Manakau, 25 - 28 March 2016
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
Manakau276Hapuku RiverKaikouraKaikoura PeninsulaMountaineeringNew ZealandSeaward Kaikoura RangeTrampingUwerau
Looking down Stace Creek to the mouth of the Hapuku River
Manakau278Hapuku RiverKaikouraMountaineeringNew ZealandSeaward Kaikoura RangeStace CreekTramping
The Inland Kaikoura Range across the Clarence River from Manakau. From left to right are Mitre Peak, Mount Alarm, Tapuae-O-Uenuku.
Manakau279Hapuku RiverInland Kaikoura RangeKaikouraMitre PeakMount AlarmMountaineeringNew ZealandSeaward Kaikoura RangeTapuaeOUenukuTramping
View inland from the summit of Manakau. The Clarence River crosses the whole image from left to right.
Manakau280Clarence RiverHapuku RiverKaikouraMountaineeringNew ZealandSeaward Kaikoura RangeTramping
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.
Manakau297aClarence RiverHapuku RiverInland Kaikoura RangeKaikouraMitre PeakMount AlarmMountaineeringNew ZealandSeaward Kaikoura RangeTapuaeOUenukuTe ao WhekereTramping
On the summit of Manakau
Manakau298Hapuku RiverKaikouraMountaineeringNew ZealandSeaward Kaikoura RangeTramping
Descent off the summit of Manakau
Manakau301Hapuku RiverKaikouraMountaineeringNew ZealandSeaward Kaikoura RangeTramping
Descending the east ridge of Manakau
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Descending the east ridge of Manakau
Manakau312Hapuku RiverKaikouraMountaineeringNew ZealandSeaward Kaikoura RangeTramping
View of the Kaikoura Peninsula from the east ridge of Manakau
Manakau321Hapuku RiverKaikouraKaikoura PeninsulaMountaineeringNew ZealandSeaward Kaikoura RangeTramping
Spherical concretion at 2100m of elevation on the east ridge of Manakau
Manakau323Hapuku RiverKaikouraMoeraki BouldersMountaineeringNew ZealandSeaward Kaikoura RangeTrampingconcretions
At 2100m of elevation on the east ridge of Manakau. The Kaikoura Peninsula is in the background.
Manakau327Hapuku RiverKaikouraKaikoura PeninsulaMountaineeringNew ZealandSeaward Kaikoura RangeTramping
Crystal at work on Mount Stace
Manakau338Hapuku RiverKaikouraMount StaceMountaineeringNew ZealandSeaward Kaikoura RangeTrampingcameraphotographytripod
Manakau at sunrise from Mount Stace
Manakau343Hapuku RiverKaikouraMount StaceMountaineeringNew ZealandSeaward Kaikoura RangeTramping
At sunrise on Mount Stace. Gable and Gables End get the first rays of sun, while the Kaikoura Peninsula is still in the shade.
Manakau363GableGables EndHapuku RiverKaikouraKaikoura PeninsulaMount StaceMountaineeringNew ZealandSeaward Kaikoura RangeTramping
Panorama from Mount Stace at sunrise. From left to right are the Kaikoura Peninsula, Gable, Gables End, Uwerau and Manakau.
Manakau382aGableGables EndHapuku RiverKaikouraKaikoura PeninsulaMount StaceMountaineeringNew ZealandSeaward Kaikoura RangeTrampingUwerau
Manakau at sunrise from Mount Stace
Manakau402Hapuku RiverKaikouraMount StaceMountaineeringNew ZealandSeaward Kaikoura RangeTramping
Gable and Gables End at sunrise from Mount Stace.
Manakau409GableGables EndHapuku RiverKaikouraMount StaceMountaineeringNew ZealandSeaward Kaikoura RangeTramping
At sunrise on Mount Stace.
Manakau417Hapuku RiverKaikouraMount StaceMountaineeringNew ZealandSeaward Kaikoura RangeTramping
Manakau at sunrise from Mount Stace
Manakau428Hapuku RiverKaikouraMount StaceMountaineeringNew ZealandSeaward Kaikoura RangeTramping
Gable, Gables End and Uwerau at sunrise from Mount Stace.
Manakau437GableGables EndHapuku RiverKaikouraMount StaceMountaineeringNew ZealandSeaward Kaikoura RangeTrampingUwerau
Hapuku River mouth and Kaikoura Peninsula from Mount Stace.
Manakau458Hapuku RiverKaikouraKaikoura PeninsulaMount StaceMountaineeringNew ZealandSeaward Kaikoura RangeTramping
View up Surveyor Spur from Mount Stace. Stace Creek and Manakau are on the left.
Manakau474aHapuku RiverKaikouraMount StaceMountaineeringNew ZealandSeaward Kaikoura RangeStace CreekSurveyor SpurTramping
Surveyor Spur - Manakau route topo
Manakau474bHapuku RiverKaikouraMount StaceMountaineeringNew ZealandSeaward Kaikoura RangeStace CreekSurveyor SpurTramping
Our campsite on Stace Saddle, at the toe of Surveyor Spur. Manakau is top left.
Manakau522Hapuku RiverKaikouraMount StaceMountaineeringNew ZealandSeaward Kaikoura RangeStace SaddleSurveyor SpurTrampingcampcampsitetenttents
On the ridge of Mount Stace, just above Stace Saddle.
Manakau536Hapuku RiverKaikouraMount StaceMountaineeringNew ZealandSeaward Kaikoura RangeStace SaddleTramping
On the ridge of Mount Stace, just above Stace Saddle.
Manakau544Hapuku RiverKaikouraMount StaceMountaineeringNew ZealandSeaward Kaikoura RangeStace SaddleTramping
Moonset over the ridges of Uwerau
Manakau555Hapuku RiverKaikouraMountaineeringNew ZealandSeaward Kaikoura RangeStace SaddleTrampingUweraumoonset
At the bottom of the Hapuku gorge
Manakau631Hapuku RiverKaikouraMountaineeringNew ZealandSeaward Kaikoura RangeTramping
At the bottom of the Hapuku gorge
Manakau635Hapuku RiverKaikouraMountaineeringNew ZealandSeaward Kaikoura RangeTramping
Kaikoura giant wētā (Deinacrida parva). Seaward Kaikoura Range.
Manakau608Deinacrida parvaFaunaNew ZealandSeaward Kaikoura Rangegiant wetagiant wētāinsectwetawētā
From Kaikoura giant wētā
Kaikoura giant wētā (Deinacrida parva). Seaward Kaikoura Range.
Manakau615Deinacrida parvaFaunaNew ZealandSeaward Kaikoura Rangegiant wetagiant wētāinsectwetawētā
From Kaikoura giant wētā
Short-horned grasshopper (Paprides nitidus). Kowhai Saddle, Seaward Kaikoura Range.
Manakau122FaunaHapuku RiverKaikouraKowhai SaddleMountaineeringNew ZealandPaprides nitidusSeaward Kaikoura RangeTrampinggrasshopperinsectshorthorned grasshopper
From Paprides nitidus
Short-horned grasshopper (Sigaus spp., undescribed). Hapuku River, Seaward Kaikoura Range.
Manakau586FaunaHapuku RiverKaikouraMountaineeringNew ZealandSeaward Kaikoura RangeSigausTrampinggrasshopperinsectshorthorned grasshopper
From Unidentified Sigaus
Smooth stick insect (Clitarchus hookeri) adult female. Hapuku Hut, Hapuku River, Seaward Kaikoura Range.
Manakau152Clitarchus hookeriFaunaHapuku HutHapuku RiverKaikouraMountaineeringNew ZealandSeaward Kaikoura RangeTrampingcommon stick insectinsectphasmidsmooth stick insectstick insectwalking stick
Water spider (Dolomedes aquaticus). Hapuku River, Seaward Kaikoura Range.
Manakau159Dolomedes aquaticusHapuku RiverKaikouraMountaineeringNew ZealandSeaward Kaikoura RangeTrampingarachnidspiderwater spider
Water spider (Dolomedes aquaticus). Hapuku River, Seaward Kaikoura Range.
Manakau162Dolomedes aquaticusHapuku RiverKaikouraMountaineeringNew ZealandSeaward Kaikoura RangeTrampingarachnidspiderwater spider
Wolf spider (Anoteropsis spp.). Hapuku River, Seaward Kaikoura Range.
Manakau165AnoteropsisHapuku RiverKaikouraMountaineeringNew ZealandSeaward Kaikoura RangeTrampingarachnidspiderwolf spider
From Genus Anoteropsis
Weevil (Stephanorhynchus insolitus). Stace Saddle, Hapuku River, Seaward Kaikoura Range.
ManakauFaunaHapuku RiverNew ZealandSeaward Kaikoura RangeStace SaddleStephanorhynchusbeetleinsectweevilStephanorhynchus insolitusKaikoura
Striped dung fly (Oxysarcodexia varia). Stace Saddle, Hapuku River, Seaward Kaikoura Range.
Manakau563FaunaHapuku RiverKaikouraMountaineeringNew ZealandOxysarcodexia variaSarcophagidaeSeaward Kaikoura RangeStace SaddleTrampingflesh flyflyinsectstriped dung fly
Large-leaved coprosma / raurēkau (Coprosma grandifolia). Hapuku Hut, Hapuku River, Seaward Kaikoura Range.
Manakau138Coprosma grandifoliaFloraHapuku HutHapuku RiverKaikouraMountaineeringNew ZealandSeaward Kaikoura RangeTrampinglargeleaved coprosmaraurekauraurēkau
Vegetable sheep (Haastia pulvinaris var. pulvinaris). Manakau, Seaward Kaikoura Range.
Manakau318FloraHaastia pulvinarisHaastia pulvinaris var. pulvinarisHapuku RiverKaikouraMountaineeringNew ZealandSeaward Kaikoura RangeTrampingvegetable sheep
Edward John
on February 28, 2018I always feel a combination of awe, envy and heartache when I look at the scenery pictures on your (really excellent) blog.