On the Tin Range Rakiura National Park

Gog, Magog and the Tin Range – Rakiura National Park

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Date: 25 Dec 2011 - 1 Jan 2012.
Trip type: Tramp (MF).
Location: Rakiura National Park.
Author: Tony Gazley.
Trampers: Megan Sety, Illona Keenan, Kate Cushing, Tony Gazley.

Gog, Magog and the Tin Range – Rakiura National Park

A tramping trip from Gog and Magog back to Oban via the Tin Range in Rakiura National Park, Stewart Island.


Gogs and Tin Range Rakiura Route Map
Camp at head of Cook Arm
Day 1. Campsite at head of Cook Arm.
Climbing to Magog
Day 1. On the way to Magog.
Summit of Magog
Day 1. Nearly at the summit of Magog.
The windy summit of Magog
Day 1. It’s a bit windy up here….
On the summit of Magog - North Arm behind
Day 1. On the summit of Magog. North Arm behind.
Weathered granite rocks on Magog
Day 1. The weirdly weathered granite of Magog.
On Magog - Gog partly hidden in cloud centre
Day 1. On Magog. Gog partly hidden in cloud centre background.
Weird rocks on Magog
Day 1. Among the weird rocks near the summit of Magog.
Heading back to camp at Cook Arm
Day 1. Heading back to camp at Cook Arm.
A cramped camp in the scrub at Cook Arm
Day 1. A cramped camp in the scrub at Cook Arm.
The kitchen at Cook Arm
Day 1. The kitchen at Cook Arm. Xmas dinner.
The view from the kitchen. Gog right.
Day 1. The view from the kitchen. Gog at right.
Heading towards Gog
Day 2. Heading towards Gog.
Gog from near Magog
Day 2. Gog from near Magog.
Beneath the summit of Magog
Day 2. Beneath the summit of Magog.
Too nice a day to hurry
Day 2. Too nice a day to hurry.
On the lower slopes of Gog
Day 2. On the lower slopes of Gog. Magog right of centre.
The lower slopes of Gog. Cook Arm and Pacific Ocean in distance
Day 2. The lower slopes of Gog. Cook Arm and Pacific Ocean in distance.
On the summit of Gog. Magog left of centre, Cook Arm right of centre
Day 2. On the summit of Gog. Magog left of centre, Cook Arm right of centre.
On the summit of Gog
Day 2. On the summit of Gog.
On the summit of Gog. Magog left, Cook Arm right, the Tin Range distant left skyline
Day 2. On the summit of Gog. Magog left, Cook Arm right, Tin Range distant left skyline.
On the way back to Oban. Heading down Cook Arm at low tide
Day 3. On the way back to Oban. Heading down Cook Arm at low tide.
Cook Arm mud-flats at low tide
Day 3. Cook Arm mud-flats at low tide.
Crossing Cook Arm at low tide. Gog (left) and Magog in distance
Day 3. Crossing Cook Arm at low tide. Gog (left) and Magog in distance.
Weathered rocks and a bonsai tree
Day 3. Weathered rocks and a bonsai tree.
Mud, shells and algae
Day 3. Mud, shells and algae.
Getting deeper nearer the ocean
Day 3. Getting deeper nearer the ocean.
Near the start of eastern Cook Arm
Day 3. Near the start of eastern Cook Arm.
At the end of eastern Cook Arm just before the tide stated to rise rapidly
Day 3. At the end of eastern Cook Arm just before the tide stated to rise rapidly.
Taking a break before heading to Bens Bay
Day 3. Taking a break before heading to Bens Bay.
Damage control at campsite beyond Bens Bay
Day 3. Damage control at campsite beyond Bens Bay.
Campsite gear explosion
Day 3. Campsite gear explosion.
Stream dropping over Belltopper Falls
Day 4. Stream dropping over Belltopper Falls. We camped next to the stream after a tough day of bush-bashing. We did get to see kiwi though.
At North Arm Port Pegasus
Day 5. At North Arm Port Pegasus with the worst of the bush-bashing behind us. Illona tends the fire to cook a fish and some cockles given to us by a kindly fisher passing by in his boat. The bricks are from one of the late 1800s buildings on the site – possibly the hotel.
Left to right Kate, Illona Megan, and Tony. Well feed, and happy no more bush-bashing. Although we were nearly flattened by a very large and angry sea lion that crashed through our camp the next morning as we had unknowingly camped on its haul-out track
Day 5. Left to right Kate, Illona Megan, and Tony. Well feed, and happy there’s no more serious bush-bashing. Although we were nearly flattened by a very large and angry sea lion that crashed through our camp early the next morning. We hadn’t realised we had pitched our tents right on it’s haul-out track – and it wasn’t going to stop just because we were there.
View accross Port Pegasus to the remaining foundation wall of the early 1900s fish processing factory (centre)
Day 5. View accross Port Pegasus to the remaining foundation wall of the early 1900s fish processing factory (centre).
Lunch at the tin miners' dam on the way to the Tin Range
Day 6. Lunch at the tin miners’ dam on the way to the Tin Range.
On the Tin Range
Day 6. On the Tin Range. Gog right of centre.
North along the Tin Range. Mt Allen centre skyline.
Day 6. North along the Tin Range. Mt Allen centre skyline.
On the Tin Range
Day 6. On the Tin Range.
South from the Tin Range. Gog just visible right of centre.
Day 6. South from the Tin Range. Gog just visible right of centre.
A rare fine day on the Tin Range. Mt Allen centre.
Day 6. A rare fine day on the Tin Range. Mt Allen centre.
Granite Knob
Day 6. Granite Knob.
Climbing Granite Knob
Day 6. Climbing Granite Knob.
South east from Granite Knob.
Day 6. South east from Granite Knob.
Un-named tarn below Mt Allen
Day 6. Un-named tarn below Mt Allen.
Un-named tarn below Mt Allen.
Day 7. Un-named tarn below Mt Allen.
Sidling Mt Allen
Day 7. Sidling Mt Allen.
Blaikies Hill.
Day 7. Blaikies Hill.
Kiwi print and beak holes
Day 7. Kiwi print and beak holes. While we didn’t see the kiwi on the Tin Range we spied dotterels and plenty of lizards thanks to the dedication of trappers who ‘ring-fence’ the area with 1080 fish baits to control the feral cats that plague the island.
North from Table Hill. Ruggedy Range left skyline.
Day 7. North from Table Hill. Ruggedy Mountains left skyline.
Somewhat battered but very happy. Megan, Illona, Kate, Tony.
Day 7. All happy. Megan, Illona, Kate, Tony.
Just another Rakiura Day
Day 7. Just another Rakiura day.
Camp below Table Hill.
Day 7. Camp below Table Hill.
Tony, Megan and Kate abandon the shortcut across South West Arm while Illona continues but then gets stuck.
Day 8. Tony, Megan and Kate abandon the shortcut across South West Arm while Illona continues but then gets stuck.
Illona concedes she needs help when she realises she is sinking faster than she can dig.
Day 8. Illona decides she needs help when she realises she is sinking faster than she can dig.
Free
Day 8. Free.
Illona

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