The long way to Wānaka: Cadrona — Cromwell Pack Track

Walking the wild rounded peaks of the Pisa Range, a journey in the footsteps of gold-diggers and musterers

It was the Tuesday after Easter, I was fresh (definitely didn’t smell it) off the road from a trip over Rabbit Pass. I had a roof for a night in Queenstown before I’d have to think of somewhere else to wander. I had a friend in Wānaka who would have me, but he was working till Friday. To make matters worse, the weather was packing in across the South Island. The Pisa Range stood out as a dry glimmer of hope in this conundrum. I could walk in the footsteps of swag carrying gold-diggers and musterers, from the Kawarau Gorge over the Pisa Range to the Cadrona Valley. Katie even thought it was a good enough idea that she’d tag along for the first night.

A series of calamities cursed us from the start. The first of these was that I realised that I would have to lug my day bag of non-tramping niceities along for the ride. As a result my pack was heavier than it was when I started our walk over Rabbit Pass! Second hiccup was that Katie had to do life admin all Wednesday, so it wasn’t until 4pm…