Using O'Malleys Track to access the Waimakiriri River Valley

A safer way to access the Upper Waimakiriri River Valley...

I thought I would take a look at O'Malleys Track, this is a high water flood track from near the Bealey Bridge to Turkey Flats in the mid Waimakiriri River area. The Waimakiriri River Valley has a multitude of good tramping and was the original home territory of the tramping and climbing clubs based in Christchurch. 

Bealey Bridge from SH73 on the edge of Arthur's Pass National Park

O'Malleys Track is not that long...3 odd kilometers but it does provide a safer way to access the Waimakiriri River Valley when a crossing of the main river is impossible.

The Upper Waimakiriri River.....

A word of caution though...many of the side streams that feed into the Waimakiriri River have huge catchments. If there is any significant amount of rain you will not be able to get further than the Anti Crow River as none of the side streams are bridged. 

The Anti-Crow River...cannot be crossed in moderate to heavy rain!!!

Other rivers you need to cross in this valley are the Greenlaw and Harper Creeks and there is a mandatory crossing of a braid of the Waimakiriri a kilometer past the Anti Crow River. All will be impassible in heavy rain.

Walking O'Malleys Track

O'Malleys Track starts from a car-park right next to the eastern end of Bealey Bridge on the edge of Arthur's Pass National Park. Look for the DOC sign visible from the road right next to the bridge, the car-park can be a bit difficult to access if coming from Arthur's Pass township. 

Map: O'Malleys Track, Arthur's Pass National Park

O'Malleys Track is a DOC maintained flood track for use when it is impossible to cross the main braid of the Waimakiriri River.

The main crossing point of the Waimakiriri River at Klondyke Corner

The track climbs and then sidles along the flank of Bealey Spur before dropping back down to Turkey Flat at its far end. There is a picnic table and a set of toilets at the Car-park so make use of them if required as there are no facilities along the track. Also make sure you have water as there are no potable water sources along the track.

The car-park at the start of O'Malleys Track, near Bealey Bridge

Start of O'Malleys Track at the Bealey Bridge car-park

The quality of your experience will depend on when DOC last cleared the track. A DOC work crew normally run down the track at the end of winter and clear any dead-fall trees and larger debris. Generally the track is clear and easy to walk. 

On O'Malleys Track:climbing the initial slope on the side of Bealey Spur

A view of Klondyke Corner from on O'Malleys Track

Track quality is about usual for Arthur's Pass...fare to middling!!! They have a minimal impact regime here so the tracks tend to be a bit rougher than other National Parks. There are also a lot less bridges in this area...DOC Arthurs Pass only bridge the deepest and most dangerous of the rivers. 

On O'Malleys Track: various track types....through beech forest

...climbing through regenerating Pole Beech, O'Malleys Track

...and open areas of bush and scrub on O'Malleys Track:

When you get about two kilometers along the track you can see over the valley to the the car park and campsite at Klondyke Corner. This is the place most people cross the main braid of the Waimakiriri River as the river is wider and hence more shallow at that point.

View of the Waimakiriri River Valley from the Klondyke Corner car park

View to the Klondyke Corner car-park...there is a campsite near there

You can also see the extensive swamp areas that border the bottom edge of Bealey Spur..there are a number of smaller braids of the river along this side of the valley feeding into swampland. 

Swampy areas border the edge of Bealey Spur from O'Malleys Track:

There is one potentially problematic stream to cross about halfway along the track. This side stream comes down from the tarns on the top of Bealey Spur and normally runs very low. I did notice that there was flood debris around the trees on both banks approximately a meter higher than the stream bed. This leads me to believe that this stream could be at least a meter high in heavy rainfall and therefore dangerous. 

If you arrive here to find it running high turn around and go back...

Potentially dangerous side stream about halfway along O'Malleys Track:

As you approach the end of the track the trees start to thin out so you see down to the river and out onto Turkey Flat. When you reach these lookouts you are about 20-30 minutes from the end of the track.

View of the Waimakiriri River through silver beech, O'Malleys Track:

A braid of the Waimakiriri River from O'Malleys Track, Arthur's Pass NP

Descending down to Turkey Flat at the western end of O'Malleys Track:

Finally after about two hours the track will deposit you onto Turkey Flat....from here it is simply a matter of following the very easy track across the grasslands to whatever destination you are visiting. 

View of the Waimakiriri River Valley from near the end of  O'Malleys Track

View of the Mt Bealey Massif from on O'Malleys Track

On O'Malleys Track: the end of the track at Turkey Flats

To return to SH 73 simply backtrack and follow the same track back to the car park. 

Where to from here?

There are a number of different places you can access from the edge of Turkey Flat at the end of O'Malleys Track. Again most of these locations can only be accessed if the rivers are low so do not come venturing up here if it has been or is raining.

Almost at Turkey Flat with a view of the Waimakiriri River Valley

The first destination is Jordan Stream the first major river you strike, it runs down the middle of Turkey Flat and empties into the Waimakiriri River near Klondyke corner. If you head up Jordan Stream there is a route over Jordan Saddle into the Avoca River catchment. There are many huts in this catchment and great opportunities for hunting and remote tramping. 

Jordan Stream and the route to Jordan Saddle and hence to the Avoca Valley

You can continue off the end of O'Malleys Track and cross the Turkey Flat grasslands. This is an enormous river fan draining Jordan Stream and is approximately five kilometers from one side to the other.The track skirts along the bush edge on the western end of the flats to eventually emerge next to Anti Crow Hut.

Why is it called Turkey Flat? I have no idea because Turkeys are an exotic import into New Zealand and there were none here when the area was first surveyed....

Crossing the grasslands of Turkey Flat, Arthur's Pass National Park

Anti Crow Hut is a destination as well as a way point. It is a nicely maintained NZFS six bunk hut but most people will not stay as it is simply a point they pass on their way to the Upper Waimakiriri Valley. 

It is a great pity more people do not stay here as it is one of the few largely unchanged 'six bunkers' left in Arthur's Pass NP. It has some gorgeous views out to the Crow Valley, Waimakiriri River, Klondyke Corner and the mountains of the Bealey Massif. 

Anti Crow Hut.....classic NZFS 6 bunk hut

The Upper Waimakiriri River Valley is very beautiful with the aqua blue of the river, deep green bush and grey of the riverbed and mountains intermingling. Great views of the surrounding mountain peaks some of which are +2000 meters high. In the summer there are plenty of awesome camping spots on the river flats but don't camp on the islands or you may awake to find yourself marooned. 

The beautiful Upper Waimakiriri Valley 

Another location you can visit in the upper Waimakiriri Valley is Carrington Hut on the confluence of the Waimakiriri and White Rivers. It was built in the late 1970's when this area was still the focus of tramping in the park. From here you can access the Harmon Pass Route to the Taipo River Valley, Three Passes Route, Waimakiriri Falls Track, Waimakiriri Col Route and Barker Hut. 

The hut is well used but the two times I have been here it was only 1/3 to 1/2 full because it is so large. 

Carrington Hut....36 bunks, two dining areas, beautiful location

So that is O'Malleys Track and the places you can visit by using the track, good tramping everyone!!!

Tramping Food: Go Native: 24 hour ration packs and sundries

Go Native: all in one food packs

There is a new outdoor food company in the market in New Zealand, the brand is called Go Native. Go Native sell a number of items, they have both 24 hour rations and assorted pre packed retort meals. The mains are in thermo stabilised retort pouches so they can be reheated in a pot of hot water or by using one of the Backcountry Flameless Ration Heaters.

The Go Native Vegetable Curry being served...

So far there are only three 24 hour rations available, hopefully this number will be added to as time goes on. They also sell a range of retort pouch main meals which I will discus below...

One of the Go Native retort pouch meals

The advantage of this type of meal is taste....they taste a lot better than freeze dried meals which lose a lot of their flavor in processing. The downside is weight...because they are 'wet' meals they are heavier, still at 700 odd gms for 24 hours worth of food the weight is not excessive. 

Go Native: Beef Casserole

First up is the Beef Casserole, this is the main in this 24 hour ration and is accompanied with items for both breakfast and lunch. 

Go Native 24 hour ration pack: Beef Casserole

As you can see these packs provide food for all three daily meals, including two snacks for during the day.  All three varieties of ration pack have muesli with milk powder, coffee, sugar and creamer (a milk substitute).

For lunch they all have tuna and crackers and a fruit bar and jerky style steak bar for snacks as and when required. They also have sachets of salt and pepper, tea, creamer and sugar.

Go Native 24 hour ration pack:contents of the Beef Casserole

The real difference is in the main meals: they each contain the stated main meal (Beef Casserole, Italiano Chicken or Vegetable Curry) and a suitable side dish (potato's or rice). 

Side view of the Go Native 24 hour ration packs...all have the same dimensions

The 24 hour rations weigh approximately 700gms each and are in a pack roughly the size of a A4 sheet of paper. The bags are waterproof and made of tear resistant plastic so you could just chuck a couple of these in your pack and away you go.

I have had one of these beef meals and the beef casserole was very nice....a well seasoned sauce with big chunks of beef and vegetables. I would certainly eat it again...

Go Native Chicken Italiano

The only difference with the Chicken Italiano meal is the main...this one is chicken not beef but all the other contents are exactly the same. Again, these weigh approximately 700gms and the dimensions of the meals are exactly the same as the beef and vegetable curry (vegetarian or vegan???? I'm not sure about that..) meals.

Go Native 24 hour ration pack:Chicken Italiano

You get mashed potato as the side dish with the chicken stew this is probably a fair choice as rice would not suit a European inspired main meal. 

Go Native 24 hour ration pack: contents of the Chicken Italiano

I have yet to eat one of these Chicken mains so I cannot yet provide feed back on the quality of the product. 

Go Native: Vegetable Curry 

There is a vegetarian option in this range which has a west Asian inspired vegetable curry as the main meal (with a side of rice to accompany it). Ive had one of these curries and it was really nice..good level of spice, creamy and nice big chunks of vegetable. 

Go Native 24 hour ration pack:Vegetable Curry

Again all of the other contents are exactly the same: muesli for breakfast and crackers and tuna for lunch. 

Contents of the Go Native 24 hour ration pack: Vegetable Curry

My main problem with these 24 hour rations are two fold: Firstly, I don't think they would provide enough nutrition for your average tramper, they would need a degree of assistance to provide all the calories you need. Secondly the monotony of the same breakfast and lunch items would quickly get boring. I love muesli and tuna and crackers but eating them every day would really irritate me and I'm sure you as well. 

Miscellaneous menu food items

Go Native also make a series of other main meals in the retort pouches without all the accompanying items you get in the 24 hour ration packs. So far they have Butter Chicken, Chilli Con Carne, Spaghetti Bologanese and Vegetable Curry. 

Go Native MRE: Chilli con Carne

Go Native MRE: Butter Chicken

Its possible that they intend adding these to the 24 hour range at some future point although they are perfectly useful as they are. Using these you could make your own 24 hour ration with suitable store brought items or you could buy one of the pre-packed rations and add this as your main.

Go Native MRE: Spaghetti Bolognese

Go Native MRE: Vegetable Curry

  

You would need a side dish to go with these as they are the sauce/main meal only and have no potato/rice/noodles to go with them. This is not a problem in my opinion. There are commercially produced heat in the bag versions of rice and pasta and also freeze dried and air dried potato flakes in most supermarkets.

Diamond make these pre-cooked and packaged boil in bag pasta varieties

Go Native also make the muesli bars included in the ration packs, I have seen them at outdoor shops but also many local supermarkets. You can buy them in various quantities from singles to packs of 40, so far they have only one flavour: Raspberry and Apple.

A Go Native Raspberry Apple Bar

Hey....they look like New Zealand Army Ration Packs..

Yes, they do look like a New Zealand Army Ration Pack (...or Operational Ration Pack...as they are known!) with that brown packaging. I don't know if they are one of the ration pack suppliers to the New Zealand military or maybe they just buy some of their items from a supplier who does.

NZ Operational Ration Pack

As you can see the military believe you need to give troops in the field a lot more variety and calories to remain operationally fit. Beside the retort main meals (two per pack) you get things like chocolate, two minute noodles, biscuits, vegemite, condensed milk, canned cheese, jam, peanut butter and a lot more drinks.

The contents of a New Zealand Operational Ration Pack

Army life is hard at times but not much more difficult than a 6-7 hour tramp.....way to much food!!! When I was in the NZ Army we would strip these down to the bare minimum and loose about half the contents. 

Short Walk: Godley Head Loop Track Redux: 22nd April 2019

Another trip to Godley Heads....

 This last weekend I was scheduled to go for a tramp up Mt Herbert with my oldest daughter but due to the inclement weather it was scaled back to a shorter walk on the Port Hills.

Georgia crossing the fence at the Godley Head Loop Track

We decided to go and walk around the defense works at Godley Heads, an excellent short walk in my opinion.

Godley Head Loop Track: map of the whole defense site and the buildings at the campsite

I have previously been out to the defense works on Godley Heads many, many times the latest in late March, but this was the first time Georgia has ever visited the site.

Going clock wise this time....

When Karen and I visited recently we walked the Godley Heads Loop Track in an anti clockwise direction so this time for a change we walked clockwise. I think walking clockwise (...through the campgrounds first...) is a better way to travel, it was certainly easier. 

Godley Head Loop Track: timings on this sign are for the trip to Taylor's Mistake from Godley Head

It was a lot cloudier on the day Georgia and I visited but it was actually much warmer as there was zero wind to contend with.

The car park at the Godley Heads site....holds about 30 cars

Toilet block at the Godley Heads Defense site car park

There is a set of toilets at the car park, there is also a couple of picnic tables and a sheltered spot under some well placed pines if you wanted to sit down for a picnic. 

Decent picnic spot next to the Godley Head car park

From the car park we headed up the campsite access road, this will eventually deposit you down where the coastal gun battery was situated. The gate is locked at all times if you want to gain access to the camp site you need to book a campsite on line and they send you a code for the lock. 

 Georgia was keen to come stay up here as well though she said it would be cold...which it most certainly would...

The road leading to the Godley Heads campsite, the gate is locked....

People walking the tracks can just pop over the stile located next to the gated entrance to the DOC camp site. The track is well signposted and clearly marked so there is no risk of becoming lost. 

Georgia crossing a stile on the Godley Head Loop Track

One of the restored buildings used by DOC at Godley Heads

This map is right next to the Godley Heads camp site

Point of interest, there is a turret off a M3A1 light tank sitting next to the workshop building at Godley Heads. It is missing all of the hatches and the main gun and has numerous 2 pdr shot holes through it but the shape is unmistakable.

The strange thing is New Zealand only used the M3 in North Africa and Europe not in New Zealand or the Pacific (...the New Zealand 3rd Division did some tough fighting in the Solomon Islands...). Gawd knows how it ended up at Godley Head.....very curious....

M3A1 light tank turret next to the old workshop building, Godley Heads

I imagine it was used by the tankers for target practice in Tekapo or up at Waiouru....I read recently the trust also have a couple of heavy anti aircraft guns in one of the sheds, not on display yet but hopefully one day. 

At the Godley Battery site

We went down and had a good look at the defense battery site including inside the gun bunkers....we found a short track that allowed us to circumvent the big fence around the site...enough said about that..

Gun emplacement E1, Godley Heads Defense Installation

There is a massive amount of graffiti on the defense site buildings...it is really poor taste to desecrate these historic sites but unfortunately anything this close to a major city is bound to suffer a lot of damage from assorted idiots. 

Gun emplacement E2, Godley Heads Defense Installation

Georgia and I walked a short distance down the track to Taylor's Mistake so we could see the sea cliffs. I managed to get a couple of good shots of the Taylor Battery gun site. This was the first temporary gun site housing 60 pounder field howitzers in open emplacements but was quickly superseded by the main battery.

The Taylor Battery gun pads from near Godley Heads Battery

 You can see the trees around the main battery position at Godley Head in the background of this photo of Taylor Battery. Once the larger naval cannon were fitted to the Godley Battery this site was abandoned...it was only a temporary fix but it would have provided some protection to Lytelton.

Godley Heads: the 60 pdrs at the Taylor Battery circa 1940.....

View from Godley Head towards Taylor Battery (middle ridge), Taylor's Mistake and Pegasus Bay

We walked back over the ridge and had a look at the main defense installation, you can get a good look through the fence (it is fenced off as the site has suffered earthquake damage) but as promised I went over the fences and took a series of photos of the gun pits, bunkers and emplacements that made up the Godley Battery. 

I do not recommend you do this but the choice is yours, just be careful as some of the ground around here is unstable. 

Map and information panel near Godley Heads Battery, Godley Heads

E1 gun emplacement from the battery access road, Godley Heads Battery

Closer view of E1 emplacement, Godley Heads Battery

Looking down into the magazine for E1 emplacement, Godley Heads Battery

Looking down into the magazine for E1 emplacement, Godley Heads Battery

If you would like to see what the tunnels and underground bunkers look like go to the Coast Central Construction website. They are the firm contracted to restore this site prior to the Christchurch Earthquakes and they have a series of photos of the underground works. 

Interior of the E1 emplacement Godley Heads Battery

The gun pit which house the naval gun in the E1 emplacement at Godley Heads Battery

View out to sea from inside E1 emplacement, Godley Heads Battery

Looking back into E1 emplacement, Godley Heads Battery

Gun crew bunker, next to E1 emplacement, Godley Heads Battery

Inside the Gun crew bunker, next to E1 emplacement, Godley Heads Battery

Ancillary building next to E1 emplacement, Godley Heads Battery

Godley Heads Battery: the E1 emplacement from near the E2 gun pit

Gun emplacement E2 at the Godley Heads Battery

I'm not anti graffiti style art...some of it is very good but this historic place is not the right place to paint it. I don't like the graffiti painted here but at least the one below is topical...a Maori soldier in World War Two gear.

I think this one is nicely done....

Godley Heads Battery: a nice graffiti painted at the E2 emplacement

The interior of E2 emplacement at the Godley Heads Battery

Godley Heads Battery: a powder bag chute at the E2 emplacement

The last of the gun emplacements at Godley Heads (E3) was open topped so it had the maximum arc of fire. If they had built overhead cover it would not have been able to swing to the north to cover the beaches of Pegasus Bay

The gun housed here was powerful enough to lob a shell as far north as the mouth of the Waimakiriri River/Woodend about 20-25 odd kilometers away. 

Gun emplacement E3 at the Godley Heads Defence Installation

The main entrance to the underground bunker system is located in between the E2 and E3 battery positions. It would be good if the bunkers were opened to the public but they were five stories underground so perhaps they may have been damaged by the 2010/2011 earthquakes. 

Stairs to the main magazine, Godley Heads Defense Installation

E3 had protective bunkers to its rear for the gun crew but I bet this was the gun they put all the people on the 'shithouse list' into as it was the most exposed to the elements.  There are massive scuppers at the rear of the pit to clear all the rain that must have poured into the gun emplacement.

Hey...the military don't build features unless required....

Godley Heads Defense Installation: the open topped E3 gun pit

Godley Heads Defense Installation: Gun E3 could shoot as far as the Waimakiriri River

After we had a good look around the gun installations Georgia and I headed down to the Observation Post No. 2 further down the track. 

Heading down to Observation Post No. 2

We jumped back onto the Godley Heads Loop Track and headed down hill towards the No. 2 Observation Post. It is a bit of a steep track with that really fine gravel DOC use so it is a bit slippery.  It would be around 1 kilometer from the gun battery site to the observation bunker. 

Walking away from Godley Battery, on the Godley Heads Loop Track

Godley Heads Loop Track: the trees that surround the Godley Battery emplacements from down the track

Looking out towards the entrance to Port Levy from the Godley Heads Loop Track

We stopped and had a look at Observation Post No. 2...this cliff side post controlled the battery of searchlights located at water level at the base of the cliffs. It was also the communication nexus for the main battery and the various defense posts scattered around the area.

You used to be able to walk down to the search light battery but a huge chunk of the cliff fell on them and squashed them in the 2011 earthquake....

Sign for Battery Observation Post No. 2 on the Godley Heads Loop Track

The people on top of this post are really stupid: there is a 100 meter drop immediately in front of the post. If they or the dogs fell off that roof they would die...no questions about it. In fact there is a DOC sign at the site which says "Do not sit on this roof. Fall Danger"

Do not do this yourself!!!

Godley Heads Loop Track: Observation Post No. 2 at Godley Heads

Panel about the defunct light house that once resided near Godley Heads

View from inside Observation Post No, 2 on the Godley Heads Loop Track

Inside Observation Post No. 2, Godley Head Loop Track

Panel describing the work undertaken at Observation Post No. 2, Godley Heads Loop Track

We headed up the hill towards the power generation and battery fire control/plotting buildings closer to the car park. The track is uphill for all of the way back but the slope is a lot easier to climb than the one to the battery site as the gradient is gentle. 

View of Lytelton Harbor and Purau Bay from the Godley Head Loop Track

Godley Head Loop Track: view out to Lytelton Harbor mouth

Georgia on the Godley Head Loop Track with Lytelton in background

Clearer view of Lytelton Heads from the Godley Head Loop Track

There are great views from Godley Head of the surrounding area and the still day meant we could see the details a lot clear than the last time I was here. 

At the generator and plotting buildings

Mid way between the Observation Post and the car park are a series of command and control buildings for the defense installation. There is a workshop/power generator, a battery observation and a scale model shot plotting room. 

All these buildings were an integrated part of the defense works and would have housed soldiers,  WREN's/WAAC's and assorted naval personal over the course of the war. 

Inside the generator room at the Godley Heads defense site

As you can see the Armour on the windows and doors is about 5-8mm thick...not enough to deflect large naval rounds but good enough for shrapnel and bullets. 

Thinly armored door on the generator room, Godley Heads defense site

An interpretative panel inside the Godley Heads generator room, Godley Head Loop Track

Godley Head Loop Track: the generator room

The battery fire control room was where a group of military personal would have controlled the fire of the guns if anyone had tried to enter Lytelton Harbor. They were located around this side of the peninsula to protect them from any fire directed at the main gun sites atop the ridge line. 

They must have had a top notch telephone network to link all of these posts as radio technology was a lot more primitive in those days..expensive, complex, hard to use and not very reliable. 

Interpretive panel inside the battery plotting room at Godley Heads

The miniature plotting room was for training the gunners and their officers, a large scale model of Lytelton Harbor and Godley Heads allowed the gunners a chance to practise their skills. Models of ships were moved across the plotting model and the fall of 'shot' was shown by small wooden pegs inserted into the plotting model from below. 

This is still how they train naval gunners abet it is now computer simulated...

Godley Head Loop Track: inside the miniature range room, our earlier visit

An explanation of how the battery plotting worked, Godley Heads defense site

An explanation of how the battery plotting worked, Godley Heads defence site

Its great that DOC and the Godley Head Heritage trust leave these buildings open as they have always been closed up to this point. 

Walking back to the Godley Head car park

From the defense buildings it is a short 10 minute stroll to get back up to the Godley Head car park, it is uphill but a easy gradient. There were a lot of people out walking on this section of the track as it is the closest to the car park. 

Looking at the range, plotting and generator rooms at the Godley Head site

Godley Heads Loop Track, heading down towards the defense buildings

If you walk the track in an anti clockwise direction there is a very good information panel just near the start of the track. Make sure you stop and have a look as it makes the history of the buildings and installations a lot easier to understand. 

Godley Heads Loop Track: map of the whole defense installation at Godley Head

Lots of people waking on the Godley Heads Loop Track

The whole track is 5.5 km's long and takes between 45 minutes and 1 hour to complete. 

Godley Head Loop Track....5.5km's from one end to the other

Godley Head car park...a lot less cars as the afternoon progressed!

Again, this is an awesome weekend short walk, bring the kids out for a look but take care on that road from Evans Pass and keep a tight hold of any children along the cliff sides. 

Access: From Summer take the Evans Pass road, then turn left onto Summit Road heading out to Godley Heads. The road is narrow, winding with drop offs on the downhill side. Exercise caution as it can be busy and some of the other drivers are not very courteous. 

Track Times: From the car-park it is 45 minutes to 1 hour to complete the Godley Heads Loop Track, all tracks are well marked and signposted. 

Campsite Details:  DOC ranger on site over summer, water tank, toilets

Miscellaneous: The campsite is on the DOC booking system, must be booked for overnight visit. Public toilets at the camp site and at the car-park.