Trip report by those below
Trip dated: Dec '98 - Jan'99
A
committee effort by Bill, Ivan, Judy, Chris and Kjell - all care taken in writing.
No responsibility for incorrect facts, spelling and bad jokes.
Day One - Sunday 27 December 1998. Local transport took us up the Cobb Valley
to Trilobite Hut at 5.00 PM. After hiding our food cache box we wandered up
the valley, past Chaffey Hut, and camped by the stream.
Day Two - we strolled up the valley to Cobb Hut and on to Fenella Hut for lunch.
A side trip up Waingaro Peak (1604 metres) gave us views of the Dragons Teeth,
Lake Cobb and Mount Gibbs where we were headed the following day. Ivan - "Look,
look, a kiwi." "Sorry, it is a weka!"
Day Three - following the poled route over Mount Gibb to the ridge overlooking
Round Lake. Our first encounter with a kea that squawked at us from above but
was not too interested in having a closer inspection. We followed the ridgeline
to come to the impressive Island Lake. The direct route down the ridge looked
tempting, but it was too steep and would have involved major bush crashing.
We skirted around the lake, which was slow progress past the vicious Spaniard
grass. Nobody expects a Spanish inquisition and it took us the rest of the day
to skirt the lake to our campsite.
Following the stream down from Island Lake was reasonable going following deer
tracks, despite having to negotiate three waterfalls 24, 8 and 30 metres high
to reach the Roaring Lion confluence. New Year's Eve was spent crossing
the river, boulder hopping and following the riverbank - a pleasant stroll.
After lunch we met nine members of the Waikato Tramping Club, just past Breakfast
Creek, who had come up the river from the Roaring Lion Hut the previous day.
New Year's Day we continued down the river. The travel was easy until
we got to the Cub Stream where we had to continuously divert high above the
stream to avoid the gorges. Further down we met two trout fishermen from Alaska
and South Africa who said they had had reasonable success. They said it was
another three hours to the hut so we decided to call it a day. We saw a pair
of blue ducks but they were a bit timid and we could not get close enough for
a decent photograph.
Our seventh day saw us reach the Roaring Lion Hut for lunch after much scrambling
interspersed with travel through wide and flat valleys. The seven kilometres
to the Karamea Bend Hut should have been an easy stroll to finish the day but
one can never plan too far ahead. The floods in early December had changed the
river flow and left a lot of tree debris, which made progress exceedingly slow.
We finally got to the hut at l0.00 PM, had a quick dinner and welcome bed.
A sleep in the next morning and we were all a bit slow. We headed to Leslie
Hut for lunch and a siesta. Dave Lee, an ACTC member from the 1970s, visited
us. After filling him in with the details of the last thirty years we went on
to Slugeons Rock Shelter. One wall was a canopy, which we rolled up to take
in the magnificent views of Mount Peel (l 654 metres) and the Tablelands.
Next day we climbed up to the Tablelands and on to the new Balloon Hut which
did Prime Minister Jim Bolger open in February 1996. Emptying packs, Kjell,
Ivan and Chris headed past Lake Peel to the Cobb Reservoir and the food cache
at Trilobite Hut. Once we transferred the food to our packs we headed back up
the track for a welcome swim at Lake Peel and back to Balloon Hut. Bill and
Judy took a side trip where they met Bob, Ruth, Mike, Liz, Sarah and Darryl.
This group joined us later back at the Balloon Hut.
Day ten was an easy day for Ivan and Chris tired from the previous day's
efforts. They stayed at the hut while Bill, Judy, Kjell and Sarah climbed Mount
Peel. When they arrived back, we tramped to the Salisbury Lodge, which took
all of one hour. We met an interesting assortment of people at the hut - ask
Judy. Next morning we set off for the Mount Arthur Hut and met the other group
of nine, who had come into the Tablelands the previous day. They told us their
tales of the adventures on the Heaphy and Wangapeka Tracks. After reaching the
Flora Hut we had lunch and had a siesta. Late afternoon in the cooler weather
Bill headed up the direct route to Mount Arthur Hut while the rest of us took
the longer, easier route. Kjell and Chris detoured to the Flora Saddle car park
to get a sniff of civilisation. They must not have liked what they saw because
they came back in and joined the others at the hut.
Day twelve we set out to climb Mount Arthur but, after twelve calm and clear
days, incredibly strong winds stuck us, which forced us to turn back. We retreated
to the Flora Hut and met Scottish lass Morag, who we had originally seen at
the Balloon Hut. We all climbed Mount Lodestone (1450 metres) instead of Mount
Arthur and got great views of Motueka and Takaka. Camping at Flora Hut we were
entertained by two wekas who kept entering the hut but opted for the comfort
of Kjell's tent.
Our last day saw us backtracking to the Asbestos Cottage via the Broken River.
Ivan would not cross the Broken Bridge once he saw the sign, opting to cross
the hazardous stream. At the cottage for lunch, Brian Alexander and Liz Daley
from Auckland Tramping Club, who brought Bob and Ruth with them, joined us.
Asbestos Cottage was the home of Henri and Annie Chaffey who lived there for
37 years, prospecting and managing the Asbestos Mine. Finally out at 3.00 PM
to wait for our shuttle to take us back to civilisation.
We had the company of a wonderful variety of birds- the robins that joined us
at each campsite and meal stop, so friendly and unafraid; the riflemen, always
so busy and happy; the bellbirds with their glorious songs and that fabulous
encounter with the kea at Mount Arthur Hut. Thanks to all who made it an interesting,
exciting and enjoyable trip. We all became better 500 players, bush gourmet
cooks (pancakes, falafels, cheesecakes etc.) and got great suntans.
The end of the journey will be to arrive at the place from where you started,
and see it for the first time.
T S Eliot Little Giddings - an ode to when we were wandering around in circles.