hiking, NZ

Mt Brown Hut and summit

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A little West Coast weather keeping my enthusiasm for outdoor activities to short walks, short rides and some gardening for four days, a break in the conditions coincided nicely with my desire for a longer hike in the area. Well aware of the Coast’s reputation for gnarly, steep tracks I was offered three choices – I forget why we settled on Mt Brown Hut, perhaps because it offered the chance of a loop. A bit of a drive, particularly scenic around the back of Lake Kaniere, and we were at the trailhead – a couple of vehicles of the van-tourist variety reminding Katie that this hut has become far more popular with its Insta-fame.

Heading up there somewhere; I know now the hut is on the ridge on the right, the summit the left.

Beginning mildly, straight into the bush, we were soon climbing in earnest. Hudson (a young German Shorthaired Pointer) covering twice, if not thrice, the distance we were as he repeatedly zoomed off smelling all the smells. Progressively steeper, it never got quite as steep as I thought it would – although there were plenty of times where hands were required, both for my balance and propulsion but also occasionally for Hudson to get up the steepest sections. I was convinced this steepness was going to be very tough on the legs descending.

Amongst the effort, plenty of changing bush to admire as altitude quickly increased. Dense enough, there were seldom any glimpses of a view beyond the trees. Gaining the ridge, the sub-alpine gave us some views and plenty of mud.

Browning Range to the south.

Lake Kaniere to the northwest.

Opening up now, damp underfoot, clouds starting to blow through. Summit is centre of the three peaks on right side.

I’d slowed the normal quick ascent markedly, but it was still only a hundred minutes to the hut. Pleasingly for the ease of quick sums, we’d climbed about a thousand metres in five kilometres – so an average gradient of twenty percent, it was a fair climb. Time for lunch in front of the hut and trying to glimpses different aspects as the cloud continued to build but kept moving.

Yip, it’s a picturesque hut and setting.

A peek, and indeed peak, of the Southern Alps to the southwest.

Completing the loop, dropping steeply to the Styx River and then walking along flats didn’t appeal as much as carrying onto Mt Brown summit for a look-see (I assume it’s named so, with the hut and all – strangely it’s not identified on the topo map).

Not a marked track, it was easy enough to navigate along the ridge as it dropped off steeper on each side.

Spot the hut, certainly can’t see Lake Kaniere any longer. Also spot me, lagging behind.

This isn’t so good for the summit views.

Thankfully things cleared a bit as we reached the top, enough anyway to look up the Styx valley.

Someone stayed still long enough for a photo!

The descent wasn’t nearly as horrible on my legs, or as steep, as I feared – it did take just as long as the climb however. As things flattened out over the last few hundred metres, descending muscles definitely making themselves known!

About the biggest look at the lake from the bush that I got.

A great little foray into the West Coast hills – hopefully not too slow for the Katie and Hudson, and thanks for the couple of photos that are obviously not mine.

bikes, friends, GPS, NZ

Kawatiri Trail loop

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With more of the local Kawatiri Trail open than my previous visit to Westport, I was pleased that a quick loop was on the cards – dodging the weather if possible. Almost thirty kilometres of route from Westport south towards Charleston is open, our plan was to ride road to the southern end of this and ride the trail to Westport for a late lunch before closing the loop home on the highway.

An easy warm-up on highway south and Virgin Flat Road had us at the trail after three-quarters of an hour. We seemed to have caught peak rural traffic on the gravel road, having to share the road with a few vehicles. The easy, Grade Two, wide, well-surfaced (it’s new after all) drops to cross the Okari River before climbing away from it through a patch of native bush. I’m told there are kiwi around, but midday was not the time to see or hear them.

It’s a fun section of trail in the lovely forest; before long farmland is reached. Here it felt that one was hopping from one stand of bush to the next through little bits of pasture – they’ve done well to get access and keep the trail on the border of bush and grassland. We were heading to the sea, Tom and I had some fun speeding downhill on the more open sections.

Out in the farmland, we enjoyed looking back to the Paparoa Ranges and trying to name peaks. Famous scientists seems to be a theme with Mounts Kelvin, Rutherford, Euclid, Faraday, Curie, Mendel, Priestley up there somewhere.

At the coast, the trail parallels the quiet gravel Okari Rd a few flat kilometres to Tauranga Bay. Familiar territory to me now.

Steepest climb of the day towards Cape Foulwind beginning. We managed.

Near the top there’s this handy labelled silhouette of the peaks (that’s the oxidised steel, not Rachel).

Signs of the old cement works popping up around here; part of the trail to Carters Beach is on an old haul road.

We battled the increasing wind to and through Carters, the section near the Martins Creek estuary was new to me and pleasant. A detour into town for lunch and we were soon home.

That’s an excellent little local cycle trail and I really enjoyed it – recommended if you’re in Westport and the weather is fair, looking forward to one day be able to ride the rest of it to Charleston.

bikepacking, bikes, friends, national park, NZ

Half-Heaphy – James Mackay Overnighter

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With the forecast looking amenable to a pleasant day on the Heaphy, we hastily prepared for a trip in to James Mackay Hut – weather didn’t look so great on the way out, but that was a risk worth taking for time on such a track. Repacking done, the slow drive to Karamea (plenty of roadwork on the winding road) over, and a remarkable pie at Vinnie’s Cafe devoured and we were at Kohaihai trying to evade the sandflies late-morning.

Kohaihai itself not a bad spot, ignoring the insect bites.

All my riding seems to be at a leisurely pace currently, but that’s ok – the Heaphy is wonderful and worth savouring. Far more details and photos from past visits here.

Tom leaving the first beaches and Kohaihai Bluff.

Certainly was looking like a great late-autumn day.

Into the nikau groves.

Rachel emerging from forest on to one of the many swing bridges.

Snacks at Katipo Creek Shelter probably weren’t necessary, as Heaphy Hut is so close, but it was getting warm – I was bewildered to be delayering to summer riding kit. The trail opens up a bit here, in no time we were lunching outside the hut amused by the antics and fighting of the cheeky wekas. It looked as though there were a lot of pigs around, such was the damage to the big lawn in front of the hut – but no, just the wekas ripping up the turf hunting for tasty morsels.

Last time I was through here with Pete, there was the bridge over the Heaphy River had been swept away in a flood – so I was keen to see the new bridges (one crossing the Heaphy below the confluence with the Lewis and the other crossing the Lewis).

This is unusual – quite the convoluted ramp structure to get on to the true left side of the bridge.

Impressive.

The new bridge is much higher above the river. A deceptive incline on the true right side, quite unusual for a swing bridge in the NZ backcountry.

It’s a short section of new trail to cross the Lewis – that bridge not so big, but also more of a climb at the other side than one expects. Another break at the weird Lewis Shelter, because snacks are necessary – especially with a steady two-hour climb next.

The shelter has been closed in, albeit in a rather temporary-looking fashion.

At least that door-of-sorts will keep some weather out.

I suspect this was done for the bridge building, there was a stack of mattresses outside – they weren’t there when the shelter was newer. I pottered on up the climb, nice not to have to spend twenty minutes clambering over a big slip as on last visit. We settled in to a quiet evening in the hut, two other hikers our company. Again with such a large hut and few people in it, it’s difficult to heat – especially with coal no longer supplied and a ropey wood supply.

Supposedly there was some weather to get ahead of on our return, but it sure didn’t look like it. Rachel wanted to go a bit beyond the hut and we were happy to oblige. Fun to attempt slightly more challenging trail – scoured out rocky bits.

We found some rocks and climbed them.

The aforementioned slip about halfway down the long descent to the rivers seemed a good spot to regroup – read: for the others to make sure I’d not gone off the side of the mellow trail – and snack.

Nice to have this bike for the trail riding.

Crossing the Heaphy again. Freewheeling down that bridge, it’s alarming just how much speed one picks up. Hitting an upright definitely to be avoided at that pace.

Pausing in the sun (the weather certainly didn’t come in) to make sure we didn’t carry excess food out, I took the opportunity to wander to the beach – which I’d never had time or bothered to do before. Lovely. At sea level it was warm again, I spent even more time in short sleeves than the previous day. Plenty of time to appreciate the ride out…

A very pleasant two half-days of riding in a beautiful spot (the coastal section always feels like it is somewhere more tropical), we were back at the truck rushing to cover skin and load-up to avoid the bites. Back for another pie in Karamea.

And look at the real estate listings; alas, this has been sold.

bikes, friends, GPS, NZ

Lady Lake and Lake Brunner loop

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A later start for a less ambitious ride today – a nice gravel loop out of Moana. Recovering from the Paparoa, Pike29 loop I did have the planned advantage of being on a faster, rather than slower, bike than the others – life was a lot easier trying to keep up on the road! I see now that most of the loop was on roads I first rode in my first bikepacking event – the Kiwi Brevet back in 2015, I think about that day every time I drive over Arthurs Pass now. Past the little house at the old Kotuku School, the road turned to gravel as we began the climb to Bell Hill – not a particularly big climb, just the biggest of our day.

Farm land for a bit, looking back towards Lake Brunner, Mt Te Kinga (left).

Turning south, the drop to Lady Lake through native forest was both beautiful and fun. Alas, no great viewpoints were obvious as we whizzed past. We did stop to drop jaws at the clarity and colour of Crooked River.

Wasn’t difficult to spot big trout in there too.

Te Kinga again.

Back on the seal for forty minutes to return to Moana, Richard sure showing signs of Tour Divide prep – keeping a fair clip on his hardtail up the rises. I enjoyed the fun and ease of a lighter bike. Rachel was keen to check out the new, not quite completed but open to ride, Lake Brunner Scenic Trial that starts in Moana and runs around the lake towards Mitchells. A previously existing bridge took us over the lake’s outlet – the Arnold River.

Difficult to believe that’s a river.

Past a few houses and across a grassy section, with a surprising sand trap, we found the trail. It’s a cracker, a credit to the community – it being managed and built by them. Following the edge of the lake through native bush, there are plenty of twists, turns and small rises to keep it engaging. Great fun at the front – with care, as already it’s a well used trail, plenty of others out on foot and wheel. The surface is already mostly good, just one section in the middle was, at the time, bone-rattling on a rigid bike.

After seven kilometres, the trail just stops – currently.

But it’s easy to see why.

It looks that once the Eastern Hohonu River is bridged, it’s not far to join up to the existing Bain Bay walkway back to Mitchells, and then it’s twenty kilometres of backroad to Kumara and the West Coast Wilderness trail… Alas, we had to turn and head back.

Not without stopping at Irishmans Landing, snacking and pointing at things.

Te Kinga again, really should get up there one day.

A fun few hours stretching the legs and seeing some different sights, we parted ways – some back to Christchurch and some of us to Westport for more time with friends and riding bikes.

Biking to go places, going places to bike.