Hawdon History (Canterbury)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
Currently (July 2011), the Hawdon Valley in Arthur Pass National Park has one main hut, and two small bivouacs. But this was not always the case.
Hut No. 1
The National Park Board was concerned about animal pests (mainly red deer) in the Park, and installed a number of huts to house animal control hunters.
The first hut in the valley was built at the Hawdon forks in the early 1950's by Ray Clelland of the National Park Board. It was a 2-bunk hut of corrugated iron in the beech forest near the forks (junction of east and west branches of the Hawdon Riiver. I first visited this hut in November 1969, and it was falling into serious decline. I didn't get any photos of it, as my wee box Brownie was no use in the dark forest. The hut might have provided shelter in a storm, but not much. The hut was finally taken down late 1971, and on subsequent trips up the valley, I watched the forest reclaim the ground. Now, large trees grow where the hut once stood.
In the early 1960's, the Park Board also constructed the small 2-bunk bivouacs in the upper Sudden Valley Stream, and in the upper East Branch of the Hawdon. These were also for animal control. I have visited both of these bivouacs, and they are still in place - small but good shelter.
Hut No. 2
In the early 1960's, another hut was built on the grassy flats of the Hawdon Valley, again for animal control workers. Of course, a great number of keen trampers also made good use of these huts. On many occasions I would drive up from the city after work on a Friday, and walk the 45min up to this hut in the dark, before heading further inland next day. Unfortunately this hut was a little too close to the road, and suffered some vandalism. It was removed by the Park Board in the late 1970's, and shifted on a truck around to Mt White Station, where it currently serves as a DOC (Conservation Department) store.
Hut No. 3
In the 1970's, the National Park Board began construction of a series of larger tramping huts in various valleys in the Park. A new 16-bunk hut was built in the west branch of the Hawdon early in 1971. This had a main room, two separate bunkrooms, and a good wood stove. I first visited the new hut in August 1971, and enjoyed its shelter on 21 further trips into this valley until the hut was accidentally burnt down in 2006. Only blackened stumps of the foundations piles remain, slowly being overgrown with grass.
Hut No. 4
After the main 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.
This geocache consists of a waypoint box at each of the first two huts, containing the south and east cords of the final cache which is at the Hut No 3 site. Another separate cache has been placed at the existing Hut No 4 - see GC2ZNT2 "Hawdon Haven" - to encourage you to spend a night there.
First you need to drive to the Hawdon Shelter (S42 59.258 E171 44.824), and walk up the valley. There is a rough quadbike trail leading up to the Hawdon Forks, not far from WP2 (Hut No 1), but you will need to cross the Hawdon River to first visit WP1 (Hut No 2). Do not attempt to cross this river if it is in flood - if you can't see the bottom stones, then don't cross!!
There is easy travel on the grassy flats up to WP1. After that, you head northeast out over the riverbed to eventually pick up the quadbike trail that is marked by a few posts with orange tops. The quadbike trail runs out, and you need to follow the edge of the bush around to where the East Branch Hawdon joins the main river. WP2 is on the east side of the main river just north of the crossing.
From there, 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 final cache at the Hut No 3 site. The new Hut No 4 is another 20 min up the valley.
Do not attempt to visit these huts in bad weather - the rivers can rise and trap you in there!!! Wait for a good mountain forecast.
The cache was placed on my 400th tramping trip, the 26th trip into this valley in more than 50 years, so the history is also my own.
Waypoints:
WP1 is at site of Hut No. 2 on the Hawdon flats (contains east coordinate)
WP2 is at site of Hut No. 1 near the Hawdon forks (contains south coordinate)
The two waypoints are double-bagged inside snaplock containers - please do not open the inner bag, as you can read the coordinate through the clear plastic. That way, it will stay dry for longer. Please carefully replace as you found them.
I have included some photos of Hut No 2, No 3 and No 4
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
[WP1:] onfr bs cebzvarag gerr, haqre fgbarf
[WP2:] onfr bs gerr, haqre fgbarf
[Final:] rnfg fvqr bs ynetr ghffbpx, haqre n fgbar