SwingBridges Galore on the Roberts Point Track!
Thursday 1 October
We’d seen the signs and read the warnings - Roberts Point Track was never gonna be easy. I found an awesome blog called WalkMyWorld.com which had a fabulously detailed description of the track, complete with photos, cautions, distances & personal experiences, so we decide to pack a picnic and tackle the first “easy” half of the track.
Had a lovely chat with some of our fellow NZMCA campers before we left - Adventure is Out There NZ, Mike & Pam and long-time Banjo's Odyssey follower Chris & his wife.
Parked up at the Alex Knob car park as the access to the Roberts Point Track is shorter from here than the glacier viewpoint carpark (also free versus paid parking - for now at least) and set off around 11.30 on the hike we’d been warned about! Setting off on the Roberts Point Track, the DOC sign says it all - 11km/5 hours return which gives an indication of how rough the track must be. We were only aiming for about halfway as the second half is apparently quite treacherous if wet.
The first bit is an easy 1/2km access track through the bush to the actual track which starts at a hefty swing bridge over the Waiho River; on the far side you are immediately launched into upsy downsy track, featuring rocky & tree root steps & footholds, natures cobble stones and a couple of streams to cross. There was also another more blatant warning sign - people have died here and Rebecca told me later they often get a lot of injuries coming into the health centre from this track. Just gotta be sensible, stay on the track and know your limits!
Unlike Ghostbusters, we started off by crossing the streams, then we headed off into this magical rocky landscape, surrounded by mosses and ferns and fabulous native trees. At times you were climbing up natural steps in the rock, at others, clambering up what looked like dried up creek beds lined with rock and shingle. I used my stick a lot and hung onto roots and branches too.
Along the way you could see some environmental damage, like the last pic above where several young trees and a bunch of roots had just peeled away off the rocky cliff and tumbled down the hillside. The ecosystem is frighteningly fragile.
The second swing bridge is quite high in the canopy and is single person only, but not too long or rickety. Arch Creek was just a practice bridge before the next big one! From here we followed a path worthy of Lord of the Rings, onwards and upwards.
From here it is up a bit more, down a bit then suddenly round a corner is a long, narrow swing bridge stretching maybe 100m in length, 20m above the dry river bed below and only about 2 boots wide… I had to breathe deeply and put my big girl pants on for this one!
Yikes! This bridge was a bit scary! I let Louis cross first as I didn’t want his footsteps bouncing me off the bridge!!! I may look confident and smiling in my swingbridge selfies below - but I'm not ashamed to say I was feeling a bit wobbly and glad I had taken my BP tablets that morning!!!
On the far side the track got considerably steeper, up and up to a waterfall which you had to scramble across. We decided to call it a day here, half way to Roberts Point, and have our picnic on some of the dry rocks above the fall.
Above the path crossing was this picturesque section of fall, cascading into a super clear, glacial flour aquamarine, freezing cold pool - perfect for a dip if tackling the walk on a hot sunny day!
Beyond us were an old hut, a bench with a view, a fourth swingbridge and a distinctly dodgy rocky scramble to the glacier viewpoint - which looks amazing in blogs & reels. We’ll save that for a dry day!
The trip back was almost as challenging as the way in - more downhill this time, on slippery rocks and tree roots, making us take time & care. At one point we came across a fascinating spot - the soil and roots and plants to the left had just peeled away from the rock we were crossing - you could literally see the rock contours in the shape of the exposed soil & roots! Heading back - I waited for everyone else to cross the long skinny swingbridge again so I could take it slowly; it gave me time to check out all the fixings, chains and cabling etc which hold this incredible construction in place.
Crossing back to civilisation on the final swingbridge we paused to watch the Waiho waters flowing serenely below us and to grab a selfie in each direction - then we saw a tiny movement over against the cliffs at the estuary of Duck Creek and zooming in on my Canon long lens we discovered it was a chamois! Alpine chamois arrived in New Zealand in 1907 as a gift from the Austrian Emperor, Franz Joseph I in exchange for specimens of living ferns, rare birds and lizards. They were originally released into the Aoraki/Mt Cook area of the Southern Alps and the population has spread in the subsequent 120 or so years so that they are to be found all around the South Island and hunting is encouraged to keep the population at a manageable level.
Back at Banjo we had a quick snooze then Louis went on a bike ride, I had a lovely shower & hair wash and then met up with my old UoA boss, Rebecca at The Landing. Lots of gossip and lovely to see her again! How both our lives have changed since we first met around 5 years ago!
Ended the day with a delicious dinner at King Tiger Eastern Eating House & Bar - yummy East Asian cuisine - thanks to a recommendation from follower Gail Rutter! 🐲
We opted for the Korean Fried Chicken starter then Louis had a Thai green curry and I had chicken cashew - all very tasty!
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