Hump Ridge Track: New Season & New Project

The summer 2011/12 season has started on the Tuatapere Hump Ridge Track. The track is now open and the lodges have been readied for the new season of trampers. Until 15 December 2011 the track will operate on shoulder season and only be open over weekend periods. Interested trampers are very welcome to contact the office for more details.

The Hump Ridge track has a number of exciting events and projects planned for the forthcoming months. Our Locals Challenge (12 November 2011) is now fully booked and the second annual Stump the Hump will take place on 3 February 2012: entries for this will open shortly. Stump the Hump is a 24hr walking event is aimed at endurance sportspeople and adventurous trampers. Participants will be challenged to walk the entire 55km of the track in a single day. Starting at midnight on Friday 3 February, they will walk through ancient podocarp forests at night and reach the sub-alpine Okaka Lodge in time for hot porridge and to watch dawn break over the Takitimu Mountains, Stewart Island and the Southern Ocean. From there they will walk down the Hump Ridge, travelling through ancient beech forest as the sun rises and arriving at Port Craig Lodge in time for lunch. They will finish with an afternoon/ early evening stroll along Bluecliffs Beach.

We are also just about to launch our stoat trapping project with 200 stoat traps ready to be laid on the Hump Ridge track. This will expand the pest control zone in south-west Fiordland and hopefully aid the recovery of bird life in the area.