Mason Bay to Freshwater

We left Mason Bay Hut in sunshine and a freshening westerly wind heralding another front moving in. The 15km track to Freshwater Hut is flat and my decision to wear gumboots was a good one as the track was even muddier than usual after a very wet month. Mud puddles get bigger if you try to walk around the edges so it's best to just plod through.

Leaving Mason Bay - the historic Mason Bay Homestead is to the right
of Big Sandhill as we head over to Freshwater Hut

The track is an interesting one and the scenery changes often. The Mason Bay Homestead is about a 20 minute tramp from Mason Bay Hut and was the home of the pioneer farming families that endured isolation and tough conditions from 1879 until the mid-1980s when the lease was sold back to the government and left to revegetate naturally.


Tussock, flax and windblown shrubs between the Homestead and
the Chocolate Swamp

The wind was at our backs and we reached the Chocolate Swamp in good time; the long boardwalk over the swamp was a tad tricky in places as Mr Wind tried to dislodge us with a few unexpected gusts - I'm glad that I haven't met anyone coming the other way as I reckon passing could be challenging!!

The start of the boardwalk over the Chocolate Swamp

The reason it's called the Chocolate Swamp



Looking toward Freshwater Hut

The width of the boardwalk - there are a couple of wider sections for passing

After the Chocolate Swamp the track heads along Scott Burn, named after the first man to take up a pastoral lease on Stewart Island. The fine weather held out for an hour or so longer than forecast which allowed us to stop for lunch in the dry and to take photos of the plants that differ from this side of the island. This blog by Theobrominated has an excellent description of the same track but with lots of botanising notes.

Scott Burn

New leaves...

...that open up to look like this!

 Clubmoss, ?Lycopodium scariosum

A sandfly lining me up for her lunch

Chiloglottis orchid flower

This white coral lichen, Cladia retipora, grew abundantly on the track edge

Native sundew, ?Drosera spatulata

Close-up of native sundew

A short time after lunch the rain came; drizzle turned to driving wind and rain so I take my hat off to Jen and Owen who had wet feet and never complained once! The track seemed longer than I remembered from a couple of years ago - but the sun was shining then!

An abandoned bike by the side of the track

Detour around one of the many mud puddles

Wet and misty views from the track

It was great to reach Freshwater Landing but before we could dry out at the hut we had to cross the swingbridge. The ramps up/down from the bridge are steep, slippery and not that easy to negotiate with a full pack on - I reckon a few extra bars across the ramp on the hut side would make it safer and easier.

Freshwater Hut with swingbridge to the left

View of Freshwater Landing from the hut

We soon had a fire going, a cuppa brewed and our sleeping bags ready and waiting. The rain eased off a bit and after gathering more wood, I checked out the track behind the hut. Even in the wet, the ngahere (bush) was stunning - lots of crown fern and mature trees.

Gumboots they are wonderful
Gumboots they are great...
especially for tracks like this!

Can you hear me sloshing through the puddles?

Mossy trees to brighten the gloom

Early morning on the dunes

I woke at 6am, grabbed my camera and headed back to the dunes while the others in the hut slept. We had been out walking until 11pm the night before but the kiwi hadn't found us. The wind had got up and another cold front was due to cross later on bringing more rain. We had intended to spend two nights at Mason Bay but made the call to travel to Freshwater Hut a day earlier to avoid any flooding on the track. So, my early morning jaunt was to watch the sun rise over the dunes - and maybe see a kiwi as well!

Mason Bay Hut hiding in the bush

Kiwi footprints in the dunes

Kiwi probe marks

 

Looking west with rain clouds out at sea

Wind patterns in the sand

Sun starting to rise over the dunes

More wind patterns

The rising sun lit up the dunes nearby for about 2 minutes before the
clouds moved in

View over the dunes to the Ernest Islands

I wandered amongst the dunes and came across large patches of Gunnera hamiltonii, the native gunnera - not to be confused with the Chilean pest plant, Gunnera tinctoria, that is on Environment Southland's eradication list.

Gunnera hamiltonii



Large patches of Gunnera hamiltonii

Amazing plants in an amazing place

I ended up at the Homestead for a cuppa with the DOC crew before heading back to the hut to pack for our 15km tramp to Freshwater Hut - flat going and with quite a lot of mud!

Mason Bay

Summer arrived today after weeks of rain, gales and wintry weather that has tourists and locals hankering for some sunshine; just as well my friends from New Plymouth are hardy souls as the weather disrupted their visit from the start. Our Coast to Coast flight to Mason Bay on Saturday 15 November was postponed when gale-force westerlies swept through. Sweet talking to the weather gods by Stewart Island Flights resulted in a calm beach landing at low tide on Monday afternoon instead. A short tramp to the DOC hut where we dropped our packs and then off to explore the dunes whilst the calm and dry weather held.

Low tide mudflats on Paterson Inlet at the entrance to Freshwater River

Freshwater River snaking towards the west coast

Mason Bay Homestead with Big Sandhill behind

Mason Bay view north - Whenua Hou (Codfish Island) is at top left

Beach landing Mason Bay 17 November 2014

Track outside Mason Bay Hut

DOC's Mason Bay Hut - 20 bunk backcountry hut, $5 per person per night

Jen and I tramped to Mason Bay in October 2012 and struck westerly gales and winter temperatures; our attempt to climb Big Sandhill (156m) was thwarted when we were unable to stand up nearer the top so it was strange walking up there late afternoon this time without even a slight breeze. A dotterel with 3 chicks alarmed as we walked over the dunes so gave them a wide berth.

Big Sandhill from Mason Bay Hut

Mason Bay dunes looking southwest to the Ernest Islands

Fab sand formations created by the wind and rain

Native pīngao/pīkao, golden sand sedge, Ficinia spiralis, found on active
sand dunes and endemic to New Zealand

Spot the trampers heading toward Big Sandhill

Follow the footprints - almost at the top

Interesting rocks along the way - this is a big chunk of white marble

Looking from Big Sandhill down to the sea - Ernest Islands are top left, Whenua Hou at top right

Summit pole on Big Sandhill

We knew that there was a track heading from Big Sandhill to the Mason Bay Homestead (ringed at right) so followed our noses until we found it. We chose the left turn at the junction which took us along a rat line back to the DOC hut (ringed at left). There were lots of interesting plants on the dunes and track, including some magnificent clumps of Earina mucronata, bamboo orchid. I'll have to get my books out to identify most of these dune plants - remind me if I forget to do it!

A magnificent clump of bamboo orchid

Close-up of bamboo orchid flower

I could spend weeks exploring Mason Bay; amazing how the plants adapt to the challenging conditions of the windswept dunes. We saw kiwi prints and probe marks in several places and had our fingers crossed that the kiwi would find us that evening. More in the next blog...