Scottys Biv
(Scottys Biv: Photo Simon Lewis 2005)
Maintenance Status
Scottys Biv is a Permolat Group maintain-by-community project. A maintain-by-community
proposal was submitted and accepted shortly after Scottys was designated for removal in DOC's 2003/4 High-Country Review.
A 10-year maintenance
contract was signed off in 2006. Those using the Biv are encouraged
to support our project by carrying out minor repairs where possible, or contacting us so that we can.
Location
Taipo
catchment. Map BV20. Grid Ref: E1470148/ N5259407.
Altitude 1050m. Scottys Biv is located on a
tussock bench in the headwaters of Scottys Creek, a tributary of the
Taipo River. Prior to its adoption and profiling on the website, Scottys was
receiving visits once every
3-5 years. 10 visits were recorded in the hutbook in 2005 following the intial profiling,
however levels of use have dropped off somewhat since then.
Scottys is a 20 minute tussock scramble down from the crest of the Tara Tama Range.
A couple of reasonable-sized tarns next
to the Biv provide water and there are views out over the Taipo valley and
the northern butresses of Tara Tama. Scottys is a moderate-to-hard overnighter,
and is used as a stopover on longer tops
trips. The Tara Tama and Scottys ranges provide relatively easy tops travel in all directions.
Access
There is a direct route to Scottys Biv is via an old NZFS tops track on the TL of the
Taipo River. It starts 400m downstream from Seven Mile Creek, on the opposite bank.
The track is not officially
maintained, but was retrimmed and marked by members of the Permolat group in 2005.
The Taipo is generally fordable at normal flows roughly adjacent to the track start,
although the river is changeable, and not crossable if running high.
The track entrance is 70m downstream from a small creek, downriver from some shingle bluffs.
It is cairned and marked with
cruise tape and leads through the bush, back across the creek and
up onto the River terrace. It follows the terraces on the TR of the side creek
at a fairly gentle
gradient for a while, before ascending the faces at the toe of Scottys Range.
The trail connects with a well-defined spur at 850m and follows this to
the tussock line. A disintegrating water drum at 950m provides
the last reliable water supply
until just before Scottys Saddle. Above the tussock line the route continues through scattered scrub onto
the crest of Scottys
Range. Three distinct peaks need traversing, however travel is relatively easy. The Biv comes into view
from spot height 1399m and it looks to be an easy direct line to it. Unfortunately, there are some bluffs and
scrub gullies not visible that would slow progress considerably. It is
quicker to continue along the Range to the flat area just before Scottys Saddle and drop
from here to the Biv. A fit, experienced party should be able
to reach the Biv in 5-6 hours
from the Seven Mile. Good visibility is essential, or GPS if it is clagged in.
The other commonly used route to Scottys Biv is from Griffin
Creek via the second side creek downriver from
Griffin Creek Hut. The creek is reasonable travel intially, but
gets steep and more challenging in its upper reaches. There is a short section of track
through the alpine scrub on the
TR of a waterfall here, which is a tad exposed where it drops back into the creek.
After this it is a straighforward
scramble up to the unnamed saddle 200m South of
Scottys Saddle. The cairn at the top of the scree on the crest of the range
is not directly if approaching from the North.
Scottys Saddle itself is very steep on the
Griffin side
and takes
you into a separate branch of the access creek.
From a bench just North of Scottys Saddle it is an easy drop in an
easterly direction
down a series of
tussock and rock benches to Scottys Biv. Allow 3-3.5 hours to get from Griffin Creek Hut
to Scottys Biv.
Type
Scottys is a standard
NZFS two-person design built in the early 60's by Allan Farmer from Rotorua. Allan has written
a book on his NZFS years called, "The Best Job Ever," in which Scottys gets
a mention. The Biv has two wooden
sleeping platforms, but no mattresses. Wire tiedowns have helped keep it in place over
the years. Water supply is from the tarn nearby, or a 44 gallon drum next to the Biv. There is no toilet.
Condition
Scottys is in good condition currently. In 2004 DOC repainted and resealed it, repaired a
hole in the floor, put a new metal flashing on the doorstep, repaired the window,
and replaced some rotting studs, joists and bearers. The weather was probably wet
when they
painted the Biv, because the paint hasn't stuck well in several places.
Routes
There is a more challenging route to Scottys from Rocky Creek in the Taipo.
Follow the Creek up from Rocky Creek Hut, continuing
past the turnoff to the saddle over into Griffin Creek.
Rocky Creek veers SE a short distance upstream of this and climbs steeply
up the faces of Scottys Range.
There are a number of small cataracts
to negotiate, all fairly easy, and the creek eventually peters out on a
steep scree. Push on through a narrow band of alpine scrub above the the scree. This is
mainly hebe and spaniard and not too difficult to get through.
There is a steep pitch above this in the tussock zone and a bluffy section that
needs upclimbing onto the crest of the Range. From here it is an easy 20 minute drop in
a SE direction down to the Biv. Allow 2-3 hours
to get from Rocky Creek Hut to Scottys Biv.
Newton
Creek Hut in the Arahura can be accessed from Scottys Biv. head along the Tara Tama range
and drop into Newton
Creek from the col between spot points 1516m and 1751m on the Tara Tama Range.
Travel is easy in the top basin of the Creek, but further down it steepens and gets rough
and bouldery. It is necessary in a number of places to sidle
through the sub alpine and montane forest on the TR. The bush is
relatively easy to travel through once you get down into the montane zone.
Dunns Hut can be accessed via the Tara Tama
Range via Dunns Saddle, or directly over the Top of Tara Tama.
A gnarly section of ridge between Tara
Tama and Dunns Saddle can be detoured by dropping down a steep scree,
from the NW shoulder of the low peak of Tara Tama. When roughly
level with Dunns Saddle sidle across to the main ridge, gaining access via the small
knob just north of the Saddle. Access down
Dunns Creek from the Saddle is relatively straightforward, although there is some
avalanche risk from the Tara Tama side after heavy snowfalls. If
traversing Tara Tama itself, drop directly down the large open creek that enters Dunns Creek
upstream of the Hut at E1471068/ N5256467. This gut is
is also an active avalanche chute after heavy snowfalls.
A high-level traverse
is possible to Top Olderog
Biv from Scottys via point 1572m
and the upper Wainihinihi River basin. It may look quicker
to go straight up and over Mt. Olson, but unfortunately sections of ridge
between it and
the Biv are vertical and very exposed in places.
Instead, drop into the upper Wainihinihi and climb back up onto the Olderog Range
adjacent to the Biv. The Biv is sited
around a 100 vertical metres below the crest of the Range on the Olderog side
and is visible from the top in
fine weather. A rock cairn around E1464410/ N5257820 marks the drop-off point. A compass
bearing of 168 degrees should get you down to
the bench where the Biv is located in claggy weather, but it would be easy to overshoot.
There is a potential route from Scottys down into the Taipo valley over
the summit of Tara Tama
and down the long spur running NE from it. A bush-bash at
some point would be needed to get down into the main riverbed.
Scottys Creek looks reasonably benign from the Biv. If you are thinking about dropping
down it as an option take heed of the following. John Coll who has
visited Scottys regularly over the decades says his brother tried doing this 30 years. He
ended up having an "horrendous" 14-hour scrub bash before reaching the Taipo.
Repairs needed
Some touching up of the paint work will be necessary at some point soon.
The u-bolts on the tie-downs need to be denzo taped. Some longer flathead nails
(maybe 1.5cm) are needed in
a couple of spots on the roof where the nails are not holding the flat iron in place.
Provisions on site
A hammer, a tenon saw, a small tube
of sealant, an aluminium bucket and wash basin, two teatowels, a hand
brush and scrubbing brush. Underneath the Biv there is a stack of timber
comprising lengths of 4x2, 6x1, 2x2, bits of the old 4x4 bearer, a couple of
3m lengths of tongue and groove, the old door, and three warratahs.
