A Timeless Land- Hawkdun Range, Central Otago; Part 3

Catch-up

Continuing on from Part 2

Though we were both disappointed we didn't make it around the Hawkdun Range/Manuherikia Valley loop, I knew David would be less keen than I to venture up the other side of the valley on our way home. But he's also learnt from experience that I like to join the dots on our road trips so I was very pleased when he suggested we turn into Hawkdun Runs Road as we approached it on our way back to St Bathans. And it's only 13kms to the Oteake Conservation Park from this side.

I had said not to worry about it, we'd do it in summer or I'd come back and explore it while we were parked at Ranfurly, our next camp, but I think he thought he might just as well do it now and then only have to clean the ute once.

We flew along the first 8kms or so of the barely gravelled road, it was bone dry with no dust. And no sign of the Hawkdun Range either until the road curved around the low line of hills we'd been following and there it was, a beautiful row of flat-topped, snow capped mountains.

The road condition also started to deteriorate from here, with surface water lying in potholes and a couple of fords to cross.

We could also see the two sets of tyre marks from the off-road 4WD vehicles we'd followed up the other side, now coming towards us; they had managed to drive the loop, which was no surprise.

With all the gates open, we were covering ground too quickly for my liking. I use the gate openings as a chance to shoot photos.

But I had to shout 'Stop!' when this view opened up before us... 

...nearly the full length of Hawkdun Range (click to enlarge).

We don't hang about though, it's getting late in the afternoon and the temperature is dropping fast. The road is also getting a little sticky in places. Then around the next bend...

...the most spectacular and breath-taking view is before us; a vast tussock plain with the Hawkdun Range as a backdrop. Of course we had to stop again.

The road dissects the tussock, straight through the middle and heads off over a small rise at the far end.  David reckons he's seen it all now and we can turn around and go home. I remind him about those dots and I also bribe him. 'There's a cup-of-tea waiting for you at the end of the road', I tell him.

The Hawkdun Range- the full length! (click to enlarge)

We carry on and towards the end of the straight there's one very lonely hut with an even lonelier long-drop to photograph. It looks like there was once a pine forest surrounding the hut, it's gone now and only slash piles have been left behind. This unique and beautiful landscape looks so much better without pine plantations, and especially the pest of the high country; wilding pines, blotting the view.

The cup of tea is beckoning and it's not long before we see stock-yards and a ring of tall pine trees ahead of us. Shelter trees like this usually indicate a farm homestead and out buildings were once located here (or still are).

And sure enough, we have reached DOC's Homestead Campsite; the trees surrounding the campsite are the only remaining sign of where the old Michael Peak Station homestead was once located. 

The homestead site dates from the 1850s, when pastoral licences were issued throughout the South Island high country, creating large lease-holdings in the surrounding mountain ranges such as Hawkdun, Omarama, Otekaike and Morven Hills Stations. Many of these stations have now returned to the Crown or were purchased back by the Crown for the pleasure of all New Zealanders to enjoy.

A corrugated iron DOC hut sits beside a nearby stream, looking very much like an authentic settlers cottage.

While we have our well earnt cup-of-tea, we scan the far side of the valley to see if we can spot the track and our earlier turnaround point but it's just about impossible, all the features are similar.

We can see a musterer's hut on the edge of a large plateau but it's not the one David saw when he drove up to the beehives, this one is further along the road (click to enlarge, the hut sits centre towards the bottom of the photo).

With the shadows lengthening fast we head back to the road.

And even though the road looks OK further on, this'll be as far as we go today. It's time to head for home, it's bitterly cold and the sun will be soon gone. 

I checked the map later and it looks like 4kms was all that prevented us from joining the dots (the total loop was 41kms). I'm sure we'll be back in the summer to complete the job.

David spent the next morning water-blasting the ute and cleaning our gear.

Here's a good tip; the old beachtowel is used to cover the front windscreen at night when a frost is expected. Then when I get up to go shoot sunrises I don't have to spend half an hour defrosting the screen before I can drive out.

And just four days later the snow came- Home Hills Runs Road.

Hawkdun Range with my 'Grahame Sydney' historic farm buildings just visible to the left of the trees.