Saturday, January 19, 2013

On To Arrowtown


Friday 18th January, 2013   10.5 hrs   23.5 kms

A very cold night overnight, and the following morning. Off on up the nearby ridge for 600m to Roses Saddle - a few little patches of snow on the way, but the day gradually warming away the morning chill.

And then a similar descent into the upper reaches of the Arrow River, which was fortunately at a level where it could be followed down the riverbed, with numerous river crossings, and through a few gorges, all the way to Macetown, picking up a 4WD track in the last hour or so.

This was my hoped for lunch spot, also a chance to explore what was once a thriving gold mining town - now no one lives there, and only two buildings  have been partially restored (picture is Needham's cottage).

From there I followed the 4WD track further down the Arrow River, and then headed inland with another big climb to a saddle near Big Hill - marked as far as the saddle, but then no further - although initially this was an easy but narrow track to follow.

However near the end I lost the track and then became bushed in a creek - I should have backtracked further than I did to find the real track. As it was I continued on through rough stuff (matagouri, rose, bracken), and up and steeply down a pine forested spur until ending up in the creek again, which I then followed all the way down until returning to an established track - that probably added a good hour to my time for that leg - with Hazel duly concerned as to where I had got to.

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