Kiwi Bretts Adventures: Christmas Wangapeka Tramp

With Helen and I making some major changes in our life, we have taken some time out from working to de-stress.

While I really enjoyed my job and the immediate people I worked with, there was aspects of the way the company was managed which caused extra unnecessary workload, while "One Team" was spouted by hierarchy it was one rule for them and one rule for us. The lack of staff training available for my team, the lack of paid cover for on-call, along with little protection for staff against acts by customers led to me resigning, I can only give so much and take so much BS.

So with having some downtime, we decided to go and hike the Wangapeka Track in the southern Kahurangi National Park. This particular tramp had been on my/our radar for more than a few years.

The track starts west of Tapawera (62 km from Nelson) and finishes at Little Wanganui on the West Coast. You traverse four river catchments, the Wangapeka, the Karemea, the Taipo, and finally the Little Wanganui. This route has been around for over 125 years, there has been searches for precious metals, farming, and forestry in the region.

We had planned for five days to cover the 59 km, with a day spare, as we knew heavy rain had been fore-casted for the middle of the week.

Lucky for us, our friend Ant was able to drop us off at the start, big thanks for making the start logistics easy 😄 we will be happy to return the favour one day.

Day One - Siberia carpark to Stone Hut

We headed off, packs weighing 16kgs each. We had a tent just in case the huts were full. Our aim was to head up the Wangapeka track to Stone hut from Siberia carpark. This is mainly an old benched track so is good going. An hour in I felt a hotspot forming on my heel, I was wearing new socks which I had trialed for a day. 20 minutes later I stopped and changed socks to a pair I knew were good, unfortunately it was too late, the blisters had already started to form ... oh well better start taking those concrete pills and just harden the f@#k up!

No Whio were spotted before leaving the river, and a bite to eat was had at Kings Creek hut, then on passing Cecil Kings historic hut and up to Stone hut, our accomodation for the night.

20 kms in the book, 6 hours 40 minutes (including stops), not a bad effort for a desk jockey.

Day Two - Stone hut to Helicopter Flat hut

Today started with a brisk climb straight out of the hut up and over the Wangapeka Saddle, a little misty, but beautiful amongst the Beech forest and Dracophyllums. The track here is still in good condition and we were making good time as we headed down into the headwaters of the Karamea river. I had paddle some of the lower reaches of this many years ago. There were a few slips to get around and fallen trees to clamber over.

The track had really start to deteriorate, it was slower going and harder to spot the track markers. It appears DoC have limited any maintenance they are doing on the track, leaving it to become a marked route, thats ok, their dollar only goes so far - it can't be easy to decide where to put it.

Today about 1 1/2 km from the hut, I had a fall, stepping down into a side stream to cross it, my foot slid out on a greasy rock slab and I went down on my hip and forearm, fortunately my pack absorbed a lot of the impact, but it was enough to knock the wind out of me, I then tripped again 15 minutes later, this really knocked my confidence and slowed us down.

What I have realised over the last twenty years is I am still dealing with trauma from the drowning I was involved with in 2002. My depression is situational, when I loose my confidence or my identity life becomes black.

My identity is tied to how well I am doing, particularly in a work situation. It took a long time to rebuild after the drowning. I always saw myself as a solid dependable instructor who was safe, there were definitely better instructors out there. Recently at work it had been a battle as well and it was effecting me physically (my psoriasis had flared up and two weeks after stopping work it had gone) and mentally.

Work had become a mental battle as well, but when then are others depending on your guidance, you continue on. So when I fell on the trip and for a second time, my confidence went out the door ... not only did my heals ache, my hip (which is already screwed together) ached. Trying to stay positive was hard, I was slow moving, Helen was waiting lots, I was struggling.

The second part of this, is an overwhelming feeling of being responsible for everyone to get home safe and in one piece. This is a very heavy weight to carry and when I can't look after myself it just got heavier.

We arrived at the hut mid afternoon, then Helen spotted two mature Whio with four chicks! Wahoo pretty special to see these guys ... still wondering what Whio are? Check your ten dollar note! Lots of predator control, by the Whio Forever group, has been carried out in these two valley's and there is approximately 70 pairs of Whio residing here now.

While enjoying a cuppa, we had a young English lad pop in, we gave him a much appreciated cuppa and gingernuts. He was in awe of having seen so many kiwi on the track, it was a little sad we had to dispel his excitement, and tell him they were Wekas!

Well, he headed off towards the next hut, still full of enthusiasm.

12 kms completed today, half the distance down, a little slower going in 5 hours 40 minutes. Just before helicopter Flat hut we took the high route rather then crossing the river to keep our boots dry, maybe it was the slower route.

Day Three - Helicopter Flat hut to Stag Flat bivvy

Today we left the Karamea river and headed up the Taipo river (one of the headwater tributaries to the Karamea).

Our initial plan was just to go through to the Taipo hut, but on arriving there and looking at the weather closing in, we thought it would be better to continue to Stag Flat biv at the head of the valley. Our thoughts were if tomorrow was going to be mildly wet it would be an hour less to do or if it was heavy rain we could stay put.

The sun came out for the day, Helen was on to spotting the track markers so we made reasonable progress. Giving us some wonderful views of the peaks around us.

Around dinner time the heavens opened up and down came the rain, it continued through the night and eased up mid to late morning the next day.

11 kms completed today, 4 hours 11 minutes.

Day Four - Christmas Day - Stag Flat bivy

Spent the day here, waiting for the side streams to drop, when it did clear we got some great views of waterfalls that had appeared with the rain. A quiet day reading, listening to podcasts and watching the weather.

Day Five - Stag Flat bivvy to Belltown Manunui hut

It dawned sunny and was time to get moving, this we knew was going to be the hardest day of the trip. It starts well for the first 150 metres of board walk then turns right and just climbs for a solid 40 minutes.

Then you pop out of the bush and onto Little Wanganui Saddle with a view all the way to the sea on the West Coast. It is the only spot where you get briefly above the bush line, we stopped to enjoy the view, texted our contacts to say we were going to be a day late (yes there was cell service at this point, not strong but enough to send a message). On with a wind breaker and to start descending for the next two days.

This side was steep, and it had been hammered by a cyclone in 2014. Lots of windfall and slips over the track making progress slow. The trees were wrapped in their mossy coats, the forest floor was covered in beech tree leaves, which looks like someone has spilt the cornflakes box, it was just spectacular bush to be travelling through.

We called in and checked the Wangapeka Biv, a two bunk portacom, helicopted into place and bolted down ... simple concept.

There is one major side stream which is unbridged (McHarrie) and the water levels had dropped, it was good to cross.

Arriving at the Manunui hut site, we discovered they had moved it a further kilometre down the track, in fact they had built a brand new hut in 2022.

It was to be the only night we shared any of the huts, with two other couples, lots of interesting stories were shared.

We managed 11 kms in 6 hours 30 minutes, it felt we had been travelling quickly but in fact was our slowest speed.

Day Six - Belltown Manunui to the Road end

Last day, we loaded up and headed off, it was warm and muggy but the end was in sight and was good going and soon we were there. From the road end when you look south across the river you can see where the cyclone snapped the big trees off at half height, just a ferocious force.

An hour before the end we bumped into some trail angels who were out for a walk. They arrived back at the road end soon after and offered a lift into Little Wanganui, in typical West Coast style we stopped in at their place, I enjoyed a beer and Helen had a cuppa. We chatted for an hour had a look around, then they dropped us down at the Little Wanganui Hotel, where we were to stay the night and get the shuttle back to Nelson the following day.

The final 10 km done in 3 hours 18 minutes

A big thanks to Jimmy and Marnie for house sitting and the wonderful meal which awaited us when we got home! You guys are the best!