Exploring the South Island wilderness in comfort.

What a team, what a trip and what an adventure!!!!!

This is one of our most popular tours and always attracts great people. One of my guests,

who used to be a keen tramper, asked me if I could run the Wilderness Camping trip but

returning to civilisation at the end of the day to have a bit more comfort. “Why not”, I

thought and the trip booked up within a week.

This trip follows exactly the same ground as the Wilderness Camping trip, except that we

have lunch in the Wilderness and return to a hot shower, a real bed and a pub each night.

I’ve run this trip many times, however, this time, I was in for a few “fast balls” which really

added to the trip in many ways………….Here’s our story……

The team

Gordon and Vicky

Peter B and Ann

Peter C and Raewyn

« Big » Ed

Dave

Garry and Janice

Introduction

I had been watching the weather on the run up to the trip, and it was looking good, until a

few days before the start date.

Getting closer to D-Day, there was a forecast for a front to come in and for it to get very

cold. I wasn’t too worried because this was the “Comfort” version of the Wilderness

Camping Trip, and everyone would be tucked up at night in warm accommodation.

Day 1 Harper and Avoca Valleys

This is a trip that I do regularly with Gordon, so he and Vicky decided to skip the first day

and meet us in Tekapo on Day 2.

I brought a great friend of mine, Minchi, along, and we met up with Dave the night before

for a couple of drinks.

At the start of the trip, we met in Sheffield, as planned, and after the mandatory safety

brief, headed off towards Lake Coleridge and the start of the track. We had some great vehicles, a Raptor, two Landrovers and three Jeeps. I realised that this is the first ever trip

that I have run where I’m the only Toyota.

We stopped at the Lake Lyndon turnoff to air down. The corrugations on the gravel road are pretty serious and it gave us all an extra level of comfort.

When we got to the Harper, it was running slightly higher than average, but it was clear and I wasn’t anticipating any problems. We could see that the front was coming in and that the Main Divide was doing its job and keeping the rain on the West Coast.

The first main river crossing gave us our first opportunity for some teamwork. Peter B got

hung up on a boulder and was stuck!!!! Being a Landrover, his front recovery point was way under water and neither of us could reach it. The current was running pretty strong, so we got Ed, who at this point became known as “Big Ed”, to drive into the river and we managed to hook onto his front recovery points with neither Peter nor I getting wet above the knees.

I realised at this point that all my dry clothes were in my tent back in Methven and that if I

had fallen in, I would have been soaked for the rest of the day. An important lesson learned!!!! Always carry a “grab bag” with dry, warm clothes!!!

After that, we got up to the hut for lunch, got out safely and reconvened at the Blue Pub in Methven for a couple of drinks and stories.

Day 2 The Macaulay

The day started with a road move down to Tekapo and we met up in the car park at the

beginning of Lilybank Road. By this stage, the forecast was getting worse and as we

approached the mountains, the Godley Valley was completely rained in and the brown

outwash from Godley and Macaulay Rivers into Lake Tekapo was very pronounced.

When we got to the crossing, I was surprised at how low it was and we cruised across and up the valley to the hut with no difficulty, apart from me losing sight of the “track” a couple of times.

We enjoyed lunch at the hut and then headed back out. As usual, there were some

navigational issues and the track out was not the same as we had used on the way in. Such is riverbed work!!!!!

At this stage, I was really pleased with how we were going as a team. If I’m on my own, I

normally allow an hour and a half to the hut from the crossing, and this is pretty well what

we achieved. Awesome effort everyone!!!!!!

We got back to Tekapo in good time. Minchi and I camped by the side of the Lake and Peter B and Ann joined us for an enjoyable evening.

Day 3 The Hopkins - Change of plans

We set the RDV point the following morning at the airfield in Tekapo. We normally drive the Braemar Road across to Lake Pukaki but the visibility was zero, so we decided to head straight to Lake Ohau, up the side of the lake to the start of the Hopkins Valley track.

Heading into Monument Hut, the track was wet and the there was one place that could

have presented a few problems on the way out. It was going to be fun, but we had

such a competent convoy that I wasn’t worried. We may get a vehicle stuck, but with the kit we had, it would only amount to a bit more “team building”.

In the event, it was very slippery, everyone got through under their own steam, and I think

that a lot of the crew came to realise what their vehicles were capable of.

During the night, snow had fallen to around 1,000 meters and I was thinking quickly on my feet for the alternate plan. I knew that we would be ok up to Monument Hut, but had

serious doubts about crossing the Omarama Saddle and on to Ranfurley. This track is high altitude with massive drop offs and I had everyone’s safety to think about.

We had a regroup in Omarama and set off for the saddle. Only a few kilometres up Broken Hut Road, I could see the saddle. It was covered in snow and in blizzard conditions. I made the call and we headed down through Kurow to Duntroon and through Danseys Pass to Ranfurley. Dave had pushed on ahead and just as we were entering the pass, Dave called to tell me that it was snowing heavily in the pass, despite its lower altitude.

When the rest of us arrived at the highest point, there were plenty of signs of fresh snow

and I think that we had been lucky to make it.

We all got to Ranfurley and had a couple in the pub. Most of the team then headed to

Waipiata for dinner, but I was shattered and anticipating the following day and alternative

options.

We had planned to spend the day exploring the Oteake, but with the low snow level, I knew that this wasn’t going to be possible. I spent the evening working on an alternative………

Day 4 The Old Dunstan Road & Serpentine Church

Some of the most important attributes that a guide needs to have are local knowledge, an awareness of the weather and ultimately a dedication to client safety.

It had become clear that the Oteake was just not going to be a responsible choice to make, so I decided that we would drive the Old Dunstan Road and head down to the Serpentine Church.

This involved an hour on the tarmac before we could start the track, but I knew that there

was nothing that we could fall off and that it’s an iconic NZ Goldfields track. I think that

everyone understood the change of plan and we still had a cracking day!!!!

The Old Dunstan road was “State Highway 1 in the 1850s”, linking the port of Dunedin to

Dunstan, now known as Clyde, in the centre of the Central Otago Goldfields. Halfway

through the track is the turn off to the old Serpentine Township, the only remaining relic of which is the church, the highest in New Zealand.

We ended the day in Omakau and spent the evening in the Chatto Creek pub. It was pub

quiz night and very busy, but still enough room for everyone.

Day 5 The Old Man Range - Change of plans, again……

I had been watching the Old Man Range for the previous few days and had been watching the snow gently melt away. When we met in Fruitlands that following morning, I was confident that we would be able to make our way to the Obelisk and over the Old Woman Range and Bannackburn.

Luck, however, was not on my side and, a few hundred metres from the final gate, I could

go no further. “Big Ed” dropped in front of with me and with the aid of about four snatch

straps, managed to pull me up. Everyone managed to get through and shortly, we had the vehicles lined up in front of the Obelisk for the mandatory photo.

Things were looking up, but not for long……………Back at the top gate, I turned right towards

Hyde Rock and as soon as I touched the white stuff, I was bogged again!!!! Once again, “Big Ed” came around, but this time, he got stuck as well. Things quite clearly weren’t going to plan!!!!!

We got Dave in behind me and, with the three vehicles linked together, we managed to get unstuck.

It was a beautiful day, so we decide to retreat to the Bannockburn Pub beer garden, which wasn’t such a bad option….

Day 6 The Nevis Valley

For the first time in three days, things seemed to be working to plan. We met up in

Bannockburn and headed through the valley without a hitch.

The Nevis Valley is isolated, remote and full of history. We stopped at the cemetery, read all about the incredible history of the tough people who made their lives in the valley and then, after stopping at the Garston Ski Hut, headed out and up to Arrowtown for the last night of the trip.

A few of us met at the “Fork and Tap” before hitting the hay for the final day.

Day 7 Macetown

The last day of every trip is a “bittersweet” moment. We had all had so much fun, but with

what the weather had thrown at us, I was exhausted. The weather on the final day was fine, the river was low and crystal clear.

The trip in and out was uneventful and it gave me time reflect on what had been a fantastic week with fantastic people. As usual, I had returning guests but also had met some awesome new people. I’m a people person and my “job” is all about sharing my knowledge with other people. This week’s team were totally amazing and made it so much fun for everyone.

Despite the curved balls that the weather threw at us, we made it through, experienced

great moments together, explored a lot and made new friends.

Thank you all!!!!!!!

If you would like to become part of the team, contact us at:

www.4x4exploreradventures.co.nz

You don’t need any 4WD experience to come away with us and we will help you with

everything that you need.

This Winter, we’re heading back to Europe and running trips through the French and Italian Alps. Next year, we will be running these and adding the Pyrenees as well.

We send out monthly newsletters to keep our community informed of what we’re doing, sign up here: https://www.4x4exploreradventures.co.nz/community

Hope to see you out there on the tracks!!!!!!