Hawdon Haven (Canterbury) Traditional Cache
Hawdon Haven (Canterbury)
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Looking for a lovely tramping trip into the mountains? - visit the new Hawdon Hut - and pick up a cache for your efforts.
The current Hawdon Hut is at the cache coordinates, and the cache is not too hard to find - I wouldn't want you going all that way for a DNF.
On your way, of course, I hope you pick up the Hawdon History cache GC2ZNTP with its final at the old burnt-out Hut site.
After the previous hut was burnt down, DOC built a new hut a little further up the valley, with a better view up towards Trudge Col. I first stayed there in May 2008, and have spent a week as a voluntary hut warden since then.
First you need to drive to the Hawdon Shelter (S42 59.258 E171 44.824), and walk up the valley. Make sure you have good boots and a good waterproof parka, and your map and compass. There is a rough quadbike trail leading up to the Hawdon Forks, and it stays nearer the eastern side of the valley. The river changes its course, and sometimes in winter has little flow in the middle section. Do not attempt to cross the main river if it is in flood - if you can't see the bottom stones, then don't cross!!
After following the open riverbed for a while, marked by a few posts with orange tops, the trail moves east to near the beech forest. When the quadbike trail runs out, you need to follow the edge of the bush around to where the East Branch Hawdon joins the main river.
After you cross the East Branch, the trail goes upstream for 5 min, then crosses the river to pick up the track on the west side. This track (or easy riverbed travel) will bring you to the old burnt-out Hut No 3 site. The new Hut No 4 is another 20 min up the valley.
Do not attempt to visit this hut in bad weather - the rivers can rise and trap you in there (hence the terrain rating)!!! Wait for a good mountain forecast.
The cache is 19m magnetic due south of the south corner of the hut (bring your compass!!). It is in a ground level hollow under the south side of a large beech tree, and you get to it by moving a large stone covering the hollow.
The cache was placed on my 400th tramping trip, the 26th trip into this valley in more than 50 years.
I have left two geocoins in this cache - I've held them for too long, trying to find a way to get them to Antarctica. At least here they will feel suitably cold for a while, and hopefully someone else can get them to their destination.
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