Harper's Pass

We spent an outrageous amount of money in Hanmer Springs. First there were the delicious hot springs, then there was the chiropracter who inflicted great pain on Rob, told him that on a scale of 1 to 10 he was near zero on flexibility and if the cannibals got him they would have to put him through the mincer first. He gave him some stuff to take to aid flexibility and charged him a heap of dough. Coffees and cakes, dinners and wine, a replacement spoon (Rob's spork broke), a pair of slip-on-shoes for Rob, a pair of togs for Debby because she liked them...we really had to get back on the trail!
Phil from the YHA charged us a very reasonable amount for driving us back to Windy Point, where we set off in cheerful spirits and had the joy of dry feet all the way to Hope-Kiwi Lodge - a somewhat superior tramping hut almost like a house.

Lake Sumner

Next day we finally got a glimpse of Lake Sumner, but the track skirted around it and we saw little of it. It started to hail in the afternoon - call this summer? - and we were glad to spot the swingbridge over the huge Hurunui River which eventually took us to the Hurunui hut. We found it unswept, dead flies on the benches, a live robin trapped inside, rubbish around the place, a broken saw and a blunt axe. We soon straightened things up, made it habitable and lit a fire - Adi did wonders with the broken saw.

Famous Japanese climbers with Rob and Adi

Next day was a delight - only 3 hours to Huruni hut no. 3, and along the way a welcome soak in the natural mineral spring up above a waterfall of warm water. The only difficulty was getting dressed again without being murdered by sandflies. A Japanese couple arrived at 6 that night, very tired after a long day. It was great to see other people out here enjoying the wilderness, and this was the only time we shared a hut. There was plenty of room - the bunks were 3 tiers high, and in an outer room were 4 canvas bunks.

Along the way to our next hut we chose to use a 3-wire bridge to cross Cameron Stream  - quite an interesting experience balancing on one wire and hanging on tightly with both arms to the other two. We heard what were probably mohua in the forest, saw kakariki, robins, bellbirds and fantails, and were soon at the historic Harper's Biv where the weather decided to improve just in time for our climb to Harper's Pass at 962 metres.

Adi with us on Harper's Pass

It was gorgeous in the sub-alpine vegetation along the top of the saddle - there were mountain buttercups the size of dinner plates. The descent was a knee killer and at one point my foot got jammed in between two rocks. I had to take my foot out of the shoe before I could extract it! We stayed the night in Locke Stream Hut, built in 1941 from hand-sawn and adzed totara and kaikawaka (cedar).

Taramakau River from Harper's Pass

We travelled along and across and over and around the Taramakau River all the way to State Highway 73, but not without Rob having to come and rescue Adi and Debby who had become hopelsessly entangled in a forest jungle at one point. We crossed many, many streams and the Otehake River where we met a party of trampers just coming in. We didn't envy them the ascent of Harper's Pass from this side. We heard kaka and enjoyed having our lunch in the sun, without sandflies, yay. Adi's knee was really bad by now, and after lunch he left ahead of us so he wouldn't slow us down. Unfortunately he got too far ahead and at a track junction went one way while we went the other. This caused some confusion when we reached the Otira River and there was no Adi in sight. Rob nobly went back and found him wondering where we were and writing us a note. All was resolved and we headed across the Otira River together - the biggest river of the day, but only thigh deep.

We had decided not to carry on and do the Mingha-Deception route over Goat Pass as we had been told heavy rain was forecast and there were a great many river crossings. Adi had decided his knee wouldn't cope, and Rob decided his back needed a rest, so that left me and I wasn't doing it on my own! So we hitched a ride to Arthur's Pass and spent a comfortable night at the YHA.

We have now said goodbye to Adi - we will really miss our trusty guide and support. It's back to just the two of us and it feels lonely. Today we head off to Bealey Hut with severe gales and rain in the offing, then south to Lake Coleridge and beyond. Hopefully Sam and Lorraine will remember to pick us up at the Potts River Bridge in a week or so for a few days off in Geraldine.

Notes:

Day 26: Windy Point to Hope Kiwi Lodge. 16 km
Day 27: Hope Kiwi Lodge to Hurunui Hut. 19 km
Day 28: Hurunui Hut to No. 3 Hut. 10 km
Day 29: No. 3 Hut to Locke Stream Hut. 15 km
Day 30: Locke Stream Hut – SH 73 at Otira River 17 km