Auckland Baptist Tramping Club RED HILLS Saturday 4 January After cruising up and down SH 63 seeking the track entrance, the six saddled up, paused for the obligatory pre-sweat snap, then followed DOC's small orange arrows and Philip's large orange top into the beech forest at 8:30am. After a short flat stretch parallel to the road, we turned left and began to climb north into the Red Hills.  An uneventful amble brought us to Red Hills Hut (910 m), a tidy new six bunker, at 10:50am for morning tea and our first devotions: Roger on Abraham's near sacrifice of Isaac.   After greeting some locals who'd popped up for the day, we departed at 11:15am, through a glade of manuka onto the open tussock above Maitland Creek.  Two hours later we crossed the creek, only around knee deep, and followed cairns on through low scrub. Aerial photography of this area clearly shows the great divide, a line running south-west to north-east along the spine of the Alps where the Indo Australian plate is shifting north-east past the Pacific plate. On the ground, we were hiking along it.  The west of the valley was thick forest; on the east was bare slightly reddish rock, which is only found here and in Fiordland, two areas that were once contiguous. As well as geological observations, rest breaks allowed for comparison of packs.  Jen turned out to be an ace at solo tramping, carrying a lightweight yet well-equipped pack with a cheerful yellow :-) mug bouncing on the back. Ralph, however, was feeling the weight of his external frame Mountain Mule. We scrambled up rocky mounds with views down the valley, and down to cross side streams.  The Red Hill Hut sign had read, "Porter's Hut. 4 hours."  Yeah right. The afternoon wore on.  Jen revised her estimate of the track as merely average difficulty.  Ralph's legs started to cramp. By the time we reached Porters Creek Hut at around 6pm, even the sturdy Donnells admitted they'd had enough. It was a bright orange tin box in a swampy flatland, that we were pleased to find unoccupied. Sunday 5 January The weather was drizzly and we slept in, only departing around 10 o'clock under an overcast sky.  Dramatic chunks of rusty red rock protruded from the shingle. Strong winds as we crossed the ridge from right to left branches of the Motueka river, followed by slow scrambling across spiky sharp boulders.   Ralph’s devotions continued the theme of red sacrifice with the Passover lamb, and we reached Hunters Hut (830 m) at a respectable 4pm for a pleasant sunny afternoon. On 23 February 1995, the former Bush Edge Hut was swept downstream by a flash flood in the night: two DoC staff and their dog died. The new hut we were in was 120m above the water. From the window we gazed down at the river meandering beneath the surrounding peaks. We spotted distant poles and tried to plan a route up Red Hill (1791 m). Monday 6 January Deciding Red Hill was too ambitious, the three Donnells and David wandered up towards Mount Ellis (1615 m). On the way we met a hard old Aussie who'd been hiking the Te Araroa Trail since October, and saw why a hut book entry describes the area as a "geologists paradise". Cracked boulders stood in striking contorted poses; stones of many shades and shapes littered the ground; we picked up flakes of green serpentine that resembled jade.   We enjoyed lunch and Val's Tararua biscuits on a high terrace viewpoint, an hour or so short of the summit, before returning for another lazy afternoon.  David reflected on common idioms with the word "red", and the saving red blood of Christ.   Tuesday 7 January Anticipating a single river crossing on our exit day, we hatched a cunning plan.  To keep our boots dry, we'd all wear Jan's rubber "pinkies", which Roger called "crandals" - a cross between crocs and sandals.  Phillip was the sacrificial lamb who waded back with them each time, while Ralph preferred wet feet to the indignity of donning such a feminine shade. We climbed out of the forest into cold drizzle, but snatched some views through the cloud, while following the ridge line poles. Subalpine shrubbery and flowers decorated great stacks and slabs of slate. Quick photos at a cairn on the high point before the long descent, with the ladies streaking ahead. We reached Inwood's Lookout (1000 m) at 12:30pm, found an open garage for shelter, and boiled the billy to warm up with Phillip’s devotions about the significance of sacrifice in Christian service, with some modern examples. The van arrived just as we finished lunch, and we bounced off down the road, pleased we’d completed perhaps the toughest stretch of the Te Araroa Trail. THE GROUP: Roger Donnell, David Titheridge (leaders), Heather Donnell, Phillip Donnell, Jen Wearing, Ralph LAKE ANGELUS Sunday 5 to Wednesday 8 January Six trampers headed from the Mt Robert carpark and headed on a wintery sort of summers day to Speargrass hut. By the time we got there the weather was clearing and getting the fire going helped to dry us and our coats off. Four others - Ted, Bev, Phil and Ali where close behind and after an informal haka welcome, joined us for dinner. The next morning we left Speargrass Hut and Warren and Jackie to find their way back to the van. Crossing the stream, eight or more times, was a wet tricky task as the wind grew in verosity, the cloud closed in and the marker posts became less obvious. We were wondering how safe the cross over at the saddle was going to be so we took out time and stayed together. Pack covers vanished into the thick clouds and nerves were tested, but we managed to get over and then down again to finally rest our tested spirits next to what we believed to be Lake Angelus. Every now and again the wind cleared the low flying cloud to confirm our belief that we were indeed safe and sound in Lake Angelus Hut. Oh, what a glorious scene. You know when Someone is looking after you when the day you are to climb back up to the ridge, the wind eases off, the clouds disperse and the mountains reveal themselves in all their magnificent splendour. The walk along the Mt Robert ridge was spectacular. We finally rested and saved our sleeping space at the Bushline Hut around lunchtime. But after a quick snooze, hot cuppa's and time to soak in the sun and scenery the number of people arriving at the hut to find a space, including two or three families was rapidly growing. So, we agreed to carry on down to the pick up point instead of staying the extra night. The walk down was just as good as what we had been enjoying. Warren and Jackie were there to welcome us back and carry us the miles back to the Red Deer Lodge. A most excellent adventure where we were challenged and inspired. THE GROUP: Colin O‘Gorman, Penny Bradford (leaders), Warren and Jackie Prestidge, Bryan and Joanne Schroeder, Ted Owens, Bev Lester, Phillip Norton, Ali Norton MOLE  SADDLE Thursday 9 January Our group of 5 left Red Deer Lodge in St Arnaud at 8am. to reach Lake Rotoroa around 8:40am.  It was a beautiful morning as we donned parkas and gloves for the chilly but scenic 20 minute boat ride south down the lake to D'Urville Hut.  While we applied sunblock, a long-term hut resident described the Tiraumea Valley as a hidden gem. Lacking motivation to cross the flooded river and moan our way up Mount Misery (1601 m) we headed straight for the hut.  After a few scrambles where the track had been washed away, we reached the junction at 10:45am and turned west, leaving the D'Urville valley for the gentle ascent to Tiraumea Saddle (672 m), almost unnoticed in the bush, and then on down.   The six bunk Tiraumea Hut is on a grassy flat above a stream.  We spent a drizzly afternoon in the hut or poking around the forest finding deer bones and old campsite relics like bottles and hobnail boots.  Surrounding forested hills were swathed in red-tinged mist at dusk.   Friday 10 January Cloud still filled the valley as we left at 8 a.m. for a long steep climb.  We broke out of the bush at 11:30am for an early lunch in the sun, reclining on tussock and enjoying the vista below.  There was a chilly wind as we followed poles over the spongy grass, boggy in parts, to reach Mole Saddle (1329m) at 12:30pm for a 360° panorama.   As soon as we dropped down into the Mole stream valley around 1 p.m., the wind fell away.  In the warm sun we ambled down the grassy true left bank to reach the renovated Mole Hut (1160m) by 1:30pm.  It was an idyllic site.  Water splashed in the creek below, while bellbirds and tui flitted around the flowering flax surrounding the hut, which we again had all to ourselves. Saturday 11 January We rose at 5:30am, planning to bash straight up the creek behind the hut and reach the Mole Tops with their scenic tarns.  When we reached the bush line, however, thick cloud rendered visibility too low for a safe ascent, so we backed off and headed out. Back up at Mole Saddle, we reluctantly decided we no longer had time to ascend from there, although the cloud seemed to be clearing.  So we farewelled the views and began the well-marked descent down Jameson Ridge, accompanied by frequent birdsong.  We reached the road and Nelson High School's Mataki Lodge in time for lunch under the veranda while we waited for the van. THE GROUP: Phillip Donnell (leader), Roger Donnell, Heather Donnell, Jen Wearing, David Titheridge SABINE VALLEY AND BLUE LAKE Thursday 9 to Sat 11 January Five of us left the Mole Saddle group at D’Urville Hut and carried on by boat across Lake Rotoroa to Sabine Hut. Across the water we could see the Mole Tops and Mt Misery. From Sabine Hut we set out on our tramp, wrapped in woollies and beanies on a cold morning, following up the Sabine River. In one place we found that a bridge across the river had gone, so we had to do a river crossing. We arrived at West Sabine Hut and provided a yummy meal to heaps of sandflies who were waiting. Next morning we put on our day packs for a tramp to Blue Lake. We passed a rock bivvy where people had stayed overnight in flooding, and also saw our only kea on the trip. There was a grunt up to Blue Lake. As we climbed we could look back down the valley and see Mt Cupola in the distance. Blue Lake was found by NIWA in 2010-11 to have the clearest natural fresh water in world, its optical clarity exceeded only by some saltwater near Easter Island. The lake is fed by springs believed to come from nearby Lake Constance and filtered through landslide debris. Grass was seen to be growing under 30cm of the clear waters. We had lunch at Blue Lake Hut before returning to West Sabine Hut. Next day we came back out. Colin’s boots came to grief and had to be taped up for the last part of our tramp. THE GROUP: Phillip Norton, Ali Norton, Bev Lester, Colin O’Gorman, Penny Bradford