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Creation Stories
There are several traditional stories of the Maori people of the south - Ngai Tahu, Kati Mamoe and Waitahga - that tell how the land came to be. After Aoraki's great waka (canoe) became the South Island, the new land was explored by Tu Te Rakiwhanoa. With a magical adze he set to work to make things more hospitable for settlement. His greatest landscaping achievements are in Fiordland where he created the fiords, perfecting the use of his adze as he moved north. Clean-cut Piopiotahi (Milford Sound) was his finest work.
Another traditional story explains the creation of Lake Wakatipu. A giant called Matau lived deep in the mountains. One day he carried off the daughter of a chieftain, but a young warrior in the village who was in love with her, vow to bring her back. The warrior knew the giant liked to sleep when warm winds blew from the north-west (mauru). As the giant slept during a nor'-west gale the warrior made his more, rescued the princess and set fire to the sleeping giant after surrounding him with piles of dry bracken and tussock. The fire burnt a deep hole into which the mountains poured their streams to create the lake. The giant's heart sank to the bottom of the lake, which still rises and falls, it is said, to the beating of his heart.
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Stood outside the hostel waiting for our shuttle bus, chatting to others as a number of other buses came and went, the sun just starting to show itself above the horizon clouds. At 8.00 our bus arrived and we were off to Glenorchy, the road running besides Lake Wakatipu, first west and then turning up the north arm.
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The road was a little bumpy and the springs of the bus were not very effective, particularly as we were sitting on the back seat. Pigeon Island came into view with the Greenstone River estuary opposite to it. On the high tops of the mountains snow still lay in patches.
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Crossing from Glenorchy
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At 9.00 we reached Glenorchy and got off the bus. The next connection was 9.30 so giving us the opportunity to walk up to the DOC Office to discuss our plans. After looking at the weather forecasts we decided that we would do the route anticlockwise as this would hopefully give us a dry day on which to do the more difficult section over the saddle. At 9.30 a short bus ride took us to the jetty and then a together with 8 Japanese walkers, who were off to do the Routeburn, we took a boat ride back down and across the lake the Greenstone estuary, followed by another bus to the trailhead.
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Ngai Tahu Deed of Settlement
The Greenstone Valley and adjacent areas are now managed by the Ngai Tahu people of the South Island as a result of a negotiations with the New Zealand Government to resolve the tribe's land-based grievances going back to the 19th century. Under the Deed of Settlement Ngai Tahu now farm the valley floors. Large parts of the former pastoral leasehold farms involved in the settlement have been gifted or leased back by Ngai Tahu to the Crown for conservation purposes.
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Greenstone - Elfin Bay Station
Much of the valley floor in both valleys is private land and used for grazing sheep, cattle and deer. The Department of Conservation manages the forest areas and tramping tracks...
Greenstone-Elfin Bay Station is derived from three pastoral leases acquired by the Crown in 1992 at the request of the Ngai Tahu Maori Trust Board. At the time the three stations comprised 33,532ha and had been farmed since the mid 1860s. The present station extends 36km from the northern boundary of the Routeburn to the southern boundary of Elfin Bay and 27km south-west from the buildings at Greenstone to the southern boundary of the Mavora Valley. Annual rainfall is high, ranging from 2,500mm to 3,000mm. Winters are cool with virtually no pasture growth between June and September. Soils are generally of low fertility, acidic and leached, and deficient in trace elements selenium sulphur and sodium.
The present station farms about 2,600ha of river flats, lake terraces and adjacent slopes together with the lower Caples Valley. In addition, there is limited stocking of the Greenstone and Movora Valleys. Two breeds of sheep are farmed. A merino flock is run at Elfin Bay and Greenstone, a Romney flock at Routeburn. Lambing is in October, with shearing of ewes in early September, hoggets and wethers mid-October and lambs early February. The merino flock will be replaced with Romney as the pasture on the lake-side faces improves in the future. The main cattle breed is Hereford (calving in late September-early October). Two red deer herds on the station fawn in early December.
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At 10.00 we were off, climbing steadily on a gravel path through mountain beech forest, up the valley to round the headland and get above the Greenstone gorge to our left, with its emerald green waters. When the gravel gave out we were on a broad forest path descending towards the river. Occasional totora trees competed with the beech, the sun shining through the high canopy.
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At 10.30 the Greenstone and Caples Tracks went their separate way. We took the right hand Caples Track. The path narrowed with rough rocks and roots but, except for an occasional small stream crossing, it was dry. Thrushes, tomtits, fantails and perhaps a shy rifleman flitted about the trees as we made our way along a shaded river bank. The valley opened out to flat rich green pastures being grazed by both cows and sheep.
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Lower Caples Valley
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By 11.40 the remains of an old homestead, on the opposite bank of the river came into view. A pleasant breeze, blowing down valley, gusted into our faces. Sometimes the larger leafed red beech would replace its mountain cousin.
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At a point where the river narrowed to run through a gorge, a bridge crossed and on the opposite side sat Mid Caples Hut. It being 12.20 we stopped for our lunch. In front of us, above the river flew a hawk.
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At 12.40 we had had enough of the sand flies and were off again. Before us, on a bush, a yellowhead sat. For the next hour we had a gentle walk through riverside meadows with just a few excursions into woodland or down to the river flats. Tall grasses, clover, daisies and dandelions, some just starting to go to seed, carpeted our way.
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A squawking of a parakeet, chasing a hawk from its nest, startled us as it dived bombed it.
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In a cool breeze, with a gentle incline and the sun filtered by a thin cloud we strolled on, no sweat. The Caples River water gurgled as it ran steadily, not too hurried nor having any reason to linger, to Lake Wakatipu.
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The final leg of the walk had us climbing gradually up through beech woods until we reached the Upper Caples Hut at 2.35.
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Sat around the hut and read, there were too many sand flies to go outside and even inside they were a bit of a pest. Slowly other trampers started to turn up. Initially some decided to carry on down to the hut where we had had lunch at but later others came and stayed.. In the end there were 9 of us.
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Tree roots
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With a few clouds and the sun still behind the mountains, we set off at 7.55 following the river through red beech forest. Passed a swing bridge and continued up river, before climbing steeply away, for 20 minutes, the sun breaking through the trees. Contoured around on a rough track of rocks, roots and streams picking our way carefully. As the path swung south-west it levelled out and a cool breeze blew through. At 9.00 we rejoined the stream now flowing with youthful vigour, tumbling over the rocks and rushing off in different directions.
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The stream bed became dry but a little further up it again started to flow, there must have been a hidden underground channel taking the water away.
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At 10.00 we started the final steep ascent up to the saddle, breaking through first into dwarf trees and then into sub-alpine as we reached the long broad saddle. The path was now easy going with chippings and board walks. The sky had turned dull with the sun having gone back to bed. At 10.35 we reach the highest point of the tramp at 945m and started back down onto the Greenstone Track. First we descend steeply down a dry gully until it started to fill with water and then circled around to the north, dropping as we went. Through the trees we could see Lake McKellar some distance below us.
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With such a steep descent the trees became an major aid, trunks normally covered in moss had bare patches where hands had been placed for support, on smaller trees the bark had been polished where the tree had formed a handrail and roots were worn thin like an old ladder rung.
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First Footprints - The transalpine trails of the Maori
The Greenstone Valley was an important route for Maori travellers long before the arrival of Europeans formed part of the network of huarahi (trails) connecting Otago and Southland with the West Coast Te Tai Poutini. The trail from Foveaux Strait came up the Waiau Valley, branching off at the Mararoa River and heading past Movora Lakes and over low saddle to reach the Greenstone.
Route maps were oral. They were conveyed through waiata (songs and chants) that described a series of landmarks along the way. Progress on each trail was linked to the availability of mahika kai (food sources) and nohoaka (temporary camp sites, often close to food sources).
The Greenstone and Routeburn Valleys provided access to the Hollyford Valley and the West Coast. These are often called the pounamu (greenstone) trails because they were used by travellers carrying the most precious stone of all.
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After little more than an hour we were down at lake level and in the Greenstone Valley, heading north through the woods to the stream crossing. We had been told that the bridge was out but it was there waiting for us.
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With a few spots of rain starting to fall and with only an hour to the next hut, we decided to press on. First passing through meadow and then through woodland by the side of the lake, the path now well maintained and generally even.
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By 1.15 we were at the hut ready for our lunch.
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Early European History
The Greenstone Valley was first explored by Europeans in March 1861. David McKellar and George Gunn came in search of new grazing country. They climbed the Livingstone Mountains in a snow storm and entered the upper Greenstone Valley to find a lake (now known as Lake McKellar), where they noted traces of Maori occupation.
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In the hut there were already four other people, Janet from the UK, Matt from the US and a Danish couple with an excellent command of English. In the late afternoon Tom, the hut warden, called in with a plate of cheese and biscuits. Later, the warden returned with a container of Thai food for Tom. Later still he returned with some left over pasta for us and a third of a bottle of wine, so we all wrote a letter of thanks, this resulted in another third of a bottle of wine and three beers! Later in the evening Tom along with Shaun who was taking over as hut warden for a few day came and sat with the rest of us and we sat talking until 10.30 - late for a hut.
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During the night we could hear squalls of rain blowing around the hut roof. As we didn't have too far to walk we decided to lay in until we received the weather forecast and could make a decision.
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Weather
Situation - A cold front embedded in a moist and unstable air mass passes over the park this morning followed by an unsettled air flow.
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Forecast - Showers with isolated thunderstorms. Snow on mountain tops first then 2000m at midday then down to 1400m this evening. Dressed ourselves in boots, gaiters and shorts and topped off with a light weight poncho. Said goodbye to the rest of the hut and left at 10.45 and crossed the swing bridge. By the time we had left the rain had eased a little and walking in trees we were sheltered from the worst just big drips falling off the trees on to us. The path was a little uneven with roots and rocks made more interesting by slightly raised streams and puddles.
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Di in poncho
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Out on the river flats the sun was shining through and burning off the rain clouds. The path wandered in and out of woods and after 30 minutes became much easier. In the trees just above our heads, a couple of parrots were calling to each other, but we could still not see them in the foliage.
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Stopped for a snack at midday, a couple of robins bobbed about keeping an eye on us.
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Continued on along the edge of the woods with the river meandering across the flats before emerging on to a boulder field and back out onto the meadow flats. Behind us a drying breeze blew down from the north.
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At 1.15 we reached the swing bridge over the Steele Creek and crossed. Immediately on the other side we had a steep climb up the valley side and headed round on the final stretch into the hut with the rain just starting to return.
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We were fortunate to have just hit the weather window right the afternoon turned out wet and blustery with other hut members arriving wet through. Lit a fire to warm us up and dry out cloths.
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By the time we were all in there were ten of us in a hut for twelve that wasn't very generous with its space and so although we all had a bed it was a bit cramped for cooking and eating.
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At 8.35, with spits of rain in the face of the sun, we made our way back down to the river flats again, through the usual beech forest.
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Wandered in and out of woods and over river flats and occasional boulders and talus to make our way down river which meandered across the river flats at times dividing and then reforming as it went. On the far right bank where it had been undercut a cliff and slope of grey scree had formed.
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On a mainly good path we climbed along the river arriving at the Slyburn turn at 9.35. Pressing on we climbed above the river rejoining it 40 minutes later.
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At Slip Flats the river was too high to cross on the boulders and so we had to make our way up stream and cross by the bridge. From this point we seem to loose the path a little as we crossed over small hummocks following a stock trail, but with the hills over to our left, the river across to our right, and heading in the right direction we weren't too concerned knowing that we were bound to come across it a little further down.
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Some times the weather tried to drizzle and at other times the sun tried to break through but most of the time it played games with us and did both at once.
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An alternative route back to Greenstone Wharf was via Lake Rere but we decided to stick with the main track.
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Although beech continued to dominate the woodland other species started to appear from time to time, rimu, lancewood and mountain toatoa. Down below to our right we could hear the Greenstone tumbling on its way but with all the trees in the way we weren't able to see it.
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At midday we reached the point where we had left to go up the Caples Valley and so returned to the track we had walked the first day. Although on that day we could remember a steep climb we couldn't remember the steep descent that we now experienced for 10 minutes in reverse. But soon it was down hill again and by 12.25 we were in the car park shelter.
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With spare food in our rucksacks, instead of the usual sandwich for lunch we treated ourselves to a cup of soup, cheese and biscuits and a hot drink while we waited for the bus to arrive at the scheduled 2.00.
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Just a few minutes late it turned up and with two others who had spent some wet nights camping, we were transported the short distance to the wharf and then across the Wakatipu by boat to Glenorchy.
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Reported into DOC that we were back safe and sound and caught the bus down to Queenstown. A number of buses ferrying tourists about have Japanese characters on them, this isn't because there are quite a few Japanese travellers about (which there are) but because they have been bought second hand in Japan, where driving is also on the left and shipped across to New Zealand.
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Talking later to others who had crossed the Caples - Greenstone saddle the day after us we learnt that due to the heavy rain a boggy area on the Greenstone side at the bottom of the climb up to the saddle, around which we had carefully picked our way had turned into a shallow lake. All signs of a way through were obscurred and they had ended up wading waste deep. It was just as well we had decided on the reverse route otherwise we would have been with them.
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