Fun on the Track with ATC

Ten lucky HTMC members got to go to Aotearoa for two weeks and say kia ora to our sister organization, the Auckland Tramping Club (ATC).  Those members were Angela, Betsy, JB, John Miller, Karen, Laura, Ralph, Talbert, Winona, and Yuri.  Some of them had a rough start as the unprecedented weather in Auckland caused two to get rerouted in the air to Sydney and another to get delayed at home for a few days.  On ATC’s end, people had flooded basements and washed out roads to deal with.  As it turned out, we also had to deal with a couple of illnesses during the trip.  However, because trampers are generally tough people, the show went on.  And our first act was to meet the Kiwi.

THE KIWI

Ian and Anna- Planned everything and were excellent leaders throughout

Cecilia- Loves needlework and the British version of “The Chase”

Jeannette and Paul- Experts on flora, fauna, and fun things to do around NZ

Carmen- Self-made businesswoman and speaker of many languages

Teresa and Vincent- Only joined us for part of the trip but had the fanciest meals

Antal- Wears tank tops when it’s cold and says every track is “mostly flat”

Sandy- Taught the ladies how to take pictures with their hips, lips, and t…uh, chest

Keith and Jim- Skilled, safe, and speedy bus drivers

Speaking of the bus, her name is Big Blue, and she is a whole vibe.  More than a few times during our trip, people stopped by in a car park just to check her out.  Set up as a sleeper van, she made everyone too comfortable too quickly.  There were people wrapped up in blankets and sleeping bags, others hanging off rafters stretching, and multiple games of footsie going on at any moment.  It was an interesting way to see the countryside.  But, boy, what a countryside!  Rolling hills, long, shallow rivers, endless ridges, limestone, snow, and more.

The first few days were spent in Arthur’s Pass National Park.  On our first real tramping day, we split up into groups and did a variety of tracks, including Temple Basin Ski Field, Scott’s Track, and Avalanche Peak Loop.  On all of them, people enjoyed alpine environments and the accompanying flora, such as the pukiawe lookalike, tumingi.  We quickly learned many things about our Kiwi friends that day.  One: Many of them don’t need a whole lot of water while tramping.  Two: Many of them are also pants-averse, opting instead for shorts and gaiters- a real Larry Lee kind of feeling.  Three: They are rugged as all get out and just as sweet.  Over the next two days, while one group did an overnight at Casey Hut, the rest walked up Helicopter Hill, visited a Musterer’s hut on Bealey Spur, and toured Kura Tawhiti (Castle Hill).  The latter site, though now a popular site for sheep herding and rock climbing, has special significance to the Maori.  The name translates to “The treasure from a distant land”, and in the Ngai Tahu land settlement deed, it is listed as one of the areas in the South Island to have a topuni (a cloak signifying high mana) placed over it.

We had to say goodbye to Arthur’s Pass and our new friend, the kea, to say hello to Paparoa National Park, some new weka friends, and an increased number of some not-so-friendly sandflies.  The kea are an endangered native parrot, and even though their coloring is already a beautiful green, the underside of their wings reveals lovely rainbow-like plumage.  They will steal your things if you are not careful, though.  The weka is a large, brown flightless bird and is also famously feisty and curious.  Last and very much least, namu or sandflies are native blackflies that are prolific near water and humid bush and bite primarily at dawn and dusk.  On the way to our new digs at Punakaiki Beach Camp, we visited Hokitika Gorge.  The water in the gorge was absolutely mesmerizing, with the cold, icy blue set against the gray and black of the limestone along the sides.  Due to some inclement weather, the agenda changed a bit during our stay in Punakaiki, but we did the Pororari Riverwalk, which was a pleasant walk through mostly beech trees.  In addition, we did Truman’s track along the beach during low tide and saw fossils of sea creatures.  An optional but essential destination were the curious limestone formations of pancake rocks and blowholes that made for awesome views and even a Maui dolphin sighting.  We also went up Fox River to the ballroom overhang and collected many cool rocks along the way.  Nights were spent looking up into the Southern sky for an “upside-down” Orion, the Southern cross, and the Magellanic Clouds (two dwarf galaxies visible via the naked eye).

An old Nurse’s home was our next place to stay so we could access Victoria Forest Park.  On the way, we did the Cape Foulwind Walkway, a meandering stroll along a bluff that has a surfing beach, a lighthouse, and, best of all, a fur seal colony!  The pups were galumphing all over the rocks going to Mom for a feeding, going to the edge of the water pretending they were going to swim, and playing together in a little pool that was dubbed “seal Kindergarten”.  At our new destination, we went to Blacks Point, did Murray’s Creek loop, and saw some old mining artifacts left in the forest.  This was the first time on our trip to Aotearoa that the water was not clear and drinkable due to the chemicals from the mining and drilling still being done in the area.  In fact, some of the men staying at the home were there because they were drilling for gold, as New Zealand has many active sites even today.  We also did Alborn’s track and visited an old mining town complete with post office and school.  Despite the machinery being decrepit, the men could not help but be entertained by various rusted gears and wheels.  The avian entertainers of the area, and many areas around NZ, were definitely the robins and fantails.  The robins especially are very curious and friendly.

The whole group then did an overnight by Lake Daniell at the Manson-Nichols Memorial Hut.  Those who headed out to the lake early enjoyed swimming while part of the group did an early hike up to the top of Lewis Pass.  The view, as was true for the whole of the trip, was beautiful, and the tarns were especially lovely.  The hut was equipped with water, an area for cooking where one could swing the billy, a fireplace, bunk beds, cool toilets, tables perfect for eating and card playing, and a makeshift yoga studio.  Honestly, this is one area where we in Hawai‘i need to step up our game.  After that, we moved on to our last location, Hanmer Springs.  While there, part of the group did Mount Dunblane from Jack’s Pass, with two adding Mount Isobel and a waterfall walk and the rest going down Chatterton Creek trail.  The next day, people chose shorter day hikes, rested, or spent time at the thermal springs that are famous in the area.

Before we knew it, it was time to take one last ride as a group in Big Blue back to the Christchurch Airport.  Whether people were going back home, taking the ferry to the North Island, or continuing on other adventures, everyone had a memorable experience.

GLOSSARY

Tramping– Hiking

Track– Trail

Car park– Parking lot

Musterer– Herder (usually for sheep or goats)

Kiwi– People who are from/live in New Zealand

Kia ora– A Maori term similar to “Aloha” that means to have life/health, used as a welcome greeting

Swing the billy– Go heat some water for tea/coffee

Tarn– A mountain lake, especially one formed by glaciers

Also… “z” is pronounced “zed”

MAHALO NUI LOA to Karen Liliker and John Miller, from whom I used photos from our shared folder to prove that there were actually people on this trip since I mostly only take pictures of plants and mountains. 🙂