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| Mountains! |
Having successfully weathered the storm and two day delay in Wellington, I arrive as planned in Queenstown. The flight to South Island kept me glued to the window since I was seeing the so-called "Southern Alps" for the first time. The seemingly endless mountain ranges were a siren song to me - I was ready to return to the wilderness.
Queenstown is a resort town in the Otago region, widely considered to be a major hub for many recreational activities found in the area. I would spend one night here before traveling north to Makarora, and would return once my adventure in Mt. Aspiring National Park was completed.
Getting Around
Before I launch into my next backpack, I want elaborate on navigating both North and South Islands without a car. When planning this month long journey, a key component was getting from Point A to Point B. Many visitors to New Zealand elect to hire a car, or in some cases a "caravan" (self contained camper). I considered the option, but several factors dissuaded me from choosing this route.
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| Going the Wong Way |
Finally there is the fact that roads here are generally narrow and winding, with drivers using the left lane. I am sure I could have made the adjustment, but being distracted by unfamiliar customs, terrain, and signage were issues I did not want to deal with.
Instead I discovered a practical and robust intranational transit system called Intercity. The system has an option called Flexipass, which allows for selecting blocks of time. Each trip is allotted a specific duration that is deducted from the amount purchased, and time can be added if plans change. I found the process easy - using the website or mobile app I was able to link all of my destinations together, and modify trips as needed.
Intercity uses large modern coaches which are very comfortable. Not having to drive or be concerned about how to get where I was going made the experience much more relaxing, and I was able to spend my time enjoying the view from expansive windows, reading, napping, or whatever. And many of the coach drivers were excellent (and sometimes quite funny) guides, sharing lots of history and other interesting information.
The Next Adventure
South Island is a different place altogether from North Island. The landscape is significantly more mountainous, with multiple ranges stacked up along the southern and western coasts. This is because South Island straddles a tectonic boundary between the Pacific and Australian plates. Called the Alpine Fault, the subduction of the diving Australian plate forces land on the Pacific edge to rise, elevating and crumpling the terrain.
The abundance of peaks and high altitude environments are what led me to choose 3 of the 4 trekking routes on South Island. I selected Gillespie Pass Circuit as one of the hikes because I could do the entire loop in 4 days, and there was an elective day hike I could attempt along the way. And it sounded cool because I had to take a jetboat on the Wilkins River to reach the starting point.
Jetboating is a uniquely New Zealand experience - in fact the modern jetboat was invented here. Many rivers in the lower valleys and plains are shallow, braided affairs, non-conducive to traditional outboard motors. In 1950 an inventive fellow named Bill Hamilton needed a practical means of navigating rivers on the sheep station he was working on. He learned of an American made model which he tried, but found still ineffective for his purpose.
Jet boats work by drawing water in and then using a nozzle at the rear of the craft to expel it. He experimented with different configurations before coming up with the current design. They have since evolved from an efficient way of travel into a booming tourist business. Today thousands of visitors take trips up and down waterways at high rates of speed, skimming along in shallow water and executing hairpin turns in tight spaces.
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| Tuck - Mayor of Makarora |
After a quick night in Queenstown I boarded a coach for the 3 hour drive to Makarora. It would be a mischaracterization to refer to Makarora as a town, but it does offer an airstrip, lodging, a couple of restaurants, and a petrol station.
Once I arrived, I checked in to the office of Wilkins River Jets. Other than providing people with exhilarating jetboat rides on the river, they offer scenic plane and helicopter flights over Mt. Aspiring National Park, as well as providing backcountry access to people like me.
I was the only passenger on the afternoon boat, which made sense as most people would have taken the morning ride to get an earlier start. It really didn't matter to me since I was only hiking about 8 miles, and as it was summer there was plenty of daylight with enough time to get to the first hut.
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| Wilkins River |
I did not take any pictures on the jetboat ride. This was because once you get moving the driver of the boat is obligated* to show you a good time - this basically means slaloming across the river from side to side and taking the most aggressive line possible at a very high rate of speed. Out of necessity I was holding on to the grab bar and thoroughly enjoying the experience.
*I have to admit - this guy has one of the most fun jobs I could ever imagine
Now We Walk
The jetboat delivered me several miles upstream to the start of the track. When we arrived there was a sizable group of people waiting on the bank for a ride back to Makarora. I gathered my things and with a big grin said thanks to the boat driver. Within a few hundred yards I was alone and immersed in the peacefulness of the valley.
In a matter of minutes the track swung away from the river and onto the forested shoulder of the mountain - I was back in the bush.
Unlike my first hike in Tongariro, this track had me following a river valley for much of the duration, eventually climbing up and over Gillespie Pass into the next valley over. But the pass was for another day - today my destination is Siberia Hut.
The hiking path was in reasonably good shape, and more like what I am accustomed to. There were no boardwalks or staircases, just good old fashioned trail tread, roots, and rocks. The canopy was dense in places but frequently opened up enough to see peaks rising around me. As the mountains are fairly young in terms of geological age, they rise steeply from the valley floor.
Most of the lower elevations are primarily a boreal rainforest, with lots of trees, ferns, and mosses. The alpine environment is limited to the highest altitudes, which is low relative to where I usually hike. At home alpine landscapes are typically found above 11,000 feet, while here the southerly latitude allows for much lower presentation, around 7000 feet.
The close proximity to Antarctica and the abundance of high summits lead to frequent winter snow storms, providing meltwater in the warmer months to numerous creeks and streams. I could see and hear multiple waterfalls cascading down precipitous slopes, eventually reaching the river below.
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| Copious water |
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| Late summer snow |
The weather was fine, mostly cloudy but rain free. The highest mountains played hide and seek with the occasional squall, and I could see snowfields draping the loftier peaks. I rock hopped across many smaller streams, and my desert sensibilities were reassured to see abundant water should I need to refill my bottle.
I was doing the trek in the opposite direction of what the majority of hikers choose, and it appeared that the only other people out here had been the group on the riverbank where I was dropped off. There was no one else on the trail. Although there wasn't significant elevation gain, there was somewhat of an uphill component. In sections the track became rougher with larger rocks and plenty of tree roots - a harbinger of what was to come.
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| Gets kind of rocky in spots |
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| Trees grow on boulders here |
If you look closely at the picture above, you'll see something on the lower right that I found everywhere I went in New Zealand - a trap. Placed by the DOC, these snares are one way to address a pervasive problem in the country.
New Zealand is an island, and has been isolated from a continental connection for millions of years. As a result native fauna evolved without natural land predators. This exemplified itself in a proliferation of avian species, especially flightless birds. When European settlers arrived, they intentionally and unintentionally introduced a variety of mammals that found the local wildlife easy prey.
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| Thousands of traps in the backcountry |
Essentially rats, weasels, stoats, ferrets, and other carnivorous creatures have decimated the bird population, and large scale efforts have been underway for years to eliminate these invasive animals. This is a contentious issue in part because DOC also uses poisoned baits, which some people find objectionable. Personally I think New Zealand is right to protect their biodiversity, and I support the effort to defend native populations.
One of many things I enjoy about being outdoors in summer months is the beauty of wildflowers. I am familiar with many North American varieties, especially those found in the western part of the country. But we're not in Kansas anymore, are we? I found these southern hemisphere beauties along the way. Despite consulting a reference book listing the most common species in New Zealand I was unable to identify them.
After several hours of enjoyable walking in solitude, I sighted the valley where I would find Siberia Hut. Local lore has it that the area received the name when an early explorer struggled so much with the terrain they decided it was as unpleasant as Siberia. I haven't been to Siberia so I can't comment on any similarity. Didn't seem that bad to me.
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Siberia Valley   |
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| Home Sweet Home.... For a Bit |
As I reach the end point of the day's hike, the warden greets me from the deck of the hut, and I gladly remove my pack. It's tradition for trekkers to leave hiking shoes outside, as trail conditions can often be quite muddy. This helps keep things inside more tidy, and I'm more than willing to give my hot and tired feet some fresh air. Having camp shoes/sandals is a very good idea for this purpose.
Another hut custom is signing in and showing the warden (if there is one) your "ticket" proving you have reserved space for the night. There is a log book for recording your visit and ongoing intentions, which is useful to Search and Rescue if someone goes missing. Once formalities are observed, you pick a bunk in the dormitory and make yourself at home.
I'll be here for two nights before continuing on. One of my goals for this trek is to complete a day hike to Crucible Lake. The warden tells me the weather has been wetter than usual and there are unbridged river crossings that could be impacted if rain is in the forecast. She'll have an updated weather report early the next morning, and I should know then if it's wise to attempt it.
I've already had to jump through a few hoops because of Mother Nature, so I figure I'll deal with it as it comes. Lo que será, será - whatever will be, will be.
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