Mt Harper and Cairn Hill Circuit, Hakatere Conservation Park NZ
Great views on this circuit visiting Mt Harper (1829m), Cairn Hill (1589m) and Lake Emma in Hakatere Conservation Park.
I first visited Mt Harper / Mahaanui (1829m) in winter, not longer after coming to live in NZ. I very much enjoyed that walk and wanted to visit the Harper Range again. This time I decided on a circuit, climbing Mt Harper from Balmacaan Stream, then returning via Cairn Hill (1589m) and Lake Emma. You get excellent views of the Rangitata River, Ben McLeod Range, Ashburton Lakes area (including Lake Emma of course), and big mountains like Mt Taylor to the north east.
Track notes are at the end. It was cloudy on my way up and so I didn’t get many views until on my way to Cairn Hill. So have a look at my original post on Mt Harper for views from that peak (in winter).
Mt Harper and Cairn Hill Circuit: The Scenery
This part of the track was washed out. I walked along Balmacaan Stream bed for a while and then climbed back up onto the track. I would occasionally get a break in the clouds. Looking back here towards Balmacaan Stream from a spur leading to the summit of Mt Harper. This looked like it could have been a good scree run. Unfortunately I was on my up way still. I very much liked this alpine plant. I got some broken views on the way up, but nothing substantial until I left Mt Harper for Cairn Hill. Make for a nice photograph in this case though. Colourful alpine plants on Mr Harper. On my way to Cairn Hill. The route to Cairn Hill (left in shadow) and point 1571m (right). More broken views. Ben McLeod Range and Rangitata River. Ben McLeod Range and Rangitata River. The Moorhouse Range front, and behind are various mountain ranges including the Canterbury Foothills’ tallest mountain, Mt Taylor.
Looking south-west from point 1571m. I wanted to get a look at that tarn (on the left). Looking back at Cairn Hill (right) and Mt Harper (left) from 1571m.
I was surprised to see conglomerate rock on my way down Cairn Hill. My first time to see this in NZ. View with that conglomerate rock in the foreground. You can see the way I took through the matagouri, centre right, bottom of screen. There was clearing along a fence line. I crossed Denny Stream and then headed left to walk by Lake Emma, which you can see. Denny Stream Intense colours as I walked towards Lake Emma. If only I’d been a bit earlier I could have photographed the whole lake in these colours. The sun going down on the Somers and Taylor Ranges. Lake Emma A calming scene on Lake Emma, with a historic hut to the right. Mt Guy and Lake Emma. It was pitch black by time I reached Lake Camp. Too much messing around taking photos.
Track Notes
I walked anti-clockwise, following the track along Balmacaan Stream, then heading off track up over Mt Harper to Cairn Hill. From there you can descend to Denny Stream and follow a fenceline to near Lake Emma. There’s a track from Lake Emma back to the start.
I walked anti-clockwise, at first following the track to Lake Emma, then turning west onto the unmarked track to Balmacaan Saddle. This was washed out in one place but you can walk on the rocky stream bed. I left the track shortly after crossing a large rocky stream, passing through a clearing in the matagouri, then following animal tracks through the rest of the scrub up onto a grassy spur, which leads straight to the summit of Mt Harper.
From Mt Harper you walk along a ridge to Cairn Hill, and if you want to see the small tarn then continue on to point 1571m. Travel is mostly easy, with just a bit of scrambling early on. From Cairn Hill you can descend via a couple of spurs to Denny Stream. Staying to the right of a small stream leads to a fence line and clearing in the matagouri. You can see that in the Google map below (at least in 2023)…
Cross Denny Stream and follow the fence line to near Lake Emma. It’s then a pleasant walk along the lake, then across grassy and swampy plains back to Lake Camp. I would allocate 8-9 hours for this route.
There’s information on the Mount Harper / Mahaanui hunting block on the DOC site.
