THE HAAST PASS TRACK

Hokitika Guardian, 11 June 1929, Page 2

THE HAAST PASS TRACK

TO THE FOX AM) FRANZ JOSEF GLACIERS FROM THE GREAT SOUTHERN LAKES.

Though UW&ting many scenic wonders throughout its 170 miles length, the route is still almost unheard of amongst many of our travelling public.

Tourist companies have done much during the last two years to alter the Btate of affairs and to-day the starting point for the splendid trip can be {reached from Christchurch in thirteen hours, and from Dunedin about eleven hours."

It may also be reached by railway 'to Cromwell, thence service car to Pembroke at the foot of the lake. From there a frequent launch service is maintained to the head (38 miles). Pembroke is nicely situated and a dry bracing climate. From the Makarora wharf travellers are conveyed by bus to the accommodation houses six miles up the valley. A vehicle road from Lake Hawea via the Neek to Makarorn is under construction and is the first stage of the great Otago-AYestland motor road destined to become one of. the most famous motor tours in the Southern Hemisphere. • This new road now under construction follows the southern shores of Lake Hawea then crossing to the northern shores of Lake Wanaka at the narrow strip of land at the Neek. At Makar or a fishing enthusiasts will find much to occupy the time. There is now a White Star Service operating from Makarora supplying guides, horses and equipment for the longhand interesting journey to the Glaciers, occupying at least five days. This..company make all necessary arrangements for provisions in the huts on the journey and for accommodation at the farm houses on, route. Hie guides are qualified men who will point out every place of interest on the journey and these are many. The horses are quiet and well trained.

The Haast Pass track offers perhaps the largest variety of vegetation and scenic attractions to be found on any one tourist track in the ing known and correspondingly’*popular, . especially among those accustomed to riding. The long distance, many unbridged rivers, and lack of habitation en route will no doubt prevent it from becoming a popular walking trip other than by the more energetic type. Tourists are advised not to make this' trip without a guide unless they have: had previous experience of the hack country, then only should it be attempted with a fund of particulars and a good map. Many have start-ed-out. without a guide and many accidents and delays have marred their whole trip. first STAGE. After leaving Makarora, the trail is a well formed road, But soon bush covered ■ hills take the place of the bleak,fern hills. The sweet scent of the forest and the song of many birds greets the traveller on every side. An early start should be made if the Clarke Hut is to be the destination, 37 miles. Soon this stage will be shortened as tlie Government are erecting ,a good two roomed hut near tlje junction of the Bourkp and Hasat Rivers, a beautiful mountainous spot, seven miles shorter, which is to be recommended for the first day. The Makarora Valley road is followed till an old sawmill site will be seen. There the track enters the bush and only emerges at intervals while crossing turf flats and rumbling creeks. On the far, side of the river several narrow valleys will be seen, chief of which is the Wilkin, Young and Blue Rivers. Both the and. Young offer magnificent scenery, and a week spent in each valley, camping, would be fall of interesting experience. A few miles

east, of the Pass the river is crossed ijy a good ford, and after crossing the uppermost flat (Davis Flat), the track

commences to climb through the bush. Shortly the Fish River is crossed just atiove its junction with the Makaro-

ra. The latter stream emerges from the mouth of a canyon. This is the last seen of these rivers at close quarters. The track now commences to rise in earnest and riders might benefit themselves and steeds were they to dismount and walk for half a mile. While ascending an occasional view of the valley behind and below may l>e had.

In twenty minutes the wooded

"Ha ast Pass will be reached. The exact spot is indicated by an iron peg on the left side of the track, just

. . after passing a large fallen tree. This points the boundary between Otago i( aml Westland Provinces. ■■’ M " Though this low Pass was named :. "after Sir Julius Von Haast who made V'the first official crossing, Clias. Cam- • eron was the first to cross the Pass in i’ 1862. Dr Haast crossed months after • *' Cameron returned.

Mr G. M. Hassing, of Asparima,

: Southland, with the late Mr H. S. Thompson, were .the first white men ! to reach Makarora in June, 1800. ■' Tlieso explorers rowed up the Lake in "a dingliy. Mr Hassing is still alive and possesses a remarkable memory, recollecting vividly his early explorations to-day at the ripe old age of . 92.

The trail now descends gradually

' into Mule Valley, so named on account of it being used f '- " S "C or mules during Von Toast's official exploration trip in 1863.

The river (now the Haast) has to be forded many times but if contains little water here, in the upper reaches. On the right towers Mt. Brewster, always snow-capped. It is over 8000 ft and possesses a large glacier, but littlo of it is seen from the track. A glimpse may be seen just before the Brewster Creek, the outlet, is reached and in suitable weather it is a wonderful sight. The Haast is noted for Paradise duck and native pigeon, in fact these may be seen in numbers throughout the journey. Unfortunately the poachers get a free passage in these remote regions and hundreds of these beautiful birds fall to the “sportsmen” who inhabit this back country. A few miles down Mule Valley the river narrows into a gorge, and here the track enters the bush on the left and passes through huge rocks while the river roars and foams over and under enormous boulders below. At Dan’s ford where the track crosses to the right bank, riders would find it interesting were they to dismount and walk up the" river a few yards and photograph’ the river rushing from under these enormous rocks. The track, now well defined and formed, passes down a long gorge where the Wills river enters the Haast from the left and is crossed by a wooden bridge. Most travellers stop here to take a few photographs. A few yards below the blue waters of the river will pass from view on account of tiic track passing overhead. Another mile and the “Gates of the Haast” will be passed and huge black perpendicular cliffs tower many feet up on either side, me undergrowth now becomes thicker and the first tree ferns are seen. Another twenty minutes and the Burke Huts will appear amidst, towering blacx pine trees and a few yards from the spot where young brown trout fry were recently liberated. A little beyond the hut a fine grassy flat appears where the horses are turned to graze. '1 lie Burke river enters the Haast a little above the hut. This lias been described as being inaccessible and extremely wild. Doer stalkers entei each season but have to climb to. a high altitude to reach its sources, where several excellent heads have been shot. The writer was with stalkers last season in the unexplored regions southwards from the Burke head-waters.

The Burke rises from high broken earthquake formed country-, the bulk of which has never been known to have been traversed by man, being described as inaccessible. Several lakes and numerous waterfalls are known to exist-there.

The Burke parses through a huge canyon before it reachers the Haast and was vividly described in Mueller’s report after bis exploration trip in 1889. He says the depth of this wonderful piece of nature is many hundreds of feet, varying.from a chain in width to half, at the river, and narrowing to only five feet at places at the top. Even th&se hardy pioneer explorers shuddered at the awful chasm, i Mueller urged the Government to make it accessable for tourists coming through the Haast Pass, when tourist traffic in that locality was almost unknown. The writer hopes to explore such a possibility before the end of the year. SECOND STAGE. ■ Before departing from these comfortable huts wood should be left in the huts for the next comers, who will ■bless you, should they arrive on a wet day.

Half a, mile from the huts the river is crossed and the track enters the high forest. A large grassy flat is crossed, and:the river is again forded to a similar flat and' continues for “about a mile, when a third crossing is made back to the left hank, where a bush track will be sighted climbing round Mount Clarke Bluff. On the rugged slopes of this bluff moa bones were discovered by an early surveyor. Hereford cattle graze on the flats, and an occasional herd of deer may be seen, as this is the heart of the famous Westland red deer forest, which is visited by many keen sportsmen each season, many of whom are oversea visitors making a special trip for a good stag. Seldom are they disappointed, and many repeat their visit. This will also he an ideal place for anglers a few years hence, with its splendid fishing streams with forest background. Endeavours have been made to obtain Government sanction to stock - the valley with the best varieties of oppossums on a large scale, but so far has been unsuccessful. The most outstanding feature during the ride down this valley is the wonderful panorama, on a fine day, of Mount Hooker (5.644- feet) and the Hooker Glacier climbed recently ' InMr C. Turner, F.R.G.S., of Wellington, and Mr C. Turner (Canterbury College), his son—and many stop to (Canterbury College, his son—and the take photographs. Chas. Douglas, an early explorer and surveyor ,was one of the first to visit -this magnificent spot, and so impressed was he that he. later returned and made a field sketch, which, with others, may be seen in the Hokitika Museum. Landscape artists would .find plenty of scope in this valley. When passing round the Clarke 'Bluff the trail makes an abrupt turn towards the West Const, and the great Landsborough and 'C’larke rivers may be <?een flowing in from the north. The former rises in the A Ins near Mount Cook, some 70 miles distant. Mount Cook cannot he sen/ from the track at this stage of the journey. A false gold rush was staged in the early days, up the fn'—v Lanshorouph. the re.sponsV le narrow'" - missed losing his ears, so runs the story.

Many lone travellers from both East and West have erronously followed up the Landsborough and have endured hardships and exposure. Two men lost their lives some years ago through making this mistake. Their bodies were never found. The Clarke Hut is pleasantly situated just off the track, facing the giant Mount Macfarlane (8,200 feet). This is a good lined hut, and there is good horsegrazing. After leaving this hut the track passes under some fine high bush, where native pigeons are usually plentiful. The view across the river fs not unlike a scene in the Rockies. The track continues through bush, which varies as the traveller continues. A very fine waterfall .will be noticed a little after passing the hut. Two hours riding brings the rider opposite the Roaring Billy, a cataract across the river. It can be heard long before it appears in sight. Hie river hero is narrow, deep and blue. From bore the travel takes the rider over wide river beds. A large gap in the ranges on the left will he seen. From here flows a creek of the same name, which is a serious obstacle in wet weather, rising very quickly, but going down as quickly. A good look-out should ho kept for soft sands, especially after heavy rain. Another twenty minutes brings the rider to a. point where the river sweeps into the bank. Here a track will he picked up, which is cut through magnificent fern scenery and a. halt might ho called for photography. A paddock is eventually reached, the far end of which is usually selected for boiling the hilly. There is a creek nearby where a dip may be indulged in in warm weather. The track then passes round the Thomas Bluff. From the top some good views may he had looking up the valley. The Thomas river enters the main stream opposite, flowing from the north between Matakitaki and Thomas Ranges. Crossing flax covered flats the track climbs and winds round the Big Bluff. Another flat and then a defined bush track finds the rider at the Haast Post Office, within two and a half hours of where accommodation may lie had. This is the only occupied dwelling here at present. The owner is also.the ferryman and puts people over hv boat when the river is unfordable, which it often is during tfie summer. During the la iter few miles a change in the vegetation will be noticed. .Hero the pines predominate, while ki-ki, fern, and supplejack form the principal undergrowth. The track for some miles up the valley is practically lor wheeled traffic.

The continuation of the track brings the traveller to Okuru Settlement, an isolated dairying district, served by a ketch from Hokitika. Further south is Jackson’s Bay, Cascade Valley, and finally Martin’s Bay, the former homo of the McKenzies, the hermit squatters. It would take live or six days to reach the latter place. The track below the Cascade should only be undertaken by experienced men. For miles the “going” is extremely rough, the hush dense, and there are no tracks to guide one.

The writer conducted’the first party of tourists to traverse that area two seasons ago. Provisions had to be shipped to points along the’ coast by the Government steamer. This tour occupied, eighteen days, commencing from Makarora and returning >■. via Lake Wakatipu. Inland.from Martin’s Bay several tourist tracks exist, and have been fully described in Mr G. M. Moir’s guide book issued by the Otago Expansion League. Any sparo time at the Haast nmy he devoted to trout., fishing, as here monster trout have been seen and caught weighing over twenty pounds. Atlantis salmon is said to have been seen both here, and in the Waitoto river, further south. Flounders are generally plentiful in all the M ostland river mouths. The rare blue heron may often bp seen near the river mouth whilst in the upper reaches of nearly all the rivers on the Coast the beautiful blue mountain duck still exist.

The Tasman Sea is within a mile of the farm-house but can only bo reached at low tide, owing to the existence of a tidal lagoon.

(To be continued.)