STEP, STAB, STING, REPEAT
Mt Petra. That had been the name that allured me, even though it doesn’t appear on any maps. An island-like peak on the Herbert Range in the heart of New Zealand’s second-largest national park and protected by layers of limestone cliffs, Mt Petra is accessible only by a cunning route through a crack in its formidable defences. I’d seen mesmerising photos of it taken by veteran trampers Arnold and Jan Heine.
We planned to approach Petra using the Wangapeka Track, Kakapo Saddle, and a route onto the Herbert Range. Then we’d exit via the Karamea and Baton Valleys.
In the end, our party of four got nowhere near Mt Petra. Not even close.
Our ambitious route might have suited younger men and better weather. Regardless, the resulting tramp proved stimulating enough; one that would take us from the Wangapeka, over the Arthur Range to the Luna Ridge and Biggs Tops, then down the Karamea River and out via Baton Saddle and the Baton River. En route we’d climb Mt Patriarch and Nugget Knob, and we’d average over 26,000 steps a day, at least according to my stride-counting watch.
In an effort to keep boots dry, Steve Baker, Peter Laurenson, Darryn Pegram and I walked gingerly through the Wangapeka River in bare feet. Despite it being late summer, the water was
