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.

The Kaikoura Peninsula juts out into the Pacific Ocean behind the summit of Uwerau
Manakau 276 Hapuku River Kaikoura Kaikoura Peninsula Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping Uwerau
Looking down Stace Creek to the mouth of the Hapuku River
Manakau 278 Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Stace Creek Tramping
The Inland Kaikoura Range across the Clarence River from Manakau. From left to right are Mitre Peak, Mount Alarm, Tapuae-O-Uenuku.
Manakau 279 Hapuku River Inland Kaikoura Range Kaikoura Mitre Peak Mount Alarm Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range TapuaeOUenuku Tramping
View inland from the summit of Manakau. The Clarence River crosses the whole image from left to right.
Manakau 280 Clarence River Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping
180° panorama from the summit of Manakau, stretching from Banks Peninsula on the far left to Cape Palliser on the far right. The Clarence River crosses much of the image from left to right, with the high peaks of the Inland Kaikoura Range behind. Te ao Whekere stands out on the right.
Manakau 297a Clarence River Hapuku River Inland Kaikoura Range Kaikoura Mitre Peak Mount Alarm Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range TapuaeOUenuku Te ao Whekere Tramping
On the summit of Manakau
Manakau 298 Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping
Descent off the summit of Manakau
Manakau 301 Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping
Descending the east ridge of Manakau
Manakau 303 Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping
Descending the east ridge of Manakau
Manakau 312 Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping
View of the Kaikoura Peninsula from the east ridge of Manakau
Manakau 321 Hapuku River Kaikoura Kaikoura Peninsula Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping
Spherical concretion at 2100m of elevation on the east ridge of Manakau
Manakau 323 Hapuku River Kaikoura Moeraki Boulders Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping concretions
At 2100m of elevation on the east ridge of Manakau. The Kaikoura Peninsula is in the background.
Manakau 327 Hapuku River Kaikoura Kaikoura Peninsula Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping
Crystal at work on Mount Stace
Manakau 338 Hapuku River Kaikoura Mount Stace Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping camera photography tripod
Manakau at sunrise from Mount Stace
Manakau 343 Hapuku River Kaikoura Mount Stace Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping
At sunrise on Mount Stace. Gable and Gables End get the first rays of sun, while the Kaikoura Peninsula is still in the shade.
Manakau 363 Gable Gables End Hapuku River Kaikoura Kaikoura Peninsula Mount Stace Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping
Panorama from Mount Stace at sunrise. From left to right are the Kaikoura Peninsula, Gable, Gables End, Uwerau and Manakau.
Manakau 382a Gable Gables End Hapuku River Kaikoura Kaikoura Peninsula Mount Stace Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping Uwerau
Sunrise on Mount Stace
Manakau 395 Hapuku River Kaikoura Mount Stace Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping sunrise
Manakau at sunrise from Mount Stace
Manakau 402 Hapuku River Kaikoura Mount Stace Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping
Gable and Gables End at sunrise from Mount Stace.
Manakau 409 Gable Gables End Hapuku River Kaikoura Mount Stace Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping
At sunrise on Mount Stace.
Manakau 417 Hapuku River Kaikoura Mount Stace Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping
Manakau at sunrise from Mount Stace
Manakau 428 Hapuku River Kaikoura Mount Stace Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping
Gable, Gables End and Uwerau at sunrise from Mount Stace.
Manakau 437 Gable Gables End Hapuku River Kaikoura Mount Stace Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping Uwerau
Hapuku River mouth and Kaikoura Peninsula from Mount Stace.
Manakau 458 Hapuku River Kaikoura Kaikoura Peninsula Mount Stace Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping
View up Surveyor Spur from Mount Stace. Stace Creek and Manakau are on the left.
Manakau 474a Hapuku River Kaikoura Mount Stace Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Stace Creek Surveyor Spur Tramping
Surveyor Spur - Manakau route topo
Manakau 474b Hapuku River Kaikoura Mount Stace Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Stace Creek Surveyor Spur Tramping
Our campsite on Stace Saddle, at the toe of Surveyor Spur. Manakau is top left.
Manakau 522 Hapuku River Kaikoura Mount Stace Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Stace Saddle Surveyor Spur Tramping camp campsite tent tents
Our campsite on Stace Saddle.
Manakau 528 Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Stace Saddle Surveyor Spur Tramping camp campsite tent tents
On the ridge of Mount Stace, just above Stace Saddle.
Manakau 536 Hapuku River Kaikoura Mount Stace Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Stace Saddle Tramping
On the ridge of Mount Stace, just above Stace Saddle.
Manakau 544 Hapuku River Kaikoura Mount Stace Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Stace Saddle Tramping
Moonset over the ridges of Uwerau
Manakau 555 Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Stace Saddle Tramping Uwerau moonset
At the bottom of the Hapuku gorge
Manakau 631 Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping
At the bottom of the Hapuku gorge
Manakau 635 Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping
Kaikoura giant wētā (Deinacrida parva). Seaward Kaikoura Range.
Manakau 608 Deinacrida parva Fauna New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range giant weta giant wētā insect weta wētā
From Kaikoura giant wētā
Kaikoura giant wētā (Deinacrida parva). Seaward Kaikoura Range.
Manakau 615 Deinacrida parva Fauna New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range giant weta giant wētā insect weta wētā
From Kaikoura giant wētā
Short-horned grasshopper (Paprides nitidus). Kowhai Saddle, Seaward Kaikoura Range.
Manakau 122 Fauna Hapuku River Kaikoura Kowhai Saddle Mountaineering New Zealand Paprides nitidus Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping grasshopper insect shorthorned grasshopper
From Paprides nitidus
Short-horned grasshopper (Sigaus spp., undescribed). Hapuku River, Seaward Kaikoura Range.
Manakau 586 Fauna Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Sigaus Tramping grasshopper insect shorthorned grasshopper
From Unidentified Sigaus
Smooth stick insect (Clitarchus hookeri) adult female. Hapuku Hut, Hapuku River, Seaward Kaikoura Range.
Manakau 152 Clitarchus hookeri Fauna Hapuku Hut Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping common stick insect insect phasmid smooth stick insect stick insect walking stick
From Clitarchus hookeri - Smooth stick insect
Water spider (Dolomedes aquaticus). Hapuku River, Seaward Kaikoura Range.
Manakau 159 Dolomedes aquaticus Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping arachnid spider water spider
From Dolomedes aquaticus - Water spider
Water spider (Dolomedes aquaticus). Hapuku River, Seaward Kaikoura Range.
Manakau 162 Dolomedes aquaticus Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping arachnid spider water spider
From Dolomedes aquaticus - Water spider
Wolf spider (Anoteropsis spp.). Hapuku River, Seaward Kaikoura Range.
Manakau 165 Anoteropsis Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping arachnid spider wolf spider
From Genus Anoteropsis
Weevil (Stephanorhynchus insolitus). Stace Saddle, Hapuku River, Seaward Kaikoura Range.
Manakau Fauna Hapuku River New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Stace Saddle Stephanorhynchus beetle insect weevil Stephanorhynchus insolitus Kaikoura
From Stephanorhynchus insolitus
Striped dung fly (Oxysarcodexia varia). Stace Saddle, Hapuku River, Seaward Kaikoura Range.
Manakau 563 Fauna Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering New Zealand Oxysarcodexia varia Sarcophagidae Seaward Kaikoura Range Stace Saddle Tramping flesh fly fly insect striped dung fly
From Oxysarcodexia varia - Striped dung fly
Large-leaved coprosma / raurēkau (Coprosma grandifolia). Hapuku Hut, Hapuku River, Seaward Kaikoura Range.
Manakau 138 Coprosma grandifolia Flora Hapuku Hut Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping largeleaved coprosma raurekau raurēkau
From Large-leaved coprosma
Vegetable sheep (Haastia pulvinaris var. pulvinaris). Manakau, Seaward Kaikoura Range.
Manakau 318 Flora Haastia pulvinaris Haastia pulvinaris var. pulvinaris Hapuku River Kaikoura Mountaineering New Zealand Seaward Kaikoura Range Tramping vegetable sheep
From Vegetable sheep - Haastia pulvinaris

Southern Alps Photography

Manakau, 25 - 28 March 2016

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Edward John