Tramping food resupply point: St Arnaud General Store: Nelson Lakes NP

Resupplying in St Arnaud, Nelson Lakes NP, South Island.....

One of the places you will need to resupply fuel and tramping food while on the Te Araroa Trail is at the beginning/end of the Richmond Ranges and the start/finish of Nelson Lakes National Park.

This is at the settlement of St Arnaud on SH 63 close to Lake Rotoiti.

Entering St Arnaud from the Blenheim end of SH63, general store on the right

St Arnaud is located between the Richmond's and Nelson Lakes National Park. It is roughly 7-10 days in both directions to the next resupply point. If you decide to forgo a drop box, then your only resupply option here is the St Arnaud General Store. 

St Arnaud near Nelson Lakes National Park

The St Arnauld General Store

I was up in St Arnaud recently tramping the Travers-Sabine Circuit. While there I stopped off at the St Arnaud General Store to buy a sandwich and drink, and thought it might be interesting to discuss it as a possible TA resupply point.

St Arnaud is a small settlement on SH 63 half way between Murchison and Blenheim. There are less than 50 permanent residents but it is often busy as it is the gateway to Nelson Lakes National Park. 

The St Arnaud General Store, cafe and petrol station

There is only one store in St Arnaud, the General Store on the main highway through the settlement. Calling this a store is a misnomer as it is basically a small grocery selection attached to the local NPD petrol station.  

The St Arnauld General Store

A place to resupply tramping food...

 The grocery selection is limited but you can certainly buy enough supplies here to get you through to either Havelock (drop box at Pelorous Bridge...), Hanmer (off the trail) or Arthur's Pass (with a drop box at the Boyle Outdoor Education Centre...). 

I heard that the price were expensive, but a quick peruse of the shelves showed that they were only marginally more expensive than in a larger town. 

St Arnaud General Store: chiller and bread selection

The cafe attached to the store has a decent selection of cakes, slices, pies and sandwiches/rolls which can provide you with treats and lunches for the first day at least. They also do coffee and light meals if that is something you are interested in. 

St Arnaud General Store: the inside of the store

The store had methylated spirits (denatured alcohol) and a limited selection of screw type gas canisters for sale. There were very few of them so it might be best to contact them before you arrive to see if they have any available. 

St Arnaud General Store: toiletries and hardware

All the usual suspects are present: bread, rice, noodles, pasta meals, mashed potatoes, soup, canned tuna, cereals, Nuttela, peanut butter, dried fruit, crackers, milk and milk powder, sugar, tea/coffee etc. etc. They have a limited supply of pre-packaged meats in a chiller including ham, bacon and salami.

I didn't spot any freeze dried meals, tortillas/wraps or anything similar in the shop.

St Arnaud General Store: general food groceries

The store also sells alcohol: they have wine, beer, RTD's and a selection of spirits for you to choose from. As always you need to be 18 years old to buy alcohol in New Zealand. 

The St Arnaud General Store sells alcohol....

I love that they have my favourite beer Kronenbourg (Vitamin K) in stock..must be all the tourists from France/Germany who drive the demand...

RTD and beer selection at the St Arnaud General Store and...Kronenbourg!!!!

There is a small selection of fresh fruit and vegetables, enough to restock for the next section of the trail. I saw apples, oranges, bananas, onions, corn cobs, potatoes, garlic, capsicum, carrots, parsnips and tomatoes. 

Fruit and vegetable chiller at the St Arnaud General Store

So...not a supermarket but at least a possible resupply option as you pas through.

Incidentally, if you are catching the Nelson Lakes Shuttle to the Mt Robert car park (if doing the side trip to Angelus Hut) the shuttle collects you from the kiosk in front of the General Store. That's why I was visiting the store in the first place.

 Bookings are essential and best made several days before your day of travel, it only cost me $30 as there is a regular scheduled trip to that destination each day during the summer months. 

Plans for the 2016/17 tramping season

That time of year again, planning for my summer tramping excursions.

Tramping planning for Summer 2016/2017

I have a large list of possible tramping locations pinned to the wall next to my desk at work, I like to peruse it when I need some "down" time. I have some exciting locations planned for tramping trips over the next couple of months.

This year is about getting stuff done!

Day Tramps

View from Mt Grey, October 2016

 

• Avalanche Peak via Scotts track, Arthurs Pass NP (Not this year, weather not playing nice) 
• Hope Halfway Hut visit (Completed October 2016 )
• Woolshed Hill, Arthurs Pass NP 
• Up the Taipo River to Dillons Hut and Dillons Homestead, Arthur's Pass NP,  hut bagin'
• Mt Grey Track, Canterbury foothills (completed November 2016)
• St Arnaud Range Track (completed in late November 2016)
• Speargrass Track to Speargrass hut (completed late November 2016)

Speargrass Slip, November 2016

Overnight Tramps

• Lake Rotoiti Circuit, Travers Valley, I'm doing a recce of Nelson Lakes NP as I'm planning to walk the Travers-Sabine Circuit in April 2017. I have tramped in the area before but only a really long time ago. (Completed November 2016)

View from Coldwater Hut jetty

• Lucretia Biv route, Lewis Pass SR,
• Sudden Valley, Arthur's Pass NP,  This route is reliant on dry conditions to be viable as you have to cross Sudden Valley Stream a number of times.
• Nina Hut, Lewis Pass Scenic Reserve (Completed December 2016)
• Wharfedale Track, Lees Valley to Whafedale Hut, Mt Oxford FP. I have previously walked the other end of this track back in 2013, so I'm connecting the dots really. (May 2017 if possible)
• The Travers-Sabine Circuit, Nelson Lakes NP. (5-6 Days) (Partially- I went up the Travers Valley to Cupola Hut and out in April)
• The Abel Tasman Coastal Track, 3-4 Days, June 2017??? (Planned to walk this in September 2016 but bad weather caused a cancellation of my plans 2 weeks out...I'm keen as mustard to do it....)

Jon in the Nina Valley, December 2016

The Te Araroa Trail

I'm section hiking the Te Araroa Trail over the next couple of years so one of my main  foci's will always be tramping sections of the tracks.

Over Summer I hope to complete:

• Harper Pass Track, SH73 to Lewis Pass, Otira River ford to Windy Point, NOBO, (4-6 Days)
• Richmond to Anakiwa via the Pelorous River Track, NOBO, (4-5 days) (March 2017)
• Migha-Deception track, SH73 to Bealey River,  SOBO (2-3 Days) (if time allows in 2017)

After walking the Queen Charlotte Track in February 2016 I have completed 300 km's or 10% of the Te Araroa Trail.

On the QCT February 2016

Using a home dehydrator for tramping food...

Home dehydrating your tramping meals...

I haven't posted for awhile as I have not been for any tramping trips over the last couple of weeks. The weather combined with study, the kids school camps and work have curtailed my tramping considerably. 

Jon out walking for fitness in mid May

I am still walking to maintain my fitness, on a Saturday, as weather permits.  I usually walk along the beach from Waimariri to Spencer Park (2-3 hours) as well as trips along the Port Hills. 

Longer term, I am planning an overnight trip to Nina Hut towards the end of the month as well as a few day trips over the next couple of weeks to Mt Grey, Lewis Pass and sections of the Christchurch 360 Trail. I have also arranged to walk the Abel Tasman Coastal Track the last week of August, something I am really looking forward to (NB: I had to cancel this trip due to unforeseen circumstances but it is just as well as there was some bad weather that week anyway...).

Anyway enough of that, here are a couple of tramping meal recipes I have made before and enjoyed....

Dehydrator heaven

My tramping food style is to eat from the bag or prepare simple home-made tramping meals. While there are a lot of commercially made ingredients available there are some significant omissions notably vegetables other than peas, carrots and corn and meat other than beef mince.

  I got a food dehydrator for Christmas last year and have started furiously dehydrating meat and vegetables to use in my tramping meals.

Sunbeam home food dehydrator

  Mine is a  Sunbeam DT5600 model which cost  $200 NZD, it sounds like a lot but some models retail for over $500.

So Jon, what can I dehydrate?

The world is your oyster really, you can literally dehydrate just about everything.

Things that dehydrate well are; any kind of fruit, onions, celery, mushrooms (all available commercially), capsicum, courgettes, pumpkin, beans, corn and cabbage. I was surprised how well cabbage and sauerkraut dehydrate. I have a nice recipe for sauerkraut and sausages.....mmmmmmm!

Dehydrated Sauerkraut - delicious!

This is 500gms of Sauerkraut after dehydration

Meat does not dehydrate easily, it takes a long time and has a limited shelf life outside of the freezer. Better to use freeze dried or commercially produced versions if you can. Eggplant, it is tough and leathery with an off putting colour when dried. Parsnip...not good! Tofu....just don't do it...styrofoam is the closest thing I can think of...yeeruucckkk!

Do try this at home...

I am an inveterate collector of trail cooking books and recipes. I currently have 11 books on backpacking food as well as numerous recipe files from a variety of web pages, books etc.

The Backpacking Chef website...an awesome source of meal ideas!

Both of the following recipes are from the BackpackingChef website, adapted for my personal preferences.

Backpacking Ratatouille

Ratatouille is a traditional French dish of stewed vegetables including eggplant, onions, peppers, zucchini, and tomatoes—seasoned with garlic and herbs. Zucchini and capsicum dehydrate and rehydrate well,  my version dispenses with the eggplant.

Easy cook ratatouille anyone?

I like this with some tuna as the fish and vegetables have very complimentary flavours.

Serves 1

Ingredients:

 

·         1 cup dried zucchini

·         2 Tbsp. dried onions

·         3 Tbsp. assorted dried capsicum

·         3 Tbsp. sun dried tomato’s

·         1 garlic clove, smashed, finely diced

·         1 Tbsp. tomato concentrate or 1 pkt tomato Cup o’ Soup

·         Pinch fennel seeds

·         Pinch mixed herbs or dried thyme

·         Salt and pepper to taste

·         1 tsp. olive oil

At Home:

Pack all dried vegetables, herbs and soup in a sandwich sized zip-lock bag.

In a separate snack size bag add the sun dried tomato, tomato concentrate if using and peeled/diced garlic clove.

On the Trail:

Combine dried vegetable mix with 1½ cups water in your pot and rehydrate for five to ten minutes. For larger servings, just add equal parts of dry Ratatouille ingredients and water. Add extra water as required. 

Light stove, add olive oil, tomato paste (if using) and garlic to vegetables and heat until nice and warm. It is not necessary to maintain a boil. 

Transfer pot to an insulating cosy for another ten minutes where your meal will continue to rehydrate. 

To enjoy this meal with rice or macaroni, combine ½ cup Ratatouille dry mix, ½ cup instant or dried rice or macaroni, and one cup water. If using macaroni, add a quarter cup more water. Bring to a boil for one minute. Turn off stove and wait ten minutes with lid on pot. 

Unstuffed Peppers

This recipe is awesome, I've made it a couple of times now and it is totally delicious, a great combination of rice, beef and vegetables. Try it- you will like it!

Delicious un-stuffed peppers!

Ingredients:

·         ½ Cup dried or instant rice

·         ¼ Cup ground beef, dried

·         ¼ Cup bell peppers, dried

·         1 Tbsp. dried onions

·         2 Tbsp. sundried tomato, diced

·         1 pkt. Tomato Cup o’ Soup

·         2 Tbsp. parmesan cheese

·         1¼ cups water

At Home:

Pack Parmesan cheese, sundried tomato and tomato soup separately in small plastic bags. Enclose in a larger plastic bag with rice, ground beef, onions and peppers. 

On the Trail:

Combine all ingredients except Parmesan cheese in pot with water and soak for five minutes.

Light stove, bring to a boil, and continue cooking with the lid on for one minute.

Remove pot from stove place in cosy and wait ten minutes. Stir in Parmesan cheese before serving.

Curried mince with cabbage and rice



Curried mince with cabbage and rice

This recipe is my interpretation of a Countdown supermarket recipe in their feed four for $15 recipe range. This uses commercially available and home dried ingredients to make a really delicious tramping meal. Cabbage is one of the main ingredients and dehydrates surprisingly well. 

Use Ramen noodles instead of rice and add some soya sauce and you have made Mince Chow Mein aka Chop Suey!

Servings: 1

·         ½ Cup Instant or Dried Rice or 1 pkt. Ramen, crushed, without flavour packet

·         ¼ Cup F/D mince or dried mince

·         ¼ Cup dried cabbage or sauerkraut

·         1pkt. chicken noodle Cup o’ Soup

·         2 Tbsp. dried peas

·         1 Tbsp. dried onion

·         1 tsp. Curry Powder

·         1 Tbsp. soya sauce (for Chow Mein)

·         Salt and pepper to taste

·         1¼ Cups water

At Home:

Place all dry items in sandwich size zip-lock bag. For freezer bag variant place dried vegetables in snack sized bag, add to main bag with other dry ingredients. 

On the Trail:

Cook variant: Boil 1¼ Cups water. Combine all ingredients with water in pot and cook for 3 minutes. Insulate pot and wait ten minutes. 

Freezer bag variant: Rehydrate dried vegetables for 5 minutes in separate bag. Add hot water to main bag, drain vegetables and add to rice mixture. Place in cosy, wait 10 minutes and enjoy.

 

So there you have just three of my ever expanding repertoire of tramping meals, if any take your fancy I would encourage you to give them a go. I thoroughly recommend you go and buy a dehydrator, it is an extremely useful piece of kit for the outdoor enthusiast.