Area: Eyre Mountains (Islands Hut)

With the benefit of hind sight a better easy to medium weekend trip would have been Acton Hut to Cromel Hut and then to Bee Hut. As the latter is above bush line there would at least have been a view. As it turned out a weekend confined to the valley was for some not quite so satisfying.

A smaller group had planned to go to Islands Hut. Named after the islands in the nearby stream the track, though not shown on the map is well marked. 20 minutes along the Acton Stream track a marker indicates the turn off crossing to the true right A well‑defined route picks up a spur and climbs steeply to a junc­tion where, after navigating round some major windfalls, it fol­lows a marked route along the ridge. Crossing the first clear­ing and dipping into a saddle it leads again to open tops. At this point there is a choice. Take a short cut straight down on the left or follow the normal route sidling round the head of the valley. Never one to resist a short cut we headed down steeply to the stream at the bottom and on the other side picked up a deer trail. It was a steep but quick climb to the top. In open tus­sock once more and battling into a furious westerly we sidled round the 1100 m point from where you could see a distant patch of beech marking the location of the Islands hut. It was a relief to be out of the wind as we dropped down into the shelter of the next valley. Following too close to the true left of the stream at the bottom meant clambering over leatherwood and scrub but we soon emerged at a confluence of several small streams where a lonely cairn was spotted. The hut, though not far from here and located at the very edge of this patch of beech, was visible. We were almost on it before we could see it.

There was a sense of going back in time when you enter Islands Hut. A packet of Velvet washing powder still sits in the cup­board. The first aid kit too has some items whose packaging be­longs to an earlier era. All neat and tidy and beautifully white­washed thanks I believe to the Southland Tramping Club. We had taken a tent but we needn't have bothered. Not a lot of visitors have been to Islands Hut, but it was good to see in the Visitor book the names of some OTMCers who had made a visit a few Years back.

The next morning in calm conditions and in a light dusting of snow we set off to the 1 100m contour from where we planned to follow a different route out. This time sidling round the head of the valley we had avoided with our shortcut on the way in. From here we planned to keep sidling coming out above the Cromel Branch Hut then drop­ping down to the Acton Stream below. But time was the enemy and having calculated we would be an hour or so late, we picked up the ridge we came in on and headed for home. It's great country and definitely on my 'must return' list. Next time a longer trip though. Perhaps the round trip, Islands Hut, Cromel Bivvy, and then to Cromel Branch Hilt and out'

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This site copyright 1999/2005 Antony Pettinger. The views expressed here do not necessarily represent the views of the OTMC Committee or other OTMC Members.