30th Nov-2nd December 2024
The one good thing about having an alpine fault nearby is the geothermal activity it creates. These pockets of hydrothermal springs seem to be well hidden in the back-country and one such gem is Welcome Flat. Located within the stunning Copeland Valley this is a tramp that will be etched in everyone’s memory once they complete it. For me its the second attempt to get here and soak in the hotpools the first attempt was cancelled due to weather which we know on the West Coast can make tackling some routes problematic or dangerous at best.
The accommodation we would stay at is Welcome Flat Hut and this is a bookable hut on the DOC booking system. We therefore booked 8 bunks for 2 nights well in advance of the trip going up on the schedule to make sure as many members could tick this tramp off their list. The date was set for Westland anniversary weekend and we had our signups come in by email. Five trampers signed up so before the 3 day cut off we released the other 3 bunks back to the booking system and found out during the trip that they had all been snapped up by tourists waiting for a spot to become available. Unfortunately Jakki had to pull out due to flu/covid so we were down to 4 upon departure.



The original plan was to drive down on a Friday night and walk into Architect Creek and camp there, however best laid plans go awry and we didn’t leave Hokitika on time so in reaching Fox Glacier it was too late to head off on the track safely. Surrounded by sandflies in the Copeland Valley track car park we met Bea and Matthew and opted to quickly erect our tents and get some sleep and then head off first thing in the morning. Lets just say bug spray is a must, don’t be like us and forget it!!!
In the morning we left the carpark at 7.30am and began the track which involved crossing Rough Creek, as it hadn’t rained recently most of us managed to get across this river bed without getting our feet wet, but with more water flowing a proper river crossing would be required linking hands. The track, like all DOC tracks has been graded for the first 500m and leads you into a false sense of security that it will be this easy all the way. After about 20mins of walking you come across a detour which has been created and you descend down some steep steps before getting back onto a pack track track. The scenery here is absolutely amazing and would be beautiful even if it was raining, thankfully we had blue skies and a cool breeze. The track meanders through rainforest for a good few hours and there are ups and downs but nothing strenuous and is a good warm up for your muscles.
The total time to walk into the hut is approximately 7hrs although we found out on the Sunday that Matthew speed walked/ran it in about 4hrs30mins. Would we get it done in 7hrs, well read on! At about 3hrs in we reached the bank of the Copeland River, the turquoise waters are something to behold as you’ll see in the photos and you immediately see dog rock sitting out of the middle of the flow. We stopped for a break here and let the party take in the views and contemplate the remaining walk. A non-member that came on the trip was having difficulty with the weight of her pack and so at this point Brent kindly took some of her equipment to help pick up the pace. From here its a boulder dash along the western bank of the river for about 800m and you then head back inland onto a track, with rain this could be slippy so best using boots with good vibram soles. Later on there is another stretch of river rock to traverse although not as long as this first stretch.




The bridges then start, and there are about seven crossing over side creeks until you reach the hut. These are a mixture of fixed and swing bridges with the end of the track ascending to an elevation of 500m above sea level and one of the highest and longest swing bridges on the West Coast. About an hour after leaving the river bank we arrived at Architect Creek and we all sat down and had lunch. I think i counted about 10 people had already lapped us on the way into the hut. At this point I offered the non-member the opportunity to turn back and drive back to Hokitika as she seemed to be struggling with the terrain and weight of her pack. Resolute to continue and reach the hut she wanted to press on. I then passed Brent the PLB and I went ahead with Bea and Brent took up tail end charlie.
Its just a long slog, and my choice as leader to cater some gourmet food at the hut didn’t help matters, we were probably carrying 4kgs of food more than everyone else walking in. But dammit I was looking forward to the Chilli con carne with fresh mince and italian plum tomatoes and sausages and mash with a red wine onion gravy the subsequent night. So like the energizer bunny we kept going and going and going. Eventually reaching the hut after an epic 9hrs on the trail.
The hut looks more like a hotel than a DOC hut and its very well maintained. We checked in on the sign in register and went about finding 4 bunks upstairs. It took another 40 mins for Brent to arrive and I’ve never seen him so shagged in my life. We deserved time to soak in the hotpools and so stripped off, and headed up the path on the North side of the hut to the pools. There are three different pools and we ended up joining everyone else already sitting in the biggest pool and striking up conversations. It would be easy to sit there for a length of time and forget about the sun beating down on you and end up sun-burnt. After 20mins in the hot water and our muscles relaxing we all walked down to the Copeland River and lay down for a glacially cold exfoliation.
Back in the hut I began the epic feast for dinner and Bea had her vegetarian version of it. The food came out really well even though we were only using a MSR pocket rocket. Thankfully the nice party in the Sierra room were only eating re-hydrated so they gave us their big pot to use to cook up in.
Saturday night we all slept soundly, i had brought earplugs as the lack of soft furnishing in the dorm rooms makes the snoring seem louder, but I didn’t hear a thing. Brent did though.
Sunday for me was spa day. I wasn’t doing fuck all, although Brent had planned to walk up to Douglas Rock Hut he ditched that idea as he was so shagged from walking in the previous day. So as all the tourists left the hut from 6am onwards we got up, cooked breakfast and sunbathed or soaked in the pools. It was a pretty chill day and gave our muscles time to recuperate from the epic inbound journey.
We debated whether we should start walking out on the Sunday with the non-member to Architect Creek but in the end I felt it best the group stay together. In the afternoon Matthew came strolling into camp and took Jakki’s bunk and stayed one night and would exit with us on the Monday. I’d probably only do this tramp again with a recovery day, its just too much to walk in/out in 2 days in my opinion.
Our final dip in the hotpools was a 10pm on Sunday to stare at the Milky Way above our heads as we had a crystal clear night, the conversation certainly got fast and loose and it was under the stars we learned warum gibt es einen Heuballen?
The next morning we were up at the crack of dawn to exit, Matthew kindly offered his help in carrying out some of the non-members stuff to lighten the load and our target time to exit was 2pm as I had to race up to Camerons and pick up Henry from the kennels. There was a slight drizzle leaving the hut but this lifted and it was another hot day. We kept the pace up this time and managed a 7hr return trip to the car park. Great experience, so learning to share with the trip planning with the other leaders but an overall enjoyable experience because of the location and views, its no wonder that this tramp is so popular. Thanks to Brent Robinson, Bea Schlembach, Matthew and our non-member for joining me on this epic jaunt.


Euan Mackenzie (Member)