After a classic Friday afternoon departure from the Wellington Railway Station, our group of 12 made the most of some sunshine from the club van before boarding the ferry to Picton, where a spirited game of Taco, Cat, Goat, Cheese, Pizza attracted a fair bit of attention from our nearby Bluebridge passengers. From Picton, it was a short drive to Pelorus Bridge campsite, where we arrived in time to put up tents before dark.
We set off late Saturday morning, following the Pelorus River upstream. The track was easy going, with plenty of opportunities to stop, take photos of the clear green water, and admire the moss. A few people opted for a swim at the Emerald Pools, where the water temperature was widely agreed to be “refreshing”. Progress slowed slightly where sections of windfall required some detours, but we continued at a relaxed pace. Along the way we spotted goats, a black fantail, bellbirds, and an impressive number of mushrooms.
On another note, we started the track following a woman tramping with a pack and crutches who was impressively faster than us at times.
After one member of the group lost her contacts, we decided to adjust our original plan to head over Maungatapu Saddle and instead continue to Captain’s Creek Hut. We arrived after approximately six hours of walking, with plenty of breaks along the way.
We caught the last bit of sunshine for the day as some of us went for another dip in the river (the dips ranging from 10 seconds to an impressive couple of minutes in the cold water).
Sleeping arrangements required some creativity, with 11 people fitting into the six bunk hut (special mention goes to Marlise for sleeping under a bench) and one of us tenting outside. With the hut fire lit, we played Irish Snap and perused the books available. The group was not impressed with Jodi Picoult’s Lone Wolf – there is a good reason this book was left in a hut. Similarly, Jason’s Radix Mexican Chilli also drew some negative attention because of its unappetising appearance.
The next morning we woke to clear skies and made our way back along the same track toward Pelorus Bridge, stopping again at the Emerald Pools for another swim (with no noticeable improvement in temperature). On the way, we came across a young man clearing fallen branches from the track and offered him a packet of Gingernuts in appreciation.
Back at the campsite, we set up tents and took stock of the vending machine, which was well stocked with supplies for Te Araroa trampers. Attention then turned to dinner. A large quantity of carrots was prepared for a chickpea and carrot tagine, with India and Sophie coordinating a team of sous-chefs. Two billies of tagine were produced, which proved to be more than sufficient. A portion remained the next morning, though it was not ultimately consumed by the trip leader as initially suggested. Special mention should be made to Jason, who carried five cans of drained chickpeas in his pack to Captain’s Creek Hut and back when we decided to have our tagine on the last night.
While dinner was underway, James, Jamie, and Matt worked steadily on a 500-piece puzzle, with Elenor providing supervision.
The second night was slightly warmer than the first and on Monday morning, the group was packed and in the van by 8:30am. We drove to Picton (thanks to Peter for the driving) and stopped at the Snout Track for a short walk to a lookout over Queen Charlotte Sound.
In Picton, we stopped at Toastie Lords for lunch before boarding the ferry. The sunny weather and the presence of several friendly dogs made for a pleasant wait. The return sailing was uneventful, aside from Jason being stung by a bee. Watching the sunset as caravans slowly disembarked ahead of us provided a fitting end to the trip.
All in all, an excellent way to spend ANZAC weekend.