Ruataniwha Conservation Park Brochure

Home , Lake Ohau, Twizel

YOUR HUT FEES HELP KEEP THE HUTS MAINTAINED TAKE CARE VISITING RUATANIWHA Standard huts – 1 hut ticket per adult/night. There are no CONSERVATION PARK charges for children up to the age of 11 years in standard huts. Remember – your safety is your responsibility Ruataniwha Basic huts are free. Be prepared: Weather in this conservation park can change To find out about huts, fees and how rapidly. Check the weather forecast before you leave home. Conservation to book, go to Tell someone your intentions: Leave your trip intentions with a www.doc.govt.nz/huts. friend or family member. Information on the Outdoor Intentions system can be found at www.adventuresmart.co.nz. Park CAMPING Fire: Fire restrictions apply to all public conservation land. SOUTH CANTERBURY Camping is possible anywhere Consult with local information centres or DOC offices for the within Ruataniwha Conservation current fire status. Park – look at the map carefully so Avalanche: Backcountry travellers should be able to recognise you know where park boundaries hazardous avalanche terrain and run out zones. We recommend are. You cannot camp on any of the carrying 457 khz transceivers, probes and shovels. Avalanches public access easements which lead can flow down to valley floors anytime from May to November to public conservation land. during and after severe snow storm cycles. BE A RESPONSIBLE DOG OWNER Communications: Cellphone coverage cannot be relied upon in • Always keep your dog under this park. Satellite phones or mountain radios are a better option. control. Parties should carry a personal locator beacon for increased safety. • Remove any dog faeces from tracks or track verges. Navigation: Carry the appropriate topographic map for your backcountry trip: NZTopo50 BY14, BY15; BZ14, BZ15. • Dogs are not allowed inside huts. Tie your dog up somewhere Take care with river crossings suitable outside. • Always treat the river with respect • Dog owners can apply for a free • Never cross a dirty or flooded river permit to take their dogs onto • When four-wheel driving have an adult walk the river first public conservation land – visit • River currents are often stronger than they appear your local DOC office. • River levels can rise rapidly due to rain in the catchment • Check whether pest control headwaters poison has been laid in the • River levels may rise due to afternoon snow melt (spring) area. Go to www.doc.govt.nz/ pesticide-summaries. • Braids of the river can shift and there may be soft sinking sand/silt • Help prevent the spread of sheep measles on farmland by keeping • If in doubt, retreat. your dog regularly dosed with an FURTHER INFORMATION effective tapeworm drug. For more information about recreation and conservation visit: TREAD CAREFULLY WITH YOUR www.doc.govt.nz.

HORSE Published by: Cover photos: (Top) head of Lake • Make sure all your riding gear Department of Conservation Ohau from Dorcy Track, and horse’s hooves are free of Te Manahuna/Twizel Office (centre) horse trekking, Wairepo Road, Twizel 7901 (bottom) South Temple valley. any seeds or soil which could Phone: 03 435 0802 potentially spread weeds. Email: [email protected] • Have your horse eat weed-free feed 48 hours before entering May 2016 public conservation land. Editing and design: • Do not take your horse into fragile areas such as wetlands. Publishing Team, DOC National Office • Keep horse manure away from hut and campsite areas. Shared-use tracks: Follow the mountain bikers code: respect Ruataniwha Conservation Park covers rugged mountain country, WESTERN SIDE OF BEN OHAU RANGE tussocklands, beech/tawhai forest and sparkling clear rivers. others, respect the rules, respect the track. Duncan, Dobson, Hopkins, Huxley, Maitland and Temple are Access is along the eastern shore of Lake Ohau via Glen Lyon the major valleys in the park. The eastern edge of the park is Duncan valley Road. Drive carefully as this is a narrow gravel road. You will bordered by the tussock-clad Ben Ohau Range. These tracks start from a signposted car park beside Aoraki/ drive past a rock retaining wall built by workers during the 1930s depression. Tangata whenua – the first people of the land Mount Cook highway (SH80). Greta Track 6–7 hr, 16 km The name Ruataniwha has been associated with this area for Most of the public access into this part of the park is along over 400 years, after two Māori brothers who travelled here. easements crossing private high country stations. Ensure that Remnant beech, mānuka, tōtara and an old musterer’s hut from ‘Rua’ translates as two, while ‘taniwha’ means powerful or strong you: the 1890s makes for an interesting start to this track. It is a 5-km person. • Stay on the public access easement climb up the western flank of Ben Ohau (walkers will need to deviate from the track to climb to the true summit at 1522 m). Activities • Leave gates as you find them • Do not disturb stock The descent passes by fellfields (blocky scree) and short rock Many people visit the park including trampers, mountain bikers, bluffs back down to Lake Ohau. climbers, photographers, anglers, horse riders and hunters. You • Keep your dog away unless you have the private runholder’s can hunt for tahr or chamois and the occasional red deer. All permission Travel further on Glen Lyon Road for the Dorcy Track. Stock may hunters must have a hunting permit obtained from a DOC office • Take all rubbish away with you. be grazing beside the road so be prepared to stop if required. or online at www.doc.govt.nz/hunting. Merino sheep are often stocked on these high country stations Dorcy Track 2 hr, 4 km and they spook easily. If on bike or horse, ride slowly past these Native animals A 4WD track takes you up to the airstrip where you can park animals. In some cases alternative routes will be suggested The sweeping tussock slopes of Ben Ohau Range host a myriad your vehicle. Please note that this vehicle track is open all year during lambing time, but these will be clearly signposted of wildlife including moths, butterflies, lizards, grasshoppers, round but may be treacherous in winter. From where you park (October–December). spiders and beetles. your vehicle it is a 1 hr walk up to Flanagan Pass. Baikie Hut 3 hr, 9 km Bush birds likely to be spotted in the forests include tomtit/ miromiro, fantail/pīwakawaka, bellbird/korimako, rifleman/ The track into Baikie Hut runs parallel to Twizel River. Dobson valley Permission to drive along this 4WD track is required from tītitipounamu and morepork/ruru koukou. Further up the Dobson valley is at the end of Glen Lyon Road. Drive slowly past Pukaki Downs Station. Phone: 03 435 0131 Hopkins valley you may encounter New Zealand falcon/ Glen Lyon homestead buildings to reduce gravel dust. Initial kārearea, kea and rock wren/pīwauwau. From the pull-over area on Glen Lyon Road beside Pukaki Canal. travel past the homestead requires access permission – phone 03 438 9644 or 03 438 9642. You can 4WD drive to Grough and Native plants Dusky Trail 7–8 hr, 23 km Kennedy Huts but you need to be skilled in backcountry/river The beech forests near Lake Ohau are a mixture of mountain Dusky Trail climbs alongside Fraser Stream and then travels travel. and silver beech. The region is regarded nationally as a good along the valley floor below Ben Ohau Range. It then descends Walking times place to see mistletoe/pikirangi. This parasitic plant puts on a from Gladstone valley out to the highway. This trip involves spectacular flowering display in November/December. crossing both the Fraser Stream and Twizel River. Glen Lyon Station – Grough Hut 6 hr, 26 km Track times are a guide for people on foot. Grough Hut – Kennedy Hut 2 hr 30 min, 7 km From a large car park alongside Glen Lyon Road (100 m further Kennedy Hut – Reardon Hut 3 hr 30 min, 10 km BEN OHAU RANGE up the road) When westerly conditions make it unpleasant along the main Ben Ohau Wetland 15 min, 1 km divide, the Ben Ohau Range provides an ideal destination. This short walk leads to a deep carex wetland. Access is off Aoraki/Mount Cook Highway (SH80). The Pyramid Saddle viewpoint 1 hr 30 min, 5 km Freds Stream, Bush Stream, Twin Stream, Whale Stream This track continues past Ben Ohau Wetland and goes through There is public access on foot into all of these valleys. There are exotic forest. It is then a short, steep climb to the saddle for no formed tracks. panoramic views. Boundary Stream Flanagan Pass Trail 8 hr, 20 km A narrow strip of public conservation land meets Aoraki/Mount Descend from Pyramid saddle to the Darts Bush flats and Cook highway (SH80) at Boundary Stream. carry on up to Flanagan Pass. The trip over Flanagan Pass was regularly used in the late 1800s as a stock route. Remaining Big Rock Stream telegraph poles once provided communication for Glen Lyon A public access easement is signposted at Big Rock Stream. Station. a t e r u A H k n r t n n e a n u o i e i b m t r o e a e G P 6 r v a r r A o e k e

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! ! ! Access to Freehold, Temple, Maitland and Hopkins valleys is Maitland Hut to Snowy Gorge Hut from the western side of Lake Ohau. Take care on Lake Ohau 4 hr, 9 km Huxley valley Road as it is narrow and winding in places. The road changes Once you leave the beech forest, dodge the spaniards/taramea Huxley valley branches off Hopkins valley and is an open, to gravel after Lake Ohau Lodge. Permission to drive up Ohau as you climb steadily to the pass at 1352 m. Continue down to grassy riverbed as far as Huxley Forks Hut. Take care, as in Snow Fields road is required from Lake Ohau Lodge. Snowy Gorge Hut in Ahuriri Conservation Park. periods of heavy rainfall the creeks near Huxley Forks Hut can Phone: 03 438 9885. be dangerous to cross. From Huxley Forks Hut you can travel up Temple valley North Huxley or South Huxley valleys. Freehold Creek Walking times Temple valley camping area has basic facilities including a Mountain-beech forest clings to the gullies alongside Freehold, shelter and toilet. Monument Hut to Huxley Forks Hut 3 hr, 9 km Parsons and Sawyers creeks in this area. The Alps to Ocean Huxley Forks Hut to Brodrick Hut 3 – 3 hr 30 min, 4.5 km (A2O) cycle trail traverses these valleys. Temple valley circuit track 1 hr, 2 km Brodrick Hut to Brodrick Pass 3 hr, 2.5 km Glen Mary Ski Club Huts access to Freehold Creek track 45 min, 2 km This short track circles through mountain-beech forest. Huxley Forks Hut to South Huxley Bivouac 3 hr, 5 km Temple Campsite to North Temple cirque This track provides a direct route to Sawyers Creek and then 2 hr 30 min, 5 km on to Freehold Creek. It then takes over an hour to climb up to Freehold Creek bushline. Park in the signposted area near Lake After crossing North Temple Stream, the track travels along the Ohau Road (not by the huts). beech forest margin and ends at an impressive cirque basin. Temple Campsite to South Temple Hut 3 hr, 7.5 km Parsons Creek to viewpoint 10 min, 300 m You need to cross South Temple Stream to reach the hut, which Check, Clean, Dry may be dangerous or difficult after heavy rainfall. Look for the DOC sign just before Parsons Creek one-lane Stop the spread of didymo and other bridge on Lake Ohau Road, then take a short steep walk to a freshwater pests. Remember to Check, vantage point in the beech forest. Hopkins valley Clean, Dry all items before entering, and Parsons Creek to Freehold Creek bushline 2 hr, 6 km 4WD required to continue beyond Ram Hill (main gate you meet when moving between, waterways. From Parsons Creek the track meanders along ancient glacial across Lake Ohau Road). Park at Ruataniwha Conservation Park moraine terraces with a bridge crossing at Sawyers Creek. Once boundary, or continue to Monument Hut. You need to be skilled across the Freehold Creek bridge you are walking on an old at backcountry vehicle travel to drive as far as Elcho Hut. Dogs beech logging trail. Note the distinctive curved nature of the remain in your vehicle until you reach the conservation park track which is where bullocks (young bulls) dragged large beech boundary downstream of Monument Hut. and tōtara logs from the forest. Braided river birds nest here – If you drive in the Hopkins Freehold Creek bushline to Dumb-bell Lake 4 hr, 4 km riverbed please keep to any established tracks. A diverse range of native plants hug the Freehold Creek bush Walking times edge. Continue on a marked route within Freehold Creek basin Ram Hill to Monument Hut 2 hr, 9 km which is then unmarked to Dumb-bell Lake. Monument Hut to Red Hut 2 hr, 6 km Maitland valley Red Hut to Dasler Biv 3 hr, 6 km Initial travel in Maitland valley is across private land so access Red Hut to Dodger Hut 5 hr, 14 km permission is required from Lake Ohau Station. Phone: 03 438 Monument Hut to Elcho Hut (NZ Alpine Club) 9663. 4 hr, 9 km Lake Ohau to Maitland Hut Elcho Hut to North Elcho Stream bushline 2 hr, 4 km 4–5 hr, 10 km Elcho Hut (NZAC) to Cullers Hut 30 min, 1.5 km This track negotiates a steep climb early on to get to the top of Cullers Hut to Dodger Hut 2 hr, 5.5 km a scree slope. When you have descended to Maitland Stream the track is well marked to Maitland Hut. Dodger Hut to Erceg Hut 3 hr, 7 km Erceg Hut to Richardson Rock Bivouac 1 hr, 3 km