Martyr Fieldwork Mar 27-28

This time around was a quick jaunt to the Martyr River to attack key outcrops with a concrete cutter named Daisy so that I could extract large, intact samples of delicate rocks and fault gouge. This meant carrying an awkward petrol saw several kilometers through steep and uneven bush and carrying heavy samples back. After carrying Daisy to the furthest outcrop, she decided not to start. We were able to sample by hand, but it was still a lot of wasted effort. I wish I had a photo of crossing the river with a large saw strapped to my front- it was amusing in hindsight. Overall the trip was successful; I have some new samples to prepare and some new things to think about. My outcrops are constantly evolving, even without my help. We were treated to a beautiful sunset at Jackson Bay over fish and chips and a silvery moonlit night. Thanks to Carolyn.

Aramoana-Waitati Coast Mar 20

It started as an idea a couple months ago. Right from the start we knew it was either going to be a really good idea or a really bad idea. Sometimes it is so hard to know or anticipate which when you venture out on your own without knowing whether something is possible or has been done before.

We had no clue how plausible it would be to traverse the coastline north of Dunedin from Aramoana to Waitati, but armed with wetsuits, helmets and dry bags, we were keen to try. All we had to go off was mediocre quality Google Earth imagery and a few scattered bits of the coastline we had seen from a distance. The whole traverse would involve 16 kilometers of coastline, 6 beaches and 5 headlands- each of which we had no prior knowledge of whether it could be safely traversed. Encountering an impassible obstacle on one of these headlands would mean having to retreat back under potentially changing tide conditions. Once each headland was surmounted however, there was always a beach that would allow an easy escape

The day was fortuitously picked. The weather was warm but not too warm, an ideal temperature given my wetsuit thickness, the water temperature, and the amount of physical exertion. The swell was southerly such that the coastline was protected and would become more protected as we headed further along. The dark storm clouds on the horizon helped cast a beautiful blue-green tint to the calm seas.

We set out about 2.5 hours before low tide to ensure a low tide for what we thought was going to be the hardest stretch of coast. The going started good but we soon encountered an unexpected obstacle. Seals. Lots and lots of Seals! The trouble is they blend into the rocks such that it is almost possible to step on one while its sleeping. While most were happy to continue sleeping or move out of the way and dive into the sea, a few decided to be territorial. After the third or forth time running into a group of 30 seals we began to feel like seal herders and they definitely slowed out progress as we gave them space and time to move or let us pass. By the end of the day we easily saw 500 seals. As the day went on we saw few seals but several large shag colonies. These had their own hazards as they would chose to expel their projectile feces when we were directly below. No hits, but a few close calls.

Much of the headlands were easy scrambling although there were a handful of places requiring some moderately challenging rock climbing. At three places there was no other option than to jump in the water and swim. We even managed to find a few great cliff jumps including one that was about 8m high. At several places sea caves provided welcome shortcuts around what would otherwise be a very formidable obstacle. Along the way we saw some beautiful seldom-seen scenery including hidden beachlets, variably-textured volcanic rocks and deep tide pools. Everything worked out perfectly and we were able to make the whole traverse. It was obvious in higher tides and rougher seas we would not have been able to do it.

We returned a quarter of the way back to our car along roads where we scored a fortuitous hitch to the top of Heyward Point, leaving a short walk back to the car. Thanks to Mark for the lift!

42 Traverse Mar 14

Dubbed one of the premier mountain bike rides on the North Island, the 42 Traverse is an 42km long track of old logging roads cutting through the Tongariro Forest. We were dropped off at the state highway where we rode down a gravel road across the volcanic plateau with sweeping views of the perfect cone of Mt Ngauruhoe and the other volcanoes behind us. Before long we reached the official start of the trail where a well-maintained four wheel drive road snaked its way up and down hills, winding ever deeper into the lush native bush. The middle of the track is quite remote and would be a horrible place to find yourself with a punctured tire and no spares. The track had a few screaming downhills as well as some fun stream crossings. The hot weather was punishing on the uphill climbs. I went for a refreshing jump in the river at the end of the track before heading up the last hill. We ended the trip at the friendly Owhango Hotel pub where we feasted on massive hamburgers. In all it was probably one of the best mountain bike rides I have ever done.


Mt Ngauruhoe at right, Mt Tongariro at left

Wellington Mar 12

There is a quaintness and naivete in Dunedin that with nothing more than a verbal declaration of my last name (no ID even necessary) I can be issued a plane ticket and hop on a plane, (carry-on bag not even security screened) to the capital city. I enjoyed a long weekend away visiting caving mates in Wellington and taking in the sights and sounds of the hilly capital city of Wellington. I am most certainly not a city person, but Wellington has a definite charm and a certain amount of intimacy that I have yet to experience in similar sized cities. It was surprisingly easy to get around the city on foot or by bus. I spent the evening listening to one of my very favorite bands, Calexico, play in a converted boat shed down on the waterfront. They sounded every bit as amazing live as I could have guessed.

The following day I wandered around the city enjoying the architecture and public sculptures. It was great to see the green grass, open gates and abundance of park benches in the New Zealand Parliament Buildings compound where people sat under trees on their lunch breaks and ate their sandwiches (that same quaintness and naivete perhaps). I walked into the Parliament building (through a security screening) and jumped onto a free tour of Parliament which was fascinating and very educational. I found some of the bizarre traditions and rituals particularly fascinating. For example, Parliament is called into session with a mace and one cannot walk directly in front of the Queen so there is a purpose-built passage that goes behind the throne. Despite the grandiose buildings, the government felt small, appropriately sized for a nation of only 4 million. I got to see the debate chambers and meeting rooms and some beautiful hallways of Takaka marble. I even saw the Queen's chair and the lucky elephant. Unfortunately cameras were not allowed in the buildings.

I also had a nice look at Te Papa (Our Place), the national museum, which is an easy way to kill the better part of a day. On the Saturday we went caving in Okupata Cave near National Park, which had enough passage to keep us entertained for 4 hours (i.e. not much). Huge thanks to Alex for the Wellington hospitality.

Above: The Beehive, the Executive Wing of the New Zealand Government

Hester Pinney Creek Mar 6-7

We repacked our semi-dry gear from the morning's Ore Stream adventure and headed off to the East Matukituki Valley. Packs on our backs and bikes on our shoulders, we crossed the Matukituki River, then biked up the valley across the river flats. We crossed the river and streams where necessary until the river flats finally sizzled out and we ditched the bikes in the bush to switch to tramping mode. We then followed the glacially-blue river, crossing numerous times, to reach our camp at Junction Flat at the base of Hester Pinney Stream. Here the view of the east side of Mt Aspiring and its glacial cirque was phenomenal. To save on weight I left the tent in the car and instead enjoyed a rare night of sleeping outside. I slept well despite curious possums in the night and the dawn patrol of hungry sandflies. The few times I awoke I was treated to the ethereal lighting of the moonlight filtering through the scattered tree branches overhead.

The next morning we set off up the track until we reached the right elevation and subsequently plodded through thick bush towards the canyon. Once again we somehow managed to find just the right place to drop in. This canyon was wall-to-wall bedrock and had a surprising lack of sediment which made for deep blue-green pools and exposed beautifully-polished schist. We passed through a fun narrow section requiring bridging before approaching a series of waterfalls we rappelled or jumped. Anchor options were sometimes less than ideal, but we did what we could. Periodically the canyon would open slightly and present us with a commanding view of Mt. Aspiring (Tititea, Glistening Peak in Maori), Pope's Nose and the Kitchener Glacier. We enjoyed a moment in the sun before the canyon started up again for the grand finale.

The second part of the canyon was a seemingly endless chain of waterfalls and deep potholes, most of which were able to be jumped. These were some of the most impressive potholes I have seen anywhere in New Zealand- some of them had defiantly overhanging lips and reached depths >6m. Like all good things it eventually came to an end. We enjoyed a snack sitting in the river flat grasses before we tramped our way back to our bikes and biked our way back to our cars. All in all, a pretty full-on weekend. We managed to fit 3 sports in a single day and joked that next time we should bring an inflatable raft to add another activity.


















Mt Aspiring on center skyline

Ore Stream Mar 6

A good weather forecast was too much to pass up so off I drove to Wanaka to meet up with some canyoning mates to do two of the bigger canyons around. I had heard rumors about Ore Stream- wet, deep, dark, steep, epic. I had this one at the back of my mind and was quite happy to tag along with a strong group of canyoneers, several of which had been through the canyon before. We set off early, removing our shoes and socks to cross the Makarora River barefoot so as not to spread the invasive didymo algae into the pristine canyon. No need for coffee as the brisk water jolted us to the here and now. A pretty straightforward approach up a steep bush-clad slope and a significantly steeper drop-in placed us in just the right spot as the canyon started immediately below. We suited up and down we went.

Ore is one of the highest flow canyons in the area, which was reflected in the roar of the whitewater, the numerous hydraulics to avoid and my initial intimidation. The canyon was such that I felt a bit out of my element for much of it, to the point where I remember fantasizing retiring to a life of comfort and ease and safety for the next few weeks. At the bottom of every jump or rappel there was always a current to deal with and it took deliberate swimming to be sure you reached a safe ledge to cling to so that the flow of water did not flush you over the next drop.

A few great jumps and some very nice rappels down some beautiful waterfalls. At the largest falls our group split in two momentarily, as one group placed a bolt down the waterfall and the rest of us bypassed it by rappelling from tree to tree through the bush. Toine braved a 22m jump requiring a huge leap to clear the rock below. Scott boldly slid a steep 18m waterfall to the rest of our amazement. I wished I went for it afterward. It was a beautiful canyon that held strong to all the rumors, although it was quite short. Despite the group of six, including people that had been through the canyon before, Ore still had a good wilderness feel to it. It was definitely not a canyon to be taken lightly. We drove back to Wanaka where we dried our clothes in the hot sun before packing up to depart for the next adventure.

Ore Stream in distance

Photo by Chucky

Photo by Chucky

Toine's 22m jump

Scott's 18m slide!

Chucky getting pummeled on rappel