We’re doing the Charming Creek Walkway today

It’s full of old mining stuff

Like these remains of some building

Rusted stuff

Some empty shed

Very dangerous stuff!

Lovely conditions for walking now

This thing has been here for ages and then in more recent years they put a roof over it, I can only assume to protect it, from rusting…

The creek, isn’t it charming

We just walked this bit, we should be getting closer to the waterfall

A swing bridge, we should be safe as there’s just the two of us

Ah, no, not safe, closed, of course

The waterfall! It’s nice, good place for lunch too

It’s all charming here

The very dangerous swing bridge

And we’re leaving again

Once more the creek, must be lovely to swim there, if you can stand the cold water

The thing I keep wondering is how they get these things here, in the middle of nowhere. Brought in pieces and assembled right there? The stuff is big and heavy!

Like how would you carry something as big as that down paths like these? I can’t imagine how it was done, they didn’t have choppers back then.

A little cave

Our trip from today, from Mōkihinui to the Charming Creek Walk to somewhere on the way to Nelson

It’s still early, the dead trees are an invasive species that will eventually be completely eradicated

The Skippers Township Amenity Area with the iconic school

The school’s classroom

If I remember correctly then this is where the teacher used to live

Only empty bottles here, no full ones hidden in the cabinets

Lots of old stuff here

And a lot to read about the history of this place and all the gold mining

Heaps of old photos

Unfortunately this burnt down a few years ago

No idea what this used to be but it has sure been here a long time

Anyway, Rachel is up, time for breakfast

We decided to go on a walk to Londonderry Terrace, this photo is just beyond Pleasant Creek and looking back towards the campsite

The Sainsburys Huts here, well maintained and with amazing views, unfortunately all locked, somebody’s batch I guess?

Just a bummer that the otherwise great landscape here on Pleasant Creek Terrace…

…is in places still littered with remnants of the gold mining

Just north of Stony Creek

Looking west, part of the Richardson Mountains

Here you can clearly see how they ruined the landscape, just for some gold

Later in the day we did the Bullendale Track, it was so hot that I happily took a refreshing dive in the Skippers Creek

Rachel getting ready to do the same

The Bullendale Track was absolutely wonderful! The water had a very pleasant temperature and we could just walk through it

Just again a shame about all this stuff

No idea, what I was looking at here, the sky?

A waterfall, artificial but still nice enough for a photo

Above the waterfall the track continues

It just goes on and on

We made it up to Davidson’s Gully and then turned around

Teva’s were the perfect footwear for this trip

Another ruin of a hotel I believe

And Rachel found some wild strawberries…

…and blackberries and was over the moon with her find

The first part of the track was steep and through forest, here I am finally out of the forest, at Duke Knob, looking towards Staveley Hill

Soon I’m back in the forest again, following the Bowyers Stream upstream

It’s a lovely stretch of forest though and the stream is really clear

There’s the odd bridge to cross

A waterfall

At least walking in the forest keeps me cool a bit, it’s a very warm day

The second time I finally get out of the forest, Pinnacles Hut is in view a little higher

At Pinnacles Hut

Inside Pinnacles Hut

The view from the hut

The pinnacles that give the hut its name

Since I’ve still got hours of sunlight left I decide not to stay at Pinnacles Hut but continue to Woolshed Creek Hut. Looking north is the Winterslow Range

Lots of pinnacles further west of Pinnacles Hut

Walking up to a saddle, this is the view looking back towards the Canterbury Plains

Some people walk up along this slope to get to the summit of Mt Somers, looks very steep

Winterslow Range again

To the west some great clouds are drifting in, it will have been great for gliding

Mt Somers Range coming into view

Past the saddle and descending towards the west

This area is truly stunning

Lovely colours

Impressive rock formations

I did not expect such beautiful scenery at Mt Somers!

If I had more time I’d climb up there to take some more photos

But it’s getting later and more clouds are slowly drifting in

I’m lucky to be here at this time of day and with a nicely clouded sky

The Morgan Stream

Face on the right

Sun in the ideal spot

I could be tempted to go skinny dipping here

Shadows are getting longer

And clouds from the east starting to drift in now

I checked out the hut but there’s a warden and it’s too busy, so I’ll be camping, this looks like the perfect spot for it!

Me and my trusted Freedom Camping/Zempire Mono tent

You can’t beat that view, shortly after this photo I had my dinner and went straight to bed

This morning, I am greeted by beautiful weather

The Woolshed Creek Hut that for some stupid reason you have to book online

This whole area makes me think of scenes from American Western movies

Another bridge and many many hours of walking still ahead

As usual DOC is terrible with their signage so sometimes you walk in the wrong direction for a while but occasionally it at least brings you to a beautiful spot, like here

Not sure what the green stuff is but the colour is nice

A little waterfall and a pool worthy of a swim, but not this time

Another waterfall

Looking back to the north-west, Mt Somers Range Straight ahead, Potts/Arrowsmith Range in the far distance

The Bus Stop Overhang

Yes, Bus Stop

Looking back to Potts/Arrowsmith Range again

Today is an incredibly warm day (37 degrees in Christchurch) and here I am, walking in the blazing sun, luckily there’s a decent breeze

Looking back towards the Bus Stop

2 hours later, I drank 6 liters of water already and am now out of water, I need to find a stream somewhere. The track goes straight ahead towards the saddle underneath that cloud. In this heat it’s not much fun constantly having to walk up

Acland Shelter

When I finally made it to the Mt Somers Summit Track I decided to abandon my initial plan to camp here and go to the summit tomorrow as I have not found any stream to get new water, what remains is another 2.5 hours of walking, luckily it’s downhill from here!

Looking south-west towards the Moorhouse Range and Tara Haoa Range in the distance

The Mt Somers Summit Track, steep, maybe another time

Very strong wind now, it’s pushing me down the mountain, I’m glad I was finally able to do this track, though especially today was pretty exhausting

Map and height profile of the track, the first part yesterday was 11.4 km, today I walked 13.3 km (with about 20kg on my back)

Soon you’re in the open though, giving a good look at Gibraltar Rock

Lovely weather for a walk

There’s also a waterfall, it’s YUGE!

Trees and plants ‘n stuff

Rachel climbing up Gibraltar Rock

Me

More Gibraltar Rock

Looking towards the Summit Road

Little map of the track, which was about 7.5 km and took us 3 hours and 45 minutes

What a view (of Espelandsvatnet), and all for free

Start of our walk to the four giant Husedalen Waterfalls

Nyastølsfossen, the second of the four waterfalls (the first one is hard to get a decent picture of)

Nykkjesøyfossen, waterfall number three

Søtefossen, the last one

Anouk got thirsty

Nyastølsfossen again

Kinsarvik

Odda

Storlivatnet

Hellandsbygda

Botnavatnet

Svartavatnet

Låtefossen waterfall

Sauda

I decided to hike to the Fossdalsvatnet today which is way up there in the distance

The Fossdalsvatnet is the source of this waterfall

The Fossdalsvatnet, the waterfall starts to the left of the lake

After I finished the hike I wasn’t tired yet so made another walk to some other nearby waterfall

Moavatnet

Beautiful waterfall between Heiabekken and Heiavatnet

Saudafjorden

Svandalsfossen falls