The Multi-Day party of Bernard, Chris, Elizabeth and Lindsay, were dropped off, along with both parties’ food drops, at Lake Rotoroa. The Distance party continued on to Lewis Pass. We took the water taxi to Sabine Hut, dropping the food drops there. A beautiful spot by the lake with a pleasant DOC hut. By 11 o'clock we were on the track We tramped for about 5 hours, an easy track, to reach the West Sabine hut late afternoon. This was a larger hut but quite full.
We got organised and socialised a bit, including having the ubiquitous cups of tea. Suddenly, from above came a familiar voice saying “ I recognise those voices.” You guessed it. The infamous Hines! Great rejoicing and joke telling with some hugs. A bit of catching up. Despite their earthquakes caused damage they were as positive as always.
An early night. As is typical, especially with the early darkness, we were asking each other starting around 5pm, if it was too early for dinner then bed. This was a nightly occurrence! I must say that on this type of tramping, I do catch up on the sleep! However being the city party some did partake in a little mulled wine
The next morning, up at the crack of dawn, which was around 6.30 to 7, we did the breakfast and repack thing and headed up the track to Blue Lakes hut. This took about 4 hours with rain most of the time. We were sheltered in the trees for much of this. Both the days’ tracks were easy and through beautiful, South Island beech forest and over some stony slips.The rain had the given benefit of allowing us to see a cascade of waterfalls at one stage
Once again we met up with the Hines’ party at this hut. The weather forecast wasn’t sounding too flash for the next day so we opted to retrace our footsteps back to the West Sabine hut in the rain then to the Sabine Hut in finer weather instead of crossing Moss Pass
On arrival at the Sabine hut we were offered a wash in hot water. A current occupant put on a huge pot of water to boil so we could do this. What luxury! This spacious hut by the lake had many piwakawaka flying around to get the insects. We were taken on a short night walk to the jetty to have a look at the eels. Wow! The size of some of them. One to two metres and up to a thickness of a leg. Earlier, Bernard did a “swim with the eels” thing. He actually didn’t know he was. He may have avoided Mt Cedric if the eels had got a little closer We finished the night with hot cross buns
The next day’s weather appeared to be calm enough for us to toil up Mt Cedric, an 1100 metre climb along the tops and ridges to Angelus hut. It took 2 and a half hours to get up above the tree line where the wind turned out to be very strong and cold. We all put on more clothes Several times it blew us women over and actually rolled Lindsay over. Lucky it wasn’t near the edge. Some trampers from Angeles hut advised us to keep to the leeward side of the wind good advice It was a six hour tramp by the time we reached the hut It was a new hut 18 months old and very spacious the only hut I have come across that had more social room kitchens etc than sleeping areas .As you do tramping, getting up at 2am to go outside, the weather had changed to freezing and it was snowing and left a covering all over the hut and ground by the morning
Day six and we were to head back St Arnaud along Roberts Ridge The winds had reduced from yesterdays 70 k/h to 60 k/h This was still too strong for the ridge ( trampers the night before had told of having to hold onto posts to avoid being blown off the ridge ) Once again we changed our plans to suit the weather something that we all need to be prepared for in Nelson lakes. We left the hut and went up the ridge and then immediately ducked down to Speargrass track and out to St Arnaud
The backpackers was full that night so were put up in a motel unit This suited us well as we were all tired from fighting the weather
Day 7 bright sunny a nice unit and we abandoned heading back into Nelson Lakes The thought of good coffee and real food persuaded us to do day walks from there There are some nice day walks around there Bernard and Chris walked up the St Arnaud Track to the east A good track but another 1100 m climb and a 6 hour day Once at the top we had views of all the mountains and tarns below.
Whilst in St Arnaud we came across several groups of university students doing an agriculture and environmental course One group was training robins to find food that they had hidden (they said they were easy to train ) A second group counted eels, they stay in the lakes for maybe 60 years and are then ready to head to Tonga mate and die The offspring return to the lakes Others were looking for different fungus We came across all colours and shapes
Sunday morning and the shuttle came and took us back to Nelson A good time was had by all and we were all looking forward to not seeing dehydrated food for a long time