Paringa River South Westland

hey mate i used to hunt up there the track was over grown but the markers were still in place that was eight years ago.

Someone I know went up Tunnel Creek a few years ago (Keith Johnson). I could drop him a line. Have you tried googling "Tunnel Creek" in quotes?

Hi Honora, would welcome any info. DOC Haast have sent me the slightly ambiguous message that the track has had recent work and is OK if you follow the river! Are you the person who looks after Big Tops hut?

Hi Was up the Paringa in Oct this year (2009) The old track up to tunnel creek is still visible in places. Frank Smith who cut the track to get his horses into Tunnel Ck (deer) followed the easiest routes So... If you could imagine your leading two pack horses... its easier.The odd marker is still visible but are far and few between The start of the route to Tunnel Creek is at the very top of the last sizeable jumble of small river flats up the Paringa almost on the rivers edge Just take your time. When you get to Serpentine Ck(only real tributary on the way in)...Dont cross at the mouth. Go a stones throw up Serpentine and the horse crossing is on the track.. To cross over the tops above Tunnel Ck I used to start about 200 metres upstream of the Tunnel Creek /Paringa confluence. Its a very very steep climb to the open snow tussock I MEAN STEEP but its the most direct route. No track no blazes just Steep. You break out onto the snow tussock from open beech No alpine scrub. Huge rock formations are visible and you skirt them on the West side. You will overlook Mark Flat i. From Mark Flat you can cross easily.... climb up and over the rolling tops above the Landsborough. Or you can follow the top of Mark Flat (Clarke) into the Otoko Pass. The tops in this region can be really snowed in during Winter. If your a hunter and have plenty time take a peek into the head of Tunnel Creek (bush bash) Its a tad rough but worth a peek. Bit of history. The old 1960/70 hut at Tunnel creek sat right out on the river flats. A real Mossie castle

Paringa/ Tunnel Creek. Sorry Was up there in Feb 2009 with Mike Dalley of Christchurch..Not October. October I was in the Saltwater (Northern Queensland... A bit of extra history. During the hay day of meat hunting Frank Smith (deceased) hunted both the Otoko and Paringa. Frank 3/4 completed the hut at the Otoko/Paringa confluence. Frank used two horses and openned up horse access to Reynolts flat hut (Burnt down in mmmm either 1972 or 1973) Frank sort of followed the old blaze marks but cleared good horse tracks. His tracks (more so the Otoko have all but gone Overgrown and windfalls. The usual times from the very start of the trail to Tunnel Ck hut was around 2 hours travelling light or up to three hours in adverse weather or carrying big packs (or carrying out a deer.

Going back through the web site early reports I note a few questions about the Cook River and Jacobs River. IE Are there tracks.Well unless in the latter years someone has been busy.... then for what its worth this may help (Its as I found the areas over a number of times years ago Firstly The Cook . Paul Bevernage and I camped at Craigs Ck hut (maybe gone now) We started a track on the West Bank and gave up around McBain stream(Nth side) It was real unmodified bush and vines. I returned and did possums around the La Perouse Glacier region and again the lower bush (even with munchy possums) was a real killer. Note Shot some fairly respectable stags up McBain stream (helicopter) and on the tops running south. Years ago there was a wirewalk downstream of McBain Stream Lot of early history attached to it. To reach the upper Cook Valley and La Perouse USE A CHOPPER

Jacobs River...Fantastic headwater Basins. Probably still hasnt got tracks. Number of years ago I hunted (on foot) all the areas around Questa Creek, The further up the Jacobs you hike the country gets tough. On the south side huge boulders covered in wet moss and rotting bracken is a real killer.The north side is not much better. This river can flood fast and the gorges and steep sides make for frustrating travel I would say if you were new to tramping and tried the Jacobs You,d return home and sell all your gear. Take up tennis.About 1987 Westport hunters got flown into the mid Jacobs by copter.??? why the middle is anyones guess. They got bluffed wet and frustrated. The headwaters of the Jacobs are fantastic. I caught a young stag fawn in there. Sold it to Mike Readie at Karamea Grew into a huge animal. Above Quester creek I located a couple of rusty 44gal drums (full) of avgass. Unless your bombproof Fly into the upper reaches. HISTORY on the gravel bed below the 2nd stair of the headwaters John Dixon used to land his Piper Cub.

Question was asked. Routes into the head of the Waitaha River Ivory Glacier Betsy Jane Glacier Etc. There is another route into the head of the Waitaha. Ive (x3) used it But be warned The shingle slip on the fault line can be tricky. You start at Fergusons Farm at the end of the road at Robinson Slip. You follow the creek up from the farmlands above the farm house. Follow the creek up until it gets too messy. Climb onto the spur on the true right. Follow this spur/ridge and it gets a bit tight with monkey scrub. Break out of the scrub and climb to the obvious high point 0f Mnt Allen (Sheep Hill) drop down south to the basin behind Mt Hitchen and follow the VERY obvious fantastic spur (Shes a beauty) till you arrive at the faultline slip. Again most obvious.. Scramble down this and you are on the true right of the Waitaha River. way way above County Stream From here its pretty straight forward (boulder hop and patches of alpine scrub) and its about an hour to the hut.. I could do the route in a day and also came out that way in one day with Barry Petrie Paul Bevernage Pete Billington and Tommy Wilder. Note. This is a route for fit people.with good bush knowledge .I knew this country super well. History. Betsy Jane Glacier was named by Brian Chinn after Charles Douglas (Explorer) who was mapping the region in the early 1900,s. Douglas ran out of food and ate his dog Betsy Jane. I went into the head of the Waitaha on my first venture when the only real trail ended at Headlong Spur near Kiwi Flat. No huts or tracks (apart from the odd OLD blaze mark.) I openned up the Kiwi Flat track with a chainsaw.. WARNING this region on the tops can get clagged in by fog VERY quickly

Route given into Scamper Torrent Hut and with effort Terriqin is shown as from the track leading off Kiwi Flat in the Waitaha. This trail is steep BE WARNED. There is another route thats pretty straight forward. From Tar Pot creek at the old road on the True Left side of the Wanganui River follow up Tar Pot Ck till it gets tight Climb up and onto the obvious ridge/spur True left)and follow it to the snow tussock. Its not a long climb. On the tops simply follow the skyline snow tussock open ridge that leads around and above Power House Creek. ( used to see beaut big stags here) Where possible stay on the skyline. In actual fact from the Scamper Torrent basin (hut) you can do a high level trip into the hut in the upper County Stream. Terriqinn is a long tricky tramp around but used to be a favourite place for big stags. Beautiful mountain area with views across into the head of Hotsprings Ck and parts of the Adams. Note the Adams Glacier is history