Te Araroa 31/01/26

Day 132, Roses Hut to Arrowtown (2706)

A cold morning but a clear blue sky promised a hot day.

Morning light 

I left the hut for the steep climb to Roses Saddle at 1270 meters, the sun was just coming up and there were even some zigzags towards the top so the ascent wasn't too painful!

Leaving Roses Hut

What a beautiful morning 

Once over the saddle there was the usual steep descent to the Arrow River. When I got to the river I had to decide wether to take the high route or walk the river.

El Tejido pretending he got here on his own 

Ridge down to the Arrow River

 I took the high route for a while with some lovely views but when the path descended to the river again and I was faced with a big climb I thought I would take the river route.

The Arrow River 

No path just the river

I'm not sure if it was the correct decision as the first kilometre was actually walking in the river, not that deep but slow and very cold on the feet.

The track with lupins

The track keep crossing the river as well

I did enjoy it though after the steep ascents and descents of the last few days. Eventually the river banks relented and allowed me to walk some sections but with numerous crossings to connect them.

Butterflies by the path

Eventually I reached Macetown which is an abandoned mining town with almost nothing left to see, I think there were a few more remains but not on my route.

A final river crossing 

The track rises above the river

There are two routes that I could take from Macetown and I chose the longer, lower route that follows the Arrow River via a 4WD track.

Through some interesting rock formations 

There were numerous river crossings but my feet were wet anyway and none of them were difficult.

I really enjoyed the route which went through a spectacular gorge and there were tide lines on the hillside presumably from an ice age lake as in Glen Roy.

The river was much bigger as I approached Arrowtown 

Arrowtown is a real tourist town trading on the gold rush era but it has a decent campsite even if it was overpriced, high season has another week to go.

The center of historic Arrowtown 

According to the weather forecast I have another good day tomorrow for the walk to Queenstown but it looks bad for Monday so I have booked two nights at the holiday park for a rest day to wait it out.

Arrowtown campsite 

Te Araroa 30/01/26

Day 131, Highland Creek Hut to Roses Hut (2682)

It was yet another perfectly clear morning (it can't last) when I dropped down from the hut to start the first climb.

Morning light on distant peaks

I had decided on another short day as there was a lot of climbing involved, 900 meters up with 1000 meters down and a hot sunny afternoon.

Difficult terrain 

There were two saddles to cross, the first had several false starts over the hills before the main climb and then a very steep ridge down to cross a stream and some remnant beech forest.

But beautiful 

There was brutal climb up through some landslips then, the path actually zig-zagged up, something that doesn't often happen in New Zealand.

Looking back to the high hills 

Coming down from the first saddle 

A slightly more gentle ridge followed to the top and there were some amazing views looking back to Lake Wānaka.

A bit of forest to negotiate 

Looking back, Lake Wanaka in the distance 

The final ridge down

Another steep descent on a ridge to the Motatapu River which I managed to cross with dry feet before a short walk to the Hut.

Roses Hut

Only the young German girl went further, everyone else going this way stopped here.

Plenty of people here tonight 

It was a busy tonight, 18 people in a 12 bed hut (6 camping)

Te Araroa 29/01/26

Day 130, Fern Burn Hut to Highland Creek Hut (2672)

Another beautiful morning, some clouds but blue sky as well.

Looking back to Fern Creek Hut 

Today's route was a steep climb up to Jack Halls Saddle at 1275 meters followed by an even steeper descent to the Highland Creek Hut.

Narrow path sidling round the hill

It was a strenuous climb but the path was relatively good with only a few overgrown bits. 

Steep hillside 

Lots of little lizards (gekos, skinks?) were out sunning themselves and scuttled away from my feet and I saw a hare. It looked like an ordinary brown hare, at home there would only be mountain (blue) hares at that height.

Wild man of the hills

More incredible views

Good views back to Lake Wānaka and even better ones down towards Highland Creek from the top.

Lovely path

I spoke to a couple of people climbing up from the south and they told me that the next section was very hard, which I suspected anyway, and although I probably had time to get to the next hut I had lunch at Highland Creek and decided to stay.

Hut in the distance 

I'm feeling old today anyway so an afternoon nap may be called for. My nap was disturbed by a young German girl who had walked in from Glendhu (rocket powered?) and decided to stay as well.

View from the hut 

Another good hut with a view.

Te Araroa 28/01/26

Day 129, Wānaka to Fern Burn Hut (2666)

It was a beautiful morning as I sat outside a café sipping coffee and watching Wānaka wake up.

Wānaka morning 

Wānaka Lake in the morning 

I really liked Wānaka, it was very touristy but it did have its own identity. Maybe the good weather helped as well.

Good cycle path 

The trail uses the path around the lakeshore which starts as a good cycle path but turns into more of a mountain bike trail by the time it reaches Glendhu Bay.

Red Admiral by the path

The track becomes more interesting 

Snow and glaciers in the distance 

It was a beautiful walk in the sunshine with the mountains all round and even better when the big snow and glacier clad ones appeared.

Willows by the lakeshore 

Looking back to the lake 

There is a big campsite at Glendhu Bay and nearly everyone appeared to have a speed boat. More importantly though there was a little coffee shop for a lunch stop.

Up by the burn

A gravel road then took me to the start of the Motatapu Track which climbed, sometimes very steeply, beside the Fern Burn.

No wet feet here

Across a bridge, for a change, and the track climbed even more steeply until reaching the Fern Burn Hut.

The path sidles round high above the burn

At one stage my pole slipped and I lost my balance and ended up on my back in vegetation beside the track like a cast ewe with my legs sticking up. I thought I would have to take the pack off to get upright again but I managed in the end.

Fern Burn Hut

Two people arrived at the hut and told me that Mike, who I met on the way up, broke his ankle after I met him and had to call for a helicopter rescue.

Outside the hut

Three people are sleeping outside on the balcony to watch the stars and there are five of us inside.

No stars to be seen and the possums drove two back inside!