An abbreviated Te Ara Pataka tramp....8-9th February 2020

...bad tramping weather strikes again.....

After the hustle of organising and then going to Rakuira I was looking for something a little more laid back for my next tramp. My original plan was my annual Waimakiriri Romp where I go up the Waimakiriri River valley during the Coast to Coast weekend. At that time it is safe to leave your car at Klondyke Corner (lots of people and more especially Police there over that weekend...). 

Looking down on Pigeon Bay from near Mt Montgomery, Te Ara Pataka

Unfortunately my car broke down and although Karen offered hers I didn't want to leave her car at a notoriously bad road end. So I hatched a plan to walk Te Ara Pataka again using public transport....the Akaroa bus and a water taxi from Diamond Harbour to Lytellton.

Mature Totora Tree in Montgomery Scenic Reserve, Te Ara Pataka

Across the tops near Mt Sinclair Reserve, Te Ara Pataka

This would be a two day tramp...Day 1: Hilltop Tavern to Rod Donald Hut and Day 2: Rod Donald Hut over Mt Herbert and down to Diamond Harbor. I have not been down the Mt Herbert Walkway for about 20 years so I was keen to give it a go and take some photos to show you the last of the seven ways to get to the top of Mt Herbert. 

Rod Donald Hut, Western Valley, Te Ara Pataka

Day one worked out fine....the transport options, walking and hut were all good BUT some bad weather rolled in a day earlier than expected and it was too wet, windy and cloudy to risk spending 5-6 hours walking over Mt Herbert. Back in 2016 I had similar conditions and just about got lost in the mist so I wasn't all that keen on replicating that. 

Rainy weather at the Port Levy Saddle road-end, Te Ara Pataka

I bailed out at the Port Levy Saddle and got Karen to come and collect me from Little River instead.  Anyway lets look at how you can walk half of the Te Ara Pataka Track just using public Transport.

Day 1: Hilltop Tavern to Rod Donald Hut

So the challenge was to find a track I could walk using public transport as my car was out of action...I discarded a couple of options and settled on the Te Ara Pataka track on Banks Peninsula. Te Ara Patake is a track form the Summit Road near Hilltop Tavern all the way to Gebbies Pass at the head of Lytellton Harbor.

The Akaroa Experience bus at hilltop Tavern

The Akaroa Harbor lookout at the Hilltop Tavern

The Akaroa Experience bus will take you to Hilltop but there is no public transport from Gebbies Pass and besides I have already walked that track. So I decided to follow the track up Mt Herbert and then down to Diamond Harbor on the Mt Herbert Walkway instead. From Diamond Harbor you can catch a ferry to Lytellton and then to the bus exchange.

So that was the plan but as we will see it didn't survive first contact....

SH75 at Hilltop Tavern, Banks Peninsula

Montgomery Park Reserve as seen from near Hilltop Tavern, Banks Peninsula

Junction of SH75 and the Summit Road, Hilltop

It takes 45 minutes to get to Hilltop Tavern on the bus and then you walk back up to the Summit Road and start walking towards Okains Bay. Approximately 500 meters down the road you will see a track entrance on the left hand side of the road....this is the beginning of Te Ara Pataka.

Heading down the Summit Road towards Okains Bay

Map: Te Ara Pataka, Hilltop Tavern to Rod Donald Hut

There are some awesome views of Akaroa Harbor from up here you can clearly see as far as Duvachelle and partially see parts of Akaroa itself. The contrast between the ocean, hills and sky is spectacular.....as you can see in the photo below.

Akaroa Harbor from the Summit Road near Hilltop Tavern

Entrance to Montgomery Park Reserve on the summit Road, Banks Peninsula

Entrance to Montgomery Park Reserve on the summit Road, Banks Peninsula

The first part of the track is the climb up through Montgomery Park Reserve..there are some stonking Totora, Fuschia and Kahikitea trees in the reserve. The track climbs up the side of Mt Montgomery (Pt. 700) for about 1.5 kms or an hour. It is a nice track well protected from the sun but it is also steep and craggy in places so be prepared for some hard work.

Start of Te Ara Pataka at Montgomery Reserve

Climbing Te Ara Pataka in Montgomery Reserve

Some of the Totora trees in the Reserve are 800 years old and there are many 500-700 year old examples as well. The largest tree would be a good four meters round but not all that tall as this is the Mountain Totora variety that grows out not up...

Totora Tree in Montgomery Scenic Reserve, Te Ara Pataka

Another massive Mountain Totora in Montgomery Reserve, Te Ara Pataka

Large Fuschia Tree in Montgomery Reserve, Te Ara Pataka

I passed a couple of old Walkways Commission track markers along the course of the day...they built the original track and administration passed to the new Department of Conservation in 1987. They were set up in the early 1970's to improve walking access around the country but never had a lot of money or personal so achieved little. The St James Walkway was their biggest success as well as some tracks in the North Island.

Walkways markers were fence posts with a yellow band around the top and an orange 'W' walkways badge on the top. 

Old Walkways Commission marker in Montgomery Reserve, Te Ara Pataka

Sidling towards the track to the lookout on Mt Montgomery, Te Ara Pataka

There is a large grove of Fuschia trees through here...ranging in size from bushes right up to monster trees with trunks a couple of meters around. FYI the bark off the native Fuschia tree is an excellent firestarter if dried and bagged for later use...gather the bark from the ground if you ever see one.

Te Ara Pataka: bush track in Montgomery Reserve

Te Ara Pataka: Rock scramble in Montgomery Reserve

After initially walking in forest you soon break out into more open terrain and have excellent views of the surrounding hills through breaks in the forest canopy. There are great views of Akaroa, the Heads of Akaroa Harbor, Mt Montgomery & the Summit Road heading to Okains Bay.

View of Akaroa Heads from Te Ara Pataka in Montgomery Reserve

Mt Montgomery, from Te Ara Pataka, Banks Peninsula

View down to Duvauchelle and the Summit Road from near Mt Montgomery

Fine view of Akaroa Harbor from Te Ara Pataka

The bluffs on the eastern flank of Mt Montgomery, Te Ara Pataka

The final section before you reach the crest of the ridge is steep and rocky...the rocks have been semi formed into stairs but it is rough going for a couple of hundred meters.

Rocky track conditions in Montgomery Reserve, Te Ara Pataka

...last climb to Montgomery Ridge...Te Ara Pataka

Eventually you break out onto the top of the ridge leading south east of Pt.700...there are excellent views from the ridge in every direction. To the south you can see Little River, Lake Forsythe and Birdlings Flats. To the east is Akaroa Harbor and the outlier hills of Banks Peninsula. North you can make out Pegasus Bay and Pigeon Bay and to the west lies Mt Herbert, Canterbury Plains and the Southern Alps.

Birdlings Flats and Little River from Mt Montgomery, Te Ara Pataka

Akaroa Heads from Mt Montgomery Ridge, Te Ara Pataka

The last section to the top of Mt Montgomery, Te Ara Pataka

There is just a couple of hundred meters to climb up to the crest of Pt. 700 from there the track goes down through a patch of forest recently added to the Montgomery Park Reserve. There is a radio repeater station for the outer bays located on Pt. 700 this ensures the emergency services have communications right over the Peninsula.

Mt Montgomery, Te Ara Pataka

The crest of Mt Montgomery, Te Ara Pataka

Pigeon Bay from Mt Montgomery, Te Ara Pataka

Akaroa Harbor from Mt Montgomery, Te Ara Pataka

Little River and Birdlings Flat from Mt Montgomery

You can see right up the coast from this high point..it was so clear I could see some of the Seaward Kaikoura mountains to the north of the Kaikoura Peninsula. That would be about 150 km's away....you could see detail right out to Motunau at the end of Pegasus Bay.

Walking down to Pt. 700, Te Ara Pataka

Rimu trees in bush on Pt. 700, Te Ara Pataka

Mountain Totora on flank of Pt. 700, Te Ara Pataka

The rest of the day is spent sidling along the top of the ridges between Pt. 700 and Rod Donald Hut. It is a series of climbs over peaks and then walking over the saddles in between the peaks. You pass through a number of reserves on the way mostly comprised of regenerating native forest or bush.

In early colonial times all of these hills and ridges were covered in dense podocarp forest with the predominant trees being Totora, Rimu and Kahiketea. Almost all of the forest was removed for the timber or burnt in place to allow grass to grow for sheep and cattle. Only 2% of the total forest cover which existed in the early 1700's is still there..a real ecological crime.

Official start of Te Ara Pataka below Pt. 700

Little River and Lake Forsythe from near Pt. 700, Te Ara Pataka

Te Ara Pataka: Pt.575 with Whatarangi Totora Reserve in background

The tops of a lot of these hills are covered with the bleached skeletal remains of these forests...the bone white tree stumps you will see in the rest of my photos. Sometimes the wood has been used for fences or gates but the great majority of it was simply left to rot in place.

As I said before most of the forest was just burnt down as the quickest way of clearing the land for farming. I read a local history book that talked about the smoke from the clearance fires on Banks Peninsula being visible up to 50 miles out to sea....

Distant Seaward Kaikoura's from near Pt.575 on the Te Ara Pataka

Pr.575 is the knob on the centre right...

View down Western Valley to Lake Forsythe from Pt. 575

The first of the larger hills you have to climb over is Mt Sinclair at 841 meters asl...there is a track which heads out to the left of the photo below and then swings in around the back of the mountain.

Mt Sinclair from near Pt 575 on Te Ara Pataka

Te Ara Pataka: track into the Whatarangi Totora Reserve

Large Totora Tree in Whatarangi Totora Reserve, Te Ara Pataka

The track heads to the other side of the slope in an elongated S shape and gradually climbs up to a plateau across the top of the mountain. I saw a number of Speargrass plants near and on the plateau. This native sub alpine plant normally grows around the 900 asl line in the Southern Alps so it is interesting to see it here sitting at 800 meters on what is virtually an ecological island.

I would love to know how it got here.....

Totora graveyard on the lower slopes of Mt Sinclair

View back to Akaroa from the side of Mt Sinclair, Te Ara Pataka

Speargrass on the side of Mt Sinclair, Te Ara Pataka

A selection of sub alpine plants on the flank of Mt Sinclair, Te Ara Pataka

Last view of Akaroa from Mt Sinclair, Te Ara Pataka

Te Ara Pataka....is a 4 W/D track on Mt Sinclair....

You walk across the Mt Sinclair plateau for about 10 minutes before descending down to the saddle between Mt Sinclair and Mt Fitzgerald. There is a wide selection of sub alpine plants up here...Speargrass, flax, native bush and some small trees. At the high point of the plateau you can clearly see the course of Te Ara Pataka heading off towards Rod Donald Hut out to the north west.

On the plateau at the top of Mt Sinclair, Te Ara Pataka

Te Ara Pataka...Mt Fitzgerald and Mt Herbert from Mt Sinclair

Birdling's Flat and view South from Mt Sinclair, Te Ara Pataka

More Speargrass on Mt Sinclair, Banks Peninsula...

Regenerating bush in Mt Sinclair Reserve, Te Ara Pataka

...western edge of Mt Sinclair Reserve...

From Mt Sinclair you drop down to a saddle before once more climbing up above the 800 meter line up the side of Mt Fitzgerald. It was super hot through this section as it was the early afternoon and the oncoming clouds had not yet covered over the sun.

You have two options here; follow the marked track which is quite steep or follow the MTB route on an old 4 W/D track that is more gradual. Having followed the foot track the last time I walked Te Ara Pataka I decided to follow the MTB route instead. I must say it is far less steep on the 4 W/D track although it is a couple of hundred meters longer.

Approaching Pt. 713 from Mt Sinclair, Te Ara Pataka

I passed a couple of MTB riders near here...they were heading out to the road end onto the Summit Road. This track is dual MTB/walking but I question your ability to ride some of the sections...I think you would spend a lot of time pushing your bike up hills. At the Summit Road end of the track you take a side track and miss the walk over Pt. 700 and through Montgomery Park Reserve. 

Mt Fitzgerald Scenic Reserve, Te Ara Pataka

Te Ara Pataka...MTB track around Mt Fitzgerald

On the Mt Fitzgerald MTB track....Te Ara Pataka

Once you approach the summit of Mt Fitzgerald you get your first view of the Port Hills and down into Port Levy. As you can see there was a front moving in as the day wore on so it got progressively cloudier and cooler... I was racing the weather from this point onward.

Port Hills and North Canterbury from Mt Fitzgerald, Te Ara Pataka

Te Ara Pataka...Port Levy and Pegasus Bay from Mt Fitzgerald

View to Waipuna Saddle from Mt Fitzgerald

Port Levy Heads from Mt Fitzgerald...Seaward Kaikoura's in distance...

From Mt Fitzgerald you once again drop down to a saddle between Pt. 717 and Pt. 709..there is an interesting stock yard next to the first hill. The fences and gates are all made of aged Totora some of which still has scorch marks on it from the forest fires used to clear the land.

Te Ara Pataka: Pt. 717 and the rest of the tramp to Waipuna Saddle

Old stump as a post strainer...Te Ara Pataka

Approaching the stockyard next to Pt. 717, Te Ara Pataka

Sidling along Pt. 717 in gathering gloom, on Te Ara Pataka

Pt. 709 from the flank of Pt. 717...Te Ara Pataka

The last hill you will be climbing is Pt.709 a gently sloping massif that runs right out to Waipuna Saddle. You climb about 3/4 of the way to the top and then jump over a stile before starting down the last long slope to the Rod Donald Hut turn off.

The end of the walk is nigh as someone might have said.....

The saddle between Pt. 717 and Pt. 709, Te Ara Pataka

Climbing up to  Pt. 709...Te Ara Pataka

On the top of Pt. 709..Te Ara Pataka

From the top of Pt.709 you can see right down Port Levy to the sea...a classic view which I am sure has been photographed a million times. You walk over a lovely looking grassy plateau and then it is down to Waipuna Saddle. As you can see the threatening storm clouds had moved closer and were starting to look a bit menacing so I quickened my pace.....

View of Port Levy from Pt. 709...storm brewing...

Another Totora graveyard atop Pt. 709, Te Ara Pataka

Long slope leading down to Waipuna Saddle, Te Ara Pataka

Port Levy from Waipuna Saddle, Te Ara Pataka

Windswept forest atop Waipuna Saddle, Te Ara Pataka

Turn off to Rod Donald Hut from Waipuna Saddle

The Rod Donald Track starts at the low point of Waipuna Saddle...there is a stile over the fence clearly marked to show the way to the hut. It takes about 20 minutes to reach the hut from here as you descend through tussock before starting down a series of switch back track sections to the hut.

Rod Donald Hut is 20 minutes away...

Te Ara Pataka: the start of the Rod Donald Hut Track

On the track to Rod Donald Hut, Banks Peninsula

Yeah...just 10 minutes to Rod Donald Hut.....

The track is easy to follow and not too difficult to walk on except for the very long grass and encroaching bush which occasionally bars your way. The track needs a cut back but with the tinder dry conditions we have at the moment make any use of power tools problematic...it has the potential to cause a massive fire.

The track to Rod Donald Hut needs to be cut back.....

Eventually the hut comes into view perched on an open hillside high above the Western Valley and Little River settlement. I started walking around 10.30 am and arrived at the hut just after 3.30 pm so I had been walking for approximately five hours. After my long day out in the sun I was pleased to see the hut that's for sure...

First view of Rod Donald Hut from the access track...

Nine bunk Rod Donald Hut at the head of Western Valley

Closer view of Rod Donald Hut, Banks Peninsula

Welcome sign at Rod Donald Hut, Banks Peninsula

For those of you who visit this website on a regular basis Rod Donald Hut needs no introduction. This was my sixth visit to the hut in four years so you will find many posts on the blog about it. The hut was an old farmhouse which was gutted and refurbished for use as a hut and they did an excellent job. Nine bunks with a separate living space, large picture windows for the magnificent views and beautiful bush surrounds.

Rod Donald Hut Interior: upstairs bunk room

Rod Donald Hut Interior: information panel

Rod Donald Hut Interior:dining area downstairs

Rod Donald Hut Interior:cooking bench

Although the hut is officially nine bunks it also has a couple of bunks in the living space downstairs so it it actually 11 bunks. I used one of the downstairs bunk myself as I didn't want my occasional snoring to disturb the other guests...not that I should have bothered. Someone upstairs was rock, rock rock, rocking the house with their super loud snoring...

Rod Donald Hut Interior: the other dining table...another bunk

Rod Donald Hut Interior:pot belly wood stove..awesome output!!!

I was sharing the hut that night with a family of four from Ashburton and an older couple from Christchurch. There was a no show as I had checked before leaving home and all of the bunks were booked for that evening. I cut up a ton of firewood as I expected we would need it later in the evening and it was the most magnificent dry pine I have ever seen at a back-country hut. It was a real pleasure to cut and use...

Heavy rain sets in at Rod Donald Hut, Banks Peninsula

Zero visibility of Little River from Rod Donald Hut

Western Valley through a part in the rain clouds...at Rod Donald Hut

I had arrived at the hut and was tucking into a belated lunch when it started to rain....it rained on and off for the rest of the evening and into the next morning. It was cool sitting dry and warm in the hut with a blazing fire looking out as Little River drifted in and out of the mists.

 I would have love to have brought Karen but unfortunately she was working, it just means an eighth visit to the hut so she can see for herself how cool it is. 

Day two: Rod Donald Hut to Little River

Day two was meant to be a 6-7 hour mission...I would walk up to the summit of Mt Herbert on Te Ara Pataka and then change direction and head down the Mt Herbert Walkway to Diamond Harbor. From there it was a water taxi ride to Lyttelton and back home on the bus via the bus exchange.

Map: Rod Donald Hut to Little River

 Sounds simple really..but it wasn't!!!!

The fancy composting toilet at Rod Donald Hut

Right from the start things did not look promising...it was still raining when I got up in the morning and to start with you couldn't see Little River through the mist. I considered pulling pin and just walking out down the driveway at the hut but I decided to walk up to the road end at Waipuna Saddle and re-evaluate my options there. 

Climbing back up to Waipuna Saddle from Rod Donald Hut

Climbing back up to Waipuna Saddle from Rod Donald Hut

Climbing back up to Waipuna Saddle from Rod Donald Hut

When I got back up to Waipuna Saddle I found the worst possible conditions for a tramp along the top of exposed mountains...windy, wet, cold with very little visibility. Not good.....and it was too far to turn back to the hut so I just kept walking to the Port Levy Saddle road end....

Te Ara Pataka: Waipuna Saddle in rain, cloud and strong wind....

Walkways track marker near Waipuna Saddle

Climbing to Pt.738 from Waipuna Saddle, Te Ara Pataka

On Pt. 738 near Waipuna Saddle on Te Ara Pataka, Banks Peninsula

Coming up over Pt.738 I could see what the conditions would be like higher up Mt Herbert...10 meters of visibility in strong cold wind. Mt Herbert had to be crossed to get to Diamond Harbor and given it is over 900 meters the weather would be much worse up there.

Hhhhhmmmmmm!!! 

No visibility on the way to Western Valley Road, Te Ara Pataka

Western Valley Road at Port Levy Saddle...end of this section of Te Ara Pataka

Low visibility in rain at Western Valley Road end, Te Ara Pataka

I had a decision to make once I arrived at the road end...did I continue on to Mt Herbert and thence to Diamond Harbor or did I pull the pin on the trip. It wasn't much of a choice...I still had 4-6 hours walking to get to Diamond Harbor. It was raining, it was cloudy with no visibility and the wind was blowing quite hard. Physically and mentally I could make it to the water taxi BUT I almost got into serious trouble the last time I was up here in these same conditions in 2016. 

I decided that safety was paramount and bailed out....luckily I had one bar of cell reception so I rang Karen and asked her to collect me in Little River in a couple of hours time. This would give me a chance to get down to the settlement and save her driving up these narrow, winding and now wet roads.

On Western Valley Road heading for Little River

On Western Valley road heading for Little River

On Western Valley road heading for Little River

FYI: walking down from Port Levy Saddle to Little River on Western Valley Road is long and tedious but really easy walking. I made excellent progress down hill and only had to step off the road twice for cars from the summit right down to the sealed part of the road. It was raining the whole time and I only got to remove my jacket once I was down on the flat and heading into Little River itself. 

View of Rod Donald Hut site from Western Valley Road

Descending a wet Western Valley Road to Little River

I passed a whole plantation of dead trees just before Rod Donald Hut....these are on the Rod Donald Reserve and have been poisoned as the trust looks to remove all exotic plants from their land. I am kind of surprised they didn't just let them grow and then sell the timber for a bucket of cash but you can see where they are coming from....

Poisoned exotic trees at the Rod Donald Reserve, Western Valley Road

The driveway up to Rod Doanald Hut is still in existence about 30 minutes walk from the summit of Port Levy Saddle...this is a potential access point if you are staying in the hut and want to drop off some supplies or people. Be warned though...the driveway is long and really steep so you are only doing them a very slight favour...

Start of the Rod Donald Hut driveway on Western Valley Road

There was a mob of sheep outside one of the shearing sheds about half way down Western Valley Road waiting to get rid of their wool coats. All of the usable land in this valley has been turned into profitable farms so it was really lucky that the Rod Donald Trust were able to purchase the land they now own. 

Mob of sheep at woolshed on Western Valley Road

Western Valley Road start of the sealed road section to Little River

I meet Karen just as I as walking into the edge of Little River...I was so grateful that she came to collect me as it would have been a long wait for the 2 pm Akaroa bus. My previous partner would not have been so helpful...she would have refused outright or I would have had to pay with hostile silence for a couple of days.  

We stopped at the cafe in the General Store at Little River and had coffee and a bite to eat before heading for home.

On the saddle between Pt. 717 and Pt. 709 on Day one, Te Ara Pataka

So not the trip I had originally planned for this weekend but I still had fun even though I had to bail out half way through. I think I made the right decision to end the tramp at Port Levy Saddle as I'm sure I would have had some difficulties seeing where I was going when I got up on Mt Herbert.

Discretion is always the better part of valor in these situations...I can always go back and do the trip again...not something I can do if dead from hypothermia or a fall. 

View from the top of Mt Herbert in 2021...

Don't let anyone tell you tramping on the Port Hills and Banks Peninsula is boring...there are some cracking tracks there. 

Access: Track starts 100 meters along Okain's Bay Road from Hilltop Tavern overlooking Akaroa Harbor. Montgomery Park Reserve entrance is on the left, very small parking area at entry point. 

Track Times: Main route: 5-6 hours Hilltop to Rod Donald Hut, 2.5 hours Rod Donald to Mt Herbert Shelter, 3-4 hours Mt Herbert Summit to Diamond Harbor, Bail-out option: 2.5 hours Rod Donald Hut to Little River on Western Valley Road

Hut Details: Rod Donald Hut: serviced, 12 bunks, wood burner, water tank, wood shed, toilets: Mt Herbert Shelter: no bunks- day shelter only, water tank, toilet: Packhorse Hut: serviced, 12 bunks, wood burner, water tank, wood shed, toilets, Monument Hut: historic-no stay allowed

Miscellaneous: All huts on DOC Hut booking system, must be booked for overnight visit