2010/2011 Season opening for Labour weekend
Come along for an early season walk over Labour weekend and enjoy the extra daylight hours on the Hump Ridge.
The Tuatapere Hump Ridge Track operates in three “Season” modes. High, Shoulder and Winter. A variety of service levels and scheduled transport are available during these seasons. We are of course happy to operate at any time of the year for minimum numbers!
| Season | Dates | Helipack | Track Transport |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 1st May to 12 October 2010 | charter | charter |
| Shoulder | 22 Oct 2010 to 23 Dec 2010 | Friday & Saturdays plus some extras – check calendar | Fri - Monday |
| High | 24 Dec 2010 to 31st March 2011 | Every Wednesday,Thursday, Friday & Saturday plus some extras – check calendar | daily |
| Shoulder | 1st to 25th April 2011 | Friday & Saturdays plus some extras- check calendar | daily |
High season
Lodges fully commissioned with gas cooking and heating, full kitchen equipment, lighting, and Lodge Managers.
Track Transport is on a daily basis
Helicopter Services Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday only. For group bookings other days are available on request. Please check helicopter calendar for availability.
Shoulder season – great timing for photgraphers. Wonderful sunrises and sunsets
Lodges are fully commissioned with gas cooking and heating, full kitchen equipment and solar lighting. Lodge Manager will be present.
Helipacking, helilift’s (please check helicopter calendar for availability) and track transport (between Tuatapere and Rarakau Carpark) are typically available as above but this does change.
Winter season
“Winter mode” – yes it is still a great time to tramp and in fact many enjoy the extreme isolation. You do however need to watch the weather!
Helipacking, track transport and Freedom Plus options are only available by prior arrangement and a minimum fee applies. The lodges are unserviced with no gas, cooking equipment or hot water. Solar Lighting is operational, with running water and toilet facilities available. A Lodge Manager or staff member maybe present. Bookings are still essential.
Walk with Ken Tustin – Fiordland’s ‘Moose Man’
Ken Tustin, wild animal ecology scientist and nature guide has been announced as the third ‘celebrity’ walker on the Hump Ridge Track themed Celebrity Walk Week in March 2011.
Ken has spent years in the Fiordland bush, many of them trying to confirm the existence of Moose. His passion for Fiordland, it’s landscape, history and wildlife has also had him nature guiding on Real Journeys “Discovery” cruises each winter.
Celebrity Walk Week is an annual fundraiser for the Tuatapere Hump Track Trust – the charitable trust that manages the track. All money raised goes into track and facility upgrading.
“I’m delighted my wife Marg and I are taking part in the 2011 Hump Ridge Celebrity walk!”
Celebrity Walk Week participants can have their packs flown between lodges, a hot shower when they arrive and a gourmet meal cooked for them each night.
The walk is priced at only $995pp (the best value, three-day guided walk in Fiordland) and places are expected to fill up fast as additional celebrity guides are announced.
For track information, package details or to book, go to www.humpridgetrack.co.nz or contact the Tuatapere Hump Ridge Track office on 03 226 6739.
Meet Liz, your host at Okaka Lodge
Liz Van Beek
Lodge Manger: Okaka Lodge
Liz was brought up on a remote lamb and beef farm on the West Coast of the South Island. Being one of six children meant that there was always someone to go exploring with and learn the necessary skills for living off the land. After schooling in Hokitika was complete she quickly found her feet as an Adventure Guide both in New Zealand and abroad. After twelve years white-water rafting, caving and tramping Liz moved back to NZ and worked in the Abel Tasman National Park for the Department of Conservation for eight years before heading overseas again to experience the culinary flavors and ‘not so remote’ aspects of hiking and climbing in Europe.
Food, or rather eating, has always been high on Liz’s list of priorities, so mixing catering with the outdoor lifestyle at Okaka Lodge has given her the perfect excuse to do both. She is looking forward to a season of soaking up Southland’s majestic scenery, conserving and utilizing resources in a way that is sustainable, and enjoying the flavors of homegrown New Zealand.
What do you think?