Sawcut Gorge Dec 19

I allowed Sara her one truly civilized day of the trip by celebrating her birthday in Kaikoura. Afterwards we drove north, stopping at Ohau Stream to see seal pups swimming in the stream and at Ward Beach for lunch. We then drove inland on dirt farm roads through that dramatically wound across slopes high above the Waima River. The road deadended back down at the river and we packed up for our hike.

We headed upstream, wading through the shallow waters between segments of trail. It was a beautifully sunny day and we both had swimming on our minds. We stopped for a quick swim at the first suitable swimming hole we found. The sandflies rejoiced, so we carried on, the view improving around each new meander in the river. Ahead loomed the steep and craggy limestone slopes of Isolated Hill. The salt and pepper bedload of the stream consisted solely of blindingly white chalky limestone and a dark black gabbroic rock.

As we continued, the blue-streaked limestone cliffs lining the stream increased in height and closeness and the sun was no more. Rather than take the marked trail we decided to go the direct route up the stream. Deep wades and some rock scrambling brought us to a deep swimming pool. We found a small cave-like slot beneath a house-sized boulder that allowed us to bypass the pool and continue on. Popping through, the terrain eased to more mild scrambling and wading.

A short distance further we reached the narrow opening of Isolation Creek. A short gorge opened up into an amphitheater-like area surrounded by steep cliffs. The amphitheater seemed blind and it was not until we turned a corner that we could see the narrow defile the stream emerges from, the so-called Sawcut Gorge slicing through the blue-gray limestone. Although regrettably short, the slot canyon is one of the more impressive in New Zealand. In places overhead, the slot is much less than a  meter wide. We enjoyed the play of light and echo-y chirp of birds before exploring a bit further up the canyon. Other narrows exist, but none as impressive as Sawcut Gorge. Since we had other places to be (and Sara was getting cold in the dark shadows of the canyon), we then headed back the way we came.

On the way back I volunteered to take the backpacks on the bypass trail so Sara could climb and swim her way back through the short gorge in the main stream. She was still smiling when I rejoined her. Going back seemed much quicker, as it often does with these types of hikes and we reached the car before long. We drove on through Blenheim to the Wakamarina River where we camped in anticipation of the next day's adventures.