Mataketake Range, 4 - 6 June 2016

Queens Birthday Weekend trip to the Mataketake Range, just east of Haast in South Westland.

Day 1: Starting near the bridge over the Waita River, we walked the Haast - Paringa Cattle Track up Coppermine Creek and past Coppermine Creek Hut as far as Robinson Creek. Here we left the track and climbed the northern spur of Mount Smith, over the summit and down to a tarn at 1230m of elevation.
Day 2: Along the Mataketake Range tops over Pt 1319m to Lake Dime and to a campsite just south of the Telecom transmitter on the slopes of Pt 1280m.
Day 3: We bush-bashed down the spur on the true right of Wrong Creek to the Haast - Paringa Cattle Track, which we followed past Blue River (Blowfly) Hut and down the Moeraki River to the northern car park.

Party: Juliet Meldrum and Danilo Hegg.

Fog rolls over the Mataketake Range tops at sunset. Mount Tasman, Aoraki/Mount Cook and Mount Sefton are just visible on the skyline.
Mataketake Range 301 Mataketake Range New Zealand South Westland Tramping Westland
Sunset view from Pt 1258m, Mataketake Range. From left to right are Mount Hooker, Eureka, Monro Peak (centre), Weary Summit and Mount Stephenson.
Mataketake Range 306 Eureka Mataketake Range Monro Peak Mount Hooker Mount Stephenson New Zealand South Westland Tramping Weary Summit Westland
View of Mount Dechen and Mount Hooker at sunset from Pt 1258m, Mataketake Range.
Mataketake Range 310 Mataketake Range Mount Dechen Mount Hooker New Zealand South Westland Tramping Westland
Law Peak at sunset from Pt 1258m, Mataketake Range.
Mataketake Range 317 Law Peak Mataketake Range New Zealand South Westland Tramping Westland
Mount Campbell and Mount Diomede at sunset from Pt 1258m, Mataketake Range.
Mataketake Range 320 Mataketake Range Mount Campbell Mount Diomede New Zealand South Westland Tramping Westland
View of Mount Dechen and Mount Hooker at sunset from Pt 1258m, Mataketake Range.
Mataketake Range 324 Mataketake Range Mount Dechen Mount Hooker New Zealand South Westland Tramping Westland
West Coast under a blanket of cloud. Sunset on Pt 1258m, Mataketake Range.
Mataketake Range 326 Mataketake Range New Zealand South Westland Sunset Tramping Westland cloud blanket
At dusk on Pt 1258m, Mataketake Range. Law Peak is back left.
Mataketake Range 330 Law Peak Mataketake Range New Zealand South Westland Tramping Westland
View of Mount Dechen and Mount Hooker at dusk from Pt 1258m, Mataketake Range.
Mataketake Range 335 Mataketake Range Mount Dechen Mount Hooker New Zealand South Westland Tramping Westland
At sunset on Pt 1258m, Mataketake Range.
Mataketake Range 339 Mataketake Range New Zealand South Westland Sunset Tramping Westland cloud blanket
View of Mount Dechen and Mount Hooker at dusk from Pt 1258m, Mataketake Range.
Mataketake Range 343 Mataketake Range Mount Dechen Mount Hooker New Zealand South Westland Tramping Westland
View of the Marks Range at dusk from Pt 1258m, Mataketake Range.
Mataketake Range 344 Marks Range Mataketake Range Mount Nerger New Zealand South Westland Tramping Westland
View from Pt 1258m, Mataketake Range, at nightfall. From left to right are Mount Dechen, Mount Hooker, Eureka, Monro Peak (centre), Weary Summit and Mount Stephenson.
Mataketake Range 347 Eureka Mataketake Range Monro Peak Mount Dechen Mount Hooker Mount Stephenson New Zealand South Westland Tramping Weary Summit Westland
Campsite on the Mataketake Range tops, just west of Pt 1280m. The Thomas Range is in the background on the far left.
Mataketake Range 362 Astrophotography Aurora Aurora Australis Mataketake Range Milky Way New Zealand South Westland Thomas Range Tramping Westland camp camping night photography night sky stars tent
Campsite on the Mataketake Range tops, just west of Pt 1280m.
Mataketake Range 365 Astrophotography Aurora Aurora Australis Mataketake Range Milky Way New Zealand South Westland Tramping Westland camp camping night photography night sky stars tent
Mount Campbell and Mount Diomede at dawn.
Mataketake Range 366 Dawn Mataketake Range Mount Campbell Mount Diomede New Zealand South Westland Tramping Westland
Mount Nerger, Marks Range, at dawn. Dizzy Pinnacle is on the far left.
Mataketake Range 369 Dawn Dizzy Pinnacle Marks Range Mataketake Range Mount Nerger New Zealand South Westland Tramping Westland
Law Peak at sunrise
Mataketake Range 372 Law Peak Mataketake Range New Zealand South Westland Tramping Westland
Mount Nerger, Marks Range, at sunrise. Dizzy Pinnacle is on the far left.
Mataketake Range 374 Dawn Dizzy Pinnacle Marks Range Mataketake Range Mount Nerger New Zealand South Westland Tramping Westland
A layer of fog fills the lower Moeraki River at sunrise. The Collie Range is in the background.
Mataketake Range 379 Collie Range Mataketake Range Moeraki Hill Moeraki River New Zealand South Westland Tramping Westland fog
A layer of fog fills the lower Moeraki River at sunrise. The Collie Range is in the background.
Mataketake Range 380 Collie Range Mataketake Range Moeraki Hill Moeraki River New Zealand South Westland Tramping Westland fog
A layer of fog fills the lower Moeraki River at sunrise.
Mataketake Range 383 Mataketake Range Moeraki River New Zealand South Westland Tramping Westland fog
A layer of fog fills the lower Moeraki River at sunrise.
Mataketake Range 387 Mataketake Range Moeraki River New Zealand South Westland Tramping Westland fog