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.