Adventure #236

John making his way off the last ridge on the way to Arrow River Valley and Macetown
Fresh faced Steve and John in the forest on day 1
"Motatapu is
to quote, “an
extraordinary gift
to the nation”.
Unashamedly and
unapologetically
demanding,"
Shane feeling the heat on the way to Jacks Saddle
the traverse between Highland and
Roses hut. We must have endured
more stabbings from these unwelcome
native shrubs on that stretch than
the English in 1588. Matagouri are
flourishing alongside and in some
cases, on, the challenging segment
between Roses saddle and Macetown,
ready to snag any uncovered skin,
coats and packs.
All this was anticipated. The trail could
do with some TLC in places. There were
plenty of fallen trees to negotiate in the
few forested areas and a fair bit of bushbashing
around some eroded sections.
We all felt sympathy for the Te Araroa
folk who get to face these obstacles
with their heavier packs, often in poor
weather conditions, making for several
successive days of tough tramping.
Don’t plan to wimp out of the last
day from Roses hut or overcome
the logistical issues by crossing the
private station back to the Glendu Bay
car park. There is very clear signage
explaining that if you dare to cross into
the Station, you will be retracing your
steps back to the trail.
Weather forecasts for mountainous
regions are understandably unreliable,
but the general gist of the forecast
during our stay was for snow to 1600
metres, the height of Gillespie Pass
on our second day (in late-November),
which turned out to be accurate.
The long-range forecast was for
deteriorating conditions and the snow
level lowering to 1100 metres, which
also turned out to be accurate. The
blessing of heading east of the divide
was most of the foul weather only
reached us after nightfall, except for
the last day when we spent many hours
trudging in cold rain.
the final 10km stretch from Roses hut
with its 500 metres of climb over the
saddle and down again to Macetown,
followed by 15km of four-wheel track
across and alongside the river.
This turned out to be a very wise
decision. The stormy weather that had
dumped snow on Gillespie pass had
finally made its way off the mountain
range to unleash on us by the time we
reached Macetown. I believe a few
friendships would have been written
off had we pitched tents in the misty
rain, and then endured a night camping
out on sodden ground exposed to the
wind as it raged down the narrow Arrow
River valley. The historic significance
of this settlement will have to wait until
another visit.
Our feet were numb with cold before
we had even managed less than 10
of the 23 river crossings between
Macetown and Arrowtown, with the river
rising each time we stepped into the
fast-flowing waters. Luckily for us we
reached the mountain bike track and its
bridges at that stage which saved us a
night camping out.
Arrowtown - what a wonderful place
to finish a trail. With the benefit
of hindsight this is a great spot to
celebrate and spend the night. The
logistical arrangements were already
difficult enough, so the option of an
overnight stop in Arrowtown never got
to be discussed anyway.
Motatapu is to quote, “an extraordinary
gift to the nation”. Unashamedly and
unapologetically demanding, it provided
us with a very different experience
to the nearby sub-alpine and higher
journeys, and one we will all reminisce
about for some time to come.
All-inclusive
package from
$440 per person
(twin share)
Package includes:
• Track transfers
• Coffee and cake on arrival at
On the Track Lodge
• 2 nights in comfortable chalet
accommodation*
• All meals (Day 1 dinner & dessert,
Day 2 breakfast, packed lunch & dinner
& dessert, Day 3 breakfast & packed
lunch). Vegetarian/vegan/gluten free
meals available)
• Use of On the Track Lodge kayaks
and all other amenities, including a
hot-tub.
*Upgrade to stay in the newly
renovated vintage train carriages
(with private bathroom).
Discover the hidden wonders of the Nydia Track, it is not as well known or
busy as the Queen Charlotte Track but just as beautiful.
The track takes you through coastal forest (rimu, nikau and beech) with
superb views and is suitable for people with a reasonable level of fitness,
boots are recommended and some of the streams are not bridged.
• Start from Havelock and take a shuttle to historic Kaiuma Bay, (4-5 hours).
• Dine then stay at On the Track Lodge in a comfortable chalet
or train carriage accommodation.
• Spend the next day relaxing at the lodge, kayaking or taking some shorter walks.
• The next day complete the rest of the tramp (carrying your freshly
prepared packed lunch) to Duncan Bay in time for another shuttle ride back to Havelock.
On The Track Lodge
Nydia Track, Marlborough Sounds
+643 579 8411 | stay@onthetracklodge.nz
www.onthetracklodge.nz
The steep and narrow descent
Fortuitously we had planned to avoid
spending a third night camping at
Macetown. We had chosen to complete
I choose to use Jetboil, Macpac,
Backcountry Cuisine and Keen.