WEST SIDE STORY

On the shortest and coldest day of the year, it seems like a timely opportunity to look back at a great multi-day biking adventure from the summer – on the longest and hottest day of the year….

A perk of my job is the opportunity to meet great people and on occasion to explore some fantastic places. So, when the opportunity to organise a multi-day mountain bike adventure in the back-country for a photo-shoot to support a media campaign, I jumped at the chance to both coordinate and join the trip.

Working with photographer Jay French from Freeride NZ, we concocted a plan to access a remote corner of Lake Wanaka by boat and then spend 2-days riding back to Wanaka on a variety of trails ranging from 4WD farm tracks, single track and, well, pretty much no track at all! We also planned to overnight at a backcountry hut on West Wanaka Station (by kind permission from the landowner), with a gear drop & support provided by 4WD courtesy of my mate Mark from Ridgeline Adventures.

To round off the plan, Jay had lined up four of NZ’s leading mountain bikers to join us for the weekend as talent for the photo-shoot; Alanna Columb, Phoebe Coers, Elmo Cotter and Conor Macfarlane.

Here’s a behind the scenes look at how it happened, but to see the professional photographs, check out Jay’s story and shots here on Eskapee.

EARLY BIRDS. 0530 hours at the Wanaka Marina to load the bikes on to the boat.

ANTICIPATION. Bikes loaded onto the water taxi and ready to roll….well, now the sun is up anyway!

REFLECTION PERFECTION. A spectacular morning to be on the lake.

BEACHED AS. 0630 at Minaret Burn beach, West Wanaka.

CONVOY. The track starts to climb steadily upwards from the lake.

PERCHED. Jay finding some elevated angles.

BUSH BASHING. Still heading upwards, but a machete might have been useful. But on the upside, Jay seems to be enjoying himself!

MILES OF SMILES. Clear of the dense bush, Alanna enjoying the remote mountain track.

AIRBORNE. Masters of their craft. Conor hits the mark, and Jay nails the shot.

PAUSE. Taking a moment to just take it all in.

THIS COULD BE TROUBLE….. Finding that we’re not alone at Minaret Burn Hut. Will our tents still be standing in the morning?

WHEELIE FUN. Conor and Elmo perform for the camera.

SUMMER VIBES. The ride up was worth the view but the downhill and swim in the lake was priceless.

DOWNHILL. Being drawn down to the water on a hot summer’s day.

FLICK. Lakeside cool down.

UH-OH…. Phoebe & Conor convert Jay’s bike to a single speed following a blown derailleur.

HANDY. Conor proves to be a handy man to have on a multi-day bike trip!

WRAP. Reviewing the days work at Minaret Burn Hut.

BLACK CLOUDS OVER BURKE. Storm clouds loom over Mt Burke.

MOUNTAIN MOODS. A storm front rolls over the lake.

PUSH. The boys prepare to perform for the camera again.

GOLDEN HOUR. Moody light makes for great photography…. “just do that once more please team”!

SUNRISE. A magical start to the day as the sun rises over Lake Wanaka and Mou Waho Island.

HUT LIFE. Minaret Burn Hut – a little slice of backcountry heaven.

RUSTIC. A night in the backcountry often means sharing with some wild, hairy, and 8-legged locals!

DUST DEVILS. Day 2 downhill.

“ONCE MORE PLEASE”! Our patient modelling talent push up for one more photo call….

FOLLOW MY LEADER. Finding fun lines on the Minaret Burn Track.

COOL CROSSINGS. Wading across the chill waters of the Rumbling Burn.

COOLER CROSSINGS. Elmo blasts through another creek crossing… this time with his shoes on!

ROLLIN ON A RIVER. Well, more of a small creek than a river…. Fun times in the Wanaka high country.

IN THE CAN. Checking out the results of the morning’s work.

LAKESIDE. A blistering hot ride back along the Glendhu Bay Track to Wanaka.

HOME STRETCH. A hot and hilly final push towards a cold beer!

PHEW WHAT A SCORCHER! Hot, dusty and sweaty…. exactly as things should be after 2-days of great riding!

A SIGHT FOR SORE EYES…. and tired legs…. and dehydrated bodies…

BEER O’CLOCK! Rehydrating after a hot day in the saddle at Rhyme & Reason Brewery.

With thanks to Jay from Freeride NZ for the photography tips, Mark from Ridgeline Adventures for the 4WD logistics support (i.e. cold beers), and Alanna for the introduction to “Cards Against Humanity”…. we’ll never be the same again! 

A SPIN AROUND THE BLOCK

A misty, moody day for a scenic flight over the Southern Alps from Wanaka across to Milford Sound and back with Southern Alps Air. Best left to the photos to do the talking….

SYMMETRY. Roys Peninsula, Mou Tapu and Mou Waho Island on Lake Wanaka.

PADDOCK BAY. View across Paddock Bay and Glendhu Bay towards a cloud-obscured Matukituki Valley.

BACKSIDE. Looking up Blue Creek towards Treble Cone ski area on the right.

BRAIDS #1. The braided channels of the Dart River near Glenorchy.

BRAIDS #2. The glacial blue channels of the Dart River.

ISENGARD. They still haven’t taken down the set for Lord of the Rings…. Mt Alfred near Glenorchy, the film location for Isengard.

RAINBOW VALLEY. Mother Nature with a sprinkling of geology creating a little bit of alpine magic.

RETREATING. A particularly hot summer has seen a distinct retreat in the glaciers of the Southern Alps, which is pretty evident looking here at the Park Pass Glacier.

CIRQUE. Lake Erskine (1,378m) and Bowmar Falls, a classic example of a glacial cirque.

LONE TARN. A tarn high in the Fiordland mountains with smooth, glacier-polished rock faces above.

TWIN TARNS. Emerald alpine tarns (although one is more likely a cirque) hight in the mountains of Fiordland National Park.

RIDGELINE. Rugged, glacier carved ridges in Fiordland.

THE LION. An icon of Milford Sound, Fiordland.

MIDDLE EARTH. Looking out for Orcs over Surprise Pass, Fiordland National Park.

HIGHWAY. The Milford Road (SH94) meanders along the shoreline of Lake Gunn and Lake Fergus.

VALLEY VIEW. Looking South down the Neale Burn towards Lake Te Anau and the start of the Milford Track.

GY. Mount Alfred flanked by the Dart and Rees Rivers feeding into Lake Wakatipu, Glenorchy.

MISTY MOUNTAINS. The Humboldt Range with Lake Wakatipu just visible to the left of the frame.

PISA RANGE. Looking across the Harris Mountains to the Pisa Range beyond.

 

WOW! Warbirds Over Wanaka 2018

There is something about the roar of a Rolls Royce Merlin engine that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand to attention….

The biannual Warbirds Over Wanaka Air Show is the biggest event of it’s kind in the southern hemisphere and is heralded days in advance by WWII fighters and modern jets flying low across the Wanaka landscape. These warbirds somehow bring out the innermost kid in the locals, with curtains twitching and back doors being flung open across town to catch a glimpse of the iconic aircraft anytime the distinctive rasp of an engine or roar of a turbine is heard…. And that’s just the warm up before the main event!

The actual Warbirds show is a treat for all the senses. Here’s a taste of the 2018 instalment….

AFTER-BURN. The F16 Fighting Falcon coming in hot to launch the show in style!

LOOPY. The Harvard Display Team blowing smoke.

SKY ART. The Harvards decorate the sky.

SPLIT! The Harvards running through their paces.

A PHOENIX OF FLARES. The RNZAF Hercules releases it’s anti heat-seeking missile flares.

SMOKE N’ THUNDER. The Yak Display Team roar into action

YAK ATTACK. A credit card would barely separate the wing tips! The Yak 52 Aerobatic Display Team.

SMOKIN’ SPIRALS. The insane aerobatics of Jurgis Kairys.

SOLAR ECLIPSE. The huge United States Air Force C-17 Globemaster blocks out the sun!

IN SYNC. Precision flying by the RNZAF Black Falcons.

BREAK AWAY. A signature manoeuvre by the RNZAF Black Falcons.

THE FINAL SOLUTION. Taking care of illegal freedom camping….

MILLION DOLLAR MOTOR. Proving you don’t need wings to fly… the Aston Martin Vulcan rips down the runway… all $4.2 million worth!

BIG BOYS TOYS. Incredible model aircraft display.

STAR TURN. The F16 lights up the afternoon skies over Wanaka.

TROJAN. More at home landing on an aircraft carrier than a grass strip in the mountains…

HEAVY METAL. The Supermarine Spitfire and Avro Anson roar across the aerodrome.

TAIL CHASE. A Spitfire is pursued by the Messerschmitt 109 across the blue Wanaka skies.

BOOM! Scramble, scramble, scramble…. the air field comes under attack!

BULLSEYE! The Avro Anson right on target as it flies through a perfectly formed smoke ring.

HIT. The Avro limps across the Wanaka skyline.

BANDITS AT 10 O’CLOCK. The ME 109 stalks the Wanaka skyline.

AERO ANTICS. Jurgis Kairys loops around the C-47 Dakota….inverted, of course!

LOOK MUM, NO HANDS! A one-handed fly-by of the aerodrome by the P-51 Mustang.

VAMPS. De Havilland Vampires flank the L-39 and jet-in for action…

JET STREAM. L-39 Albatros jet trainer skims across the mountain skyline.

FLY BY. Hard to capture an image of a jet travelling at 800kmph!

ICON. The Mk XI Supermarine Spitfire, a game changer in the Battle of Britain.

DOG FIGHT. A Spitfire roars across the late afternoon skies as a Russian Yak 3, the “Dogfighter Extreme”, pursues a bogey in the background.

DARK SKIES. A Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk passes in front of smoke blackened skies.

ONCE WERE WARRIORS. ME-109 and Kittyhawk fly peacefully side by side.

PARTING SHOT. Warbirds at sunset.

BEYOND THE LOOKOUT

The hike to the lookout over the Rob Roy Glacier in Mount Aspiring National Park is arguably the best half day walk in New Zealand. But where the track ends, is really just the start….

Deciding to camp out at the base of a glacier after the first frost of the autumn might not – on the face of it – seem like a smart idea, but a forecast of clear skies and perhaps the last overnight tramp of the season was lure-enough to have us loading our packs. Besides, with down jackets, cosy sleeping bags plus whisky to warm us in the evening and coffee to defrost us in the morning what more could we possibly need?….

The walk to the lookout of the Rob Roy Glacier is a moderate 5km uphill walk on a well formed track, but thereafter the trail fades and despite the occasional rock cairn to guide you in the general direction, consists of bush-bashing across steep, boulder-ridden moraines. The spectacular glacial landscape, however, is worth every entanglement with a spiky matagouri bush and the uphill scrambling…

RUSH HOUR. Running into heavy traffic on the road to Mt Aspiring National Park.

‘BEECHED’. Lush, green, native beech forest flanks the Rob Roy Stream on the approach to the glacier.

CLAG. Nothing to be seen here… low cloud obscures the view of the glacier. So much for the “clear skies” forecast!…

WINDOW. Low cloud begins to clear offering tantalising views of the ice.

MISTY MOUNTAINS. The cloud burns off to reveal the blue ice of the Rob Roy.

RIVERSIDE. Following the Rob Roy Stream up the valley.

BEYOND THE LOOKOUT. Tramping towards the head of the Rob Roy Valley

VALLEY VIEWS. Hiking high into the Rob Roy Valley.

INTO THE WILD. Pressing on to the head of the valley.

CONTRASTS PART 1. Blue ice. Green rainforest.

MOUNTAIN THUNDER. As the sun warms the glacier, huge car-sized chunks of ice are carved from the face of the glacier and avalanche down the cliffs below.

BLUE TANIWHA. The dragon-esque snout of the Rob Roy Glacier.

POLISHED. The scraped, scored and polished rock left behind as the glacier retreats into the recess of the valley.

VIEW FROM ABOVE. Hiking above the Upper Rob Roy Glacier.

AWE & ICE. Spectacular glacial views are the reward for several hours of tough bush-bashing.

SCALE. Hiking on the moraine wall high above the Rob Roy icefall.

CONTRASTS PART 2. Alpine flowers carpet the moraine wall contrasting the blue ice of the Rob Roy icefall.

CHAOTIC CREVASSES. The Rob Roy icefall tumbles down the valley forming a geographical masterpiece.

MORAINE. The lateral moraine of the upper glacier, a history of of Rob Roy’s past extent.

 

HANGING VALLEY. Descending back to camp at twilight.

PITCH PERFECT. Not a bad spot to spend the night….

LOCAL KAI. Dehydrated, vegan, boil-in-the-bag never tasted so good! (Seriously, this stuff is great)!

MATUKITUKI MOUNTAINS. View from our campsite down to the Matukituki Valley.

COSMIC CAMPSITE. The stars of the Milky Way rise above the horizon and our little blue tent.

MORNING GLORY. Waking up to views like this, priceless…

CONTRASTS PART 3. Blue glacial ice contrasted against pink skies at sunrise.

FIRE & ICE. A spectacular sunrise lights up the Rob Roy Glacier.

RED SKY IN THE MORNING….

HANGING IN THERE. Ice clings limpet-like to the vertical cliff walls of the valley.

WOODLAND WINDOW. Spectacular glacier and waterfall views, all part of the Rob Roy experience.

PARTING SHOT. A final iconic view of the Rob Roy Glacier.

 

UP THE CREEK…

After a week overseas on business trapped within the confines of a hot, congested city it’s always good to come home and escape into the hills; to stretch the legs; breathe deep lung-fulls of fresh mountain air, and rejuvenate.

The Ahuriri Valley is only an hour’s drive from Wanaka and offers a variety of great tramping options from day walks to multi-day hikes. Allegedly, it also offers some outstanding trout fishing, but I’ve only ever succeeded in donating a tackle-box-load of lures to the river and gone home slightly poorer and hungry!

With a good forecast we hiked into the aptly named Canyon Creek and camped at the base of a spectacular series of cascades, then climbed up high above the myriad of waterfalls and into the catchment of Mount Barth for some spectacular views. There’s a rock bivvy located at the head of the valley, but thankfully we opted to camp low as in the middle of the night the wind picked up to gale force and nearly blew us all the way back to Wanaka!

CHOCOLATE BOX. The approach into the Ahuriri Valley is easy on the eye.

THE FLATS. Strolling through the lowland flats of the Ahuriri Valley.

GNARLY. Negotiating the rocks and roots of the stunted beech forest guarding the entrance to Canyon Creek.

UPWARDS. A short, steep climb from the valley floor through stunted beech forest traverses above the canyon and into Canyon Creek.

VALLEY VIEW. Looking down on Canyon Creek and the Ahuriri Valley with the Barrier Range beyond. A fresh dusting of snow always adds nice contrast to a photo!

SLIPS. The track crosses numerous large rocks slips and fans before reaching the dramatic waterfalls at the head of the valley.

CANYON CREEK. The crystal clear waters of Canyon Creek flow past our campsite and on to the Ahuriri Valley below.

ROCK WALL. Waterfalls slice through the rocky bluffs at the head of Canyon Creek. Mt Barth in the background.

FLOW. Waterfalls pour off the mountainside to feed Canyon Creek below.

BLUFFS. A view worthy of the climb and scramble up. Mt Barth and the Thurneysen Glacier.

CATCHMENT. The Canyon Creek catchment with Mt Barth and the Thurneysen Glacier at the head of the valley.

VALLEY VISTA. Looking down Canyon Creek towards to Ahuriri Valley. The clouds should have put us on notice of the fast approaching weather front!

UPLANDS. Hiking above Canyon Creek towards Mt Barth and the head of the valley.

AHURIRI. The view down Canyon Creek to the Ahuriri Valley.

CHASING WATERFALLS. Descending waterfalls to the valley floor and our campsite.

ROOM WITH A VIEW. When we pitched the tent this looked like a pretty good site – great views, the only bit of flat ground for miles around and close to the creek for water. Little did we know it was actually in the heart of a wind tunnel!

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES. The front which we had seen in the weather forecast arrived early with gale force winds. Thankfully we managed to strike camp and pack up before the rain started.

WIND BLOWN. A gusty, gale force NW’er blows us back down the valley.

KEAS & CHEERS

Wanaka is the best place to live in the world.
Albeit for 49 weeks of the year….

But for 3-weeks over Christmas and New Year, Wanaka is invaded by holidaymakers with their boats, bikes, barbecues & beers and there’s no better time to run for the hills and to escape the Silly Season….

Mount Aspiring National Park is a refuge. Not just for native New Zealand wildlife, but for those seeking peace, quiet and the increasingly rare opportunity to escape the non-stop chatter of technology. As John Muir, the environmental philosopher once observed, “Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity”. I, for one, could not agree more.

So home to the mountains is where we headed for 4-nights over Christmas, enjoying the hospitality of our friends Stu & Heather at Aspiring Hut and the not so peaceful feathered residents of French Ridge Hut….

EARLY START. Sunrise over the forest canopy near Aspiring Hut as we begin the hike up to French Ridge Hut.

SWINGING. One of many swing bridges that criss-cross the West Matukituki River as you head deeper into Mt Aspiring National Park.

FRENCH RIDGE. Your mission, should you choose to accept it…. French Ridge winds its way up towards the Bonar Glacier with Mount Aspiring in the background. French Ridge Hut is just below the snow line at 1465m and our home for the night.

RIVER FLATS. Strolling along the river flats before the steep climb up to French Ridge Hut.

WET FEET. Wet feet are an integral part of tramping in NZ, but given this crossing of the Matukituki was our only river of the day and the water was low, we opted for the luxury of taking our boots off and having dry feet for the rest of the hike.

JUNGLE GYM. The ascent and descent of French Ridge requires a certain skill set….

TUSSOCKS & TARNS. Small tarns alongside the track up to French Ridge Hut with great views of the West Matukituki Valley.

MT AVALANCHE. Heading into the alpine zone with Mt Avalanche and the Maud Francis Glacier set firmly in our sights.

GLOOMY. Gloomy Gorge looking remarkably bright and sunny with Mount Avalanche and the Maud Francis Glacier at the head of the valley.

TITITEA | MOUNT ASPIRING. The 3,033m ‘glistening peak’ at the heart of the National Park with the Bonar Glacier ‘Breakaway” to the centre left.

VALLEY VISTA. Spectacular alpine views from French Ridge. Sharp eyes might be able to spot the red speck of Liverpool Hut on the opposite side of the valley (centre left above the bushline).

ONWARDS | UPWARDS. The steep climb continues… Mt Avalanche in the background.

RELENTLESS. French Ridge continues to climb ever upwards with the sheer cliffs of Gloomy Gorge and Mt Avalanche to the right.

THE SOURCE. Mt Barff and the headwaters of the West Matukituki River.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION. French Ridge Hut, Mount Aspiring National Park. After unloading some gear from our packs we continued up the ridge towards Mt Avalanche and the Bonar Glacier.

LONG DROP. A loo with a view…. But not somewhere to take a wrong turn in the middle of night!

CASCADES & ICE. Waterfalls stream off the melting ice of the Maud Francis Glacier and into Gloomy Gorge.

THE CLIMB. Hiking on the upper slopes of French Ridge.

ASPIRATIONAL. The summit of Mount Aspiring peaks out above French Ridge.

TRAVERSE. Traversing the snowfields on French Ridge towards the Quarterdeck Pass.

GLACIAL. Mount Avalanche and the Maud Francis Glacier dominate the head of Gloomy Gorge.

JUVENILE DELINQUENT. A young kea caught in the act of trying to turn on the tank water supply at French Ridge Hut. Despite the best efforts of the DOC rangers to “kea proof” the tap, these highly intelligent birds always seem up to the challenge and hikers regularly find an empty water tank upon arrival at alpine huts – drained by the curious kea.

SCHEMING…. A mature kea plans its next move…. My Dad would probably assert that the “dawn” chorus provided by the kea at 3am on Christmas Eve was reminiscent of my brother and I waking up as kids in the middle of the night to see if Santa had visited and to open our Christmas stockings. Karma, huh?….

FRENCH REFLECTION. Evening sun lights up Rob Roy Peak.

RED SHED. Reflections of French Ridge Hut.

SPOTLIT. Mt Avalanche catches the last sun of the day.

RED SKY AT NIGHT. Pink clouds at sunset above French Ridge Hut.

CATCHMENT. A panorama of the headwaters of the West Matukituki Valley on Christmas Eve.

DOWNWARD. Heading down French Ridge on Christmas Eve and thinking of cold beer and cheeses!

CASCADE SADDLE. Another of the Matukituki Valley’s ‘must climb’ tracks.

MOUNTAIN MOODS. Dark clouds shroud the summit of Islington Dome.

VENI VIDI VICI. French Ridge: we came, we saw, we climbed – because you can never really conquer a landscape like this!

CHASING WATERFALLS. A deviation off the beaten track to explore the side valleys of Mount Aspiring National Park is usually well worth it!

SLOW MO. Long exposure of a cascading waterfall feeding the Liverpool Stream.

CLAGGED IN. Strong winds and driving rain on Christmas Day kept us hut-bound for most of the day… But we were well prepared!

FLIP. Pancakes for breakfast on Christmas morning!

EVERYTHING IS BETTER WITH BACON!

BACKCOUNTRY BUBBLES. Our host with the most – Stu pours the bubbles on Christmas morning at Aspiring Hut.

SEASONAL SCONES. Heather prepares a treat fresh from the camp oven for trampers at Aspiring Hut on Christmas Day

CRAZY CLIMBERS. A party of Korean trampers depart Aspiring Hut in torrential rain heading for Cascade Saddle. We had a sweep stake on what time they’d give up climbing and return to the hut, but we never saw them again – we hope they dried out and had a warm Christmas night in their tents!!

THE CAKE COURSE. White port and Christmas cake conclude our 6 course backcountry degustation on Christmas Day!

COSY TOES. It’s not just our socks keeping us warm…

SILENT NIGHT. The skies finally cleared on Christmas Day to a spectacular starry nightsky – here’s the Milky Way seen from the deck of Aspiring Hut.

BOXING DAY. What a difference a day makes. Waking up at Aspiring Hut to clear skies on Boxing Day for the walk home.

 

 

 

THE CAPLES CAPER

Escaping into the mountains away from the humdrum of modern living has always been a great way for me to recharge my batteries, although chasing a couple of spritely septuagenarians for 30kms up the Caples Valley is also an excellent way to drain the batteries!….

Stu & Heather are exceptional tramping companions, so whenever we get the chance to join them for a hike it’s always a treat…. not least because Stu – as a retired Department of Conservation ranger – frequently has the key to the DOC staff quarters in the backcountry huts and so tramping soon becomes glamping!

Our trip into the Caples Valley in Mount Aspiring National Park began with a river crossing course run by Stu on the Rees River near Glenorchy. An afternoon of wading back and forth across the glacial braids of the Rees – sometimes up to our armpits – was the “warm up” (well, as warm as a glacial river can be in spring) for 3-days hiking in the valley.

PEDESTRIAN CROSSING. Learning the art of safe river crossings with Stu on the Rees River near Glenorchy and discovering that frigid glacial rivers are are best crossed as quickly as possible! Thankfully a warm NW wind acted as nature’s hairdryer to keep mild hypothermia at bay…

The weather forecast wasn’t flash and we were expecting a couple of “hut days” – playing cards, reading books and drinking cups of coffee – and so it was no surprise when we awoke at Mid Caples Hut to low cloud and rain. However, after only a single cup of coffee, the skies brightened and we decided to stretch our legs and wander up the track…. a wander that ended up being 32km to the top of McKeller Saddle and back on a spectacular, sunny spring day!

THE GREENSTONE. The spectacular clear, green waters of the Greenstone River, Mt Aspiring National Park – near Glenorchy.

GREEN FLOW. The Greenstone River flows into Lake Wakatipu.

THE CHASM. A ‘knickpoint’ in the Caples River forces the water through a spectacular deep, narrow chasm.

TOTEM. A rustic welcome to Mid Caples Hut.

MISTY MOUNTAINS. Low cloud and mist was not a particularly auspicious start for a full day of tramping.

CANOPY CLOUD. Morning mist drifts across the forest canopy.

GRANDEUR. The Caples River drains the Ailsa Mountains, Mt Aspiring National Park.

CAPLES CONVOY. Hiking through the Caples Valley on the way to McKellar Saddle.

PRISTINE. The crystal clear glacial waters of the Caples River – home to some decent sized brown trout. Next time I’ll bring my fishing rod …. and scare them all away!…

FRAMED. The Caples Valley, Mount Aspiring National Park.

SPARKLING WATER. Sun glints off the waters of the Caples River.

MAKING FRIENDS. A young New Zealand robin follows us through the bush.

STRIKE A POSE. A mature male robin.

LUSH. The Caples Track sidles through the lush green beech forest of Mt Aspiring National Park.

FAIRYLAND. Small creeks cascade across the track on the climb up to McKellar Saddle.

McKELLAR. A view worthy of the 16km uphill hike – McKellar Saddle did not disappoint and neither did the weather!

JEAN BATTEN PEAK. Rugged views on McKellar Saddle.

BUSHLINE. Jean Batten Peak dominates the view at McKellar Saddle on the Greenstone – Caples Track.

IN REFLECTIVE MOOD. The Ailsa Mountains reflected in an alpine tarn at McKellar Saddle.

DIVERSE. Wetlands, rainforest, waterfalls, ice and rugged peaks make up the diverse landscape of McKellar Saddle.

WETLAND. The alpine wetlands of McKellar Saddle.

PANORAMIC. McKellar Saddle in all its glory on a fabulous spring day.

 

LAYERS. The diversity of the landscape at McKellar Saddle – from snow clad peaks to rainforest and alpine wetlands.

THE LONG WALK. 16km up means another 16km back down to Mid Caples Hut.

ALPINE VISTA. The distinct u-shape of the glacial carved Caples Valley.

VALLEY VIEWS. Beech forest lines the banks of the Caples River with views across the Humboldt Mountains behind.

OLD MAN’S BEARD. Lichen clad beech trees in the Caples Valley.

ROOM WITH A VIEW. The mountain panorama from Mid Caples Hut.

SHADOWLAND. Evening shadows fall across the Southern Alps at Mid Caples Hut.

VANISHING LAND

Aoraki | Mount Cook National Park is home to the largest remaining glaciers in New Zealand’s Southern Alps, but if you want to see them for yourself, you’d best get there quick!

When a bucket list trip to ski the Tasman Glacier turned to custard due to wild weather, it provided the chance to explore the spectacular Hooker and Tasman valleys. Today, the end of both these valleys are marked with large glacial lakes which even offer boat trips to tourists to get up close to the huge icebergs that drift in the icy waters, but as little as 30 years ago these lakes did not exist. It’s a stark reminder that there may be little left of these giants in another 30 years, and fine excuse to spend the day taking photos!

THE WALL. A wall of blue glacial ice on Mount Sefton – an impressive view from our motel window at Mt Cook Village.

SUNBURST. Morning sun lights up Aoraki | Mount Cook at the head of the Hooker Valley,

SCULPTED. Glacial blue ice on the flanks of Mt Sefton.

FLUTES. Fluting on Mount Cook – created as melt water forms channels in snow and ice.

THE CLOUD PIERCER. Aoraki | Mount Cook (3,724m).

BERGLAND. Icebergs carved from the face of the Hooker Glacier litter the Hooker Lake with Aoraki | Mt Cook shrouded in clouds in the background.

TERMINUS. The abrupt blue ice cliffs that mark the furthest reaches of the ever retreating Hooker Glacier.

CARVED. Mt Cook at the head of the Hooker Valley, carved by millennia’s of ice.

WILDERNESS. Wild weather & landscapes, Mueller Lake & Mt Sefton shrouded in cloud.

RUMBLING THUNDER. The Hooker River drains the meltwater from the Hooker & Mueller Glaciers.

AORAKI | MOUNT COOK. Evening sun lights up summit of NZ’s highest peak.

TASMAN PANORAMA. Evening sunlight glints off the icebergs floating in the Tasman Glacier Lake.

ICE BLUE. Wind blown icebergs congregate downwind at the outlet of the Tasman Lake, Mt Cook National Park.

RETREATING WORLD. It’s only within living memory that the Tasman and Hooker Lakes have formed. As little as 30 years ago these vast lakes were still part of the glaciers of the Southern Alps.

GRANDSTAND OF ICE. Tasman Lake, Mt Cook National Park.

SHAPED BY NATURE.

ICE GALLERY. Wind blown, floating icebergs form a gallery of blue sculptures on Tasman Lake

SOUTHERN SKIES. The Milky Way over Mt Cook Village.

The Nutcracker Suite

They promised a unique alternative for adventurous off-piste skiers looking for no-frills fun in the snow, they said it would be skiing like it used to be in the ‘good old days’, before mammoth queues, impersonal crowds… oh, and chairlifts…

Managed by a club and a handful of passionate locals, you can forget chairlifts and lift queues at New Zealand’s Clubbies, but should instead think rope tows, powered by old tractors, and access to some of the best ski terrain in New Zealand.

But, access to the Clubbies’ uncrowded slopes and epic terrain must be earned. First are the access roads – unsealed, narrow, exposed and frequently icy with the fitting of snow chains usually essential. Then, once on the mountain, comes the challenge of mastering the ‘nutcracker’ to ride up the rope tows.

For the uninitiated, a nutcracker lift basically consists of a moving rope that passes through a series of pulleys to which skiers fix themselves using a metal contraption that’s connected to an old leather belt worn around their waist. The metal clamp is nutcracker shaped – nothing to do with injury risks to male skiers – and takes quite a knack to master.

Skiing the Clubbies had been at the top of our to-do-list for a long time and once we finally got around to a week-long road trip this August, they really lived up to their promise of adventure, albeit with the regular requirement for a good ‘Plan B’….

ROAD TRIPPIN’. The Lindis Pass, gateway to MacKenzie Country & the Canterbury Ski Club Fields

STORM CHASING. A huge front envelopes the mountains around Ohau Ski Area where we had planned to ski… time for a Plan B.

MACKENZIE. The distinctive landscape of the Mackenzie Country – named after a notorious sheep rustler!

PLAN B. With storm clouds spilling over the Main Divide, Roundhill Ski Area provided a weather window for an afternoon of fantastic skiing and a great start to our trip.

THE WALL. The World’s longest (1.5km) and steepest rope tow was quite the challenge for our first ‘nutcracker’ lift experience!!

WEATHER WINDOW. Blue skies over Roundhill as the storm clouds roll in across Mt Cook and the Southern Alps.

SCOPING LINES. Raewyn picks her route down “The Wall” at Roundhill.

INCOMING. The storm closes in at the end of a great afternoon at Roundhill.

WANTING BUT NOT GETTING. With over 1m of fresh new snow we were desperate for Fox Peak (pictured) or Dobson Ski Areas to open – but a long, slow dig-out and more bad weather kept us grounded and eating pies in Fairlie all day (not such a bad plan B)…

THE BIG WET. The road trip through the Canterbury Plains had more than a few challenges – beginning with some quite Biblical flooding for kilometre after kilometre….

BLIZZARD. From rain to snow, but things were beginning to look very promising for the ski fields…

CASTLE ROCKS. The unusually low snow made exploring through the rocks fun, with the added excitement of treating and evacuating a snowboarder who had broken his leg!

ANTICIPATION. Driving up to Porter Heights Ski Area on a bluebird powder day with 50-60cm of fresh snow waiting for us.

POWDER DAY. This is what we came for!! Fresh tracks at Porters.

COLD SMOKE. Rae scores fresh tracks at Porters.

BIG MAMA. Top to bottom with no stops, a brutal leg burner! (Rod, you owe me a bottle of whisky)!

POW @ PORTERS

ICE | LAND. The spectacular view across Lake Coleridge & the Southern Alps from the summit of Porter Heights. (Digging myself out of the snow drift after taking this photo was quite the challenge)! 

BOOT DEEP & DRY! Porter Heights delivering the goods.

BROKEN. The [broken] tramway which takes skiers from the car park to base area at Broken River Ski Area… Time for a contingency plan…

EARNING OUR TURNS. With the tram from the car park to the Broken River base area out of action there was no other option than to hike up through the forest. 

STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN. Following the forest hike, there was just the small hurdle of 200 steps to reach the access lift at Broken River.

FRESHIES. Broken River turning it on.

NO FRIENDS ON A POWDER DAY. Proof in point… all day freshies in Allan’s Basin at Broken River. The hike was totally worth it!

SUMMIT STYLE. Dismounting the Ridgeline Rope Tow and climbing to the summit at Broken River.

FLOCK HILL. Magnificent views from Broken River.

CHUTES. Avalanche chutes cut a swathe through the native beech forest flanking the Craigieburn Range.

NUTCRACKERS & KNACKERED. The end of a full day and full body workout at Broken River!

WALK OUT. Hiking down from Broken River at the end of an epic day.

FINDING GOLD. Following two fantastic ski days the weather closed in again forcing the ski areas to close. Time for a plan B, again….

COSY. With the ski areas closed due to bad weather, we were forced to actually relax on holiday!

GONE WALKABOUT. Wind kept the ski areas closed for another day, but it was great weather for a hike lower down in the Craigieburn Valley.

FOREST CASCADE. The aptly named Waterfall Creek in the foothills of the Craigieburn Range.

HEAVENS ABOVE. The Milky Way stretches out across the night sky above our base at Castle Hill.

GOLDEN GLOW. The night sky over the tussocks of the Torlesse Range, Castle Hill.

TO INFINITY, AND BEYOND!….

CRANKIN’ AT CRAIGIEBURN. After 2-days of wind & rain we were worried that conditions at Craigieburn Valley Ski Club would be marginal, at best, but the rain had smoothly groomed the slopes and with 10cms of fresh new snow we had perfect, creamy conditions from top to bottom!

SOLITUDE. Creamy snow from top to bottom and almost the entire mountain to ourselves. Craigieburn Valley Ski Club… on a Saturday!!

UNTRACKED. Fresh lines at Craigieburn.

SOAR. The vast shadow of this low flying glider fell across me as I traversed around a bluff, and for a moment I thought the Haast Eagle had come back from the dead! The glider did several laps around the ski field no more than 20-30m off the ground – an incredible sight.

SKIMMING SUMMITS

NEW ZEALAND TREE SKIING. Following the forest track down to the base at Craigieburn at the end of four amazing days and a wonderful introduction to the Canterbury Clubbies.

WESTLAND WINTER

Winter on the West Coast is hard to beat. Clear blue skies, panoramic views of Aoraki Mount Cook & the Southern Alps, relatively few tourists and mercifully few sand flies…

Early winter can be a SAD* time of year in Wanaka. The ski fields are waiting for the first snowfalls of winter to arrive and a low, damp, cold layer of inversion cloud can hang over the lake and hide the sun for days on end. It’s the ideal time to get out of town on a  road trip to find some blue skies, and a pilgrimage across to the West Coast is becoming an annual tradition for us….

*Seasonal Affective Disorder

SH6 – The Haast Highway – cuts through ancient coastal podocarp rainforest

Beach | Forest

Hanging out with the locals – a pod of Hector’s Dolphins catch a wave at Ship Creek. These are amongst the smallest and rarest species of dolphin in the world.

The Wild West Coast, Ship Creek.

Okarito Lagoon in reflective mood

GONE FISHING… A white heron focused on the job in hand

Light shafts at sunset.

Watching the sun go down, West Coast NZ (long exposure)

An easterly flow spills cloud over the Southern Alps – clagged in back home in Wanaka!

SURF’S UP. The wild, rugged West Coast

Three Mile Lagoon

Podocarp forest flanking Three Mile Lagoon

Podocarp forest reflections in Three Mile Lagoon, with easterly clouds spilling over the Main Divide (cloudy in Wanaka)!

Classic West Coast

Frothing.

Foam bath. A variable oystercatcher hunts for shellfish on the tide line

Orange glow

Moonlight reflections, Okarito Beach

Slicing through the glassy water of Okarito Lagoon

Tranquility.

Aoraki, the cloud piercer.

Ocean | Rainforest | Ice | Rock

Into the wild…. Kayaking up the Okarito River

Thorney looking pirates!

Winter on the West Coast. Magnificent.

Glassy.

Ocean to Alps. Kayaking on the glassy water of Okarito Lagoon.

Homeward bound. The Haast Highway cuts a swathe through Mount Aspiring National Park.