Routeburn Track Planning: Food

 

 Preparing for the Routeburn Track: Food

I am off to walk the Routeburn Track in two weeks time and I am starting my final preparations for the trip. I have walked sections of the track in the past but on both occasions big rain events (not uncommon in Fiordland) have scuppered me before I could finish the whole route. 

I made it as far as Howden Hut (1980's-2020) in 2019

I thought it would useful to write a series of blogs about the preparation I undertake before walking a specific Great Walk so this is the first dealing with the food I will be taking on the Routeburn. You burn a lot of calories tramping so hopefully this will be enough to keep me going. 

Conditions the last time I visited the Routeburn Track...

I also intend to write a post about the gear I will taking with me and a brief description of the convoluted transport plan I used to walk the track during Covid.

Food for the Routeburn Track:

I'm walking the Routeburn over three nights/four days which is longer than usual as I am staying one night at Routeburn Flats Hut. All of the main Great Walk huts on this track have gas cookers in them but no pots/pans etc. so you have to take these with you. I have planned a menu that will be quick and easy to prepare so most of the time I will just need hot water. 

Most Great Walk huts have cookers...Perry Saddle Hut

 I will be spending a night at Routeburn Flats, Routeburn Falls and Lake MacKenzie Huts so I will be taking three dinner meals. I will also require breakfast for days 2-4 and lunch and snacks for all four days. All up this comes to about 2.4 kilograms of food which is certainly not lite but also reasonable for 4 days. 

My food rations for the Routeburn Track

I pack my tramping food into 24 hour rations i.e. the way the military receive their rations. Everything I need to survive for 24 hours is packed into a zip-loc bag and the contents are all I have for that period. The advantage of this system is you have an easy to control amount of food for each day, it packs smaller and it is often a lighter option than carrying a big olde sack of loose food. 

A 24 hour ration I used on the Kepler Track in 2021

As this is a multi day trip in Fiordland known for random and extreme changes of weather I will also be taking a days worth of spare food. This is not a full days ration but just some items to cover breakfast and dinner in case I find myself stuck in a hut due to track closures or adverse weather. 

Emergency foods I have used in the past...

I have been lucky so far and never needed to use my emergency food but I would never undertake any trip longer that a day without carrying some. 

Now let us turn to what I will actually be eating each day...

Day one: Routeburn Shelter to Routeburn Flats:

The first day is short with a 2-3 hour walk from the start of the track at Routeburn Shelter to Routeburn Flats Hut. I am starting in Te Anau and using a shuttle bus to get to the Queenstown end of the Routeburn Track. This is so I can leave my car in Te Anau for homeward transport after the tramp.

I am using the Tracknet shuttle to get to Routeburn Shelter

 I will be starting the actual walk some time at 1.30 pm so this has me arriving at the hut around 4-5 pm. If I continued on to Routeburn Falls Hut (as most people do) I would be arriving sometime between 5 and 7 pm as it is another 1.5 hours up the track. I decided in the planning stage that this would be cutting things a little fine...

Day One: Roast Lamb and Vegetables BBC

On the first night I will be having a Backcountry freeze dried meal...in this case the tasty Roast Lamb and Vegetables. I only use single serve freeze dried meals now as I found a larger two person meal was just too much for one person. Added to this is a simmer soup, drinks and chocolate for that day and some snacks and a breakfast meal for the next day. 

I have Instant Grits for breakfast on day two...

Contents of the day one ration are as follows:

BCC Roast Lamb and Vegetables, Trident Chicken Noodle simmer soup, Instant Grits with powdered cheese (breakfast for day two), Snacks for day two (Le Snak, muesli bar, steak bar), Jack Links beef stick, Whitakers Sante bar, Vitafresh (Orange), sugar sachet x 4, salt, pepper, Aquatabs, chux cloth

Weight:790 gm's 

Crackers and tuna fish for lunch on this tramp!!!

Each of these rations includes an accessories pack with a number of universal items including Raro/Vitafresh powder, 3 in 1 coffee, sugar, salt, pepper, Aquatabs (water purification), scrub pad and two freezer bags. 

My meal accessory bag included in every 24 hour ration

These are the standard accessories I include with every ration I make. 

Day Two: Routeburn Flats to Routeburn Falls:

Day two of my Routeburn tramp is a very short day...the track between Routeburn Flat & Routeburn Falls is only 1.5 hours. I will spend a goodly amount of the day exploring around the hut with a trip up to the nearby falls. I should have my pick of bunks for the night as I will probably be the first person there...

Day two: Beef Stroganoff BBC

Contents of the day two ration are as follows:

BCC Beef Stroganoff, Knorr Corn and Chicken simmer soup, porridge with milk powder/fruit/nuts (breakfast for day three), Snacks for day three (Le Snak, Nougat bar, nut mix), Jack Links beef stick, Whitakers Sante bar, Vitafresh (Orange), sugar sachet x 4, salt, pepper, aquatabs, chux cloth

Weight:760 gm's 

My food rations for the second day...

I have the Jack Links beef stick with breakfast to up my intake of protein in the morning. Porridge, bread, cereal and grits have plenty of carbohydrates and sugars but bugger all protein so you need to supplement it. Protein is the long release source of energy in your diet and you will not perform well if you are lacking in it. 

Day three: Routeburn Falls to Lake Mackenzie:

Day three is the longest on this trip and is a 5-6 hour walk up and over Harris Saddle, along the Hollyford Face and down to the hut at Lake MacKenzie. It is through some rugged alpine terrain and is the most picturesque section of this track. I will probably have lunch at Harris Saddle Shelter which is about 2-2.5 hours into the walk. 

Day three: Mediterranean Cous-Cous for diner

I have Mediterranean Cous-Cous for dinner that night...a flavored cous-cous packet with some dried vegetables, tuna fish and herbs and spices added. Cous-cous is a fantastic tramping food...lite, compact, easy to prepare but you do get sick of it after a while. The key is to give it a flavor kick with soup powder, stock cubes, olive oil, salt and pepper. 

...a BBC Muesli and Yogurt for breakfast...

Contents of the day three ration are as follows:

Mediterranean Cous-Cous, tuna sachet (for Cous-Cous), dried vegetables, Knorr Chicken Noodle soup, BCC Muesli with Yoghurt (breakfast for day four), Snacks for day four (Le Snak, muesli bar, nut mix), Haneff pate (lunch day four), Jack Links steak bar, Whitakers Sante bar, Vitafresh (Passionfruit), sugar sachet x 4, salt, pepper, aquatabs, chux cloth, scrubbing pad

Weight:410 gm's 

Day four: Lake Mackenzie to the Divide Shelter:

The last day is another big one with the climb up out of Lake MacKenzie and the trip to Lake Howden and then out to the Milford Highway. In the past you could have shortened the day with a stay at Howden Hut but alas it is no more. A landslip took it out back in early 2020...it is a damn shame as it was an awesome wee hut. DOC have no plans to replace it as there is no safe land in the immediate vicinity to build a new hut. 

Interior of the now removed Howden Hut back in 2019

I have a Backcountry muesli and yogurt pack for breakfast on the last day and will stop for lunch at the temporary shelter DOC have installed near the old Howden Hut site. I have some pate and crackers set aside for this meal and a instant soup.

My snacks for the last day of the Routeburn tramp

If I am able to get to Lake Howden then I will be able to walk off the Routeburn under my own steam. I can tuck into my emergency rations while I am waiting for the shuttle to arrive at the Divide Shelter. There are multiple seating areas, water and toilets available there.  

Emergency Rations:

So as mention previously I will be carrying some emergency rations on this tramp...partially as it is in storm prone Fiordland but also I have prior experience of the vagaries of tramping down south. Stuff happens that can make forward progress impossible. It is not a lot of food...just enough to relieve the misery of being stuck in a hut for an additional day. 

Pack four: emergency food for the Routeburn

I pack these emergency rations using the same method as the main ones but at least these fit in a medium zip-loc bag. I would also have some teabags and any other left over food to supplement this...

...my emergency rations for the Routeburn Track...

My emergency rations will be:

BCC Cheesy Chicken Mash, Instant oats, Trident Thai Noodle soup, Vitafresh (Orange)

Weight: 410 gm's

All of my food is carried in a yellow 13 liter sil-nylon dry bag...yellow is my color code for food items. Keeping your food in a larger bag makes it easier to find, easier to store and can protect the rest of your gear from accidental spillages. 

My 13 liter food bag from Sea to Summit...

I carry a 30 cm long piece of para cord in the bottom of this bag in case I need to hang my food bag in a hut with a rodent problem. If you are in a hut with rodents you have to remove all food from your pack or they will eat right through it to get to the goodies. 

Not an urban myth...I have seen it happen before!!!

Breakdown of some food accessories...

I carry a few additions to the basic ration load out so lets take a look at these.

 First up are the snacks I have for the first day of the track i.e. walking into Routeburn Flats. They are packed in a separate bag and will be easily accessible in my pack lid. I take 2-4 snacks per day on all my tramps...I try to keep these lite and packed with energy so cheese, muesli bars, jerky, dried fruit, nuts and chocolate. 

Day one snack's: muesli bar, Le Snak, nut mix...

I have a 3 in 1 coffee with my breakfast but the rest of the time I drink Earl Grey tea as a hot beverage. My favorite brand is Chanui and I will carry at least 3 teabags for each of the days I am tramping plus some spares. I do take other teas on occasion but Chanui is the one I like the most. 

Chanui Earl Grey for me thanks!!!

I also carry some Aquatabs for water purification...water at Great Walk huts is normally fine to drink from the taps BUT caution is always good. Additionally I might refill a water bottle from a stream or lake enroute and it needs to be treated before I drink it. I have a water filter but it is easily damaged by cold conditions so not good for an alpine area like this. 

I carry Chanui Earl Grey Tea and Aquatabs

I like soup before dinner and have taken to carrying packets of simmer soup for this purpose. My go to brands are Trident, Knorr and Continental. I usually enjoy these about an hour before my main meal to add some extra calories, salt and warming liquids to my tramping diet. Soup will beef up your nutritional intake for little extra weight or bulk. 

Simmer soups brands I will be carrying...Knorr and Trident

 I also carry packets of instant soup (Cup-O-Soup) with me for lunch breaks, rest breaks or as a pick me up on a cold day. They are easy to make...you just add boiled water and sipping one will make your lunch breaks more enjoyable. They are also excellent as emergency food as they are lite and take up little space. 

The mixed instant soup kit I carry...multiple flavors

I carry these soups in a separate bag which sits in the lid of my pack where they are easy to get to if required...

My cook kit on this trip...

I will be taking a lighter version of my standard cooking kit with me on the tramp including my Toaks cooking pot and Firemaple stove. All the main huts on the Routeburn have gas cookers but I like to carry my cooking kit for emergencies and for on trail tea/soup breaks. 

My standard cook kit...Great Walk edition

My cook kit will have the follow items in it:

Toaks 1.3 liter titanium pot, Firemaple TI stove, plastic Sea to Summit Delta mug, TI fork and spoon, Victorinox folding knife, 110gm gas cannister, lighter, carry bags

If I have enough water I will brew up for lunch at Harris Saddle Shelter, Lake Howden Shelter and at the end of the track. I only need a small 110 gm gas cannister for these occasions. 

I finish at the Divide Shelter on the Milford Highway

So that is the food I will be taking with me on the Routeburn Track. I may swap out one of the Backcountry meals for some Mac and Cheese as that is another meal I really like on trail. Apart from that this is the menu I will run with...

Routeburn Track Planning: Transport

 Planning transport for the Routeburn Track

My second Great Walk tramp for the 2021/2022 summer season is coming up in two weeks time. As mentioned before I will be walking the Routeburn Track the last of the existing Great Walks I have yet to complete. I'm waiting to walk the Hump Ridge Track when it becomes a new Great Walk at the end of this year. 

NB: I just read an article over the weekend that DOC are starting work on track upgrades and the new hut on the Humpridge Track in the next month....

Te Waewae Bay from the Humpridge Track...2023 anyone?

I have previously been to both ends of the Routeburn Track but have yet to walk the section from Routeburn Flats to Lake Howden as my last attempt on the track was rained out by a massive storm system. I am hoping that this time I finish the track so I can "..knock the bugger off..." as a certain man once said. 

Direction of travel:

The Routeburn Track runs from near Lake Wakatipu to the Milford Road so if you are walking the whole track you will be undertaking a crossing of several mountain ranges. Obviously this means you have two termini for the tramp and a choice of directions to walk in.

The Routeburn runs through the Alisa and Humboldt Ranges

The standard route is to start at the Routeburn Shelter in Mt Aspiring NP and walk east to west over the mountains to the Divide Shelter. Probably 80% of trampers will be heading in this direction as it is arguably the easier way to cross the mountains in between the two points. Starting from the Routeburn Shelter end means you have to get there usually from Queenstown.

Routeburn Shelter at the Queenstown end of the track

It is perfectly possible to walk the Routeburn in the opposite direction...start at the Milford Road and walk to the Routeburn Shelter and 20% of people walk this way. Tramping west to east means you have to get to the Divide Shelter on the Milford Road and Te Anau is the starting point for this journey. 

The Divide Shelter on the Milford Road

My last attempt at the Routeburn was from west to east so I thought I would mix it up this time and start at the Routeburn Shelter and head to the Divide Shelter. 

How do I get to the track...?

Once you know which direction you will be walking you need to arrange some form of transport to one or the other ends of the track. The Routeburn is linear (from point to point) so you cannot walk a circuit back to your start point (...unless you walk back along the track but forget about that for now...) so you have to figure out how to get to the start and from the finish.

Routeburn Track profile diagram

You have the usual three methods as found with most tracks in New Zealand. These are; 1. use your own transport, 2. return the way you came, 3. use public transport. Lets start with using your own transport

Use your own transport..

There are roads to both ends of this track so you can just drive yourself to the start of the track. The Milford Road is sealed all the way to the Divide Shelter carpark and there is parking space here for about 100 cars so that is no problem. The road from Glenorchy to the Routeburn Shelter is gravel, rough, winding and remote. You can drive it in a 2 W/D but a 4 W/ D is a better option. 

The Divide carpark holds about 100 cars...

If you are happy to do this then your transport problems are solved. Just make sure you totally fill your car before leaving Te Anau or Queenstown and thoroughly lock your car to deter people breaking into it. Both of these carparks are remote and there are occasional instances of vandalism of cars and theft but this is a long way from any larger town so the Bogan factor is less here that say Arthurs Pass or Lewis Pass. 

Remote SH94 runs from Te Anau to Milford Sound

The problem is what to do when you finish the track? Your car will be 32 kilometers away over the mountains. One solution is to use a car relocation service to bring your car from one end to the other. There are several companies doing this for the Fiordland Tracks so have a look online. It can often be eye wateringly expensive as the two road ends are nearly 300 kilometers apart but it can be done.

 

The Routeburn Shelter road end...

You could do a key swap with parties starting from both ends of the track and exchanging keys mid way along the track but obviously you will need another party. This is not an option for me...

Return the way you came...

Another option is to walk back to your car over the track you have just walked which is a popular option of some tracks like the Heaphy. This would make your tramp a 4-5 day, 65+ kilometer mission but if you have the time, energy and can find a booking when you need then by all means fill your boots...

View up the Hollyford Valley from the Routeburn Track..

One problem with this scheme is that the Routeburn is the most popular of the Great Walks so the chances of getting bookings for four huts/campsites is slim. There is also the weather factor...4-5 days of decent weather is unusual so you could find yourself stranded on the wrong side of the mountains. 

This option is doable but not prime...

Use public transport...

Personally I think using public transport is the best method of access to/from the Routeburn Track. Several companies run trips into the road-ends from both Queenstown and Te Anau. There are multiple trips per day and they are not really that expensive when compared to the other options. You can also drive to one end of the track and use public transport to get to the other end. Environmentally using a shuttle or bus is a much better option than burning a lot of fuel in your own car.

Lake Howden between the Divide and Lake MacKenzie

After a lot of thought and weighing of options I went with public transport to/from both road-ends...for me it was the easiest option.

So...lets have a look at how that is going to work. 

To Queenstown...

I decided early in my planning that I was going to drive down to the start of the track rather than taking a flight or bus. With the rise of Covid these forms of transport have become hazardous and they are often cancelled. As I will have my car with me it made sense to start from Te Anau as that would be my final destination after finishing the track. I can park my car there ready for the drive back to Christchurch.

The Tracknet shuttle starts at the Lakeview Holiday Park

I will be walking the track from the Queenstown end so this means I had to get from TeAnau to Routeburn Shelter using public transport. This is a common way to start the track so there are several companies running services between the two points. I have booked myself on the Tracknet shuttle from Te Anau to Queenstown on the first morning of my tramp. From there I will be catching the regularly scheduled noon shuttle to Routeburn Shelter. 

Tracknet shuttle I used on the Milford Track back in 2018

Tracknet offer a package deal for transport from Te Anau to Routeburn Shelter is $122 in total and will take about 4.5 road hours in total...

From the Divide Shelter...

Walking from east to west means I will arrive at the Divide Shelter on the Milford Road around 1.30 pm on the last day. I would require transport from the western end of the track at the Divide Shelter back to Te Anau about 50 kilometers away. It is obviously too far to walk or hitchhike so I would need public transport at this end as well. 

The Divide end of the Routeburn Track

The easiest option was to book with Tracknet once again so I am scheduled to be on their 3.15pm shuttle from the Divide back to Te Anau. I have used this service a couple of times now and they are the largest transport company in Fiordland so I could be fairly certain that it would still be running. The shuttle starts in Milford Sound and runs through to Te Anau with stops along the way so it must be booked ahead of time. 

Te Anau is my start and finishing point

The shuttle costs $45 from the Divide to Te Anau and takes about an hour as you drive down the Eglington Valley to get back to civilisation. 

Transportation problems solved...!

So...to summarise my transport plan is as follows:

Drive from Christchurch to Te Anau which is where I will be staying before and after the tramp. From Te Anau I use the Tracknet shuttle to Queenstown on the first morning of the trip then at noon I take the scheduled service to the Routeburn Shelter road-end. 

4.5 hours travel time and $122 NZD...

The turn off to Key Summit...a side track of the Routeburn

Once I finish the track I take the Tracknet Shuttle from the Divide Shelter back to Te Anau which is my start point for the drive back to Christchurch. I will be driving back on the Friday which is the day after I finish walking. 

1 hour travel time and $45...

The shelters on Harris Saddle...Routeburn Track

Easy as...all up it will cost about $150 which is not bad compared to a car transfer between the two road-ends which runs to $400-$500 dollars. It just means I have a schedule to keep too and will be sitting in a shuttle for a quite a while. 

Otamahua/Quail Island: Banks Peninsula: 31st January 2022

Back on Banks Peninsula

I went over to Otamahua/Quail Island on the last Sunday of January to walk around the Quail Island Loop Track. It was a fantastic day with sunny skies, little wind and warm temperatures...just right for a visit to the island. 

The Black Cat Ferry terminal at Lyttleton

You get to Quail Island by private boat or on the Black Cat Ferry from Lyttleton. It boards just over the railway bridge off the main entrance to the Port. Tickets are $15 for a child and $30 per adult and bookings are advised as the island is more popular since Covid emerged. There are scheduled sailings to the island at 10.15, 12.30 and 3.30 pm and the last ferry returns from Otamahua at 3.45. 

There is no land access...

Looking out to the Heads of Lyttleton from the ferry

Northern side of Otamahua/Quail Island

There is a jetty on the eastern side of Otamahua where the ferry berths...from here you are free to explore the island. There is a 5.5km track called the Otamahua Loop Track around the outside of the island which can be walked in either direction and this starts right from the jetty.  

The shelter at the Otamahua/Quail Island jetty

Otamahua/Quail Island is administered by DOC

There are also historic buildings, regenerating native forest and a 12 bunk DOC hut on the island. I was here to walk the track and it usually takes from 2-2.5 hours to circumvent the whole island. Administration of Quail Island is a joint concern of DOC and the Otamahua/Quail Island Trust who work in partnership to preserve the historic sites and regenerate the native forest on the island. 

Map: Otamahua/Quail Island

I headed around the island in an anti clockwise direction...I think this is the best way to walk the track as it will eventually deposit you on Wakamaru/Swimmers Beach. Here you can swim, sit in the sun and picnic. I usually stop and have my lunch while I wait for the water taxi to arrive. 

There are signs, markers and arrows pointing the way along the Loop Track but the track network on the island is basic and the ferry office will give you a map when you check in. No need to carry a Topo map or GPS on this tramp...!!!

I am heading right to Otamahua/Quail Island Hut

The first historic building is an old horse quarantine stables used by Wolseley, Shackleton and Scott when they went down to Antarctica. All the early British expeditions to Antarctica used ponies or manpower to haul supplies which is one of the reasons they were so unsuccessful. 

The animals had to be quarantined before heading south...you didn't want to get there and find the ponies had some type of disease that killed them all.  The stable has been restored and there are some interpretive panels to explain what it was used for. There is also an impressive array of old farming equipment next to the stable. 

From the shed you head along the northern edge of the island to Otamahua/Quail Island Hut. 

Old quarantine shed on Otamahua/Quail Island

Quail Island Hut was an old farm cottage that was converted over 2020 into a awesome 12 bunk DOC hut. They have done a magnificent job and is is well utilised by families, youth groups, schools and newbie trampers. The conversion was beautifully sympathetic to the original building and the fit out of the interior is really interesting. 

Worth a look...

Otamahua/Quail Island Hut, Quail Island, Lyttleton Harbor

Interior of the Otamahua/Quail Island Hut

Otamahua Hut is on the DOC hut booking system and must be booked before you visit. It is super popular and is often booked out months in advance especially over weekends, holidays and long weekends. 

Karen and I are keen to stay here some weekend...maybe in mid winter when it will be less crowded. I should probably look at a booking now...mid week would be the best time to stay. 

There is a nice veranda out front...

The Quail Island Loop Track continues past the hut and gradually makes its way around to the south-western side of the island. The track is a wide, well mown strip of grass with some benched track sections where it climbs up and over headlands and ridges. 

It is hideously exposed to all weather conditions so be prepared for hot, cold, wet, dry conditions at all times. At a minimum bring a jacket, warm clothes, lots of water and some food. 

Continuing on the Otamahua/Quail Island Loop Track

The whole northern side of Quail Island is a series of big cliffs up to 80 meters high so it is important that you follow the safety signs and stay on the track. If you are bringing children with you keep them on a super tight leash as the cliffs are abrupt and you wont know you're in trouble until it is too late...

Godley and Adderley Heads from Otamahua/Quail Island

The views of Lyttleton Harbor, the Port Hills and Banks Peninsula are superb with unobstructed views from the Heads of Lyttleton right back to Head of the Bay's, Governors Bay and Gebbies Pass. 

Kayak group off the northern beaches of Otamahua/Quail Island

There are great views of the Port Hills from Otamahua/Quail Island

The center of the island has been replanted in natives trees and understory plants similar to those that once clothed the island. When Europeans arrived in Canterbury they burnt all of the ancient trees off the island so it could be used for grazing land. It is very arid here so the bush has not been able to recover without some significant human intervention. 

There are a series of information panels on Otamahua/Quail Island

Otamahua/Quail Island: native planting area

 The planting has been underway since the early 2000's and the bush is now starting to gain some momentum. The oldest trees are 3-5 meters tall and about 50% of the island has been replanted so far. There are Manuka, Kahikatea, Totora and Rimu planted here so eventually there will be dense forest with scattered 20-40 meter giants...

I wish I could be here to see it but we are talking 200 years in the future!!!

These natives were planted about 10 years ago...Quail Island

The track meanders around the edge of the island passing a number of historic places and natural sites of interest on the way. There are interesting views right the way along the track and it would be worthwhile doing a bit of research before you visit so you understand what you are looking at. 

The Otamahua/Quail Island Loop Track along the northern cliffs

Lyttleton to left & Diamond Harbor to right...

I had my hat on from stepping off the boat as you are exposed to the sun for most of the day and there is precious little shade to be found. You will want to lather yourself with sun screen or you will get burnt to a crisp by the sun. 

Jon on Otamahua/Quail Island, Lyttleton Harbor

The track continues to wind along close to the cliff tops with the occasional side track leading into the interior of the island.  Along the way you pass the site of the first homestead on the island looking out towards Lyttleton and the Port Hills. The Ward brothers were the first run holders on the island and grew grass seed and raised sheep for the young Canterbury colony. 

The old Shacklock oven at the Ward Homestead

All that is left of the homestead is a flat space, some foundations, rusted remains of an old Shacklock oven and a DOC information panel. Tragically the brothers both drowned soon after arrival when they tried to reach Lyttleton in a storm. Over the years the island has been used as a farm, quarantine station, leper colony and prison. It is now a protected historic reserve...

At the old Ward Homestead site, Otamahua/Quail Island

Just past the Ward Homestead you have an excellent view back to the sea cliffs along this side of the island. The rock on these cliffs is very straight edged as it was once a quarry site for rock facings used on many buildings in Lyttleton, Akaroa and Christchurch. You can access the cliffs from a track near the jetty but it is a dangerous area with regular rock fall so take care. 

Sea cliffs on north side of Otamahua/Quail Island

Looking into the center of Otamahua/Quail Island

There are a series of bench seats spaced along the track so you can rest a spell and enjoy the scenery. I stopped at the one just past Wards Homestead and had a snack and drink before continuing on my way. There is a stonking view out to the opening of Lyttleton Harbor from here and it is well worth stopping to enjoy it. 

Otamahua/Quail Island...one of several seats along the track

Snack time on Otamahua/Quail Island...LCM!!!

While you are walking around the island please pay close attention to any warning signs and fences as they are there to protect you. If there is a sign or fence stay on the safe side of it as they often mark bluffs, cliffs and steep hillsides. People have injured themselves on the island over the years but only when they did not take heed of the warnings...

Fences like this mark large cliffs on Otamahua/Quail Island

Otamahua/Quail Island...another of the seats along the track

Recent planting on Otamahua/Quail Island

There is a good view of Mt Sugarloaf from the island...it is obvious due to the TV antenna clearly visible on the crest. For those of us who make Christchurch our home it is a constant companion sitting there atop the Port Hills. I used to be able to see it out the kitchen window at my old home every morning...

Sugarloaf from Otamahua/Quail Island

The track passes over a high point on the south western edge of the island and you can see over the center of the island. The native planting is very clear and you can also see the many tracks heading in all directions. There are several paths which will take you to the islands high point and the easiest access is from the north side of the island. 

The center of Otamahua/Quail Island is low forest

Heading to the Western side of Otamahua/Quail Island

Bright sun and heavy shadows...Otamahua/Quail Island

There is an old clay stock water dam along the track on the southern side of the island and it is worth stopping to have a look. They blocked off the end of a gully and water backs up behind the dam every time it rains. It was restored back in the early 2000's and provided scarce water supplies for stock on this naturally very arid island. 

There are Californian Quail on the island....

At the Stock Water Dam on Otamahua/Quail Island

The half way point of the Otamahua Loop Track is just past the clay dam and is marked by a sign high above one of the small bays scattered around the island. It is roughly 2.5 km's each way from here to the jetty...

Half way along the Otamahua/Quail Island Loop Track

Near to the half way point of the track is an old ships graveyard on what has always unofficially been known as Shipwreck Bay. These are a number of old hulks that were towed around here after the ship in question was no longer useful. Most of them are small coastal ships but there is also a 1500 ton bark called the SS Dara and an old military motor torpedo boat from the early 20th century.

SS Dara at the Otamahua/Quail Island ships graveyard

The wrecks look like they have been here for centuries but the SS Dara was only decommissioned in 1951 so actually these hulks were towed her in the 1940's-1950's in some cases. There are about 7-8 visible at high tide and another 2-3 become visible at low tide. 

There are a dozen hulks at the Graveyard

There is a information panel next to the track above the bay with lots of interesting information about the wrecks. You used to be able to climb down to the bay but DOC discourages this now as people keep climbing on the hulks and damaging them. This is a registered historic place so it is actually like a archeological location and should be used with care. 

Shipwreck information on Otamahua/Quail Island

From the southern side of the island you can see up to the Head of Bays, Gebbies Pass and the Gebbies Peninsula. The Gebbies were one of the early settler families (here in the 1830's) and at one time they owned all the land between Governors Bay and Port Cooper out near Adderley Head. 

Gebbies Pass is the route most residents of Diamond Harbor, Purau and Port Levy take to get to Christchurch as it is a low point along the Port Hills. Over the winter the pass is often the only way to get to Christchurch as they get savage frosts on Dyers Pass Road. 

Looking to Gebbies Pass from Otamahua/Quail Island

There is a path to the island's interior on this side of the island but I had another track in mind on the eastern side of the island so continued on...

One of several tracks to the interior of Otamahua/Quail Island

The eastern side of the island starts with a long peninsula of land facing towards Mt Herbert and Mt Bradley. There is a long beach along both sides of the peninsula and it is possible to walk down to the sandy beach on the southern side of the peninsula. The Loop Track keeps meandering along high above the beach as it heads towards Wakamaru/Swimmers Beach.

 

View of the eastern side of Otamahua/Quail Island

Moepuku Point is the closest mainland to Quail Island and juts out from the beginning of Banks Peninsula around the Orton Bradley Estate. At low tide the only thing that separates the mainland and the island is a small channel and some mud flats. People used to walk across the mudflats to the mainland but it is now all on private land so there is no access. 

Moepuku Point from Otamahua/Quail Island

Distant Mt Herbert/Mt Bradley from Otamahua/Quail Island

There is a side track on this side of the island which heads up to the highest point on Otamahua. There is a small clearing on the top with some plaques, a totem like carving and expansive views over the whole of Lyttleton Harbor. You must go to the high point while on the island to see the views...

Track to summit of Otamahua/Quail Island

Here are a series of photos showing the awesome views from the summit which at 441 meters a.s.l is not massive but high enough to see right around the island...

Mt Herbert from Otamahua/Quail Island summit

Gebbies Peninsula from Otamahua/Quail Island summit

Lyttleton Township from Otamahua/Quail Island

Port Hills from Otamahua/Quail Island summit

Lyttleton Heads from Otamahua/Quail Island summit

The pole at the top of the island was carved by a local Maori artist and is meant to symbolize the role Otamahua played as a food source to the local Iwi. Maori did not live on the island permanently but it was a seasonal source of birds, shellfish, fish and medicinal plants. 

Pou Whenua on Otamahua/Quail Island

I sat in the shade of the Pou for about 10 minutes and then headed back down to the track and continued on my way to Swimmers Beach. It was quite warm by this stage...in the high 20's with little cloud or wind.

On the track down to south side of Otamahua/Quail Island

As you continue to this end of the island you pass above the sandy bay (...I know it has a name but cannot find it anywhere online...). Up to the late 1940's it was a source of shells for fertilizer and lime for cement. There was a local family who gathered it and shipped it over to Christchurch for processing for nearly 100 years. 

The shells are washed up the Harbor by the tides and come to rest along the beach in massive banks. 

Southern side of Otamahua/Quail Island from the Loop Track

One use of the island in the past was as a leper colony...leprousy was a scourge in the South Pacific and many islanders were affected by this ancient disease. It was highly infectious and there was a real social stigma attached to it. Lepers had to be quarantined from other people for safety reasons...before antibiotics were developed sufferers eventually died from the disease. 

Only one leper actually died on the island...Ivon Skelton lived here from his early teens until his death at 32 in the late 1920's. He was buried on the island but his grave was lost over the years as it was not marked in any way. In the late 1990s a team of archeologists tried to locate his remains but were unsuccessful so a memorial cross was erected close to the area he was buried. 

Grim history indeed....

Ivon Skelton's grave on Otamahua/Quail Island

Once you round the peninsula you are looking out over Wakamaru/Skinners Bay where there are a couple of nice swimming beaches, toilets and a nice grass backed beach for picnics. The water is a lovely azure color on this side of the island as it is shallow and there are sandy flats under the water. You are heading for the white building on the far side of the bay which is right next to the main beach.

First view of Wakamaru/Swimmers Beach

Southern side of Wakamaru Bay, Otamahua/Quail Island

The main leper colony was on the southern end of the bay and there is a replica of a leper cottage perched on a flat area above the bay. The lepers each had a small cottage with furniture, books, cooking facilities, personal possessions etc. so more or less the same as any person of the time. They just couldn't leave the island...

Replica leper cottage on Otamahua/Quail Island

The last lepers left the island in the early 1930's and were relocated to an island off the coast of Fiji. The disease still exists...but with the invention of penicillin and other antibiotics in the 1940's leprosy became a manageable condition.

The replica Leper Cottage was built in 2009

Information about Leper Colony on Otamahua/Quail Island

There is a nice stone retaining wall right next to the replica leper cottage constructed in the late 19th century by convicts. Prison back at the turn of the century was not easy...it was hard physical labor and convicts were used to build many things around Christchurch including roads, walls, tunnels and wharves. Most of Lyttleton was built using convict labor.....

Retaining wall built by 19th century convicts, Otamahua/Quail Island

There are two beaches on this side of the island the first being Skiers Beach at the southern end of Swimmers Bay. There is a nice sandy beach here with toilets, water and a nice grassy embankment at the rear of the beach. This is the more shaded and quieter of the two beaches. 

Skiers Beach on Otamahua/Quail Island

The Otamahua/Quail Island Loop Track above Skiers Beach

The main beach is Wakamaru/Swimmers Beach which is the hub of most activity on the island. It is the largest piece of flat land on Otamahua and at one stage was a quarantine area for new arrivals to Canterbury Province.  The bay is very shallow and you can wade off the beach in waist deep water for about a hundred meters so it is the best place to swim.

Wakamaru/Swimmers Beach, Otamahua/Quail Island

Great view of Mt Herbert/Mt Bradley from Wakamaru

There is a large expanse of flat, grassy ground behind the beach and there is plenty of space for people to lay in the sun, picnic and generally hang out with family and friends. It was busy the day I was there as it was the last weekend before school started for 2022. There were about 10 boats out on the water including sailing boats, jet skis, kayaks and power boats. 

Looking east along Swimmers Bay, Otamahua/Quail Island

I had about an hour and a half before the ferry arrived so I sat on the warm grass and tucked into my lunch which was tuna, crackers, some snacks and some Vitafresh. It was nice sitting there in the sun looking out over the water and Karen and I have been here a couple of times now. 

My lunch on Otamahua/Quail Island

I had my Vaude Brenta 45 pack with me

Directly across the water you can see the eastern side of Lyttleton Harbor and both Mt Herbert and Mt Bradley were on clear display. I have climbed both of these peaks before...Mt Herbert many times and Mt Bradley once. You have great views of Otamahua from the top of both as well as all of the Canterbury Plains on a clear day. 

In between is the verdant green bush of the Orton Bradley Estate and this whole side of the Harbor is destined to become a new recreation park now it has been purchased by a group lead by the Rod Donald Trust. 

There is excellent swimming at Wakamaru over the summer

Quarantine barracks at Swimmers Beach, Otamahua/Quail Island

It takes about 10-15 minutes to walk back around to the Otamahua jetty and I set off about 40 minutes before the ferry was due to arrive at the dock. You continue along the shore of Swimmers Bay to a point on the eastern side of the island where you climb a short slope back up to the Loop Track. 

Several yachts were anchored at Swimmers Bay

Flat bottom homemade raft at Swimmers Bay, Otamahua

Looking back along a crowded Swimmers Beach

The jetty is around this point...Otamahua/Quail Island

View of Wakamaru/Swimmers Bay from the track

Along the way you pass some piles from an old jetty which was removed by DOC two years ago as it was dangerously decrepit. When the island was used as a sheep station the farmer used the dock to load the animals onto a boat for transport to the mainland. The only thing it is good for now is as a resting place for the Gulls and Terns who live around the island. 

Old stock jetty...Otamahua/Quail Island

Terns making themselves at home on the piles, Otamahua/Quail Island

The climb up and over to the jetty is short but steep...it is about 300 meters in total or five minutes walk. You climb up to the junction of the Loop Track and then walk downhill to the same jetty where you started the day. 

The last section of the Otamahua/Quail Island Loop Track

...turn right for Otamahua/Quail Island jetty...

...downhill to the Otamahua/Quail Island jetty...

From the track you can see Hays Bay and Charteris Bay over on the eastern side of Lyttleton Harbor. When I was younger there were less than a dozen houses around those bays but as land prices have risen more and more homes have been built there. There is now an almost continuous strip of housing from Purau to Charteris Bay...

Hays and Charteris Bays from Otamahua/Quail Island

There is a day shelter off a side track near the jetty and it provides cover while you wait for the ferry to arrive. There is space inside for about 30 people but no water or toilets so use the facilities at the Otamahua Hut or at Swimmers Beach before heading here. 

Turn off to Quail Day Shelter, Otamahua/Quail Island

Otamahua/Quail Island Shelter near the jetty

 You have a clear line of sight to the jetty so you can sit inside and only head down as the ferry maneuvers into place. Across the Harbor you can see Diamond Harbor and out to Mt Evans in the far distance. Mt Evans is about the fifth highest peak on Banks Peninsula...

Otamahua/Quail Island jetty from the shelter

A distant Diamond Harbor from Otamahua/Quail Island jetty

I walked down to wait for the ferry near the jetty and took the opportunity to take some photos of the jetty and back towards the day shelter. It was a bit breezy down there so I had to put my jacket on for the first time that day. I love the color of the water on this side of the island it varies from azure to turquoise to blue/grey. 

Amazing...

View across to Moepuku Peninsula from the jetty

Diamond Harbor and Mt Evans from Otamahua/Quail Island jetty

The last ferry for the day arrives at 3.30 pm and if you miss it your will be on the island for the rest of the night as there is no other way to get back to the mainland. If you are coming over to stay at Otamahua/Quail Island Hut then this is probably the service you want to use to give you time to settle into the hut before dark. It was busy on the way back to Lyttleton and I think we had a full compliment on board. 

Black Cat Ferry arrives at Otamahua/Quail Island

The Black Cat Ferry hold about 40 people

Goodbye Otamahua/Quail Island...

A visit to Otamahua/Quail Island is a great day tramp and I can thoroughly recommend it as a worthwhile destination. It is excellent as a family trip or dare I say it date with your significant other. Make sure you book the ferry and take enough clothing, food and water to sustain you for the day. 

Access: Water taxi from Lyttleton, the trip takes 15 minutes ($15 child, $30 adult), Black Cat Cruises are the operator, tickets are available on line and bookings are recommended. 

Track Times:  5.5 km's or 2-3  hours from jetty to jetty

Hut Details: Otamahua/Quail Island Hut: 12 bunks, wood burner, water tank, wood shed, toilets

Miscellaneous: The hut is on the DOC booking system, must be booked for overnight visit. Drinking water is available from the hut, take only what you need

You Tube Link: Otamahua/Quail Island