Tracks in South Island

Do you want it on track completely? Any particular grade? Fr'instance: http://www.tramper.co.nz/?view=object&id=4631 This 2 day circuit involves a bit of off-track tramping in tussock and down a stream with the option of either staying at Lagoon Saddle Hut or West Harper Hut. You would need some visibility or ability to navigate in clag. Not many people would go to this area. or: http://www.tramper.co.nz/?view=object&id=4715 Which is another 2 day circuit requiring fitness and navigational ability in poor visibility from the View Hill carpark, down into the Waimak Gorge and back up Black Hill then out to View Hill again. There is also the circuit involving Whare Spur, CattlePeak ridge and the Pinchgut Hut which is mostly tracked but sometimes only cairned. Then there is the Wild Mans Brother Range circuit which is completely off-track once you leave the Cameron Hut track. I have posted route maps and descriptions for all these circuits but they require an experienced tramper to complete them and if going solo, I'd be inclined to take a locator beacon as I wouldn't expect to see anyone on these circuits. If you're looking for something easy and on-track, then I recommend the Mt Somers circuit. If you want to up the ante, you can do an off track variant involving the summit. Another lovely 2 day trip which involves entering a destocked pastoral run is up the head of Woolshed Creek past the new Mt Somers Hut and over Peache Saddle into the remote head of Taylors Stream where the 3 Creeks Hut is. The landowner likes permission for this and there may be a chance that the more intrepid of hunters has ventured in their 4WD this far into the valley this time of year but the chances of encountering anyone other times is remote. You can do numerous variants involving the Mt Alford, Cutty Grass and Lagoon Huts nearby as well though this time of year there may be hunters around. For a 3 dayer, I recommend the one we did at Easter up Forest Creek and Felt Stream, over Bullock Bow Saddle and then behind Bush Stream along the Te Araroa trail to Crooked Spur and down Bush Stream. You would need to plant a bike at one road end. I would expect to see others somewhere along the way at this time of year with hunting going on. There's another neat 3 day circuit up the Potts River to the Potts River Hut and over into the South Ashburton via a low saddle and Stumpy Creek and down to Boundary Hut then back out to the Potts River Bridge. Some of this is via Te Araroa Trail. At the time of doing this circuit, I was either on 4WD track or off-track. We did run into a couple of hunters and I think quite a few go up the South Ashburton River. There are quite a few huts on this circuit. No doubt I have more ideas for trips on the east side of the alps and it would be good to see others' contributions to your query.

"If you're looking for something easy and on-track, then I recommend the Mt Somers circuit. If you want to up the ante, you can do an off track variant involving the summit." Yup I recommend this one too. It has two ends but you could make it a round trip by incorporating the summit on the way back.

Or even just go from one of the road ends to the summit and then down to another part of the circuit that leads you back to the road end where you started. I've done heaps of variants on this walkway.