Plans can
change.
Plan 1. Cross
from the Ahuriri Valley to the Dingleburn and follow the valley to
Lake Hawea. Good plan but on ringing Dingelburn Station I was
informed the road from Timaru river was only passable to proper 4
wheel drives, and for some reason this doesn’t include Hiace vans.
So come up
with Plan 2. Again cross over to the Dingle but this time tramp up
the south arm to the pass and look down into the Hunter. But while
trying to sleep on Friday night the weather put these plans on hold
for another trip. So Saturday morning arrives and its time to come
up with Plan 3. After a group discussion it was decided Grant and
his group would stay in the valley and head for the top hut. Dave
and I had some unfinished business from a previous trip in Canyon
Creek so our group of 5 headed for the hanging valley at the head of
the Creek.
Both parties
met again mid afternoon where we had left the van at the entrance
to Canyon Creek and headed back to Base Hut where we had set up a
base camp. (Who said Hi-ace vans won’t go where 4 wheel drives
go???) Sunday morning and yet another plan – let’s cross over to the
top Dingle Hut and then return. So with day packs and warm gear, we
headed off up the old vehicle track that leads to the low pass
between us and the Dingle. On reaching the top the weather changed
and the wind coming out of the Dingle was so cold we decided to once
again change plans. We split into different groups and headed off
across the top to take in the fantastic views both down the Dingle
and Ahuriri.
Everybody was
back at Base Hut around 1.30 pm, so all that was left to do was look
across at all the side valleys that lead into the Ahuriri and wonder
what’s in them, and perhaps plan a trip to them. We loaded the van
and headed home for an early night.