A 3 day circular walk of 36kms starting and finishing in Halfmoon Bay. Beautiful coastline, sheltered bays and a hilly bush walk to get across to Tennyson Inlet. Two good huts and extensive planking to avoid muddy sections. Can be walked in either direction.
This is a Great Walk and huts have to be booked in advance. We booked the day we arrived off the ferry at the DOC centre in Halfmoon Bay (10NZ dollars p.p per hut) and left before midday. Left luggage lockers at the DOC centre if you want to leave some stuff behind. We also booked accommodation here at a backpackers for when we finished the track. Good store in town, geared up for trampers. Be warned this track has lots of benched sections, we found this very tiring on the hilly middle section through the bush...like going up and down stairs.
We spent another two days on Stewart Island, a couple of short walks around the local bays and a trip to Ulva Island. This was a guided nature walk with DOC staff, cost 27.50NZ dollars each and very good value it was as the ferry cost alone can be 20 to 25NZ dollars. A very informative and interesting walkabout on the island, where all predators have been exterminated so there is plenty of birdlife to see.
DAY 1...to Port William Hut
About 5km on narrow tarmac road past Horsehoe Bay to Lee Bay where the track starts. Although on tarmac this section is lovely, some trampers take a taxi and avoid it. Lovely coastline walking, lots of boardwalking but option of using beach at low tide. Dead whales on Maori Beach, beached themselves before Xmas. Locals stopped another 60 or so beaching. Felt this coastline section to the hut was as good as some of the Abel Tasman Track and a lot quieter! Walked the last section to the hut on the beach. Hut in superb location by sandy beach - swim in the sea. Deer spotted in the evening. Hut sleeps 30 - 7 of us there. Visit from American 'deer hunter' & his wife, camped nearby. They get allocated a block of land to hunt on. Beach walking
Port William Hut
DAY 2...to North Arm Hut
View from the lookout
Couple of lads turned up at 07:30hrs, had set off late, overtaken by night and with no torch they finished up sleeping on the track - it's takes all sorts! Sunshine and cloud, very windy and cloudier later on. About 90% of track today was benched. Mainly bush forest, lots of Rata trees still bloom. Lots of up and down. About 5+hrs walking. Tower viewpoint at highest point of track (about 300') provided views right across the island. Squeaky and creaking trees because of the strong winds - felt eerie and you wondered if any were going to collapse, some looked a little old and unsteady. One long and high swingbridge to cross. Hut in another good location just back from beach. Low tide, one lad went mussel gathering for his tea. DAY 3...to Halfmoon Bay
Tennyson Inlet Bay
A mainly cloudy day, temperatures just right for walking. Benched track alongside Paterson Inlet past DOC campsite with toilet, kayaking couple camped here. Bush forest walking - kamahi and rimu trees mainly. Past sites of abandoned sawmills, not much to see though now. Good shoreline views, found a very sheltered and quiet spot for a rest. About 5kms of wide path and gravel road to finish before meeting tarmac and our accommodation for the night. Pub meal and drinks in the evening whilst the packed pub watch a Super 12 rugby match on TV.
