Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
scramble down to the water, and trampers have even been known to float through the gorge
for a refreshing dip on a hot day.
From the bridge the track climbs out of the narrow valley, then spills onto a grassy flat.
You are now less than 2km from the hut, reached along a wooded and level path. Sabine Hut
(32 bunks) has views of
Lake Rotoroa
and a spacious kitchen-common area. Despite the
multitudinous sandflies, you can enjoy excellent sunsets over the lake from the hut's jetty.
Day 5: Sabine Hut to Mt Robert Car Park (via Speargrass Hut)
7½-9½ HOURS, 27KM
The final leg of the Travers-Sabine Circuit takes you to the Mt Robert car park via Spear-
grass Hut. However, if you're fit and the weather's fine, you can head up steep
Mt Cedric
Track
to
Lake Angelus
and spend a night at the stunning Angelus Hut (28 bunks) before re-
turning to St Arnaud via one of three tracks the following day. The different options are de-
scribed in DOC's
Angelus Hut Tracks & Routes
brochure.
To get to Speargrass Hut from Sabine Hut, take the track north that skirts the lakeshore
before angling into beech forest and making a long climb to
Howard Saddle
. It takes one
hour to climb the 350m to the saddle, which is dimpled by a series of small ponds. The track
then swings more northeast and contours around the base of Robert Ridge.
Two hours from Sabine Hut is a suspension bridge over
Cedric Stream
. In the next hour
you cross several streams, bridged where necessary. Now, only an hour from Speargrass
Hut, the track vastly improves. It's well benched, and at one point follows more than 500m
of boardwalk, complete with benches and a fine view of Howard Valley. Botanists may ad-
mire the conical shape of the kaikawaka (NZ cedar), or search for the tiny sundew - a plant
that survives the lack of nitrogen by catching and devouring insects on its sticky leaves.
Eventually the track makes a steep but short descent to Speargrass Hut (12 bunks),
reached four to five hours from Sabine Hut. It is located in a small grassy meadow surroun-
ded by mountains, and is a pleasant way to turn a long tramp into an easy overnighter if you
have a spare day.
From the hut the track crosses the flat and within five minutes arrives at a bridge over
Speargrass Creek. On the other side is a signposted junction with the
Speargrass Creek
Route
(right fork), which climbs to Lake Angelus (three hours).
Take the left fork along
Speargrass Track
, which begins with an hour-long descent, sid-
ling the ridge until it bottoms out at Speargrass Creek. Follow the creek for 30 minutes and
