A visit to Rod Donald Hut

...a return to Te Ara Pataka...

Last weekend I went for a trip to the Rod Donald Hut on Banks Peninsula a nice short tramp over a couple of hours.

I love tramping on the Port Hills and Banks Peninsula there are a lot of excellent tracks and with the hill climbing it makes for good practice for longer and more difficult tracks in the mountains. Rod Donald is an awesome hut and well worth the short trip to get there. It makes a really excellent first hut stay for families and ties into the Summit Walkway aka Te Ara Pataka.

Rod Donald Hut (2015), Banks Peninsula

Every Christchurch based tramper should go for a trip to Rod Donald or better yet walk the Te Ara Pataka...a 1-3 day track from Hilltop Tavern to Gebbies Pass. 

Anyway....onto the trip.....

Port Levy Saddle to Rod Donald Hut:

Your walk to Rod Donald Hut starts and finishes at the carpark on Port Levy Saddle between Little River and Port Levy. 

At the Port Levy Saddle carpark

The car park is a relatively safe place to park your car overnight as it is at the end of a long, narrow gravel road in a quiet corner of the country. I would make sure you lock up securely and stow any valuables out of sight because temptation is always there. 

I have parked here three times overnight and never had a problem.

Silver surfer parked looking out to Port Levy

You can access the tracks to both Rod Donald Hut and Mt Herbert from here, it is 1-1.5 hours to the hut and 2.5 hours to the summit of Mt Herbert. The track to Mt Herbert is on the Christchurch side of the saddle, there is a DOC track sign there and poles and markers are plentiful along the 5 km distance to the summit. Note that this track closes between September and mid October for lambing...

Te Ara Pataka track to Mt Herbert

This is just one of the six ways you can access the summit of Mt Herbert all of which I have walked at various times over the years. I'm planning a trip up here soon as the last time I came through in 2016 it was raining heavily so I couldn't take any photos of the track. 

Te Ara Pataka goes across farmland

To get to the Port Levy Saddle you head along SH75 from Christchurch to Little River and then drive the 7 km's up Western Valley Road to the car park on the Port Levy Saddle. There is a large car park here where one can park overnight if required. 

Western Valley road is gravel for most of the way

On this trip I decided to walk down Western Valley Road to the old driveway up to Rod Donald Hut. You can access the hut from this driveway and it makes an interesting loop track rather than following the same route into and away from the hut. 

On ?Western Valley road heading for Rod Donald Hut

...exposed to the sun so wear a sun hat...

The road is lined on both sides with regenerating native bush so it is shaded for about half the distance down to the hut. There are a variety of different grasses, shrubs and trees you would find in the Coastal Podocarp forest that once covered these hills. 

Native bush lines the side of Western Valley Road

The local council keeps the brush away from the road

Mix of tres, shrubs and flaxes on Western Valley Road

It is easy walking along the road and the 2.2 kilometers down to the driveway pass quickly...it will take around 30 minutes to cover the distance. There are excellent views of the surrounding hills and down to Western Valley and the approaches to Little River Settlement. 

Jon on the way to Rod Donald Hut

View across to the hills along Western Valley

The distant Bossu Ridge above Little River

View back up towards Port Levy Saddle

Western Valley from the Western Valley Road

You can clearly see the hut as you come back down Western Valley Road, it is at the apex of the zig-zag driveway pictured below. My understanding is that the driveway will be removed once the bush regenerates on this spur, leaving it cut off from road access. The driveway has a locked gate at the bottom just after leaving the access road.

The trust have started to plant on the slopes around and below the hut, eventually it will all be native bush.

Looking to distant Rod Donald Hut

Waipuna Saddle is directly ahead

...surface of the Western Valley road on Banks Peninsula...

Western Valley Road is the main route from Little River and Akaroa to Port Levy so it can actually be quite a busy road. You need to keep an eye and ear out for oncoming traffic and always walk so that traffic will be able to see you. I tended to walk on the right side of the road so it is easier to see around the corners....

I'm having a rest in the shade on Western Valley Road

The driveway at Rod Donald Hut becomes clearer

You descend a surprising distance from Waipuna Saddle, probably 200 meters of altitude at least, but the road is easy to follow and not too steep. It is 2.2 kilometers from the saddle down to the driveway at Rod Donald Hut...

Western Valley Road drops down to Little River

Closer view of the driveway at Rod Donald Hut

A van descends down Western Valley Road from the saddle

Another stellar view to the Western Valley

Less than 500 meters to Rod Donald Hut

One of the plants I spotted growing along the roadside is Ongaonga a type of native thistle with neuro toxin filled spikes on it. Stay away from Ongaonga as the fine hairs on the plant cause an excruciating stinging pain if you touch or brush up against it. 

Ongaonga growing in the drain on Western Valley Road

Ongaonga is endemic to Banks Peninsula

It is quite a nice walk down the road from the saddle and certainly more enjoyable than trying to walk up it. If you are coming here try to walk early in the morning or late afternoon to avoid the worst of the daytime heat coming off that gravel. 

Western Valley Road winds up to the saddle

Last corner before the driveway at Rod Donald Hut

Water runoff along Western Valley Road

Newly planted native trees near Rod Donald Hut

The hut still has a driveway down to Western Valley Road, you can use this for access if you like though there is no parking allowed on the drive. If you wanted a loop track you can drop your car at Port Levy Saddle, walk down Western Valley Road to the driveway and then return via Waipuna Saddle and Te Ara Pataka.

Start of the Rod Donald Hut driveway

On the Rod Donald Hut driveway

Climbing up the Rod Donald Hut driveway

The Rod Donald Trust have started extensive planting on the slopes surrounding the hut, this is going to be a stunning area of native bush in about 20-25 years with a range of three story species endemic to the Peninsula.

Typical replanted tree around Rod Donald Hut

On the Rod Donald Hut driveway

Hillside replanted with native trees at Rod Donald Hut

Rod Donald Hut is an old farm that the Banks Peninsula Trust brought and converted into a nature reserve and trampers hut. Their purview is to improve recreational opportunities on Banks Peninsula through the regeneration of the existing Summit Walkway aka Te Ara Pataka. 

The hut itself sits inside a 100 hectare section which is gradually being replanted with native trees.

Top of the driveway at Rod Donald Hut

First part of the hut you get to is the wood shed, there are some good tips for chopping wood which is necessary now that most of us never light a fire in our home. Will the ability to light a fire become a "lost art"? Judging by some of the ham fisted attempts I've seen in other DOC huts it is already an arcane one. 

There is a good supply of wood in the shed, and the stove is an old but super efficient pot belly.

I arrive at the Rod Donald Hut site

The toilet at Rod Donald Hut is a fancy composting one made in France. The dry and wet waste is automatically separated and processed to make it safe. The solid waste is eventually used as fertilizer in the surrounding bush once it has had time to break down. 

Fancy composting toilet at Rod Donald Hut

The hut is a nine bunk design based on the old farm house, it has all the usual amenities; water tanks, toilets, living and cooking space. As much as possible environmental principles have been followed so it has composting toilets, solar lighting and the grey water from the hut is used to water the nearby regenerating forest.

Front view of Rod Donald Hut on Banks Peninsula

Rod Donald was a Green Party MP and dedicated environmentalist who lived on Banks Peninsula. He was deeply involved in the work of the Banks Peninsula Trust and passionate about his home turf. After his untimely death in 2005 the Trust decided to to dedicate the hut in his name...I think it is a deeply fitting honor.

Front entrance to Rod Donald Hut

Bunkroom is upstairs at Rod Donald Hut

This hut only opened in October 2015 and is the next step in a long term plan to develop a series of multi day tramps on Banks Peninsula. Here is a Christchurch Press article which discusses the new hut and the Rod Donald Trust who own the hut.

Stairs to the rear entrance at Rod Donald Hut

View from the veranda at Rod Donald Hut

Outdoors sink and bench at Rod Donald Hut

Both Packhorse and Rod Donald are now on the DOC hut booking system, this is an excellent idea as it will ensure you have a place to sleep at the end of your tramp. It is a very reasonable $15 per night and all the funds go towards the upkeep of the huts and the Summit Walkway. I envision that this will become the first overnight stay for many new trampers over the years to come.

Rod Donald Hut: information panel

More information in the bunkroom at Rod Donald Hut

The interior of the hut is classic DOC style...this hut has nine bunks in the upstairs room as well as another two potential bunks downstairs. 

Nine bunks in the bunkroom at Rod Donald Hut

Here is a awesome idea...each of the bunks has a plastic water bottle holder attached to the wall next to the bunk. This is an idea that would work in other DOC huts around the country. 

Each bunk has a water-bottle holder at Rod Donald Hut

There is a rear entrance to the downstairs part of the hut on the eastern end of the building. There is a small mud room where you can leave your boots and wet clothing and there is a huge box of old newspapers here for lighting the fire with. 

Rear entrance to Rod Donald Hut

Rod Donald Hut...mud room is beyond the door

 There is a lot of information inside the hut about the Banks Peninsula Trust, the hut, the native bush restoration, Te Ara Pataka and Rod Donald.

The mud room at Rod Donald Hut

There are two dining tables with benches downstairs, the seats by the windows are also bunks with their own mattresses. There is a wet boot room off the dining area and lots of bench space for people to prepare their meals on. 

I really like the feel of the place...it has quite high ceilings so it is light, fresh and airy even after seven years of hard use.

Rod Donald Hut: dining area

The kitchen and general areas of the hut have been well thought out, they are colorful, have plenty of space and great views of Little River and Western Valley from every window. The two cooking areas are awesome as the hut is big enough to hold two groups at the same time. 

Living space at Rod Donald Hut

Rod Donald Hut has solar lighting

Kitchen area at Rod Donald Hut

The views from the hut down to Little River and Western Valley are magnificent, it is a real pleasure to just sit and look down on the valley as you sup a hot drink or eat a meal. It was a inspired idea to buy the old farm house for use as a hut.

View to Little River from Rod Donald Hut

There is a useful map of the Te Ara Pataka track network on one of he walls. Eventually the trust hopes to use some paper roads from Hilltop south to Birdlings Flats to make this a 5 day tramp right across the hills of Banks Peninsula.

Presently you can walk all the way from Hilltop Tavern to Gebbies Pass. Eventually it will be linked to the new Head to Head Track that will one day go right around Lyttelton Harbor from Godley Head to Adderley Head. At present you can walk from Gebbies Pass up and along the Crater Rim Walkway to Godley Head and from there to Sumner. The other side of the track is now under construction. 

DOC track network on Banks Peninsula

I ate my lunch in the hut and had a bit of a rest and a poke around then packed up my gear and started back to my car and the drive back to Christchurch. Karen and I are both keen to come stay here for a night or two or possibly walk the Te Ara Pataka track with a stay here and at Packhorse Hut.

Jon at Rod Donald Hut on Banks Peninsula

...my lunch of sandwiches, chips and Iced Tea...

P.S: I stopped at Little River to get a cold drink and while there I checked out the food in the café attached to the store. They wanted $12.00 for a steak and cheese pie, $14.00 with salad on the side! A basic ham sandwich on white bread was $8.00! 

That is just atrocious...obviously priced for the massive numbers of tourists who pass by on the way to Akaroa.

The wildly over priced Little River Café

Western Valley and Little River from Rod Donald Hut

I was at Rod Donald Hut on the day Queen Elizabeth II passed so I wrote a note in the hut intentions book. Hopefully other trampers over the next couple of days did likewise around the country. These hut books are archived by DOC so it gives context to the news, views and various gripes about the track, hut and weather....

Information on hut etiquette at Rod Donald hut

There is even a handy set of instructions on how to use a wood burner on the wall next to the stove. Lots of thoughtful ideas have gone into this gem of a hut....

Instructions for lighting the pot bellied stove

They have a cracker of a pot belly stove in the hut, there is normally plenty of firewood as there is road access to the hut. When I visited the firewood shed was half full of lovely dry Macrocarpa and some pine cuts.

Awesome pot bellied fire at Rod Donald Hut

My Vaude Brenta 45 pack at Rod Donald Hut

After chatting with the family staying in the hut that night and eating my lunch I headed back to the carpark for the trip home. You have to climb back up to the walkway from the hut but I found the climb surprisingly easy, the camber and state of the track make for good walking. 

The woodshed at Rod Donald Hut

...goodbye Rod Donald Hut...

View down towards Little River from Rod Donald Hut site

There are a set of instructions on the wood shed to show newbie trampers how to cut wood to the right shape, size and type. This might seem like overkill but very few people have a fire in their homes now so most younger folks do not know how to build a fire.

Woodshed at Rod Donald Hut

Instructions for cutting firewood...Rod Donald Hut

It is only 2.4 kms from Rod Donald Hut to the carpark or about 1-1.5 hours walking time, the gradient is mostly very easy the only semi steep section is from near the hut to Waipuna Saddle and even that is relatively benign.

Setting out for the journey back to Port Levy Saddle

The Banks Peninsula Trust are trying to get some roading metal dumped along the track to the hut as all the feet are turning it into a muddy mess. They have a pile of full canvas carry bags by the woodshed...grab a bag and dump it on the track in a place where it is muddy.

Eventually many hands will accomplish the task...

Bags of roading metal for the Rod Donald Track

I slide a couple of the bags up the track and deposited the gravel in a muddy track section. Eventually it will mean the track will be covered with road metal and much easier to walk along. Once you dump your gravel make sure you walk back and forth over it half a dozen times so it gets bedded down well.

Rod Donald Track section with gravel added to it

From the hut it is a short 25 minutes walk following the switchback track through gorse and native bush to an old 4 W/D track. This track heads back up to the main Te Ara Pataka Route and out to Port Levy Saddle. 

Heading through the gorse enroute to Waipuna Saddle

Track marking on the Rod Donald Track

The gorse acts as a wind break, erosion prevention and it also pumps huge amounts of nutrients into the soil all of which help the young trees to survive. There are pests up here so the trees will be protected with netting until large enough to fend for themselves.

Climbing back up the Rod Donald Track

Anyway...from Rod Donald Hut I travelled back uphill along the main route....there are seven switchbacks on the track back up to Waipuna Saddle so you can count as you go if that tickles your fancy....

Rod Donald Track is mostly grass and soil

Dirt section of Rod Donald Track

You head over the stile and then back up the track to the main Te Ara Pataka track up on Waipuna Saddle.

Arriving at the stile on the Rod Donald Track

Rod Donald Track descends to the hut

Gorse forms a protective barrier along Rod Donald Track

The Rod Donald Track crosses over a stile and then moves down through the gorse on the slopes above the hut. The Rod Donald Banks Peninsula Trust who manage the hut and reserve are using the gorse to protect young trees from the weather...eventually the trees will block out all the sun and the gorse will die. 

This method has been used very successfully in the Hinewai Reserve above Akaroa and is now being used throughout the country.

The stile onto Rod Donald Track

Climbing up to an old 4 W/D track, Rod Donald Track

...gorse provides shelter for growing native trees...

 Te Ara Pataka is a 2-3 day trip along an old paper road linking a number of scenic reserves. You normally start at Hilltop Tavern and are deposited at either Diamond Harbor or Gebbies Pass. I have walked the whole route twice now and parts of it many other times.

Pt. 738 from the track to Rod Donald Hut

The route to Rod Donald Hut is well marked

Once you get to Waipuna Saddle you turn onto the main Te Ara Pataka track and follow it over the hills towards Port Levy Saddle. The track is well sign posted and there are also orange triangles and snow poles to show you the way.

Pt. 738 and the trees on Waipuna Saddle

It can be cold, wet and very windy up here on the spine of the ridges so if you are doing any Banks Peninsula tramping make sure you are fully equipped to deal with extreme weather. A good rain parka with a hood, warm clothing, wet weather pants and a warm hat and gloves should be carried as the weather can change swiftly.

Just because a track is close to a big city doesn't mean there is no risk, in fact it is usually riskier because people don't treat the area with respect. 

The 4 W/D track to Rod Donald Track

If you are walking the Te Ara Pataka the track heading south leads to Hilltop Tavern and heading north leads to the Port Levy car park. There is just the one climb back up to Pt. 738 and the it is all downhill all the way back to the road.

Arriving back onto Waipuna Saddle, Banks Peninsula

Te Ara Pataka crosses the fence here...

DOC sign for the Rod Donald Track

Pt. 738 is just above Waipuna Saddle

Below, you can see the track heading off into the distance following the fence line, three hours will see you at Montgomery's Bush, another two at the Hilltop Tavern over looking Akaroa Harbour. 

Pt. 709 just above Rod Donald Hut

The signs on the walkway and the turn off too the hut are really good as you can see from the next three photos. The hut track is clearly marked from both the Mt Herbert side and the Hilltop Tavern side. 

Junction of Te Ara Pataka and Rod Donald Track

As you can see from the trees in the photo it gets windy on Waipuna Saddle and the prevailing wind is from the south.......

...strong winds up on Waipuna Saddle...

In the photo below the track to Hilltop sweeps out to the east and then sweeps in a long curve back around to the road to Akaroa Harbor on the right. You are walking along the crest of the ridges for all the way so you have some great views out to sea. 

Hilltop Tavern is more or less under the large cloud you can see in the centre of the frame....it is about 13 km's away or 4-5 hours walking. 

Waipuna Saddle from Te Ara Pataka

View down and out towards Birdlings Flat

...snow poles mark the route of Te Ara Pataka...

There are signs along the fence line showing the edges of the land owned by the Banks Peninsula Conservation Trust. They are slowly acquiring land all over Banks Peninsula and replanting the native forest which once cloaked these hills. Their latest purchase was the land on top of Mt Herbert/Mt Bradley which is set to become the country's newest Conservation Park. 

Sign on the boundary fence at Waipuna Saddle

The long range views kept disappearing into the low laying cloud. Cloud and mist on Banks Peninsula are a perineal problem as Banks Peninsula juts far out into the ocean. It looked like it was going to rain for most of the day but in the event it stayed dry for the next couple of days. 

View towards Mt Fitzgerald and Mt Sinclair

Once you top the track at Pt.738 the vista opens out to the south showing the ridges along the rest of Te Ara Pataka around to Hilltop. You have a good view of Mt Fitzgerald in the distance and the hills overlooking Akaroa right out on the horizon.

...Mt Sinclair on the extreme left...

View down to Western Valley and Little River

The track follows the contours of the ridge line shown in the photo below in a long sweeping left hand direction. It goes up over the bush covered crest on the left of shot and then drops down to Waipuna Saddle. 

Sidling along past Pt. 738 on Te Ara Pataka

Te Ara Pataka...from here it is downhill to Port Levy Saddle

Last view back towards Mt Sinclair

The hill in the distance is the Mt Herbert massif..a long rolling plateau with a high point on the north-east end. The track sidles just above the exotic forest before climbing the obvious spur in the middle of the photo....it then turns to the left and climbs to the summit. From the car park it is 2.5-3 hours walk....

Mt Herbert from near Pt. 738, Te Ara Pataka

There is a sizable patch of QE II covenanted land around Pt. 738...this type of covenant protects the land covered from any future development. Some of these covenants are coming up to 60 years old now...

It is regenerating native forest and at present some of the trees are 10-15 meters tall. All this land is part of various farms but the families have been here for a long time now. Not all farmers are destructive despoilers of the earth in fact many of them actually care about the environment just as much as the rest of us.

Bush reserve around Pt. 738, Te Ara Pataka

Pt. 807 and the Kaituna Ridge from Pt. 738

The track between the Port Levy Saddle and Waipuna Saddle is a 4 wheel drive track, you could walk along both as they go to the same place but please stay on the marked track so that the farmers continue to allow the public to cross their land. 

Looking back to the bush near Pt. 738

Most of Banks Peninsula was once covered with dense podocarp forest with Matai, Totora, Rimu and Tawa predominating. What is left is but 2% of the original forest cover. Slowly more and more areas are coming into regeneration programs to bring the forest back at least on the highest and less productive land.

On Te Ara Pataka heading for Port Levy Saddle

First view to the carpark at Port Levy Saddle

There are still remnants of this forest like the gnarled mountain Totora tree in the photo below but they are few and far between. Overtime they will be joined by others...hopefully in a couple of hundred years (god be willing) these hills will once more be covered in dense forest.

Mountain Totara along Te Ara Pataka

...back on the track it was down along he last kilometer of the track with the car-park coming into view as you start walking down from near Pt. 738. There were still a couple of small patches of snow on the Kaituna Spur from a snow storm up here two weeks ago...

About 1 kilometer from Port Levy Saddle

Tragic really as the forest was reputed to be magnificent as you can see in places like the Sinclair Reserve and around Montgomery Park Reserve near Hilltop. A walk to Montgomery Park is a nice side trip as it has some spectacular examples of Mountain Totora some of which are at least five meters around the trunk. 

Scorched Totara logs are a reminder of a forest lost!

There are some magnificent views of the outer bays of Banks Peninsula from up on the track...along this section you can only see Port Levy but other sections look down on Lake Forsyth, Birdlings Flat, Pigeon Bay, Akaroa Harbor and Lyttelton.

Looking down to Port Levy from the track

If you walk up to the top of Pt. 763 on the Lyttelton side of the saddle you will be able to get a better view of South Canterbury and along the coast. It is high enough to allow you to see over the intervening line of the Port Hills. Mt Herbert still blocks your view of the city....

Port Levy Saddle, Banks Peninsula

...Pt. 738 is on the left of this photo...

One of the uses for the timber was for fence posts...you will see 150 year old examples scattered right along the length of Te Ara Pataka. The wood was dense and hard so perfect for fences...it takes a long time to degrade....stupid way to lose a forest though....

Totara splits used as fence posts...Te Ara Pataka

Grasslands around Port Levy Saddle

There is ample evidence of the cut down and burnt forest that once graced these hills..there are many large stumps and piles of burnt and blacken logs left over from the clearance fires. The Colonial farmers cut and used what timber they could but the waste was burnt into the soil to help fertilise it. 

Note the stumps from Totara Trees at Port Levy Saddle

Bullet scared DOC signs for Te Ara Pataka

...DOC sign at Port Levy Saddle...

Eventually the track will deposit you onto the old driveway at Rod Donald Hut with awesome views down into Western Valley and the Little River area. It took me one hour and fifteen minutes to reach the hut from the car park. 

Te Ara Pataka starts from this gate

I arrived back at the car-park after about an hours walk so I was a bit quicker on the return leg of this trip. A really enjoyable day walking with blue skies, sunny weather and not a care in the world.....

Western Valley Road dropping down to Port Levy

Start of Te Ara Pataka from the carpark

Pt. 738 is covered by bush...viewed from the carpark

Rather than driving back down Western Valley Road to Little River and thence to Christchurch there is another route. You can drive down to Port Levy and then over Purau Saddle and round the Lyttelton bays back to Christchurch. It is a nice drive on a sunny spring day and a super cool ride on a motorbike or MTB....

Last view from the Port Levy Saddle carpark

Incoming clouds herald rain to Banks Peninsula

 All in all a very nice day trip to a excellent hut..I recommend it to your attention and having stayed there before can say it is a most comfortable place to stay for a night. 

Access: Take SH75 Christchurch to Akaroa, turn of just past Little River township at Western Valley Road, drive 8 km's along this gravel road to the car park and look out at Port Levy Saddle.
Track Times: It is 2.4 km's to Rod Donald Hut from the car park, or 1-1.5 hours walk. For a loop walk down to the hut driveway on Western Valley Road (1 hour) and back along Te Ara Pataka (1-1.5 hours).
Hut Details: Rod Donald Hut, serviced, 9 bunks, toilet, water from tank. Packhorse Hut: serviced, 10 bunks, toilet, water from tank. Both huts are on the DOC hut booking system and MUST be pre-booked. Hut wardens in attendance from November to March each year.
Miscellaneous: Rod Donald Hut is on the DOC hut booking system and all overnight stays MUST be pre booked. There is a hut warden at the hut over the busy summer period. Both Western Valley Road and Port Levy Road are steep, winding gravel roads with few passing areas. Care is required at all times.