A light trip back to Glenorchy and the Rees

Who was Rees you may well ponder? I recall from my school history days that perhaps he was a prospector. And although many are motivated by gold, last weekend my photographer and tramping friend Roger joined me to do some prospecting for images back in the area that was the focus of my recent posts on a Rees/Dart tramping trip.

However often in life in our rush to reach a goal we overlook many things, including, in my case an intriguing lagoon area with board-walks very near Glenorchy...






There happened to be some old "kiwiana" style clutter begging to be imaged nearby...


Forever the romantic though, my eyes wander quickly to the far hills - in this case [left to right] the Dart Valley, Mt Alfred, Mt Earnslaw and the Rees Valley. All old friends...


You can't keep a good man down they say, especially Roger in his self induced [photographic] zone in the Rees...


Anyone care to make a caption for this shot...


From top to bottom: my shorts, my knees, and my toes...


Perched on a cliff for a bird's eye view of the renown Muddy Creek - stopper of many a car and 4wd every time it rains and a few more tons of soft-rock is ground up and gravitated down the hill...


Where we camped on Sat. night in the Rees - a strong sunset...


On Sunday morning we were approached by some stranded climbers who had got their 4wd stuck way up the Rees in soft gravel and water. Like little kids we played in the water and sun extricating their Hi Lux, which was all a bit engrossing, so I never did make a photo of their dilemma, but Roger was there with his tripod 'till way after they drove off at speed - I'd said "give it heaps" if they ever had any more sinking feelings, and it seems they took me literally...


My trusty camper was a bit of a hero of the day - she can be high and mighty, but loved most of all for the kitchen stove in the back, and therefore sometimes she is known as "Cafe Toyota"...


Back in Glenorchy for a real coffee we did predictably wander about. You maybe forgiven for thinking this man is jumping from a moving train, but no, he had just been doing some more shooting, and I captured the get-away...


On closing please be aware that this blog is now on a new server, and there is some fine tuning to do soon as blogger has changed in a technical sense how we publish to our own domain names. So if it is static for awhile please pop in later. Meanwhile having got it shifted and tested via this post [noted odd things appearing on the right column, and comments one post behind], I'm behind on reading and commenting on the excellent blogs I follow.

Btw a heads up on a new local blog by friends D and G "Touring the Deep South of NZ"

Cheers

Donald

More photographic aspects of my recent Rees to Dart tramping trip

Last week it was easy to simply indulge in my penchant for New Zealand landscape photography and publish what I'd call the classic landscape images I made, but this week I've decided to introduce the people element to show another side to this glorious wander..

Mandy, Glenn, Tom and Dougal...

Glenn and Mandy lunching in the near derelict 25 Mile Hut in the Rees...

Glenn and 25 Mile Hut...

The first true alpine meadow we encountered on our first [exhausting] day in the Rees...

A welcome sight - Shelter Rock Hut in the Rees...

The next day fellow tramper Michelle and myself found ourselves accompanying each other to Snowy Saddle - there were many in front of us and some behind, but being spread out was great...

Michelle silhouetted on a bump just above the saddle...

Greta, Bronny and Michelle - our companions found on the trail and we've travelled together for a couple of days. They were great company...

A bull chamois near Dart Hut...

Tom, Andrew and Dougal - our boys on this trip, as part of their Duke Of Ed. Award they're seeking. Cory was running late for this photo and can be seen below...

Typical travel down the Dart - Mandy and Glenn...

A well used huge 10 star bivy rock by Cattle Flat in the Dart...

A friendly Robin...

Sandy Bluff has to be surmounted so-to-speak on the long walk down the Dart, but the views are worth the puffing and the track blasted into the rock bluffs is spectacular...

Glenn...

This jet boat signified to us that we were near the end of our tramp...

To me the Dart is one of New Zealand's wildest most beautiful rivers, but it's not one I'd care to tangle with when it's in this mood...

Back out on the road I stopped my truck for a view backwards and to make a picture of Mt. Chaos left, and Poseidon Peak for fellow mt.eer/blogger Bob [Bob help yourself to a copy]...

The trip over the crew transfers gear into our two vehicles - one left at each end...

Thanks team for an awesome little adventure - I'd go anywhere with you anytime :)

The sound of intermittent and gentle applause, villages and the long awaited tramping trip is done

Challenge Wanaka, a long distance race which starts with swimming, then 180 Km of biking and finishes with a marathon seems established as an annual event now, and right outside my front door there is a turn around point and drink station for the hundreds of runners, so every few minutes there is cheering and clapping.

Today I set up a sprinkler for the runners and occasionally adjourn out to the road side to watch - just like hundreds of others do in town. The effect is amazing at it sort of slows down the pace of life with motorists just giving in as they give way, and strangers talk, smile and interact. I think it must be reminiscent of village or tribal life. While many locals get annoyed over this huge event I'm growing to love it's energy, and I'm not even competitive...


Rees >> Dart classic tramp:

As some of you will have noted this has been on the agenda for awhile. Officially a Duke of Edinburgh Silver/Gold trip for my son and peers. Many folk access the Dart valley from Cascade Saddle where I spent sometime a year ago on a big Search and Rescue mission, and other folk do what we did: up the Rees, over Snowy Saddle and down the Dart [note to trampers: both routes need a degree of alpine skill unless conditions are perfect e.g. dry and sunny - summer style. There are hints in the link above].

Not much more to say really except that our four boys conducted themselves very well. They usually led, while three of us parents bought up the rear. It was an awesome four days with great companions.

Rees valley on the left, with a steep aspect which would be risky when snow covered, and Snowy Creek leading to the Dart valley on the right. Note foreground figures...


Looking up the Snowy...


Mt Cook Lily in the Snowy...


Mt Cook Lily in the Snowy with Mt Edward in the background


Bridge and avalanche debris in the Snowy...


The relatively new Dart Hut down stream from the lower bridge over the Snowy...


Wonderful light and bush down the Dart near Sandy Bluff...


A troublesome-to-cross side stream near Chinaman's Bluff, near the end of the tramp...


Ending on a sombre note with a bigger picture Bob McKerrow once again has posted a very useful article on the earthquake in Haiti

Off to Dart Hut on a wee holiday

I'm on holiday this week and I'm off with my son Dougal [now 17] and his mates to do a Rees/Dart tramp tomorrow, and we may just sneak over the pass before the next rain storm, and depending on this it could mean I'd be back early, or late if we come down the Dart, which is quite a long walk.

Dart hut is sort of in the middle of our circular trip, and it's been a few years since I've graced it's doorstep. There'll be no skis this trip though - not antiques like these found in the old hut in the seventies, or when I carried my own out from the Whitbourne and down the Dart. This time I hope to travel with both the lightness of body and of the [summer] day.