Lower Olderog Biv

(Lower Olderog Biv looking up to the McArthur Range: Photo Ian Dunn 2009)

Maintenance Status

Some members of the Permolat group submitted a maintain-by-community proposal for Lower Olderog Biv after it was designated for removal in DOC's 2004 Review. DOC's response was positive, however because the Biv is in the Waitaiki Historical Reserve, the approval of Mawhera Corporation is required for the project to go ahead. Mawhera in turn needs to complete its management plan in order to make the decision, and this has taken seven years, with no indication yet that things have progressed. In the meantime DOC have agreed to mimimally maintain the Biv, which so far amounts to them flying in a couple of fireproof mattresses that were much too big for its two sleeping benches. There has in fact been no official maintenance done on Lower Olderog since NZFS's tenure, probably the early 1970's. I made some minor repairs on and around the door in 2004 and 2006. I recut and marked the track in 2010 and it is currently in rough but reasonable condition, although no longer marked on the topo map.

Location

Arahura catchment. Grid Ref: E1461562/ N5255773. Map BV19. Altitude 865m. Lower Olderog Biv is tucked against the alpine scrub at the edge of a tussock clearing on a bench above the TL of Jade Creek. A jumbled ultramafic rock scree above the clearing provides relatively easy access from the Biv to the McArthur tops. Below the bench Jade Creek drops steeply down, and over some waterfalls into Olderog Creek. There are a couple of private huts used for greenstone extraction further down in the Creek that are visible from the Biv site. These don't detract in any way from the feeling of remoteness here, and the times I've visited the Biv there has been no human activity evident down there. Lower Olderog has gone from getting one visit every 3-5 years to a modest three per year average since being profiled on this site. The Biv can be accessed in a reasonable day by a fit party from the Arahura valley, or a more demanding but enjoyable tops traverse from the Wainihinihi valley via the Mt. Kerr track.

Access

The route to Lower Olderog starts at the swingbridge 15 minutes up the main Arahura valley track from Lower Arahura Hut. Cross the bridge and head up the TR of the Arahura, a section that is mostly boulderhopping with two tracked detours around small bluffs, retrimmed in 2010. It takes around 45 minutes to reach the Olderog Creek confluence. Head up the TR of the Olderog for 400m, then cross to the TL where it cuts in against a bluff. Take care here, as the ford is slippery and fast flowing at normal flows, and would be uncrossable after heavy rain. Recross to the TR again just below the Jade Creek confluence. There is a derelict hut 100m up Jade Creek on its TL. The track to the Biv starts at its door and climbs directly onto the narrow ridge that divides Olderog and Jade creeks. I ran out of permolat in the mid section of the ridge and have filled the gaps with cruise tape. There are a few patches of windthrow from the 2008 winter storms that need negotiating.

The track emerges at its upper end on an area of open scree in the montane zone. Continue up the ridge for 100m, then sidle NW across the scree following the cairns. The route drops from here down a short tracked section through a band of scattered Pink Pine, manuka and alpine scrub to the bench where the Biv is located. Allow 3-4 hours from Lower Arahura Hut to Lower Olderog Biv.

It is possible also to access the Biv directly up Jade Creek, although two waterfalls in the lower-mid section make it more difficult than the track option. The top fall has a tricky sidle its top end on the TL side and both require a bit of bush-bashing to get around.

The route to Lower Olderog over Mt. Kerr and the McArthur Crags starts from the Hydro Road in the Big Wainihinihi Valley. A gate at the start of the Road is often locked, but it is easy enough to mountainbike the section between the gate and the track start. It may also be possible to loan a key from Westpower/ Electronet for the gate. The Mt. Kerr track is not officially maintained, but has been restored to reasonably good condition by volunteers. The most overgrown section through the alpine scrub was re-trimmed and remarked in 2008. The rest of the track still needs a bit of tidying and marking in places, but is good travel. The track starts on the TL of a creek in a prominent bend on the Little Wainihinihi Hydro Road. around E1461160/ N5260130. The creek flows down through an iron grill into the water race that runs beside the road. The entrance is on the TL bank of the creek just above the water race intake. An initial short steep section leads up onto a ridge, which is followed all the way to the tussock. At the tussock line the track veers South, climbing through a band of patchy scrub to the trig at point 1278m. From here it is a steep, but relatively straightforward ridge climb up onto Mt. Kerr.

From the summit of Mt. Kerr head along the Range towards the McArthur Crags, dropping into a small tussock basin on the Olderog side just North of the Crags. Climb from here onto the ridge running SE with several obvious small, sharp aretes. The easiest access is up a gut on the second last and highest of the aretes. Continue down the ridge onto a flat bench with tarns that overlooks the North end of the ultramafic band. Access to the open area is across a scrubby gully and travel from here down to the Biv is easy and unhindered. The Biv which is visible from part way down the band in fine conditions. A fit party should be able to reach Lower Olderog in around six hours from the start of the Mt. Kerr track in good conditions. Add an extra hour if the gate is locked and you are walking the Hydro Road.

Type

Lower Olderog is a standard late 1950's NZFS design with two sleeping benches. There is no immediate water supply and an old food bin has been placed outside to gather water. There is a rough trail at the North end of the clearing over and down into a small creek five minutes from the Biv. The aluminium water pail has a small leak in it, unfortunately so getting back with enough water is a race against time.

Condition

The Biv is in remarkably good condition considering it hasn't had any maintenance for almost 40 years. Most of the frame and floor is dry and rot free, a testament to the simple design and sound construction of the bivvies from this era. In many instances these structures have outlasted a second generation of bivs with corrugated iron rooves and louvre windows that were built in the 1960's.

A section of the floor and framing around the door of the Biv has some rot in it. A small hole in the floor next to the door stud on the hinge side was roughly patched with tongue and groove in 2004, and these have held well. The stud was re-nailed into the surrounds at the same time and the bottom door hinge replaced in 2006. The top one is getting dodgy now. Water is also getting in somewhere around the window and dripping onto the floor. A sheet of clear plastic was tacked over the window in 2010 as a temporary measure. The Biv's paint job has held up remarkably well over the years. Parts of the South wall have acquired a protective layer of moss and lichen.

Routes

The McArthur Range has numerous good campsites and is relatively easy travel all the way around to Top Olderog Biv The section from Mt. Kerr onward is straightforward with plenty of little ups and downs. There are only couple of very small tarns on this section and these are easily missed, so carry some water. Top Olderog Biv is sited around a 100 vertical metres below the crest of the Range, and is visible in fine weather. There is a rock cairn at the drop-off point, and if it is clagged in and a compass bearing of 168 degrees should get you roughly to the bench where the Biv is located. Allow 4-5 hours from Biv to Biv.

At least one party has travelled to Lower Olderog Biv from Top Olderog via Olderog Creek, but reported it taking longer than the tops route. There a couple of short gorge sections to negotiate and a climb from the Creek up to the lip of the ultramafic band. I attempted this route in reverse in 2006, but flagged it because I couldn't find a good route down.

There was once an NZFS track up the TR of the Arahura along a series of side creeks known as The Trench that run parallel to the main valley. An overgrown but permoltted side track that turns off half way up the ridge track to Lower Olderog is likely to connect with this old route. It should provide access down to a flat in the mid Olderog and may possibly continue up The Trench. I haven't had an opportunity to check any of this outt, although I suspect it could be very grovelly. If still followable it would provide an interesting link between Lower Olderog Biv and Newton Creek Hut.

Repairs

Lower Olderog is long overdue for a repaint and reseal. The door stud on the hinge side needs replacing, along with the floor plate and the floor section supporting them. A permanent water container next to the Biv would be useful. The top door hinge needs replacing, and the screws need to be fairly long to get decent purchase in the stud. A small metal flange needs to be attached to the bottom of the window to stop water getting in. There is a piece of iron cladding under the Biv, so all that is needed are some tin snips. A new water bucket is required and some permolat and nails to finish marking the central portion of the ridge track.

Provisions on site

A bucket (with small leak), an aluminum wash basin, a camp oven, 2 billies, a small sledgehammer, a shovel, a hand broom, 3 small tins of paint, two small frypans, assorted nails and screws, a small phillips screwdriver, a small hacksaw, some large plastic bags and some black polythene. There are some old lengths of tongue and groove, an old perspex window and frame, a few 4x2's and 2x2's, and a small sheet of iron cladding underneath the Biv.