Lower Olderog Biv
(Lower Olderog Biv looking up to the McArthur Range: Photo Ian Dunn 2009)
Maintenance Status
Lower Olderog was designated for removal in DOC's
2004 Review. The Permolat group put in a maintain by community
proposal in response to this and DOC responded positively.
Because Lower Olderog is in the Waitaiki Historical Reserve,
the proposal requires Mawhera Corporation approval to go ahead.
No further progress has occured since 2004 apart from DOC saying
they will mimimally maintain the Biv in the meantime. No official maintenance has
been done on Lower Olderog since the early 1970's, although two
fireproof mattresses were flown in by DOC in 2004.
I made some minor repairs around the door in 2004,
and 2006. An old NZFS track up to the Biv from Olderog Creek, never been on DOC's
official maintenance regime, has been recut and marked by volunteers. It is currently
in reasonably good condition despite no longer being marked on the topo map.
Location
Arahura catchment: Grid Ref: E1461562/
N5255773. Map BV19. Altitude 865m. Lower Olderog is tucked in against the scrub edge
on a tussock bench above the TL of Jade Creek.
An open area of
jumbled ultramafic rock above the clearing
provides relatively easy access
from to the McArthur tops.
Below the Biv, Jade Creek drops steeply through a waterfalled section
into Olderog Creek. Visits to Lower Olderog have gone from 3-5 yearly
before it was profiled on the site, to a modest three per year currently.
The Biv can be accessed
in a reasonable day by a fit party from the Arahura valley, or the Wainihinihi Hydro
Road and the Mt. Kerr tops track.
There are a couple of private huts used by greenstoners
visible down in Jade Creek. 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 activity in the Creek.
Lower Olderog is a reasonably challenging overnighter, as well as
a useful stopover on longer tops trips around the Arahura
and Taramkau tops.
Access
The route to Lower Olderog turns off the main valley track
at the swingbridge 15 minutes upriver from Lower Arahura Hut.
Cross the bridge and head up the TR of the Arahura. It is mostly
boulderhopping with two short sections of track around some small bluffs.
These were retrimmed in 2010. It takes around 45 minutes to get to the
Olderog Creek confluence. Head up the TR of the Olderog for 400m, crossing to the
TL where it cuts in against a bluff, and continue another 100m to
the Jade Creek confluence. Take care with the ford as the Olderog is slippery and
fast flowing and can be tricky, or even uncrossable, after rain. The roof and
chimney of a derelict hut are visble on the TL of Jade Creek 50m up from the Olderog
confluence. The track up to the Biv
starts at the door of this Hut. It is no longer marked on the the topo map but
roughly follows the line marked on this map link.
The follows the ridge all the way up to an
ultramafic scree East of the Biv, was recut and marked in July 2010, and
is in reasonable shape. I ran out of permolat in the mid section and
have filled the gaps with cruise tape. There is still a reasonable amount of windthrow
from the 2008 winter storms.
The track emerges into open scree, continues up the ridge for 100m,
then sidles West and drops down to the bench where the Biv is located.
Rock cairns mark a trail across
the scree, followed by a short tracked section down through
a band of pink pine to the Biv.
(Allow 3-4 hours from Lower Arahura Hut to Lower Olderog Biv)
Access
is also possible up Jade Creek itself, but there are two waterfalls in the
lower-mid section which need to be negotiated.
The top fall has quite a tricky sidle on the TL at its top end.
The track is definitely the easier of the access options.
Future access to the Biv from the Arahura valley may be compromised by the
removal of
the Lower Arahura swingbridge. DOC may now be reconsidering a decision
to remove it, and minimally maintain it instead. There is currently no safe ford
of the Arahura opposite Olderog Creek.
The other access route of note to Lower Olderog
is via the Mt. Kerr tops track and the McArthur
Crags. Although DOC don't have it
on their maintenance regime, the Mt. Kerr track is reasonably good nick thanks to
volunteer input over the past few years. The alpine
scrub section which was the most overgrown, was re-trimmed and marked in 2008.
The track could still do with some tidying up further down, so take your loppers
with you if you are heading up here. The track entrance can be found on
the TL of a creek
in a prominent bend on the Little Wainihinihi Hydro Road. The creek flows down through an
iron grill into the water race that runs alonside the road. There is a hut marked at this
spot on the older maps, which is no
longer standing. The track
climbs steeply 50m up a face onto a ridge, which it then follows all the way to the
tussock.
At the tussock line the track veers South and climbs up through patchy scrub to a trig
at spot height 1278m. A steep
but relatively straightforward ridge climb takes you from here in an easterly direction
up onto Mt. Kerr.
From the summit of Mt. Kerr follow the crest of the
Range towards the McArthur Crags. Just North of
summit of the Crags drop down alongside
a SE running side ridge with several small pointy
peaks into a small gully. Climb onto the ridge
via a gut that leads up to the second last (and highest) of the points
and contine down the
ridge to a flat
bench with tarns above the North end of the ultramafic band. It is
also possible to sidle all the way under
this row of peaks across an alpine scrub gut
down onto a sloping tussock area with patchy scrub North of the ultramafic band.
Cross from here over a scrubby gully to the open ultramafic area. Travel is
easy and unhindered from here down to the Biv. A fit party should be able to get to
Lower Olderog around six
hours from the hydro road in good weather and visibilty.
Type
Lower Olderog is a standard
1950's NZFS biv design with two sleeping benches (and fireproof DOC mattresses).
There is no immediate water supply, however an old NZFS food bin has been placed
outside to gather water, and there is a trail at
the North end of the clearing leading over and down into a small creek
five minutes from the Biv. The aluminium water pail has a small leak in it
so getting there and back with enough water is a bit of a mish.
Condition
The Biv is in remarkably good condition considering having had zero maintenance
for the last almost 40 years. Most of the frame and floor is dry and rot free.
This is testament to the great, simple
design and sound construction of the bivvies from this era. In many instances
these structures have outlasted a second
generation of bivs built in the 1960's.
A section of the floor and framing around the door of the Biv has some rot in it.
I roughly patched a small hole in the floor next
to the door stud on the hinge side with some pieces of tongue and groove in 2004 and
these have held well. The stud
was re-nailed into the surrounds at the same time. I replaced the bottom door hinge
in 2006, but
the top one appears on its last legs now.
Water appears to be getting in around the window and dripping onto the floor. I
tacked a sheet of clear plastic over the window in 2010 as a temporary measure.
The Biv's paint job
has held up remarkably well over the years and 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 (4-5 hours from Biv to Biv). To get to Top Olderog
head back up on to the McArthur Crags and along Mt. Kerr. The journey along the main Range
from Mt. Kerr is relatively straightforward with plenty of ups and downs. There are only
a couple of very small
tarns on this section, which are easily missed. Make sure you are carrying some water.
Top Olderog Biv is sited
around a 100 vertical metres below the main range on the Olderog side and is visible from
the crest in fine weather. There is a rock cairn directly above the Biv
and a compass bearing of 168 degrees will take you from here down to the bench where the
Biv is located.
A number
of longer tops routes are possible from Lower Olderog to Newton
Creek Hut, Scottys Biv,
and beyond (See the relevant hut pages).
Repairs
Lower Olderog is long overdue for a repaint and reseal. The door
stud on the hinge side needs replacing as does the floor section
supporting it. A permanent water
container next to the Biv would be useful, maybe roof-fed. The top door
hinge needs replacing, and the screws need to be fairly long to get a decent
purchase in the stud. A small metal flange needs to be attached to the bottom
of the window to stop water getting in at the bottom of the frame. There is a
piece of iron cladding under the Biv. All that is needed are some tin snips.
A plastic drum for gathering water and a new water bucket are required.
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
tin underneath the Biv.