Huxley Forks Hut
11th-12th November 2017
We left Oamaru at 4pm Friday, stopped for tea in Omarama and then reached the road end up the south side of Lake Ohau at 7pm. It took us two hours to walk in to Monument Hut where we pitched our tents. Saturday morning, we left at 7.45am and started along the high water track which goes along the bush towards the Huxley River swingbridge. A lot of this track had windfall so we were in and out of the bush quite a lot. Once over the swingbridge, we went up, over and down to the river flats and walked along for a while and then back into the bush. We continued on the high river track through the bush on the true left of the river for about 45 minutes and then out onto the river flats. About 2 km before the Huxley Forks Hut, there had been an avalanche off Boanerges. After reaching Huxley Forks Hut, Bill, John, Jane, Jen and I went for a walk down the South Huxley branch, coming to a massive slip. On our return, we ran into two hunters with a cross bow and shotgun on their way to find some tahr hopefully. It was surprising how many people and animals were in the Huxley Valley – toddlers and cats, to name a few. The hut was empty so some opted to sleep inside while Jen, Jane and Jenny opted for their tents.
On Sunday morning we saw that the hunters had got a tahr, obviously with a shotgun. We left the hut at 7.45am and headed straight down the valley along the river flats. A few hours and several river crossings later we reached the Huxley river swingbridge. Surprise – Bill’s Croc was waiting for him – it must have come off his pack the previous day. Soon after this, Jenny lost her sunglasses so went back to find them, luckily they were just 30 metres back. From here, it was only an hour on to Monument Hut where we had lunch and met up with OTMC President Richard Forbes and his father. After a two hour walk to the cars, we had a quick debrief at the Wrinkly Ram and then home.
Thanks for your company John, Bill, Vicky, Mike, Jenny, Jane and Jen. Bess
