Anzac Epic: a journey to Nelson Lakes

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ANZAC EPIC: a journey to Nelson Lakes Rob Brown (Keith Strode-Penny) Well, no it wasn't really an "epic". Ijust snuck the word and precision onto the grassy paddock called Lake Station in to catch your attention. To be honest though, the Aerodrome, 10 km North West of St. Arnaud. From here previous trip your humble scribe had been on (Easter - the yuppie tramping club took a mini-bus via the DOC Styx Valley, Kokatahi, Zit Saddle) was an epic and, as a office at St Arnaud to the Mt Robert carpark where the result, he probably expected the worst for this trip. Food Officer (Howard) carefully distributed 3 nights of However, beating around the bush no longer.. dinner food. It is from this point onwards that everything that happened was just a blur so I'll just try and Thursday (Anzac Day) Paraparaumu St Arnaud remember the good bits, i.e. the scenery, the eating, and Howard Hut not getting stung by wasps. The planned traverse of Robert Ridge along to Angelus Hut was aborted due to Three cessnas took off from Paraparaumu airport at about nasty weather and a freezing level down to 1000 m sO we mid-morning with "us" and "the gear" including shot off, in light drizzle, down the Speargrass complementary toothbrushes courtesy of Jo (and Track/Highway. Colgates). The weather over the Cook Strait was utterly This is where Keith got stung by wasps 6 times! and on gorgeous and we caught spectacular views of the to the very cosy Howard Shelter (4 Bunks) for some Kaikouras. The pilots executed their landings with grace serious eating.

Friday Howard Hut Sabine Forks Descending off the Saddle was hard work in knee-deep snow on a steep and rocky terrain. It was good to get Friday was the worst day for wasps. Iti is a jolly nuisance back onto the nicely cut tracks that are so characteristic of and rather frightening when you have to either: (a) the Nelson Lakes National Park. Upper Travers hut has accelerate very quickly to avoid the black and yellow a beautiful setting at the head of the Travers Valley and menace; or (b) remove one of the little beggars from your would have been a medium day's tramp back to St own (or someone else's) hair. The best thing is to avoid Arnaud. However, we decided to make the last day lashing out at them because they love a fight. The densest shorter and tramped (Jo sprinted) on further down the wasp population appeared to be between Howard Hut and valley to John Tait Hut. Sabine Hut. Probably every 50 m or so along the track there would be either a wasp nest or a few wasps feeding Just down the track we spotted a lone kea which on the honeydew. It seems as though the best way to brightened up our afternoon. We cooled off in the river avoid getting attacked by wasps is to pretend not to notice before hoeing into another gourmet delight complete with they're there, and chances are they won't notice you. At party balloons (chortle, chortle!) a few back-rubs and a any rate, some of us were lucky enough not to get hit. little bit of Shakespeare. The impact of the wasps on the bird population of this area is colossal. Most of the bush we walked through was Did you know that Will Shakespeare spelt his surname 11 deathly quiet except for the odd warble and twitter. different ways? He just didn't even care. The well-cut and well-marked track meanders through black beech down to Sabine Hut on the east side of Lake Sunday Rotoroa where we stopped for lunch and a look at the "luverly" lake. From here we tramped up the Sabine Boy, was this a long day! After a relatively early start River Track to the Forks and crashed at Sabine Forks (8.00 am) we galloped off down Travers Track towards Hut. Lakehead Hut with balloons tied to our packs. Those of After another yummie dinner (gourmet mac cheese and us who took our eyes from the track and looked behind delicately steamed vegetables followed by a selection of saw pretty awesome views of Mt Travers. A lot of Robins mouth-watering jellies) the hut was transformed into a were spotted along this track (and along the Sabine Track massage clinic. A good chance to catch up on sleep (after too for that matter). Curious wee birds. You just need to all the sniggering had died down). sit down and after a few seconds a Robin is bound to hop up close to you. Not sure if this behaviour is due to being territorial, or looking for food or just being irresponsibly Saturday Sabine Forks Travers Saddle John Tait Hut cute. Anyway, going into route-guide mode, the quickest way to approach Lakehead Hut is to not cross Travers River using the footbridge but to continue on the true left The next day held the best weather of the trip and was the bank of the river until you reach a clearing (from which most enjoyable with Travers Saddle (1750 m) being the you should be able to spot the Hut). Continue on down highlight. We toddled off from Sabine Forks (600 m) up the track till you come to a big dead tree with a marker the East Branch of the Sabine on a brisk chilly sunny on it. From here there is a route which goes to the North morning (Howard dressed in storm gear). The East East in a straight line direct to the Hut and lunch. From Branch is cut sO deeply into the land that it was difficult here out to St Arnaud was all a blur and I have no seeing the bottom of the gorge from the track, where it recollection of anything except for the balloons. The next crossed on a short bridge, only a few metres long. stage of the journey really depended on the weather more than anything else. Travers Saddle which is a poled route, turned out to be a bit of a "puffer". We stopped at about 1500 m below the We made it back to Lake Station Aerodrome with plenty snow-line, in fine sunny weather, had lunch, put on our of time to spare but we learnt that the weather at war-paint and had a silly photo session. The freezing level Paraparaumu Airport prevented any planes from taking at this stage was about 1600 m and rising but there was off or landing. I'll never forget the image of Mike sitting still a good layer of snow on the Saddle. Upon reaching cross-legged at the edge of the air strip at Lake Station the Saddle we all dropped our packs and went into buzz- talking on the telephone to his sister/pilot (Louise) at out mode, admiring the snowy peaks of Mt Travers, Mt Paraparaumu. Well to cut a long story short, we took a Cupola, Mt Windward and Mt Franklin and hurling lumps bus to Picton, had a few laughs, and caught the 7.45 pm of snow across the iced over tarn. One gets a good ferry back home to good ol' Wellington. An excellent trip appreciation of the entire St Arnaud Range from this with groovy people. vantage point. It could easily take 4-5 days alone to travel. Mt Travers looked tempting but none of us had Present: Mike Pratt (Transport Officer), Howard Biggs ice-axes or crampons and even if we did were probably (Food Officer), Keith Strode-Penny (Wasp Decoy), Jo pushed for time. Maybe another year. McKenzie (Toothbrush Acquisitions), Susanne McQuoid (Weather Officer) Clare Kempster (Mediator), Andrew McLellan (Morale Officer) Rob Brown (Trip Pessimist) tough job but someone's gotta do it!).