Northwest Nelson 1985/86

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North West Nelson 1985/86 Michael Hollis Boxing Day was wet in Golden Bay. The hole was most welcome. By mid afterroad was flooded and we couldn't get noon we found a campsite. to Browns Hut; not the best way to start a trip. So it was a cabin in Tuesday was a short day. Great slips Collingwood. came down in the 1929 Murchison earthquake. These are now covered with By 9.30 next morning we were at spikey scrub. Going was slow, Browns, ready to start up the Heaphy especially when we took an easy line Track. The grade was easy but up a tributary and had to fight our continuously up. We took it slowly. way back to the main river. The best By 3.00 pm we were at Perry Saddle route is straight up the Spey, boulder Hut. The hut was empty. The Gouland hopping. Eventually we came to a Range was clagged in. The temptation large flat - bog (probably the same was too much. We stayed. one Buncks fell into on his trip) and more scrub. After that, a steep climb Early Saturday morning we climbed on the true right of the waterfall above the hut onto the Gouland Range. took us to Lake Aorere. Debbie Hughes We navigated reasonably well. The had said there is only one campsite at occasional lifting of the mist enabled the lake. We saw one immediately, us to see the Downs and get our complete with fireplace. Actually, bearings. But on Goul we had trouble. there are two sites - the second is The spur took us to the bushline = around the other side of the lake. wrong spur. Lunch. Michael and Warren went for a recce. All they Michael, Peter and Sue climbed Mt found was the spur we had been on 12 Centre. The view was magnificent - a hours earlier. Michael recceed the panorama of the whole northern part of other way and found the route. the Forest Park. Gouland was the next peak. Halway up Wednesday, the last day of 1985, we the mist lifted. A campsite Buncks left early. Warren climbed Mt Centre, had used two years before appeared, while the rest of us sidled to the but behind us. We resisted the saddle at the head of the Roaring temptation to retreat. Gouland Lion. Getting down the saddle was a presented less of a problem. We hit bit hairy at first, but after 200m the bushline off target to the west. all is well. A deer moved away and The ridge was found, but we were not then stopped to stare. A huge snow convinced it was the right one until avalanche years before had cut a great Warren recceed it. Michael looked swathe through the bush at the Roaring for a campsite but none around. On Lion. Travel was fast. Looking back we went along a ridge just at the we saw a party climbing Mt Centre from scrub line. Progress was slow - and the Marshall Range. We met them no campsites. Finally, with a little later - Tararuas! judicious pruning of the scrub, the tents and flies were up, not quite in We crossed, walked in, swam and sidled the approved manner. the Roaring Lion. By early afternoon we had reached an open flat. The sun Monday morning was fine. Great. We was great even if the sandflies, sadly were much further along the Gouland missed at Lake Aorere, were out in Range than we had thought. The going strength. It was New Year's Eve. was not easy but at last we climbed to Remembering last year, Peter was made the snow grass. The first glance of to promise not to wake us up at the the Gouland Range ahead told us we witching hour. would not get all the way to Lake Aorere along it. A drop into the The Cobb was the first objective for Spey River was sought. Ahead, just 1986. How to get there? Our original before Flanagan, was a good spur. A plan had been to look at the Dommett small saddle held us up - about head Range. We looked = it would take too high scrub which we climbed over, long. The alternatives were up the under and around, all at the same time creek which drains Island Lake, or up it seemed. By lunchtime we were in Breakfast Creek and over the saddle at the creek which comes down from the head of Chaffeys Creek. For no Flanagan, about 200 metres from its particular reason we chose the latter. confluence with the Spey. The flies Just as well - the Tararuas tried and tents were dried out in the sun. Island Lake Creek, then both sides of it, but no go. They finally climbed a We relaxed. After a two hour lunch we spur on the true left. set off through the bush. A swimming

Lunch was taken in Breakfast Creek. The Cobb Valley floor has a motorway By luck we found the old large cairn in it - or so it seemed after the which marks the point of leaving the wilderness of the Spey and the Roaring creek for the saddle. The climb was Lion. At Trilobite Hut the party steep. A couple of times we had to rested and lived it up on the contents descend and sidle. For some time of the food dump, hidden in the bush stunted beech held us back from the before Christmas. snow grass we could see tantalisingly close. Upon breakout we were treated The trouble with food dumps is that with a glorious view of Lake Henderson. the next day the pack is rather heavy again. But it was only half a day to Fenella where we intended to spend two Chaffey's Saddle was reached after a nights. This year we took the track long day. The only campsite was on the floor. It is a bit - the saddle not a good place if it up valley muddy, but much quicker than the started blow. - dry to Water was scarce foot track on the true left - too much one tiny tarn or puddle was drained up and down on that track. dry by seven thirsty people. Some people rested, and some climbed We awoke to the tents flapping - real Mt Cobb. The swimming hole was cool - wind. There was clag, lots of it, just what some smelly bodies needed. swirling around. One fly was slightly The log book revealed lots of visits damaged, so down came tents and flies by Tongue and Meats, including some before the wind caused more havoc. quite uncalled for remarks by one M.M. Which way to go? : straight down Sunday 5 January was a brilliant day. into Chaffeys Stream, or down the spur We strolled along the Lockett Range. on the left? The stream hadn't looked Some of the hills caused a bit of puff too inviting and the map showed long but the lakes away to our left were open patches on the spur. Michael led superb - glistening in the sunshine, the way by compass, or followed his they lived up to their name - Diamond nose, no-one was quite sure. After Lakes. lots of peering into the mist (to no avail) and more sidling, we found the A descent was needed to slake our ridge. At the bushline the party got thirst at lunchtime. We headed for a giddy: Michael led them around in a horseshoe shaped tarn, but found circle three times! - the same circle! running water quite a way above it. The rest didn't show too much loss of From the lunch point a long sidle took confidence in their leader, but us to the next saddle. Then followed politely pointed the way down. a "would it ever end" climb in the In search of Kaka Saddle, Gouland Range -Peter Jackson midday heat to Iron Hill. Below was At the head of Balloon Creek are some Iron Lake and the two Lake Sylvesters caves and sump holes. We found a beckoning to us for a night's stay. campsite nearby and water. Here we We descended to Iron Lake and met Val passed a night, sheltered from the and Bob Chittenden plus their two elements. Going to the loo after dark progeny; old Tongue and Meats cannot did have its hazards! be kept out of the hills. The campsite beside Iron Lake was one of the The morning was fine. After an hour best. The reflections in the lake we arrived at Salisbury Lodge which kept the photographers at work. was full. On the approach to Mt Arthur we found a tarn and lunched. Monday saw us off early past the two We now had to decide whether to climb Lake Sylvesters and through tall, damp Mt Arthur direct, or take the sidle tussock. Another great campsite was track to meet the Mt Arthur ascent found, beside a tarn and a little track. Tracks were the order of the patch of beech. A steep descent day and just as well, as the weather brought us to the waters edge of the rapidly closed in. From the top of Cobb Reservoir. We headed upstream to Mt Arthur we looked along the range to find a crossing of the Cobb River. the Twins, when the clouds let us. Where to for the night? The Ellis We stopped at Myttons Hut for a bit Basin Hut looked reasonably close on of variety, but only for lunch and to the map. The first scree slope was load our packs again from the food very steep. After that the long snow dump. Who should turn up but another grass slowed us down. It took longer ex-Tongue and Meat, Errol, now moved than we thought, but in the changing to Christchurch. We filled him up weather the hut was most welcome. with surplus Xmas cake! On Wednesday we set out early with the A great clap of thunder and a downpour aim of sidling around the Twins - they nearly changed our minds about cannot be traversed. At first all was pressing on. But the torrent was soon well with the occasional glimpse of over. Up we went to Lake Peel and out the Twins. But by mid-morning, as we onto the tablelands. Balloon Hut was sidled under the Twins, the visibility full - almost with a group of was 50 metres, if we were lucky. We veterans who had choppered in. One found some cairns but they didn't seem brought a mountain bike which passed to lead anywhere. At one point the us next day. Not a bad way to decision had to be made to go up or traverse reasonably good tracks, but down. A stone thrown over the cliff somehow it didn't go down too well. Camp at Flannighans Hut -Peter Jackson took a long time to hit the bottom. Down was a long way. We went up. Just as well, for by 11.00 am we were on Social Scene the ridge beyond the Twins. Both Brian Hunt and Neil Woodrow told us of their routes around the Twins. But we have no idea of the route we took There were several social highlights during the past year: The Arthur Range beyond the Twins goes up and down, the saddles being at Christmas Party least 300 metres. No campsites. The theme for the 1985 Christmas After the umpteenth climb we came to Party was Time, Past and Future, the Baton Saddle. There should be a allowing plenty of scope for dressing good track down to the hut, we thought. up (or down). The venue was new There is neither track nor hut = there (Newlands Hall), and so too was the are a few snow poles and a tumbled finishing time (3 am). However, the down bivvy. One of our maps had both multi-varied revellers, including the a bivvy and a hut marked. We wasted inevitable clocks, had worn themselves time down the track below the bushline, out well before 3 am. looking for a non-existent hut. Eventually the front runners stopped Mid-Year Social and retreated to the bivvy. Thirteen hours after leaving Ellis Hut we made The annual sports and social day with camp. Catholic Tramping Club (CTC) was held in July. Two teams assembled themselves on the indoor cricket courts, but the outcome was fairly obvious right from the start. CTC have some regular players; we lost! Maybe we should switch back to basketball. The evening's social function held at Abel Tasman Autolodge was a success, despite competition from a certain wedding. A jazz band set the scene, inspiring many to dance the night away and a few hours of the morning, too! There were now two tramping days left. Bowlarama The intention had been to travel along the Arthur Range over Sodom and Ten Pin Bowling at the nearby Gomorrah, to the Wangapeka Track Road Bowlarama was a very successful End. On Thursday morning it was departure on several occasions, from raining. The 700 metre climb to the the usual Thursday Club Nights. Baton Saddle, through head high Spaniard in the rain, was not inviting. It was touch and go whether we would make it. Piking was voted in. The trip down the Baton was boring, especially once we got to the farmland. Warren went ahead to phone the bus company. He could get no sense out of them except to try again in the morning. By then the proprietor was on deck and all was well. The trip was great. Everyone enjoyed it. Arnold Heine had told us about the Kakapo bowls and the booming. We saw neither bowls nor heard the booming. But the birdlife was abundant and included a daylight sighting of a morepork. I wanted to do the Ugly River, but that will be another trip. Members of the trip: Sue Charles, Malcolm Charles, Kevin Shepherd, Mike Moran, Peter Jackson, Warren Thorburn and Michael Hollis (leader and scribe).