Leatham Conservation Area

Trip on my own from the 26th to the 28th, bicycle trip with a lot of road, that ended up being a foot trip. Whisky for the trip was the Dalmore 12yo.

Friday 26/01/2018
Did not leave Motueka until after 1900 hours due to issue with bicycle, was a waste of time as when I got to the road end I cycled less than 100 meters and got a puncture. No repair kit. As it was dark when I headed off only thing to photo was the local DOCWare.

Car Park DOCWare

Boulder Forks Hut DOCWare

Cave Hut DOCWare

Cave hut had a number of four wheel drives parked up so I just kept walking.

Saturday 27/01/2018
I was still walking when it became Saturday, got to Barbers hut just on one am and time for a dram before sleep.

Barbers Hut DOCWare

Barbers Hut

This day started again at mid morning with the intention of getting to Bottom Gordons hut and then visiting Top Gordon and Top Leatham huts before dark.

Barbers Hut

Up the valley

And the track up the valley some more

Bottom Gordon Hut

Once at Bottom Gordons hut I had lunch and trimmed my pack down for the walk to Top Leatham hut, choose the furthest hut first and to do in the heat of the day.

Top Leatham Hut Visit
After lunch in the afternoon wandered up to Top Leatham hut, spotted a cat cruising up the river and it was an interesting walk, all in all had a hot afternoon there and back.

The cat

Heading up Leatham River

How it looks, all weedy and shit

Spaniard so tall

Top Leatham Hut

Big fungi

Heading back down valley

Top Gordon's Hut Visit
Rested up and had food then after seven pm off up to Top Gordon's hut for a quick visit, back in the dark.

Swing bridge over the Leatham

Gordon Stream

Top Gordon's Hut

Heading back to Bottom Gordon's in the dark

It was a good day with me taking two hours fifty minutes return to Top Gordon's with DOCWare stating three hours one way, of course I had a real light pack and was in the grove for walking.

Sunday 28/01/2018
Left Bottom Gordon as it was getting hot aiming to stop at the two huts on the way out for morning tea and lunch. Evidence of laziness, or more like sort of obscure four wheel drive sect's tribal behavior was left at Barbers hut, these two empty bottles.

Empty piss bottles at Barbers hut

The real dumb thing is that some peoples drove in last night and drank two bottles of piss and left the empties. Is this some heroic endeavour completed, with the empty bottles having to be left behind as a trophy or monument to celebrate this particular branch of stupidity?

Walking from Barbers hut in the daylight appeared to me to be harder as I could see the long distance to walk. Stopped at Cave Creek hut for lunch and a brew.

Ford before Barbers Hut

Down the Leatham

Cave Creek Hut

Nice gravel road

Leatham valley

Close to road end...

Road end at two thirty the car a welcome site after that hot walk on a gravel road.

Map Stuff

Map from Google Earth and Topo NZ

Trip Times
Friday 26/01/2018
2118 Parked at the road end for joe cars
2143 Bicycle issues
2152 Off walking
2231 Boulder Forks turnoff
2327 Cave Hut
Saturday 27/01/2018
0051 Barbers Hut 
0830 Out of bed
1023 Left Barbers hut
1214 Arrived Bottom Gordons hut
1325 Left Bottom Gordons Hut
1523 Top Leatham hut
1638 Left Top Leatham Hut
1834 Bottom Gordons Hut
1919 Left Bottom Gordons
2042 At Top Gordons Hut
2045 Left Top Gordons Hut
2212 Bottom Gordons hut
Sunday 28/01/2018
0807 Left Bottom Gordons hut
0958 Barbers hut
1006 Left Barbers hut
1137 Cave Hut
1232 Left Cave Hut
1434 At car