Harper Pass to Arthur's Pass

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Harper Pass to Arthur's Pass Hugh Middleton It's not too surprising that Harper cading from a hot spring down over a Pass was discovered and used extenrock outcrop in the bush. That did sively well before Arthur's or Lewis it. By the time we'd had a good Passes. The approach from the East soak in the somewhat gritty pool is little more than a stroll. Esscooped out on the riverbank the sun pecially nowadays as the creation of was about to set. So we camped. the Lake Sumner State Forest Park More mushrooms in the stew. has brought with it new tracks, huts and bridges. I suspect that the Another fine day and a pleasant four of us elected to go there for stroll onward up river. Delayed no better reason than that none of again by hut literature, this time us had been there before (more red at No. 3. But found nothing at lines) - despite an aggregate tramp- Cameron Hut so made it to the Harper ing experience of about sixty man- Pass Biv for lunch. Then up and years. And why hadn't we? Probably over the pass itself = the boundary because we'd previously considered between Lake Sumner State Forest the area just too easy and too Park and Arthur's Pass National Park accessible. This trip however was - and down into the scrubby jungle scheduled for early March when, of the upper Taramakau. Actually hopefully, the weather would be kind, the bush hereabouts seems dominated but most others of our kind would by mountain nei nei and mountain be at school or at work. cedar which impart a rather strange appearance. Cloud and wind augured We hopped off the bus at the Hope the end of the fine spell as we River entrance to the Lake Sumner scrambled down the track to the State Forest Park in the middle gravel-choked riverbed and No. 4/ of a lovely fine Saturday afternoon, Locke Stream Hut. crossed the Boyle on the swing bridge and set off up the Hope. The With the weather holding the foltrack follows high terraces keeping lowing morning we determined to just inside the bush for a couple of tackle Minchin Pass. For an hour hours or so. The shade was most and a half Townsend Creek was an welcome, and the birdlife plentiful. enjoyable scramble and height was At the half-way shelter the track gained rapidly. But then, at a descended to river level. But it major confluence not far below the was evening by this time, and cooler, bushline, it began to rain. Above so no one suffered. The Forest this point the creek was much small- Service has even installed little er and choked with fuschias, ferns wooden bridges over creeks and boggy and boulders. Lunch was eaten sheltbits, and cut the mat tagouri back. ering under a rock an hour or so Must've been tough country in the later. But from there on it was a old days! That evenings camp, near straightforward push through scrub where the Hope emerges from its' and tussock to the pass. Down below gorge, was notable for a matagouri Minchin Stream gurgled along in a fire and freshly picked mushrooms. canyon skirted by tussocky terraces. Sidling without attempting to cross Another fine day and we were off, we arrived at the Minchin Biv about heading for the Hurunui. Stopped 3p.m. This is a tiny two-bunk NZFS briefly at that immense multiroomed affair with a collapsed chimney and Lockwood construction called Hopea scribbled warning that too vigor- Kiwi Lodge and, on the advice of a ous a fire sets the floor alight. couple of shepherds, followed the Rain squalls sweeping down the vehicle track rather than the ofvalley, the absence of any other ficial Forest Service route, to the bivs or huts in the Minchin, and the Kiwi Saddle. The observation point very slow progress of the youngster above Lake Sumner provided a splenon the trip, put paid to hopes of did view down the lake but none at further progress that day. With big all, for want of felling a few trees, sighs we brewed up some hot soup and in the direction we were headed. On crammed into the sad little hut down the track, past a first rate for the night. campsite at Three Mile Stream (a point which could easily be reached It was still raining in the morning. in a day from the road), to lunch on A bit of a scramble down the stream farmland at the lake head. Then off bed brought us to the bush edge and across matagouri infested flats to to one of those spectacular little No. 2 Hut. Stayed long enough to gorges that abound in the Southern peruse the literature (about an Alps. A good sidle track, marked hour) before wandering off up the by cairns at either end, soon had track. A couple of hours later the us out on the broad flats above track crossed a steaming stream cas- Lake Minchin. The lake itself was very grey and dull but must t look the Edwards, and eventually to terrific in the sunshine. Then on Arthur's Pass Village, by way of past the old hut site and down the Walker Pass, Tarn Col and Taruapuna track to the wide-open spaces of the Pass). Paused for lunch at the Poulter. Scattered patches of wind- Trust/Poulter Hut and then set off fall all about attested to cyclonic along an old vehicle track to Casey winds in the not too distant past, Hut - another vast affair in the but didn't significantly impede our modern style with three rooms and progress. A short plod up the fourteen bunks. Attempted to call Poulter and we were at the Worsley Park headquarters on the hut radio Biv for lunch. What a palace. Its but were defeated by flat batteries a modern A-frame which comfortably and the poor state of repair of the accommodated the four of us and all thing. Spent the afternoon dreaming our gear. All it lacks is a stove, up schemes for making the most of which makes drying wet gear diffthe day and a half left to us should icult. But there is a fireplace the weather break. Like traversing outside complete with woodshed. the Savannah Range. But it was not Perhaps the most interesting thing to be. Persistent rain in the mornabout the Worsley Biv though is its' ing saw us plodding over Casey Saddle log book. This was full of accounts and down the Andrews Stream track to of crossings and attempted crossings the road. And, you guessed it, the of Worsley Pass and Trudge Col, weather cleared just as we descended neither of which is easy. After to the Andrews Shelter for the careful study of its' contents we evening. concluded that our intended route over Trudge Col to the Hawdon was A beautiful sunny morning and we set feasible, but only under good condoff for the Mt. White Bridge only to itions, and certainly not with the realise too late that the railcar low cloud and rain squalls then preruns two hours earlier on Saturdays vailing. than it does during the week. So we caught the Road Services bus to Later in the afternoon, for want of Arthur's Pass instead. Noticed that anything better to do, Lindsay and I the Waimakariri was in flood (unlike took a look at the route up to the Poulter, Casey or Andrews). Worsley Pass. The first few yards Noticed too, numerous tourist coachinto the bush is disced. Thereafter es at Arthur's Pass. Most unusual. it is a matter of blazes and OCC- Discovered the reason upon buying a asional cairns but isn't unduly paper. Big floods in South Westland. difficult to follow - at least not Roads closed. Seems like we were so far as we went which was adjacent luckier than many that week. Reportto the big chasm from which Chasm ed Casey Huts useless radio to the Stream gets its name. Eventually duty Ranger at Park Headquarters. the rain got a bit much for us so we He replied that all radios in the backtracked to the biv to continue Park were to be replaced over the the debate over knots versus rubber following few weeks with new VHF bands for closing plastic bags (the sets, with No. 4/Locke Stream Hut weather must've been getting to us). also being equipped with a radio. Next morning the weather was as bad Those on the trip: as ever. Reluctantly we gave Trudge Lindsay Cuthbertson Col away and plodded off downstream. Clive Hellyar (Had we been able to cross Trudge Hugh Middleton (scribe) Col we would have then crossed to Warren Thorburn