Days 100 to 104 - Harper and Goat Passes

Day 100 February 16th

Boyle Village to Hope-Kiwi Lodge (28km)

Yesterday was a zero day in Hanmer, so no blog as such. We spent the day buying food for the next section, getting washing done and having the traditional beer and pizza.

Next few days food

Today we’ve organised to ride a shuttle with Steph and Sara back to Boyle Village to recommence. The plan is McVet a d I will go all the way to Boyle while Steph and Sara will get off at Windy Corner and skip the first 9km.

The shuttle arrived on the dot of 7.00 but no sign of Steph, after banging on her door it transpires she was still still asleep, so a slight delay before we even got underway.

After dropping Steph and Sara off we got to Boyle about 8.30 and set off. Heavy packs today as first day of the section and there’s six days food.

The walk back to Windy Point has two options, you can cross the Boyle River then follow a trail across the river flats and through bush or alternatively follow the road. The decision largely driven by whether the Boyle River is crossable. Unfortunately there is about a ok of track you need to follow before getting to the river, hence if it is too high to cross it adds a couple of km to the day.

We decided that, despite it being a cold wet morning, the last significant rain was a few days ago and the river crossings before Boyle were ok so we’d back ourselves and go the river way.

On arriving at the river it was up a bit but looked crossable. I was standing contemplating it and thinking we could/should pair up when McVet jumped on in and started across. Not wanting to be left out I headed off across, all the while wondering if this was really a good idea. The river came to my waist at the centre and was flowing quite fast so it was worth some relief that I got to the southern bank. Looking back for McVet he’d turned and was heading back to the northern bank. So we’re now on opposite banks of the river. Chris then moved a bit downstream, found a slightly shallower spot and this time managed to get over. Not the perfect start to our river crossings, given there’s probably a hundred or more in the South Island I’m sure we can only improve.

Once over the river the trail followed the river flats for a few km. We managed to bugger this up too, getting a bit big for our boots we decided that rather than follow the marked trail around the edge of the flat we’d cut straight across. Bad choice as we ended up in a bouldery area filled with gorse and has to retreat to the marked trail.

After leaving the river flats the trail passes Windy Point and enters a really lovely beech forest. Nice to be back in forest.

I managed to fall flat on my arse in the mud and at the time thought I’d torn my calf muscle. Fortunately it had just cramped up really badly but just getting out of the mud proved a mission. The only blessing being my shorts are the same colour as dried mud.

Then to compound an already questionable start to the section I got another wasp sting. Seems on investigation the issue is I have hairy legs and they get caught in the hair then vindictive little buggers that they are they sting me. So maybe shaved legs are the go!

All along this section of trail there are tire tracks from mountain bikers. Hard to understand how they can do it as most of it would require pushing or even in places carrying the bikes.

We stopped for lunch at Hope Halfway Hut and saw in the Intentions Book there were a large group of them competing in the Tour Te Waipounamu. This we discovered later is an adventure bike race from Farewell Spit to Bluff.

Hope Halfway Hut

After our somewhat interesting morning the afternoon was without incident.

Arriving at the hut it was warm and toasty with the fire going and Steph and Sara settled in.

It was a large hut with a common area that had three beds and two separate bunk rooms. Given it was cold, and thinking we had the hut to ourselves, I decided to put a mattress on one of the tables and sleep there, hence all four of us could stay in the warm area.

A little later a guy appeared at the door so looked like we had company for the night. I wandered outside and who was there but one of my walking companions from the North Island, Tahlia. Transpires she’s doing this section with her partner, so nice chance to have a bit of a catch-up.

Later still a lone mountain biker appeared. He was absolutely buggered, when he arrived he pretty much staggered through to one of the bunk rooms and crashed out. Transpires he’s actually last in the race, perhaps half a day behind the field. Once he got back up we had a chance to chat to him, but do these guys do it tough. The night before he’d got the hour sleep under a tree. It really was hard to understand what was in this for this guy but all power to him.

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Day 101 February 17th

Hope-Kiwi Lodge to Hurunui No.3 Hut (28km)

Despite sleeping on the table in the common area it was pretty cold overnight and the wasp sting stung and itches, as they do, so not a great night.

Our cyclist friend had a breakfast of a can of pineapple and a can of “V” and headed off. Interestingly later in the day when we caught up with Steph and Sara (who got away well before McVet and I) they reported actually passing the mountain bike a few times as he struggled to push his bike through some difficult bits.

Chris and I were the last to leave and headed out into a rather cold morning. For the first time I decided to wet my gloves in the morning in the hope the finger I have that has poor circulation would not freeze, but alas no difference so gloves will be relegated back to the bottom of pack!

The trail initially climbed to the Kiwi Saddle then dropped back skirtLake Sumber to follow the shore of lake Sumner. At this point we went off the trail and dropped down to the flats around the lake and up the river. This was recommended by the guy who picked us up hitch-hiking into Hanmer and proved to be a great option. We actually passed Tahlia and Jen during this section, they saw us from above in the bush and dropped down to be a couple of hundred metres behind us.

There was a river crossing over a swing bridge below the Hurunui No.5 Hut and when I was about 1/4 of the way across I heard a shout and it transpired Sara and Steph had stopped beside the river for lunch. So about turn on the swing bridge (easier said than done) and we had a nice sit in the sun beside the river for lunch. No sandflies which was an added bonus!

After crossing the swing bridge the trail climbed steeply to Hurunui No.5 Hut. McVet was a bit over hills by this stage so in our wisdom and buoyed by our earlier success we lurched off on a expedition to siddle along the side of the ridge and hopefully rejoin the track as it dropped from the hut. There were the remnants of an out track here (marked periodically by the old school venetian blind markers) but unfortunately it seems this track had not been used in many years. So a half hour of bush bashing and climbing up and down wash-outs and over tree fall before we finally emerged on the trail proper. Not our best short-cut, given we started it before Tahlia and Jens had their lunch and finished it well behind them. An experience nevertheless.

We then proceeded to follow the trail for a couple of km before again decided to drop down and take the benefit of the river flats. This time it was my decision (McVet feeling a bit badly after the last fiasco), but unfortunately this also was a bad call. On this section there is a hot pool where you can stop for a soak and rest and this shortcut provided no way back up to the hot pool so while we could wave to Tahlia and Jen who were having a dip we missed it.

The trail from here as relatively easy going and once back on the main track we religiously followed it, neither of us feeling like leading another wild goose chase.

Hurunui No.3 Hut was a great hut, old but didn’t appear to have rats or mice which was a good sign.

One of tonight’s highlights was my dinner of bangers (actually chorizo) and mash that I had for dinner. Probably enough to feed two but after a long day I managed to devour it.

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Day 102 18 February

Hurunui No.3 to Kiwi Hut (23km)

Up about 6.00am as usual, what is becoming noticeable is how dark the mornings are becoming. As summer runs its course the morning routine is going to get more difficult, equally the evenings will get shorter so probably I’ll just hit the sack earlier and perhaps actually get more sleep. One notable thing about today is it is the first day since day two of the South Island that I have not had an assortment of dressings and blister plasters on my feet and toes. Liberating and hopefully it will last. There does remain the issue of the delaminating big toe which is a strange shade of red and numb but only time will tell with that one. Leaving the hut I was aware there was an issue with my backpack as something was sticking into my lower back. Initially I thought I could tough it out until a stop mid-morning but after only ab out 200m I was in pain so had to stop and unpack almost everything. transpired it was the keyboard I use for the blow that was sitting sideways at the bottom of my pack. Once rectified all was good and off I trudged. Early in the day was an old school three wire bridge over a river. I hadn’t seen one of these since I was a teenager and there were a few around Tongariro so it was a bit like stepping back in time.

At one stage the trail effectively ended at a cliff. Looking at the trail notes it was at best vague and in my view downright confusing. McVet and I had differing approaches to this, mine was just to throw myself at the cliff and, despite it being a pretty/very difficult climb with a lot of loose rocks and little to hold onto, I made it to the top without incident. Chris meanwhile, having decided (probably sensibly) the climb was not a good idea retreated and discovered a proper detour. Meanwhile at the top of the cliff there was no track or trail so again I’m bush bashing along the edge of the ridge in til I decided I must have been past the slip and then was confronted with another dodgy cliff to get back down onto the trail. All’s well that ends well and I emerged, slightly scratched and very puffed onto the trail that Chris had followed quite easily. One thing that is notable down here is how curious and un-fearful of humans the robins are. A number of times we’ve had them within a few inches of our shoes and they just seem unconcerned about us. This morning there was a particularly brave one that just skittered around us.

On the way up to Harper Pass there were multiple crossings of the same stream but after the previous off piste fails I decided it was time to religiously follow the trail.

View from Harpers Pass

After a break at the bivy we carried on over Harper Pass from which the trail was largely downhill all the way to Lockstream Hut. This was where we had initially planned to stay but given the day was still relatively early we decided to carry on to Kiwi Hut which is a little off the trail but gives a good start to the bottom of the Goat Pass trail tomorrow.

Lockstream Hut

The trail did include a lot of mud after the bivy which was ok, made me feel at home after the endless mud of the North Island. McVet and I do have differing approaches to mud. I just plow on through confident there will be another stream or river to rinse it off whereas Chris tries his hardest to find ways around or across it without actually stepping in it. Arriving at Kiwi hut we were greeted by Steph and Sara who had been there for a couple of hours (showed how inefficient our detours/shortcuts were!). U fortunately we were also greeted by a cloud of sendflies which did make washing outside and getting water a challenging and somewhat painful experience. So far with only a couple of exceptions I’ve managed to keep the sandflies at bay without resorting to DEET. Mainly because with only limited ability to wash the DEET just makes you feel sticky and dirtier than you are. Kiwi hut was a real old school hut notably without ladders to the top bunks. Chris who was on top tonight managed to make an access by combining a chair and the table. The only issue being every time he stood on the table the metal top dented and made a load noise, so I’m sure we’ll all know each time he goes to the toilet over night.

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Day 103 19 February

Kiwi hut to camp after Morrisons Foot Bridge (18km)

Today we follow the Taramakau River down to the football ridge off SH37 then up the Deception River to a suitable camp spot on the route to Goat Pass.

As usual Sara was up and first to leave with McVet, Steph and I following along a while later.

Leaving Kiwi Hut

To our surprise we came across Sara after an hour or so. As we approached it was obvious she was in some distress having fallen on the rocks and having a dislocated finger on her right hand. After McVet used his veterinary skills and got it relocated she was in significantly less pain but still unable to use the finger.

We now carried on as a cohort of four and continued to follow the river flat towards Morrison’s Foot Bridge.

Late morning while we were following then river flats which were not particularly easy going with boulders and logs to navigate. I spotted a trail marker about 20metres up a cliff and decided reverting to the trail was a good idea. The others (as it transpires sensibly) decided to stick with the evil they knew and continued along the river flat. My decision proved to be questionable at best. The cliff proved to be a hard and treacherous climb with loose rocks and really poor footholds. Once to the top the trail was disused and went up and down significantly with a number of muddy sections, stream crossings and the usual tree fall. At one stage I spotted the others, unfortunately about half a km or more ahead. After about 45 minutes I came across the others who had joined the bush track and had stopped to wait for me. So overall it was a fail in the shortcut stakes but looking back was a nice challenging walk in the bush which broke the monotony of the river flats.

Lesson learnt I stayed with the group for the rest of the day.

Arriving at the foot bridge about lunchtime we stopped and had some lunch before moving on up the Deception River.

It seemed there were some possible camping spots about five or six km up the river which would give us a good head start for the climb up the river to Goat Pass.

This route forms the run section for the annual Coast to Coast race, the toughest section will be tomorrow but today there were a number of river crossings and a bit of boulder jumping.

About five km up the river we came across a large flat grassy area and decided, rather than hope there was anything else further along, to set up camp here. This spot also, for some strange reason, had the benefit of no sandflies which was a real bonus.

A nice evening having a chill beside the river and an early night given we’re all feeling a bit of trepidation over the Goat Pass section tomorrow.

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Day 104 20th February

Camp beside Deception River to Arthur’s Pass

Woke to a really warm morning, the only issue being yesterday’s absent sandflies had discovered us overnight and were lying in wait for us to emerge from tents.

Our plan on setting out was to do the section up to Goat Pass today and stay in the hut there tonight.

As I mentioned yesterday this section is the run section of the Coast to Coast with the top runners getting up to the pass and back to the highway on the far side in three to four hours. The DOC signs indicated a tramping time of about six hours to the hut and a further five hours back to SH37.

It was pretty cloudy which actually made the already spectacular scenery seem even more so.

Straight away after leaving camp we had the first river crossing, there are somewhere around 15 crossings today so wet feet all the way!

The morning section can be simply described as boulder jumping and river crossing with a couple of short forays up into the bush (generally to avoid slips) thrown in.

Steph and I got a fair way ahead of Chris and Sara and stopped to wait for them at Upper Deception Hut. On arriving it became apparent the all was not well with Chris. He’d developed a really painful hip and was having problems stepping upwards. This being quite a limitation on a day where the majority of the trail is stepping upwards from boulder to boulder.

He’d taken some Ibuprofen but at that stage it had made no noticeable improvement. After discussing taking a bit of his stuff to lighten the load we decided h b est course of ac toon was for Steph and I to forge on to Goat Pass Hut (about 2km ahead albeit pretty steep) then I’d have a quick drink and bar and head off back down the trail to relieve Chris of his pack.

The climb up to Goat Pass Hut was, in my view, one of the most enjoyable bits of the South Island so far. Sure it was hard work, and in places a bit treacherous, but the clambering from boulder to boulder and constant crossing of either the river or streams made for a great time.

Steph and I made good time to the hut and were starting to plot whether depending on McVets hip we should carry on over the pass and get all the way to Arthurs Pass today.

We arrived at the hut at about 12.00pm so after a quick drink I headed off back down to meet the others. Somewhat surprised to find they were only about 300m below the hut. It was quite a relief to find Chris’ hip had improved immeasurably and while still not perfect he was able to move along at a pretty good pace.

After a quick lunch and a team meeting we all resolved to carry on and get to Arthurs Pass today then have a zero day there tomorrow.

The trail down the Mingha Valley was gnarly in places and had a couple of steep up and down sections but in general was pretty good going.

We did encounter quite a few trampers heading up the valley, it seems the Mavora Lake and hut (above and east of Goat Pass) is a popular destination for weekend hikers.

At one stage we were all discussing the various strategies with mud when I lurched through a patch without breaking stride and, to everyone’s amusement sank knee deep and then had my shoe fall off. Not my best moment!

Replacing shoe!!

On arriving at the trail end Steph contacted Bill who runs the Sanctuary Backpackers and organised for us all to stay there tonight. Bill even came down to run us up to Arthurs Pass (and drop Sara off at Bealey) which saved us from having to hitch up there. The Santuary is really interesting as it largely caters to TA walkers and Bill runs it by remote control. the doors have keypads, payment is by honesty and he puts peoples food boxes into lockers with combination locks for their retrieval on arrival. A really great system and testimony to the general honesty of TA walkers that it works in his absence.

A great night with the obligatory pizza and beer at the Wobbly Kea. Also a nice chance to catch up with a group of TA hikers who are effectively a day ahead of us which m wants our paths generally don’t cross.

Steph and Chris had beds in the bunk room while I tented on the rear lawn. Now don’t anyone feel sorry for me tenting, if I’m honest I prefer tenting to bunk rooms! The night was very windy but again my trusty tent served me well and I had a great if somewhat crafty nights sleep.

One interesting thing about tenting here is he Keas and their known propensity to destroying things, including tents and anything else they can get their beaks into. The way around this is you put a low electric wire around your ten t. Despite the ability of the Kea to fly in, they have had enough shocks from the wire that they steer well clear.

Tent with Kea deterrent fence

Destroying someone’s roof flashings!!

Tomorrow we’ll hitch back to where the trail finished and walk out to where it leaves the SH thus making Monday's start that bit easier.

In the morning Steph and McVet had a funny story about the light in the bunk room. Despite all eight occupants looking no one was able to find the light switch. Finally after 10.00pm Steph rang Bill and it transpires it was hiding in plain sight, just painted black whereas everyone was lookin for a white switch. I do wonder how many times Bill had fielded that particular call.

A big day but a really great day!!

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