Hope Valley: Day trip to Hope Halfway Hut: 1 October 2016

Tramping the Hope-Kiwi Track, Lake Sumner Forest Park

Woo hoo.......! 

My 2016/2017 summer tramping season gets off to a start with a trip up the Hope Valley to Hope Half Way Hut over the last weekend. I was looking for an easy but long day trip option to blast the cobwebs away. A trip 9-10 km's up the Hope Valley to the first hut sounded like just the ticket.

Walking to Hope Half Way Hut

I started out from the car park at windy Point on SH 7, this is the access point to Lake Sumner Forest Park from the Lewis Pass highway. Facilities at the car park are basic: a bus shelter (there is a limited bus service over Lewis Pass) and a toilet.

The sand flies are are terrible here, they were all over me within 10 seconds of getting out of the car!

The bus shelter at Windy Point, Lake Sunmer Forest Park

Windy Point car park

The start of the track is a 4 W/D access road to the Amuri Outdoor Education Centre, from there it is farm tracks and your typical DOC bush track. 

Start of the Hope Valley Track, Windy Point

Map: Hope Kiwi Track, Windy Point to Hope Halfway Hut

Lake Sumner Forest Park starts on the far side of the stile shown in the photo below, it seems slightly mad when you consider that Lake Sumner itself is over 25 kms away!

Hope Kiwi Track: Lake Sumner FP starts here

The gravel road to the Amuri OEC, Hope Kiwi Track

Walking up the road to the Amuri OEC

Amuri Outdoor Education Centre, Lake Sunmer FP

At the car park for the Amuri OEC you head left and down to the swing bridge crossing the Boyle. It is an impressive swing bridge as it is both high above the river and long.

Hope Kiwi Track is to the left

Harper Pass-Hope Valley information

Hope Kiwi Track: swing bridge over the Boyle River

The first kilometre past the swing bridge is a gradual climb to the top of the eroded river terraces along the sides of Hope Valley, from there it is a gentle up and down trail all the way to Hope Half Way Hut, 9-10 km's distant.

Hatch in the deer fence on the Hope Kiwi Track

Here is a curiosity: a hatch through a fence (a deer fence is about 7 foot high), a typical Kiwi solution to a basic problem.....how to cross the fence!

Hope Valley access straight ahead

Climbing Hope Kiwi Track to top of terraces

About half way to the top of the terrace there is a junction leading off to the Tui Track. The Tui Track joins the Boyle Valley Track and Windy Point via the Boyle and Doubtful River valleys. This is the recommended route for Te Araroa walkers provided they can cross the Boyle River (can be a problem after rain). This is also a way to access the Doubtful River Valley if the Boyle is too high to cross.

Hope-Tui track junction

Climbing the old river terraces on the Hope Valley Track

Once you reach the top of the terrace, it is about 30 minutes walk through Kanuka bush to get to the bush line and the track snaking up the Hope Valley.

Nice flat track heading to the Hope Valley

Tarn on the river terrace, the Hope Valley Track

There is still a lot of snow on the mountains around Lewis Pass, this has been a late Spring year with significant snow falls as late as three weeks ago in the area. Normally all of the snow you can see below would be long gone by the beginning of October.

View North West towards Doubtful Valley from the Hope Kiwi Track

After 45 minutes you finally reach the start of the beech forest, you will be walking through mixed Red/Mountain Beech for the next couple of hours. There has been a bit of damage along the track, these beech trees are susceptible to both strong wind gusts and heavy snow falls. The track itself is nice: most flat, fairly obvious with a minimum of mud to cross.

Start of the beech forest, the Hope Valley Track

Hope Valley Track: windfall over the track

Nice even track surface, the Hope Valley Track

Wind Damaged Red Beech tree, the Hope Valley Track

More open red beech forest, Hope Kiwi Track

Hope Kiwi Track: First of the side streams to cross

At one point you pass a series of silt filled tarns, I imagine they are still quite swampy as no beech trees have colonised them yet. In a time of heavy rain I bet they fill with water, for a while at least!

Silt filled Tarn or mire, Hope Kiwi Track

Another silt filled tarn, Hope Kiwi Track

Jon at first rest spot on the Hope Kiwi Track

Small patches of Goblin forest on the Hope Kiwi Track

First view of the Hope Valley

There was a lot of animal sign in the Valley: both cattle, deer and pig. The photo below shows one of the classic furrows that wild pigs dig in flat grassy areas looking for roots etc to eat. 

Hope Kiwi Track: wild pig sign on track side

You finally get your first views of Hope Valley about 2 hours into the tramp, this side of the valley is Forest Park, the other is a high country cattle station. The mountains in the distance are outliers of the Glen Wye Range

View east Mid Hope Valley, from Hope-Kiwi Track

View west Mid Hope Valley, from Hope-Kiwi Track

Another side stream on the Hope Kiwi Track

Mire or swamp next to Hope Kiwi Track

Hope Kiwi Track: wind fallen trees just before Boundary Stream

Boundary Stream is the most significant watercourse you cross on this track, it is fairly benign but I would watch this one if it was raining heavily, it is steep here so it will rise fast and hard. You have less than a kilometer to walk from here to get to the hut. 

Boundary Stream, view North West to headwaters, Hope Kiwi Track

Boundary Stream view East to Hope Valley

At Hope Half Way Hut

Finally after 2-3 hours you will arrive at Hope Half Way Hut. This hut is very basic as it is only actually supposed to be used as a day shelter. Regardless of that, it looks very comfortable with 6 bunks, a cooking bench, toilet and outside fireplace. No heating in the hut and the water comes from the Hope River about 100 meters away. 

N.B: Boil, filter or treat all water from the Hope River and feeder streams in this valley as there are stock loose, the water is likely to be contaminated.

Hope Half Way Hut, Hope Valley

Hope Half Way Hut, Hope Valley

There were three people staying in the hut for the night, they had been hunting in the area for a couple of days and were leaving on Sunday morning. They said the hut was chilly at night but not cold, it looked like it would make for a fine nights quarters. 

The photos of the interior below are from the Tramping.Net website.....

Rather spartan interior of Hope Half Way Hut

Benches and bunks, Hope Half Way Hut

Hope Half Way Hut, Hope Valley

Jon at Hope Half Way Hut, Hope Valley

Heading back to Windy Point

A curious sight: on the way back to Windy Point I noticed this hut on the far (true right) bank of the Hope River. It is strange as it does not show up on any Topo maps and is painted the classic DOC/NZFS blaze orange which leads me to believe it is a DOC hut.

The only hut on that side of the river is Museum Hut and that is historic (i.e.. old & wooden....), so I would appreciate any additional information.....

Hut on True right bank on Hope River

Closer view of the hut on the Hope River from the Hope Kiwi Track

Heading along the top of a spur line, Hope-Kiwi Track

I was feeling the distance by the time I got close to the end of the tramp, I stopped for my final rest spot on a nice spur line about a kilometre from the bush edge. As you can see in the photos below the track was a bit muddy.

 Lots of bird song in this forest, I guess the poisoning and trapping must be having some effect.

Muddy Boots, gaiters on the Hope Kiwi Track

Hope Kiwi Track: my Vaude Brenta  pack and Leki trekking pole

Last rest spot on the Hope-Kiwi Track

Close-up of a wind damaged Red Beech tree next to the Hope Kiwi Track

Some nutter has been riding a MTB over this track as I kept finding wheel tracks in areas of soft soil...

Jon on the Hope Kiwi Track looking at MTB tracks...

It was a great sight to see the Kanuka brush once again as I knew it was only 2 kilometres to the car park from here. Just near here I passed an American couple heading into the Hope Valley to do some trout fishing.

 The trout season has just started....these were 2 of 6 fishers I saw on the day.

The Track through the turpentine scrub, Hope Kiwi Track

Hope Kiwi Track: clear weather on the descent to the Boyle Swing bridge

Bit hairy crossing the bridge, the wind was blowing so it had a bit of a lean happening.

Nice view of the substantial Boyle Swing bridge on the Hope Kiwi Track

Hope Kiwi Track: Kowai tree next to the Boyle River swing bridge

A nice wee jaunt to get the limbs working, it was 7.5 hours walking there and back and about 18 kms of distance. I was lucky with the weather, it began to rain just as I turned onto SH7 to head home and continued all the way to the Hanmer turn-off.
I will be back through this area early in 2017 as I have the Harper Pass section of the Te Araroa Trail to walk sometime in February....

Access: Hope Halfway is on the Hope Kiwi Track, Lake Sumner Forest Park. Access from Windy Point on SH 7 just before the Engineers Camp.

Track Times: It is 3-3.5 hours from Windy Point to Hope Half Way Shelter, the return journey takes 2.5-3 hours. Total tramping time is 6-7 hours.

Hut Details: Hope Halfway Shelter (Basic/bivvies, 6 bunks, water from nearby stream, no heating) 

Miscellaneous: Some un-bridged side streams, deer fence crossings

New Hut for the Waiau Pass area

A replacement for Caroline Creek Biv...

Good news for all Te Araroa trampers and those with plans to cross Waiau Pass at some stage. The dilapidated 2 person bivouac at Caroline Creek on the Waiau Pass route is being replaced with a new 10 bunk hut over the summer of 2016/2017.

Existing bivouac at Caroline Creek from Wilderness

There is an article in the October Wilderness magazine detailing how $300 000 has been donated for a new hut to replace the totally inadequate bivy which exists in the area presently.

I imagine it will be like the Poulter Hut which is the standard 10 bunk DOC hut design at the moment.

Poulter Hut from Mapio.com

The hut was finished in January of 2018, it is located about three kilometres further down the Waiau River Valley from Caroline Creek Biv. It has been named Waiau Hut, it is a standard 6 bunk DOC design similar to Magdalen and Crow Huts. This is a lot smaller than first discussed but is still mightily useful as a hut was badly needed at this location..

Waiau Hut, St James Conservation Area

Waiau Hut, St James Conservation Area

Waiau Hut, St James Conservation Area, Photo from DOC

Now, who is interested in crowd funding a new Casey Hut of the same design for the Mid Poulter River Valley......?

A dip into my hut bagging bucket list

A hut bagging bucket list

Bucket lists seem to be all the rage, people have lists of the places they want to visit, beers they want to sup, concerts they would like to see. Whatever your hobby there is sure to be a aspirational bucket list and the outdoors is no exception.

Personally, I have a bucket list of huts I would like to visit, or "bag" as we say in New Zealand.

What is hut bagging?

 Minchin Bivouac, Arthur's Pass NP (2 bunks)

  We are very lucky in New Zealand to have a collection of public huts available for general use. At last count there were over 970 huts ranging from tiny  2 person "dog box" (they look like a doghouse) bivouacs right up to Great Walk monster huts which sleep 50-100 people.

Magdalen Hut, Mt Sumner FP (6 Bunks)...most consecutive nights stayed at a hut (3 nights...)

They have a varied background: DOC huts, ex New Zealand Forestry Service huts, miner's huts, research stations, climbing/skiing/tramping club shelters or ex farm accommodation.

Coldwater Hut, Nelson Lakes NP (12 bunks)

These are almost universally managed by the Department of Conservation or DOC as we call it.

Luxmore Lodge on the Kepler Track (54 bunks)

Because of this profusion of huts we have a peculiar outdoor hobby in New Zealand of visiting or "bagging" as many of them as possible. My current "bag" is 236 huts visited, there are many trampers who have visited over 400 huts and there several people close to reaching all 970+ huts.

  A selection from my personal hut bagging bucket list

Here is a list of 12 interesting huts I would like to visit....and bag!

NB: All photos are from the DOC website unless free commons or linked to the source...

Field Hut

 Ah, good old Field Hut.

Field is one of the first purpose built tramping huts in New Zealand and the oldest original hut in the Tararua Ranges. Field Hut was built by the the Tararua Tamping Club (TTC) in 1924 to encourage more people to visit the mountain range where tramping began in this country.

It may be old but it is still serviceable, Field Hut, Tararua Range

Field Hut is an integral part of the classic Southern Crossing of the Tararua Range from Otaki to the Wairarapa Plains. Although a lot of the outside of the hut has been replaced over time it still resides in its original location. 

A true classic!

 (I am embarrassed to say that in more than 20 years of tramping I have never ventured into the Tararua Ranges. Shameful really....in my defence I have never lived in Wellington)

A note on tramping in the Tararua Range:

 This range of mountains is clearly visible from parts of Wellington, our capital and third largest city.

November 2014, southerly front slams Wellington and the distant Tararua Ranges

 Don't let that fool you, this range can be dangerous.  It is mountainous, rugged and because it sits beside Cook Strait powerful storm fronts can blow in at any time of the year. The Tararua's have more memorial huts named after trampers who died tramping locally than any other place in New Zealand.
Bear this in mind and give it the respect it deserves! 

Ivory Lake Hut

 Ivory Lake Hut is Mecca for hut baggers, it is one of the most difficult huts to bag in New Zealand. If you have reached it you have already been tramping for 4 solid days up Westland's Waitaha Valley, arguably one of the most rugged locations in the country.

Ivory Lake Hut, from remotehuts.com

The hut is an old glacial research station, the glacier is almost gone but there is a beautiful lake remaining.  Probably less than 300 people have ever visited the hut in its 50 year history.

 This is absolutely NOT a hut for a solo tramper to visit: you need tramping companions, superb fitness, great gear and a LOT of alpine/backcountry experience. But I can dream......

Welcome Flat Hut

 Beautiful Westland valley location, fantastic two story hut, 100 meters from some of the best natural hot springs in New Zealand....whats not to like?

Welcome Flat Hut, Westland Tai Poutini NP

It takes 5 hours to reach the hut from the car park off State Highway 6, and requires you to cross a number of un bridged side stream enroute.

The Welcome Flat Hot Pools

If you are completing the alpine crossing of the Southern Alps via Copland Pass this is your final nights accommodation. 

 NB: The other boot drops.....this hut is on the international tourist circuit, just like the Great Walks, Lake Angelus Hut and the Tongariro Crossing...CROWDS and CROWDS and god-damn CROWDS of people is the result! It is now on the DOC hut booking system and in the summer this IS absolutely a hut you will get chucked out of if you don't have a booking.

Be warned!

Blue Lake Hut

 Blue Lake Hut is just off the classic Travers-Sabine Circuit in Nelson Lakes NP, it is one of the huts you must pass on the way to completing the Te Araroa Trail route over Waiau Pass. 

Blue Lake Hut, Nelson Lake NP

The hut is lovely and well located but what you are here for is to see the Blue Lake. Blue Lake has the clearest water in the world, it was measured in 2014 and has underwater visibility of over 80 meters meaning it is clearer than distilled water.

The world famous Blue Lake, Nelson Lakes NP

 I have been over Waiau Pass before but I have never visited the hut/lake as we hurried past on the way to points west. I'm planning to walk this section of Te Araroa in the summer of 2017-18.

  Colenso Hut

  Colenso Hut is in the North Island, it sits on the strenuous Ruahine Corner to Rangitane Road tramp in Ruahine Forest Park. Most visitors will fly in by helicopter and then spend the next 4-5 days following the route out to civilisation. The track is mostly high ridge travel inter spaced with river bed walking making fine weather an imperative.

Colenso Hut, Ruahine FP

  I have tramped in the North Island before but never in the Ruahine Range.

Fenella Hut

  Fenella Hut is in the beautiful Cobb Valley, Kahurangi National Park in the north-west corner of the South Island. The hut is named after Fenella Druce who was one of 4 people killed when the Three Johns Hut in Mt Cook was blown off its ridge in a massive storm in 1977. Her family and friends provided most of the funds for this hut.

Fenella Hut, Cobb Valley, Kahurangi NP

  The hut is not particularly difficult to reach it is just a long way from Christchurch at the end of a torturous gravel road from Upper Takaka. I will eventually visit the Cobb Valley area as there are several huts/routes/tracks/lakes in the area I would like to visit. Its going to be a big mission...

I did a trip to the Cobb Valley in October 2020 and visited Fenella Hut on that trip. 

   Roaring Stag Hut

Look at that gorgeous hunk of a hut...it has it all. Nice sunny location, right next to a river (but far enough away so that it won't flood), relatively easy access, lots of trees around it....perfection in a hut thy name is Roaring Stag.

 

Roaring Stag Hut II, Tararua FP

The hut is in the less visited North Eastern part of Tararua Forest Park, entailing access from the Wairarapa Plains.

 Park-Morpeth Hut

  Park-Morpeth Hut is owned by the Canterbury Mountaineering Club (CMC) and is another memorial hut. This hut was built in 1931 in memory of James Park and John Morpeth who lost their lives, drowned in a nearby stream when attempting a difficult river crossing during a storm.

The classic "New Zealand Death" in action...

Climbing to Harman Pass via the Taipoiti River

Materials to build this hut were carried in by pack horse from Mt Algidus Station by the CMC who then built the hut over several weekends.
 DOC hut passes cannot be used at this hut, instead:

Hut fees can be paid by direct credit to the CMC account 03 1592 0103242 00, putting your name and the hut name in the payment details.  Alternatively send a cheque to the Club Treasurer, PO Box 2415, Christchurch with a note of your name and the hut you stayed in. (from the CMC website)

Park-Morpeth Hut Wilbourforce River Valley

  A visit to Park Morpeth is part of the classic Three Passes Tramp from Arthurs Pass NP to the West Coast via Harman/Whitehorn/Browning Pass. This is not a route for amateurs as it requires crossing three Alpine passes as well as over 100 river crossings!

Mt Brown Hut

This started as an old hut relocated from the Lower Arahura Valley, but as it required a lot of new material and wind strengthening it is basically a new hut. Construction was carried out by the Mt Brown Community Project Team and involved significant unpaid volunteer work. Many of the materials were given as donations from businesses in the Hokitika area. It was one of the first joint public/private outdoor projects to be completed and showed that this model could be made to work in New Zealand.

Mt Brown Hut, Lake Kaniere, West Coast

It is a bit of steep hike to get to the hut site but the views are supposed to be spectacular from there.

Larrikin Creek Hut (Thousand Acres Plateau)

  Larrikin Creek Hut sits on the 1000 Acres Plateau just to the north of Murchison on the West Coast of the South Island. Both the 1000 and the 100 acre plateau are ancient pene-plains thrust up through geologic action. Stunning tussock grasslands, limestone caves, sharp limestone peaks are all features of the area.

 

Larrikin Creek Hut, Kahurangi NP

  A good itinerary for a visit to the area is:

• Day 1: Walk into Lake Matiri Hut (half day).
• Day 2: Climb onto the plateau, pass Poor Pete's Hut, and continue on to Larrikin Creek Hut.
• Day 3: Visit the Needle ( a local peak) and Hundred Acres Plateau, and walk back to Poor Pete's Hut, camp in vacinity of the hut
• Day 4: Descend off the plateau down to Lake Matiri Hut and out.

This trip is very firmly on my to do list and while not easy can be achieved by a solo tramper. 

The view from The Needle of the Haystack and 1000 Acre Plateau

Soper Shelter Tent camp

  The majority of our back country huts were built to facilitate deer culling in the 1960-70's. Most were of solid construction, wood or metal but a small number were temporary tent-huts made of canvas. Using canvas meant a cullers hut could be raised cheaply and quickly by two men over a couple of days and often in locations where a solid hut was impractical.

Soper Shelter in Kahurangi National Park is a new built example (2015) of this iconic design.

Soper Tent shelter

The framing is made from local timber while the walls and roof have an inner and outer canvas skin.
This is one of only two ( the other is Cobb Tent Camp in the Cobb Valley) left in the country, most of the others have just rotted away. The hut was built jointly by Golden Bay Alpine and Tramping Club and DOC staff over five days in 2015.

If you are interested there is a nice article about the build in the July 2016 FMC Bulletin if you can find a copy. There is an on-line report about the build on the FMC website

  Martins Bay Hut 

 As with many of the other huts on this list, the hut itself is not the focus, it is the location that matters. If you are staying the night in Martins Bay Hut you have just finished or are about to start the Hollyford Track. 

The Hollyford Track should be on the bucket list of all serious New Zealand trampers. This Fiordland track is a lot more rugged than the Great Walks in the same area. Because it is at sea level it can be walked for most of the year, not just in the busy summer season.

Martins Bay Hut

 The hut sits on the mouth of Lake McKerrow with views out to the wild Tasman Sea. It is at least a 4 day journey from here to civilisation (if you want to call it that) at the Lower Hollyford road end.

Interior of Martins Bay hut

Obviously this list is far from exhaustive, but it gives you a taste of the kind of huts I have on my bucket list!

My favourite DOC hut, Packhorse Hut, Banks Peninsula (10 bunks), 12 visits so far...

If you are interested in hut bagging you should check out the Hut Bagger NZ site, register and bag some huts.