Campbell Biv
(Campbell Biv looking up the Arahura valley to Mt. Lathrop: Photo Andrew Buglass 2008)
Maintenance Status
Campbell Biv was
designated for removal in DOC's 2003/ 4 high-country review. Although it was still in
surprisingly good condition after 30 years of zero maintenance, it was not being visited at all.
Oddly, a few months after the removal decision,
DOC flew a couple of workers to repaint the Biv and wire down its piles.
A maintain-by-community proposal was submitted by Permolat in 2004 in an attempt to retain the Biv.
DOC's response was positive, but as Campbell is located within
the Waitaiki Historical Reserve, the approval of Mawhera Corporation is required
for the proposal to
progress. Nothing further has happened since then, apart from an assurance from DOC that
the Biv will be
minimally maintained in the meantime.
Location
Map BV19. Arahura catchment: Grid Ref:
E1465770/ N5249140. Altitude 1105m. Campbell Biv is located just above the
scrubline on the Campbell Range above and opposite Styx saddle.
It is tucked in under a scrubby knoll on the ridge that divides
two unnamed side creeks that flow into the upper Arahura.
There are fine views from the Biv of
the Newton, Browning and Campbell Ranges.
Campbell Biv is one of the least-visited huts on this site.
I first went there in 2001 and at the time there was no information on how to reach it,
and I knew of no one who had been there (I still haven't met anyone who's been
there between 1974 when the
last NZFS maintenance was carried out, and my visit in 2001). There was no hutbook,
but there was a
food drop, still wrapped in 1974 editions of the Hokitika Guardian
under the bunk. I visited again in 2004 and there was no sign
that anybody had been there in my absence. My route notes
from 2001 lay undisturbed on the bench, and the dry
branches I'd collected for kindling were still in the food drum.
Access
Campell Biv is tucked into a hollow next to a scrub knoll
on the ridge and is not visible from below, or if dropping down the ridge,
until about 100 metres
directly above it. When sidling in from the upstream creek
catchment it is not visible from the ridgetop, despite being only
15-20 metres away.
There are routes
to Campbell Biv from both the upriver and downriver creek catchments.
The most direct is from the Styx road end and Styx Saddle via the upriver
catchment, and can be done in 6-8 hours by
fit, experienced trampers.
Take the Mudflats turn-off from Styx Saddle and follow the bench track
to a large open dry creek at E1464945/
N5250208. Drop down this
to the Arahura. A reasonable dry-weather ford can be found just upstream.
Cross to the and head back down the TR a couple of hundred metres to where
the access creek comes in.
The creek is steep and fast flowing in places, but reasonably good
travel.
There are two small waterfalls in the mid section. The lower one has a route
around it on the
TR, and the upper on the TL. Continue up the creek above the top fall to where a small
side creek enters on the TR at
around E1465515/ N5248853.
Head up the side creek following cruise tape and cairns.
There is a narrow rocky chute initially that opens out
further up. The creek forks and eventually peters out in a gut. Near the top of the gut
a lightly marked route leads out on the TR up a face with scattered alpine scrub. Climb
to the tussock line, then sidle North across to the ridge.
You should be slightly above Biv level when you hit the ridge, but
won't be able to see it until practically on top of it. There is a rock cairn
on the ridge 20 metres from the Biv. Allow 3-4 from Grassy Flat Hut in the
Styx to Campbell Biv.
The other route up to Cambell is from the downriver side creek catchment.
From Mudflats Hut head up the main valley track to the first open side creek. Drop
down this to the
River and boulderhop upstream to the access creek. A ford of the Arahura is required at some point.
DOC have also cut a track
for a stoatline up the TR of the Arahura for those not wanting or able to ford.
The access creek is large and
swift flowing. Head up it for around 15 minutes upstream to a very small side
creek on the TL that comes in through a
toi toi glade (around E1465800/ N520098).
The entrance is cairned and cruise taped, as is the rest of the route up to the Biv.
Push up the creek through the Toi Toi for 200m to a slip on the TR. Climb around the slip
into a steep, open, dry-rock gut. It is easy travel from here to the alpine scrub zone.
There is a slip near the top of the gut. Continue into the scrub at the top of this,
following the gut to where permolat
and a cairn mark the start of a short trail over a ridge.
Follow the ridge up through scattered scrub to the base of a rock arete. Sidle West here
across through patchy alpine scrub
and tussock to the bench on which the Biv is located.
This last section is cruise-taped. Allow 2-3 hours to get from Mudflats Hut to the Biv.
A small bare knoll just next to the tarn by the
Biv would allow helicopter access.
Type
Campbell is a standard 1950's two-person NZFS design. It was built by R.J.
Courtney of Te Puke and
K.W. Fisher of Nelson Creek on June the 5th and 6th 1958. It was refitted in
November 1974 by Tony Newton, G. Stuart and L. Bennett of NZFS Hokitika. This was to be last
maintenance carried for 30 years. It has two raised wooden sleeping benches, no mattresses.
There is water in a small tarn nearby and a bucket has been left next to the dripline on the
Biv for drinking water.
Condition
Campbell Biv is in pretty good condition currently,
a tribute to the simple, effective design of those old late-50's Bivs.
DOC missed some small leaks along the seam in the roof above the cooking bench when they
did their maintenance in 2004.
I took some sealant up in 2008 and had another go. There was no rain at the time of
my visit to test my handiwork.
The floor is a bit dozy at the window end under the window studs, in the NW
corner, and under the cooker pad where water had been getting in prior to 2004.
I laid a couple
of sheets of
tongue and groove along the floor under the back wall weighted
with rocks, to stop the mice and rats getting in. This section of floor appeared
dry when I visited in 2008.
Routes
There is a reasonable high-level tops route to Campbell Biv from
Harman Creek Hut in the head of the Arahura.
Head up the Browning Pass track from Harman and drop into
the Arahura at the first open side creek. Cross the River and
climb onto the Campbell Range via a small side creek that comes
in on the TL at (E1463625/ N5246428). The creek forms a
natural staircase with small easily negotiable cataracts.
Climb out of the creek via a gut on the TR about 2/3 of
the way up and onto a tussock bench at around 1050m. From
here sidle up around into the Sphinx creek basin taking care to stay
above the large waterfall just below its lip. From
the basin head up a small side creek coming
in on the TR below where the main creek forks.
Follow this up and exit via an obvious dry gut
that comes in on the TR. This takes you on to a side ridge
that leads to the main ridge dividing Sphinx Creek and the
catchment South of the Biv. Drop into the latter and sidle around
its upper basin, across a scree slope, and onto the
Biv ridge (Allow 4-5 hours from Harman to the Biv).
To access the Eastern end of the Campbell Range from the Biv, sidle into the upper
basin of the downriver
creek catchment. This involves a short scrub bash followed by a sidle across tussock benches.
Drop into the creek
and climb East up onto the Campbell Range. There is a tussock bench with tarns at around
1200m
altitude above the true left of Stewart Creek.
An old NZFS tops track from Mudflats up to the Mt. Walcott
tops is reportedly still OK to follow despite being overgrown.
Repairs needed
Further sealing work may be required. Some longer flathead nails
(maybe 1.5cm) are needed in
a couple of spots on the roof where the small nails are not holding the iron cladding in place.
Floor repairs may be required at some point along with replacement of the rotten stud (91cm 2x2")
on the North wall. A roof-fed water barrel would be useful.
Provisions on Site
Two Billies, a frypan, a bucket,
an antique first aid kit, an aluminium wash basin, a small hammer, some small flat head nails, a small
quantity of permolat, a broom, a hand brush, and a few old lengths of tongue and groove
under the biv.