There was still quite a bit of mid-semester to go so my second mission was to go on a tramp. Joe was keen but no one else was so well... this is the adventure in Joe's words.


So on Sunday night armed with a 1:50,000 map of Dunedin and area we sat down to plan out tramp around the Silver Peaks. About an hour later we had a nice little 2 day loop all sorted out, drive in, walk in to stay at Jubilee hut one night then walk out the long way back to the road. Easy....
So Tuesday morning we set off down to Unipol to get a cooker only to discover they were out. Then some guy walked in the door with a cooker to return. Timing!! He even gave us a gas canister too. Things were looking up.
Fast forward a few hours.
Walked for a while and stopped at Pulpit Rock for lunch, just down the track we passed a older couple who looked at us then said with a knowing sort of grin “Oh I'm pretty sure you two will have the hut to yourselves”. What was that supposed to mean?

On top of Pulpit Rock

Fast forward another few hours, Stopping for a breather while going down the Devil's Staircase. Another couple were walking up and stopped for a chat. Again with that same knowing sort of grin and wink we where assured the hut would be ours for the night. I guess that a young lady and a young man tramping together looks suggestive (complete with a bottle of ginger wine strapped to the outside of Kasey's pack).



So got to the hut, eventually.... (man alive they need a few more signs up that ways!) and proceeded to just chill out like one does at the end of the day. But who should show up but Cleo and Nicky from the Uni tramping club.

Jubilee Hut

Inside of the hut

Another shot of the inside

So after the usual dinner of pasta and sausages we had another look at the map for tomorrows walk out. The only snag was the route we wanted to follow went around the long way and as we all know the shortest distance is a straight line... So we had decided to do a spot of bush bashing from ABC cave to meet the track...
Lesson number 1 – Look at the contour lines on maps.
Lesson number 2 – When D.O.C says something is a route and not formed they aren't kidding around. Spent a good amount of time the second day just looking for the track.

Random dead pig speared on a trail marker... yummy!

Pretty ridge line... this area seemed so remote even though civilization was mere kilometers away

Anyway after walking up for a ways and following a ridge we came across some guys cutting gorse along the sides of the track. So we told them what our plans were and the comment was “Oh yeah, got a bit of a walk ahead of you then. You'll get wet feet following that creek up too”. That should have started alarm bells.
So we went down 300m from our ridge to cross a river then up 300m again. Oh did I mention it was drizzling so the ground was a tad slippery under foot. Interesting times I tell you.
After getting to the road we make the choice of taking off down a side track to follow Carey's Creek upstream to where the car was parked rather than following the boring road. Hehe, would regret that later on.

Following a creek up is highly entertaining and I recommend it to all. Just make sure you have plenty of time and energy. The track just kept on going and going. Admittedly it was the end of the day but it felt like the longest walk I have ever done. Thanks to daylight saving finishing we also had to finish the tramp in the dark, trying to follow a route in the bush in the dark going uphill is also something that I'll remember for a very long time. In the end we did make it, slightly wiser and muddier. Not a tramp to take your misses on for a romantic getaway but a very beautiful part of the country and close to Dunedin. Recommended to all.
- Joe


Yep... good times with my friend Joe.

Sweaty, dirty and dog-tired but happy to be reunited with the Blue Beast (aka Joe's car)