Wonderful Waitutu Lodge

This is the third instalment of my post Slow Walking NZ’s South Coast Track. After we left the Waitutu Corporation’s wonderful Long Point Hut we intended to have a short day and be at the Waitutu Lodge within 4-5 hours (which we should have been). We were at the Angus Burn in around three hours of relatively easy walking. Unfortunately I did not know whether we could walk along the beach (then) at low tide which was still three hours away. If we had waited and we could not, we would have been spending a night in the bush.

We therefore pushed on towards the Crombie Stream (for two hours) where we ‘knew’ (about 1 km before you reach the stream) that there was a marked route down to the mouth of the stream and then a well-formed and marked track along the cliff-tops all the away to the Lodge, so about an hour from there. We had walked this route before in 2016 before it was marked. So (for us) six hours (max) via that route to the Lodge. If we had gone to the beach at the Angus Burn we would have been at the Lodge in approx four and a half hours. NB These are times for folks who are 75 years old. If you are younger you will likely do the walk in half or at least two-thirds that time. The track down to the Crombie mouth now exists and is marked. You could do this whatever the tide and you will save hours, avoid a very slow, wet section of the South Coast Track – and have an early hot shower! Though we had been told the route was marked when we were there, it was not.

Unfortunately for us we had to push on through the Crombie until we finally turned off at Tiny’s Creek (marked track – floats) for the short-cut down to the Lodge so it took us nearly eight hours and we were quite tired by the time we got there. Fortunately we had left food, wine, dry clothes etc there on the way out, so once we had that hot shower we felt much better – especially as we had already booked for a second night so that we could rest up well (have our clothes washed and dried etc) before the next section.

Breaking the walk out to the Waitutu River from the Wairaurahiri River (or the Waitutu Lodge) at Long Point will indeed make for two days of about half the time that the whole walk would otherwise take so (apart from the fact the Long Point is splendid) it is well worth doing. It is otherwise quite a long walk.

I have recommended to the Waitutu Corporation that they renovate the Long Point Hut (new roof, install stove, fix woodshed, clear around – as well as better clearing and marking some of he routes out there: the main track from the South Coast track to Long Point, a track down to the coast there and another to the sandhills and lighthouse (maybe even continuing along the cliffs to the Waitutu River so that loop/s are created) . As well I recommended a marked route down from the Angus Burn to use during low tide. I think they should also charge for the use of the hut and advertise it. With a bit of development it could be turned into a little paradise.

Unfortunately it was another (very) wet day (normal Fiordland weather, so not complaining) but many of the snaps were taken very quickly and in low light so some are not the best. Sorry.

This stream was really frothing up.

Several other tricky ones to cross.

Crossing the Angus Burn. You could head down to the beach just before or after here if the tide is low

and be back at the Lodge in maybe an hour and a half (max).

This crossing was particularly tricky.

And right after this snap Della managed to fall right in. Fortunately only her dignity was injured.

Approaching the Crombie Stream

About half a kilometre after you see this large tree you will encounter some tapes (I put them there) which lead down towards the coast. Folllow them to the Crombie mouth, cross, climb the ridge on the other side and you will find a well-marked trail back to the Waitutu Lodge an hour after leaving the South Coast Track at most.

Crossing the Crombie Stream.

And eventually after 7-8 hours we were at the wonderful (heated) Waitutu Lodge where we were immediately welcomed by our (temporary) host Ian Laurenson with a hot cuppa.

As well as the wonderful resident dog, Jess.

Caretaker’s cottage.

Sun-trap entryway and cooking facilites.

Common room.

Some of the bedrooms. Of course they were much tidier before we messed everything up. The Lodge accommodates at least 20 people some in inside bedrooms and some outside.

Upstairs bedroom.

Drying room. This is a godsend.

There are two hot showers, a bath (luxury) and two toilets.

Track leading down to the beach.

This s the view to the West. You could have walked from the Crombie along here at low tide.

The view to the east. The telephone box actually works (sometimes anyway) – if there is a mobile phone signal.

Wairaurahiri mouth.

Ian Laurenson, one of the caretakers kindly gave us a tour on his Fourbie. We were a bit stiff actually.

Wairaurahiri mouth.

Alan (the usual caretaker who had been helicoptered out with an injury) usually comes and goes in his own inflatable jet-boat. What a life!

Looking up the Wairaurahiri River

Old whitebaiter’s hut on the opposite shore.

Della, Steve, Irralee.

Wairaurahiri mouth.

Jess keeping an eye on those ducks.

She loves her life here.

Leading us back up the steps to the Lodge.

Saying farewell to Jess.

It (now) costs $80 a night to stay at the Lodge. (Book here) Or they have special deals for groups and can arrange package deals with jet-boat and helicopter operators. You can also ring the caretaker for more information. There are many other interesting facilities (features) I have not shown such as a covered outdoor barbecue area. The extensive sun-drenched gardens are a delight on a warm, sunny day which is surprisingly usual in this extraordinary forest which is quite untouched by man. Maori never lived here. This land on which the lodge sits was a gift to ‘landless Maori’ as a century delayed consequence of the Treaty of Waitangi. Of course there are fish in the river, pigs and deer in the forest. There is a network (ever-expanding) day and multi-day walks which can be accessed.

We particularly delight in coming down (and maybe return) via the river by jet-boat, leaving heaps of food, wine etc here then toddling out to Long Point or all the way to Westies which can be reached in two long or four short days. I think we have now been here around six times! We will do so again. You can go one way (eg via coast route eg at low tide ) and return another (South Coast Track). If you want you can go up to the Slaughter Burn Hut (before the Waitutu River) then on to the Lake Potiriteri and Teal Bay Huts, then return via the A-Frame hut (Hump Ridge Track).

Going the other way you can get to Port Craig in one long day or two short days (if you book the Percy Burn Hut with the Hump Ridge Track people). It is possible (but difficult and expensive) to book accommodation at the Hump Ridge Track’s Port Craig facility but you will not be able to buy wine or anything else there unless you are a guest. It is a very interesting historic site. There is good deer hunting in the sandhills near the Percy Burn and Long Point huts (and somewhere to hang them at the Lodge).

Crossing the Wairaurahiri.

This sign is on the West side.

They now have these traps/gates on the bridges across the Wairaurahiri to create a sort of wildlife ‘island’ on which they can attempt top eradicate stoats and possums. The 1080 baiting programme they have undertaken since we were last here in 2016 has produced a veritable explosion of birdlife. I had never heard birdsong in Fiordland before (and I have been there lots of times) but this trip we were almost always hearing birds singing as we walked along, which was great.

Wairaurahiri Hut. It is only about five minute away from the Lodge.

It is almost identical to the Waitutu Hut.

It was fairly wet on the flats after you cross the river.

Climbing up onto the terraces where the tramway starts. Once you get on the tramway it is flat walking all the way to Port Craig – just a long way. Nearly 20 km from the Waitutu Lodge.

These sleepers have lasted now for a hundred years. Extraordinary.

This is the last (unbridged) burn to the west of the Francis Burn. They have had excavators out as far as here almost totally ruining the track but it gets unconscionable after the Edwin Burn.