AOTEAROA: Land of the Long White Cloud: Heavy on the Heaphy

One of the arches in Oparara Valley, a must-see on the West Coast

The only problem with backpacking is that once you finish the trail you have to get back to your car. The two ends of the Heaphy Track, a Great Walk in the north-western corner of the South Island, are separated by about 430 kilometers of road so you can't just hitch back to your car. Or can you?

Logistically, you need to book your bunks in advance, so there's a timeline rearing its ugly head. You can hire transportation (including vans and helicopters!) but who has the money for that? I need to spend my money on chocolate muffins, not transport! So Captain and I drove Sparky up to Kohaihai, the farthest north you can drive on the west coast. The Tasman Sea was booming and sunsets were grand. We spent the night, kissed Sparky goodbye, and early the next morning hitched a ride with a couple of mountain bikers. It was the end of the high fare summer season, and fall had definitely set in. DOC opened the Heaphy for mountain bikers the day we started and these two were helicoptering their bikes to the start.

We figured it was a Par 8; we did it in 5! The most notable hitch being the Anana Express (Anana means pineapple in french). German stoners are amusing characters. Without the mountain bikers, it would have been rather difficult to get to the start. However, we made it in 1.2 days and started right on time.

We were aiming to make it to Perry Saddle for the night, and though the walk was all uphill, it was a rather pleasant time, but not too much in the ways of views, other than dense beech forest. So, no pics. We almost got run over quite a few times throughout the trip by mountain bikers. It started to rain just after midday and steadily became heavier. When we arrived at Perry Saddle hut, the heavens opened up and a full-force gale was washing down sheets of cold rain and vicious winds. Thankfully we escaped the worst of it. The hut was half-full, with only a couple backpackers and a couple large groups of bikers. Most of them came in after us; dripping clothes filled the air with a pungent scent and gave rise to a wet floor.

We played cards and met our soon-to-be walking partner... ummm...I was going to call him Captain because he's a real captain of yachts, but since Captain K has already claimed that title, his name shall be...Disco Stru! Disco Stru was a Kiwi who lived in Florida for a good long while, and we realized we were all walking in the same direction and decided to go along with each other.

The next morning the storm had blown itself out and we continued on. The terrain changed significantly. Instead of beech forest, we were in grassy meadows interspersed with small groves of moss-covered Alice in Wonderland trees and bumps. Disco Stru discovered some purple mushrooms, which he said were a hallucinogenic type, but we failed to test its efficacy. We met a handsome weka at Gouland Downs Hut; brazen bird. We crossed a few streams, were found petting the moss (you see it and you'll understand), and were occasionally blessed with views of the Tasman Ocean, our future destination.

Alice in Wonderland grove.

You definitely see the gorilla in the moss, right?

Moss! Close up! Fascinating!

Disco Stru almost got run over by a mountain biker, who instead hit a rock, went head over heels and busted his head. Blood everywhere, but he was alright. He didn't clean the scalp wound for the rest of the trip and looked pretty gored up. That night, we camped outside of James MacKay hut, sharing food with Disco Stru, listening to the sounds of kiwis singing around us.

That is a dinosaur egg.

Following morning was mostly downhill to the sea, and again we were found petting the moss. But the forest began changing. The trees got bigger the further downhill we went, and evidence of the GIANT CARNIVOROUS SNAIL was lurking underfoot. Eventually, we encountered the Lewis River and hut, along with 10 million sandflies, and some Nikau palms and massive rimu and rata trees. And I mean massive. Lots of cavelets began popping up alongside of the trails, and the bird population exploded.

GIANT CARNIVOROUS SNAIL! BOW BEFORE HIM!!!

We hiked on to the Heaphy Hut, taking too many photos of the trees and admiring the rivers and where it meets the Tasman Sea. Saying goodbye to Disco Stru there, Captain and I continued on to the Katipo Creek Shelter, and I'm glad we did. We were the only ones there, the night sky was diamond studded, the fire warm, and the beach deserted. We left a trash bag under the eve of our tent, and when we got back from the beach, it was gone. I assumed Captain had put it in his bag. But it was STOLEN.

Trees be big!

Cavelet!

Our first good view of the Tasman Sea!

The next morning, as we were waking up, we heard a creature stalking the outside of our tent. I grabbed the camera, only to look up and see a weka under the eve of our rainfly. Only the netting separated us. We yelled at him to go away and he did, only to come to the other side of the tent and peck Captain in the head repeatedly! With Captain swearing at the bird, we got up and started packing the tent but the weka wouldn't leave us alone. He grabbed our new trash bag and ran backwards into a bush pulling it behind him. Being environmentalist and conservationist-minded, we ran after it. But the bush got super thick and all around us were decades-old tins, plastic bags, and other trash. Looked like a regular bandit lived there! We read the log and wrote a warning (the second of its kind) to future campers. The hike out was quick and the roaring sea intimidating, but the waves were incredible and their suicidal dashing against the jagged rocks was jaw dropping.

Neighbors for the night.

All by ourselves.

Evil weka! Pecked Captain three times on the head!

Typical beautiful New Zealand.

We were happy to see Kohaihai and Sparky again, and Captain was relishing some dry socks and shoes. Poor guy had a couple of giant blisters.

Things to check out in Karamea (the town near Kohaihai): Definitely check out the Oparara Valley caves, arches, and forest! They are incredible and a lovely day hike!

In the Oparara Valley forest, the rivers run red due to all the sediment, same effect as tea. You can also see the archway!

Nearing Kohaihai.

Successful, stinky backpackers!

AOTEAROA, Land of the Long White Cloud: A Tour of the Lakes

Looking north on Lake Rotoiti from Coldwater Hut.

 Nelson Lakes National Park is fabulous for car campers and lovers of water activities. The two picturesque lakes Rotorua and Rotoiti are surrounded by large mountains covered in dark beech forest and filled with birdsong, which is almost unusual in certain parts of NZ. *tears* Kiwi crossing signs abound and the Rotoiti feeds the Buller River, the most popular white water river in the South Island. The true lure of Nelson Lakes is the backcountry of course, but having made plans to hike the Great Walk the Heaphy Track, we were on a bit of a tight schedule.

Our track, in the top right corner.

We determined that we had time for a three day, two night trek and decided to hit up the Angelus Hut and Robert Ridge. First day, we parked Sparky in the lot and began the easy Lakeside Track around Lake Rotoiti to Coldwater Hut. We arrived with plenty of daylight left and began hauling in a lot of brush for a fire. The hut faces the lake, and there were tons of Paradise ducks and gorgeous black swans with cygnets!

Whiskey Falls

LOOK AT THE BABIES! LOOK AT THEM!

SO VERY, VERY FUZZY!

Looking up the Travers River.

While we explored the area, a huge group of Kiwis showed up and started up the fire. They were kind of annoying because they didn't allow much space for us at either the table or the fire, and went off to shoot their rifle, which was loud and pointless. They were also rather awkward, so Captain and I just played cards the entire night. For dinner, we splurged and had burritos, with avocado, tomatoes, onions, the whole shebang and all of it fresh. After we gorged, we realized that we did not plan accordingly, and would not have enough food for the whole trip. Much chagrin was had.

Most impressive beech tree.

More birdies!

And now for some fog.

The next day we started early and began climbing in elevation to the Angelus Hut. The climb up was one of the most beautiful, due to the waterfalls, the pristine forest softly carpeted in beech leaves, and it was a clear, cold day. You go up the Hukere Stream on the Cascade Track, which ended up in a series of waterfalls falling from deliciously clear tarns.

One of the many falls along Hukere Creek.

Getting above the tree line.

I do love me some views!

A gorgeous series of waterfalls. I believe Hukere means Cascade.

Finally, after climbing with our hands, feet, and knees, we reached the top of the crest. Suddenly the clear day misted over and a bitter wind picked up. We kept walking and discovered Lake Angelus - small parts of it appeared for a second only to disappear in the fast moving clouds. After a few minutes, a blustery wind kicked the mist out, and one of the most beautiful scenes materialized before us. A calm tarn, surrounded by steep hills and low lying tuff emitted an aura of serenity - something that I'm always searching for.

Lake Angelus.

A few quick steps and we were at the cold Angelus Hut. Fitting 28 bunks, it was very spacious, which meant cold. We entered and grimaced at the lack of coal and wood - barely enough for a conservative fire. But you have to book Angelus Hut in advance, and it was a more expensive one. When we entered, we encountered another backpacker that we had met on our first tramp, the Rees-Dart. It turned out that this was her last tramp and she was heading back to Wisconsin. We exchanged info, since fate brought us together for our first and her last trip. Then we had a short discussion with the friendly warden, who informed us of gale-force winds, and no hope of wood resupply in the next couple days. We checked the map and determined that we could make it to the Bushline Hut over Robert Ridge, thereby avoiding getting stuck at Angelus, and insuring that we would make it out without starving overmuch. :)

"Far over the misty mountains cold..."

But that meant putting the backpacks back on and heading up the mountain to the ridge. The wind was fierce, but that meant that every once in awhile the mist would get lifted up and we could see the valleys. It was mesmerizing.

Captain leading the way!

Glorious views!

My knee was acting up again, so we took it slow. With relief, we finally made it to Bushline Hut, and met a rather entertaining family. With our usual dinner, we were soon fast asleep, or would be if THE SNORING WOULD STOP! The next day, we had no breakfast, but it only took about three hours to get back to Sparky, food, and civilization.

Lake Rotoiti!

My only regret is not being able to explore the Sabine-Travers wilderness. The problem with backpacking is that you want to keep going, keep exploring. What's beyond that hill, that mountain, the pass? No wilderness is big enough to hold back the spirit of exploration. Except maybe space. Space just might be big enough. But I can't explore it yet *tears*!

Cpt with a delicious peanut butter, nutella, and banana sandwich.

MUSSSSSHHHHROOOOOOOOOOM!

It's hard to photograph trees.

AOTEAROA: I Enjoy Long Walks on the Beach

Returning from the epic Clarence River adventure, we headed around the northern point of the South Island of New Zealand, straying a bit to investigate a sheepdog competition, staying a night in a woolshed, checking out Nelson (favorite city in NZ by far!) and Picton. If in Nelson, you MUST check out the wearable art museum! But on to the backpacking!

Meeting up with our French pal Hughes, we decided to do the easiest Great Walk out there - the Abel Tasman Coastal Track. Vibrant green rainforest, a multitude of ancient ferns, picturesque sandy white beaches, and the calm waters of the deep blue Tasman bay all add up to a great experience in Middle Earth.

If only all beaches were this beautiful and unoccupied.

A tree fern overlooks the Tasman Bay at Abel Tasman National Park.

 
However, if you're looking for quiet and solitude, this is not the place to be. Since it's the most accessible Great Walk, its paths are three feet wide and every inch is crawling with other tourists. It's almost amusing seeing how much people will stack in their bags. One French couple had a 12-pack of bottled beer and a bottle of wine. By the end of the day, they had only made it half-way to their planned destination. I hope they drank it all that night, just to save their backs.

Abel Tasman requires a certain amount of planning, due to inlets that you can only cross during low tides. When planning, you have to constantly look at the tide tables to make sure you don't have to wait too long. Only at two points, Awaroa and Onetahuiti, does the tide matter, because there are high tide tracks for all the other points. Also, you have to plan for a boat trip from Marahau out to where you want to start. Since we only had three days, two nights, we decided to get dropped off at Totaranui.

Gotta watch out for those tides!

After a nice tour boat ride, where we saw the split apple rock and baby seals galore and froze our butts off, we jumped from ship to sand and immediately headed onwards to the south. We quickly outpaced our fellow boat riders and headed up the hill. Views of the ocean were in order, and I enjoyed the variety; sun, rocks, and sand, to the darkness and greenery of the forest.

A fantail in the silver fern.

Fantails traced our wakes, chirping mightily and eating up the sandflies we stirred into a frenzy. When crossing the Awaroa inlet, I took off my shoes and socks, and enjoyed the sensation of mud between my toes. You get wet up to your thighs, even during the lowest tide, so make sure you have quick-dry pants. We camped that night under the stars at Tonga Quarry. The granite cut here built Nelson, and the same with the trees. Once the trees were all cut, they burned the forest to make farmland, but the clay would not cooperate, so it was turned back into forest, and then a national park.

Tonga Bay - Tonga Island and a full moon on the right.

I recommend camping the Abel Tasman, just to get some privacy and quiet since everyone else pays over fifty dollars for a night in the huts. The beach at Tonga was quiet and tranquil, Tonga Island made for a perfect shot with the moon overhead, and our beach fire (shhh! don't tell! totally illegal!) made for one of the most serene moments of my life.

Serenity Now!

Next day we started out slow, and my knee began acting up again. Even though we slowed down, we still outpaced most of the hikers. We sidetracked to check out Cleopatra's Pool, an angelic scene with a waterfall that makes one think it was by design. The view from the ridge was tremendous, and we saw a huge variety of waterfowl playing in the marshes near Torrent Bay Village.

It looks like a fun slide.

View from the Anchorage ridge.

That night we camped at Watering Cove and checked out the rocky shores. I love intertidal zone, filled with such curious creatures - mussels predominated here. The next day was a relatively short hike out and we were back in the real world. The trail got super crowded at the start, with day hikers checking the scene out.

This was completely filled up to the trees by high tide.

Do you see the elephant drinking?

The Great Walk was fun, and you can also kayak it, which I recommend, however, it's a little pricey just like all activities in NZ. The path is really well-maintained and the ocean views can't be beat! Also, stay at the Accents on the Park, it was a really adorable hostel and I almost made the whole building evacuate due to waaaay too much spice. My bad!

Check out that cutie!

Captain checking out the view.

All done!