Mataketake Range

30 Dec – 2 Jan 2023

My passion for the mountains was thwarted by the pandemic that kept me away from the South Island for three years, so it was an absolute delight to see in the 2023 year, walking on the Mataketake Range with fellow trampers, Raymond and Kerry. It’s a six-hour drive from Christchurch to the start of the Haast-Paringa Cattle Track. The car-park was jam-packed with cars, so we knew we’d be needing our tents. It was only a one-hour tramp to Blue River Hut, affectionately known as Blowfly Hut. From the car-park a short, single track led to the junction of the historic cattle track, built in 1875, that led to the hut.

The hut was full with two groups of young trampers. It’s a cute wee hut, built in 1905 to service the cattle drovers, travellers and track workers who maintained the track. We camped in the nearby grassy meadow beside the Moeraki River. From the size of the area and recent vegetation growth, we decided that the area was originally used to yard the cattle before or after fording the river. Raymond’s celebratory laksa meal with truffle stock, salmon and prawns was a real treat. Yes, you missed a superb and delicious meal! Any thought of seeing in the New Year was discarded as sandflies quickly chased us into our tents. Surveying the tops, covered in cloud, we were a bit dubious as to whether we would have good weather for our jaunt along the tops the following day, however, the next morning was clear, with lifting cloud on the tops.