(:groupheader:)(:Summary: Tramping Rakiura's Northwest circuit:)(:Title 2006-12 Rakiura Northwest Circuit:) %rfloat%[[https://doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/tracks-and-walks/southland/stewart-island-rakiura/north-west-circuit-stewart-island-rakiura/track-description/track-map/|Attach:nwcircuittrackmap.gif"Northwest circuit track map"]] * Wellington to [[https://invercargill.org.nz/|Invercargill]] (via Christchurch) return ** Sat Depart 08:40 NZ405 ** Sun Depart 13.10 NZ5006 * [[https://invercargillairport.co.nz/|Invercargill airport]] to [[Places/StewartIsland|Oban]] on [[https://stewartislandflights.co.nz/|Stewart Island Flights]] ** 13:00 flight from Invercargill to Oban ** 09.30 flight back on Sun ** a bag can be left either at Stewart Island Flight's Invercargill office or Halfmoon Bay depot, or backpackers. <:vspace> [[https://doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/national-parks/rakiura/|Rakiura National Park]] covers the major part of [[https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-visit/southland/stewart-island-rakiura/stewart-island-rakiura/|Stewart Island]]: Packs on backs and starting on our way on the [[https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/tracks-and-walks/southland/stewart-island-rakiura/north-west-circuit-stewart-island-rakiura/|NW Circuit]] around 15.00 on Sat, returning to [[https://stewartisland.co.nz/Oban_map.htm|Oban]] the following Saturday evening. <:vspace> That gives us 7&frac12; days to do the 125 km [[https://stewartisland.co.nz/Attractions/Circuit_tracks.htm|circuit]] (7 nights on the track, and one night and an additional 5km on the road at Oban at the end). I think the best way to do it is clockwise, so a rough plan (with the track times given in the [[https://doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/tracks-and-walks/southland/stewart-island-rakiura/north-west-circuit-stewart-island-rakiura/track-description/|brochure]]) would be: >>rframe smaller noprint<< * [[Places/StewartIsland|Stewart Island]] * [[https://metvuw.co.nz/|MetVUW weather]] * [[https://obanweather.flatout.co.nz/obanweather.html|Oban Weather]] * [[https//www.metservice.com/towns-cities/stewart-island|Met service]] * [[https://www.linz.govt.nz/docs/hydro/tidal-info/tide-tables/sec-ports/bluff.pdf|Tides]] [-(LINZ)-] * [[https://ofu.co.nz/graph/tides.php?TideGraphPort=Bluff:For%20Oban%20use%20Bluff%20H-00:18%20L-00:18|OFU tide graph]] * [[https://rasnz.org.nz/SRSStimes.htm|[=Sun rise ~05:40, set ~21:20=]]] * [[https://pangolin.co.nz/almanac/index.php|Almanac online]] * [[https://dancingstarfoundation.org/preserve.html|Dancing Star Foundation[[<]]Ecological Preserve]] * [[https://yellow-eyedpenguin.org.nz/|Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust]] >><< >>rframe smaller noprint<< * [[https://backpack-newzealand.com/articles/topic97.php|Gary's North West Circuit trip]] >><< ||'''[-day-]'''|| '''[-hrs-]'''||'''[-vert-]'''|| '''[-km-]'''|| || ||[[2006-12-StewartIsland,Day1|Sat]] || [-3-4-]||[-100m 100m-]|| [-12-]||Oban to Kaipipi, North Arm hut. This is on the [[https://doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/tracks-and-walks/southland/stewart-island-rakiura/rakiura-track/|Rakiura Great Walk]] and we have to [[https://doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/tracks-and-walks/southland/stewart-island-rakiura/rakiura-track/plan-and-prepare/fees-and-bookings/|prepurchase tickets]]|| ||[[2006-12-StewartIsland,Day2|Sun]] || [-6-7-]||[-140m 340m-]|| [-11-]||to Freshwater Landing [-(use estuary at low tide, Thompson Ridge brutal climb)-] [-(mud)-]|| || || [-3-4-]||[-60m-]|| [-11-]||to [[https://stewartislandflights.co.nz/sections/theIsland/masonbay|Mason Bay]] [-([[https://telperion.otago.ac.nz/erg/level2/dunes.htm#masonbay|dunes]], kiwi country)-]|| ||[[2006-12-StewartIsland,Day3|Mon]] || [-7-]||[-280m 400m-]|| [-15-]||to Little Hellfire Beach, Hellfire Pass hut [-(mud)-]|| ||[[2006-12-StewartIsland,Day4|Tue]] || [-7-]||[-240m 80m-]|| [-14-]||to Waituna Bay, West Ruggedy Beach, East Ruggedy hut [-(mud)-]|| ||[[2006-12-StewartIsland,Day5|Wed]] || [-5-]||[-200m 120m 180m 200m-]|| [-10-]||to East Ruggedy Beach, Long Harry hut [-(rough sidle old to new Harry hut sites)-]|| || || [-5-6-]||[-200m 240m-]|| [-9-]||to Smoky Beach, Yankee River hut [-(muddy descent to Yankee River)-]|| ||[[2006-12-StewartIsland,Day6|Thu]] || [-6-]||[-200m, 160m-]|| [-12-]||to Lucky Beach, Christmas Village hut|| ||[[2006-12-StewartIsland,Day7|Fri]] || [-5-]||[-980m-]|| [-11-]||up Mt Anglem|| || || [-6-]||[-100m 60m-]|| [-12-]||to Murray Beach, Bungaree hut|| ||[[2006-12-StewartIsland,Day8|Sat]] || [-3-]||[-140m 140m-]|| [-6-]||to Big & Little Bungaree Beaches, Sawyers Beach, Port William hut|| || || [-4-]||[-100m 80m-]|| [-12-]||to Magnetic Beach, Maori Beach, Lee Bay, road end, Horseshoe Bay, Halfmoon Bay, Oban|| ||[[2006-12-StewartIsland,Day9|Sun]] || || || ||flights home|| The huts are 12 bunks or bigger, few crowding issues in December, although to be safe a fly will be taken. >>rfloat right<< >><< >>rfloat right<< >><< >>rfloat right<< >><< >>rfloat right<< >><< >>rfloat right<< >><< >>rfloat right<< >><< >>rfloat right<< >><< (:table:) (:cellnr:)[-'''day'''-] (:cell colspan=2:)[-'''meal'''-] (:cell:) <:vspace> (:cellnr:) %right%7 (:cell:)Lunches (:cell:)Sun to Sat, self catering (:cellnr:) %right%2 (:cell:)desserts (:cell:)mousse, cheesecake (:cellnr rowspan=2:)[-[[2006-12-StewartIsland,Day1|Saturday]]-] (:cell:)Lunch (:cell:)Invercargill airport, before starting (:cellnr:)Dinner (:cell:)Curried sausages & spud (:cellnr rowspan=2:)[-[[2006-12-StewartIsland,Day2|Sunday]]-] (:cell:)Bf (:cell:)Pog (:cellnr:)Dinner (:cell:)Mac cheese (:cellnr rowspan=2:)[-[[2006-12-StewartIsland,Day3|Monday]]-] (:cell:)Bf (:cell:)Flaked rice & dried fruit (:cellnr:)Dinner (:cell:)Rice and Tuna (:cellnr rowspan=2:)[-[[2006-12-StewartIsland,Day4|Tuesday]]-] (:cell:)Bf (:cell:)Pog (:cellnr:)Dinner (:cell:)Rice & Tuna (:cellnr rowspan=2:)[-[[2006-12-StewartIsland,Day5|Wednesday]]-] (:cell:)Bf (:cell:)Flaked rice & dried fruit (:cellnr:)Dinner (:cell:)Mac Cheese (:cellnr rowspan=2:)[-[[2006-12-StewartIsland,Day6|Thursday]]-] (:cell:)Bf (:cell:)Pog (:cellnr:)Dinner (:cell:) [[https://backcountrycuisine.co.nz/|Thai Chicken Curry]] [-(5 serve * 2)-] + veges (:cellnr rowspan=2:)[-[[2006-12-StewartIsland,Day7|Friday-]]] (:cell:)Bf (:cell:)Flaked rice & dried fruit (:cellnr:)Dinner (:cell:)Mac cheese (:cellnr rowspan=2:)[-[[2006-12-StewartIsland,Day8|Saturday]]-] (:cell:)Bf (:cell:)Pog (:cellnr:)Dinner (:cell:)no spare, [[https://web.archive.org/web/20070806130609/http://www.stewartisland.co.nz/Cafes,%20Restaurants,%20Food%20to%20Go/Church%20Hill%20Cafe.html|Church Hill Cafe]] Oban (:tableend:) <:vspace> (:table:) (:cellnr colspan=2:)'''[-Gear-]''' (:cellnr:)[-Cooking-] (:cell:) * Whisperlite & empty fuel bottle, and dragonfly & empty fuel bottle * [[Attach:camping%20stoves.pdf|Camping Stoves]] and Fuel Containers on Aircraft * Billies: 8pt [-0.57kg-], 6pt, billy cleaning * Fuel 3l [-0.74kg-], purchase Oban (:cellnr:)[-[[https://wmrs.org.nz/wmrshome.htm|Mountain radio]]-] (:cell:) * [-1kg aerial 0.43kg-] (:cellnr:)[-Other-] (:cell:) * fly 9'x14' [-1.25kg-] * Rakiura Parkmap [-336-10 Edition 4 2005 1:95,000-] * Halfmoon Bay Topomap [-260-D48, E48 & F48 1:50,000-] * mini cards (:cellnr:)[-Personal-] (:cell:) * groundsheet or bivy bag [-(up to you)-] * closed cell foam * wash cloth & towel [-(think mud)-] * led torch or headlamp * insect repellent [-(5 to 10 grams per day)-] (:tableend:) (:comment hidden for wiki trail:) * [[2006-12-StewartIsland,Day9]]%item comment% * [[2006-12-StewartIsland,Day1]]%item comment% * [[2006-12-StewartIsland,Day2]]%item comment% * [[2006-12-StewartIsland,Day3]]%item comment% * [[2006-12-StewartIsland,Day4]]%item comment% * [[2006-12-StewartIsland,Day5]]%item comment% * [[2006-12-StewartIsland,Day6]]%item comment% * [[2006-12-StewartIsland,Day7]]%item comment% * [[2006-12-StewartIsland,Day8]]%item comment% * [[2006-12-StewartIsland,Day9]]%item comment% * [[2006-12-StewartIsland,Day1]]%item comment%(:groupfooter:) <:block>