Uncle Roddus Tramping Diary:Tramp No. 97
Kirwans Hut - 22/23rd January 2010
This was my second visit to Kirwans Hut, the last being a club trip I led there in the middle of winter 09' and seeing as we didn't actually make it onto Kirwans hill last time, I made it a priority to do this again so I could enjoy the great views from the tops. The weather at home was going to be crap all weekend so it was looking very promising for a couple of fine days in Westland for us to complete the trip. Honora and Myself arrived at the start of Kirwans Track at about 11:15am on a stunning West Coast day to find the new shingled car park(which wasn't there last time, it was just an empty paddock) chocka full of vehicles and a helicopter ferring mountain bikers up to the hut so they could do the ride down the track. It was apparently part of some organised festivities happening in Reefton that weekend and 65 bikers paid $80 each to get flown to the top for a fun ride down Kirwans track. It wasn't a problem for us keeping out of their way as they all came careering down on what is an excellent ride, but I guess with dollar signs in their eyes, the organisers didn't seem to care whether the people they took up were actually capable of doing it and some of the one at the back of the group didn't look like regular bikers and the last two(a mother and her daughter) had street bikes, couldn't even begin to ride them down this mountain tramping track and were having to walk their bikes out, carrying them over slips and windfall etc... for what probably took them many hours to get out. Although they were in reasonable spirits when we passes them, they weren't really enjoying them selves and still had a long way to walk. The young girl said she would never do it again. Shame on the organisers for taking them up, you could tell just by looking at them and their gear that they had no experience or idea what they were getting into.As far we know they all got out safely.
Anyhow, Honora and I left the carpark just after 11:30am and started along the 13km's to Kirwans hut, around 1000m above us. The track follows the beached route the miners used to cart all their mining equipment up to Kirwans Hill, where some bloke, oddly enough named Kirwan, found some gold containing quartz in 1896 or there abouts. I think, from memory, from the info at the hut that they extracted 11,000 ounces of gold before it ran out, so not a particularly large find. The track climbs up through stunning red beech forest, with plenty of ferns and other small trees. I just love this walk, the forest is breathtaking and of course the scenery changes as you climb higher towards the hut. We also got to have a little chat with some quite friendly little birds as we traveled through their territory. As we got higher the moss just got prettier and changed colour and more thicker on the trees as we got closer to the hut. The silver beech trees around, and below the hut were thickly covered with moss on their wonderfully twisted and contorted trunks and branches. We arrived at the hut in 4 hours 50 minutes, including a visit to the old mining hut site and chatting to mountain bikers on the way up. The hut was opened in 1988 according to the plaque in the door and this 12 bunk hut is one of the best I have stayed in so far. I especially liked the large framed windows at the western end. After checking out the hut and the views from the hut clearing, at 1294m, setting out our bedding, having dinner, and chatting with the family of five who arrived a couple of hours after us, we headed off for the 30 minute climb up to kirwans hill to enjoy the views and the sunset. I am not nearly literate enough to describe the great views of all the mountains surrounding us on almost all sides and the pretty tops we were sitting upon enjoying a lovely sunset, so check out the photos and movie below to get a better idea of our wonder.
Sunday dawned fine and clear and we set off from the hut about 8:30am and headed down the track to the Montgomery river, stopping at the remnants of Kirwans Reward mine and the battery further down the hill. The forest in this valley is slightly different than the track in but just as magnificent with some huge specimens of native tree for our enjoyment. Stopped at Montgomery Hut for a slightly early lunch, it having taken us about 3 hours to get there. The stay was pretty short as the sand flys were diabolical and the bees not much better. The trip out along the Waitahu is a 13km slog along an old four wheel drive track which had some extensive washouts from some serious recent floods a couple of weeks back. Significant damage was also done along the Montgomery as well but not any that caused us any delays. The last hour consisted of the short hop over the hill from Gannons Road bridge back to Capelston with a total trekking time of around 7 and 3/4 hours and about 24km.
4 comments:
Thank you Uncle Roddus
Been a few years since my loaned White charger; Shadowfax had me hurtling down that track. Loved every minute of it... Well looking back I did anyways!
Great to read your blog and see those sights again. Awesome country! Imagine living up there!!!
Damn shame I couldn't make your trip this time. Sighs.. again.
Keep up the writing, tis descriptive beyond your minds talk. J.
Great descriptive writing. Impressed at your recall of facts, figures and names of plants etc.
J. I entertianed the thought of living up there in that very cool hut. I think DOC might not be too impressed. Hope you can make it outt on a trip soon.
thanks Honora, Red Beech and the silver Beech near the hut are easy to remember and ferns cover a large variety of plants, but I think I will remember the delectable snow berrys and Dracaphyllium has now stuck in my memory, though I suspect not the correct spelling. I couldn't remember the names of the little birds I photographed, perhaps you could. The pics of that fat wood pidgeon didn't come out very well at all so I deleted them.
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