Saturday 17 May 2025
Eight adventurers arrived at the Nina River car park in light rain after the long drive from Hokitika. Despite the weather forecast, the rain eased and then held off as we began the four hour trek up the valley to the Nina Hut.
Two footbridges along the way make this an all weather track with nice red and black beech forest lower down and a few fantails.
Local bird life benefits from the many traps set along the track and the robins found us quickly at every rest stop.
Nina Hut is in a nice spot with great views and a few resident Kea’s. We all arrived dry and with enough time to collect firewood before dark and had the comfortable hut to ourselves. Karen had cleverly booked the whole hut and thankfully the dreaded party of 14 shouting boy scouts turning up unexpectedly after dark never happened.
A storm in the night kept a few awake but by morning the weather was back to drizzle and everyone was looking forward to the walk back down the valley.
A better low river alternative return route would be to cross the Nina River to the north side below the hut and walk down the old track on easy river terraces. The slightly flooded streams as we retraced our steps were no obstacle except for Karen who fell in at the easiest crossing, creating a few laughs.
Karen (Leader), Michelle, Kelly, Angelica, Jocelyn, Jonas, Haran and I were wet but fit at the car park and noticeably hungry when we stopped at Reefton for a big afternoon tea on the drive home.
Allan Wilke (Member)