Over the Seaward Kaikouras (An Allen Higgins Deviant Trip)

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Over the Seaward Kaikouras (An Allen Higgins Deviant Trip) Lisa Lee-Johnson After a hectic weekend organising a trip up Tapuae-o-Uenuku the previous weekend, / was looking forward to a pleasant Labour Weekend womble up Mt Manakau in the Seaward Kaikouras. But no, Allen Higgins' epic adventures strikes again and / found myself part of the distinguished few who would be privileged enough to attempt Manakau via the most manky, disgusting route available. riday night saw the five intrepid explorers camped in the lower Clarence Valley, the valley that splits the Seaward and Inland Kaikoura ranges. Early Saturday morning, we headed off up George Stream. A little route-finding and tiptoeing across steep scree and we were soon perched on the saddle above Doddemeade Stream looking up at the steep route that the Easy trip was supposed to be descending. Easy boulder-hopping led us down to Jam Stream, where we dumped our packs andraced downstream tol hutbag. After lunch we wandered up Jam Stream, through a series of amazing vertical-walled gorges. Wel had afternoon tea at another little hunter's hut, then headed up towards thel bushy gully that leads up onto Haycock Saddle. We soon discovered that it wasn't bush; rather it was a lovely combination of matagouri and wild rose threaded with bush lawyer and interspersed with the odd Spaniard for good measure. As there didn't appear to be any alternative to the solid wall of thorns, we pulled our ice axes out and fought our wayi in. Buoyed on by Harriette's puns, we finally emerged bleeding and triumphant on the other side, having covered about 45 metres in 45 minutes. Up on the saddle we stopped in the late afternoon sun to remove thorns from various body parts. The little streams we were planning to follow were all solid green with wild rose. Sidling down into the mess, we muttered and cursed our way west, eventually setting up camp on the far side of a particularly thick mass of bristles. Sunday morning was entertaining for those sharing a tent with Harry. As he woefully re- Fidget Bivy Harry Smith minded us (ad nauseum), Andrew "Mr Minimalist" McClellan, who had been entrusted with the vital task of bringing the fuel for the brews, had to shout, "Hey, this way - I've found a bit that's only decided that a thimbleful was more than sufficient for solid matagouri." The lower Fidget Stream gave us easy the purpose. The troops bore this crisis as bravely as travel and a chance to bathe our wounded legs. Howthey could (i.e. over an hour of lamenting from Harry). ever, mutiny was brewing (but unfortunately nothing else The morning's travel provided us with plenty more was) when luckily we found some spare fuel in a little opportunity to compliment Allen about his thorny choice hunter's hut. We spent much time making up for lost of route. Finally reaching Fidget Stream, Harry was heard brews. Tramping and Mountaineering 1998

Regrouping on the ridge Harry Smith In the upper Fidget Stream we reached a large water- The wind had picked up and we could hear it howling fall with a loose, chossyl ledge sidling far above the river. over the ridge above. Panting over the top in thel last of Right on the narrowest section, Harry entertained us the daylight, we found that Harriette appeared to have with a little teetering act, unleashing large quantities of found our company uninteresting and she was finding crumbly rock with every frantic lunge for a handhold. her own way down the other side. We set off into the Shortly afterwards Harriette and - had a chance to prac- wind and picked our way down a stream running down ticel hydro-sliding the wrongy way up the river, while some from the basins below the range. Andrew had found off the more boring party members chose the sensible(?) some cosy tent sites, which were soon improved with a option of fighting up the riverbank through steep scrub. little engineering effort. Too soon, we were greeted with an impassable sec- Monday was an easy day, with long rests for brews tion in the river. After some heated discussion about the andsunbathing. We headed down towards Mt Stace and route, we decided to leave the stream and head up a out via the Hapuku River. Reaching our meeting spot spur towards thet topoft fther range east of Manakau. Steep with two hours to spare, the more energetic types ran tussock climbing and rocky scrambling allowed us to off to say hi to the Medium trippers, while a certain steadily gain altitudel but progress was slow and we were fastidious individual had a bath. Despite ail the trips growing concerned about the late hour. We sidled left getting out on time, certain vehicular blunders saw us and gained a distinctive ridge, which soon steepened heading north at breakneck speeds and racing up the into a vertical rock band above us. More passionate route gangplank two minutes before thet ferry departed Picton. discussions and map waving and we eventually descended into a stream that took us at a good steady Punters: Harry Smith, Harriette Carr, Lisa Lee-Johnson, angle all the way to the top. Andrew McLellan, and Allen Higgins. Tramping and Mountaineering 1998