From the Cascade Coast to the Red Hills Range

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From the Cascade Coast to the Red Hills Range Hugh Middleton Ilast travelled the coast from Jackson Bay to Big Bay 33 years ago. In those days no topographical maps were available and nobody lived north of Big Bay. It was a desolate region of boulders and sand and shipwrecks and penguins and wild cattle - - the remnants of Davy Gunn' 's herd. ince then a mining company'st bulldozers. have Unfortunately for us, much off this was submerged forced their way south as far as the Pyke, a atl high tide, SO once again it was a matter of boulder couple of families have made their homes hopping for hours on end, this time in the rain. there, and DOC has inherited a fisherman's hut at Accessing the Red Hills entailed an easy amble Gorge River. I was intrigued to see for myself just from Big Bay to the Pyke River followed bya 6-hour how things had changed, and then to return to the bush-bash up onto point 1166m. Once there all the Cascade via the Red Hills. These anything-but-red effort suddenly became worthwhile. Really really Red tussock-covered hills constitute one of NZ's most Mountain loomed above us with the grey Olivine exquisite tramping areas which were only added to Range and Mt Aspiring's icy peak, truly Matterhorn- Mt Aspiring National Park in 1990. like when viewed from the west, further back. Big As expected, travel from where the Cascade road Bay lay at our feet with the Darrans as its backdrop. now ends to Barn Bay was much easier than Gorge Plateau lay to the north and the tussockyt tops previously. A good track now exists a far cry from of the Red Hills themselves stretched invitingly wading knee deep through the Hermitage Swamp. ahead. Excellent campsites too, with numerous tarns Though wekas remain conspicuous byt their absence and lakes to choose from (unlike nearby Telescope the area: still teems with birds. We even photographed Hill), and neither scrub nor sandflies. ar morepork in broad daylight. Afteri inspecting at fully- Next day was misty and drizzly SO we didn't go furnished 3-roomed "hut" replete with double beds, far, just 4km around the head of the Red Pyke to a shower, etc that was once used by gold prospectors, campsite close to the main Redl Hills Range. Through we camped alongside the Brown family's abandoned the murk we glimpsed the abandoned mining camp two-storey house at Barn Bay. A poignant in the upper Pyke with Stag Pass behind. Overnight experience, food still on the shelves and kids toys the weather cleared and we spent a brilliantly fine scattered about. The family left 5 years earlier. day sauntering along the crest of the Red Hills, At Gorge River, the most picturesque part of the soaking up the autumn sunshine and the views and Cascade Coast, we were ferried across the lagoon just enjoying the wilderness. No signsl here exhorting by Robert Long (aka "Beansprout") and treated to passers-by tol keep to the track, to desist from feeding afternoon tea byl his wife Catherine, while their two the keas, to carry out all rubbish, etc, etc. Just peace kids played alongside. He told us that, since and tranquility and fun. Mr Kodak was very happy. November, some 401 trampershad passed through. So too were we, and hugely thankful that this superb Over recent decades the Cascade Coast has wilderness remains unspoiled by Great Walks or acquired quite a social history; featuring such asbestos mines. That night we camped in a sylvan characters as Davy Gunn (who mustered cattle by glade, part of an extensive natural parkland of ponds night), Joe Driscoll (Brian Hunt's friend), Robert and grass and trees well-known to generations of Long, Lou Brown and the whitebaiters of the Tongue & Meats but not to too many others. Cascade. Both the Longs and the Browns have Dropping into the Cascade valley and tramping featured on TVNZ'sH Holmes Show, no doubt because downriver to the road took 2° days part rough oft their intriguing lifestyles. bush-bash, part open riverbed, and part gorge. Not Along the coast we saw no penguins (wrong time travel to be contemplated in bad weather given the of year) or cattle (all shot or died out), but we did size of the Cascade, which remains unbridged see wrecked boats and a lot of fishing boat rubbish, throughout its 60-km length. Fortunately ther rainheld much as years ago. North of Hacket River we found off until our last night, enabling us to finish the trip little remaining evidence of bulldozers except for an on schedule. overgrown track over Sandrock Bluff. But from Thoseon this 10-day millenium special were: Lindsay Hacket River to Big Bay the mining company had & Sue Cuthbertson, Keith Thompson and Hugh blasted a great swathe through the boulders. Middleton (leader and scribe) Tramping and Mountaineering 2000