Trotters Gorge May 15-16

I had plenty to do this weekend which kept me from straying too far, but I still managed to get away for a quick trip to Trotters Gorge, a conglomerate-cliffed valley about 45 minutes north of Dunedin. On the way we checked out a few erosional alcoves I hoped were more extensive caves. Alas, the entrances were all wider than they were deep. We spent the night at the University of Otago's Trotters Gorge Hut on a clearing in the middle of the valley. Although the scenery is marred by gorse, pine and eucalyptus stands and the region is not overly extensive, it is still a nice place with a landscape very different to anything else around. The hut is rustic to say the least, but was much enjoyed once the fire was set to rage.

Cascade Saddle May 8-9

I spent a nice weekend hiking up the West Matukituki Valley to do a classic tramp to Cascade Saddle, a trip I have wanted to do for ages. The trip made for a long weekend with the short days, but was still manageable. Apart from marshy paddock lands, with a little care the whole trip could be done with dry boots, which I thought was quite gentlemanly. The route is a couple hours walk up the river flats of the Matukituki valley before turning to steeply ascend the side of the glacial valley, occasionally clinging to tree roots and then tussock. Eventually bushline is reached which is really just over halfway in terms of elevation. This route climbs 1400m vertically in less than 3km to panoramic views over valley, saddle, glacier and mountain. Getting to the saddle then requires crossing an interesting glacial hanging valley and beautiful hummocky glacial topography dented with frozen tarns. En route we followed a stream to where it leaps hundreds of meters off the cliff and found an amazing hanging ledge with cliffs all around and spectacular views. Just before dusk we reached the saddle and found a great campsite sheltered from the wind only about 10m from the edge of the cliff with a convenient half-frozen tarn nearby. It was a beautifully sunny weekend, but weather ill-suited for photography.


Cascade Saddle, Dart Glacier & Mt. Aspiring
















Probably one of the most unusual views of Mt. Aspiring

The Catlins May 2

I awoke at the tender hour of 4 and set off in the moonlight for Nugget Point in the Catlins, the stretch of mostly uninhabited coast south of Dunedin, where I hoped to catch the sunrise. Leaving for a trip early in the morning is something I sorely miss from my childhood and something that I rarely get to do because so few of the trips are by myself (or with willing participants) these days. Apparently only duck hunters are awake this early on a Sunday as I confused and disappointed the officer who pulled me over. Sunrise could have been more spectacular if certain clouds were in certain other places, but it was still worth getting up for. I then stopped at Barr Falls (lame) and Purakaunui Falls, one of New Zealand's more famous waterfalls, before heading onto Cathedral Caves just past low tide. My time was limited by the tides so I rushed to survey the cave in a little more than an hour. Its length turned out to be quite respectable and it is one of the 20 longest sea caves in the world. I still need to fix up the sketch and maybe do some cross sections next time I am down that way. I then went on to McLean Falls where I was delighted to find not just one, but several, picturesque falls. The creek was flowing high from the recent rains which gave the falls a slight tinge of sediment and plant tannins. Although probably already too cold this season, the creek could make a worthwhile canyoning trip in the summer.


Nugget Point


Purakaunui Falls


Cathedral Caves




McLean Falls

Otehake Hot Springs April 8-9

The original plan was to hike into the Otehake River valley to camp adjacent to the Otehake hot springs. Unfortunately time got away from us and we set off in the dark. Navigational vagaries in the dark night had us going almost in circles before we finally found the right trail...and the right valley. We ended up camping well short of our goal and set off the next day with light packs for the hot spring. The hike was nicer than expected and really quite variable- we passed through pleasant forest and past a beautiful lake. We then went up the short Otehake gorge which required several waist deep crossings (enjoyable in the warm weather) and then crossed river flats to reach the hot springs. Wiffs of sulfur on the way attest to the presence of other hot springs. Awaiting us were three pools between large river boulders in an abandoned stream channel. The pools were warm enough to require some engineering and acclimatization. We had a pleasant soak in this nice spot and were reluctant to leave in the end. I scored a wasp sting on the hike out that generated a surprising dose of pain.


Lake Kaurapataka

Franz Josef Glacier April 7-8

We set off under a covered sky, past the hordes in their tourist best, as we strode gallantly by with our ice axes, crampons and laden packs. I couldn't help but sample the reactions, which ranged from curiosity to jealousy to painful self-realization. We hiked up the moraine, strapped on our crampons and off we went up the glacier. The glacier guides' trail was very convenient and made travel on the lower glacier rather straightforward. Occasionally we would run into the caterpillar trains of touristas and wait for them to pass. We passed the Defiance Icefall and easily found a convenient place to get off the glacier and stash our ice gear for the return. A 600m vertical climb up a scree slope opposite a 300m high waterfall found us at the Castle Rocks Hut, our humble, but grandiose, home for the night. This bright red hut sits on the edge of a precipice with commanding views of the upper snowfields and peaks of the Franz Josef Glacier, the Fritz Range and Unser Fritz Falls. The clouds lifted just in time for a glorious sunset and the million dollar view. I snapped photos furiously as I admired water in liquid, solid and vapor form and struggled to take in the panoramic view.

The next day we had a leisurely breakfast before heading back down to the glacier to explore the Pinnacle Icefall. By now I had become so accustomed to the regular drone of helicopters that I could effectively tune them out. We explored crevices and caves and enjoyed their deep blue glow.

I am no glaciologist but I couldn't help but think of the Franz Josef Glacier as a sick and dying entity. From the accounts I heard the glacier has lost significant thickness and even has a big hole in it that has grown over the last twenty years. The lack of deep crevices, abundance of surface water and soft surface of the glacier in many places also did not seem to bode well.

Thanks to Lara.






Castle Rocks Hut, Franz Josef Glacier & Unser Fritz Falls

Paturau April 2-5

To borrow from Steinbeck: Paturau on the South Island of New Zealand is a texture, a memory, a quality of light, a color of water, a cup of tea, a good friend, a jewel, a feeling.

At the end of a long dirt road on a forgotten coast, over causeways across a shallow inlet and through dense rainforest is a place very special to me. It is a place of sculpted limestone and nikau palms. Of caves and sunsets. A place for relaxation and inspiration.

It is here in the idyllic paddock by the sea that Kiwi cavers and their families flock from all over to spend Easter together as one family. Activities are nearly endless in this paradise: caving, climbing, kayaking, surfing, mountain biking, tramping, fishing, slacklining, even water sliding. I spent a half day prospecting with a friend and found a dozen small, but virgin, caves complete with moa bones. I had a great time catching up with good friends and enjoyed a roaring campfire. I visited at least one cave a day and caught two spectacular sunsets. I confirmed something I long suspected: strawberries and sunsets go very well together.

The beach is an exercise in subtlety. It is not overly gaudy, but each detail down to the patterns in the sand, sinuous curves of wave-sculpted rocks and beautiful textures is a masterpiece. Each year I visit I find the beach a little different. Art that doesn't age but is in constant flux.

At the end of our restful weekend we drove on to Wharariki Beach and later on to Ford Creek on the West Coast.

Rainbow Road April 1-2

I have been curious about the Rainbow Road for some time now and decided that it would be the perfect way to break up the long drive to Paturau. Fortuitously, this was the last weekend of the year the road would be open before it closed for 9 months. The Rainbow Road is a 112km long high clearance 4WD gravel road connecting Hamner Springs to St Arnaud via the large and remote Rainbow and Molesworth Stations. The road has many unbridged stream crossings and occasional washouts, both requiring delicate maneuvering in my modestly-clearanced car. The road traverses the Clarence and Upper Wairau River valleys and gains a windswept height of 1347m at the Island Saddle. Spectacular views of the tussocky high country and melting greywacke mountains of scree are only marred slightly by the ever-present power pylons. Despite the constant evidence of man's ambition (roads, bridges, fences, power lines), there is a quiet loneliness to the road that is effective in resonating its isolation. Even for a holiday weekend, we passed very few people. I enjoyed a cozy night by the stove in the 4-bunk Island Gully Hut. The longdrop had a particularly nice view. The following day we continued north where several washouts and streams had me wondering whether my car would make it through. I took my time when an obstacle presented itself and heard surprisingly few scratching noises from the bottom of my car. The Keen Machine faired well and we continued on our way to Golden Bay and Paturau.


The lonely boulder


Melting mountains of scree