Packhorse Hut, Banks Peninsula: 12 April 2013

A trip to an old favourite: Packhorse Hut

A planned trip to Arthur's Pass was postponed because of rain in the mountains. As an alternative I decided to do a day trip up to the historic Packhorse Hut on Banks Peninsula.

Packhorse Hut, Banks Peninsula

The track to the hut starts mid way up the Kaituna Valley, 4 kms in length with a 700 metre altitude gain. The advised time for the track is 4 hours return, I finished in about 3 hours total, and I am sure that fitter people could do it in a much shorter time frame.

Kaituna Valley to Packhorse Hut, Banks Peninsula

On the Kaituna-Packhorse Hut track

You start the Kaituna to Packhorse Hut Track mid way towards the head of Kaituna Valley. Follow Kaituna Valley Road to Parkinson's Road and travel down it to the obvious parking spot near the farm buildings. There are signs on both Kaituna Valley Road and Parkinson Road to direct you.

Kaituna to Packhorse Hut walk- not 4 hours, 2 up, 1 down

The track crosses farmland for the first 1 km, and then starts to climb up a steep bulldozer track over the middle reaches. The final part of the track is over grassy (and steep) fields.

Kaituna Valley car park, start of the Kaituna-Packhorse Hut track

Here is the sizeable car-park close to the Kaituna farm buildings, I think cars would be quite secure here overnight.

Crossing farm land on the Kaituna-Packhorse Hut track

Most of the track is on a farm track winding over the fields and up a spur rising to the hut location.

'A mighty torrent', unnamed stream on the Kaituna-Packhorse hut track

This is one of the small creeks you cross on the way up hill, there are three crossings in total. The flow is very low at this time of the year, but I have seen a picture of trampers fording this stream and the water is halfway up their thighs.

Native Ongaonga thistle...do not touch as it is poisonous!

While walking up the track try not to touch this plant, this is Ongaonga a native thistle with extremely potent neurological toxins in it. It is prolific along the tracks and in the bush on Banks Peninsula.

DO NOT TOUCH!!!

Kaituna-Packhorse Hut Track, view of Kaituna Valley

The track about half way up the hill looking back towards Kaituna valley, you cannot see how steep this path is but the angle would be at least 45 degrees at this point, so STEEP!

Bush remnant climbing flank of Mt Bradley, Banks Peninsula

Many of the side gullies have remnants of the native bush, this one was mostly under story but with some truly magnificent trees at least 40 meter high as well. I could hear what sounded like hundreds of native birds singing, these hill side pockets are a refuge for Tui, Bellbirds and Keruru (native wood pigeons).

Massive native tree in bush remnant near Kaituna Saddle

The tree above was probably a hundred plus feet tall, with two fat pigeons sitting on the top branches.

First glimpse of Packhorse Hut, Banks Peninsula

Here we see our first glimpse of the hut as you reach the saddle...the track continues on to Mt Herbert and at 926 a.s.l. it is the highest peak on Banks Peninsular.

View of the upper reaches of Lyttelton Harbour from Kaituna Saddle

From the top you have expansive views to Lyttelton Harbour, Gebbies Pass, both coasts and the Southern Alps (when they are not clouded in).

View towards Gebbies Pass from Kaituna Pass

Lyttleton harbour from near Packhorse Hut

The Port Hills and Sugar Loaf in distance from Kaituna Saddle

It took me just over two hours to cover the 6 odd kilometers from the Kaituna carpark to the hut itself. 

Historic Packhorse Hut:

Packhorse Hut was built in 1916 as one of a string of huts along the crater of Lyttleton Harbour. Eventually they were meant to be linked by a track but this was never fully completed. The huts were part of the early Canterbury environmentalist Harry Ell's vision of a walking track from Godley Heads to Akaroa across the top of the ridges. 

The Packhorse Hut, attractive stone exterior on Kaituna Saddle

Entrance to Packhorse Hut, Kaituna Saddle, Banks Peninsula

Other huts built as part of this plan were the Sign of the Takahe, Sign of the Kiwi, Sign of the Bellbird and a now gone hut built close to Hilltop. It lives again in the Te Ara Pataka Walkway from Gebbies Pass to Hilltop over 1-2 days. 

Packhorse Hut from the front...

It is one of only a dozen rock built huts managed by DOC...two others are the Mt Aspiring Hut, one in the Kaweka Range and one on the Tongariro Crossing so it is in good company.

Cosy interior of the Packhorse Hut, Banks Peninsula

Packhorse Hut, the dining area.....

Jon ate his lunch and got a brew going as you do on a short day hike with a hut at the end. I would love to do an overnight trip here but it is very popular because it is so close to Christchurch. On the previous Saturday there were 12 people in this 9 person hut.

One of the bunk rooms in the Packhorse Hut

Look at that view, it would be magical sitting here with a meal in front of you, a brew and a roaring fire warming the interior, how could you resist.

Excellent view from inside of Packhorse Hut down to Lyttleton

Packhorse Hut from the rise next to the hut...

View down to Kaituna Valley from high on the Kaituna-Packhorse Hut track

After an hour I headed back down to the car park following the same route. There are three other ways to visit the hut...the first is from Gebbies Pass along the track through McQueens Forest. The other two are from the Orton Bradley estate via the Tablelands or the track around the back of Mt Bradley both take about 3-5 hours.

Kaituna-Packhorse Hut track, on the way back down to the car park

Very steep slope on way down  Kaituna-Packhorse Hut track

Above is a very steep part of the bulldozer track with at least a 30 degree slope, thankfully it is only this steep for about 300 meters or it would be a total gut buster. A very pleasant spot to visit in its own right, and a great spot if it is raining in the Southern Alps. 

Access: Via a track over farm land from Kaituna Valley, some seasonal restrictions.
Track Times: 6 kilometers or 3-4 hours return from the carpark, 2 hours up- 1.5 hours down
Hut Details: Packhorse Hut; serviced (booking required from 2017) 9 bunks, wood burner, water tank, wood shed
Miscellaneous: 2017: Packhorse is now on the DOC hut booking system and MUST BE booked before an overnight stay. It has been reconfigured as a 9 bunk hut. It is part of Te Ara Pataka (The Summit Walkway) track from Hilltop Tavern overlooking Akaroa to Gebbies Pass. 

Alone in the Wild: Solo Tramping in New Zealand

Wilderness magazine covers solo tramping....

There is an interesting article about solo tramping in the March 2013 issue of Wilderness magazine (the NZ outdoor bible), which argues that tramping on your own can be a positive experience.

Wilderness Magazine cover for March 2013

There are many times when trampers want or need to venture out into the wild by themselves. Some prefer the solitude solo tramping provides while others have difficulty finding partners to join in their adventures.

A solo tramping Jon on Travers Saddle, April 2018

Solo tramping has traditionally been perceived as odd, ill advised or dangerous, these perceptions are slowly changing as the benefits of spending time by yourself are realised.  It would also seem that solo trampers are a growing outdoor group, going by the number of one person entries in hut books.

One advantage of solo tramping: a hut to yourself!

Tramping alone: Good or bad....you be the judge!

The general gist of the article is that solo tramping lets you interact with nature in a more holistic fashion. Because you are both the leader and the lead you decide the agenda, pace and difficulty of your trips. With no people to consult you need to draw more deeply on your own experience, growing skills in the process.

Solo Jon section hiking the Te Araroa Trail SOBO, Queen Charlotte Track, 2016

Now, I enjoy this and would never claim that this is the best or only way to visit the outdoors. Personally, I enjoy the feeling of self reliance when solo, you make ALL the decisions which makes tramping a more intense experience IMHO. You do require experience, common sense, good equipment and a realistic appreciation of your limits to maintain safety though.

Wilderness articles are generally available on their website or hunt down a paper copy. 

 Highly recommended.

Tramping Food: Great tramping beverages

You are what you drink, or a tale of many beverages!

Does your beverage of choice say anything about you? Trampers have a diverse range of preferences, some people like tea, others coffee, or some other variety of hot or cold drink. I have seen people drinking soup for breakfast, liquid jelly for dessert and you often see tramping parties having a quiet tipple as well. Tea seems to be the leader with coffee, fresh or instant, a close second.  

Cheers...Jon enjoying a hot brew in East Hawdon Bivvy

Hot drinks for tramping...

My preference runs towards Early Grey tea, black with sugar and in large quantities. I don't care if it is bagged or loose just so long as it is hot and sweet. My brand of choice is Dilmah but even the roughest gumboot tea will suffice in an emergency. I also like Cha Nui tea which is a New Zealand brand.

My choice of tea, Dilmah Earl Grey

I sometimes take packets of instant hot chocolate or cappuccino mixes with me as they make a nice change from tea at every meal. If I can find them, I like the Nestle Hot Chocolate with marshmallows the best.

Nestle brand hot chocolate

I usually carry either Nescafe or Jarrah coffee and cappuccino sachets, both are freely available here in New Zealand. The individual sachets weigh 5 gm's and make a perfectly acceptable version of a coffee.

Nescafe Cappucino sachets- 20 per pack

What about a nice hot mug of soup, when I am out tramping I start every evening meal with soup. I use both quick cook packets and the classic Continental Cup-O-Soup.

One of the Continental Cup-O-Soup range

If you are going to have a soup look for ones that just requires hot water or ones that need only a short period of simmering. Personally I like the creamy or noodle filled flavours for added taste and nutrition.

Massive mug of Dutch Curry and Rice Soup, Totaranui Campground 2018

I'm also partial to a mug of hot Raro or Vitafresh fruit powder drink with dinner. I know this sounds strange but its really good. Lemonade is the flavour of choice if you want to drink it hot...it is beautiful!

Classic Raro Sweet Navel Orange

Water, iced tea and a hot coffee, Lake Isabel Hut, Victoria Forest Park2014

Sweeteners and condensed milk...

I used to carry sugar for my hot drinks but now I use Splenda sugar substitute. One tablet is equal to 1 teaspoon of sugar, the packet below holds 100 tablets or enough for 50 cups of tea/coffee. The packet is the size of a matchbox and weighs only 22gms, by comparison 100 teaspoons of sugar weighs 640gms.

Splenda sugar substitute

If I have an instant coffee it would be sweetened with Nestle condensed milk. This is a drink I picked up in the Army, it dates back to before WW1, the only way to drink coffee in the outdoors IMHO. It is also excellent added to a brew of tea as well.

Update: Since I posted this in 2012 I have struck several people who also carry condensed milk for their coffee. It really is delicious- no need for sugar or milk with this product. In fact I have seen Ray Mears the survival expert using it on his TV programs.

Forget stupid syrups, classic old timer coffee additive...condensed milk!!!

Condensed milk is still a part of both New Zealand and Australian Army field rations to this day.

 

Having a coffee at the Davies Bay campground, QCT in 2016

Cold tramping drinks...

.....(actually cool as you have no refrigeration to chill your drinks)

 

There is nothing better than water for quenching your thirst, but sometimes you want something different.
 
Powdered fruit drink packets are very popular, there are a wide range of flavours and several brands. My preferred type is Vitafresh especially their Peach Iced Tea, Orange Mango, Blackcurrant and old fashioned Lemonade.

Orange Mango Vitafresh

Raro is the other well known range available here in New Zealand. 

A Raro drink powder three pack

I also use isotonic drink powders, these are basically fruit flavoured mineral replacement drinks. Vitasport is one of the more common brands available here. 

Vitasport isotonic drink powder

I will generally carry one packet of Vitasport/Raro/Vitafresh (12 gms) per day and have it with my evening meal.

Red Vitasport with my meal, Carrington Hut, Arthurs Pass National Park

Beer,  spirits, wine anyone?

A quick snort of something is as old as tramping itself, and is a Kiwi tradition. I would imagine even the sainted John Muir carried a flask of something to make the evenings more convivial.

The outdoor 'Saint'- John Muir, father of the US National Park movement!

Personally I am of two minds about alcohol and outdoor activities, I like a drink as much as the next person but in the right place and at the right time. A glass of a nice red with your freeze dried meal is good, a litre of Vodka with lunch not so much....

I'm partial to a river cooled can of beer and have taken several with me in the past. Nothing like finishing the day with an ice cold brew in your hand! Oh yeaahhhh!

Using nature's beer chiller....some tasty beverages cooling in a river.

I also enjoy a snort of whiskey or rum, normally in a coffee. Leave the hip flask at home and carry it in a tightly sealed plastic bottle- hey, its not going to compromise the quality any worse than humping it around in a pack for a couple of days.

The Bundaberg Rum range...great in your evening coffee...

Just a final word; carry out your empties! Nothing worse than arriving at a hut to see a pile of empty bear cans or wine bottles cluttering up the bench. If you carry it in, carry it out.

Cheers!

Magdalen Hut, Lake Summer Forest Park: December 2012

A trip to Magdalen Hut, St James Conservation Area

I went up to the Lewis Pass area for an overnight trip in to Magdalen Hut on the St James Walkway, it was 9 km (4 hours walk) from the Boyle River Outdoor Education Centre. The centre offers a car parking and shuttle service, I left my car in their care and followed the St James Walkway back up the valley,  this is the opposite direction from those walking the complete walkway.

Mid way to Magdalen Hut, St James Conservation Area

Day One: Boyle Village to Magdalen Hut: 11 kms, 3-4 hours

I started the St James Walkway from the carpark off the road to Boyle Settlement...there is space for about 10 cars here with a toilet and track signage. It is actually safer to park your car at the Boyle Outdoor Education Centre (BOEC) right next to the carpark. The track starts from next to the toilet block and heads up the Boyle River Valley to the first swingbridge over the river. 

Start of the St James Walkway at the Boyle River entrance

The carpark at the Boyle entrance to the St James Walkway

DOC sign at start of the St James Walkway at Boyle river

  The track is in excellent condition, wide and easily followed, as befits one of the track on the Te Araroa Trail. Many thousands of people must walk along this track every year either as a tramp of the St James Walkway or following the Long Pathway. It is also one of the entry points for trips to the rest of the St James Conservation Area and the Opera, Libretto and Poplars Ranges. 

Map: Boyle Settlement to Magdalen Hut

Sidle track, St James Walkway, near the start of the track at Boyle River

Crossing a side stream on the way to the Boyle River

You cross over two swing bridges on the way to the hut one near the start and the other is at the junction of the St James Walkway and the Track to Magdalen Hut. As you can see the rivers were high as there had been a week of hard rain just before I visited. 

Classic kiwi tramping territory with single track and swing bridges!



Lower swing bridge over Boyle River, St James Walkway

 

 You pass a number of meadows as you walk along they were all covered in these beautiful yellow flowers quite idyllic. This trip was at the beging of summer the time when alpine flowers begin to bloom. 



Forest meadow near the Boyle river swing bridge, St James Walkway

 

The walkway follows the forest edge most of the way up the valley with the occasional foray into the bush. The Boyle River Valley is a part of the Glenhope high country station in its lower reaches and becomes the St James Conservation Area close to Magdalen Hut.



View up Boyle Valley from mid way point to Magdalen Hut, St James Conservation Area



Looking up the Boyle Valley towards St Andrews Homestead, St James Conservation Area

The St James Walkway can be muddy in places as there are numerous small streams crossing the track. There are also a number of seasonal bogs in the forest itself as the land is low and flat and gets quite a bit of rain. It can be useful to wear long gaiters on this track as you will get very wet and muddy otherwise. 

Muddy track conditions on the St James Walkway

You wil often find makeshift bridges over the muddiest sections of the track with corrogation being the most often used method to cross wet, boggy ground. Feel free to chuuck some more logs in the mire to build the track up if you like...



St James walkway, the highest point this trip, above the second Boyle River swingbridge

The Boyle River was bank to bank near the second swing bridge...normally you can ford this river lower down but only an idiot would have entered it that day. It was too deep and swift for any river crossings...

Upper Boyle River swing bridge, St James Walkway



I stayed at Magdalen Hut, which is 30 mins down the true left of the Boyle River from the second swing bridge. You access the hut along a short track heading down the side of the river. It is an excellent hut, with plenty of space around it for tenting, but the sand flies are atrocious. 

Beware and bring your DEET!



Magdalen Hut, St James Conservation Area


Built in 2010 Magdalen Hut is one of the new breed of 6 bunkers...spacious, insulated and with a top notch log burner and rain water tank. This would make an excellent family trip destination. Thanks to the Hanmer Scouts who had recently visited and dropped off a load of dry wood for the hut woodburner.

Magdalen Hut: the cooking bench...

The nearby Boyle River is a noted trout fishery and you will often see anglers trying their hand in its waters.Totally useless on the day I visited as the rain had made the water dirty and hard to see into. I walked down to the river to have a look later in the afternoon. 

Magdalen Hut with the Poplar Range to the rear

I spent most of the afternoon cutting up firewood, drinking tea and reading the massive pie of FMC magazines in the hut. Dinner on this trip was a Backcountry Cuisine freee dried meal...Lamb Fettucine washed down with Orange-Mango Raro. 

Magdalen Hut: the bunks with my gear laid out on my bunk for the night

I shared the hut that night with Phil an American academic and hiker in New Zealand for a conference. He arived at 6 pm just as it was starting to get dark after driving to Lewis Pass at noon... 

My Marmot Trestles sleeping bag in Magdalen Hut

It was interesting to share details about families, hiking/tramping culture and recent political events in the US (it was just after the 2013 US election between Barrack Obama and John McCain). Lets just say that Phil was not a fan of Sarah Pallin....he kept refering to her as 'that idiot from Alaska".

The wood burner in Magdalen Hut, St James Conservation Area



Inside Magdalen Hut St James Conservation Area (2012)

 We had an enjoyable evening in the hut as it was warm inside but cold outside so when the fire died down later it was a nice comfortable tempreture in the hut. There was a little rain over night but it was well finished by the time we woke the next morning. 

Interior of Magdalen Hut, St James Conservation Area

I was super snug in my Marmot Trestles sleeping bag...really too much bag for this trip but I am currently saving money to buy myself a decent down sleping bag. I didnt have a lot of tramping gear after so many years in hiatus so i am slowly building it back up once again. 

Day 2: Magdalen Hut to Boyle Village: 11 kms, 3-4 hours

The route out the next morning followed the St James Walkway back down valley along the same route.  It was another beautiful day to be out tramping...overcast but warm with light wind. I was up and out of the hut by 8 am it was not raining so I was able to walk without my jacket all the way back to Boyle Village.



Magdalen Hut, Muritana Stream in front of the hut

In the forest on the way to the Middle Boyle swingbridge

From the Middle Boyle swingbridge it is only 3 km's or an hours walk to Boyle Flat Hut the next accomodation option along the St James Walkway. 

Boyle Flat Hut is one more hour along the track....

Preparing to cross the swingbridge on the Middle Boyle River

Once back at the swing bridge it was a short climb back up the river teraces on the true right of the Boyle River. These take you about 100 meters over the end of a spur before dropping back down to the grassy flats along the edge of the forest. 



St James Walkway, heading home along the edge of Boyle River



More attractive beech forest track on the St James Walkway

The track follows the edge of the forest over river flats for some distance in the middle of the valley, it makes for quick and very easy walking. It is so much quicker walking back along a track you have just visited...it almost seems like the time just flies by...



Boyle River Valley, about halfway to the Boyle Outdoor Education Centre from Magdalen Hut





Another meadow of summer flowers on the St James Walkway

  

Back at the lower Boyle River swing bridge

I made excelent progress back down the valley and soon found myself back at the start of the track. This is the track just before it emerges near the Boyle Education Centre...as you can see it is quite civilised for a New Zealand bush track.



Track end St James walkway near the Boyle River exit...



An excellent track, with a fantastic hut to stay in, I had a lot of fun on this trip. I would like to walk the whole St James Walkway and I would definitely make the effort to visit the hut again.

Boyle Outdoor Education Centre from the road outside the centre

This was an awesome trip and the one I should have made before tackling the Andrews-Casey-Binser Circuit. This is just a taste of the greater St James Walkway which I intend to walk sometime in the coming years. 

Magdalen Hut is a real cracker and I can throughly recomend a visit right through the year as it is easily accessible in all but the very worst of weather. As a side trip off the St James or as a trip on its own it has a lot to offer.

Access: Along the St James Walkway from the Boyle River Settlement off SH 7, Lewis Pass.
Track Times: 3-4 hours from Boyle Settlement, 30 minutes from the second swingbridge over the Boyle River
Hut Details: Magdalen Hut; Standard, 6 bunks, wood burner, water tank, toilet, wood shed
Miscellaneous: Muritana Stream can be a problem in moderate rain, some other side streams on the St James Walkway are impassible in heavy rain. The BOEC can provide secure carparking and car shuttle services if previously arranged.