Hero photograph
Hollyford Track team at Hidden Falls Hut, Day 2
 
Photo by Barbara May

Year 10 Hollyford Track Camp

Barbara May —

The 10 students and two staff made a leisurely start from Dunedin on Monday 3rd December and enjoyed a sunny lunch break at Te Anau.

Another two hours in the van and then we headed onto the track from the Lower Hollyford carpark and luckily, still no rain.

Hidden Falls Hut was a 2 and 1/2hr tramp away. The hut itself was a bit of a tight squeeze with 6 others there too so some of us opted to sleep outside on the verandah. On Tuesday we walked 4 hours to Lake Alabaster for lunch and watched a helicopter drop in supplies to the DOC staff and volunteers who were on track clean up duties. We jet boated 40 mins to Martin’s Bay in the rain and made ourselves at home in the hut for the next two nights. Trampers, surfers and kayakers were already there and had some interesting tales to tell.

Wednesday was spent doing a bit of fishing, seal and penguin spotting and playing lots of cards. Thursday and Friday were the reverse of Monday and Tuesday, but with fine sunny weather to enjoy the jet boat ride and tramping. On Friday morning, we stacked some firewood in the Hidden Falls Hut wood shed to help the track volunteers and then hit the track with very light packs. We were back at the van by 12 noon and detoured through the Homer Tunnel to say we’d been there before heading for home.

We arrived back at school just before 7pm on Friday - tired but exhilarated after a fun 5 days.
Barbara May