Sabine Travers circuit

After a day off back in Nelson we drove south to St Arnaud in the Nelson Lakes area for the 86km long Sabine Travers track. This was a 6 day hike up the Travers River valley and over the saddle then down the Sabine Valley back to the start.

Setting off

Slippery crossings

Washouts and landslides

Tree root hazards

John Tait hut

Fire was going and the place was toasty - pretty soon festooned with wet gear! Huts were pretty busy along the way. People on the Te Aroroa trail through New Zealand walk part of this route.

Ben replenishing the firewood stock

Travers Falls

The welcome sign of smoke at the Upper Travers hut

Firewood duty

Ben leads the way up

Pause near the top

Poukirikiri/Travers Saddle 1787m

West Sabine Hut

Some of the huts were one room with the beds on one side and the kitchen area on the other side. The newer and bigger huts had 2 separate sleeping areas. All come with vinyl covered mattresses.

Day walk up to the Blue Lake

Sun!

Kokowai red ochre on the rocks used as a dye by the Māori

Still climbing

Rotomairewhenua or the Blue Lake has the clearest freshwater in the world with light penetrating over 80 metres. No bathing allowed! The water is filtered through the rocks from Lake Constance higher up the valley.

The Blue Lake

Rotopōhueroa or Lake Constance

A familiar plant

Scenery

Sabine River West Branch

Lunch

Meadow

Swimming in the Sabine River

The water was absolutely freezing but we jumped in a couple of times to cool off (and get clean!)

Sabine Hut

Only 7 of us overnight in this big hut. Very peaceful final night on the track.

View from hut

We had planned to swim in Lake Rototroa once we reached the hut but had our dip in the river and then discovered the very large eels swimming around the dock... so stayed ashore.

Wood washed onto the track that ran along the lake side.

Lichen hanging in the trees

End of the track

Off to Australia tomorrow for a month.

Abel Tasman Coast Track

A brilliant 5 days walking 62km in the Abel Tasman National Park. One of NZ's great walks, popular and easy to access. A very well made path - no tree roots to trip over! The track hugs the coast in the sun dappled shade of trees. Beautiful sandy beaches and warm water to swim in all along the route. 

Beginning the track at Mārahau

Typical scenery

Ben walking in the shade

Cooling off at The Anchorage

We camped 4 nights, no rain part from a shower on the last night. Campsites have water, toilets and usually a cooking shelter. A popular route for families and others as there are water taxis in and out from most huts/campsites. So you can get dropped off/picked up and have your luggage forwarded for you (we did it properly of course). You can also kayak most of the route.

Shadowman and son

Side trip to this secluded beach

Shadow on the water

There were a couple of tidal dependent sections but luckily we didn't have to take any of the detours around the estuaries. 

The water taxis and kayaks don't reach the final section of the track so it was much quieter on the last couple of days.

Detour to Separation Point where we saw a penguin and a fur seal

More gorgeous scenery

After the final night we took the inland loop over Gibbs Hill back down the track a few miles to catch the water taxi back to the car park.

Fern shadow

Pukeko and weka

The weka hung around the campgrounds ready to run in and steal any food or food package. They wandered around like innocent chickens but would be lightning quick when they spotted something and then leg it into the bush. 

The joy of it

Weka on the scrounge

Update

Time to add a few photos and an update on what's been happening. Had a lovely, relaxed family Christmas in the sun  - a bit odd to see the build up happening without the winter weather. Santa hats in the heat, pre dinner drinks on the deck. 

Opportunities for a walk in the shady park. Me with Ben and sister Beth:

Pukeiti Gardens:

Nick had time to take a day off and we got out to burn off the festive calories up on the mountain side on a walk to Curtis Falls:

This bridge leads from the car park up to Taranaki's own ski field.

Every year Pukekura Park in New Plymouth hosts lights in the park. Fun to wander around in the dark and see all the light installations:

Moving lights projected up into the trees.

On the 6th I took the bus down to Wellington to meet up with Ben. Amazingly he drove past as I walked from the train station to the ferry in the very slow traffic so I got a welcome lift. We took the evening ferry and got a nice sunset leaving the port:

After a night on a campsite in Picton we got a view of the harbour before heading on to another site near the start of the Abel Tasman Coastal Walk:

Dinner at the second campsite

We had a day back in Nelson between walks. Got to go to the brilliant State cinema:

Nelson has become a bigger and more modern place in the 15 years since my last visit, part of a general trend in popular parts of NZ.

Following the second tramp I had 2 days in Nelson to relax and catch up before I head to Australia on Thursday. 

Abel Tasman and Sabine Travers walk updates to follow.