Wangapeka

In an idle moment when the end of the year was far off, Angela and I agreed that a Rees-Dart trip would be just the thing over Christmas. People then got busy, other plans were laid and we discovered that a chunk of the track was closed because of a slip. In the meantime I had also been contemplating the Wangapeka Track, having read about it in the Wilderness magazine and hearing about the sterling whio recovery work.

Being closer to Wellington the logistics promised to be somewhat easier. It also looked like we could just wedge it in between Mike and Angela arriving back from Australia and Mike's commitment to meet a bunch of people at Quinney's Bush Camping Ground in the new year - but with absolutely no leeway.

What:    Wangapeka Track (west to east)
Where:  Kahurangi National Park
Why:     Multi-day tramp somewhere other than in the Tararuas
Who:     Mike, Angela and me
Map:     Map

There was a fair amount of logistics required to string it all together - I've dumped some notes about this at the end for those interested in costs etc.

With Mike and Angela in Australia, I nobly volunteer to sort the food out. In other words this was an opportunity to finally get rid of all those time-expired Back-Country dehy meals (although the pasta vegetariano somehow managed to survive the trip).

The weather forecast is for a couple of days of rain on Sunday and Monday but I'm not too concerned, figuring we have some time up our sleeves if we get holed up in a hut.

Friday 30 December - Wellington to Belltown Manunui Hut

Mike and Angela arrive on the midnight flight from Sydney, meaning there's not a lot of time to get some sleep and pack before heading to the airport.

The Sounds Air plane is full (9), and as everyone is there we leave early. The flight down is stunning. At the cruising altitude of these small planes you get great views and we spend the whole flight going; "Oh look! It's [insert name of  scenic spot ...] the Queen Charlotte track, Nydia track, Kaikouras, Pelorus, Richmond Range, Mangatapu saddle, our house in Nelson, Rabbit Island, Mt Arthur, the Wangapeka track, the rugged ridges of the Kahurangis, the Denniston Plateau, ... " and eventually  "... Westport".

Our driver from Karamea Express meets us at the airport and we stash packs in the boot of what is evidently the family Camry. Carl hands over a couple of butane canisters we had pre-ordered (a bit of a relief - cold dehy for the next few days does not appeal) and we head out into a sunny West Coast afternoon. Angela has a hankering for a pie and we end up at the third best pie shop in Westport (the others are closed) before we leave for parts north.

Carl is happy to answer our questions about the area - the coal mining downturn and impact, Old Ghost Road, possible future developments, etc. and is also happy to stop at the top of the Karamea Bluffs so we can look back at the Denniston Plateau. We note a lot of dead trees, which he says is from Cyclone Ita in April 2014 (stuff article). It's one thing hearing about it but it's another thing to see entire ridges with mature trees flattened. He works in the roading department at the council and has some entertaining stories about getting the roads cleared.

Shortly before the car park we stop at the location of the no-longer-extant road-end phone to fill out the intentions book. Carl heads off and I discover I have left my brand new MacPac cap on the plane. A lone black chicken sees us off.

Road-end chicken

Little Wanganui River - Radiant Range beyond

We follow the track beside farmland and before long meet the Little Wanganui River. The water is clear and the granite boulders in the river bed are white in the afternoon sun. In the distance the Radiant Range (c1300m) marches across the horizon. I'm quietly enjoying that sense of heading into the unknown.

That look you get when trying to identify a bird-call

The track is well formed and easy to follow - it looks like much of it was once an old vehicle track, sometimes cut away by the river or buried in old slips. After two or three km it turns away from the river on a wide and well formed old road, which loops out and then back towards the river.

There are stoat traps every 100m meters or so and these keep up pretty much for the whole trip. Someones are doing fantastic work to protect the whio - at every opportunity I'm scanning the river in the hope of spotting one.

There isn't much wildlife apparent at this time of day but there are a few fantails and later on we hear weka calling as evening approaches.

The track continues across grassy flats (Gilmour Clearing), sidles by a steep hill, and crosses Pigeon Creek. Shortly after, we enter an area of tree fall, it's labyrinthine and we feel like midgets working our way between the large trees that were pushed over by the wind.

Gilmore Clearing - checking the map (or maybe just posing)

Upper end of Gilmore Clearing

Looking up valley in the early evening 

Radiant Range on horizon - we think those are dead trees from Cyclone Ita in the mid-ground

We arrive at Belltown Manunui Hut at 2130 with just enough light to walk without torches; a little over the DoC time.

A party of five has already turned in for the night and there is a couple in a tent below the hut. A weka stooges around as we remove boots and swat at the swarm of sandflies. The hut is standard and comfortable. A little warm tonight even without the fire, due to the number of bodies.Mike decides to settle on the veranda while Angela and I claim a mattress each inside. We settle to the distant sound of Morepork.

Belltown Mananui Hut

Saturday 31 December - Belltown to Taipo swing bridge

I think I have said before that Mike is not his best before his morning coffee. Today it almost has disastrous consequences but he manages to catch the weka before it makes off with the bag containing cellphone, PLB, and other important electronicalia.

There are a couple of younger weka in attendance this time but no wasted sentiment from mum - she sees the younger ones off rapidly if they get in her space.

The party in the hut has come down the Leslie possibly from the Cobb and have been 7 days on the track. They are looking forward to a leisurely 3 hour hike out but are not overjoyed to hear that the road end phone has gone. In turn, they give us some dire warnings about the likely state of the Karamea River after rain.

We don't get to talk to the other couple who are off first thing to try to get ahead of the weather. We're not going to race with them as there's a few side streams below Taipo Hut that could get up, but it's really the Karamea River after Helicopter Flat that would be the concern and we have no delusions about getting past there before evening.

There's some fairly rough sections of track in the morning as we work our way up the valley beside a narrowing and steepening river (still no whio). The track sidles, climbs and drops, clambers through fallen trees, and edges across slippy faces. I'm not too bothered as it's a bit like a Tararua track but Angela finds some of it a little daunting. However, it's me that steps on the wrong log and tips arse-over-kite (minor bruises only).

The day is overcast but no rain yet and all the side streams are low. At one point we see something large slip into the bush on the opposite bank and the odd branch waves as it moves off. The consensus is deer, based on the height.

Scrambling up out of another creek

Getting into the upper reaches of the Little Wanganui River 

There is ample sign that there are goats about. One particularly species of tree seems to be getting a hammering with gnaw marks on the bark, I think it was a coprosma.

Nora the goat was here

Swing Bridge near Wangapeka Biv

A couple pass us heading down valley and we exchange news about track conditions.  Shortly after we reach the swing bridge which takes us to the Wangapeka Biv (on the other side of the track to where it is marked on the map). It's new and a very tidy little set up - there's even a couple of plastic chairs. The log book indicates reasonably regular use including last night.

Wangapeka Biv - pretty palacious 

Mike enjoying the last of the flat

The track keeps climbing steadily then steepens. In the absence of any views we stop at an arbitrary point for lunch - the pate and cherry tomatoes are particular hits. We are now into Mountain Cabbage Tree territory with its large strappy leaves and soon the zigzagging climb to the saddle starts with cliffs above and granite boulders underfoot.

Navigating a stream bed near the saddle

Mike is making heavy weather of it and it turns out that he has a migraine coming on - not the best place to get one but understandable given the last 24 hours. He soldiers on and up.

Water fall from the lower tarn

The final approach

In the final approaches to the saddle there are a couple of wee waterfalls and I'm looking forward to the track leveling off.

The first (lower) tarn

The first couple of spots of drizzle start as we steep out of the bush edge and see the first tarn laid out in it's wee bowl surrounded by alpine herbs, Hebe, Spaniard and Leatherwood. Behind us there's a not particularly remarkable view down valley to clouds thickening about the ridges in the west, and it's pretty clear that the drizzle isn't going away. Rain coat time.

Back down the Little Wanganui Valley

The saddle is pretty with granite boulders emerging from the mossy herb garden with wee sun dew and the Allen Range hemming the valley beyond. The grassy Stag Flats nestle below, promising a knee curdling 200m descent to come. Out of sight to the right is the Zetland Basin below Mt Zetland.

Top of the saddle - Allen Range behind

The weather following us

It's a steepish drop to Stag Flats where we emerge from the beech forest by a stream winding across a grassy meadow. A board walk leads to the Stag Flat emergency shelter. Not quite as beautiful as the Wangapeka Biv but well lined and clean. We later hear a story that the size of the first hut up here had been dictated by the length of timbers surviving, after being dropped from a fixed wing aircraft. The rain has settled in now.

Stag Flat

Shortly after the biv we are surprised to find a chap sitting on the side of the track with two packs. He's pleased to hear the biv is near by. We encounter his partner a minute later coming up the track - she seems to have a stiff neck but is cheerful enough and wishes us a happy new year for tomorrow.

The track follows down beside an increasing stream and through moss. We steadily lose height to the valley floor and a swing bridge, which has a decidedly steep and treacherous descent off it. The track now ambles along the flat in mossy beech forest

Taipo Hut is an oldish Forest Service hut but in good nick. We stop for soup and to assess options. The original plan had us staying here but we decide that with the rain we will push on for Helicopter Flats to get past some of the side streams that might become problematic. In retrospect we would have been better off to have stayed put.

Taipo hut

The rain is persistent now but the pleasant travel down valley continues with none of the side streams up and Herbert Creek empty. The Taipo River is beautiful with clear, deep, blue pools, with high rocky sides. A swim would be irresistible on any other day.

Taipo River

The pace has dropped markedly so we confer and decide on the shorter, flatter and closer route to Trevor Carter Hut even if it means a bit of a back track in the morning. However, when we reach the swing bridge to Helicopter Flats it's clear that the party is a bit too tired so we elect to find a spot to camp.

Scouting around we find the best site - avoiding the patch with some signs of previous ponding. A South Island Bush Robin takes an interest in proceedings and joins in the scratching game - this is where a human scratches up the ground at its feet and the robin hops in and extracts any edibles unearthed.

With tents up we eat dinner in our rain coats and turn in to the sound of light rain on nylon. It becomes not so light during the course of the evening. At one point Mike gets up and we realise that it is five minutes past 2016 - 'Happy New Year!'  The rain gets heavier still and gusts of wind dump deluges of drops from the sodden trees.

Monday 1 January Taipo Swingbridge to Helicopter Flat

About 5am Mike asks Angela what the floor is like on her side of the tent - answer: "it's like a water bed!" They call out and I discover I am similarly floating. Looking outside our wee flat spot has turned into a stream about 10cm deep but both tents have kept the water out. There's a fairly hasty exit and striking of camp. The river is up a good couple of meters and is raging and turbid. A water fall has appeared from nowhere above us and part of it is now flowing through our campsite. With head torches on and somewhat bedraggled we cross the bridge and start for Helicopter Flat, following a track that has become a stream.

In better conditions we would have enjoyed this section of track with views down valley, the site of the 'Tabernacle' where the chap who did a lot of the track building built a hut, and a side trip to where the Karamea River flows over the Saxon Falls. We trudge past all these focused on the vision of a warm dry hut.

The first significant stream cascades across the track and drops over the edge. A chain has been installed by some thoughtful soul to assist passage and it gets good use as we cling on to avoid our footing being swept away.

A little after the turn off to Trevor Carter Hut (via Saxon Falls) we come across a stream that is a completely different proposition. The track crosses a granite ledge through a water fall with an iron railing bolted into the granite. The water is crashing into the ledge and plummeting in a dirty torrent precipitously down through the bush. Hands welded to the rail I edge into the tempest, wedging feet against the uprights. Water smashes down from above pummeling my head and shoulders and battering my legs. About half way through I can't see anything ,and I figure that if I am having trouble reaching for the next foot hold then it's not going to be a goer for anyone with a shorter wheel base. I give it up and head back to safety - we're certainly not going through that.

A quick reccy down through the bush confirms that there's no safe crossing point lower down and little prospect of climbing to the track on the other side in any event. Defeated we reassess and head back the way we have come. The decision is to head towards Trevor Carter Hut via the swing bridge to dry out and wait the weather out.

We can't help but smile as we pass the stream that was our campsite to clamber up the water fall above. Here we discover that it is just an off-shoot from an even bigger stream - it just gets better! We link up, fight across the current and head on down the valley.  Not long after we come across a large stream off Mt Herbert. After one look we set up camp.

Prospects improve after climbing into sleeping bags and with the application of hot soup - fortunately it's not cold (particularly given that my sleeping bag is damp). It's a bit after 11 am and there is plenty of daylight ahead so we plan to wait to see if the rain eases enough for the streams to subside before having another go for Helicopter Flat - otherwise it will be a long afternoon and night in our tents.

Impromptu camp-site. Note the Heath Robinson rain shield over my biv.

The 'view' for the afternoon

I'm not delighted about the prospect of 18 hours in tents as my MacPac bush cocoon is adequate, but more closely resembles a body bag than a tent.

After a while the rain does ease and a sortie outside shows that the stream has dropped some. At around 3pm we decide that Helicopter Flats is on. As we strike camp we see a lone tramper on the other side of the stream, who scouts around then makes her way carefully across the dropping stream. It turns out that she has spent an extra day at Trevor Carter Hut to wait out the rain and is keen to get on up the valley.

She's obviously quite confident and competent - although much lower than it was,  I'm not so sure I would have ventured into that water. We set off after her to retrace our steps and see her once more - but that's after she has spent half an hour following the wrong track so we won't say too much about that.

All the water courses have dropped significantly and the main river is at least a metre lower and less turbid. It's amazing how quickly the flood water is just draining out of the landscape.

A little bedraggled

The chain is still useful but the stream has virtually disappeared.

Don't know what the problem was

The Tabernacle

You turned back because of this!?

The water fall and railing are a doddle and we barely need to put our hoods up. Further up the track there are a couple of other water courses that show every sign of having been impassable a few hours ago. So we made the right decision not to risk the railing traverse. The rest of the way to Helicopter Flat is uneventful and we start to dry out.

Helicopter Flats Hut

There is one occupant at the hut when we arrive around 6pm. Barry is good company and an experienced tramper. He exhibits impeccable hut etiquette starting with offering a hot drink as soon as we arrive and politely overlooking the way our packs disgorge wet gear to dry around the hut.

Barry has found a camera beside the track and he and Mike settle down to run through the photos to sleuth any clues as to the owner. He also has stories of seeing a family of Whio in the river by Stone Hut; I'm frankly envious.

The Karamea River drops as the evening progresses and a family of Riflemans emit high pitched 'chips' as they fossick around the branches of the beech trees. Later on I hear whistling from the river which I fondly imagine might be Whio - still haven't seen one but...

After dehy for dinner and a bit of a chat we have a comfortable night in the dry - quite a contrast to the last 24 hours.

Tuesday 2 January Helicopter Flat to Kings Creek

The morning sun signals that the bad weather has passed through and the prospects are good for the three crossings of the upper Karamea River that lie ahead.

Apparently the hut is named after an event when a chap had a heart attack and they had to get a helicopter in and required a clearing to do so - one of the earliest such extractions apparently. A few days later we run into a relative of the chap who confirms the veracity of the story.

We don't hurry to leave. The river has returned to normal flows and the crossings are no problem although we link up for practice anyway. It's a thoroughly pleasant stroll up the valley.

After crossing number two - Angela shamelessly exaggerates the depth of the river 

Navigating another washout

It's a landscape that is highly active in geological terms although relatively static to us - the river is under-cutting banks where mature trees are frozen at various angles of collapse into the water; shingle fans are building up around the skeleton of trees that have been inundated by the slow river of rock and vegetation is claiming back flats that the river has forgotten.

Tree stumps indicating a change in the river course at some point 

The valley narrows and we take advantage of the sun - stopping for a prolonged morning tea and a little more drying of gear. A nearby waterfall provides water.

We disturb a family of goats as we cross the Karamea for the final time and start up a benched track above Chime Creek. There's some pretty little cataracts and deep pools, with rocky outcrops crying out to be jumped off. The crossing point is easy but we head a little further to the three wire bridge anyway.

The last crossing

Mike ambling up Chime Creek

Angela's first go on a three wire bridge

The benched track continues on the other side steadily towards Wangapeka Saddle with the exception of a violent climb up and down around a big erosion scar. We leave the Karamea catchment and the sun behind and enter the saddle.

More erosion - approaching Wangapeka Saddle

Is tha' it?!

The saddle is uneventful - in forest there is no view, a copse of DoC signs to indicate the cross roads between various routes, and a pole. There is however a wee clearing off the track that provides dryish moss to rest on and have lunch.

More land slips

The descent starts gently than steepens entering the Wangapeka catchment and, officially, Nelson. There are some big slips on the valley sides and massive boulders that have smashed through the bush.

It's steepish at times but pretty easy to follow.


Stone Hut is pumping when we arrive about 3pm. Three parties are passing through - two have been up to Mt Luna and a couple are heading to Helicopter Flats. One chap delights in showing photos of the Whio they saw here last night teaching their chicks how to surf the rapids. Bastard - I still haven't seen one.

The camera mystery is also solved - someone has left a note in the log book and one of the chaps has taken the number and also has Barry's number - a happy resolution is on its way.

Stone Hut

The stream past the hut has rearranged the track a bit but we are soon back on a well benched track. high above a gorgeous, gorgish river. It's a different feel to the rest of the track - a little more civilised, a few mildly gnarly bits with slips but still beautiful.

Following the pattern of the last few days I'm taking every opportunity to scan the river below for Whio and failing miserably. The river itself is well worth the effort though with white water, tumbling falls and deep, dark sections.

'Let's hope he takes the picture soon - I feel like a prat.'

The ubiquitous stoat traps

Time for a breather

Towards the end of the day the map shows a climb and a couple of river crossings to come but we are suddenly at the historic Cecil King Hut without any sign of these - weird. We're not complaining though as Angela's new boots are causing a bit of damage.

The historic hut has been well restored and appears to be respected by passers by. The story runs that it was built in the mid 1930's for depression mining (no, mining during the depression). One of the original builders - Cecil King clearly took to the place as he kept returning for the next 46 years.

A couple of old timers outside their slab hut

We decide that a warmer, more sand-fly and rodent proof night will be afforded by the modern hut five minutes along the trail.

Kings Creek Hut

There are parties of three, two, one and one - as well as us. One turns out to be a WTMC member now resident in Nelson on whose floor we once crashed. There's plenty of space.

I'm taking a breath of fresh air before bed and swatting sandflies when a chap from another party says there's a Whio down in the river. We are far above and the light is dim but eventually I see a grey boulder partly occluded by a tree turn it's head to reveal a distinctive beak. Hardly up close and personal but ... finally a real Whio.

Back in the hut someone introduces a simple card game which serves to while a way an hour before bed.

Wednesday 3 January Kings Creek to Rolling River Carpark

A light rain greets us in the morning. Angela can't quite face another day of dehy cooked breakfast but Mike and I are still pretty happy with it. She sets off first while Mike and I farf about and head off a little later, in light drizzle, to catch up.

An Aussie couple are booked in the same shuttle as us and are walking a little faster than us so pass us on the way out. We have plenty of time so are content to potter along in the rain.

The track edges along beside and above the river and we have a long stop to watch five Whio cruising around the shallows and feeding. A bit far away for good photos but it is brilliant to see what looks like a family group with chicks big enough that they have surely survived a season.

We come to an earthquake lake with warnings about not hanging about on the slip.  It's not too hard to clamber across but there's some pretty big boulders that have come down.

Drowned trees - earthquake lake

Mike and Angela clamber across

The view upwards

Towards the end, the valley widens and the track crosses some large and very wet grassy flats with a lot of pig damage. There are still some pretty good swimming holes that would be well worth a visit on a summer's day. We also find some wild strawberries, which although minuscule and pretty green, are definitely strawberry flavoured. It's still raining and the clag is close around the hills.

Misty afternoon - lower Wangapeka

A last swing bridge gets us over Rolling River. It has a completely different bed to the other rivers we've seen - I put it down to the limestone in the catchment around Mt Owen, and nobody knows any different to contradict the theory. Straight afterwards is the Rolling River car park and that's the end of the track.

Dunnit!

The shuttle company have made it very clear that they won't drive past the Dart River Ford if there is water over the concrete base. This is fine but as the Ford is 8 km from the end of the track there's no way of knowing whether this rain has had any effect. So, after a cup of soup we set off up the road.

Angela has done well in her new boots but they are taking their toll, eventually she has a brain wave and reverts to Tivas to walk the gravel road - problem solved although the water she pours out of her boot is coloured with blood.

For all that they live in Brisbane, the Aussie couple have spent an awful lot of time tramping and orienteering in New Zealand. On this trip they have been through the Heaphy and the Wangapeka. Quite impressive. I trot along ahead with him to make sure we can hold the van for the others.

The rain peters out and we walk along the widening valley past a camp site and through farms. I keep half an eye on the river, not expecting to see anything but get a last reward of three more Whio drifting and feeding their way up the edge of the river.

Invisible Whio

Angela enjoying not having bleeding feet

We reach the ford, which is clear, with an hour to spare but just as we dump packs the shuttle arrives. The driver is an older chap who is quite chatty and thought we might be early so was prepared to wait at the road end with a book.

We drive back to pick the others up and head for Nelson.

Post script. 

This is just half way through the holiday - the shuttle drops us at Nelson airport where we lower the tone - drying our gear in the sun outside the terminal while we wait for our hire car. Angela pours more bloody water out of her boot - ouch!

Pies and sun - oh yes!

In a plan of Gilbertian complexity we head out to Kaiteriteri to pick up some camping gear a friend of Mike's had brought across for him. Then to Motueka for dinner and finally up the Motueka highway to Tapawera and Quinney's Bush.

Pub grub in Mot

Over the next few days we stay at the quirky Quinney's Bush, explore the Motueka West Bank road ends, kayak in the Abel Tasman and make knives (oh yes - make knives! - it's more fun than you would believe and you actually get a halfway decent result by the end of the day).

Quinney's bush - more drying

Living advice on the toilet door

Mt Arthur from outside the kiosk at Flora Saddle car park

A tractor convention at Marahau Beach

Kayaking in the Abel Tasman

Thor wields his mighty hammer 

Before and after

The almost finished products

When you can make anything from a machete to a broad sword ...
who would make a paring knife and a herb chopper!?

An all too short four days later we are back at the airport for another stunning Sounds Air flight across the Marlborough Sounds and back to a somewhat windy Wellington.

Havelock and the Sounds

Logistics

Sounds Air provided an excellent service at $320 each, from Wellington to Westport and Nelson to Wellington. Their timetable meant that we were arriving in Westport in the afternoon. We decided to head in to the first hut (Beltown Mananui) rather than arrange accommodation in Westport or Karamea.  We had to get butane in Westport (you can't carry it on the plane) and as we were arriving after 4pm the was a potential to miss the shops. Karamea Express were happy to pick up a couple of canisters before they met us.

There are plenty of companies around that offer transfers between road ends, airports and wherever else you might want to go. Mike notes that a lot of them share the same phone number so we suspect that there have been a few mergers. If you want to avoid the cost you can risk hitching or bring your own car down on the ferry. It cost us $250 for a pick up from Westport Airport to the start of the track (about 90 km) and $150 ($50 each) for a pick up and transfer to Nelson Airport at the Wangapeka end (about 84 km).

The landline has been removed from the Karamea end of the track which could complicate arranging pick ups. Because the shuttle won't cross the Dart River Ford if the water is over the concrete base you need to allow time to walk 8km from the track end to the ford (and if it's been raining you don't know if the ford is clear or not until you get there). There is a phone at the camp site a short distance from the end of the track.