Westland wilderness; Tramping with children
Date: 11 May 2002, The Press, Christchurch, page WE11
Caption(s): Pat and Anna-Marie Barrett in Westland: right, on the Hokitika cableway; below, beside the Whitcombe River. Westland wilderness at and Anna-Marie Barrett beside the Whitcombe River, Westland. On the Whitcombe Valley Track.

FACT FILE Access: From Hokitika follow the old road toward Lake Kaniere, turning off to head to Kowhitirangi. Follow the signposts to Hokitika Gorge and Whitcombe Valley Road. This road is rough going in places and may not be passable all the way for a car. There are two fords and a gate which is sometimes locked. Call DOC Hokitika for an update. The track proper begins about 1km beyond the road end. Travel beyond Rapid Creek may be impossible during and after heavy rain. The hut is on the road side of the creek. Grade: Easy. Times: 2 hours to 2<<1/2>> hours to Rapid Creek Hut. Frews Hut four to five hours. Map: J34.

Accessible huts such as Rapid Creek are an easy introduction to the wild beauty of Westland and perfect for a family trek, writes PAT BARRETT.

The pulley handle is humming on the large flywheel as the fully laden cradle containing my pre-schooler Anna-Marie and her friend Maria, speeds away along the steel cable above the foaming blue torrent of the Hokitika River.

It is an exciting finale to the long day of travel and tramp from Christchurch to reach the little haven of Rapid Creek Hut in the dense West Coast rainforest.

As an easy introduction to the wildness and beauty of Westland, huts such as Rapid Creek, which are one to two hours walk from the road end, provide ideal opportunities for youngsters to experience the wilderness without difficulty.

The walk in, though short, is not exactly a trek in the park. After leaving the access road the route descends to a rough river bank beside the roaring tumult of the mighty Hokitika where patches of quicksand, small streams, and pools provide surprise and delight for children more used to formed tracks and solid footing.

A steep, rough boulder bank extending for 400m beside the river is the next obstacle, which we negotiate with care under heavy packs. Anna- Marie requires some extra lift on this section, so with an adult on either side we guide and skip her over the harder sections until we reach a vertical bank, cut away by the last flood, which leads to the old benched track access into the valley.

For the children, such a rough and ready track is a totally new experience, especially on a short winter day, and adds a degree of challenge and interest for all concerned in the late-afternoon walk to the hut as the low-angled sun highlights the bush and snowclad peaks.

With the shuttle of packs and people across the cableway completed with much excitement, all that remains is the final short tramp through a forest corridor to the small flat where the hut resides. We slip the door latch and enter to the smell of woodsmoke from many a fire as the sun sets along the Main Divide, painting the summits pink and gold as the tall, dark forest trees crowd in on our tiny refuge.

Anna-Marie is particularly pleased to reach the "mountain hut". It is not her first, so she can already appreciate the warmth and security of a hut in the bush; it feels like home. For the adults, of course, a busy time ensues to prepare meals and sleeping arrangements so that tired children can get a good night's rest in preparation for the weekend.

The hut, being on the four to five-day Whitcombe Pass track, is well sited for short or longer treks into the mountain valleys, and we explore at leisure further up valley the next day.

Rapid Creek brings a moment or two of adrenalin surge as we navigate its treacherous multi-levelled ford, which I well remember as one of the major hazards entering or leaving the Whitcombe Valley. The younger members of our party become especially aware of its hidden dangers; most certainly a good teaching experience on the dangers of river crossings.

Beyond the creek we trek up the valley leisurely along the well-formed track through stands of podocarp forest, beside the surging river.

It is an easy walk with no particular destination, quite unlike previous visits when I have been focused on getting in or out of the catchment to reach passes and summits in the headwaters.

We spend a long afternoon clambering over riverbed boulders and sandy beaches, enjoying the ever- changing nature of the rugged terrain and views of the peaks. For some of the rougher sections it is much easier to put Anna-Marie in the backpack so that we can all move at the same pace. The discovery of a wide sandy beach and boulder plain, where the Hokitika and Whitcombe rivers meet, is an opportunity to stop and relax.

Later, on return to the hut, we spy a pair of blue duck, just a few metres away as we cross Rapid Creek once more. Set against the backdrop of the Alps in the evening light, it is another special encounter with a wild world many children never experience.

Our last night in the valley is spent toasting marshmallows over an open fire on the river bank, as a cold wind flicks at our backs and the river is loud in our ears. Above the glow of the fire an inky night flashes its starry banner. I hug Anna-Marie close as a morepork calls and the warmth of the hut beckons us home.

Overnight trips with young children require careful preparation and planning but yield a great deal of enjoyment and achievement for parents and youngsters alike.

Choose the destination carefully and make sure you can retreat if the weather deteriorates. Be very wary of river crossings.

Ideally, with young ones, one to two hours to a hut should be the most you should attempt; remember, it is not an endurance tramp. If your children are older a camping option is possible, but you should go only in settled weather during summer. My wife and I have done some enjoyable walks with Anna-Marie, both overnight and day-tripping, and have learnt to keep them short with achievable goals. Follow a few basic guidelines and you will be sure to have a rewarding adventure.

* WHAT TO TAKE: Standard outdoor clothing is the key to keeping gear to a minimum. This means polypropylene tops and pants (several sets), thermo fleece jackets, or similar, a good woollen jersey, woollen hats and gloves, fleecy tracksuit pants, rain parka, strong footwear, sunblock and sunhat, a few books and a favourite toy.

* FOOD: We had tinned stew for our first night and a pasta meal on the second. Muesli and fruit for breakfast, muffins, cheese, luncheon sausage and fruit bread for lunch and more fruit as well as numerous "treats" along the way to encourage little legs to go a little further.

* WHERE TO GO: Most national and forest parks will have at least one hut that is within one to two hours walk from a road end. Get a good map of a park near you and sort out an easily reached destination. Wait for a good spell of weather and go.