tramping new zealand

Dense clouds about 400 m above the valley floor in the morning, but I was hopeful it would completely clear like yesterday. Maybe today is the day I finally get to Carneys.

It’s about an hour up to where the creek comes out of the valley, then maybe another two up to the twin bivvies.

On my first trip in here, I missed going up there because the effort of getting to the nearby Murphys Hut dissipated my enthusiasm. Then, last Christmas, actually Boxing Day, the boulders rolling down the creek indicated to me that it was not the day either.

Today, the Havelock River, which I’m going up, is down, and the tributaries I crossed suggested more chance for success this time around. To be honest, I really didn’t want to do that walk from the Bush Stream carpark to Growler for a fourth time, or an eighth time if you count the return journey.

My iPhone clocked almost 33k steps and almost 22 km, so it was quite a big day despite the scarcity of food in my pack.

As it turned out, the cloud did burn off early, unlike me. At least I was away before 9 am. A late lunch at the two Carneys Bivvies, and I was back at 5 30 pm.

The first section to the base of Carneys Creek is on a four-wheel-drive track, so it is easy to follow.

The first half up the creek is on gravel, with a little boulder-hopping. There’s a gorge to get through with easy enough car and house-sized boulders to negotiate, but it’s not really enough to slow you down.

The evidence that gravity has done its thing tends to focus the mind on forward momentum, both up and back.

The river is relatively steep, but not as steep as Murphys Stream. I was certainly glad I wasn’t lugging my pack up.

To be honest, on the way back, the last hour was a drag, just plugging away down the massive Havelock Valley on the well rutted four-wheel-drive track.

At one point, I collapsed into the tussock and discovered I’d spent half an hour in repose.

It felt good to get back to Growler, where once again I was on my lonesome.