Brunner and Victoria Ranges

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Brunner and Victoria Ranges Jack McConchie Through a cloud of diesel we watched the Newmans bus disappear towards Greymouth. Its air conditioning and sheep skinned seat covers represented our last link with civilisation for the next eight days. Kev Thompson and I had been lured here by an article in the Tararua Annual, from a couple of years back, which spoke of continuous bad weather, interesting tops travel and fascinating feats of navigation. If it had all this it must be fun, so we had come to have a look. The Brunner Range starts at the Buller Gorge, just west of New Creek, and heads southwards, joins Victoria Range Jack McConchie the Victoria Range at Mt Wynn which then continues to Spring's fissures involved the use of the Junction. We hoped to traverse both compass in order to stay on the of these ranges which lie within the route. Eventually the spur became Victoria Forest Park, our newest, more defined and we picked up and surely least developed, forest an old possum line which led up park. into the Dracophyllum forest, so characteristic of North West Somewhere hereabouts was supposedly Nelson. We made camp on a small an access road which would provide ledge just off the ridge in the head of Mountain Maid Creek. an easy route onto a bush spur We think that she must have been leading to the open tops of the long since all that remained Brunner Range. On the way back gone up the coast after our Christmas were numerous lawyers contesting trip we had driven backwards and ownership. forwards along this two kilometre Blue skies again where is the stretch of highway looking for the 4WD road. It was marked challenge as we packed up and on the NZMS 1 sheet but had been headed off towards the tops . removed from the new metric map. An hour later we were on Boundary Peak with its VHF and Comments about an act of God led repeater impressive views: west down the to others about the parentage, Buller to the Paparoas, east towards or lack thereof, of the Surveyorthe peaks of Nelson Lakes General. and, oh dear, south the way we were heading. After visiting the The weather was excellent as we emergency hut, complete with solar munched on our Tararua biscuits water heater, and Kev bemoaning and looked in any direction except the fact that Broadcasting had towards the road which wound up a lot to learn about looking after behind us. Still, as with all their field staff, we dropped good things, even our lunch had down through a bushy saddle and to end and after jockeying for stopped for lunch in the tussock position at the back not easy a couple of kilometres along the when there are only two of you ridge. The ridge as far as Mt we set off upwards. The road Curtis was a real breeze with was excellent travel through the open herb fields, countless flowers scrub and once on our chosen spur and patches of tussock. Once we had superb views down the Buller on Curtis though the travel became to Inangahua. The spur (face) rougher with large bounder screes was open travel but it had been and interesting "nurgs", frustrating severely broken up by past earthrather than difficult, which we quakes. The Inangahua earthquake had to climb over, around or through. of 1968 alone having caused several The map showed some large tarns metres of vertical uplift and further along the ridge and thoughts numerous massive landslides. of an idyllic campsite spurred Finding a way through the jumbled us on. By the time we reached block fields with their many large the tarns high çloud was fast approaching from the west and of Mt Pelion. While having a the wind which had picked up was spell on the top the mist lifted gusting quite strongly. With and we had excellent views of worse weather obviously on the the route ahead. A quick tumble way, we retreated 500 feet off down a series of ledges and bluffs the other side of the ridge to followed by a stroll through a a beautiful tussock bench set couple of saddles brought us to in amongst the beech. a good campsite right on the ridge but sheltered in the bush. Since The next morning the promise of this appeared from the map to doom seemed premature so we be the last good campsite for continued along the Brunner Range, several hours, we stopped early over Mt Wynn and onto the Victoria after only a few hours walk that Range. All morning as the high day. cloud rolled in from the west and low cloud filled the valleys Away reasonably early the next to the east, we strolled through morning, the mist rose before the herb fields, easily sidling us as we climbed along the ridge the higher bumps on good game onto Mt Victoria. The ridge trails. One of these trails was still predominantly good travel even had a couple of chamois on with us only being forced to make it, although with our arrival a few short sidles until we reached they beat a hasty retreat. the impressive bluffs off Mt Ralph. Dropping down a steep gully we During lunch in a saddle just managed to sidle along narrow before Mt Pelion we looked down ledges and between two sets of on a magnificent basin and when bluffs on the east side before it started to rain with a vengeance regaining the ridge 500 feet below the lads were not slow to check the top. While having lunch out its potential campsites. at a small tarn we listened to the news that Invercargill had With only two of us we didn't been flooded by torrential rain need a large site and we found and that the storm was expected a real ripper nestled in the beech to hit us, together with galeon the bush edge. We were most force winds, within the next 12 surprised to find that someone hours. Such news was all too had been there before as there was much as we lay back in the sun a low rock wall around a site under blue skies watching a herd just big enough for our tent. of goats. Sitting up in the pit with a hot brew out of the wind and the rain, Where from here, given the forecast? the weather didn't seem so bad. An hour or so along the ridge and 1000 ft off the side was Westerly squalls passed through a hut but we were not too keen all afternoon and as things were on losing all that height. no better the next day, a rest Perhaps we could bail out down day was decided upon. Whilst the Montgomerie River and head walking around during one of the for Reefton but that sounded like fine spells I found an old steel piking talk. We could always tool with a pick on one end and push on and just chance our luck a sledge hammer on the other, and camp where we ended up. the handle long since having rotted There being no-one of sane mind away. I'm pretty sure that the to talk us out of this ridiculous last person who used this site idea, we headed off into a grotty was probably the prospector who scrub belt and down to Larry Saddle. had lost his pick. At the scrub line we found a thread of cotton which we ended up Lunch was as usual Tararua biscuits following for a distance of about but for variety Barbara had made two kilometres and through two some which looked like they were saddles. We kept expecting tu wearing skirts. We decided that find a completely naked person in this age of enlightenment of somewhere on the ridge, but as sex roles they had to be Scottish we didn't we can only assume that people, especially since they it was someone's novel way of were filled with rolled oats. marking a route. Through Waitahu Saddle and it By about 2.30 the weather looked was back into the tussock as we as if it was clearing so we decided plodded along towards Mt Crosscut. that we should pack up and move Crosscut, as it's name suggests, on. Once packed however the was a bit daunting last thing cloud came back and it was into in the afternoon so once again the mist as we wandered amongst we dropped down onto various ledges, the granite blocks and bluffs between a series of bluffs and sidled about 500 feet off the While the mist was right down ridge into a large picturesque in the morning it didn't seem basin under Mt Creighton. This too bad, so we quickly climbed is the last named peak on the Creighton. The ridge south con- Victoria Range which runs for tained four dog-legs but with another 30 kilometres. It took compass, map and altimeter we us about an hour to find a decent had no problems. By now the campsite after checking out several ridge was rough and broken, and possible rock bivys, one of which I was grateful that the mist hid had been used, but none of which the drops. The granite though offered the four star quality was excellent for climbing on. we now demanded. On lifting Looking back at some of the steeper up a rock for the tent, Kev found bits you wondered how, but strangely, two brown frogs which he caught. never why? We were most surprised as we were at 4300 feet and a long way from the bushline. On collecting The news at 12.30 was all about water it appeared that all the the damage in Invercargill and tarns in the basin were teaming the weather forecast was that with tadpoles. Thinking that we were still to get the storm. we had found a colony of native frogs, we took a couple of photo- In the head of the Waitahu River graphs and then let them go. a couple of hours along the ridge, On arrival back home I discovered there appeared to be a nice basin, firstly that native frogs do not surrounded by bush, and it was have a tadpole stage and secondly to there that we decided to head that the frogs we had found were for the night. As we wandered probably Australian Laughing Tree along the ridge the mist occasionfrogs. The last laugh was definiteally rose to reveal from where ly on us as during the night they we had come. It looked even started to croak in their hundreds more impressive than when we were and it was almost impossible to right in amongst it. sleep. We knew that the French were right and that the only good We had to drop 1000 feet into frog is a dead frog. Several our hanging basin but it was well times during the night I thought worth it. On a jumbled rock that Kev was about to commit mound covered with beech we found atrocities upon the frog population a superb campsite and we prepared but they were lucky that we had for the worst with trenches which left the cellotape at home. rivalled those of the Tongariro Hydro Scheme. Brunner Tops Kevin Thompson

Laying back in the pit awaiting basins, old glacial cirques, which doom which the forecaster had alternate down the length of the predicted, I couldn't help reflect- Victorias. ing on modern life. Here we were, just the two of us, separated We were now at the start of what, from the full fury of nature by from the map, looked the trickiest just a couple of layers of nylon part of the whole range. The and with just a sleeping bag, ridge itself, although most in dehy food and a great mate for mist, looked impossible to traverse, comfort. You know, I wouldn't at least with packs, so we had have swapped it for all the techto drop down to the lake in the nology and wealth in the world. head of Woolley River. From here, two fingers of bush clung Once the storm had passed the to the bluffs and it looked like next day, all we had suffered one of them might provide a route was a bit of rain in our jelly back onto the ridge past the worst while in Invercargill damage was of the bluffs. It was hand over estimated at $30 million. We hand, from tree to tree, but we have been encouraged to surround did force a route. The advantage ourselves with so much tinsel of a mate like D8, I mean Kev, and glitter which we have been was as obvious as the swathe of told is essential that we have broken scrub once he had passed forgotten the only things which through. The disadvantage was are really important - happiness that most of the hand-holds had and true friends. gone as well. Still you get that on the big trips. With the storm having passed through, the barometer started Once back in the tussock it was to rise, and with the promise a steep but straightforward climb of a better day we headed back onto the ridge. An hour or so up onto the ridge. We were again brought us to a saddle overlooking in the mist but with careful map Lake River. We could just make reading we had no problems. out the hut tucked back in the On one of the sidles we came across bush close to the lake in its a chamois which had lost its horns. head. Wandering towards the While Kev whistled and attracted hut I couldn't help hoping that its attention, I managed to creep there was no-one there not because up to within 15 metres and got it would mean we wouldn't get a couple of reasonable photographs. a bunk but because I was not yet Afterwards we decided that for ready for other people to intrude the sake of its survival at some into our trip. For the past later stage, we had better teach seven days we had seen no-one it not to trust humans. We encournor even any recent sign of people, aged it to seek shelter with the and we were enveloped in a euphoric use of some well placed rocks; atmosphere of achievement and however, now I think that we should satisfaction. As we still had have pretended to be helicopters a day to go, I didn't want that since it is unlikely that it will atmosphere broken. ever see a foot-hunter. The hut, and I use the word loosely to describe the sort of biscuit tin we found, was just two bunks with a stove but it made a change from camping out. From the hut a track leads out to the Reefton highway, but at last the day dawned fine, with clear skies, and we decided that we would climb back onto the ridge and complete our traverse. I mean, it must be getting easier at this stage! No sooner had we reached the ridge than we were forced off and had to sidle yet another set of bluffs. This ridge just wasn't going to give up without a fight. But now, accustomed to finding Chamois, Victoria Range Spaniard every time you put your Jack McConchie hand out for balance, the sidle proved no problem. Five minutes further along we met another bluff. After that short interlude we By now frustrated, and too lazy crossed back over the ridge and to back-track to a place where had lunch in another of the numerous we could climb around, we abseilled of time to clean up, play spacies off the edge. We had carried and adjust to being back in civilisa rope for the whole trip but, ation. besides using it for a pillow, this was the only time we bothered On the bus heading back down the to use it. Even here it was Maruia Valley, Kev and I stared unnecessary. up onto the Victoria Range and talked of the trip. We were While we had lunch at a trig overutterly wrapt at what we had looking Springs Junction and the achieved. The other passengers Maruia, we could look back along looked at us, smiled that smile the ridge for about 70 kilometres. reserved by psychiatrists for From here it appeared to be just their worst patients, and turned a maze of bluffy peaks offering back to their Mills and Boon, no logical route. We now knew Walkman cassettes and cans of better. After lunch we strolled coke. Oh, if only you knew how along the last of the range, down you've been duped, I thought, a track to Rahu Saddle and along as I lay back, content with myself, the eight kilometre road walk thinking of where we could go into Springs Junction. next. The bus was not due until lunchtime the following day, so we had plenty