Magdalen Hut: 1-2 November 2013

Return to an old favourite... Magdalen Hut, St James Conservation Area

This is my first trip for a number of months as poor weather and a family trip to Australia meant that I didn't get out over the winter months.  My original plan was to visit Mid Robinson Hut near Lake Christabel, but less than ideal weather meant I needed to find a new tramp.

The St James Walkway: southern exit - car park, Boyle Village

Day One: On the way to Magdalen Hut

I took the opportunity to go for an overnight tramp up the St James Walkway to Magdalen Hut.
 It is about 11 km's upriver, 10 km's to the second swing bridge turn right and another 1 km downriver. I love this hut it is clean, tidy and in a great spot, this is the 2nd time I have been here.

Boyle Village to Magdalen Hut

Here is the car park at the beginning/end of the walkway, it is not a large area but it is relatively secure as the Boyle River outdoor education centre is right next to it.
  

Sign at southern end of St James Walkway

  

As you can see, this is either the start or finish of the walkway depending on which way you walk the track.

St James Walkway: 4 W/D track up valley

You can follow a gravel access road to the beginning of the track about 1.5 km's up the valley, this is an easier option than the sidle track at the beginning of the walkway.




Lower swing bridge, Boyle River

The real track begins at the first wire bridge over the Boyle River, as you can see in the photo below the river was running high due to recent rain.



Rain filled Boyle River from the first swing bridge

It did occur to me that you wouldn't even have time to think "I'm going to die" if you fell into the river. Luckily the St James has walk wire or swing bridges over all of the significant rivers.

Boyle River from the St James Walkway

Another view of the very swollen river, normal flow would be about a quarter or less of this amount. I heard a low rumbling sound as I was walking this part of the track. I assumed it was a bulldozer etc. working up valley until I got closer to the the river and realised the Boyle was making the sound. In high flow New Zealand rivers will pick up boulders and drag them along the river bottom making a low rumbling sound.

You should not enter a river making this sound or you will die, its that simple!



St James Walkway:on the way to Magdalen Hut

Here is the track condition about 2 kms up the valley. The weather wasn't too bad, I had rain for about 30 minutes of the 3.5 hours it took to get to the hut. The rest of the time it was cool with occasional low cloud as seen below.

St James Walkway: Approaching St Andrews Flat

My lunch stop on a river terrace overlooking the river, it was a bit misty, so I deployed the new cheap 6'x4' groundsheet/tarp I brought recently for $6.00. It worked really well, and weighs only 200gms so doesn't weigh me down.

St James Walkway: View down valley from mid point of day

The track sidles over river terraces and small spurs for the first 3 kms, the river is below and about 500 distant from the track. I passed a trio of female hunters, probably early 20's, carrying a deer "Indian" style tied to a pole out to the road head. I assume they were by themselves as I didn't see anyone else about. I often see male hunters when I'm tramping, this was the first all women group.

There is an suggestion about that all tramping parties in New Zealand should carry a firearm. The idea is that we could all be blasting deer, rabbits, stouts, possums, Thar etc. and help the native flora and fauna. I think it has merit, provided people didn't start blasting each other as well.

Crossing St Andrews Flat, St James Walkway, St James Conservation Area

About 2 hours in you cross some cattle flats, before ascending over a last spur before reaching the second Boyle River swing bridge. As you can see the weather had improved by this point.

Magdalen Hut (2007)

Here is Magdalen Hut it is a very tidy hut in a large clearing on the beech forested river flats. The whole area is fenced to keep out the cattle which live in the area. This is an fantastic place for an overnight trip or easy family tramping trip. Apart from some mud and Maritana stream there are few hazards.

Magdalen Hut: me standing outside the hut

Here I am both inside/outside the hut, as you can see it is very nice inside, with bunk spaces for 6. You could chuck another 2-3 people on the floor if needed, there is a lot of space. It has an excellent firebox, selection of 80/90's magazines and plenty of wood in the immediate area.

Magdalen Hut interior showing the table and wod burner

There were only two of us in the hut overnight, myself and another tramper from Christchurch, Phil. We had a good chat about tramps we have done or want to do, he was attempting a 3 day traverse of the whole St James. Phil was an old tramping buddy of one of my neighbours, which just goes to show you how small the world really is.

View towards Maritana and the Opera Range, rain coming in

Slightly threatening cloud blew by all afternoon with some brief showers none of them sustained.

Maritana Stream next to Magdalen Hut

Here is a view of Maritana stream, located right next to the hut, I was slightly concerned about this stream as you need to cross it to reconnect with the track. No bridges!  In the event there wasn't enough rain overnight to cause any problems. There is a nice swimming hole in the Maritana, its a couple of hundred metres upstream, great for a swim or clean up.

Day two: Return to Boyle Village via the St James Walkway

Magdalen Hut at sunrise on day two

There was a mild frost the next morning, the area around the hut was a bit cold, the frost quickly disappeared as the sun rose and warmed the valley.

View of Magdalen Hut from across Muritana Stream

Here is a view of the hut from the far side of Maritana stream early the next morning. I enjoy travelling in the early morning hours, the light is interesting from 6am-9am in the morning and I like the quietude of the morning, it is also more comfortable as the air is cooler.

St James Walkway: The track back to the second Boyle River bridge

The track back to the Boyle swing bridge meanders along next to the river, easy travel through the mostly open forest. The track sidles up the hill in a few spots as the river is eating away the true left bank. I think a new track will eventually need to be cut as the erosion is fast moving, more of the bank is gone each time I visit.

Mid Boyle River swing bridge, from the true left bank

Here is the approach to the second Boyle swing bridge, it was a bit icy on the morning in question.

DOC St James Walkway sign at the Mid Boyle swingbridge

If you continue past the Boyle swing bridge eventually you will eventually arrive at Boyle Flat Hut, about another 1-1.5 hours up river.

St James Walkway: swing bridge

Classic Kiwi swing bridge; absolutely necessary for crossing this river when there is any kind of heightened flow. In the middle of summer it is possible to ford the Boyle River down by the hut and connecting with the walkway, thus saving about an hour. Personally I would always use the bridge and save myself from coming to possible grief in this unpredictable river.

St James Walkway: Climbing over the ridge

The track climbs to this high point on the far side of the bridge, then sidles for about 2 kms through mixed red and lowland beech forest.

St James Walkway:Muddy conditions

The track was quite muddy after overnight rain, in some places it was necessary to go off the formed track or chuck down material to allow you to advance. I built several bridges on the way to help the next people who come along.

St James Walkway: More of the mud...

Lovely Somme like mud, the track needs some attention. A raised board walk in this area would be ideal, it would make the walking easier and save the delicate forest plants because people have started to "blaze" their own trails around the mud.

St James Walkway: Lots of windfall trees

There were significant areas of windfall, both on and off the track. This windfall ran up the hill for about 100 meters, a domino effect had led to a lot of trees knocking over their neighbours. The logs could be used to "corrugate" the track, as you find in other countries. With recent DOC job losses, it will probably just rot on the ground, what a waste of timber! 

St James Walkway: Heading down to St Andrews Flat

More views of the windfall, these trees came down in the wind storms in July and August 2013 as there was no damage in this area the last time I came through in early 2013. There was widespread damage through out Canterbury, some wind gusts went up to 160-180kph.

Obviously, beech forest does not like those kinds of wind speeds.

St James Walkway: Looking east towards the Poplar Range

St James Walkway: View east across St Andrews Flat

Eventually you emerge to views of the river flats, and a view down stream towards the gorge of the Boyle River. A possible alternate egress route is along the farm track on the far side of the valley, as it goes all the way down to the outdoor education centre. Please note that this is private land so permission must be sought first.

St James Walkway: Crossing one of the bush fingers en route

The final part of the track is along an old river terrace which is about 30 metres higher than the level of the river, it is picturesque with the forest, bird life and sound of the Boyle River in the background.

Back at the lower Boyle River swing bridge

Eventually you get back to the first Boyle swing bridge, then climb to the 4W/D track and out to the road end. It was an excellent trip, as I said earlier I hope to make a visit an annual event. 

On the gravel road heading back to Boyle Village

I highly recommend a trip to the hut as a easy family tramp, or for a short overnighter. Hopefully, in February I will be walking the whole St James Walkway (67 kms) of which this trip is but a small part.

Access: The track starts off SH 7 at Boyle Village, follow the southern entrance of the St James Walkway. Once over the second Boyle swingbridge turn right and head downstream on the true left of the Boyle River

Track Times: 4 hours to Magdalen Hut on the St James Walkway

Hut Details: Magdalen Hut: standard, 6 bunks, wood burner, water tank, wood shed, toilets

Miscellaneous: Maritana Stream and many of the smaller side streams may flood in heavy rain



Tramping Food: Freezer bag cooking, trail food made simple by Sarah Svien

Freezer Bag Cookery: a book by Sarah Svien

I am always looking for ways to increase the variety and taste of the food I eat while tramping. My general pattern is too take fresh food for the first day or two (steak... yum, yum!) and then rely on dried or freeze dried meals for the remainder of the trip. 

 

Freezer bag cookery by Sarah Svien

Freezer bag cooking : trail food made simple, by Sarah Svien is the title of a book I am currently reading, The book is a collection of quick cook hiking food recipes which are made by adding water to various ingredients. There are recipes for all three meals plus snack and dessert ideas.

The author suggests Asian food markets as a source of ingredients, a recent visit found the following items;

• dried fish (shrimp/white fish/prawns)
• dried rice/noodles
• udon meals
• dried mushrooms/vegetables/onion/shallots
• pasta, cous cous, instant mashed potato
• freeze dried meat (pork/beef)
• soups, miso, pickles etc

.

With these and other items like fresh vegetables, tinned fish/chicken, bouillon cubes, spices and herbs many tasty meals can be made.

A simple cous cous meal...

A tramping food recipe from the book to try

Here is an example of one of the recipes, this is;

Herbed Tomato Rice

Ingredients

1	c	instant rice
1⁄4	c	freeze-dried corn
1⁄4	c	sun-dried tomatoes
1	T	diced dried onion
1 1⁄2	t	lower sodium beef or chicken bouillon
1	t	granulated garlic
1⁄4	t	dried oregano
1	T	olive oil
200gm		cheddar cheese

Notes

Find in the cheese sticks in the dairy aisle near the string cheese. Sun-dried tomatoes can be found in the produce department of most grocery stores, dried onion in the spice aisle.

Instructions

At home:
Pack the rice through oregano into a quart freezer bag. Tuck the oil and cheese in with the bag.

In camp:
Freezer Bag Cookery (FBC) method:

Add 1 1/2 cups near boiling water and the oil to the dry ingredients in a quart freezer bag. Seal tightly and tuck in a freezer bag cozy to insulate for 15 minutes.

One pot method:
Bring 1 1/2 cups water and the oil to a boil, add in the dry ingredients. Take off the heat and cover tightly. Let sit for 15 minutes (in cooler temperatures or at altitude use a pot cozy to retain heat).
Dice up the cheese and fold in.



Packhorse Hut: March 2013

A trip to Packhorse Hut: The closest DOC hut to Christchurch

I really liked the look of the hut when I came up here earlier in the year and decided I would come back when I had a chance to stay overnight. 

Kaituna Valley car park- start of the track

I had a Thursday/Friday to spare so set out to re visit the historic hut. 

Day 1: Kaituna Valley car park to Packhorse Hut

The Port Hills - Banks Peninsula are basically in my back yard and I am keen to explore some of the tracks which cross them. Packhorse Hut is one of only three DOC huts on Banks Peninsula, so most trips here are by necessity day trips.

DOC track sign in the Kaituna Valley

Kaituna Valley - Packhorse Hut Track

 
It was misty on the day I set out, I arrived at the Kaituna Valley car park around 11 am and after securing the car set off along the track. The track starts out crossing farm land but then joins an old 4W/D track which sidles up to just near the hut. It is a very easy track to follow.

Kaituna Valley - Packhorse Hut Track: Misty farm track

At a couple of points you move through bush remnants, the mist added a certain spooky nature to the climb. 

Kaituna Valley - Packhorse Hut Track: Moving through bush remnants

The track climbs a spur for most of its length, technically it is very easy, but there are a couple of steep sections that require a bit of exertion. The distance from the parking area to the hut would only be 5 kms. It is a two hour trip to reach the hut.

Kaituna Valley - Packhorse Hut Track: Track ascending hill

View of a mist shrouded Kaituna Valley from the track to Packhorse Hut

 As you gain height your view out to the South improves, eventually you can see the coast in the far distance, although it was mist covered on this day.

View to South West on the Kaituna Valley Track

After about an hour you come into view of the hut perched on the saddle, it is a good location but I imagine the wind could be fierce here in a North Westerly. For those not from Canterbury, a North Westerly wind or Nor' Wester often brings (very) strong winds to the east coast of the South Island. During a recent storm wind gusts of 200kmph were recorded on top of Mt Herbert just to the east of this hut.

Kaituna Saddle: Packhorse Hut in middle

View from the Kaituna Saddle of Lyttleton harbour and the cloud covered Port Hills, The land in the centre of the harbour is Quail Island, an excellent place to go for a day trip on the Lyttleton ferry.

Cloudy Lyttleton from Packhorse Hut

Here are a couple of view's of the distant Southern Alps, not very clear as there was a lot of mist coming up over the saddle and rolling down into Kaituna valley.

Distant Southern Alps from Packhorse Hut

The interior of the hut is quite tidy, being close to Christchurch means it gets its fair share of TLC.

I was the only person here for the afternoon and the evening, I saw one couple coming back from the hut but they were the only people I saw all day. There was a storm predicted for the next day, I imagine this is why I had no company for the night.

Interior of Packhorse Hut, Banks Peninsula in 2013

Packhorse Hut- Dining table and benches

Packhorse Hut- one of the bunk rooms

As it was the end of summer there was no firewood, anticipating this I had dragged an old log up from a nearby patch of bush and proceeded to chop it up, it was needed as it turned quite cold after the sun went down.

I did have the company of "Ralph" the hut mouse who irritated me by rolling a walnut around all night. Unfortunately I could not find the offending nut, only hear it rolling around on the wooden floors.

Lovely!

Interior Packhorse Hut- brewing up on arrival!

Here is a view of the hut from a slight rise next to it, it is a classic early 20th century stone building, there used to be a few stone huts. The only survivors are this one, Mt Aspiring Hut and one on the Tongariro crossing.

Note: Be aware that since February 2016 Packhorse Hut is on the DOC hut booking system. If you intend to stay the night you must book, or you might not have a bunk to sleep on. The positive is that they fill the woodshed regularly and you have a guaranteed bunk for the night. 

Packhorse Hut in 2013

 Sunset from the hut with views over Lyttleton harbour and the Southern Alps in the far distance.

The sun sets over the Port Hills at days end, Packhorse Hut

I had a quiet night at the hut as I was by myself. I lit the fire as the woodshed was full of firewood and read my way through the reading material in the hut. Over night I had a damn rat or mouse rolling a walnut across the floor until I got up and crushed it and then it was quiet enough to sleep.

Day 2: Packhorse Hut to Kaituna Valley

I left early the next morning (6am) as I was interested in trying some easy night tramping, this is a view of Mt Bradley, as dawn rose over it. Mt Bradley is the peak right next to the hut, and an interesting destination in its own right. 

 An hour and a half saw me back at the car park, I went a few kilometres down the road to a nice scenic reserve and stopped to make a hot drink and to have something to eat.

My opinion of Packhorse Hut...

This is not a hard core mountain tramp, but it is a nice hut in a great location, an easy introduction for beginners. I really like this hut, and will be back, possibly as an extended trip taking in the relatively easy ascent of Mt Herbert.

The track leading from Packhorse to Mt Herbert 2014

I would like to do the circuit Gebbies Pass- Packhorse- Mt Herbert-Diamond Harbour (I completed the Summit Walkway in 2016), then catch the ferry back across to Lyttleton. It could be an overnight or a very long day trip, as a day trip it would probably take 6-8 hours total.

 Make sure you check out the report of the day trip I took to the hut earlier in the year for more photos of the track and hut.

Access: On the Aakroa-Christchurch Highway, turn up Kaituna Valley Road, left up Parkinson's Road, then follow Kaituna Valley-Packhorse Hut Track

Track Times: 2 hours to Packhorse Hut, 1.5 hours return to Kaituna

Hut Details: Packhorse Hut: serviced, 12 bunks, wood burner, water tank, wood shed, toilets

Miscellaneous: On DOC Hut booking system, must be booked for overnight visit, some seasonal track closures