Wanaka is the location location "des res" area of NZ if you like your outdoor sports. It's bigger neighbour, Queenstown is full of bungy jumping and other packaged excitement, but Wanaka is a place one (ie me, Liz) could live in.
In our 6 days in the area we managed to fit in our first tramp of the trip (that's hiking in Brit speak), mountain biking and some climbing. If we here over winter this would include snow sports too. Since this was Greg's third visit to NZ, I took the steer from him, so when checking out the local tramps, we saw that there was a DOC mountain hut called the Liverpool Hut perched at the bottom of Mount Liverpool itself. Not much choice really it had to be done. However, when checking out how to climb the peak, we realised that it was a full on mountaineering route and our ice axes and crampons are at home in the UK, so a tramp to the hut we did and gazed out at the glaciers above saying what we would do if we manage to come back. The hut was in the Mount Aspiring National Park, and to be honest it was not what I expected. Most tramps at a low level follow valleys which are heavy vegetated (the bush). The path follows slippy tree route strewn tracks with equally slimy slabs of schist rock - yuk. The sections where it opened out for a view were brilliant, but we spent a lot of time just looking at tree trunks. Were we spoilt in Nepal?
The huts, however, are a dream. Clean (compared to European Alps), well organised and all supplied with loo paper! We even got discounts in NZ Alpine Club huts with our BMC membership cards - hurrah!
The wildlife is also entertaining for this is the domain of the Kea. Kea really are the naughty boys of the bird world. Big dark green mountain parrots. They gang up near huts and campsites in the twilight of evening and mornings, swooping down low and squawking a shrill shriek like sound to each (like calling "they're over here"). All very Alfred Hitchock. I actually found them quite scary. In the Aspiring Hut, the warden was telling us stories on how they had robbed people's boots left outside, and then they bring stuff back a few days later. The warden had left a mirror out for them to play with. They took it away and then returned it a week later. On the morning we stayed, we woke to the sounds of them tapping at the roof and entrance door of the hut (like they were trying to get us). I saw them having a fight over a pair of slipper liners that had been left out, and someone else told us a story about a mate who had been bivying out who had had his nose pecked at by them. Explain that one in A&E.
The DOC seems to be something of an institution in NZ. Their level of signage is very conscientious and informative (2 people only at a time on this bridge or do not attempt this tramp unless you are an experienced tramper). It contrasted greatly to the no signage above the huts. This is where you are on your own and true mountaineering skill come into the fore. Someone explained that they have to do this as there had been a well known accident a few years previously with a lookout platform full of school kids collapsing. Hard way to learn.
Further north up the west coast, we went up to the Welcome Hut so we could have free and hard earned soak in a hot spring. More bloody trees, but worth it for the rewarding soak in the evening on our own surrounded by snow capped peaks. Pity about the sandflies!
In our 6 days in the area we managed to fit in our first tramp of the trip (that's hiking in Brit speak), mountain biking and some climbing. If we here over winter this would include snow sports too. Since this was Greg's third visit to NZ, I took the steer from him, so when checking out the local tramps, we saw that there was a DOC mountain hut called the Liverpool Hut perched at the bottom of Mount Liverpool itself. Not much choice really it had to be done. However, when checking out how to climb the peak, we realised that it was a full on mountaineering route and our ice axes and crampons are at home in the UK, so a tramp to the hut we did and gazed out at the glaciers above saying what we would do if we manage to come back. The hut was in the Mount Aspiring National Park, and to be honest it was not what I expected. Most tramps at a low level follow valleys which are heavy vegetated (the bush). The path follows slippy tree route strewn tracks with equally slimy slabs of schist rock - yuk. The sections where it opened out for a view were brilliant, but we spent a lot of time just looking at tree trunks. Were we spoilt in Nepal?
The huts, however, are a dream. Clean (compared to European Alps), well organised and all supplied with loo paper! We even got discounts in NZ Alpine Club huts with our BMC membership cards - hurrah!
The wildlife is also entertaining for this is the domain of the Kea. Kea really are the naughty boys of the bird world. Big dark green mountain parrots. They gang up near huts and campsites in the twilight of evening and mornings, swooping down low and squawking a shrill shriek like sound to each (like calling "they're over here"). All very Alfred Hitchock. I actually found them quite scary. In the Aspiring Hut, the warden was telling us stories on how they had robbed people's boots left outside, and then they bring stuff back a few days later. The warden had left a mirror out for them to play with. They took it away and then returned it a week later. On the morning we stayed, we woke to the sounds of them tapping at the roof and entrance door of the hut (like they were trying to get us). I saw them having a fight over a pair of slipper liners that had been left out, and someone else told us a story about a mate who had been bivying out who had had his nose pecked at by them. Explain that one in A&E.
The DOC seems to be something of an institution in NZ. Their level of signage is very conscientious and informative (2 people only at a time on this bridge or do not attempt this tramp unless you are an experienced tramper). It contrasted greatly to the no signage above the huts. This is where you are on your own and true mountaineering skill come into the fore. Someone explained that they have to do this as there had been a well known accident a few years previously with a lookout platform full of school kids collapsing. Hard way to learn.
Further north up the west coast, we went up to the Welcome Hut so we could have free and hard earned soak in a hot spring. More bloody trees, but worth it for the rewarding soak in the evening on our own surrounded by snow capped peaks. Pity about the sandflies!
No of nights camping = 21
Pics show Liz in the hot springs outside the Welcome Hut, Greg climbing at Hospital Flats, Wanaka, view of Mount Aspiring from the Liverpool Hut, outside the hut and a section of the awful slippy path up to get there.
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