Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
From the car park, follow the signs to the beginning of the track, which leads you through
the forest, away from the stony beach, and within 2km descends to the Waikoau River foot-
bridge. Nearby is a cluster of private holiday homes or, as they are known in Southland,
cribs. Once across the Waikoau River, the next hour is a walk along a beautiful beach to
Hump Burn
. Keep an eye on the surf - you may see Hector's dolphins frolicking in small
groups.
From the beach you enter forest and follow a former logging road, passing some old log-
ging equipment along the way and two more cribs nestled in the forest. The one nearest the
Track Burn
bridge kindly offers shelter and water, making it an ideal place for a break when
it's raining.
The logging road ends at the Track Burn bridge, and on the other side is a well-graded
benched track that takes you high above the rocky shore. About 2.5km from the bridge (two
to three hours from the car park) you reach a swing bridge in the Flat Creek ravine. On the
other side is a signposted junction - the left fork is the walk to Port Craig Village and the
right fork leads to Okaka Lodge, 9km away on Hump Ridge.
Heading right (west), the first 2.5km is easy, as you make your way up and over high
river terraces and through mixed podocarp and beech forest. The track then crosses a steep-
sided stream and begins the climb up a long spur. In places the climb is quite strenuous.
Eventually you come to
Stag Point
, a narrow steep-sided ridge with a view to the east.
It's another hour, and more steady climbing, until you reach a trail junction. At the signpos-
ted junction, head right and follow the boardwalk through stunted silver beech forest and
open alpine clearings to
Okaka Lodge
(40 bunks). Built in 2001, the hut is magnificently
located on the side of a glacial cirque, overlooking Te Waewae Bay and the Waiau basin,
and the Takitimu Mountains to the north.
SIDE TRIP: TRIG F
30 MINUTES, 1KM RETURN, 50M ASCENT
It is well worth the extra effort to climb
Hump Ridge
itself and explore this alpine wonder-
land. The track to the crest of the ridge is a boardwalk that forms a loop around
Trig F
, a
1010m highpoint.
Hump Ridge consists of sandstones, mudstones and conglomerated rocks of the Tertiary
period. A striking series of rock towers among the tussock, herb fields and alpine tarns have
been left after years of weathering. From Trig F the views to the west include the rugged
mountains of Fiordland National Park, Lake Hauroko and Lake Poteriteri. To the south you
can see Solander Island in Foveaux Strait and Stewart Island.
