10 Day Trip - The Magdalen Valley Puketeraki Safari

Day 1 The riders keen to start their big adventure are ready. We leave at approximately 10 a.m. and ride round the track to the influx of the Mandamus River into the Hurunui River. Cross the Hurunui River and ride up Mandamus River onto the road, past Glens of Tekoa Homestead and buildings onto Island Hills Station, which covers an area of 6,850 hectares (17,000 acres) running 5,000 sheep and 300 cattle. We ride over the saddle to the Glencoe River, passing hill country of native scrub and scattered silver tussock on our way to reach the Mandamus River once more. We travel up the east bank, crossing for our last time and following the track through dense manuka scrub into Organ Stream where our first night is spent in the Valley Camp Hut. Day 2 We leave Valley Camp Hut at approximately 8.30 a.m. and head up the pack track through beech bush onto a saddle and down to Darkies Gully, following the pack track through a beech forest to Gorge Creek Saddle. Descend down a steep face into Gorge Creek, follow down the creek for approximately ½ mile and take the track on the west side of Gorge Creek. Riding onto the top of the Little Organ Range and from here a magnificent view can be seen of Glynn Wye Station, the Lewis Pass Road, also views up the Doubtful and Hope Rivers with the Southern Alps in the background. Glynn Wye covers an area of 24,300 hectares (60,000 acres) running 16,000 sheep, 1,400 cattle and 1,400 deer. From here, we descend down Leading Spur to the mouth of Gorge Creek and onto the Lewis Pass Road, cross the Hope River to Glenhope Station, where we spend our second night. Glenhope Station covers an area of 10,000 hectares, (24,700 acres) running 4,000 sheep and 350 cattle. Day 3 We leave Glenhope at approximately 8.30 a.m. and ride north up the Waiau River viewing the water 150 m below us. From here we wind our way in and out of gullies, passing through native beech forest until we arrive at the Tin Jug Hut at approximately 12.30 p.m. for lunch and a welcome cup of tea brewed over the open fire. After lunch we ride through scenic bush that opens out to a large valley of flat land. Rugged mountains face on one side and on the other, a native beech forest running to the valley floor like a large expanse of carpet. This is the Magdalen Valley, altitude of 2500 ft above sea level, our destination, the St Andrews Hut in the middle of this beautiful landscape. Day 4 Ready to go we depart at 8.30 a.m. and leaving the St Andrews Hut and Magdalen Valley behind us, we ride to the Lewis Pass Road where we enter the Poplars Station The Poplars Station is a property consisting of high country and vast flats running up five different rivers, the Boyle, Lewis, Doubtful, Hope, and Kiwi. It covers an area of 7,200 hectares, (18,000 acres) running 7,000 sheep and 1,600 cattle. We then ride under the Boyle Road bridge and follow down the Boyle River crossing the mouth of the Doubtful River to our lunch stop, behind the Engineers Camp. From here we ride across Windy Point to the Hope River and follow it up until we reach the Hope Kiwi Lodge. Day 5 A rest day here can be enjoyed. Washing your clothes, walking through the bush or just relaxing and the horses enjoy their day off. Day 6 After we saddle up, we ride from the Hope Kiwi Lodge up the Kiwi Flats to the start of the Kiwi track where we leave the Poplars Station. Climbing very gently to the Kiwi Saddle, passing through a Mountain Beech forest abound with bird life. Small fantails flit around the horses, following us through the track. Bellbirds thrill one with their magnificent song and an awesome screech from a Kea keeps everyone on the alert. From the Kiwi Saddle we ride towards Three Mile Stream, passing a lookout where a postcard view of Lake Sumner can be seen. The track, through terraced beech forest, finishes at the head of Lake Sumner, where we enter the Lakes Station, covering an area of 8,100 hectares (20,000 acres) running 12,500 sheep and 900 cattle. We follow around the shores of Lake Sumner crossing the Hurunui River to Taylor Stream, over the Catherine Saddle and down to the picturesque Lake Mason. Just as we arrive at the Lake Mason Hut, our bed for the night, we enter Lake Taylor Station, a property of 7,200 hectares, (18,000 acres) running 6,500 sheep and 300 cattle. Day 7 With swags rolled, horses saddled and pack horses loaded we ride out from Lake Mason towards the south branch of the Hurunui River. We cross over to Nosewiper Point on Eskhead Station, covering 16,000 hectares (40,000 acres) running 11,000 sheep and 600 cattle. Riding towards Eskhead homestead we pass Sugar Loaf, Homestead Fan and Bush Camp, arriving at Deep Creek to stay the night Day 8 We leave Deep Creek Hut and ride over the Dampier range and down Andersons Spur into Anderson Stream, then up Cattle Creek to the Cattle Creek Hut where we spend the night. Tents will be errected as there are only 8 bunks. Day 9 Next morning a challenge is ahead of us. We leave Cattle Creek Hut and ride up through greywacke scree to the Ashley saddle. Horses scramble across running shingle on to the top of the Puketeraki Range, then zig zag our way up to Black Rock where we view Banks Peninsula and the North Canterbury foothills and plains. Descend down to the McKay Saddle where we stop for lunch. Leaving our lunch stop we descend and follow the Waitohi River down to Mt Whitnow Station where we stay the night. Day 10 We leave Mt Whitnow station and ride down the Virginia Road to Mt Nobel where we wind our way across hill country to the Lake Sumner Road at the bottom of Maori Gully. The horses know they are on the way home as we ride down the river flats, following the Hurunui River back to Waitohi Downs. The horses are unsaddled and the gear returned to its rightful place in the saddle room, ready for the next trip. The horses are then hosed down and returned to their paddock until it all starts again.