Good Friday morning had Catherine and I driving up to Omarama and to the end of Broken Hut Road. We started walking from here, following the 4wd easement until reaching the Oteake Conservation Area. The 4wd track carried on up, and after about 10km we reached Omarama Saddle where we had a good view back over the MacKenzie Basin and up to Mount Cook. A number of 4wd vehicles, motorbikes and 2 cyclists had passed us on the way. From here we carried on down into the Manuherikia River valley to Top Hut. It was a cool night so the fire was lit and we shared the hut with a fairly active mouse.
Next morning we headed off down the valley. The first few hours we had the place to ourselves before some more vehicles started coming through. Most of them were going through to St Bathans. Everyone seemed really friendly and appreciated the different ways people were enjoying the area – 4wd, motorbikers, cyclists, hunters and walkers. We arrived at Boundary Hut by lunchtime where we were spending that night. After lunch we headed up the hill to the NW of the hut, where we had a good view up and down the valley and of the tussock covered hills all around. We shared the hut that night with some hunters – you can certainly take a lot more gear in a 4wd than what we carry in a pack. They had seen deer up high but hadn’t been successful.
Back up the valley to Top Hut the next day. We dropped our packs here and carried on back up to Omarama Saddle. From here we followed up the ridge and then across to Hidden Lake. This is well named as we couldn’t see it until we climbed up a rocky moraine dam. It would have taken awhile to clamber down to the lake so we just enjoyed the view. The lake was deep and still, with spectacular water colour, and with steep cliffs behind it.
Next morning it was back up to Omarama Saddle where we had a brief view over the top of the fog in the Mackenzie Basin before heading down in to it and back to the car.
Thank you Catherine for a very enjoyable weekend in an area I’ve wanted to go to for a long time.
Hazel