This text was read by OCR from a scanned newsletter and has not been proofread yet, so expect odd characters and mistakes.
by Bronwyn Bell I decided that since I didn’t get to spend my birthday in the bush this year that I had to spend Christmas in the bush. As I'd already planned on being on Takaka Hill for New Years at Canaan Downs, I thought I'd check the area out before hand via a nice tramp in the area. This was not a club tramp but I attribute many of the skills I've learned about the New Zealand bush to club and the amazing trampers within it. Coming from Canadian bush was a bit different and there's some pretty important differences to consider. So, I decided that I was ready for my own tramp. Having spent a fair number of cycle trips alone helped my curiousity for solo tramping. The choice of the Inland Able Tasman, and the huts/camp I intended on staying was deliberately easy for this newish experience - multiple days solo tramp.
Of course I couldn't make it that easy for myself, don’t want to be seen as being cushy (though I'll admit I can be), I had to make my pack as heavy as possible, because everyone who knows the area knows that its a 5.5hrish walk from sea level to 780ish, up, up, up... not quite as gnarly as the Tararua's but up is up. So when your pack is at its maximum, that's a long 5.5hrs. Up to Castle Rocks hut that is, passing by Holyoake clearing/shelter for a nice picnic in the still high but mid-late afternoonish sun. I didn't hit the track from Marahau till about 2pm, after late ferry/Atlantis backpackers/early bus, but knew I'd have plenty of light.
Reached the hut at 7pm, just in time for dinner with a young German couple of trampers. The Dutch girls (2) had already hit the caterpillar pose because they had to get up at 4am to get out to Marahau to catch a bus at 9am, which I didn't learn until 4am, when they woke my sleeping mates and I rustling every plastic bag they had. And here I had the courtesy to unpack and I cook and pfaff about OUTside the hut when I arrived the previous evening at 7pm, lucky them.
After recovering from the plastic bag early morning rude awakening, my fellow leftover hut mates and I finally parted ways mid morningish, we were headed in the same direction sort of, they were heading to Moa Park, then down Evans Ridge to Awapoto hut. Whereas I was heading Moa Park, then to Wainui Saddie onto Wainui Hut. Rain was threatening, but it was warm and I had the good gear ready to go. I evaded the rain till Moa Park, but then the rest of the way was persistent shower.
For some reason the beach forest seemed to absorb the rain really well, So did I but I was comfortable, knowing I'd be reaching Wainui Saddle in not long, and Wainui Hut would only be another 1.5hr. The whole day walking was only 4hrs with a bit of a climb in the morning, from 700m-ish to 1000mish, then cruising along/downish to Wainui Saddle to 800m-ish gently drifting along to 700m-ish to Wainui Hut, all beachy very nice. Track very rooty but easy for someone used to anything dodgy terrain wise. Not really much view wise from the saddle, too wet.
Arrived at Wainui Hut early afternoon, no one home. Very cute little 4 bunker, the last tenants left it nice and tidy. Yay! An open fireplace that looks in good nick, with a bar across and hooks to hang the billy. An and more joy for the covered porch with a night or so's fire, if it's broken up a bit, good fun for the afternoon's settling in.
This was Xmas eve, the 24th. I had a nice gourmet experiment for dinner, and wholly welcomed the prospect of being able to stew my billy over the fire. Quinoa mixed with a gourmet dehy-vegetable medly italianish style (it came with as a pasta kit type thing that a coworker got in a gift basket but I thought would go well with anything tramping) and my favourite organic boulionne cubes... all chucked together to make a stew... sounds weird and possibly yucky but I thought it was awesome and could live off it (okay I might get bored, but it'd take a long time) Still no other trampers arriving to chat with over stew and cups of tea... fine by me, I was fully enjoying the sound of my own thoughts and everything I could hear outside and around me. The Ruru started moreporking as dark settled in, not really raining anymore, still and easy, could feel the barometer lifting, knew tomorrow would be fine and all my gear could be dry, if it hadn't dried from being hung around the fireplace. Bed time, still no other trampers coming to visit the hut, could this really be? A hut all to little old me? ha ha, I would've been happy to have others around but certainly enjoyed the space. I woke up to the sun beaming through the window, ah, twill be a leisurely day indeed. After a nice chilled breakfast of my favourite organic oatmeal, and coffee, I lay out all my still wet clothes and set to fetching wood, tidying up and general leisure pfaffing about because I knew I didn't have to leave till 2pmish if not later. I was only going back up to the saddle and finding somewhere near the turn off to the Rameka track to set up a wee camp, as I didn't want to bother going down to the new campsite since I was hopping on the Rameka track to get out to Takaka the next day. At about noon another solo tramper popped out of the woods and had a cup of tea, he was en route up to Wainui Saddle then over to Evans Ridge to Awapoto Hut, popular place for people going down to the coastal track. I did the coastal track the 1st year I lived in NZ, it was so easy I loved it.
Mid afternoon came around and I decided it was time to leave my little sanctuary, the thought had crossed my mind several times that I could live happily ever after somewhere like that, I wouldn't even need the other three bunks but I suppose it'd be nice to have somewhere for guests to sleep.... the imagination wanders. Up to the saddle again, cruise along checking out the terrain as it changes to open up onto pasture, there's areas that are in transition from farm to bush, the track is alongside a bit of fencing now, but there's a good 100m transition zone, plenty of nice little camping cubby holes and dips n' puddles with water. I find a perfect perch in the elbow where the track meets the Rameka track. At the junction of the tracks I can see where the main track leads down to where the end of the road is, and can see a bit of the road too. It's probably about 2km away, maybe 3km.
Happy to be nestled in my little perch remaining solo. Set up camp, find perfect flat chunk of white quartzey granite stuff to put my stove/billy on. Eat my favourite boil in a bag Indian kidney bean curry with organic potato flakes, sounds weird but is super yummy.... Did I mention that my pack was so heavy because I was carrying 3 more days of food than I needed? The reasons for this was because I was going to a mates farm in Takaka and wasn't sure if I'd need a bit of food and I knew we were heading back up Takaka Hill to Canaan Downs for New years but I wasn't sure when but knew I'd need food again up there... never too much food!!! And I couldn't make the trip that easy. Next day down the Rameka Track, normally a popular mountain biking track, but seemed like a good route out to Takaka to me regardless of use. The 1st 1.5hr was nice bush, then the transitioning to farmland, as height dropping gradually. Seemed good as a mountain bike track, some dodgeyish bits but an averagely experienced rider could do it (as much as an experienced rider could still hurt themselves). Then the track stopped and the 4wd track . started, that went on for a few kms till the sheep started and the farm road started. 2hrs later I hit the bottom, the gravel rd following Rameka creek. It's nice and bushy along the river. A few cars have passed by now, it's warm bordering on hot, beautiful day and I'm happy trundling along on foot. No one stopped to offer me a ride anyways.
Got to pavement finally, txted my mate who lives in Onekaka, which is about 16kms from Takaka. I'm about 6km from Takaka where I just popped onto pavement. My choice is to wait there for my mate to come get me after she's pfaffed about getting ready to leave, or start walking towards Takaka and she'll pick me up en route, or if I make it all the way to Takaka, to hang out and wait there. Knowing my friend is the ultimate pfaffer, I was fine with walking all the way to Takaka, which I did, and hung out and had an icecream while I waited.
This is where the tramp ended, it was super enjoyable and I'd do it again in a flash. I knew I'd gained something special to take with me everywhere I go now, a gift of solitude in wilderness, as true as the gifts we share, and as simply vital.
I don't however recommend going off into the bush by yourself unless you're really confident and competent with your level of skill for what you choose to do (this is my safety/risk aversion disclaimer) and have the capability to enjoy your own company.
Punter: Bronwyn aka ffirebell