“A Mish a Day” #69 A-Frame Hut. Hakatere Conservation Park. 19.5.2015. For those seeking adventures near Christchurch, look no further than Hakatere Conservation Park. For years I have been challenging my two feet with the undulating terrain of the massive area, and with so much to do the hard part is deciding which part of the park to visit. After another successful summer in the south I returned to Canterbury to get into winter mode, but before the snow arrived I had some free time to fill in. I decided to head to Glenrock Stream and follow a small section of the Te Araroa Trail (the trail covering both the North and South Islands of Aotearoa) up to A-Frame Hut…
Right from stepping out of the car the area is amazing. Being well off the beaten track, it is not visited by many people. But some are lucky enough to call the area home, living in the remote and very scenic Mt Algidus Station on the opposite side of the many braids of the Rakaia River. After taking in a lung full of fresh cool air I saddled up and began my journey to A-Frame Hut. The hike is an easy wander, as it follows a 4WD track all the way. However it does climb over 600 vertical meters to get over Turton Saddle, and this will leave the legs feeling well used. Once upon the saddle, the reward is spectacular with views up the Wilberforce River and an impressive array of mountains including Mt Murchison(2408m), the highest peak in the small but mountainous Arthurs Pass National Park. I continued over the saddle and down to the hut, and I had just put my pack down when another fella arrived. He was on a hunting mission to the tops, and was on the lookout for any signs of Thar (Himalayan Mountain Goat). After exchanging stories of adventure with each other he decided to continue further into the valley and stay at Comyns Hut, the next hut on the track. The evening rolled round and it was crisp and clear with many stars on display. The tin hut doesn’t have an interior fireplace so I huddled over a small fire outside. The temperature plummeted as the evening went on and when the cold air started to freeze everything outside, I had to retreat to the warmth of my sleeping bag.
I was up early-ish enough to not only watch a spectacular sunrise over the mountains of Hakatere, but also see the frost starting to cover everything exposed to the outside air. A couple of hot coffees were needed to prevent me from frosting up as well, and after having some breakfast it was time to pack up and head off. I crunched my way over the frozen ground towards the drop off of Turtons Saddle, and the crisp air made my breath look like smoke from a chimney. Like on my way in, the view from the top was impressive and made the mission well worth the effort. The walk back down the track was very enjoyable on the mellow 4WD track. Thanks to its width you can enjoy the views while hiking along the trail and I got back down to my car with minimal effort. For my first time this far up the Rakaia Valley I had stuck gold with the conditions, and apart from my brief encounter with the Thar hunter I had the entire area to myself. I highly recommend a visit up the track to Turtons Saddle to take in the spectacular view from the top, and a stay in A-Frame hut gives you more time to enjoy the incredible area.
