At home on the range

The Shearwater Lodge offers a luxurious overnight stop for trampers on the privately run Kaikoura Wilderness Walkway.

We're standing on a cliff edge, overlooking a stream bed 40m below.

We have to go down there but, worse, we have to go up the other side. It looks steep, a real gut-buster.

Sure enough, Don Cameron and his teenage daughter Hilary lead us to a neatly cut set of steps that take us to the stream bed, then we cross and zig-zag up the ridge through the bush.

That's part of the beauty of this Kaikoura Wilderness Walks experience. What looks tough turns out not so bad.

Don Cameron took over the farm in 1981 when it was crown leasehold land. A few years later he made the property freehold.

He realised that farming was becoming less profitable but thought the land would lend itself well to other uses. He had earlier built a hut for family holidays and hunting trips so knew it was feasible to build something bigger. And, gradually, the idea of the walk took hold.

Hilary Cameron explains, "We all went for a big family walk and mum and dad were saying things like 'we could cut through here' or 'we could shift it there' and we realised something was going on."

The result is a world-class walk and a lodge that opened at the end of 2004.

The Camerons, Don and his wife Robyn, have shut down farming operations, and the almost-1000ha section of the seaward Kaikoura Range has become Puhui Peaks Nature Reserve in which the Camerons run the Kaikoura Wilderness Walkway.

Don takes care of the lodge and tracks, while Robyn looks after marketing and bookings.

They offer private and corporate lodge hire, helicopter packages and personalised climbing packages.

The couple have put together a game management plan, and will offer limited hunting packages to keep wild game numbers stable.

The reserve is home to one of only two known colonies of endangered Hutton's shearwater, which nest at 1500m, and also the rare black-eyed gecko. It is the highest privately owned property in the country, rising 2400m above sea level.

The 17km walk is split into two days, along tracks that meander through stands of manuka and kanuka, beech forests and untouched ancient totara. The grade is moderate and the pace relaxed.

There is abundant native birdlife and plant life, and tracks climb above the snowline. There are also chamois, red deer, goats and Arapawa Island sheep.

Don talks about the birdlife and the plants, and the effects introduced animals have had on the forest. We sample totara berries and snowberries.

Late afternoon we reach Shearwater Lodge, luxurious and eco-friendly accommodation, sitting in an alpine valley.

There are six guest rooms, each with its own bathroom and shower and private balcony. About 14 people can be accommodated comfortably.

The Camerons hope to attract guests from Europe and North America.

The lodge has a large guest lounge and dining room dominated by a magnificent stone fireplace, which throws out tremendous heat.

Views are spectacular, and deer, chamois and goats drift across the alpine slopes as guests relax.

The lodge is serviced by its own hydro scheme and sewerage system and sits in the bush under the watchful eyes of the kea.

The Shearwater Lodge kea are highly social and inquisitive but they are also amazingly destructive, and guests are warned not to leave anything lying around or out on their balcony.

But they're irresistible, just like the lodge and its surroundings.

Checklist

Kaikoura Wilderness Walkway

What to take
Hiking boots or sturdy shoes with good ankle support. Merino or polypropylene top and bottom, fleece or merino hat, jacket, shorts for walking, walking socks and T-shirt. You should also pack a change of clothing for the evening at the lodge, as well as some sandals or slippers.

Luggage is transported ahead to the lodge. Walkers can borrow a light day pack for carrying personal items and drink on the walk.

Fitness
Walkers will need average fitness with good mobility and be able to walk for five to seven hours over mountain tracks each day. People are encouraged to walk at their own pace, and there are regular stops. The track surface varies from smooth, well-formed paths to uneven terrain.

The walk starts about 10.15am with a briefing from the guide, who is trained in first aid and carries a radio and a safety kit.

The distance walked on the first day is 8.5km.

Day 2: Similar distance, but different landscapes. Loop walk through dramatic alpine scenery, returning to the lodge for lunch.

Leave lodge about 2pm, reaching end of walkway about 4pm where transport to Kaikoura will be waiting.

Getting there
Sounds Air operates a twice-daily service between Wellington and Kaikoura, which gets people into Kaikoura in time to start the walk, and can take them back to Wellington the following day.

Accommodation
If you want to stay in Kaikoura before or after the walk, the town has a full range of accommodation, from budget to luxury.

Further Information
For more information see link below.

* Michael Griffin travelled courtesy of Kaikoura Wilderness Walkway and Sounds Air

- NZPA