Taking the high road
Mary de Ruyter gets back to nature by exploring two high-country stations at opposite ends of Lake Wakatipu.
There’s something quite wonderful about being above the treeline. Much of New Zealand is covered with a beautiful korowai (cloak) of green, but immersing yourself in the landscape of the South Island’s highcountry stations is an experience apart.
Tussock grasses, strong and slender, in shades of gold and amber. The wind’s quiet roar, the bite of the summer sun, or the alpine cold on your skin. The rugged mountainscapes stretching far into the distance, and a heartland full of history.
Blackmore Station
The rock at Welcome Rock did not welcome
Tom O’Brien. On a bright June day in 2012, high in the hills above Garston, he had begun hacking through schist and slate around the tops of Blackmore Station to create a walking and cycling trail for visitors.
It wasn’t long before he’d broken a shovel and had a serious ‘‘what the heck am I doing?’’ moment.
Blackmore Station has been in O’Brien’s family for four generations, and he wanted to preserve its goldrush history and share its spectacular landscape with others. He persevered, through blisters, cold and frustration. A weighty pick became his tool of choice, others pitched in to help, and two-and-a-half years later, the Welcome Rock trail was born.
A large part of the trail runs alongside what was once the Roaring Lion Water Race, a channel built to transport water from creeks down to the Nokomai Goldfields, which sprung up after gold was discovered in 1862.
It took three years for 30 men to build that race. O’Brien’s use of hand tools is a kind of homage to those men.
Traversing the tops of the 2000-hectare station is a much easier proposition today. You can bike the 27-kilometre loop track in a day, or walk it if you’re feeling really energetic.
But to get the most out of this place, you should stay overnight in one of the track’s huts.
Starting at the historic Southland ski hut, near the top of the Slate Range, it’s an easy 21⁄2km to Welcome Rock. The highest point of the trail, at the junction of three valleys, was a meeting and trading point in times past.
The cloud hangs low and there’s an alpine chill in the air. Apparently, a bottle of whisky was always hidden at Welcome Rock to revive travellers in need of warmth at this exposed spot. Sadly, after a thorough search, I went away empty-handed.
From there, a path winds across open tussock land, with mountain ranges and peaks visible across the surrounding valleys. The path is easy to follow and the gradient gentle, so there’s little to distract from the 2 dramatic views. It’s the perfect mix of space and grandeur.
Eighty per cent of the trail crosses Blackmore Station, and 20 per cent is on Department of Conservation land. O’Brien cut the trail across DOC land with its permission, and has installed signs and displays that cleverly bring the area’s gold-rush history to life.
One of the most memorable features is the Mud Hut, built at the end of the 19th century, about the time the water race was dug. There were four huts along the water race, where workers lived while maintaining their section of the water race, to keep water flowing to the goldfield.
This is the last intact mud hut of its kind that it’s possible to stay in. It was restored by six volunteers and DOC workers in 1990.
Three hundred clay sods were cut from the hillside to rebuild the hut, and a note inside says the restorers wanted it to commemorate the contribution Chinese miners made to the history of the southern goldfields.
The Mud Hut is 9km along the trail, so it’s a natural stopping point if you’re splitting the walk over two days. (The other hut, Slate Hut, is just past the high point of Welcome Rock, and also sleeps four.)
It’s a basic back-country hut, with an outdoor bath nearby as is de rigueur these days, so you’ll need to carry your own food and sleeping bag.
But it’s worth it to sit outside in the evening glow, watching the mountains darken and the stars come out, or light a fire inside and think about the people who sought shelter here many years ago.
Next morning, there are 18km ahead, walking a sinuous path along the side of Slate Range, tussock brushing against legs, and more spectacular views.
Though sheep and beef are farmed on this station, no cows are visible, and the only sheep to be seen are two exceptionally woolly creatures who are far too cunning to be caught.
That’s because in 1990, O’Brien voluntarily put half of the station under a conservation covenant, and the trail runs through that area.
It’s home to some unusual flora and fauna, such as the inky-black powelliphanta carnivorous snail, which you might see if you watch where you put your feet.
It’s impossible to imagine how much effort was expended on this land, by the men who originally built the water race and by O’Brien creating today’s trail. But it’s easy to be grateful they did.
Mt Earnslaw Station
Contrary to what you might assume, visiting the
6000ha Mt Earnslaw Station doesn’t actually involve setting foot on Mt Earnslaw/Pikirakatahi, at the northern end of Lake Wakatipu. What it does involve is short walks, remarkable views and peaceful scenes.
Private Discovery Tours offers half- and full-day tours of parts of the station, Lord of the Rings locations and other scenic spots.
Owner Charles Fraser has negotiated exclusive access to the station for his small-group tours. (His father used to sell cattle to the station.)
There’s plenty of the station to explore that isn’t on the mountain’s flanks. After a bumpy four-wheel-drive ride across the Dart River floodplain, we walk part way up Ari/Mt Alfred.
It’s named for Alfred Duncan, a Scottish shepherd who arrived in Glenorchy in 1861 to work for William Rees, who’s regarded as the colonial founder of Queenstown.
The DOC track that once led to the bushline was closed in 2016, partly due to increasing visitor numbers affecting livestock grazing there.
But we can wander up the northwest side, past cabbage trees poking their heads above the bracken, to enjoy views up Dart Valley and into Mt Aspiring National Park.
There are few jet boats transporting tourists up and down the river’s milky braids, as it’s pre-Australian travel bubble. The loudest thing we hear is the sound of the Dart River rushing over stones, and cicadas calling. The peace is blissful.
A snowcapped Mt Earnslaw stands off to the east. The second-highest peak in Mt Aspiring National Park checks in at just over 2800 metres, and remains
PRIVATE DISCOVERY TOURS
a looming presence throughout the day. Fraser often takes out groups of photographers to get pictures the Instagram crowd won’t have, and this is a prime stop.
As well as scenic diversions, this tour delves into everything from the natural world to the sad story of Joseph Cyprian Fenn (who built grand Arcadia homestead for a woman he never won over) and rural life. Fraser farmed in South Geraldine before coming to Queenstown 20 years ago and getting into tourism, so he knows his stuff.
At one point, we drive through the fields and farmyards of Mt Earnslaw Station, admiring the alert working dogs and silky-looking black Angus calves; families or those interested in farm life can linger if there’s work going on.
Nearby Lake Reid is a popular spot for birdwatchers, for the black swans, paradise ducks and Canadian geese.
The afternoon is hot and we scale back the walk up the eastern flank of Ari/Mt
Alfred in favour of sitting in the tawny grass, overlooking Diamond
Lake and up Paradise Valley.
Paradise ducks honk.
The lake lives up to its name, sparkling in the autumn sun. That serenity sure isn’t bad up here.
The writer was a guest of Welcome Rock Trails (welcomerock.co.nz), Private Discovery Tours (privatediscoverytours.co.nz)and Thrifty Car Rental (thrifty.co.nz)