High Country Journeys describe their latest Great Central Otago and Mackenzie Explorer Tour as ‘a six-day/seven-night package, popular with clients looking for something with a little more of a challenge,’ Paul Richards has the story.
Starting in the Lake Ohau/Omarama area and ending (usually anyway) in the Cardrona Valley, the’ Great Central Otago and Mackenzie Explorer Tour’ takes in the rugged and majestic high country and tussock lands of the Mackenzie Country, Lindis Pass, Central Otago, and Northern Southland.
And boy does it deliver, putting the High into High Country Journeys from the first day until the last. We went into some stunning country, climbed up some very steep tracks, drove down some very steep tracks, went through some amazing high-country stations and covered some of my ‘must do, bucket list’ tracks listed in the likes of Mark Wilson’s and Ray Stone’s back country track books. It certainly took us into different country which was more of a challenge.
John Mulholland in his Toyota Prado led a collection of different vehicle types including a Mazda Bounty, Ford Everest, Land Rover Discovery, Range Rover, three Toyota Hiluxes, a Ford Ranger, and our Mazda BT-50. Several of these crews were on their fourth, fifth or even sixth tour with John so knew what to expect.
This was our second High Country Journeys experience and – being a fully catered tour – it can only be described as superb; with great tracks, great accommodation, great food, and great company.
Day 0
Geraldine to Omarama
Day 0 for Raewyn and myself involved a quiet drive down from Geraldine, stopping at the Fairlie Bakery for an American Donut, lunch by the lake at Tekapo, and arriving at Omarama about 4:00pm.
Accommodation for the first two nights was at the Sierra Motel. We met up with John and had a meet and greet with the other people on the trip outside the motel, fitted the spark arrester, checked water containers and firefighting gear before walking up to the airfield for dinner at The Pink Glider Café.
Day 1
Omarama to Omarama
After breakfast at The Pink Glider Café at 7:00am, where we picked up our lunch packs (including gluten-free for Raewyn and one other), John held a safety briefing at the Sierra Motel at 8:00am. We then convoyed out to Birchwood Road and up the Ahuriri River Valley. We stopped at the Ahuriri Base Hut for a toilet stop and watched two NZ native falcons in the trees behind the hut. Quite special to see and hear these birds.
From here, we drove to the head of the valley and stopped at a washout in the track for morning tea. We then drove back to Avonburn stream and up farm tracks to an old hut, where we crossed the ford and stopped on the flat area above the stream for lunch and to talk to four horse trekkers coming down the track.
From here we drove up the steep track to the saddle at the boundary between Longslip and Dalrachney Stations (between Mt Melina 1905m and Pavilion Peak 1632m). Here we stopped to look down the very steep track into the Lindis Pass area.
Very carefully and slowly we went down the track with three and even some five-point turns at the corners of the zigzags to get down to the valley floor before following the Lindis River and Smiths Creek out to SH8 about five km west of Lindis Pass.
We then toured back over Lindis Pass and out to Omarama and the Sierra Motel for the night. Dinner was again at The Pink Glider Café.
Day 2
Omarama to Danseys
Breakfast again at The Pink Glider Café at 7:00am; we then picked up lunch packs and were away from the motel by 8:00am for the short drive along Broken Hut Road then up the west track to true Omarama Saddle. There was mist over the tops at this time so we went down to Top Hut for morning tea to see if it would clear.
Back up to the saddle, then up the steep track west to look down on the Hidden Lake and further up to the tops to look across the ranges and the old boundary fence.
The mist had now gone and there was great views of the St Bathans Range and Hawkdun Range. Back down to the saddle and down to Top Hut for lunch.
After lunch we then followed the Manuherikia River West Branch through multiple fords, stopping at Boundary Creek Hut before reaching Hawkdun Runs Road. Of course, we stopped at St Bathans and had an obligatory beer/coffee at the Vulcan Hotel before continuing along Loop Road to the old village of Cambrians where we stopped to check out the restored Cambrian School (1875 – 1954) complete with old desks with ink wells, red atlas, and yellow spelling books (for those old enough to remember).
From there we drove along the main road and out to the iconic Danseys Pass Hotel.
Day 3
Danseys to Wedderburn
Today we met John at Ranfurly (home for him) before heading out to Orangapai to drive past the old TB sanitorium (now a Christian School) and check out the old cemetery there. We then drove along Hamilton Diggings Road before branching off onto farm tracks down the old Gorge Road (old horse and cart track bringing supplies up to goldfields) to Kyeburn-Hyde Road.
At Wandle Rd we went up farm tracks to the top of the Rock and Pillar Range. We had lunch by some big rocks (Summit Rock 1450m), where it was fine but windy with quite a wind chill.
We then drove across the tops and down the other side to a musterers hut looking down into the Styx valley, then down to the Paerau Road near the Paerau Power Station and on to... the Lammermoor Distillery at the end of Upper Taieri – Paerau Road to sample whiskey and gin (distilled illegally since 1863, legally since 2017 said the sign)!
Accommodation this particular night was at Wedderburn Cottages, with dinner walking distance away at the Wedderburn Tavern on road at end of drive to cottages so walking distance.
Day 4
Wedderburn to Cromwell
On Day 4 we drove from Wedderburn to Idaburn, down through the Ida Valley, and up Auripo Rd before taking a track over the range (Thurlow Rd) then Blackstone Hill Runs Rd out to Becks, down to Omakau to refuel, then Thomson Gorge Road in the rain to cross over the Dunstan Mountain range.
We stopped at an old hut near the top, but didn’t go up the farm track from there and along the range to Cromwell as it was raining and there was limited visibility on the tops, so we continued on Thomson Gorge Road to Bendigo where we had a quick look at some old gold mining areas and an old school site,
Lunch (was served!) at a layby beside Lake Dunstan under the awning off the roof rack of our truck (where were quickly joined by four of the others) before we toured through to Clyde then drove over the transmission track (Hawksburn Road aka The Pylon Road) through to Bannockburn.
We stopped at the Bannockburn Tavern for beer/coffee before touring up to Pisa Moorings and our overnight accommodation at Lake Resort. Our second storey apartment looked across the lake inlet and a huge feed of pork ribs for dinner left us with enough left over to take a doggy bag for lunch the next day.
Day 5
Cromwell to Leithen Valley, Waikaia
A big day today with several high tracks. We stopped at a gate in the Cromwell Gorge and drove up a very steep track to Leaning Rock (1647m). Stunning views as we went up, looking down to Lake Dunstan, Clyde Dam and across to the Old Man Range and the Obelisk where we were going next.
Weatherwise it was fine, albeit windy and very cold with several degrees of wind chill. By way of example, it was showing as one degree C on the BT-50’s outside temp gauge and zero degrees in all four tyres on the tyre pressure monitoring system; the latter something I personally have never seen before!
The Everest got a flat tyre on the way up which needed to be changed. This took some time as everything got cold with fingers losing feeling, and one of the guys who lay on his back to get the spare out from underneath the Everest, and who was wearing shorts, said it wasn’t just his fingers that lost feeling!
So, after a quick stop at Leaning Rock to look around (it was so cold and windy outside the trucks), it was back down the track to the Cromwell – Clyde Road and morning tea by the lake, where it was a much more palatable – though still unseasonably chilly – 10 degrees C.
Undeterred, we then drove through to Fruitlands and up Symes Road to the Obelisk (1695m) where it was again very cold with quite some wind chill. From the Obelisk we went south along the tops of the Old Man Range which was fairly rutted in places but mostly dry with alternative tracks around mud holes for those who didn’t fancy getting stuck.
We turned west at the junction with Waikaia Bush Road to drop down the hill, staying in the ruts to get to AA Hut for lunch.
John then led us very carefully down Whitecoomb Road and the so called 39 steps section. Here it was bare bedrock with steps requiring careful placement of tyres to avoid bellying out and getting hung up. Although it was rutted, it was thankfully dry.
From here down to the valley floor was clay-based tracks with some ruts but again mostly dry. A different story if it were raining when attempting this track as it would have been slippery and there is no alternative to the track as it is scrub, tussock, and peat bog off the track.
Safely down Whitecoomb Road and through the gates by the Canton Road turn-off, it was now raining as we made our way out to Piano Flat Domain for a much-needed toilet stop.
I can see why Mark Wilson rates this track as 5+ vehicles with full recovery gear, saying you will get bogged, as there is no alternative track, you have to stay in the worn wheel tracks. In the rain and mud, it would be a real challenge. As it was, we made it through with no dramas.
We followed down Piano Flat Road and out to Waikaia for afternoon tea – coffee and cake off the tailgate for us with some of the others sampling the local pub. Accommodation tonight was at Leithen Valley Lodge.
This is a hunting lodge whose normal clientele would be overseas safari hunters who are pointed up into the bushy gully areas of this huge station fenced into 243-hectare (600 acre) lots) and told there is a trophy stag in there, he is yours, here is his picture, go find him.
With Covid-19, they have had a thin time with no overseas guests so it must have been great to have our group to stay. It had many trophy heads mounted on the walls of the dining area to give great atmosphere. Superb accommodation, great hosts, great food.
This day was a great day, with great tracks, all of them on my personal bucket list and which I thought I would never get the opportunity to drive. Joining a guided tour like High Country Journeys allowed me to safely and successfully tick them off my list. Thanks John.
Day 6
Leithen Valley Lodge, Waikaia to Mangawera Lodge, Wanaka
From Waikaia, we went across to Lumsden to refuel then around to Garston for takeaway coffee before heading up the Nevis Road to Bannockburn. We stopped at the Ski Hut for morning tea (coffee and cake off the tailgate) then it was on into the Nevis Valley with its multiple fords and rough tracks.
Although the fords were not deep, most of them had badly rutted approaches and often alternative tracks around the deeper crossings. The boys had obviously been playing through here with ruts up the banks and hillsides away from the official track.
At one of the deeper fords, John had a look at the alternative routes which were fairly chewed up and reckoned that whilst the main crossing looked deep, it had a fairly good base and wouldn’t give any problems if we took it slowly through it.
I followed John through with no problems and stopped clear of the track on the other side to photograph the other trucks coming through. The British Brick (aka Range Rover) meanwhile, belly flopped into the ford, the water went over the bonnet and created a tsunami which made me back pedal several metres to avoid getting swamped. (Note – all names in this story have been deleted to protect the innocent – and guilty).
After a quick stop at the old miners’ huts, we stopped for lunch at the old Nevis village, then it was on to Duffers Saddle. Here we lined up around the signpost for the compulsory photo although I missed John (as most of us did) coming over the radio saying we should do it like in the Toyota advert.
From here we drove down to Bannockburn then up Lake Dunstan to Mt Pisa Station. Although there had been snow on the tops which prevented us going right over to the Snow Farm and Cardrona, John reckoned we could get three-quarters of the way up Mt Pisa to a branch in the track for a great look out over the Lake Dunstan valley and across to the Dunstan Range.
So, up we went up a very steep and tight track nearly to the top of the Pisa Range (Mt Pisa is 1963m) until we got to the branch in the track. Each truck had to turn left up into the gateway then carefully back up the right-hand track to park before the next truck did the same thereby having all the trucks now facing back down the track.
The view up here was indeed worth the climb. We could see right across to Bendigo and on the far skyline of the Dunstan Range was a little pimple which was Leaning Rock where we had climbed up to at the start of day 5.
After a slow and steady descent back to Mt Pisa Road we toured up to Wanaka and out through Albert Town to our overnight accommodation at Mangawera Lodge. This is also a hunting lodge, run by the same people as the Leithen Valley Lodge, and full of trophy animals including deer, buffalo, goats and in the foyer stands a huge grizzly bear – not something to run into if you sleepwalk!
Superb accommodation, great hosts, great food including skewers of venison medallions.
Day 7
Wanaka to Geraldine
After farewells with the rest of the group, who were heading off in several directions including three trucks going to Stewart Island, we drove back to Geraldine, stopping for an early lunch at Musterers Hut, Twizel and getting back to Geraldine mid-afternoon. We covered 1670km using 207.5 litres of fuel to give 12.4 l/100km.
All in all, it was a great week which will be remembered for a long time for a lot of reasons – helped by 290 photos of course. And, as I said at the start of this story, it certainly put the High into High Country Journeys!
