The messy weather forecast over Christmas didn’t stop us from adventuring to an
area we haven’t visited before. Hakatere Conservation Park is 4.5hrs drive away
from Dunedin, with a landscape so vast and open, contrary to the forested hills in the
lower South Island.

The track to Cameron Hut is moderately overgrown with the spiky plants: matagouri,
speargrass, thistles and the odd bush lawyers. We followed the advice to wear long
pants or gaiters, so it was not too difficult to brush against the spikes and keep up a
good pace. In finer weather, it would be faster to follow the river bed instead of the
overgrown riverbank. However with the recent stormy weather we played it safe and
followed the poled track (mostly, unless we lost it). There were a couple of sections
when the track led onto the riverbed, and we had to get our feet wet by walking in the
edge of the river, nothing too deep but it may be trickier after heavy rain. I tried to
bush bash but gave up after crawling on my belly under a matagouri, only to see
seemingly endless matagouri in every direction. ‘A true tramper gets wet sooner or
later.’ I thought, and the sooner the easier it is to continue walking into the wetness.
It was fairly flat and straightforward in the first half of the journey. After a quick climb
up the tussock slope opposite Lochiel Stream, the scenic part began. The snowy
peaks at the end of the valley gradually opened up, the giant scree slopes greeted us
on either side, and the river tumbling below our feet reminded us how powerful water
can be if it reaches the right topography.

We timed our walk in with the weather clearing up, playing tag with the light drizzle
and hide-and-seek with the sun peering through thinning clouds.
After the slopy descent to the flats, we got a bit trapped in the overgrown vegetation,
and it was slow-going between camouflaged poles (painted dark green on white,
perhaps to inspire trampers not to follow them?). On the way back, we followed a
much easier path on the river bed.

It took longer than expected to reach the hut, which was tucked behind rocky slopes
so it was not visible from the river valley below. The cosy hut sleeps 9, has a boldly
purple door, which looks stunning underneath rosy clouds and the first rays of
sunshine on the snowy peaks at dawn.

We rose early in the morning and headed further into the valley to see the glaciers.
Either continue on the true right of the river, or pick a safe spot to cross the outlet
from the glacier. There was fresh snow on the ground from the last couple of days,
and we also got very gently snowed on. Summer in New Zealand aye?

DoC’s suggested time is 6hrs to the hut one-way, but it took us 8hrs each way with
plenty of stops to admire the views, study curious rocks and lichens, catch strange-
looking grasshoppers and other bugs, appreciate the alpine flora thriving in a place
that would otherwise be barren to the human eyes. We watched black-fronted terns
expertly catch a prey, hares elegantly sprinting away, and a family of banded
dotterels leading our way on the 4WD track on both days. This was Chichi’s second
overnight tramp, and thanks to her I could look at things with fresh eyes, rather than
getting from A to B as fast as possible (in a foolish attempt to beat the ‘DoC time’).
Every day in the mountains (or in life) is worth our full attention.

Photos