A long walk to Save the Kiwis

Start of the Trip - Collingwood @ Collingwood, New Zealand

2010-01-07T23:00:42.000Z

Des Lehndorf, of Motueka, is helping to "bring back the kiwi" to the Flora Stream area of the Kahurangi National Park by walking the entire length of the South Island to raise funds for the project.

Wearing a T-shirt printed with the words "A Long Walk to Save the Kiwi" and his Kiwi "mascot" Tiri te Kiwi tied onto his backpack, Mr Lehndorf set off on his 1250km walk yesterday, from the start of the Heaphy Track in Golden Bay.

Mr Lehndorf, who celebrated his 60th birthday on Wednesday, anticipates that the walk, mostly off-road, will take him three months. He is raising money for community conservation group Friends of Flora which, with Department of Conservation support, is planning to return great spotted kiwi (roroa) to the Flora.

It is aimed to move up to 14 great spotted kiwi – seven pairs – there from the Boulder Lake-Clark River area of the national park.

Mr Lehndorf hopes to raise $10,000 from the walk through sponsorship and says "every cent raised" will go directly towards the kiwi project.

"The walk has taken six months to plan, but from now on I'll just be thinking one day at a time.

"What the group (Friends of Flora) is doing is incredible and I want to do everything I possibly can to help with the kiwi re-introduction," he said.

Friends of Flora representative Chris Potter said the 60-member group was grateful to all those who had supported them with donations, bequests and grants to raise the $24,000 needed to move kiwi to the Flora. A further $72,000 needs to be raised for the three-year project.

Mr Potter said the money was partly to pay for the cost of helicopter transport for the kiwi recovery rangers with specialist dogs.

"It will be great for everyone who knows or visits the Flora area to have kiwi there again," said Mr Potter, who plans to join Mr Lehndorf for a section of the walk.

If the project is successful, visitors to the Flora Stream area might hear the call of the kiwi from the middle of next year but those visiting this summer may be lucky enough to spot blue duck.

Blue duck (whio) numbers have been on the rise in Flora Stream since Friends of Flora began carrying out predator trapping there nine years ago, linking with DOC pest control. Sixteen whio were counted on Flora Stream below Flora Hut during a survey there last month by Friends of Flora members and a DOC ranger.

Whio numbers had been driven down by introduced predators, especially stoats, before the trapping programme began.
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Friends of Flora currently maintains more than 65 kilometres of trap lines over 5000 hectares. Other native bird species are also benefiting from the reduction in pests. Weka are seen more frequently, some currently with chicks, and monitoring is showing increases in bellbirds, riflemen and tomtits.

Further information on the walk and the kiwi project is available on fof.org.nz.

Karamea - Heaphy Track @ Karamea, New Zealand

2010-01-11T14:34:42.000Z

Thursday Jan 7th started with a live interview on National Radio followed by interviews with both the Nelson Mail and The Press at Collingwood.

On the drive to the start of the track the rain started and the bridge over the Brown River though only 50m wide seemed much longer ! And we are finally off, Tiri relegated to inside my pack due to the rain. I soon had a nice interlude with some riflemen en route to Perry Hut, as they played around my feet for a while.

Then a long steady climb to the highest point at 910m. At the Perry Hut I stayed with Ivan the hut warden in his quarters, the tramper’s hut and campsite were both full. The weather that night was so windy and wet that it wasn’t possible to get the mountain radio aerial up and my first check in with Wellington Mountain Radio was pretty scratchy as a result.

Next day I set out with Ivan locating Great Spotted Kiwis with his hand-held receiver. There are 3 pairs within an hour of the hut and Ivan wants to know if they are sitting on eggs. Information from the receiver is fed into a computer and this analyses each pair’s position. If they remain for a long time in one position it’s a good indication that they are sitting on eggs. The Perry Hut is an excellent place to hear the GSKs at night but unfortunately the weather eliminated any possibility of hearing them while I was there. On the way to Gouland Downs I passed the Boot Pole which is festooned with every kind of footwear imaginable from stilettos to rollerskates. Once this walk is over I think I will retire my boots here! As I crossed over Big River, which here is only 10m wide and ankle deep, I thought of the last time I crossed it near Kahurangi Point where it was 100m wide and waist deep. I spent the night at McKay Hut in the ranger’s quarters and had a good radio sked as I was able to get the aerial out. There are wonderful views from here out to the coast and the mouth of the Heaphy.

I left early the next day and soon the bush changed noticeably with plentiful pongas and nikaus. On the way down to Heaphy Hut I met Craig the hut warden for Heaphy and McKay coming the other way and had a long chat with him. Over lunch at the Lewis Hut I got talking to a group of Aussie women and told them all about my walk. One, Jenny who lives near Melbourne lost everything in last year’s bushfire but still put her hand in her pocket and gave $100 to the Kiwis. Thank you, Jenny. Other trampers at the Heaphy Hut gave another $55, so it’s still trickling in. I arrived at the Heaphy Hut after a wonderful walk through lovely nikau forest and huge flowering rata trees, really beautiful and the largest I think I’ve ever seen.

That night I set up my radio aerial and put the radio on a bench at the ranger’s quarters at the Heaphy Hut then went inside for something. There was a mighty crash outside and I rushed out to see a weka about to make off with my radio into the bush!

I left early the next morning as heavy rain was forecast. The walk to the road end was showery but warm and very sticky. Along the way I noticed a large patch of native nettles. As I reached the road end the Heavens opened. I have a couple of nights now in Karamea to wait for 2 companions who are joining me for the next leg. An opportunity to get some washing done and have a shower!

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank DOC in general and Craig and Ivan in particular for their kindness and hospitality in allowing me to use their facilities. In the past DOC have come in for a lot of flak but a look at this wonderful track shows the fantastic job they do.

Tiri is behaving well, when it’s not raining he hangs on the outside of my pack wearing his blue boots but if it’s wet he prefers to ride inside the pack and have a nap. He’s not too keen on the swing bridges he closed his eyes for the first 3 but by the 4th he was getting braver and opened one eye as we went over.

DONATIONS $6775.50

Rolling River, Wangapeka @ Wangapeka - Rolling River, New Zealand

2010-01-15T11:44:18.000Z

Roling River DOC Hut at the end of the Wangapeka Track

Murchison, New Zealand @ Murchison, New Zealand

2010-01-20T18:38:02.000Z

Greetings from the Commercial Hotel in the thriving metropolis of Murchison. We actually got here a day earlier than planned, thanks mainly to some stunning weather and courage and tenacity on our part! So, back to the start of this leg in Karamea 8 days ago.

The next day, my 2 other walking companion’s for this leg arrived via the Karamea Express bus from Westport after an early morning flight from Auckland. Pete Soole ( a neighbour from Auckland) and his brother Phil (who lives in Brisbane) foolishly offered to come along on this leg back in the early days I was putting this trek together. After loading up with food etc and a final cuppa with my hosts, Bill ran us to the end of the track and away we sallied.

The first day was just a 3 and ½ hour one through to the Belltown hut. The West Coast has had one of their wettest ever January’s and, boy, does it show! Huge tracts of the track washed away and detours hacked through the bush and over ridges to bypass the washouts.

All things considered we made pretty good time and I even arrived with dry feet!! There were 2 others in the hut when we arrived. Richard, a young very fit lad from Sheffield UK was hard out doing 1000K,s of tracks in NZ over 2 months. He had done most of the tracks I will be doing over the next few weeks, so was a great source of information. Mind you, we learnt the next day, we were going to take almost double the times that he had done! Day 2 was up and over the Little (why it is called little I have no idea, because it sure aint) Wanganui Saddle. This is 1100 metres high and we started off at about 180. It was a pretty tough section, up over tree roots and scrambling over boulders, at times at about a 1 in 2 gradient. I was not really mentally prepared for this and have to confess to being very pleased when we got to the saddle about 5 hours later. While sitting there enjoying the view (which was spectacular to say the least) Pete digs into the bottom of his pack and pulls out a 1 kilo slab of fruit cake. It was Phil’s birthday and Pete had lugged this thing up 1100 meters of steep and slippery slopes. How is that for brotherly love!!

From there it was down hill to our next stop, the Taipo hut. 5 other people there, all good sorts and all heading the way we had just come, so there was much comparing of notes on what to expect the next day. Pete was flat out trying to get rid of the remaining birthday cake, which really wasn’t all that difficult. We had a relatively easy walk on day 3 although quite long, about 10 hours from go to whoa. We crossed over the Wangapeka Saddle at 1000 meters, but the track was in far better condition and we started off at about 630, so the height gain was nowhere near as great. One of the most interesting things we passed on this section was an area of several acres of large, dead beech trees buried some 4-5 meters deep in river shingle.

It would seem that at sometime in eons gone by, there had been a massive slip off the mountain side which buried these half way up their trunks and over the years they died off and there is this almost skeletal looking view across the valley. Our stopover that night was Stone hut which has a pair of whio (blue duck) in residence on the river, 50 meters from the hut door. It was fantastic, standing on the rivers edge, just on dark, listening to that wonderful whistle the drake makes. To the best of my knowledge, no other duck in the world whistles, so it really is pretty special. Sharing the hut with us that night was a couple from Nelson (Chrissie and Graham), who had over the years tramped over most of the Kahurangi Park and several other places all over the South Island. I love running into these sort of people, I could listen to them for hours.

Day 4 saw off to the end of the Wangapeka Track via the second oldest hut in the Kahurangi National park. Cecil King’s hut was built by Cecil King (surprise,surprise) in 1935 when he was gold prospecting in the Wangapeka River, as were several hundred other chaps during the Great Depression. After the gold run out, Cecil kept on returning to his hut regularly almost to his dying day. He would always welcome passing trampers with a cup of tea and a chat. It is a lovely slab built abode, all hand cut from 1 large red beech tree. Cecil’s ashes are now scattered around the clearing in which the hut stands. What a glorious final resting place! We were fortunate enough yo have use of the DoC house at the track end for our final night in the valley before heading up to Granity Pass on the slopes of Mt Owen on Sunday. I had arranged a food drop to be taken in there a couple of weeks earlier in which I had included a bottle of wonderful Nelson Sauvignon Blanc. Grief, did it taste great!!

It was a bloody good grunt up from the Wangapeka Valley up to the Granity Pass hut for sure! 9 kilometers and a time of 6 hours gives you an idea of what it was like. But, as usual when you reach the top of a tough climb and look around you, you know it was worth every gram of sweat. The views were fantastic. Out over Tasman Bay to the Marlborough Sounds, across to Mt Arthur and towards the huge limestone escarpments and formations that make this part of NZ so special. The Granity Pass hut is only months old and a real credit to DoC. Wonderfully situated, well insulated and views to die for.

It sits at an altitude of 1220 meters, over 1 kilometer higher than we were the night before. Our plan was to spend 2 nights up here but 4 young lads turned up later that evening and after a while we decided that maybe we would move on next day. (Grumpy old buggers that we are ) I think this day’s tramp was the best of the trips. We had to climb up to 1550 meters, cross through a saddle,drop down into the next valley and pick up a track which would take us down the Fyfe river to the Owen River and out to civilization. Again, the weather treated us greatly and the views went on forever. Beautiful open tops, the last of the brilliant yellow and red mountain flowers and peanut butter on vitawheat biscuits for lunch!! What more could a chap want. This particular part of the trip also required a lot of map reading and navigating. The new GPS proved its worth for sure. Wonderful machine, but only as a back up. I think one would be very foolish to leave the maps and compass at home. It took us a while to find the start of the track we were looking for, but find it we did and arrived at the Branch Creek hut about 3.30pm.

I was sure we would have this hut to ourselves, but when we arrived we discovered the bedding, food etc. for 2 other people. These turned out to be Jason and Thomas, a pair of hunters who had been there for a week or so shooting goats and deer on contract to DoC. Two nicer guys you could never meet. Both great company and a source of all sorts of information. Jason had been hunting for years and Thomas was his "apprentice". They certainly changed my idea on what professional hunters are like nowadays. Jason holds a degree in mathematics, but just lives for and loves the great outdoors. They treated us to a feed of venison steaks that evening and packed us off the following morning with cold meat for lunch. Jason and Thomas, if you read this, thanks heaps for your hospitality and generosity, it was a privilege to meet you both. We asked them what the track out was like and their reply was unprintable. The information on the track sheet stated a time of 6-8 hours, but when 2 pro hunters tell you it is a rough track you decide it would be a good idea to give yourself a tad longer!! We were gone at first light and are so glad we gave ourselves the extra time. Most of the track markers have long gone, and there are massive windfalls everywhere. Couple this with over 30 river crossings, knee deep mud, stinging nettle at just the right height to get the bare skin between your gaiters and shorts, bush lawyer waiting to strangle you every few meters and you have some idea of what it was like. It took us 9 hours to cover the 14 k’s out to the road end. We only had to wait 15-20 minutes before Stefan picked us up as arranged and took us into Murchison were we luxuriated in a long hot shower, quaffed a few cold Monteiths and dined on something other than dehyds!

We were all covered in various cuts and bruises but nothing serious and all left with a wonderful feeling of achievement, having yomped over some 100 odd k’s of tracks and open country. Some of it was easy, some of it steep and some of it bloody tough going . But we did it and are still smiling and are still friends. We were so lucky with the weather, as some of the places we came through would have been hell if it was bucketing down.

Pete and Phil, thanks heaps for your company and support. I truly enjoyed having you along and hope we get to get out again sometime.

Now, I am off to partake in another couple of cold beers, fill myself up on fatty food again and start mentally preparing myself for the next stage which we start on the Friday the 23rd across the Waiau Pass and down to the Lewis Pass. Tomorrow will be spent doing the washing, patching up the odd tear and rip, scraping off half a kilo of mud from each boot and other exciting chores.

Take care and stay happy. Will be in touch again next week. Cheers.

Lewis pass @ Lewis Pass, New Zealand

2010-01-31T16:52:41.000Z

We started off on the Saturday at Lake Rotoroa after delaying our start because of very heavy rain in the area the previous 3 days. We were advised the track around the track edge was partially under water and covered with windfalls, so rather than start the leg off with a miserable day, we decided to cheat a little and take a water taxi down to the far end of the lake and start from the mouth of the Sabine River.

As soon as we started heading up towards the West Sabine hut (about 5 hours walk) we could see just how much rain had fallen recently. Although not actually raining as we started off, the track was very waterlogged and muddy. About an hour up the track I managed to stand on a slippery log in the middle of a mud puddle and fell flat on my back like an upturned turtle!! I had to unhook my pack to get up again and then realized a far greater disaster. POOR TIRI WAS HOOKED ON THE BACK OF THE PACK!! He was completely immersed in the mud and we even had to pour the mud and sludge out of his gumboots. He does seem to have made a full recovery now and has had a shampoo and blow dry on our return to civilization. He is now sunning himself on the porch as I write. (Strange behavior for a kiwi one can’t help but think). The track up was a mixture of beech forest and across some pretty large avalanche tracks. We actually got up to the West Sabine hut in the time that was stated, which was a pleasant surprise after the Wangapeka. There was a hut warden in residence at this hut for the night. Henry, (as in Henrietta). Although German by birth, she has spent a large portion of her life her in NZ and has probably tramped over more tracks than 95% of NZers. She covers 6 huts on her circuit, usually staying in each hut a night or two and then moving on to the next one. A very fit young lady as I am sure you can imagine. Day 2 was a 4 hour walk up to Blue Lake hut, our next stop on our way to the pass.

The track up this stretch was a lot drier than yesterdays but the avalanche tracks were a lot bigger. The last K or so of track climbs pretty steeply up to the hut, a gain of about 500 meters from the last hut. Blue Lake is set in a really beautiful setting.

The lake really is blue and surrounded by awe-inspiring mountains with cascading waterfalls hundreds of meters high. A young lad from the Czech Republic by the name of Kokkie was also heading over the pass next day so we decided we would all head out together next morning at first to cross the infamous Waiau Pass. He was actually the first of a number of young Czech people we met on this trip and what wonderful ambassadors they all were. All very friendly and outgoing and all loved the NZ mountains and our great track and hut system. We were up at first light and moved out of the hut at 7 am. The cloud was right down to ground level, but the pattern over the past couple of days was for it to burn off as the sun got higher. Unfortunately, today proved to be different. We had to climb up around some bluffs at the top end of Lake Constance, which, from all accounts, is a very beautiful lake. We never saw a sight of it until we dropped down from the bluffs and walked along the side of it for a short distance. The cloud appeared to be getting thicker and at times the only way we could make any progress was for one of us to wait at a marker pole, while the others fanned out ahead looking for the next one and the called the others over to him. At times visibility was down to a few meters but the marker poles were regularly spaced so it was just a matter of finding each one.

We soon left the lake valley shore and started a very steep climb up a rock and scree slope. It was half way up this climb I experienced something I never have before or ever want to again. I did what I think is known as "hitting a wall". All of a sudden my pack seemed like a 100kgs and each boot felt like 50kgs. It was a huge effort to put one foot in front of the other. It was two steps forward and one step back. Chris stayed with me all the way to the top, quietly encouraging me on and feeding me a constant supply of barley sugars. I thought the top was never going to appear. Had I been on my own, I would have turned around and gone back to the valley floor, pitched my tent and waited for the cloud to clear. Whether that would have made any difference or not, I don’t know as seeing how far off the top was might have convinced me to turn around and go back the way I came in. I think back to my years guiding in Fiordland and remember the times I had to do exactly what Chris did for me, just quietly talk, encourage and convince that it can be done. I did get to the top, but would never have on that occasion if Chris hadn’t been there. I owe him for that big time! On reaching the top, the cloud actually starting thinning out a bit and we were treated to glimpses of high, rugged tops all around.

As we approached the pass itself it cleared up completely for a minute or so, giving us a clear view of the last 400 or so meters we had to climb to the pass itself. Whatever demon had been sitting on my shoulder had gone and I got to the pass no trouble at all. We had gained nearly 900 meters since leaving the hut. There we were treated to the most amazing sight. The cloud had thickened up behind us again, but there to the south of us we could see forever! The most fantastic views way down the Waiau valley, over to the Thompson pass and lake and the towering ranges, some with the last remaining snow still lying around on the tops. We paused on the southern side of the pass for a very welcome lunch of salami and peanut butter on corn cakes. A meal fit for a king! The descent down to the valley floor has been described as very steep and difficult, but in my opinion, it wasn’t all that horrendous. Sure, you had to watch every step and make sure of your footholds, but so long as you take your time it is very doable.

I did have a problem on the descent with one of my walking poles. The lock on the lower extension came undone and as I went to pull it out from between a couple of rocks, it extended to its maximum length so I had to quickly lean backwards to compensate for the sudden change in angle and the bloody thing snapped in half!! Next day, the lock on my second pole also packed up so to say I was somewhat annoyed would be an understatement! I have been in touch with the shop I bought them from and will keep you posted on their response. They did admit to me that they have had a problem with the locking device on this particular brand. Anyway, back to the trek. One of the most interesting things on the way down was the angles and bends the marker poles had been twisted into. Have you ever tried to bend a steel waratah? We even found one that had been broken into 4 pieces. The mind boggles at the forces that caused all this! We finally reached the Waiau valley floor about 2 hours after leaving the pass and found a great campsite at the forks of the river.

They is still a lot of evidence that this used to be farmed, but there is also signs of the bush just starting to regenerate and we were treated to walking through large areas of wild gentian flowers, which, in a week or two will look stunning. We pitched our tents under some pretty big Matagouri trees for the night and other than the fact this particular place was home to about 50 million sandflies, it wasn’t a bad spot. Just after dark we heard the rumble of thunder and sure enough, a few minutes later we got the rain. I wish someone would invent a tent that was soundproof! Chris also had the pleasure of a hedgehogs company for part of the night. After leaving the Waiau valley next morning, we joined up with the St James Walkway for the last 2 days walk out. What bliss!! Benched tracks AND bridges! We had a very leisurely lunch at Christopher hut (we had to stop here with a name like that!) and then an easy walk up over the Ada Pass to our last hut for this trip.

We set off for the road at the unbelievably late hour of 9 o’clock and had a magic last day. The track follows along the river with the wonderfully romantic name of Cannibal Gorge. Apparently in pre European days, a couple of the local maori tribes had a slight set too up here and the victors dined on the vanquished! We were entertained by a variety of birdlife including a Kaka who showed how easy it is to tear large pieces of bark off trees. I don’t think anyone has told him he is classed as a nectar eater! Our final lunch stop was about 40 minutes from the main Lewis Pass highway were we enjoyed the last of the peace and tranquility of the beech forest.

Arthurs Pass @ Arthur's Pass (Arthur Pass), New Zealand

2010-02-09T11:40:22.000Z

After a 5 day break (which was far too long for a weak-willed person like myself), I set off from Lewis Pass with an old friend of mine from Auckland, Eric Van Essen. He had flown into Christchurch the night before and joined me at the track end about 10.15 on Wednesday.

The walk into the first hut was about 6 hours, easy going through beautiful beech forest and along river flats. The bird life was fairly prolific with the usual number of cheeky robins and several riflemen checking us out at every stop. We were also followed by some of the biggest dragonflies I have ever seen!

About half way up the Hurunui River we came across a fisherman and his guide who had flown in by helicopter for a day’s fishing, The guy had just hooked a massive fish and after the photo session, put it back in river. Personally, I think if you go fishing, you go to catch a feed, but that’s just my opinion. The 1st hut on the track is the Kiwi Hope Hut a lovely Lockwood style of house, with 2 separate bunk rooms and a huge living area. It is set at the end of a long river valley (the Hope River) so the outlook was great and we had it to ourselves.

The next morning was one of those really magic mountain mornings which make it all worth while. Mist hanging in the valley floor, clear blue skies, the sun just shining on the mountain tops and not a sound. The sort of morning when you really couldn’t want to be anywhere else. We set off at about 8.00am and just enjoyed the atmosphere of the whole place.

We climbed up and over Kiwi Saddle, a whole 660 meters, again on well-benched and maintained tracks. Shortly after, we got our first glimpses of Lake Sumner, which we eventually dropped down to the head of.

One crazy member of this intrepid pair went for a swim! And it sure as hell wasn’t me! All the major river crossings on this side of the pass are bridged, so dry feet again!

Second night was at the Hurunui hut, again we were the only occupants. We have a mountain radio with us, which we turn on at 8.00pm every evening to get the latest mountain forecast and any messages. It is a great service and certainly worth the extra ¾ of a KG weight. It can sometimes be a bit of a bugger swinging the aerial out and often calls for a bit of good ole Kiwi ingenuity!

On this particular evening we got 2 messages that put a bit of a damper on the rest of the trip. The first was that my Dad had been admitted into hospital and had to have a pacemaker fitted. He has since had this done and is fine, but one feels a bit helpless out in the middle of nowhere. The second bit of news was that the two hunters we shared a hut with nearly 4 weeks ago at Branch Creek hut had both been medi-vaced out by helicopter with leptospirosis, a bug normally contacted through water contaminated by rat’s pee.

I have since been to a doctor who assured me I would know by now if I had it. I do feel fine but my thoughts and best wishes are with these 2 guys who treated us so well a few weeks ago.

Day 3 was our shortest day and also the most enjoyable. Again, the track was well marked and benched and still nice and flat! But the highlight of this particular section was the natural hot pools about an hours walk from the hut. As you walk along the track, suddenly in front of you is a stream with clouds of steam rising into the air. A short scramble up the side of the stream and you come to a pool about half a metre deep and about 30 degrees Celsius. What bliss! DoC have very thoughtfully put a sign there warning you not to put your head under the water. Unless you were only knee high to a grasshopper I think it would be somewhat difficult to do so!

Anyway, after a leisurely soak and scrub it was on to our next abode .The No.3 hut is an old type of hut and as with the previous 2, is well maintained and really comfortable. Along side this hut is a weird looking DoC staff quarters, which looks like a couple of over large corrugated iron water tanks cut in half and a small plastic house built on the front of them. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get a decent photo of this so you will have to use your imagination. This hut is set in the centre of the Hurunui Inland island, an area that has and is being trapped and now has a fairly healthy population of Great spotted Kiwis and a few Orange Crested Kakiriki. We heard a number of Kakiriki calls but never saw which ones they were. As it was still early afternoon we strolled on to the next hut which was a real old type cullers hut. Built in 1955, I don’t think anything has been done on it since.

Still, I’m sure that if it was snowing and blowing a blizzard you would be very grateful to see it. I am so glad we decided to stay here, as about 10pm the very unmistakable cry of the male Great spotted Kiwi was echoing through the valley. A few moments later he was joined by the female and on the occasions we awoke through the night, they were chatting away to each other. As with the beautiful dawn we experienced a couple of days earlier, this goes down as another one of those moments you could never experience anywhere else on this earth. The following day dawned a wee bit cloudier than the previous 2, and I thought for sure we would again be cheated of any views from the top of the pass. As the morning wore on the cloud cleared and before we realized it we were at the top of Harpers Pass. A nice, easy climb up and a well benched track to walk on. Just like all passes should be!

It was the 6th pass/saddle on my trek so far and I was about to enter the 3rd National Park (Arthurs Pass). The views down to the Taramakau Valley were awesome and we knew that within 2-3 hours we would be down there.

One of the things I was stunned to see was the flowering Southern Rata all over the mountainsides. It was magnificent! I never realized just how prolific these are down in this part of the country. The track down this side was a lot steeper than the side we had just come up and often following dry creek beds and again I was so grateful the weather was on our side. It was a 6 hour walk in total to our final hut on this track. Locke Stream hut was built in 1940 and renovated in 1993 thanks to a bequest by some kind hearted ex-culler. The view from the porch speaks for itself

Unfortunately, some bloody grubby sods had been in here some time previously and left behind a mountain of rubbish. I have never been able to understand why these sort of people even bother coming out to places like this. Eric, god bless him, loaded up a large empty bag with it all and carried out the following day.

The final day was down the mighty Taramakau River and it wasn’t hard to imagine what this river would be like in high flood. The debris lines were, in places, about a hundred meters from the river we now followed and there were some pretty big logs that had been deposited by past floods along the way.

Again, a well marked track through to Kiwi hut, about 3 hours walk down the valley.

From here the going got to be the hardest part of the whole track. It was just a matter of picking your own way along the river in what you though was the easiest route. Sometimes boulder hopping, sometimes through very fine gravel and the occasional river crossing. The river was really low so we only got wet feet twice! But the previous 4 days we managed to get through without once going over ankle deep! Wonder of wonders! On the banks of the Otira river we stopped for our last gourmet lunch of, you guessed it, peanut butter and salami on corn cakes and then waded over the river (again below the knees) to our pick up point and the end of what I have already said is the best part of the trek so far. All you lucky people who live within striking distance of this place, do yourself a favour and get yourself onto this track. I would recommend starting from the Lewis Pass end, 1 night at Kiwi Hope hut and then a couple of nights at the Hurunui. From here it is an easy hour’s walk to the hot springs and they are great. You could then walk out the same way or exit via Lake Sumner or go on over the Harpers. Whatever way, I am sure you would love it.

Eric, it really was a fantastic walk and thanks heaps for your company.

Rakaia River @ Lake Coleridge, New Zealand

2010-02-13T11:06:34.000Z

This leg takes us up over the Cass Saddle (Pass), down to the Harper River and through to Lake Coleridge. Eric, obviously a glutton for punishment, decided to keep me company on this stretch as well. It had rained a little the night before and the clouds were hanging low and threatening over the mountains as we started off up the Cass River about 10.15 am. I really hate these tracks where you have to wade across knee deep water in the first 10 minutes and then manage to avoid all the other creeks etc for the rest of the day. Again, a pretty easy walk once we had picked up the track leading up to the pass. The valley is really pretty badly eroded and, as Eric stated, the South Island is never going to run out of gravel for road repairs!

We had to cross several old and not so old slips and avalanche paths. Once up into the bush it was easy walking along benched tracks and bridged creek crossings. I have been really impressed with the Arthurs Pass National Park’ standard of track and hut upkeep. Although nowhere near as heavily used as some of the other national parks in the South Island, they have all been up to a high standard and I really can’t think of anything negative to say about them. Long may it stay this way! A lunch stop at the "quaint" old Cass Saddle hut and it was up over the pass itself.

We were accompanied for a fair bit of this stretch by a flock of 10 keas. They kept their distance but made sure we knew they were around with their melodious song. As much as I love these clowns of the mountains I am a lot happier when there is a wee bit of distance between us. I have in the past personally experienced the odd close encounter with these dear sweet creatures. How wonderful it is to return to your tent or bivvy to find that a flock of keas had paid a visit in your absence. If you are VERY lucky, you MIGHT find something that is still recognizable! The cloud was sitting right down on the pass (1326 meters) so we didn’t dally around long and again, the "wonderful views" were non-existent.

Heading down the Hamilton River was similar to the way up. The forest was pretty much all mountain beech with the odd mountain toa-toa thrown in. It was along this stretch of track we saw the only NZ falcon we have seen on the trek so far. The interesting thing about this particular part of the forest was the understory. In some places the small trees were so thick it would have been impossible to walk through and a couple of hundred meters down the track, there wasn’t a young tree to be seen. The other thing I love about beech forest is the great variety of fungi that is about.

We arrived at the Hamilton hut about 5pm. A lovely comfortable hut set up on a terrace overlooking the Hamilton River. There were 3 DoC staff in residence there repainting the outside of the hut plus 3 young ladies from Landcare Corp. doing research on some vegetation blocks up the valley. 2 of these ladies were from France and the 3rd was English. Haven’t we got anyone in NZ who can do this sort of work? Seems strange to me we have to get overseas people in to study NZ flora. Maybe I am just a grumpy, cynical old bugger after all. Anyway this was the first hut we had to share for sometime!

When we arrived I was sure I recognized the senior DoC ranger, but, as the years advance, the memory retreats, so I couldn’t place him, but knew damn well I had seen him some time in the past. A couple of hours later I was flicking through the hut book and saw his name and everything clicked into place! In my very first update about a million years ago, I said that I first wanted to do this walk 30 years ago. (Actually I exaggerated a bit, it was only 24 years ago!) The guy I planned to do it all with was a fellow guide working with me at the time for Greenstone Valley Walks. Jim Henderson and I did a couple of seasons together and then as often happens, went our separate ways and the whole plan just remained a dream for me until now. And now, bugger me, here was Jim Henderson sitting opposite me in the Hamilton hut in the middle of the A.P.National Park! He had gone on to do some pretty amazing things over the past 24 years. Two 1-year stints down on the ice in Antarctica, a year on Campbell Island, working for DoC in some of the most interesting places in NZ and even a stint in Victoria, Australia fighting the bush fires there. It was fantastic catching up with him, particularly whilst in the middle of doing what I’m doing: The walk he and I planned all those years ago. Jim, if you read this, rest assured I WILL darken your doorstep again in the very near future. Catching up with you again after all these years really has been the highlight of my trek so far. I even intend hitting you up for some sponsorship!

The weather gods ceased smiling upon us that evening. They didn’t exactly start scowling, just frowning a little and I had to put my coat on for the first time in 5 weeks to do the radio sked! We were away from the hut before 7am next morning with the cloud and mist laying everywhere. The forecast was for more rain so we wanted to get out before the worst of it hit us. It never did eventuate. It was a very easy 21 km stroll out, mainly following a 4 wheel drive track all the way out. This did involve about 20+ river crossings but with there being no rain to speak of for weeks, these weren’t a problem. With this amount of river crossings the only sensible thing to do is plunge straight through the first one, get your feet wet right from the beginning and just wade through the rest. It is amazing how much time people waste trying to keep dry, only to slip on the second to last crossing! The water is bloody cold though and as Eric said "how can you get an ‘ice cream headache’ walking through water?

Unfortunately, because of the low cloud we missed ‘The Pinnacles’ a collection of weather worn rock pillars half way down the Harper valley. But this was more than compensated for by the continual changing moods of the valley with the mist and cloud swirling around.

Five hours later we arrived at the Harper Rd end and there was the very welcome sight of ‘The Mother ship’ parked there in the car park. Marilyn had driven it up from Christchurch that morning and arrived about an hour before us. What a luxury to be able to have a cup of real coffee and change into dry footwear.

Alas, it was here I was to suffer rejection as I have never experienced before. As it was lunch time, I dragged out the corn cakes, salami and peanut butter as I had done every day over the past week or so and told Eric to help himself, as I had done every day over the past week or so. Marilyn then offered him fresh bread with cheese and tomato sandwiches. WOULD YOU BELIEVE HE ACCEPTED THAT OVER MY OFFER!?

I was stunned beyond believe! This person I thought was my friend! This person I had puffed up mountain passes with, forded icy cold torrents with, listened to the calls of kiwis with, had rejected this kingly lunch we had dined on every day over the past week or more in favour of fresh sandwiches! There really is no understanding some folk.

So as not to appear a martyr, I had to accept Marilyn’s offer as well and grudgingly devoured about 6 of these. Eric has now returned to Auckland and in all seriousness I am really sorry to see him go. We had a great trip over the Harpers Pass and now down Harper river. He was great company and a fountain of knowledge when it comes to our fauna and flora. Thanks again Eric, I am sorry you couldn’t continue on down to the Rangitata as we hoped.

So, here we are on the banks of the Rakaia River and deciding what to do next. The weather forecast is for heavy rain and thunder tomorrow so I am leaning more towards just following the back country roads down to the Rangitata rather than go across country following the Te Araroa Trail through the Mt Hutt and Taylor Ranges. Trouble is, with all the fine weather I have been having, I think I am turning into a "fair weather sailor"!

Lake Clearwater, New Zealand @ Lake Clearwater, New Zealand

2010-02-21T17:42:20.000Z

Greetings from the shores of Lake Clearwater on a beautiful Saturday morning. Just getting packed up ready to go and cross the 4 km wide braided Rangitata River. All reports suggest that it should be low enough to ford across, I sincerely hope they are right as it’s a long way to drive around to the other side.

Anyway, back to where we left off last update, camped on the side of the Rakaia River. My plan was to ford the river on the Saturday but during Friday night a screaming nor-wester blew up and heavy rain fell in the Alps, enough to force the rerouting of the Coast to Coast race which was held that day. We should have realized that something was about to happen from the cloud formations the day before.

The wind was such in the morning that we could hardly stand up in it, let alone waddle across a river. So being the intrepid couple that we were, we headed into Christchurch once again, this time to get my boots fixed and pick up Phil Soole who is going to keep me company for the next 2 weeks. Phil and his brother Pete did the Wangapeka with me a million years ago. Some people never learn.

The boot repair job was a success and once again when I explained to the boot maker what I was doing and he didn’t charge me, so if you are in ChCh and need boots repairing, go to Ferry Road Shoe Service, 188 Ferry Road.

We picked Phil up and headed up to the southern side of the Rakaia opposite the Wilberforce confluence and headed up the Turton’s saddle at 1120m.

We could see the weather coming in from the NW and the forecast didn’t sound too flash but not too horrendous either. This was amazing country, huge sweeping Canterbury high country.

We didn’t see any stock anywhere but lots of native skinks and believe it or not, great flocks of black-backed seagulls, even up at this height. They gave the impression of being vultures circling around.

As we dropped down into the Turton’s basin towards the Comyn’s hut we could see the structure stuck out in the middle of nowhere which from a distance looked like a long-drop. As we approached it, we realized that is just what it was, They obviously expect a lot of strong winds down this valley.

For the last hour and a half walk down to the hut, we had to put our raincoats on – for the first time in over 4 weeks. We got to Comyn’s hut which was built in 1957 to replace the original one built in 1890. This is listed as derelict and Boy, they are not kidding!

The new one is made completely out of corrugated iron which is all proudly labeled ‘Made in Ebbw Vale, Great Britain" nowadays I imagine it would all be labeled’ Made in China’.

The mountain forecast that night again didn’t sound too bad, just showers and high winds. We set off the next morning at first light and by 10 to 7 had our boots full of freezing water crossing the first of 37 stream crossings. We climbed up towards the Clent Hill Saddle through thick tussock interspaced with matagouri and wild Spaniard, two of NZ’s wonderful alpine species so welcoming to trampers. We got to the top of the saddle at 1480m where we were told that on a clear day you could see for ever.

At this stage we could see the valley floor and that was about it. At the top of the saddle it took us quite some time to find the downward track marker. It was well to the right of the top of the saddle and half way along the 400m scree slope we had to sidle along.

It was about here that things started turning to custard.

The cloud that had been further down the valley was suddenly upon us. It was a lot thicker and wetter than what I had experienced on the Waiau Pass. We really couldn’t see from one marker to the next and had to repeat the experience of one staying by the marker while the other set out to find the next one. As a lot of this track was along narrow ridges we really didn’t want to head the wrong way. The temptation of course was to drop down and follow the river valley but after consulting the map and seeing the gorge which was half way down the river, we didn’t think that was such a great idea. Occasionally the cloud would thin enough to allow us to see the next marker which we would then make a beeline for. I imagine that on a fine day the views from there would be absolutely spectacular. We could barely see our boots! We battled through this for some 2 ½ hours. The thing that concerned me the most was that after checking the GPS regularly was that we didn’t seem to be dropping any altitude. We were still at 1400m. Eventually we did start descending and the cloud started thinning so following the markers was much easier. We finally caught sight of Lake Heron and the huge basin below us and descended rapidly.

A relief to be out in the open again and out of the tussock, matagouri and spaniard and onto shorter grass. We stopped and had a good look at the map and saw that instead of coming down the Swin River valley as we’d assumed we would, we did in fact come along a parallel valley. An hour and a half walking along the flat we spotted the Mother Ship parked right where it should be. We started smiling and the pace picked up in anticipation of the fresh scones, hot shower, cold beer and steak dinner which awaited us. We were not disappointed!

This piece of track was a real wake up call to me personally as the last 2 legs of the trek had been a piece of cake, easy tracks, wonderful weather and good visibility. It is very easy to become complacent and blasé about tramping in fair weather and then, suddenly things can change dramatically. I wasn’t unduly worried about our safety as we both had all the right gear, survival bags and good warm and waterproof clothing. Even so, I am damn glad we didn’t have to spend the night in the open up there.

The next day dawned magnificently. Calm, warm and clear and Lake Heron was a picture to behold.

Phil and I only had about 20 km of flat road walking to do today so it was a leisurely start in the sunshine with a 5 star lunch stop looking back at the Pass we’d struggled down yesterday now crystal clear against a blue sky and looking most inviting. But we overcame the temptation to retrace our steps of the previous day!

And that brings us to Lake Clearwater and a paddle across the Rangitata.The walk up here gave us the most incredible views of Mt Cook and the Southern Alps.

The plan over the next couple of days is across the river, overnight at Mesopotamia Station (one of the biggest high country stations in NZ), over the Two Thumbs Range and down to Lake Tekapo, where, hopefully, the Mothership and back up crew will be waiting on Monday evening with more hot scones and a smiling welcome! The weather forecast sounds pretty good so here’s hoping.

Will let you know how it went soon. Take care and keep smiling.

Lake Ohau, New Zealand @ Lake Ohau, New Zealand

2010-02-26T11:29:25.000Z

As I ended my last update we were about to cross the Rangitata and spend the night at Mesopotamia Station before heading across the Two Thumb Range. Phil, Marilyn and I set off about noon last Saturday for the place we had been advised to cross. Bear in mind that this river bed is over 4km wide here and braided like you wouldn’t believe. We had also been told to expect to take up to 4 hours getting from one side to the other. Marilyn walked with us down to the river’s edge, about an hour’s walk and then backtracked to the camper to drive around to Tekapo to meet us in 2 days’ time. Before we started to cross the river proper, I turned on the GPS so that if we had to backtrack we would know which way to go. The first channel was pretty shallow, but I was amazed, that even at this depth, how fast the current was. The next half dozen or so braids were fairly easy going but then we hit what I guess was the main channel. We walked upriver for about 400 meters before we found what looked like the only safe place we could see. To be on the safe side, we linked arms and away we went. As I said, I was stunned at the speed of the current, and when it got to over our knees it did become pretty difficult to stay upright. It was only about 30 meters wide and we finally got to the other side about 20 meters down from where we had entered the water. From there we paddled across another couple of shallow streams and suddenly, that was it!! We had done it. We had crossed one of the biggest rivers in the country without any real drama at all. It was all pretty anti-climatic actually, so we sat down and shared our one and only apple to celebrate.

From here it was another hour or so yomp to the homestead and our stop for the night.

Mesopotamia, one of the iconic high country sheep stations of NZ. Up to a couple of years ago, this was a 26,000 hectare property, with several homesteads and even it’s own school, which officially closed last year.

Now it is 5,000 hectares, with a 30 year hunting and tourism concession over the other 26,000 now under DoC. While wandering around the property that evening, we met a chap who used to muster up in the hills who, when we told him our plans to get to the Royal hut next day informed us "we were dreaming". After chatting with him for a while, he advised us not to try the Te Araroa Track and instead, go up Forest River and over the Bullock Bow Saddle, a route I had actually looked at some time ago. He said the track was easier going and most of it followed an old 4 wheel drive track, which sounded appealing. He also said it wouldn’t take nearly as long. Yeah Right!

We were up and gone at first light and it really was a glorious start to the day. Sun shining on the mountain tops, deer watching us from a distance and not a cloud in the sky (boy, we were sorry about that later). The climb up and over the saddle was long and steep, a climb of over 1000 meters to the top at 1625m.

The views were fantastic and we could see the next day’s challenge, Stag Saddle on the other side of the valley.

By this time the temperature had reached over 30 degrees and even the wind was warm. We had a quick lunch at the top and then headed down to Bush Stream to pick up the track to the hut. A lot of this route was over scree slopes and avalanche debris and with the sun beating down reflecting off the rock, you can imagine how hot it was. Yes, I know, last week I was bitching about the rain and cold, no pleasing some people! We eventually got to the valley floor and pushed our way through the usual collection of matagouri, waist high tussock and wild spaniard. We finally arrived at the Royal Hut nearly 11 hours after leaving Mesopotamia. A very long and hot day. Royal hut was so named because Prince Charles apparently stayed here some years ago. I just hope it was in far better condition then than it is now! What a tip! By far the most rundown and uncared for hut I have seen on the entire trek. Dirty, rubbish everywhere, food containers with contents left all over the place and even the old horse-hair mattresses!

The following morning saw us gone before day break, complete with headlamps as we were aware the climb up to Stag Saddle was a 4 and a half km track and to allow 3 and a half hours to do it.

As the sun rose behind us we were a third of the way up, again, a really fantastic morning. Before we knew it, (2 and a half hours later actually) we were on the saddle! At 1945 meters the highest point of my trek. Looking south, we had the most incredible views over Lake Tekapo, Lake Pukaki, down towards the Lindis Pass and behind us the route we had just come up. It really did look pretty steep but I guess doing it at this time (and partly in the dark so we couldn’t actually see how steep it was) we really had no problems at all getting up to the top.

Going down the valley became more and more difficult with no track as such and only the very occasional pole marker. The ground was very uneven and broken, the descent was steep and slippery and you couldn’t see your feet through the thick tussock. About 45 minutes later Phil pulled up with a very sore knee and slowed up considerably. I took what I could fit into my pack from him and on we went. By now the sun was right above us and it was getting hotter than yesterday. Luckily we were following a stream down so water wasn’t a problem. The day dragged on and got hotter and so did we. Poor Phil was in a lot of pain and the going wasn’t getting any easier. Finally, 5 hours after leaving the saddle, we hit an old 4 wheel drive track which we knew would lead us to an old musterers hut. called Camp Hut, it is a great wee place. A huge improvement on our last night’s abode. I was concerned about the fact that we had arranged for Marilyn to meet us at 2 o’clock that afternoon and it was 2.00 now with still at least 3 hours to go at a normal pace. Phil felt he could carry on at a slow pace so after a break we set off again. Even at this hour it was still baking hot and we were both getting pretty badly sun and wind burnt despite all the precautions we took. The going stated to improve a little and we were making reasonable time when we spotted the poled route taking us out of the river valley and straight up a bloody long steep mountainside. Talk about the sting in the tail! I don’t think either of us had sweated so much before. After an almost vertical climb of nearly 400 meters, we finally reached the top and started sidling around the ridge line to the road end at Tekapo ski field. As we neared the road end, I could hear the sound of road working machinery away in the distance. I looked at my watch, saw it was 4.15, guessed whoever it was working would most likely knock off at 4.30, so said to Phil I would run and try to get to them before they finished and see if someone would come and pick him up at the road end as we still had about 8 kms to walk down the road before our meeting point with Marilyn. Running with a full pack and boots on in 30+ degrees might be great training for the Royal Marines or SAS, but it ain’t no good for an overloaded, overheated old geezer, believe me. I finally stumbled (literally) across this construction crowd doing some road realignment work about 2 km down the road. I have never felt so utterly stuffed in my life! They were a great bunch of guys and within a few minutes we were in a ute and heading back up the hill to pick Phil up. I am sure he was even more relieved to see these guys than I was. When I mentioned that we were supposed to have been meeting Marilyn at the bottom of the road 3 ½ hours ago, Steve, the owner of the operation, said he had noticed a camper had been parked at the bottom of the hill for a few hours and then ran us down to where it was parked. The relief all round was enormous and after several gallons of good old Raro (almost pure sugar drink), we started slowly reviving. I finally plucked up the courage to take my boots off, and sure enough, three toenails completely knackered. No doubt that running down hills on gravel roads in tramping boots is injurious to one’s digits.

Due to various reasons, we decided to stay in the Lake Tekapo Motor camp for the night. Grief, how I hate these places. What is it that makes the people who run these places so grumpy, rude and so unhelpful? They charge like wounded bulls and then charge extra for everything else. Give me a lovely little river or beach to park on every time.

Back to reality the next day and the prospect of having to limp along 35 km to Lake Pukaki on the road alongside the huge canals here in MacKenzie country that are part of the Tekapo-Pukaki-Ohau power schemes. Phil decided he thought he would be better off taking another day off so I set off on my own for what I thought would be a boring road walk. How wrong I was. It was great. This time the breeze was nice and cooling and the views were, again, fantastic. Across the burnt plains up onto the Alps and Mt Cook there in all its glory.

We spent the next night on the shores of Lake Pukaki and it actually rained! For a full 30 seconds! The weather over the Alps looked a bit threatening but it stayed up on the mountains and again the morning was wonderful.

Phil joined me on this second and last day of canal walking from Pukaki to Lake Ohau. I must mention here the wonderful colour of the water in these lakes.

A real turquoise blue, caused by the "rock flour" ground out of the glaciers that feed the rivers that flow into these lakes. So the pair of us cripples and Tiri of course, hobbled along against the backdrop of the Alps and the sun on our backs the 25 km to Ohau.

This really is an interesting part of the country and other than our injuries and chapped lips it’s a pretty damn fine life!

Wanaka, New Zealand @ Wanaka, New Zealand

2010-03-02T21:43:30.000Z

27/ 02/10

Hot, hot and very hot! Camped on the shores of the Ahuriri River just out of Omarama and boy is it HOT!

This part of the country is just like a desert at the moment, very dry and very dusty. Hard to imagine that in a few months time the whole place could be under snow. Apart from the heat, have had a fairly easy few days, getting from Lake Ohau and now heading up to Lindis Pass. Due to the painful digits and Phils still pretty stuffed knee, we have had to do a bit of rearranging so far as our route goes for the next few days. Original plan was to cut around the bottom of Lake Ohau, across country to the Ahuriri and then down through the Ahuriri Conservation Area to the shores of Lake Hawea. What we have done now is get permission to use some 4 wheel drive tracks over private property and just walk along the fringes of the main highway. Doing this means I don’t have to wear boots and the ground is fairly level and easier on Phils knee. We have come down from Lake Ohau, followed along the Ahuriri River, past some interesting formations in the clay cliffs and down to Omarama.

From here we have followed the main road towards Lindis Pass and tomorrow it is up and over Lindis Pass to a large high country station called Forest Range, were we have permission to use a private track which will bring us out onto the shores of Lake Hawea, which, all going well, we should reach on Monday afternoon.

We have 25k’s of main road still to cover and about 30k’s across the Forest Range Station. A mere stroll!

Had an interesting morning in Twizel yesterday (Friday) Gave a 15 minute interview over the local radio station. It was quite fun, actually. Not having to see anyone and just answer the hosts questions. I was a lot more confident and relaxed then I know I am going to be on Tuesday evening when I have to address the Lake Wanaka Rotary Club!

But back to Twizel. I have only ever passed through this place in the past thinking of no good reason to stop over. I have certainly changed my mind now! This wee place has a real heart and soul to it, which is a lot more than can be said about some of its neighbouring towns. The conservation work they are doing with the Kaki (Black Stilts) is fantastic Now with only 82 left in the world, they really have their work cut out. Again, an awful lot of volunteer hours have gone into this project. Aside from that, everyone we met was conservation minded. No one I spoke to was behind this stupid scheme to put intensive undercover dairy farms down in this part of the country. As I said, this place is a bloody desert and the only 2 things I have seen that seem to thrive here are rabbits (zillions of them) and wild sweet briar. It was never intended for dairy farming, end of story!

But back to Twizel (again). The local bakery builds a bloody good sausage roll and even better steak pie and Tania from the Twizel Pharmacy is an expert on fixing mangled sunglasses! Ok, enough about Twizel.

Were we are camped at the moment is under the flight path from the Omarama Airfield. And what a busy little airfield it is. As I am sure a lot of you know, Omarama is the gliding capital of NZ and there is an almost constant stream of gliders being towed up into the wild blue yonder. (Come to think of it though, I haven’t seen any land!) It is not unusual to see about half a dozen of these machines circling around overhead at the same time. Not for this kid though. I don’t like flying in planes with engines very much!

28/02/10

Have knocked off the 25ks of road and are camped by the Lindis River, about 5k’s from our starting point tomorrow. Will be pleased to get off the road and into the hills again. The only good thing about road walking is that we are able to cover some good kilometers.

We have covered about 135k’s over the past 5 days which is pretty good going. We have been starting out as early as we possibly can (have just noticed the days are starting to get shorter) and knock off in the afternoon before the heat gets too much. The other advantage of an early start is you get a couple of hours before the traffic gets too much. We set off today about 4k’s north of Lindis Pass itself and were heading down the southern side before 8am. As Phil said " wish all our passes/saddles were this easy"

Wonderful plaque on top of the pass commemorating the 1st liberation of red deer into Otago! What a great moment to remember! Like the plaque in the Mt Bruce bird sanctuary near Palmerston North commemorating the 1st release of possums into NZ.

Another advantage of walking roads one usually drives over is all the things you don’t see when doing 100kph. Like all the road kill here are bloody ferrets and the very thin layer of topsoil on this part of the country. About 100 mls deep at most, little wonder the vegetation is a bit scratchy!

Was great to see our first clump of bush again for a week, never realized just how barren this area is.

But even so, this is still a pretty amazing place.

01/03/10

This last section is called "Grandview Track" and a more apt name, you could never get. By far the most spectacular bit of the South Island I have walked so far.

Got away early again as the forecast was for rain in the afternoon and gales along the tops and they were right on the mark! The walk was steadily upwards through open tussock country and the views back towards the Lindis and over to the east towards Cromwell were amazing. The interesting thing was how different this open tussock country was compared to the stuff we went through further north. The ground actually had a greenish tinge to it and the tussock wasn’t nearly as course or hard. The mountainsides were dotted with the most amazing rock outcrops that resembled all sorts of castles and things, depending on how good your imagination was.

We gained just over 1000 meters in height over about 14k’s distance before reaching the top and managed to find a convenient rock to shelter behind for lunch. By now some of the wind gusts were so strong I was having difficulty standing upright and I was waiting to see Phil, who is considerably lighter than me, leave the ground on a couple of occasions. Once we had got over the top the whole outlook changed dramatically. We could see down the whole length of Lake Hawea and across the plains to Lake Wanaka. And Albert Town, where we were heading to

It really was a view to behold. We could also see the rain approaching down Lake
Hawea at a rapid rate, so didn’t dally around up as long as we would have liked to. The descent was very sudden and we dropped over a 1000 meters in less than 4 k’s. It was the first time I had worn my boots for nearly a week to give my toes a chance to recover and the steep downhill was the last thing I needed. Fortunately I had taken my hiking shoes with me but it is going to be interesting in a couple of days when I head off over the Motatapu Track for 4 days. It was a race over the last half hour between the rain and ourselves, I think we won by a nose. Unfortunately, the time had come to say farewell to Phil. He has been with me for nearly 2 weeks, since the Raikia River, and I am really going to miss his wit, humour and can-do attitude to everything. We have been through a lot together, from the rain and fog on the Clents Saddle to the long baking hot days across the Two Thumb Range and our various injuries. Mind you, I doubt he will ever eat peanut butter or salami again. We drove through to Cromwell for the night and abandoned Phil at the bus stop in the early hours of this morning to catch his bus to Dunedin Airport. By the time this update goes on the web, Phil will be back in Brisbane beavering away at his desk. Thanks again for everything Phil, it was great!!

Marilyn dropped me off at Albert Town and I strolled along the Clutha to its outlet from Lake Wanaka and then around the waterfront to Wanaka township.

Getting to really enjoy walking without a pack and on flat land! My priority now is to put together a talk for the Wanaka Rotary Club tonight. Give me the Two Thumbs Range any day.

Catch you again next week. (if I survive tonight!)

Take care and keep smiling.

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Arrowtown, New Zealand @ Arrowtown, New Zealand

2010-03-10T18:02:50.000Z

Well, survived the speech and the Motatapu track, both in the same week! To be honest, they were both great experiences and I would do either one again. While in Wanaka we stayed with a friend of a friend who owns a wonderful bed and breakfast, Falling Leaves, on the outskirts of Wanaka. Jo is a great person, with a great sense of humour and will keep you amused for hours with her tales about her days as a nanny for the rich and famous in the US and Europe. She also knows the area so well and everything there is to do around the place, so if you are looking for a cozy, friendly place to rest your weary head when passing through this part of the world, you won’t get better than here.

Next day saw me walking around the lake edge to Glendhu Bay, the start of the Motatapu Track, a stroll of about 15 k’s. Along the way, I was met by a reporter for the Otago Daily Times, which resulted in a great article and a pic of Tiri and me on the lake edge in the following morning’s paper. The lake edge is a beautiful walk, flat and easy with Mt Aspiring and the Alps as a backdrop.

Thursday was back to reality and the first multi-day tramp I had done for a while. No more luxury of Marilyn and the Mothership waiting at the end of the day with a hot shower and a decent dinner. My daughter’s partner, Dave, flew down from Auckland to join me on this section and we got started at 1.00pm to get to the first hut, about a 3 hour walk.

Dave hadn’t done any tramping for a while and I think we were both a little bit nervous about things and both knew the Motatapu was going to be a fairly demanding wee yomp.

This section was pretty straight forward, passing through the 14,000 hectare Stack Conservation Area, one of the last remaining decent stands of beech forest in the area, and then a bit of a climb to the Fern Burn hut. The 3 huts on this track are fantastic. All only a few years old, and very comfortable.

The Motatapu Track traverses 2 high country stations, the Motatapu and the Soho. These 2 stations were both purchased by Shania Twain and her husband a few years back and one of the conditions of the sale was that they had to allow and finance this track and huts plus pay for its upkeep for the first 5 years, which is how this track came into being. Thank you very much Shania, I promise I will buy your next album, as I personally think what you have done here is fantastic.

I am so glad the standard of huts has improved over the years.

We had the hut to ourselves and on reading the hut book was surprised to see how few people use the track. There were also some pretty horrible comments about the next few days’ track, which I was hoping that Dave wasn’t going to see!

Day 2 was up and over the first of four 1,200+ metre climbs we had in front of us on this track, this one being Jack Hall Saddle at 1275m. A bit of a grunt first thing in the morning and over the next few days we discovered that every day started with a bloody great climb!

The descent down to the valley floor was the first section of track that was going to become the norm for long sections over the coming days.

It was as we dropped down to the river several hundred metres below us that the weather decided to change. The temperature suddenly dropped and a nasty southerly blow brought a squally shower with it. The wind got a wee bit on the fearsome side for a while and the rain was enough to get things wet and make things miserable for a bit. Fortunately, the next hut was only an hour or so’s walk from here and the rain stopped shortly after we got there, to clear into another sunny warm afternoon. We were joined that night by Jeff, an amusing bloke from the UK who informed us that the only other tramp he had done in NZ was up to Stag Saddle from Lake Tekapo! Took him 5 days for the return trip and he said it was bloody hard work. I knew exactly how he felt! He was heading out the way we had come in and had a great attitude to life. He also donated $20 to the cause. Again, some horrific comments in the hut book on the stretch of track we were going to travel the next day.

Daybreak saw us starting up the first of the two big climbs we had to look forward to today. The dawn was stunning and when we puffed our way to the top the vista that opened up in front of us made it all worth while. The track itself certainly wasn’t one you would take lightly, it sidled around some fairly steep drop-offs but so long as you watched what you were doing it really wasn’t a problem. We were lucky there was a nice cooling breeze blowing; the walking conditions up to now were ideal. We stopped for lunch half way up the next climb and came to the conclusion there really wouldn’t be a lot of lunchrooms with this sort of view! Some members of the party decided that this would be a great opportunity to make sure the inside of their eyelids hadn’t changed since last night!

Another climb up along a fence line and then a very steep descent to the last hut. About a 600 metre drop over about 2 k’s in distance which did nothing for the feet for either of us!

Shortly before dusk that evening, we were joined in the hut by another chap who had walked all the way in from Glendhu Bay in 1 day, where we had taken 3! He looked completely stuffed and when we asked him what he thought of the view, he said he hadn’t stopped at all to admire it! It has never ceased to amaze me why people do this sort of thing. What exactly are they trying to do and why? Bloody idiots in my humble opinion. Barry left the hut at the same time as us next morning, right on daybreak again, and sure enough, I watched as he powered up the hill, not once stopping to look at what he was tramping through. Up and over Roses Saddle but considerably easier than the previous 2 days as this followed an old pack horse trail and was zig-zagged and nowhere near as steep.

The descent down to the Arrow River on the other side was also gentle in comparison to the last couple and we soon found ourselves on the banks of the Arrow and all the ups and downs behind us.

The water level was so low we were able to walk the last 2 hours down the river itself much to the relief of hot and sore feet.

As we got to closer to Macetown the 4 wheel drive tracks along side the river got bigger and bigger until the whole place was virtually one large track. I don’t begrudge these people their fun, but wish there was somewhere else they would go and play other than a pristine river such as this one. The original plan was to camp the night at Macetown but as it was early afternoon, we decided to walk the 14 k’s into Arrowtown and have the next day off.

About 6k’s before Arrowtown a chap stopped beside us and offered us a lift the rest of the way, which we gratefully accepted. It was very hot and dusty and to all the purists who think we cheated, don’t worry, my next leg actually starts 12 k’s further north than were we finished! Turned out to be an interesting drive as this bloke worked on the Motatapu Station and over a cold beer in Arrowtown told us of some of his experiences there. Like fencing in the winter when the top 150mm of ground is frozen solid! He very kindly dropped us off where Marilyn had left the bus before flying back to Auckland for a few days. Sue owns this place and is an old friend of mine from the far distant past who I worked with on the Routeburn Track. She just happened to have a roast beef dinner on the go with enough to spare for a couple of hungry, weary but extremely pleased with themselves, chaps. It was a great walk, certainly up there with the best I have done. It certainly isn’t a track for sissies, but as long as the weather was good and you are reasonably fit and confident on your feet, go for it, I can guarantee you won’t be disappointed! Dave, it was a pleasure and a privilege to have you with me. I know you suffered a bit, but you never complained and overcame every obstacle. Thanks heaps for your company and I hope we get to get out again sometime soon.

I now cool my heels here until Sunday morning when we drive around to the Divide on the Milford Sound Road and start down the Greenstone Track to the Mavora Lakes Walkway and then through to Te Anau. Till then I shall have to suffer watching the sun set on the Remarkables every night. Helluva life really.

Take care and stay happy.

Te Anau, New Zealand @ Te Anau, New Zealand

2010-03-18T16:20:16.000Z

Sitting on the lake front at Te Anau. bleak, windy and cold. So different to yesterday as we arrived in glorious sunshine and a stunning day. I definitely think the summer is on its way out. Certainly can’t complain though, on the whole it has been a cracker as far as I am concerned. Back to last week though. Spent 6 days in Queenstown after the Motatapu Track and it was great catching up with some old friends and meeting lots of new ones. After a couple of warm and sunny days I awoke on Friday morning to bitterly cold winds and snow way down on the Remarkables!

Even the locals were complaining. Saturday the 13th was the day of the Motatapu Challenge, a bike race through the valley from Wanaka to Arrowtown and, for the first time, a run across the track that Dave and I had just walked. The runners had to be in teams of 2, carry locater beacons and be at certain places by certain times. I am sure there would have been snow up on the track but up to now I haven’t heard of any results but intend doing that today. Marilyn arrived back in Queenstown on Saturday afternoon as did my 3 walking companions for this leg. Colin, an old friend from Auckland who now lives in Milton, (yes, people still do live in Milton) and Willie and Rob from Auckland, who had made contact with me through the FOF website before I started this trek. After meeting up on Saturday evening the consensus was to start south of Kinloch on the shores of Lake Wakatipu and go up the Greenstone Valley as opposed to driving the 4 hours around to the Divide on the Milford Rd and walking down the valley. This was still well north of where we finished off last week so it wasn’t a problem. We set off on Sunday morning for one of the most beautiful drives in NZ, around Lake Wakatipu to Glenorchy. Stunning views of Mt Earnslaw and across the Lake towards the Greenstone Valley and Elfin Bay. Stopped off in Glenorchy for a coffee and was amazed at how much this place has grown over the years. This is one of my favourite places in the country and when I think I nearly bought a 3 bedroom house here 22 years ago for $75,000 !! It was far too expensive, this place was never going to change! We started walking along the Kinloch-Greenstone Rd about noon and up the valley a couple of hours later, leaving Marilyn to bounce back down the badly corrugated road in the Mothership and meet us at the Mavora lakes on Tuesday.

This is a valley I have walked up and down nearly a hundred times and it was as magic as ever! I was the head guide on this track when Greenstone Valley Walks started in 1985 and, for those who don’t know, was where I first met Marilyn. Needless to say it really was a trip down memory lane. It was also the first decent bit of bush I had walked through for some weeks after the dry, barren Canterbury and Otago high country. I loved it! In the first few hundred meters I got reacquainted with the bellbirds, robins and rifleman and so enjoyed the walk along the crystal clear river.

The track is so well maintained and even some of the smaller side creeks are now bridged, meaning that even in wet weather, you can get to the first hut without getting your feet wet!

The Greenstone Hut was relocated from the Greenstone Valley some years ago and now sits on a lovely sub-alpine clearing on the banks of the Sly Burn A very comfortable and spacious hut, with 20 bunks and a permanent hut warden in residence. Can anyone please explain to me why DoC doesn’t employ NZers for these positions any more? Have come across 2 hut wardens in my travels now, one German and one Japenese. Wasn’t like it in my day!! About 10 other people in the hut that night, the most crowded hut I have stayed in since the Heaphy nearly 10 weeks ago. The walk from there over into the Mavora Valley is a doddle. In fact this section was by far the easiest bit of track walking I have come across on the whole trek.

The Mavora valley itself is fantastic. A typical glacial valley with huge river terraces and moraine hillocks along the length of it. Our original plan was just to walk to the first hut for the next day, but as the weather was so good and the going so easy we decided to carry on another 4 hours to the Boundary Hut and give ourselves an easy walk out the following day.

The huts through here are very comfortable although fairly small, only 4 bunks in each one. Looking through the hut book I was surprised to see that few people actually use this track. It really is an easy and enjoyable walk to do.

The only downside is the valley is now open to 4 wheel drive vehicles up to the Boundary hut and wide sections of it are getting pretty badly churned up. A real pity I feel. Tuesday dawned very overcast and dull and true to the forecast, by mid morning the heavens opened and stayed open till mid afternoon. No trip through this part of the country would be complete without at least one day’s rain! We got to the road end in good time and as we had 40 odd kilometers of road to cover to the highway we carried on as we were wet anyway and still had a couple of hours before Marilyn was due to pick us up. We covered about 9 k’s before the Mothership hove into view and then backtracked to the Mavora Lake DoC run camping ground which is wonderfully situated at the end of the lake and has great facilities. As usual, within a few minutes of stopping Marilyn had the scones in the oven and all was well with the world. This type of camping really is roughing it smoothly! It got bitterly cold overnight and sure enough, come morning we could see the mountains around us covered with snow. With 30 odd k’s of road still to cover we set off fairly early and went for it. It was great having Marilyn drive ahead and stop every 8-10 k’s to wait for us to catch up and refuel us with hot drinks and food. Like I said, roughing it smoothly! It was bloody cold though and it was close to 2pm before it warmed up enough to shed at least one layer of clothes. We knocked off the distance by 3.30pm, which considering the number of long relaxed stops we had wasn’t too bad I thought.

Which brings us to Te Anau, were we dropped off Colin to catch the bus back to Milton (yes, some buses still go through Milton) and Rob and Willie to carry on to do the Dusky Track. This was the route I was going to take to the south coast but for a number of reasons I am going to finish the last stretch on country roads. Reason 1 is my Dad is not too good and has been in and out of hospital recently and although he insists he is Ok, I would like to get home and say hello. Reason 2 is that the weather forecast for early next week isn’t too flash and having down the Dusky once in chest deep water, I ‘m not in a hurry to repeat the experience. The third and most important reason is that I am just plain bloody knackered! The last day’s walking in boots down the Mavora really stuffed my feet and parts of my body that up ‘til now have been fine are starting to twinge and groan. But don’t worry, if I have to finish walking on my hands I WILL FINISH!!

Will touch base again soon. Take care and keep smiling.

Tuatapere, New Zealand @ Tuatapere, New Zealand

2010-03-20T21:07:11.000Z

Oops! A slight error in the mathematics. Thought I only had 93k’s to go but ..it is actually 114 k’s (Bugger)!

Anyways, left wonderful old Te Anau and headed back to where we finished off yesterday with 13k’s of main highway to cover, joy of joys.
For your information there is 1 Maui camper every 2 minutes going to or from Te Anau and these are interspaced with tour buses full of sleeping tourists. I wonder how much of NZ they actually see.
Spent the night in Mossburn, which sells itself as the “Deer Capital of NZ”.

Interesting going into the local store and instead of racks of women’s magazines, it was Rod & Rifle, More Pork, Game Hunting in NZ etc.etc. Real chap’s country, one feels.

19/03/10

Greatest distance covered in one day!! 42k’s!! Admittedly, all flat and on the seal, but, boy, still a bloody long way! Escaped the clutches of Mossburn about 8am this morning and stopped walking about 5.30pm. Mind you, this included a stop every 5 k’s for drinks, food and moral support. Have reached a stage when my morals definitely need supporting! Most of the day was wonderfully sunny but cold as a mother in law’s heart! I read some time ago a diary from some bloke who had done the Te Araroa walk and followed this particular route. He reckoned that this was the most boring part of the whole journey. I certainly haven’t found that! What a pleasure to walk through such wonderful green and fertile country again after some of the near desert I have been through.

This is real dairy farm country, not that dry barren crappy parched country around Omarama. Heard today that the plans to put intensive dairy farming up there have been put on hold. Thank goodness for that.
Passed close by White Hill Wind Farm, the only wind farm in the SI., 29 turbines producing enough power for 30,000 houses. Personally I don’t have a problem with wind power, but there again, they aren’t in my backyard!

Tucked away at present at the centre of the universe. A great place called Nightcaps! The name speaks for itself! If you haven’t been here, I really recommend that you keep it that way!

But this time it really is only 61 k’s to go.

20/03/10

36 more k’s behind us and just 25 left for the final push tomorrow! Bit harder today as most of it was into the teeth of a pretty strong westerly wind. Also a few hills thrown in just to remind me what they are like. Crossed the 46th parallel at one stage and walked under the huge pylons carrying the power from the Manapouri power station to the Tiwai Aluminum Smelter at Bluff. Straight as a die as they faded into the distance.

Walked through a few almost ghost towns en route. All these towns were built around coal mines and as these mines closed, so did the towns. I suppose at some time in the not too distant past these were thriving communities.
Dragged out the MP3 player again and walked the distance listening to Douglas Adams’ ‘Life, The Universe and Everything’. It is one very funny book! I don’t know what he was on when he wrote it, but I sure wish I could get some! So now camped in Tuatapere, 10ks from Te Waewae Bay and the end of one helluva stroll. Started raining a wee while ago and I guess it would be fitting for the last day as I started in the rain 72 days ago. Will tell you all about it in a day or so.

Don’t know what I am going to do on Monday!

Take care, and keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Te Waewae Bay @ Te Waewae, New Zealand

2010-03-22T18:47:00.000Z

Back in Queenstown, 3 and a half hours to drive back over what it took me 8 days to walk!

Don’t quite know what to say at the moment.

Piccies say it all I think!