Ben Ohau – June 2012

Friday, June 22nd, 2012

Ben Ohau stands as a sentinel overlooking Lake Ohau and forming the southern tip of the Ben Ohau Range.  At 1552 metres, it provides a 1000 metre climb from the road.  The Greta Stream carpark at its base is 165 km from Oamaru and is reached via SH83, SH8, Max Smith Drive, over the Ohau A power station and west alongside the Ohau Canal to the Glen Lyon Road.  The tramp is entirely on conservation land.

Six set off on a fine Sunday morning, cool with a light westerly breeze.  The day was to provide a short window of fine weather in between storms.  We left the Greta Stream carpark at 10.30 am and started on the steady climb up the old 4wd track which initially zigzags, then proceeds in a long sweep across the northern face to its highest point.  From there we climbed up a fence line, over a mixture of rock and sub-alpine vegetation, to reach the summit at around 12.15.

After being buzzed by a light plane which approached from the direction of Twizel, we perched on rocks protruding from drifts of old snow to lunch and enjoy one of the great vantage points – with views from Pukaki, Twizel, Lakes Benmore and Ruataniwha, the Benmore Range, Omarama, the St Cuthbert, Ewe, Diadem and Ohau Ranges around to Lake Ohau and the Neumann Range.

A chill breeze encouraged us on our way by 1.45, back down the fence line to the 4wd track where we turned east and followed it along the ridge towards Twizel.  After about 3 km, at the lowest point on the ridge, we left the track and turned north down a tussock face which narrowed to a gully before coming out on to the Greta Stream at around 3.30.  On the way we spooked a small black pig and dispatched a wilding pine.

From there, we headed back west, following a disused farm track down the Greta Valley, through a small gorge, impressive rock faces and colourful dracophylla and snowberries.  After 5 stream crossings, the track led up the bank on the true right through some remnant beech forest and along a poled route across tussock terraces toward Lake Ohau. At one point the poles stopped and the track came to a sudden end in a patch of scrub.  This required a climb over a fence on to an old farm track which continued the descent to the road, where a DOC sign confirmed we had been on the correct route.  The final leg was ten minutes along the road to reach the cars dead on 5pm.

The day provided a 16km walk with 1000 metres ascent and descent, mountain and valley terrain, and tussock, forest and sub-alpine flora.  Bess, Brian, Jane, Linda and Sam added to the entertainment.

John.

Otehake River Hot Spring – Queens Birthday 2012

Sunday, June 10th, 2012

Trip Report for the Queens Birthday Trip of 2012 to the hot springs on the Otehake River at Arthur’s Pass

 

This trip turned into an all boys trip with 5 lads setting off early on the Saturday morning. A fairly uneventful trip punctuated only by the eating of some delicious muffins en route saw us arrive at the village of Arthur’s Pass just in time for coffee which was drunk as we carried on over the Pass to  Aickens and the carpark where the Taramakau River valley is accessed. A rapid change into tramping gear, gobble down another muffin and we were off getting wet feet within the first 15 minutes as we crossed the Otira River and headed up  the Taramakau. We carefully avoided the spot where Maurice had plunged in to a deep hole on a previous trip in this area. The walk improved dramatically after the turn off towards Lake Kaurapataka with giant trees making a spectacular appearance as we ambled up the track. A wide selection of rimu, miro and red beech, as well as many smaller species like marble leaf , horopito and broad leaf filled the forest with abundant ferns covering the forest floor. Very pleasant. Eventually the lake appeared and a second lunch spot beside the lake edge was found. Plenty of other vegetation here with abundant regeneration of rimu and lancewoods. On around the lake with even bigger red beeches, some of the largest seen yet, fantastic views over the still water of the lake and the reflections of the tree covered hills surrounding the lake. The walking now a little trickier with lots of slippery roots as we sidle around to the head of the lake. A small saddle and down a very steep gut got us down to the Otehake River. It was higher than I had seen but we head up the river and through the gorge, with many crossings to make as we weave from one bank to the other as bluffs bar the way. The day gets short now and darkness looms as we cross the last time. The smell of sulphur getting stronger as the daylight fades. Time for the GPS and we don’t have far to go now, lucky I brought the right GPS this time, this one has batteries, it tells us that it is only a few hundred meters to the hot spring and the camping spot that is the destination for this trip. Luckily the small entrance up to the camping area on the island in between the 2 branches of the river appears, it is well hidden with the cairn being very mossy and the shrubbery having covered most of it.

 

Great relief as the tents are pitched and the camp is set up, torches on as the meals are prepared. After tea, we search out the springs which are often hidden due to the fickle nature of the river, one very hot spot is found and quickly expanded to accommodate a body. It is too late to get into too many excavations but everyone has a turn with the pool big enough to hold 3 people but only for short duration as the temperature soon gets too much. Some in the party rate the experience particularly highly, higher than anything else indeed. The hot baths lead to exhaustion in the end and getting to bed is the right thing to do. During the night the weather changes as predicted and mild drizzle eventually turns to rain. The morning dawns grey and wet putting the planned walk up the hill towards Koropuku Hut right off the menu. Instead with combined effort and newly found spade the pool site is developed into a fully fledged thermal resort, all temperatures are catered for and the only thing missing is a qualified masseuse (no Swedish nurses within a bulls roar). The morning flies by and with some reluctance we return to camp for lunch and a Nana nap for all, all that exercise has been our undoing.

After naps the weather improves, again as predicted, but alas it is deemed too late for walking and in any case the river is too high to cross. More lounging in the various pools instead with some being much more susceptible to the effects of heat and sulphur than others and having to retire to other pursuits. Eventually towards the latter part of the day a lone German appeared on the bank of the river, a hardy soul indeed as he had come from the Otehake Hut which by his declaration doesn’t get too many visitors with the hut book dating back to 1992 and still being less than half full. The German did not waste any time before jumping into the lovely hot water. A little while later more bodies were seen on the horizon, firstly 2 more looking very wet and exhausted and eventually another 9 appeared being members of the Christchurch Tramping Club. They had spent the previous night at the Koropuku Hut and climbed back up the very steep gut and over the hill and along the high water track up the Otehake River. With so many bodies now looking for a spot in the pools, our small group retired and busied ourselves with the building of a camp fire, no mean feat with the wet state of our surroundings. Eventually after 3 fire starters we had ourselves a fire although most of the heat went into drying the wood. We had a late night and it was well after 9 when most had retired, but what a good sleep after our exhausting day. In the morning I snuck out of bed at 6.45 and headed for the hot water only to find that Ross had beaten me to it , what a good way to start the day, with a hot bath, not the usual smelly trampers us. Other bodies soon joined and before long the pools were full of people……. time to go, after breakfast we headed back down the river and after one shallow crossing came to the high water track and decided to take that for a change. A radical change it was, very steep ups and some downs, very neglected it was, the only thing in its favour was that there were plenty of markers to show the way. To cover just over a kilometre took an hour and a half, I guess its fair to say none of us will want to do that bit again. We followed the same way out and had lunch in our old spot by the lake. It was good to be amongst the big trees again. Eventually we got back to the vehicle to discover that some more needy person than us had decided to relieve me of the spare wheel. It sort of popped the bubble a bit really, but looking on the bright side, at least they didn’t take the whole vehicle nor smash any windows to get into it. Off to the village for a coffee and then we hit the road to home, stopping in Geraldine for what for the 4 of us who ordered a roast meal was probably the worst roast meal that we had ever had.

Still we had a lot of laughs during this weekend and that provided enough mirth to get us all the way home. Thanks to Steve, John, Ross and Bill for a fine trip.  Robbie

 

A Walk In The Dunedin Hills – May 2012

Wednesday, May 30th, 2012

The hills surrounding Dunedin are laced with a myriad of tracks catering for the hard nuts to the once in a while walker.
With a long weekend approaching some of our party were out to test themselves for the up and coming trip. Strong northwesters and some rain predicted didn’t stop nine members of the N.O.T.M.C. from an 8am start. The journey to Dunedin encountered heavy rain at first then sunshine as we neared our start point, the car park over Williams Creek Waitati Valley Road.

Following the Pipeline track which is mostly flat going was a good warm up for the Rustlers Ridge Track. A steady climb in the shelter of the surrounding bush with the melody of bird song along the way bought us to the lookout knoll above Burns Saddle. A snack break in the shelter of the flax bushes was enjoyed before moving on to the junction of tracks on the saddle. Burns Track having been recently cut made for easy going to the intersection of Swampy Track. As we made our way up Swampy Track the strong nor-wester made its presence felt , but the views at the top were worth it . Lunch in the shelter of a nearby building where the wind was all but forgotten then back out onto the road and wind around to the Leith Saddle Track. A stop at the look out point for some more excellent views over Dunedin then on down to the shelter of the bush and the pathway back to the road. A short road walk back to the cars concludes a nice leisurely day out.

Thanks to, Bess, Bev, Dave, John, Bill, Neville, Linda, Phyl, – Maurice

Routeburn/Caples – 10th-3th May 2012

Tuesday, May 15th, 2012

At 8am on Thursday, five members left Oamaru on their way to the Routeburn Track Shelter near Glenorchy. After stopping for a break and early lunch at Cromwell, we arrived at our destination after mid-day. Conditions were overcast as we made our way towards the Routeburn Flats Hut, passing a new toilet on the side of the track after about an hours walking.A leisurely afternoon tea was taken here before ascending to the Routeburn Falls Hut, our home for the first night.. Upon our arrival we were met with a kitchen filled with black smoke. A couple had lit their stove and it had gone on fire along with a litre of fuel. Thank goodness for metal benches as the result could have had serious consequences.We later watched in awe of the precision in lowering building materials by helicopter to the construction site of the guided walkers’ accommodation which is being enlarged to cater for over forty clients. A lone kea was seen near the hut in the evening.

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.

At 6am we were up and after breakfast made our way towards the McKellar Saddle in overcast conditions. The track up to the saddle has been re-routed and up-graded to a very high standard which was very much appreciated by all.It had become quite cold on the top so we donned our parkas and crossed over the board-walks to link up with more new track down towards the Caples. A new bridge meant we didn’t have to ford the river halfway down the valley. For the last hour though it was back onto the old track negotiating the numerous slippery rocks and roots. At 1:30pm we arrived at the Upper Caples Hut to be met by several teams on a SAR exercise in the area. They were later picked up by an Iroquois helicopter and taken down to the Mid Caples Hut. As the rain came down, we settled in with seven others cooking our evening meal and later playing a card game, Up and Down the River.

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

Eight of us met at the car park on a fine morning, with a forecast for strong winds and late rain.  We got ourselves into two 4WDs and headed off though Danseys Pass. We stopped at the Danseys pub to wait for the other vehicle to catch up and then it was on to Little Kyeburn Rd and Mt Buster Rd to the D.O.C car park. It was lucky we took the 4WDs because there were two fords to go though on Mt Buster Rd that low 2wd cars would have had trouble with.

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.