In the first section of this story I went from the
Bealey Bridge near Arthurs Pass to Erewhon Homestead beside the Clyde River in
Canterbury. We got there on 29th February and shortly after that I
closed the loop from the Toharoa Valley to the Hokitika Gorge. Then I returned
to Invercargill to catch up on business. I was keen to do the Nelson Lakes to
Arthurs Pass section in the autumn.
There were a few logistical problems to solve for this
section in that I organized a food cache to leave at the Boyle River Outdoor
Education Centre. Richard and Yvonne Leppard run the Travers-Sabine Lodge at St
Arnaud and were happy for me to leave my car there. I would take the Atomic
Shuttle back to the Kwatiri Junction from Arthurs Pass via Greymouth and they
would pick me up at the junction.
On 17th April I left early in the morning
on the long drive north. I stopped at Queenstown and visited the Small Planet
shop to check out AArn packs and would have bought one if they had the correct
size. Instead I bought a pair of ‘Compact Shoulder Pouches’ which I slung off the shoulder straps of my
Black Diamond Mission 75 pack. This worked very well in redistributing the
weight forward relieving some of the back ache, I suffered with my older Macpac
pack. I drove to Wanaka and through the Haast, where it started to rain and
this continued all the way to Whataroa. I got to Hokitika at 5.30pm and stayed
with Glenis and David Waugh. As usual I got a great welcome, food and a bed for
the night.
Next day I carried on northwards, driving over to
Lewis Pass to drop off my food parcel at the Boyle River OEC. Then I carried on
to St Arnaud where I found Richard Leppard at the Travers-Sabine Lodge that he
owns. It has been quite a few years since we last did a trip together so it was
good to catch up. Yvonne returned from Nelson later in the day and we had a
pleasant dinner together.
I slept soundly and next morning Richard ran me up to
the Mt Roberts car park. I decided to take my new Vasque St Elias boots which
proved a mistake. It was a steady climb to the ridge line at 1700m and about 12
kilometers along to Angelus Hut. The last time I was there was about 1974 with
Jan AAlders when it was relatively unknown. Now it is very popular and during
the summer one has to book in advance to stay at the hut and even to camp
there. I arrived there at 12.30pm and surprisingly no one else was about. It
was sunny and gorgeous with the lake shimmering out front. I had a leisurely
lunch and set off.
I had intended to carry on to Hopeless Hut but Richard
suggested I go down to the Sabine via the Mt Cedric Track. This is a
straightforward route along an easy ridge to the bush line and then a steep
descent to the Sabine. The forest was mostly silver beech and open. The bush
line is much higher here than in Fiordland at 1400m and it was a 1000m descent through
forest to the Sabine Hut on the valley floor. I got there at 5.00pm with rather
sore feet. There were a few people in the hut. After an early dinner, I retired
early.
The 20th dawned fine again and I got
underway at 8.00am and walked to the West Sabine hut about 13-14 kilometers
distant. The track was well marked and easy but my little toes were painful
from the previous days descent. I noticed the AArn shoulder pockets were an
improvement on my previous pack. I had lunch at the West Sabine hut and carried
on to Blue Lake. This was another 3 hours and 6.5 kilometers further on.
Towards the end, there was a steep climb from the lower valley to the hanging
valley that cradles Blue Lake. The hut was full which I gather is usual so I
camped down by the lake. This was the first time I used my new Exped Mira 1
tent and it was fine but a bit chilly as I only had my summer weight down
sleeping bag and light clothing. It was a frosty night and some Whio out on the
lake kept me company with their shrill cry. I was keen to cross the Waiau Pass next
day while it was still fine.
I was away by 8.00am, stopping briefly to have a chat
with some people from the hut. I made good time up to Lake Constance where the
track deviates up the mountainside above a bluff, then drops back down to the
lake further on. Across some tussock flats it starts a steep climb up a scree
slope towards Waiau Pass. This is at 1870m and I reached it just before noon.
I’d stopped for lunch on a tussock bench just before the last climb to the
pass. The descent was very painful in my new boots so much so, I abandoned
thoughts of crossing Thompson and D’Urville Passes. Instead I descended to
Waiau Forks where I camped among some trees in a camping area. It was cool so I
let a fire and had a pleasant camp there.
It gets dark at 6.00pm and since dawn is at 6.30am
it’s a long night. I awoke at 3.30am feeling slightly chilled and was only half
asleep after that. I left shortly after dawn. The first 5 kilometers are rocky
and once past the Caroline Creek Bivouac it was easier and more open. I met 2
hunters at the bivouac and stopped for a chat. Further down the valley was a
nice blue pool on a side creek and as the sun was shining, I stripped off for a
dip, then my lunch. Later in the day I camped just before Lake Guyon on the
true right of the Waiau Valley. It was pleasant enough where I camped at the
base of the forest away from the river. I was about 5 kilometers from the Ada
Homestead and at 800m altitude, so it was still a bit cool. The clouds were
down and the wind was picking up next morning so I left at dawn. I reached Anne
Hut, 15 kilometers away just before the rain started.
Anne Hut was spacious, modern and empty. By now there
was a black pall on the western mountains and it was very windy and spitting
rain. I was glad to be here. Shortly after Barbara Stot and her son Samuel
arrived and in the evening Patrick Beausang and Marius Fritz arrived from Boyle
River. Our new arrivals proved to be great hut companions and we have a very
pleasant evening swapping stories. Patrick was from Waterford in Ireland and
knew some of my old haunts. I had a warm place at last, to spend the night.
Next morning, I gave Patrick and Marius some of my
surplus food as they were heading north on the Te Araroa. Then, Barbara, Samuel
and I left for the Anne saddle and Boyle Flat Hut. There was a cold Southerly
and blue sky with white clouds scudding the tops. It took us 6 hours. The hut
was old but pleasant enough though in the shade though cool. Samuel got a fire
going in the woodburner which heated the place up. I was feeling a bit down
probably due to my sore feet and long hours of darkness which I did not enjoy
at all. Later a hunter and several trampers joined us.
On 25th we left at 8.30am and reached the
Boyle River OEC after a few hours. Niki, the temporary warden organized a room
for me in the lodge and was very helpful. I was feeling tired and dispirited
till I saw an excellent weather forecast for the next week. I resolved to keep
going while the weather lasted. Boyle River OEC was a well organized
establishment and evidence of various awards lined the dining hall. I’m sure
they give the kids who come here a great outlook on outdoor education. In the
evening David Sampson, the manager dropped in for a chat. He is a climber and
we had several mutual friends in the climbing world. I sorted out my food
parcel and donated surplus items to the centre, deciding to take only 8 days
food with me for the next leg.
Next morning, I sent a few emails from David’s
computer as my smartphone would not connect to Wi-fi and then I set off on the
road to Windy Point. Here I picked up the track across the swing bridge to the
Hope Valley. It was a bit of a slog but not unpleasant. The day was sunny and
the beech forest open and full of birdsong. I was going to go up Doubtful
Valley over Lake Man Saddle and down Hope to the Hope Kiwi Lodge but my worry
was that the weather might break and my feet were still a bit sore so I opted
for the shorter route. At the Hope halfway Hut I noted a party of 9 in front of
me by Bushworks NZ Ltd. When I arrived at the Hope Kiwi Lodge I saw the
Bushworks party had just left to camp further up the valley so I had the hut to
myself. I got the fire going and had a relaxing evening there. The night was
clear and cool.
I got away at 7.00am as mist was lifting off the open tussocky
flats. Just before the bush I passed the Bushworks party and reached Kiwi
Saddle at 8.15am. Then it was on down to Lake Sumner which was beautifully
clear and calm unlike my previous visit when I was afraid to packraft across
the lake in a gale. Once past the lake it was several kilometers in the bush on
the true left to the swing bridge across the Hurunui River. At the Hurunui Hut, I had lunch at noon. As
it was still early I carried on to the Hurunui number 3 hut.
I had only just arrived at the Hurunui Number 3 hut when
a helicopter zoomed in and the pilot picked up some gear, someone had left in
the hut and took off. The hut was big and cool so I lit the fire and had an
early dinner. I was keen to reach the Taramakau next day.
On 28th I was up in the dark for an early
start and managed to get away at 7.00am. It was an easy walk to Cameron’s Hut
about 3 kilometers away. This was tiny and I was pleased I did not stay there.
It was a steady climb into a narrowing valley leading to Harper Saddle. Harper
Pass Bivouac was an even smaller hut just before the saddle. The saddle itself
is at 942m and has good views down the Hurunui and west into the Taramakau
valleys. There was a steep descent to a swing bridge, then a gently walk down
the TL to Loche Stream Hut which I reached at lunchtime. I decided to spend the
day there. The sun was beating down and I had a dip in the river and lay in the
sun soaking up the ambience of the place, enjoying its solitude. Sam Burrows
and a companion built the hut in 1941. In 1993 it was restored with a bequest
by the late Tom Beeston estate. Te Araroa trekkers now heavily used the hut. I
noticed some of the bush around the hut had been cut down and as there was a
distinct lack of firewood, I did not light a fire.
Next day I was away at 7.00am and it was an easy walk
down the flats of the Taramakau. It was about 15 kilometers to the Otira River
which I crossed at Aickens Corner on the poled route. I was undecided about
going up the Deception as there was thickening cloud on the peaks and it looked
like rain. I walked to the Morrison footbridge and crossed and walked the 1
kilometer to the mouth of the valley. There I had to cross the river and I also
knew it was 8 hours to the Upper Deception Hut and a bad place to be caught in
rain. So I chicken out and carried on to Otira where I took a room in the Otira
Stagecoast Hotel. What a lovely establishment with its 19th century
décor. The staff were great and the other guests friendly and welcoming. Then I
rang the Atomic Shuttle and arranged a pickup next morning for Greymouth and a
connection to the Kwatiri Junction.
Next
morning all went well and that evening I was picked up off the bus at Kwatiri
and drove over to St Arnaud. The following 2 days I drove back to Invercargill
and resolved to continue the ‘Great Journey’ in spring
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