Wangapeka Track Day 1- Belltown Manunui Hut
What a strange day it’s been. I’m here in the hut just 9 km in to the Wangapeka Track with the sun setting over the trees in the forest and the sounds of birds all around. Only one other person here in the hut with me – Andy from Scotland who’s been cycling/tramping in New Zealand for four months now. It’s nice to have some company but not crowds of people.
So, this morning I was up early in Karamea, had breakfast, and set out on the road to hitch-hike to the start of the track about 30 km south of town. Not much traffic in the raging metropolis of Karamea at 8:30am Monday morning. Like, no traffic AT ALL. Hmmm. Walked out past the one gas station and one grocery store and stood on the side of the road and waited. Not a car in sight. After a few minutes a car turned and came down the road but kept going. New car did the same. Hmmm. Then, about 10 minutes later a third car came and stopped! Turns out it was the Swedish couple who worked in the restaurant at the hostel and who served me food the previous day. I was like you work in the restaurant! They said oh, yeah we do! So I got in and they said no problem to take me to the town where the access road to the trail is.
Came to find out they’ve been travelling in New Zealand for 2 months already and just started working at the caf’ to save money and were on their way to Christchurch on their days off to do Christmas shopping. Really nice and friendly couple.
When we got to the town we found the sign that said 10 km to the start of the Wangapeka Track and I said this is cool can you drop me off here but they offered to take me the whole way! Sweet!! So we turned down the access road and continued 10 km (that I otherwise would have been walking!) to the start of the tramp. We drove up to the sign which was barely visible with all the high grass around it and I started to think well has anybody ever been out here? I knew this track was much less used than the other more popular Great Walks, but it looked like no one had been here for years! The Swedish girl even said ‘well you’re welcome to come to Christchurch with us,’ and I was SO tempted to just say yes! But I thought, no I came to NZ for the hiking and I’m going to give it a go. So I reluctantly said goodbye and watched them drive away, then turned to face the start of the tramp alone.
The grass was really high and over-grown at the start and I had a hard time even finding a trail. Finally found it and followed it down to the first river crossing. The water was FREEZING and the current was quite strong and I wound up being in water up to the tops of my legs with a full backpack on in the middle of the river. I’d been warned by people that the fords could be bad on this tramp and I thought well I hope it doesn’t get any worse than that really. Less than 5 minutes later the trail came around and I forded the same river again! So I was back on the same side I started on and I was NOT happy about that. Bad enough to do a dangerous ford alone but to do it twice for no reason, just to end up on the same side I started? I was not getting a good feeling about this tramp and was already wishing I had taken the ride to Christchurch. Then I lost the trail again in the overgrown field and I said this is it, I’m outta here. I mean, I’m hiking on my own which brings it’s own level of risk from the start, now I’m on an un-used, poorly-marked trail that has taken me over this river for no reason. I have enough hiking experience to know that if I have a bad feeling it’s best to get out so I decided to turn around and head back, staying on the same side so as not to cross the river 2 more times AGAIN.
I followed the river around and found the original trail which led me back to the access road where I started to walk back out, cursing myself that I didn’t take the ride to Christchurch. Just then a jeep came around the road from behind and I thought cool a ride out to the main road and I stuck out my thumb. The guy pulled over, an older scraggly-looking guy with tattoos and dirty clothes, and asked me where I was going. I said out to the main road. He said this is the main road! I’m thinking whatever man just get me out of here. He then asked if I was coming out of the track and I explained what had happened and that I didn’t have a good feeling about it and I was wanting to get out and be done with it. So he started to explain that the beginning of the track is confusing because of land disputes between him and the Department of Conservation (DOC) and that after the first bit the trail becomes clearly marked and it’s no problem. He offered to take me back to the trailhead and show me where to start and I thought I dunno so he said look let’s have a coffee and you can decide. Well you may be surprised that I said ok and got in the jeep to have a coffee with this scary looking stranger, but I do rely heavily on my instinct and I had no bad feelings about him whatsoever. And it was raining so I was in no hurry to hit the trail again really. I just thought why not.
We drove 2 minutes back to his shack and it really was a shack literally, built on stilts with all kinds of junk all around. Ok, I was staring to wonder I admit. Well what a surprise I did have. I walked up the steps and into the shack and it was chock-full inside with the most beautiful stain-glass, copper, iron, carved wood, and chiselled stone pieces of art I have ever seen! The windows were full of huge stain glass pieces and from the ceiling hung all kinds of copper suns and moons and more stain glass. The art was piled high on the floors and stacked against the walls. I couldn’t even believe that this grumpy, dirty, strange man lived in such a haven of his art! I was in awe.
He made me coffee (mind you there was no electricity or running water in the shack) and we sat down and I asked him about all the stuff. ‘It’s not STUFF it’s ART’, he growled in his Irish accent! Turns out his name is Paddy Caldwell; he’s been living on this property for 10 years, is a self-taught painter and stain-glass artist AND musician (play 6 instruments) and has no interest in selling the stuff or making money; he just enjoys doing it. I would up spending 2 hours in the shack admiring all the ‘stuff’ and talking to him about his life. He brought out boxes and boxes of jewellery he’s made with polished shells, bone, carved wood, copper, and polished stones, all laid out on velvet material and each piece more beautiful than the next. You must open a gallery I kept telling him! He later told me that in the year 2000 he sent 2 paintings in for the New Zealand Artist of the Millennium award and he won first prize! Would you ever imagine an Artist of the Millennium living in a shack in the middle of nowhere? It was an amazing experience to meet this man and fall into such an unexpected adventure. In the end we had our coffee and I decided to give the trail another go and Paddy walked me out to the start as promised. He wished me good luck and I said thanks for everything and he said stop by again if you’re through here and that was that. That whole experience made my day and really showed me how rewarding it can be to take a chance and go with the flow.
Three hours of hiking and I was at the hut and by then it was after 3 o’clock and I was happy to call it a day. The rest of the trail did turn out to be fine except for all the pollen and grass which has made me an itchy sneezing swollen mess. That definitely sucks. I may have to break down and get some allergy drugs after this tramp because I can’t take much more of this for sure. Afternoon and evening’s been spent with Andy and it’s been good company so as I said in the start it’s been a very strange day but a memorable one indeed. And I’m glad to be on the Wangapeka Track.
The Belltown Manunui Hut
Add comment December 16th, 2002