Nelson Lakes, January 1970

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Nelson Lakes, January 1970 Friday, January 23: Our Chrysler Our plan for the following day was Valiant taxi met us at Picton at 10 to go over Waiau Pass and camp at o'clock and $21 later we were in St. Waiau forks, and so catch up our lost Arnaud in heavy mist. time by taking this shorter route. But Next morning we were ready at 6.15 it was not to be - - from Lake Cona.m., but waited around for the ranger, stance we could see a definite pass at the who was going to take us up the lake in head of the valley, and after toiling his jet-boat at half past six. At 6.30 a.m. through high bluffs, which according to on the dot, the ranger's truck came into the guidebook should have been on the view. - - it brought news that the ranger other side, we reached the top of the was in bed with the measles and would "pass". John and Dennis bombed off be unable to take us up the lake. This down the other side while Jeff and I changed the course of the trip com- plodded after them. Jeff commented that pletely. the peak in front resembled Mt. Ella, We staggered round the lake for 21 which we had seen from Moss Pass only hours (the boat would have taken ten the .day before, and we concluded that minutes), and stopped to talk to some we were in the D'urville valley. At the Marlborough Tramping Club jokers at bush-edge the rest of us sat down to eat Lake Head hut. We planned to go up while John did a bit of reconnaissance, Hukere stream, over a small peak called finding a possible route down a steep Cedric, and down to Sabine hut. We spur slightly south of where we were. stopped for a meal at the bottom of An hour later we were swimming in the Hukere stream, to lighten the load, then D'urville river waiting for the billy to slowly plodded up a good track on the boil. We found that this was the only true right which brought us to a small way we could have come down in the glade near the bushline, where we had area, as bluffs lined the valley in both a second lunch and sunbathed for a directions. We eventually camped near couple of hours. Lethargy set in, induced the bottom of the track to Moss Pass by heavy packs and hot sun, so we about an hour downstream. That night decided to only as far as Angelus we got our first rain of the trip, and it hut for the REE night. This gave us time kept up until about two o'clock the next for more sunbathing but eventually we day. We planned to go down the D'urhad to go on. Another half an hour up ville and across the head of Lake Rotothe creek to another glade, then a short roa to stay at Sabine hut. Three hours steep climb above the bush to fifth basin of pounding through heavy rain brought and Angelus hut. us to Morgan's hut, where some people Next morning was misty, but it soon that we had met on Moss Pass gave us cleared up and we got down to Sabine their spare food, they said it had taken hut for lunch with no trouble, then them 41 hours to get to Morgans from trudged off up the river to Sabine forks the head of the lake, so they reckoned it. hut. A sore knee slowed me down, and would take us 3-31 hours at our pace. I hobbled into the hut nearly an hour Two and a quarter hours later we burst behind the others. into D'urville hut to have lunch. Monday was cloudless, but we decided We crossed the head of the lake, and to go only as far as Blue Lake and catch instead of going up the river to the up the lost time later. A pleasant three bridge (about half an hour away), we hours up the west branch of the river cut straight across to the mouth of the brought us to the lake, and we pitched river, and an old blazed track brought the fly with all afternoon left to enjoy. us to a good ford. Five minutes later we Den had a bruise on his ankle and was were getting out the billy in Sabine hut. having trouble walking, so while Jeff We now had three days to fill in, so and I went up to have a look at Lake the next day we headed into the Howard Constance, he and John stayed around valley and stopped at the farmland for and sunbathed. When we got back we lunch to work out where we were. Jeff decided to stay here another day, for put on full storm gear as protection Den's ankle to recover. against the hordes of sandflies, while the In the morning it was a bit better so rest of us attacked them with Dimp. we decided to go over Moss Pass for After a bit of discussion and argument, the day, and so spent another day baking we concluded that we were at the conunder a cloudless sky, relaxing at the fluence of the Hodgson and the Howard, bush-edge on the D'urville side of the and if we headed up the Hodgson we pass. should pick up the track over to Spear-

Photo: Pass from Lake Constance to D'urville Valley. Mt. Mahanga (7,193ft.) on left; peak 7013 ft. on right. grass basin. This proved to be true, and now botanists at Victoria University, soon the familiar orange Forest Service who had been collecting chamois food at hut came into view. Cupola basin, managed to hitch a ride We were still in our pits the next down the lake on a stray boat, but we morning when three shooters came in, had no such luck, and set off about 11 so we got up and headed for fourth basin o'clock to sunbathe around the lake. and Shift creek. An hour spent sunbath- About halfway round we met a toothing in Speargrass basin and another 21 less old Irishman who said he was an hours in Fourth basin passed quickly, ex-mountain guide: "You go wrong way; but it began to get cloudy so we packed Peace that way, Madness that way!" he up and headed down to the bush-edge said pointing to lake head and St. where we waited for the long-legged Arnaud respectively. He was right; after members of the trip who found the nine days of seeing practically no one it descent a bit steep. Then we ran down was rather shattering to the nerves to the creek, which was running under- see thousands of "peasants" sitting ground at this point, but had to head beside the lake watching a boat regatta. into the bush when it got steeper. We The taxi was there at 2.30 p.m. and found good going on the true left, fol- as we cruised along in comfort at 75 lowing a deer trail most of the way, and m.p.h.,I decided it was worth the $21 stopped only to inspect some impressive each way. We were in Picton at 4 p.m., waterfalls. We intended to camp at the and after a bite to eat we struggled bottom of Shift creek, but decided to go through the crowds to the cafeteria on down to Coldwater hut at the head of the Aramoana, and waited till the boat Lake Rotoiti. The hut turned out to be reached Wellington. Thanks to John for full, but rather than put up the tent, we a terrific trip. slept on the concrete porch. Those Our last day, Sunday was again fine, on the trip: and we got up late as we had all day to John Addison, Dennis Claridge, Jeff get around the lake. Two ex-T.T.C's, Bryant, Laurie Gallagher.