Adventure My High Country With an invite to tour the South Island High Country on a High Country Journeys’ tagalong tour, southern friendship was about to be earned. NZ4WD magazine Journey Ad Manager Niki O’Brien has the story. Story by Niki O’Brien. Photos by N O’B, Barbara Newton, Chris Lee, Colin McGlashen, Gerald Vorgers. Near the top of Mt Kyeburn (looking out to Maniototo Plain and Hawkdun Mts. in background.) 16 JUNE 2018 WWW.NZ4WD.CO.NZ JUNE 2018 WWW.NZ4WD.CO.NZ 17 While most High Country Journeys’ ‘Grand top end of the remote Lees Valley, where pointer Stag passed across in front of the Slam’ tours leave from Blenheim and take after an excellent lunch with Rob and Julie lead vehicles in the Molesworth, convenient for North Stokes of Richon Station we continued Islanders, I pick up this six-day/seven-night down the valley exiting near Oxford and Beyond words tour destined for Cardrona in Hanmer, and then over Porters Pass past Lake Lyndon Day 3: After crossing the Rangitata River heave-ho into a group of 14 adventurers into the Lake Coleridge Station country. on Highway 72 and checking out the huge from three Islands (I include Waiheke, irrigation storage dams we visited Mt Peel that’s me). There are five ‘civilian’ vehicles From here we explore the Wilberforce Station and the recently restored Church in the line-up; Isuzu Max, Mitsubishi and Harper River areas, the region of Mt of the Holy Innocents: This also gave the Pajero, Nissan Pathfinder and two Toyota Algidus and its iconic station, subject of the Mitsi time to duck into Ashburton to sort Hiluxes. In regard to body protection, most classic tale of remote High Country station out a small diff lock malfunction. We then have Nudge bars and that’s it. life – Mona Anderson’s A River Rules my followed the Orari River through the Orari Life (1962, re-released 2017). From the Gorge and Blue Mountain Stations out to High Country Journeys’ premise is to travel Coleridge Power Station we looked across the Fairlie Basin. from ‘Station to Station’, through a network the Rakaia River to the next day’s track. of private station and conservation land A show-stopper at the end of the day was tracks. Travel is mostly via ‘lanes’ and In guiding through this high country, you the track up to Clayton Station Airstrip tracks otherwise used to muster and have to be a local to know it. Noel (Stanger), with magnificent views of basin caps, a move stock and service these huge South our guide for the first couple of days, gave play of light and shadow at dusk. Unable Island stations ranging from 5,000 to me few personal insights. Besides that he to capture the emotional, sense and visual Crossing the Okuku River. 25,000 hectares. had spent a lifetime in the high country awe of the view, hopes are fixed on the fencing and mustering, including owning ‘Drone’, the prized toy of one of the party. Those ‘on tour’ communicate via R/T and running stations, I gleaned that he radios supplied by HCJ. These R/Ts rapidly ”sold a horse trekking business,” ”kept an That night we stayed in Fairlie, at a dream become a comic stage – “Yeah, there’s aeroplane in that shed” and via another of a homestay. Anyone for green beans and a left turn coming up”, “Right”; “Make a “was the face of the Marlboro Man, bacon; potato gratin off the Aga, carrots U-turn,” “I’ve seen plenty of ewes turn.” Australasia.” Perhaps I could have guessed from the garden, roast veges, corned Occasional “vehicle passing”; Serious “I’ve that a man rooted in the High Country would beef, topped with a swirl of warm mustard got stuck on a rock, over”; Instructional master the means to get around it. sauce from a large enamel, stove warmed, “Low low, keep your foot off the brake,” jug? Eaten in surrounds that take your ”Use some jandal”; Over-riding “Shut Snatch Straps! Schist Slide! interest, with rural views that take your the gate.” Stag! breath away? Day 2: Stunning views of Rakaia, Later there’s commentary and conversation We’re on our way up the south bank, to McCaw, Mackenzie. and here is the true Southern dialect. take a private side track loop into the Day 4: Our fourth day saw us head into Surnames and station names related Blackhills area. the Mackenzie Country via the Mackenzie in time and space, corporate and DOC and Burke’s Passes to lunch beside Lake ownership, tenure review, characters and This turned out to be the site of the most Benmore with its spectacular views misadventures, parties and haunts. The informal of tyre tests, with a small hill with Track on Blue Mountains Station. through to Mt Cook. From here it was then well managed operations with good healthy mid-length grass and mud at the entry. The through Black Forest and Te Akatarawa stock are soon pointed out as bloodlines Bridgestones, “tried and true” 250s on the Stations on the equally spectacular Pylon and farming practices are discussed. Mitsi made it up after recovering from a Vehicles on the ‘Pylon track’ Track which runs beside the lake to the Occasionally a farm may be passed in sideways flail at the start. The canopied Benmore Dam and Otematata. After a silence, the cold shoulder on the R/T more Toyota Hilux was the star on Maxxis visit to the Te Aka woolshed it was on to pervasive than the lazy April breeze (too AT-980 Bravos. the Kurow area. The night’s homestay lazy to go round ‘ya). again provided hospitality plus and was up A few vehicles had to have a snatch strap the Haka Valley directly across from the River Crossing assist. While on the subject of tyres it McCaw’s farm (where Ritchie grew up). Day 1. From Hanmer we traveled through should be noted that low profile tyres, such to the back of Hawarden for morning tea as supplied as standard on many vehicles As to the legend of Mackenzie and in the magnificent garden setting of the such as Range Rovers, are a no-no on these his dog, together the pair opened up MacDonald Downs homestead. It’s one of trips as they are extremely susceptible to a huge unknown tract of grazing land. many chances we have to meet a genuine sidewall damage on sharp rocks. Unfortunately, Mackenzie was accused station family and get a chance to learn of sheep stealing and his demise was due about farming and family. Bill bought this After carrying on upstream we had lunch to his faithful sheepdog identifying his station with the problem “we had no on the banks of the Rakaia amidst the master in court... the red haired Scot was money.” His off-the-cuff suggestion of stunning panorama looking up into Mt so moved to see his mate, he was moved to not niggling on the purchase price and Arrowsmith and across to Manuka Point tears. Case closed! paying holding fees for a few years led to a station where Noel once farmed. After handshake before the tea was cold, and Bill lunch we pass through Glenfalloch Station, Dansey’s Pass “had to get moving.” and crossed a huge ‘moving fan Schist Day 5: After turning inland past Duntroon slide). This is a stunning drive and to cap and crossing over the Kakanui Mountains The next adventure of the day was to cross it off just before we travelled through the via Dansey’s Pass it was followed by an the Okuku River as we headed into the boundary with Lake Heron Station a 12 Road sign at the start of the Thompsons Track. Schist Slide on Glenfalloch Station. exciting climb to explore the Mt Buster 18 JUNE 2018 WWW.NZ4WD.CO.NZ JUNE 2018 WWW.NZ4WD.CO.NZ 19 Five-page NZ Ute Buyers' Guide Goldfields, which at just over 1200 metres over the lower Maniototo Plain and right plus a moving feast of very comfortable (4000ft) were once the highest in NZ. through to the Remarkables. farm stays was also first rate. We then climbed up a track on a snowy Mt Kyeburn for a late lunch in the chilly We later met at a historic shearing shed This trip was so good that at the final NZ4WD breeze with its stunning views of the for a chat with local identity Jim Hore dinner of the tour at the Cardrona Hotel similarly snow-clad Hawkdun and St of Stonehenge Station. The story goes all participants individually thanked Ute Buyers’ & Mary’s Ranges. that his grandad got the pick of the runs High Country Journeys’ chief guide in a ballot for returned servicemen by and operator John Mulholland for the It was here that once again the Drone drawing (lucky) number 13. Stonehenge experience of a lifetime, each with their was set aloft this time going AWOL in was so named because a rock formation different highlights most with the same the stiff Maniototo ‘breeze’ at over 1600 on the skyline of the Rock and Pillar Range themes – the stunning scenery, meeting metres (5500ft). Tip; set your drone to reminded an Englishwoman of home. genuine rural people, the awesome JUNE 2018 return ‘home’ at 20 percent battery which, accommodation and meals and all grateful happily, was the case here. In the afternoon it was then over the for being part of a smaller tour group. GUIDE Rough Ridge via the Dunstan Trail through From the top of Mt Kyeburn we then many gateways with huge schist rocks We were really pinching ourselves dropped down onto the Maniototo Plain as strainer posts, another tribute to our that, thanks to High Country Journeys' and the historic goldfields town of Naseby resourceful pioneers, before a quick trip relationships with the station community, for a spot of curling, staying at the historic up and over the Dunstan Mountains then we got the chance to travel on the Danseys Pass Hotel.