tramping new zealand

When I left Hanmer, I wasn’t thinking I’d end up at Tarn Hut, but there you go. Lying in my sleeping bag, listening to frogs at the tarn, and realising that at 1270 m elevation, it wa gonna be a cool night.

I stopped for a late breakfast in Rangiora, then headed to Oxford and on to the Lees Valley. It takes a bit of getting into the roadside carpark with the wiggly-woggly dirt road, much of which is single-lane. Fortunately, I met the speeding four-wheel drives at propitious moments.

1 pm by the time I had my pack on my back and was striding up the four-wheel-drive track, which ended up going all the way to the hut. Some flat farmland to start, but eventually, I made it to a fork in the track.

I was at 550 m and had the options of three hours to Youngman Stream Hut, sidling alongside the stream until a 250 m climb and descent on a standard DOC track to the six-bunk hut, or continue on a four-wheel-drive track up a 700 m climb for two hours to Tarn Hut.

Seems unlikely, but I chose the additional vertical exercise for some reason. Fortunately, my hill-climbing mode was operational, but I confess it took 50% longer than DOC indicated.

Too much time “looking at the view”.

No surprise that I was once again on my lonesome on a Monday night.

On the other hand, being so close to Christchurch and a relatively short walk, it is often well populated throughout the year, particularly at weekends.

I’d done quite a few 700 m climbs this summer, so this one didn’t faze me.

It didn’t take too long to cook and eat my dinner, then quickly slide into my sleeping bag.

It was quite cool, once the sun went down.