NZ - Greenstone- Caples - Roteburn

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NZ - Greenstone- Caples - Roteburn

Postby ferozious » Tue 10 Aug, 2010 10:00 pm

Hi all,

We are doing a family trip to NZ in November - December,
It is a mainly a road trip with parents, but my brother and I want to fit in a 2-3 day hike. It looks as though a convenient route is the Roteburn track, that way we can get a drop off on Milford Rd and meet back up with parents in Glenorchy.
Looking briefly on the net, it looks as though a possible route is to go from the Divide Shelter on Milford Rd, then do Greenstone and Caples tracks as a loop (around 60kms), then do Roteburn Track (a further 35kms) and finish up in Glenorchy.

Does anyone know if its possible to do this all in three days (30kms / day)? We are used to long distance hiking, and are seeking a tough challenge similar in nature to walks such as the three peaks walk. We also did a 45km in a day walk last year from Round Mountain carpark to Mt. Jagungal and back. Is the terrain in NZ a lot steeper and more challenging? Can camp be set up anywhere along these tracks or do you have to stay in the huts/designated campsites?

Cheers,
David.
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NZ - Greenstone- Caples - Roteburn

Postby jcr_au » Tue 10 Aug, 2010 11:34 pm

The Routeburns not steep at all.

Nov last year we did the conventional 3 day routeburn ex Queenstown. 2nd day we were passed by a chap running it in 1 day
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Re: NZ - Greenstone- Caples - Roteburn

Postby tomh » Wed 11 Aug, 2010 4:21 pm

The Routeburn is graded track (nothing steep), the Greenstone is flat and the Caples is flat except where it goes up over the Mckellar saddle and down to the Greenstone and this is moderately steep with lots of tree roots to negotiate. You can camp next to the track with some provisos - DOC explains everything on their website and brochures - start with
http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recrea ... scription/
Can't help you with speed - it's magnificent country and last time I was there we stayed at every hut and took our time ....

Tom
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Re: NZ - Greenstone- Caples - Roteburn

Postby Lizzy » Thu 12 Aug, 2010 9:51 am

Hi,
I did the Caples + Routeburn last Nov/Dec over 5 days. We caught the bus & boatfrom Queenstown to Greenstone Road end so didn't start walking till that afternoon then got to Upper Caples just as it was getting dark (& it took a bit longer because I tripped and hurt my knee :oops: ). You can free camp away from the track. The nextday we walked over McKellar saddle to Howden Hut- it poured with rain all day and waas quite slippery & lots of tree roots etc- but lovely forest country.
Next day was on the Routeburn to MacKenzie Hut- a short day- so we explored the lake. Nextday was uop over the saddle to Falls Hut- you could definitely walk on from here- it is up but well graded. Final day we walked out to the Routeburn shelter- another quick day. I think you can only camp at Howden, MacKenzie and Flats Hut on the Routeburn....
If you don't have time to add on the Caples or Greenstone still do the Routeburn it is lovely!
Have fun
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Re: NZ - Greenstone- Caples - Roteburn

Postby sef » Thu 12 Aug, 2010 6:53 pm

You could do Greenstone/Caples/Routeburn Track in three days. Long days, but the tracks are very good and there'll be plenty of daylight.

A tent would probably make things easier -- otherwise you'd want to get to either Mid Caples (from the Greenstone) or Greenstone (from the Caples) and then back to Howden the next day. You can camp for free at Greenstone saddle ~20 mins from Howden hut and anywhere along the Greenstone/Caples.
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Re: NZ - Greenstone- Caples - Roteburn

Postby ninjapuppet » Sun 29 Aug, 2010 2:33 am

were there many people seen fishing these rivers? did you come across fishermen every day on these rivers?

i'm planning on fishing the caples, but the licensing and the back country pass for otago seems like a real hassle to organise. I hear the fish here tend to be obese, which might make it worthwhile to obtain.

Reminds me to keep walking and stay thin so when the aliens come down to catch us, the first humans they eat are going to be the fatter ones and not me.
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Re: NZ - Greenstone- Caples - Roteburn

Postby ninjapuppet » Tue 30 Nov, 2010 9:10 am

Just came back from the Greenstone track yesterday. Mainly to scout for fish.

Bus arrived at the greenstone carpark at 10.45 am
i set off to the mid greenstone hut which was meant to be 3-5 hours. I did it in just over 2 hours probably because i was going ultralight and just hurrying trying to spot fish. it was really annoying for me because the track stayed about 100m up higher than the river nearly the whole way and couldnt really spot the fish so i marched on to the McKellar Hut. Saw a helicopter parked with a guide who just landed a 80cm trout! Got to the McKellar hut and was still disspointed with the river access, so the next day i walked nearly all the way back to the start of the greenstone track where i could scale down the hill to get to the river.

I landed 4 trout the size of my forearms! Then hurried back to the greenstone carpark just before the bus arrived at 12pm.
So it is easy walk that can be done in a day at a fast pace. I pretty much walked it twice in just over 25 hours and still managed to snag a few trout. The trout i did catch was only just after where the greenstone and caples split off so i could have saved myself all that walking by camping right there instead.
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Re: NZ - Greenstone- Caples - Roteburn

Postby ninjapuppet » Wed 08 Dec, 2010 2:39 am

I found the scenery from the caples and Greenstone pretty ordinary when compared to the Routeburn but being interested in fishing, i didnt really see much fish on the routeburn compared to the other 2.

both these walks are generally well graded with plenty of rest stops when you're tired. This is unlike the matukituki valley when youre going up because the sections were so steep there really wasnt any spot for you to dump your packs and have a rest.

as I mentioned the greenstone track stays well above the river for most of its path, so access to the river is more difficult than the caples track.
I found more fish on the greenstone and they were more willing to bite than the caples. the fish on the caples appeared to be much more obese which makes for a yummy treat if you manage to lure them. keep in mind that to fish here, you need to have the normal otago fishing license as well as a back country license in addition. and if you're fishing in feb or march, you have to go into this lotto system to be able to fish there because these 2 rivers are that popular.

if you're camping like i did, then take note that sand flies are plentiful on the greenstone and slightly less so on the caples.
DSC04530.JPG

one thing i found that there was cow dung everywhere on sections of the track because its private land apparently. this meant that the water you get from rivers had to carefully be treated. one morning i woke up and opened my tent to find 30 massive cows at my doorstep. this sort of thing scares you abit when you're still half asleep and not expecting it. I thought they could have just trampled over me, but the cows were found to be very docile. One did lay a patch of cow faeces on my tent which was abit annoying.
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Re: NZ - Greenstone- Caples - Roteburn

Postby Lindsay » Wed 22 Dec, 2010 3:21 pm

I'm thinking of tramping the Routeburn-Caples-Greenstone next March. To add a little more of a challenge I thought I would use the Steele Creek route from the upper Caples hut heading south to rejoin the Greenstone near Steel Creek lodge. Anyone done this?
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Re: NZ - Greenstone- Caples - R and then do teh routebotebur

Postby wayno » Sun 19 Jun, 2011 11:05 am

the upper caples is impassable in heavy rain because the river rises too high to cross. part of the caples track is being upgraded between the saddle and greenstone valley, being turned into a benched track making it alot easier on that side.
you have to allow at least five hours between the upper caples hut and greenstone saddle, its the slowest part of the whole trip.
people ususally go from or to the end of the greenstone valley as the start or end of their trip, kinloch lodge run a bus here in the off season, then you have more time to do the circuit chosing either the greenstone, they easy way or the caples, a more scenic way and co,mbine that with the routeburn, if its forecast to rain heavily then stick to the greenstone as hte saddle on the uper caples is dangerous with a high risk of flash flooding, since you are limited for time you cant afford to wait out any rain.... it will be a hard trip combining all three tramps together..
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