Day 1 - After meeting at Mount St Bathans Station wool shed we were paired up with our horse for the week. I was going to be riding 'Cloud', a beautiful black mare bred by John and Angie the owners of the trekking company - Adventure Horse Trekking NZ. We headed out for a couple of hours to explore the Station.
We stayed the night in the beautiful historic town of St Bathans. Angie had a lovely roast meal ready for us when we returned. After dinner we had the arduous task of packing our blue canvas trail bags with any gear we wanted for the week. These would be packed each day onto one of the pack horses. We each also had a saddle bag for stashing items we would need during the day such as lunch, drink, extra warm clothes etc. Sharing a bunk room with my cousin Theresa who had flown down from Whangarei we tried to get some sleep in preparation for the long days ahead in the saddle.
Day 2 - We headed up the valley through Mount St Bathans Station. We crossed the Dunstan River 24 times as we rode towards 'Old Man's Peak'. Stopping for lunch at Don's Hut, we ate our packed lunches and made a coffee. Continuing on, we eventually arrived at the boundary fence and entered Dunstan Downs Station. We could hear the roar of stags calling across the valley. In the late afternoon, we arrived at Fat Man's Hut. After sorting out our horses, we settled into the bunk room and then enjoyed a delicious meal of steak, mashed potato, coleslaw with pavlova for dessert. It was an incredible day with stunning scenery filled with history from the gold mining days.
Day 3 - We woke up to a cold, frosty morning. We left Fat Man's Hut to begin the huge climb up to the summit of Old Man Peak, 1828m (6000 feet) above sea level. This is the highest stock pass in New Zealand. There was a bit of cloud, so it was a bit tricky spotting three of the highest Mountains in the South Island - (Aorangi Mount Cook, Mount Aspiring, Mount Tutoko) usually seen from here on a clear day. After a short rest at the top we began the steep descent down into the Lindis Pass where we would meet Angie for lunch and collect the rest of our pack boxes to see us through the next few days.
After lunch we crossed the highway in the Lindis Valley and began another steep climb into the hills. We zig zagged our way up, reaching the steep ridge in the late afternoon. Following the ridge, we rounded a corner and there before us was the Lindis Ridge Hut (1500m (4922 feet) above sea level) our accommodation for the night. It was a gorgeous 10 bed bunkroom with a fire and kitchen on the Dalrachney Station. That was when we would discover that a tap had been left on and there was no water. We gathered all our water bottles and managed to have enough to make our peas and mashed potato to go with the leg of ham and coleslaw. Brandy snaps for dessert was a treat. (Sorry to the Aubrey family for not doing the dishes). With the fire roaring, we settled in for a well-deserved rest after 8 hours in the saddle.
Day 4 - It was a stunning day. After saddling up we worked our way down the steep hillside to the valley below. There were lots of little springs and streams for the horses to get a much needed drink of water. We filled our water bottles up too. The day was sunny and hot. We stopped for lunch next to the Lindis River. Today was a shorter day in the saddle as we we rode up a Beech tree laden hillside to find Burnt Bush Hut nestled in the trees. It was a small 5 bed hut with a fireplace. A few of the girls pitched tents and one had her swag to sleep in. We had a warm hearty stew for dinner with mashed potato. Chocolate eclairs for dessert. With the fire crackling away in the hut, we settled in for the night.
Day 5 - The weather forecast was not looking good. It started to rain as we saddled up. We were heading up the Melina Ridge Track and crossing the mountain into the Ahuriri Valley. As we approached, the rain got harder and the wind increased into strong gusts. We arrived at the shingle slide track we had to cross. It was narrow and steep. Not for the faint-hearted if heights aren't your thing. My photos don't show the scale of how steep it was or the terrible weather. The horses were incredible. We put our trust in them and John our guide to get us across safely. As we rounded the top, we saw a stags head and gear some hunters had left to return for. We rode along the ridge with the horses wanting to turn their behinds into the driving rain. We descended into the valley and arrived at 'Tin Hut' in time for a late lunch. We cooked up a hot pot of tasty mince with mashed spuds for dinner. The rain was still coming down and the wind was howling, so we doubled up on some bunks to fit everyone in. Thankfully, these bunks were a little wider than the other huts we had stayed in. It was an incredible day despite the weather. We all felt a huge sense of achievement.
Day 6 - Our final day in the saddle. It was still windy when we woke up. However, by the time we had saddled up, the wind was gone and the day was looking great. We rode through the valley and then headed up over the Ben Avon Saddle. After a steep climb to the top, we stopped for our final lunch, taking in the views and enjoying our time together. There had been a lot of laughs throughout the week. I couldn't have asked for a better group of ladies to go away with. We mounted up and headed down through Ben Avon Station into the Ahuriri Valley. We made it to the road and rode our final 8kms to the beautiful Birchwood Lodge. It felt quite surreal unsaddling our horses for the final time. I had really come to love my trusty steed Cloud. I'm not sure if she felt the same about me. The lodge was stunning, so luxurious after our week of roughing it. Hitting the shower was incredible, and sleeping in a bed with crispy white sheets a total treat. Angie had been busy cooking up a storm for our final dinner, roast pork, salmon and a beautiful selection of salads.
My body was broken, but my heart was full. This had been the most incredible week, something I have always wanted to do. I can not thank John and Angie enough. They run an incredible business - check out
Adventure Horse Trekking NZ They do have some more luxurious boutique trails if this is a bit too extreme for you. I would most definitely recommend them to anyone wanting an authentic horse trekking experience. The love and care they have for their horses is a joy to behold.
The next morning, we packed our bags ready to get the shuttle home. Our final breakfast together as a group. A few more laughs and retelling of stories from our journey. It was nice to be heading home, but this will most definitely be an experience I will never forget.
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