tramping new zealand

I knew today would be a big day.

Not so much the 340 m climb from the Hurunui River to Roche Pass, 1126 m, or the long way down the Cox River. I’d heard there was a trapping track, and I would just have to find the start.

And the Cox River look big, and the valley broad with plenty of gravel to exercise my feet.

The tough bit would be Ellis Stream. Maybe there’d be an old New Zealand Forest Service track.

There wasn’t.

As it turned out, the start of the Roche Pass track was obvious. A large orange DOC marker on the riverbanks on a big white backing board that I saw from about 1 km away. The trapping line was well-used and marked with standard orange triangular markers.

Easy to follow.

I emerged from the forest onto the pass, which was broad and open tussock.

From there?

I could see where I would’ve put the track and crossed the open tussock. Two giant rifts in the landscape were hard to negotiate, but eventually, I got back into some forest.

No track. Not even deer tracks. That was not a good sign.

I decided to retreat, this time climbing above the rift for easier passage.

Bravo!

From the high point, I made out a large DOC marker and a decent track. Maybe Ellis Stream would be circumvented.

But the track led steeply down to the stream. And stopped.

Nope.

I just had to bash down the stream, as previously guessed. It wasn’t so bad, despite some gorgeous bits. Or maybe it was. At least I had a route to follow, mostly rock hopping.

Towards the bottom was another marker with a decent ground trail that I climbed, over the final gorge section.

It didn’t, just climbing up 50 m and immediately down for no apparent reason.

In the end, the gorge was easy.

I had no need to worry about wet feet as they’ve been wet for hours.

The problem was the Cox River, which was also still in a gorge and I got my undies rinsed before I popped out onto the flat, wide valley.

From there, it was just easy gravel walking with some sections of grass, but it just went on and on for 19 or more kilometres, right at the point where I was feeling the day’s efforts.

Eventually, I hit some side-by-side tracks, then the four-wheel-drive track that led to the most compact four bunk hut I’ve stayed in.

No mice, but plenty of sand flies.

Did I care?

My GPS stated I walked 27 km over almost 12 hours, albeit with plenty of stops to admire the splendid views.

After scoffing my dinner, I went straight to my slightly too-short bunk for immediate sleep.