Cow Creek Hut 25-26/06/2011

Got delayed by work, flaky Solaris things (nothing beats Mac OS X) so decided on leaving Saturday morning. Made the mistake of popping into work to check on things and got side tracked by wireshark and its ability to decrypt HTTPS when you have server keys. Good fun stuff.
Saturday 25/06/2011
So got to Kiriwhakapapa road end much later than expected and headed off at 1547. Got to the Blue Range turnoff at 1655 and decided to check the hut out and if it was empty to stay there the night. Feeling lazy. Some good views along the ridge.

But Blue Range hut was full so on to Cow Creek in the darkening of the night. No lurking vampires in the trees. Kinda like the older signage dosnt seem so oshy.

Got there at 1911 and its been cleared around the hut with a huge pile of wood. No problems getting a good fire going. A great nights sleep with Tararua rain music.
Sunday 26/06/2011
Set the alarm for midday as no need to rush out in the morning, had decided I wasnt going anywhere.

Had a sweep out and stacked some wood before leaving.
1318 Left Cow Creek hut.
1418 At Waingawa sign, a perfect 1 hour.
1507 At Blue Range hut turnoff sign.
1547 At Kiriwhakapapa Road end.
Its much faster coming out than going in, that was 3 hours 5 minutes from Kiriwhakapapa Road end to Cow Creek hut; and 2 hours 29 minutes from Cow Creek hut to Kiriwhakapapa Road end. A good nights sleep gives good energy.

Te Matawai 17-19/06/2011

Three of us headed off to Te Matawai aiming for a Dundas loop depending on weather.

Friday 17/06/2011
Left Wellington about 1700 hours after a bit of food guzzling, need to get half days really.


Saturday 18/06/2011
A lazy morning due to the late night. Decided to go for a walk to Arete Biv depending on the weather. As time goes on we find more use for the DOC-WARE scattered around the hills, they are good for drying cloths on and as Adrian has found - leaning on.

A good Saturday night as we had all our planes lined up with the appropriate fuel. And hey we only where drinking that terrible NZ beer there because they are slim cans and pack well.

Sunday 19/06/2011
Had a good clean up of the hut and stacked up firewood for the next people. Good supply around the hut of wind blown stuff and the wood shed has a supply of split wood.

Hineru Queens Birthday Weeken 04-06/06/2011

The white tramping cars battery died so no Friday night take off. Got a new one Saturday morning and Paul and I where off to the Eastern Ruahines to visit Hinerua Hut. Havn't been there for sixteen years so keen to revisit. Was last at this hut with my Dad 24th of January 1993.

Hut book goes back years...

Saturday 04/06/2011
Driving, the Ruahines for us is all about driving, anything more than two hours is lots, unless its walking. The phone number I wrote on my out of print (due to a lack of funding according to DOC) Ruahine Park map still worked got Mark not Peter. Thank you Mark for allowing us access over your land, to the airstrip. And as advised by Mark we rang XXXX to gain access from the airstrip to the forest park. No answer. Left a message and hoped we would bump into XXXX.

All changed there is a batch just above the airstrip, and we got a ride up to the fence line, and walked into Hinerua stayed the night.

Hinerua Hut

Sunday 05/06/2011
Up not to early and up to the tops in a minor wind, not really cold, as one thin layer provided protection so long as walking continued.

Then down to Smiths Creek for a walk, and we stayed the night.

Smiths Creek Hut

Monday 06/06/2011
Up not so early and a sweep off the hut and remove the fire ashes then into the creek for wet feet.

Hopeless Hut 27-29/05/2011

Anthony and Ian with a boat less trip up the Nelson Lakes to Cupola Hut, nope Hopeless Hut. The demise of the Nelson Lake water taxi means more walking and no easy out after a walk down the valley. Sounds like DOC are over the top with the requirements to take on the job of a water taxi. On one hand DOC do awesome things like maintain the historic Hopeless hut and on the other hand they have some stupid OSH stuff like the fire escape notices in huts.

Friday 27/05/2011
Left Nelson just before eight and got to the Paddys Track carpark and then headed off down to meet the track to Coldwater Hut about nine am. The lake is the highest Ive ever seen it (tramping regularly here since 1994) and there was a hundred meters or so of drowned track. Some large groups of fungi about.

Nice walk to Coldwater where we stopped for food and drink before heading on to Hopeless. Would have had wet feet if there was a water taxi as there is a few centimeters of water above the jetty.

The view across to Lakehead hut. A lot more water than normal.

Anthony spotted a stag grazing on the flats and I tried to get as close as possible for a photo.

Got to Hopeless before dark with enough time to gather firewood. It is a great the fixup that DOC have given it.

Saturday 28/05/2011
Learning how to sleep is easy at Hopeless hut, such a quiet place and not so warm.

Went for a walk up the route that gives access to Mt Hopeless. Looking down as you come out of the trees.

A minor desert of airplane billy lid.

Sunday 29/05/2011
We left the hut just as the cloud dispersed.


Map of Walk (sort of)

Section from BS24 Mt Robert