Leader: Mark Graesser

Brown Hill looms above the Heaphy Track as it sidles gently from Brown Hut to Perry Saddle. However, today’s route was only constructed around 1887-1889.

For some 25 years previously, a track from the Aorere to Heaphy Rivers (the Collingwood-to-Karamea Road) went directly up a spur to the open tops of Brown Hill and thence to the Gouland Downs near Mount Perry. The brown swathe of tussock from which the hill received its name can be seen from the Aorere Valley to represent a ‘gap’ or ‘pass’ for intrepid travelers wishing to get to and from the west coast.

One objective of our trip was to explore the probable line of this “Old Government Track”. A vivid account of walking over this track was recorded in 1887 by a 20-year-old Frederick Gibbs, later to become the founding patron of the Nelson Tramping Club.

Mostly, however, we were out for some relatively easy tramping in search of new and interesting views. That we achieved, with the added bonus of a plethora of botanical features in the bush and on the moist, windswept tussock tops. In brilliant weather, we had a pleasant holiday-style drive from Nelson to the Heaphy Track road end, with stops at Takaka and Bainham. Four hours of steady walking brought us to Aorere Shelter, a commodious campsite.

Next morning we walked directly up the hill across the track from our camp, following a marked route. This is one of the few points on the east face of the hill with a reasonably moderate incline. The bush is a lovely mixture of beech, rata (northern and southern) and dracophyllum traversii. One hour brought us to open tussock, where we found a shiny new solar-powered rain-gauge.

We strolled to the ‘summit’of Brown Hill (1104m), and on along the ridge for a couple of kilometres. In fine, windless conditions lots of time was spent appreciating both the distant views and the rich assortment of plants underfoot. The 360-degree panorama included views of both the Tasman Sea and Golden Bay. Mt Olympus, the Dragon’s Teeth, Kakapo and Aorere Peaks, and Mts Inaccessible, Gouland, Domett and Perry were all readily identifiable.

A track was noticeable here and there along the plausible line of the Old Government Track, but the footprints had been left by deer rather than gold prospectors of yore.

After planning more ambitious future trips in the area, we retreated back down to camp, packed up, and descended briskly to the car and back to Nelson, with the satisfaction of a pleasant mission accomplished. The missionaries were Ruth Hesselyn, Mary Honey, Uta Purcell, and Mark Graesser (instigator).