Walking to the Moon
Date: 03 Nov 2001, The Press, Christchurch, page WE13
Captions: Top: Sunset and moonrise on Te Kinga, Westland. Above: Fixing camp: flat ground at a premium.

A tussock ridge, sunset, a luminous moon, and jagged peaks dividing earth from sky all you need to get there is a sense of adventure and sensible shoes.

GETTING THERE ACCESS: From Rotomanu on the Inchbonnie-Moana road turn into Station Road and follow this to Rotomanu Railway Station, on the Midland Line. Cross the tracks and continue to the right on a farm road around the base of Te Kinga beside the Poerua River. This opens out onto some paddocks: take the first right turn and follow a fenceline for about 500m until you are opposite where Baxter Creek descends off the peak. This has an open, bouldery riverbed and can readily be seen from the paddocks. Leave your car near the fenceline (get permission from the farmer, who lives up Hodgkinsons Road, left from the station) and walk across the paddocks to the river. On the fence near here, some beer cans spraypainted green mark where to ford the river. Green markings on the far bank mark the exit; from there a rough track heads north and then swings east into the lower section of Baxter Creek. Head up this for 200m, looking for the track markers on the left (downstream) bank. WARNING: Crossing the Poerua River is dangerous during and after heavy rain. TIME: 2-3 hrs to summit. GRADE: Moderate MAP: K32

Amid the lowland forests and lakes of central Westland stands a remarkable island peak -- Te Kinga, 1204m. Its western and northern flanks fall in steep spurs and faces to the shores of Lake Brunner, Westland's largest lake, while on its southern and eastern boundary lies beautiful Lake Poerua and the Poerua River.

Indeed the triple-summit peak is almost totally surrounded by water and stands apart from all neighbouring ranges, which lie beyond the watersheds of the Crooked and Orangipuku rivers. The surrounding blue is a truly wonderful sight; anyone who's ever boarded a cruise will truly be able to appreciate the serenity that comes with being enclosed by water.

Herein is the peak's attraction: an isolated viewpoint overlooking a great wedge of Westland's dramatic landscape.

It certainly seemed worthy of more than just a day trip to the summit and back, so with a friend I planned a summit camp in order to capture the spectacle of both sunset and sunrise across the Alps and lowlands.

Although the three summits, which are spread over 2km of ridgeline, are barely above the bush edge, it's a long climb from the road-end track, which begins at a modest 100m.

Finding the poorly marked track entrance to begin the upward slog is also difficult -- I had been thwarted once before by this, and by the rapid progress of southerly cloud over the summit.

Dense rainforest covers all aspects of the peak and forms the Te Kinga Scenic Reserve, through which passes the track. This climbs at a steady rate into the sub-alpine vegetation and finally to the small tussock zone at ridgetop level.

Te Kinga has no summit tarns, so all water needs to be carried up. Added to this were our tent, food, and camera gear, for those hoped-for summit shots. So with this substantial load we were relieved to gain the top.

Good flat campsites are in short supply here and we decided the best one was immediately opposite where the track opened out onto the top. It also meant we didn't have to carry our packs any further.

Exploring the ridgetop as far as Te Kinga No. 2, 1196m, and Paddock Hill, 1135m, revealed stunning views across Lake Brunner and environs, as well as changing perspectives of the Southern Alps away to the east and south.

Later we fixed camp and relaxed beside the tent, absorbing the beauty of the scene about us, especially as dusk fell and the softening light began to pick out pattern and colour on the surrounding peaks.

Mount Alexander is the most prominent summit viewed from Te Kinga, and although only 1958m, its bulk commanded our attention from this vantage.

Beyond stands the wall of peaks and passes above the Taramakau, Otira, and Taipo valleys, all swathed in late-winter snow and providing a wonderful contrast to the deep green and blue of the lakes and forests.

We had planned our visit to coincide with a near full moon and this added its luminous beauty to the landscape well before the sun set, and again at dawn.

Wandering along the tussock ridge with time to spare as night fell was a special experience, highlighted by the deepening colours and soft wind sighing through the grasses.

It was an experience I was able to repeat at dawn, this time on the summit of Te Kinga, from where I could capture the returning light along the Main Divide and the deep shadows of night still filling the valleys below.