Manakau, 25 - 28 March 2016

My second time up Manakau (2608m), the highest peak in the Seaward Kaikoura Range. Almost exactly 18 years after my first visit!

Day 1: We followed the 4WD track to Mt Fyffe Hut, then traversed over Mount Fyffe and Gable to Gables End, where we camped. There is no water there; we carried it from Mt Fyffe Hut.
Day 2: Down to Kowhai Saddle into the Hapuku River West Branch and to Hapuku Hut. We descended to the Hapuku Forks then up the Hapuku River North Branch to Stace Saddle, where we set up camp for two nights. Another dry campsite! Notice that the route from Kowhai Saddle into the Hapuku River is incorrectly shown on the maps. The correct route follows the river bed the whole way. The old route down a high spur on the true right is no longer usable as it is completely overgrown.
Day 3: From Stace Saddle up Surveyor Spur to Manakau, then back to Stace Saddle.
Day 4: After photographing sunrise from the summit of Mount Stace, we descended to the Hapuku River, which we followed the whole way to the car park on Grange Road.
Party: Eric Wiard, Crystal Brindle, Danilo Hegg.

Trip map. 1 grid square = 1km. Left click on map then select "Sizes -> Original" in bottom right corner of screen to view full size.
Campsite on Gables End. Mt Alexander, Batty and Patutu are islands in a sea of cloud back left.
Manakau 002 Batty Gables End Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering Mt Alexander New Zealand Patutu Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping camp camping campsite tent
Campsite on Gables End. Uwerau stands out left of centre image; Manakau is partially obscured by cloud back left.
Manakau 006 Gables End Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping Uwerau camp camping campsite tent
On Gables End. Mount Fyffe is in the background.
Manakau 008 Gables End Hapuku River Kaikoura Mount Fyffe Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping
Cooking dinner on Gables End.
Manakau 012 Gables End Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping camping cooker dinner stove
At dusk on Gables End. Mount Fyffe is back left.
Manakau 015 Gables End Hapuku River Kaikoura Mount Fyffe Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping
At dusk on Gables End, looking south-west over a cloud-filled Kowhai River.
Manakau 022a Gables End Hapuku River Kaikoura Kowhai River Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping
Looking south west from the summit of Gables End at dusk.
Manakau 027 Gables End Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping
Looking south west from the summit of Gables End at dusk. Mount Fyffe is in the foreground, just left of centre image.
Manakau 029 Gables End Hapuku River Kaikoura Mount Fyffe Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping
At dusk on Gables End, looking south-west over a cloud-filled Kowhai River. Mount Fyffe is on the left, Snowflake on the far right.
Manakau 040a Gables End Hapuku River Kaikoura Kowhai River Mount Fyffe Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Snowflake Tramping
Looking south west from the summit of Gables End at dusk.
Manakau 055 Gables End Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping
At dusk on Gables End, looking south-west over a cloud-filled Kowhai River.
Manakau 065a Gables End Hapuku River Kaikoura Kowhai River Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping
The southern spurs of the Seaward Kaikoura Range from the summit of Gables End at dawn.
Manakau 074 Gables End Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping
Uwerau at dawn from Gables End
Manakau 091 Gables End Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping Uwerau
Looking down the Hapuku River from Gables End at dawn.
Manakau 097 Gables End Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping
On Gables End
Manakau 104 Gables End Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping
On Gables End
Manakau 111 Gables End Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping
The southern spurs of the Seaward Kaikoura Range from the summit of Gables End.
Manakau 112 Gables End Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping
Mount Fyffe from Gabled End.
Manakau 113 Gables End Hapuku River Kaikoura Mount Fyffe Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping
Snowflake and Shattered Peak (Pt 1984m) from Gables End
Manakau 114 Gables End Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Shattered Peak Snowflake Tramping
A bit of bush-bashing in the upper Hapuku River
Manakau 129 Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping bushbashing
Hapuku Hut, Hapuku River
Manakau 132 Hapuku Hut Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping hut
Hapuku Hut, Hapuku River
Manakau 133 Hapuku Hut Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping hut
Hapuku River East Branch / Stace Creek forks
Manakau 154 Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Stace Creek Tramping forks
At the junction of the Hapuku River East and North Branches
Manakau 156 Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping forks
Sunrise on the lower ramparts of Manakau from Surveyor Spur
Manakau 167 Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Surveyor Spur Tramping sunrise
Sunrise on the lower ramparts of Manakau from Surveyor Spur
Manakau 180 Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Surveyor Spur Tramping sunrise
Looking over Mount Stace to the Pacific Ocean and the Kaikoura Peninsula. Surveyor Spur, Manakau.
Manakau 181 Hapuku River Kaikoura Kaikoura Peninsula Mount Stace Mountaineering New Zealand Pacific Ocean Seaward Kaikoura Range Surveyor Spur Tramping sunrise
Gable and Gables End at sunrise from Surveyor Spur
Manakau 187 Gable Gables End Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Surveyor Spur Tramping sunrise
Looking over Mount Stace to the Pacific Ocean and the Kaikoura Peninsula. Surveyor Spur, Manakau.
Manakau 203 Hapuku River Kaikoura Kaikoura Peninsula Mount Stace Mountaineering New Zealand Pacific Ocean Seaward Kaikoura Range Surveyor Spur Tramping sunrise
View into Stace Creek from Surveyor Spur, Manakau. Mount Stace is on the left, while Gable and Gabled End are on the right.
Manakau 206 Gable Gables End Hapuku River Kaikoura Kaikoura Peninsula Mount Stace Mountaineering New Zealand Pacific Ocean Seaward Kaikoura Range Stace Creek Surveyor Spur Tramping sunrise
High up on Surveyor Spur. The Kaikoura Peninsula is in the background.
Manakau 216 Hapuku River Kaikoura Kaikoura Peninsula Mountaineering New Zealand Pacific Ocean Seaward Kaikoura Range Surveyor Spur Tramping
High up on Surveyor Spur. The Kaikoura Peninsula is in the background.
Manakau 218 Hapuku River Kaikoura Kaikoura Peninsula Mountaineering New Zealand Pacific Ocean Seaward Kaikoura Range Surveyor Spur Tramping
Manakau
Manakau 220 Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping
Manakau
Manakau 222 Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping
Manakau
Manakau 231a Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping
Complicated geology on the southern aspects of Manakau
Manakau 233 Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping geology
View of the Kaikoura Peninsula from the east ridge of Manakau
Manakau 236 Hapuku River Kaikoura Kaikoura Peninsula Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping
On the east ridge of Manakau
Manakau 242 Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping
On the east ridge of Manakau
Manakau 246 Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping
The Inland Kaikoura Range across the Clarence River from Manakau. From left to right are Mitre Peak, Mount Alarm, Tapuae-O-Uenuku.
Manakau 248 Hapuku River Inland Kaikoura Range Kaikoura Mitre Peak Mount Alarm Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range TapuaeOUenuku Tramping
On the east ridge of Manakau
Manakau 254 Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping
View south-west from the summit of Manakau. Mt Saunders is at centre image. Banks Peninsula is just visible on the skyline on left.
Manakau 260 Hapuku River Kaikoura Mount Saunders Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping
Panorama from the summit of Manakau, looking west.
Manakau 268a Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping
Looking down into the headwaters of Dubious Stream from the summit of Manakau
Manakau 270 Dubious Stream Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping
View south-west along the east coast of the South Island from the summit of Manakau. Banks Peninsula is just visible on the skyline at centre image.
Manakau 271 Banks Peninsula Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping
The Inland Kaikoura Range across the Clarence River from Manakau. From left to right are Mitre Peak, Mount Alarm, Tapuae-O-Uenuku.
Manakau 272 Hapuku River Inland Kaikoura Range Kaikoura Mitre Peak Mount Alarm Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range TapuaeOUenuku Tramping
Te ao Whekere from the summit of Manakau. Cape Palliser is visible back right.
Manakau 275 Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Te ao Whekere Tramping

Southern Alps Photography

Manakau, 25 - 28 March 2016

Gallery comments

Edward John