Wednesday 1st November 2023
The chief guide put out a call for anyone wanting to go walking mid week and I was keen to get my fitness back for summer trips I had planned, so made contact. The plan was to walk into Cedar Creek Hut, visit the hot pools and walk out the next day. What high drama would unfold along the way?
I got picked up at 9am and even though I had 24hrs notice I didn’t bother packing until that morning. I was determined not to forget anything this time as usually when I pack last minute I forget something. When I got the old pack out I found that my CamelBak had developed mold up the tube from the mouthpiece so with no real idea of how to eliminate it and for lack of time I just cut off the bad tube and then rinsed the whole unit out with Milton disinfectanat. I packed together my food and cooker for the overnighter, then spare clothes, walking poles and chose which sleeping bag to opt for. I wanted a light pack so I went with my 1000g british military sleeping bag by Snugpak which is only really a 2 season. Would this work, we’ll find out later. Printed a map, stowed my hut flip flops, got my hat and buff ready for the sun and was waiting for my pickup.
Jason drove us out to Middle Branch Road which is an access road over private property to the start of the track. There was a ute there already when we arrived so we guessed that there might be someone on the trail before us. Setting off is easy peasy with clearly marked signs and landrover tracks to follow for 25 mins through the farm until you reach the bushline. The whole route in fact was well marked.
At this point I realised what I had fogotten, my Suunto watch, which has my compass and altitude built in. Dammit. Anyway, into the bush you walk along an old tramway which has been cut into the hill and periodically you will see some remnants like a train dolly and steel rope. This is easy going on a gentle incline until you reach some board walks, which last for about 500m on and off. Once past these the track turns into familiar tramping underfoot and flattens out and crosses a few dry creek beds (although if raining heavy these may fill up fast) and continues on till you reach the Toaroha River. Before you get to the river access there is a flood detour sign, if you continue on past this sign just before reaching the river the old track has been washed out but there is an alternative and you boulder down 30m through a dry creek to the river bed below.
From here you walk up the Toaroha River for 1.5kms on the eastern bank, nothing overly difficult here and you can enjoy great views of the turquoise waters passing you. In heavy rain this might still be passable if you were to stay off the river bed although there is the flood detour route should you need it. Your most difficult part of this trail is coming up with the traverse of a side creek which involved walking between some pretty slippy boulders, unfortunatly you will have to get your feet wet here. This is also where the flood detour comes out.
A short walk of about 500m takes you to what Jason called Golums pool, which is a fantastically large swimming hole that the river passes through. Before the pool the track goes back into the forest and this is where the main climb of the trail begins. You start at 200m elevation and climb over a 1km to 500m elevation and its steady and gentle gradient for most parts, occassionally there is the odd scramble up and over new slips. Just after Macmillan Creek we encountered a hunter who had been staying at Ceder Creek the previous night but unfortunately for him he was unable to find a shoot any deer.
At the highest point above Toaroha Canyon we stopped for lunch sitting on one of two huge historic slips that have exposed the bedrock below. From this point you are only 1hr from the hut. After lunch it was a gentle downhill all the way, although it looks like the river is a long way down, the valley floor rises to the Hut so there is no steep descent. The last technical aspect of this walk is going across the swing bridge, About 10m back from the bridge is a sign that directs you to the Wren Creek hot pools but we decided to go drop out stuff at the hut. I love swing bridges so I practically ran across it whereas Jason was slower, the access up to the main span is steep but very doable with some care and attention.
Getting to the hut it was surprising to find two huts! The orange one is the original economy hut (sleeps 2) and the beige one is the newer executive hut with double glazing and fly screens (sleeps 12). There was nobody around except the Wekas. We dropped out bags and headed back to the hot pools. When we got there the hot pool is straight across the river from the trail exit, there is only one pool now where there used to be a terrace of them. We did a 10 minute soak and I had an ice bath in the river before clothing up and heading back to Cedar for afternoon tea.
Like everyone that turns up at an empty hut, Jason and I hoped that nobody else would arrive. I cracked open a box of Tunnocks Snowballs and we had our tea and coffee with a massive hit of sugary goodness made of marshmallow and coconut. Alas our paradise was lost when two other trampers from Nelson turned up around 4pm. They went off to the pools while we cooked dinner – last time I bring a can of corned beef (just seeing the cut tubes of veins in between the meat was a real put off) Jason meanwhile had a Backcountry Lamb dinner although with too much water it kinda turned into soup but he finished it off nonetheless. After dinner the night was pretty sedate and as I watched The Wrath of Khan on my phone in bed, Jason read his book about zombies taking over London. The 2 season bag was ideal for sleeping in on this trip and we still had the windows open most of the night.
The next day we got up at 7.30am for an 8am departure, the weather had held good and although the temp was a tad crisp it was dry. The other two trampers had set off before us. Being a good kilo lighter we made good progress on the way back out, and when we got to the river bed we had caught up with one of the other trampers who was looking at Gollums pool, although his wife was nowhere to be seen. We assumed she had carried on ahead. The sandflies were storming us while we had some delectable Lindt Dark Orange chocolate on a huge boulder so we made a move quickly. The other tramper had left ahead of us.
By the time we got out, he was sitting in their car alone in the passenger seat. Jason and I looked at each other and questioned where in the world was the other person. I knocked on the window and asked him if he knew where she was and he said that she was doing her own thing and would find her way out. Very bizzare, and we knew from the previous night that they didn’t have a PLB. The only thing we could imagine is that she had gone back to the hot pools and he hadn’t but regardless as it was starting to rain and there was rivers to cross it was pretty strange to leave one of your party behind. Hope she made it out safe.
I really enjoyed our walk together and this is a superb route that I would do again. I felt guilty that I didn’t bring Henry as he would of loved it. Maybe in the coming Summer I’ll go back.
Euan Mackenzie (Member)
