trip – March 2012
Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012
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The flight from Invercargill to Masons Bay where we landed on the beach was super and the weather good. After a short walk into Masons Bay hut and laying claim to bottom bunks we decided to walk inland a Kilometre to the old homestead then climb Sand Hill, a dominant hill at the edge of extensive dunes. The track was easy to start with up through sandy tracks but petered out about two thirds of the way up so we bashed our way through scratchy Dracaphillum and flax to reach the pole marking the top. The views over the sand dunes to the sea and islands beyond were great and inland the scrub was sculptured by the wind.
In hope of an easier descent we decided to go down the sandy slopes on the seaward side of the hill. Just as we started down, a vicious hail storm hit with the wind driving it, stinging our bare legs. By the time we reached the dunes the storm had passed and we made our way along the sandy edge of the bush and tracked to the hut to warm up and have lunch.
In the afternoon we explored the dunes with their beautiful tufts of orange sedges and a few deer prints on the sands. Joans’s Skipbo game made for a fun evening.
March 25th 2012
By 9.15 a.m. We were rested, fed and watered so ready to go and explore Masons Bay beach. As we headed out to the sea the wind was fierce, picking up the sand and hurling it into the grasses of the dunes. Although punching into the gale wasn’t the easiest there was plenty to see and photograph as we walked the 10 kms to the gutter at the southern end. A pod of whales had been stranded and were almost decayed to skeletal remains. Lots of fishing debris strew the tide line. The dune grasses rippled and flattened away from the gale. Skiffs of rain had us hunching to minimise the blast. Shelter from the island at the gutter was a welcome place to rest and have lunch, then the sun came through long enough for good photos of the cliffs and wild seas beyond.
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The tide was beginning to swish water part way through the gutter and the seagulls were making the most of feed at the waters edge.
On the return trek up the beach we appreciated the tail wind. When the big gusts hit I spread my arms like sales to help me on my way.
After 20 kms of hard walking the hut and a warming fire were very welcome.
March 26th 2012
When we set out on the four hour trek to Freshwater Landing the weather hadn’t improved but we had a tail wind. I enjoyed walking through the wind sculptured scrub to the serenades of Tui and Bellbird. Mud puddles were a constant challenge to negotiate and board-walks made for easy crossings of the sedge swamps. I was lucky to see a Kiwi picking its was through a manuka patch. Around 12 noon some of us stopped in a dryish spot for lunch and were entertained by a Bell Bird preening itself.
After another 20 minutes walk the landing came into view. We crossed the swing bridge and it was great to dump packs and enjoyed the shelter of Freshwater Hut
About 4.30 the sound of a motor signalled our water taxi’s arrival. The Pilot looked like a retired fisherman dressed in his trackies and gumboots. He said there was a three metre swell out in the bay. When he called into base the lady’s voice didn’t sound too encouraging. “Rather you than me out there in the bay today!”
Freshwater Creek level was up a couple of feet and the wash from our boat swished into the flaxes and sedges as we motored towards the sea. Our skipper handled the huge waves of the bay with the skill of a lifetime at sea and we enjoyed the exhilarating ride.
From Oban wharf a driver kindly met us and delivered our packs the short distance up to the delightful Thule View Cottage.
Sunshine made the last two days of bush walks and a trip to Ulva Island a delightful top-off to our Stewart Island adventure. A big THANK YOU to Ross for organising yet another great trip.
Tricia
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