Hump Ridge Track, New Zealand - December 2014

We'll I've finally finished writing up my crazy guy journal on the Hump Ridge Track in New Zealand so I thought that I would post a 'readers digest' version on  the blog. I did the Hump Ridge Track after finishing my big walk on Stewart Island and was looking forward to a bit of an easier walk, and while the walking on the Hump Ridge Track was easier its still got a couple of things that provide a bit of a challenge, the first being the actual climb up to Okaka Lodge at around 1000 metres its a fairly solid climb, the other issue is that the track is very exposed on day two and would be particularly nasty in bad weather.

The trail head, things soon look up.

Day 1           19 kilometres          Okaka Lodge
I was at the Rarakau trail head nice and early as I knew I had a big climb ahead of me. Initially the track heads through some coastal forest before dropping down a seemingly endless series of steps to the water level. Once on the beach I followed it for the next hour or so, Bluecliffs Beach made for particularly nice walking with the tide out and the sand firm. Eventually I left the beach and headed up onto some coastal terraces which only provided occasional views of the water through the trees. After crossing the swing bridges over Track Burn and Flat Creek I came to the turnoff  up onto the Hump Ridge, now the work for the day would begin. Initially the climb wasn't to bad at all, climbing up gradually a lot of the time on duckboards or steps, the whole time that I was climbing the forest was getting more stunning. The other thing changing was the weather, with the odd shower passing through, by the time I got to the lunch shelter it was wet enough to slip on the gortex.

Descending to Bluecliffs Beach.

The track is starting to climb up onto the Hump Ridge.

Like most New Zealand tramps there is no shortage swing bridges.

After a dry lunch sitting in the shelter it was time to continue on up the ridge, the track from here is solidly up hill with the occasional steep section. The walking was still really good though as the cloud swirled through the stunted Beech forest making for a very atmospheric tramp. Passing by a sign indicating that I had got to 'the grunt' I put my head down and indeed grunted my way up to Stag Point. Normally you would get good views at Stag Point but today I had cloud, oh well.... The good news was that I had broken the back of the climb and within an hour I came to an intersection with the duck boarded track along the top of the Hump Ridge, left was tomorrows route down, right was Okaka Lodge half an hour away. With no view along the ridge to slow me down I was soon arriving at the lodge where I checked into my room (complete with king size bed!) and had a HOT shower. It was then time to head into the main communal area of the lodge and meet my fellow trampers, it turns out that I was the only bloke on the tramp, I shared the walk with six ladies from various parts of the world. As is usual in these situations everybody got along well and we passed the night telling travel stories whilst looking hopefully out the windows hoping for the cloud to lift.

Just after my lunch stop I was into the cloud.

How good is this!

Day 2           22 kilometres           Port Craig Lodge                 41 kilometres total
Dawn broke on day two with the cloud still down, we got a couple of glimpses over breakfast of Te Waewae Bay almost 1000 metres below us but the cloud quickly closed back in. Slowly the girls drifted off towards Port Craig Lodge and by 10 am I was left at Okaka Lodge on my own with the caretaker, deciding that I'd better head off as I had a twenty kilometre day in front of me I shouldered the pack and climbed the duck boards up onto the crest of the ridge. With unbelievably good timing the cloud started to clear on my short 5 minute walk up onto the crest of the ridge, Trig F and the whole Hump Ridge was suddenly in view. Not believing that my luck would hold I dropped my pack at the intersection on the ridge and took off up to the high point near Trig F, the wind was howling through the rocks and the occasional cloud scudded through but it was basically clear. So that's how my walk along the length of the Hump Ridge panned out, I spent the next three hours drinking in the view trying to burn it into my memory, even the few sections on the ridge that drop into the Beech Forest were stunning with the rain having freshened them up. Just after 2 pm a very happy tramper arrived at the Luncheon Rock shelter where I did indeed have a nice lunch.

Okaka Lodge as the cloud starts to clear on day two.

The top of the Hump Ridge.

The track is extremely well constructed.

The rain had stopped but it was still bloody cold.

Looking up towards Fiordland.

After lunch the descent began, like the climb yesterday, today's descent was steep and long but also made easier by all the hardware that the track builders had installed, I was almost glad to get off the hard duckboards and onto the soft dirt a couple of times as me feet were copping a pounding on the long descent. Eventually I popped out of the trees onto the old South Coast Track which I then followed for a couple of hours to Port Craig Lodge. The South Coast Track along here follows and old timber tramway and is almost dead level, the trip is enlivened by a series of huge trestle bridges that you either cross over or pass underneath. Just as my feet were starting to get a bit sore on the hard surface of the tramway I arrived into a clearing and the welcoming Port Craig Lodge, following the same routine as yesterday I was soon comparing experiences from the day with the ladies, I slept well that night after a superb days walking.

My days route was along this ridge.

Looking down towards the wild south west coast.

There is some great Beech forest along the Hump Ridge.

Luncheon Rock shelter on day two.

Day 3           20 kilometres            Rarakau Trail Head                61 kilometres total
Waking on my last day on the trail the weather was looking good, blue sky and a light wind. Today started with a long section along coastal terraces well above the water, I spent a lot of this section talking to a charming American girl named Kate curing the ill's of the world. Apart from chatting to Kate the other highlight of this section was a glimpse of some Hector Dolphins frolicking in the surf below us. After an hour or so the track dropped down onto the wide Blowholes Beach, here we caught up to Lauren, a kiwi lady who had been having a bit of a break while checking out a sun baking seal.

The old jetty at Port Craig.

Blowholes Beach.

After exploring Blowholes Beach for a while we set off again, soon we were strung out along the trail and I was again on my own. The track now climbs up again and contours along high above the water, eventually I came to the swing bridge over Flat Creek and the circuit over the Hump Ridge had been completed, I now only had to retrace the first part of day ones route. With the tramp now over familiar ground the day went quick, after crossing Track Burn I headed down to the coast and beach combed my way along Bluecliffs Beach, catching up to Lauren and Kate at Hump Burn. We completed the rest of the coast together, the hard sand making it easy to walk side by side. Leaving the coast for the last time we arranged to meet back at The Last Light Lodge where Lauren and I had stayed before the walk, for a final meal together. As it turned out we all got back to the car park within a couple of minutes of each other and headed of to Tuatapere at the same time, where we did indeed enjoy a final meal together whilst making use of their free wifi to compare blogs.

Port Craig Lodge is on the point.

We were lucky with the weather on day three.

Flat Creek swing bridge marks the completion of the loop up and along the Hump Ridge.

The Dirt.
The Hump Ridge Track is a private tramp. To find out about the multitude of different options available check out their web site. I enjoyed my walk on the track and would recommend it, I would rate it as a medium walk but only because of the climbing on day one, apart from that its easy. The standard of this track has to be seen to be believed, its easily the best constructed multi day walk that I've ever done (even a better standard than New Zealand's Great Walks). I paid for a private room which included a hot shower but if your budget doesn't extend that far there are dorm rooms, if your budget has got a few more zero's than mine there is even a helicopter option. I stayed at a cheap and cheerful type place called the Last Light Lodge in Tuatapere the night before the walk, the rooms were basic but clean and comfortable and the restaurant was very good, the whole place had free wifi which was very handy allowing me to catch up with Sam on Viber as well as find out what else was happening in the world. If this 'readers digest ' version of the walk has wet your appetite for some more details check out my Crazy Guy Journal, it has a lot more detail and heaps of photos. I used the notes out of Lonely Plant's Hiking and Tramping in New Zealand which along with the map supplied and my GPS map was more than adequate.

That's Stewart Island in the distance.

Looking down towards Port Craig from the Hump Ridge.

The view into Edwin Burn from the Edwin Burn Viaduct, if you look closely you can see my shadow.

The massive Percy Burn Viaduct.