Tramping Day 30 Dec 26th 2017 Wild Camping Richmond Trail to Camp Stream Hut 18km
Straightforward tramp although a bit uphill at the start - some wet ground to cover near the hut. The hut is private run by the MacKenzie Alpine Trust
The donation is $10 - super little old musterer's hut with a great woodburner and lots of wood - so do the right thing..apparently the average donation is less than a dollar!) Even in December it was chilly up there - hut is at about 900m.
Tramping Day 31 Dec 27th 2017 Camp Stream Hut to Royal Hut 15km
If the weather is good take the ridge route (very flat ridge - easy tramping) to Stag Saddle - amazing views over Lake Tekapo
Well worthwhile nipping up Beuzenberg peak - will only take 20 minutes return - leave your pack back on the ridge.
Stag Saddle is the highest point on the TA at 1925m - so I think a pat on the back and a selfie is in order
Then it's a couple of hours downhill to Royal Hut so called because Charles and Anne visited...but I believe they didn't rough it and stay... and they didn't walk in either - DOC kindly dropped them off by helicopter!! He didn't even leave any of his famous biscuits! :-)
Well worthwhile nipping up Beuzenberg peak - will only take 20 minutes return - leave your pack back on the ridge.
Stag Saddle is the highest point on the TA at 1925m - so I think a pat on the back and a selfie is in order
Then it's a couple of hours downhill to Royal Hut so called because Charles and Anne visited...but I believe they didn't rough it and stay... and they didn't walk in either - DOC kindly dropped them off by helicopter!! He didn't even leave any of his famous biscuits! :-)
An alternative would to be push another 6km onto Stone Hut - Stone and Royal Huts very similar - one isn't any better than the other.
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| Royal Hut |
Bit of scree climbing today and then a straightforward descent down to the hut....
It was actually full - so I had to camp - first full hut of my TA so far... might be a hut worth getting to early as it's popular with hunters. Great view down to the Rangitata though...
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| Camp Stream Hut |
Tramping Day 33 Dec 29th 2017 Crooked Spur Hut - Potts River Camp 11km
The decent following Bush Steam is a pretty tough start to the day - the first crossing in fact is quite deep but only a a few metres across but there are numerous other crossings and it's 3-4 hours of hard tramping to get down to the car park
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| Looking back at Camp Stream Hut |
One of the big TA decisions is whether to cross the Rangitata river or not. It's a totally personal choice and if you do cross it please assess the risks in detail. River volume is a strong indicator whether it is safe - when I crossed there had been little rain in the previous 10 days and the river volume was low
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| On the left the Rangitata from the air spotted as I flew south to Invercargill - was weird seeing it and knowing I might be crossing it 6 weeks later! |
Check the flow at https://www.ecan.govt.nz/data/
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| Heading down the Bush Stream before reaching the Rangitata bottom right - doesn't really look like a river at ground level.. |
In the end my NOBO Rangitata crossing was straightforward - this is a braided river - only 4 of the braids were large - the deepest - the first for me (the last going SOBO) was the deepest at mid thigh - all the others were knee deep or less. The key is to go well upstream - almost 2km almost up to the 500m contour from the car park (or from Potts River Bridge depending NOBO/SOBO). This means more braids but more braids is good as it divides the water volume.
I did post a kmz file of my route on the Facebook TA group but got a bit of flaming from the moderator but in my view people are going to cross and reading about peoples's experiences who have is valuable - it's not for everyone and is a calculated risk - your call... Personal Location Beacon essential if you're going to do this sort of thing...
Camped at Potts River camp just over the bridge - nice spot as you can see below
Tramping Day 34 Dec 30th 2017 Potts River Camp to Manuka Hut 36km
Big day - easy tramping but a long way - no real nice sheltered camping spots so elected to push on to Manuka Hut.
Scenery not spectacular (I'd been spoiled...!) but the hut is interesting with a list of the musters on the outside of the hut and also some old oil drum "dog kennels"
Scenery not spectacular (I'd been spoiled...!) but the hut is interesting with a list of the musters on the outside of the hut and also some old oil drum "dog kennels" 
Manuka Hut - dog kennel to the left of the door. Note the musters listed on the metal door panels....Below inside the hut with a classic bit of Kiwi ingenuity - oil barrel storage cupboard!
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Tramping Day 35 Dec 31 2017 Manuka Hut to Double Hut 6km
I needed an easy day after my big walk the day before - I could have pushed onto A-Frame hut but it would have been an extremely tough day - so it was a lazy morning at Manuka and a short stroll to Double. Rumour has it that Sir Ed stayed there while climbing a local peak and signed his name - see this newspaper article I found a lot of others but not his - wasn't sure where exactly to look as I didn't see the article until I got back to civilisation. There is a panel missing above the fireplace so possibly it was there...It was a nice place to see in the New Year - saying that I was asleep when it happened and there was no alcohol! Tramping Day 36 Jan 1st 2018 Double Hut to A-Frame Hut 23 km
I think heading for A-Frame is a better option than staying at Comyns Hut - it takes you 7km further on to Glenrock Stream car park from where you will have to hitch to Methven - in the morning getting on that road in in 2 hours is better than the 4½ it will take you from Comyns
This day is tough - there's a fair climb up roughish terrain to Client Hills Saddle but the hardest part is the decent down Round Hill Creek and then the North Branch Ashburton River - initially you can swap bank to bank but eventually the matagouri ( thick and thorny!)
bushes prevent you do this so you have to tramp the river bed - would be difficult or impossible if the river was up...
Tramping Day 37 Jan 2nd 2018 A-Frame Hut to Glenrock Stream Car Park 9 km
Easy 9km today mostly descent on good tracks/4WD - will only take 2½ hours. Once on the road it's a hitch to Methven...
Crossing the Raikaia is not recommended...
If you were even thinking about watch these 2 videos - Video 1 Video 2
In the second video you can see the guy on the ground realises he has had a near death experience...!!
Hitching to Methven isn't that easy either! I had to walk about an hour before I got a lift from a fisherman and then from a family heading through Methven - earlier you get on the road the better. January 3rd to 5th - I had scheduled 2 nights in Methven but huge rain extended that to 4...I stayed at the Snow Denn - nice place - $20 for TA trampers.
Tramping Day 38 Jan 6th 2018 Lake Coleridge Lodge to Harper River Camp 36km
Long not vastly exciting walk to a not vastly exciting campsite - hitching out of Methven was a bit of a mission - it's 47km to Lake Coleridge Lodge had to walk about 5 km before I got a lift - I started at 8am - any earlier and there would be even less traffic - it was a Saturday though. Any later and you might struggle to get to Harper River before dark..
It's
mostly 4WD track and gravel road walking - the campsite is free and has
a long drop but there is little grass to pitch on... Harper River Camp
Tramping Day 39 Jan 7th 2018 Harper River Camp to Hamilton Hut 19km
A
fairly easy tramp today over flat valley ground - watch the way marking
- there are other tracks in this area and I went off the TA at one
point so keep checking the GPS to make sure you are the right route... (head right up the Harper River - not left up the Avoca River - the TA poles seem to evaporate at this point...)
I think heading for A-Frame is a better option than staying at Comyns Hut - it takes you 7km further on to Glenrock Stream car park from where you will have to hitch to Methven - in the morning getting on that road in in 2 hours is better than the 4½ it will take you from Comyns
This day is tough - there's a fair climb up roughish terrain to Client Hills Saddle but the hardest part is the decent down Round Hill Creek and then the North Branch Ashburton River - initially you can swap bank to bank but eventually the matagouri ( thick and thorny!)
bushes prevent you do this so you have to tramp the river bed - would be difficult or impossible if the river was up...
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| The dreaded Matagouri - they are also great at piercing your water bladders! |
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| Somebody has placed 2 deckchairs at the top of the saddle - great place to have lunch and take in the view!! |
Past Comyns Hut the route is easy to A-Frame - nice hut but only 3 beds - no one there though - I don't think it would be common for SOBO's to stay there and NOBO's are rare as hen's teeth...
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| A Frame Hut |
Easy 9km today mostly descent on good tracks/4WD - will only take 2½ hours. Once on the road it's a hitch to Methven... 
Crossing the Raikaia is not recommended...
If you were even thinking about watch these 2 videos - Video 1 Video 2
In the second video you can see the guy on the ground realises he has had a near death experience...!!
Hitching to Methven isn't that easy either! I had to walk about an hour before I got a lift from a fisherman and then from a family heading through Methven - earlier you get on the road the better. January 3rd to 5th - I had scheduled 2 nights in Methven but huge rain extended that to 4...I stayed at the Snow Denn - nice place - $20 for TA trampers.
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| The Rakaia River |
Long not vastly exciting walk to a not vastly exciting campsite - hitching out of Methven was a bit of a mission - it's 47km to Lake Coleridge Lodge had to walk about 5 km before I got a lift - I started at 8am - any earlier and there would be even less traffic - it was a Saturday though. Any later and you might struggle to get to Harper River before dark..
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| Lake Coleridge |
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| Make that Te Araroa User :-) No one else there as per usual! |
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| Took some quirky New Zealand photos to relieve the boredom... Far left - locals are not too keen on campers around here - there was about 6 of those signs! Middle - battered armchair on the porch - a classic Kiwi look...:-) Far right - by far the most battered post box in NZ with a half assed number 8 wire repair :-) |
A
fairly easy tramp today over flat valley ground - watch the way marking
- there are other tracks in this area and I went off the TA at one
point so keep checking the GPS to make sure you are the right route... (head right up the Harper River - not left up the Avoca River - the TA poles seem to evaporate at this point...)
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| Hamilton Hut - one of the nicest on the TA |
