Lake Coleridge & Wilberforce River

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DieselBoy
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Lake Coleridge & Wilberforce River

Postby DieselBoy » Thu Nov 29, 2018 6:47 am

We are heading down Sth to escape the Nth Is madness over the xmas period. You sort of get forced to go away at that time of year, with work closed and all the public holidays making the best used of your A/L :roll:

Among other things, I want to head into Lake Coleridge and then up the Wilberforce river. I did this yeeeeeeeears ago with the Buller 4WD club, and have never been back.

It will be 3 relatively stock LWB 4WD's, snorkels, winches and bigger tyres, set up for remote touring and being self but still a bunch of Nth Islanders more at home on muddy tracks.

What I want to know is:

:arrow: Are people going in through Glenthorne Station or Canal road??
:arrow: Does the station access get you further up the river easily and quickly making it worth it for more stock vehicles??
:arrow: I have seen photos recently of people parked up on the grass by a hut, is this Fanghill hut, or another one??
:arrow: Is it worth heading up the northern side of the river or go around and head up the southern side of the river??

Any other good bits of info, places to check out, things to do in that area before we move on that are good for a bunch of tourists??

Will also be heading to do the Hopins River and the Dobson river and probably head up McCauley because we have to go past it :D
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Re: Lake Coleridge & Wilberforce River

Postby wjw » Thu Nov 29, 2018 8:51 am

Have sent this out to the North Canterbury folks as they will likely be able to answer your questions... will post back what I hear.
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Re: Lake Coleridge & Wilberforce River

Postby NJV6 » Thu Nov 29, 2018 7:08 pm

Glenthorne seem to be the main access. Fanghill is said to be a right old dump of a hut but some decent canpsites not far away.

Enjoy the south.
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Re: Lake Coleridge & Wilberforce River

Postby 4x4 » Thu Nov 29, 2018 8:15 pm

DieselBoy wrote:We are heading down Sth to escape the Nth Is madness over the xmas period. You sort of get forced to go away at that time of year, with work closed and all the public holidays making the best used of your A/L :roll:

Among other things, I want to head into Lake Coleridge and then up the Wilberforce river. I did this yeeeeeeeears ago with the Buller 4WD club, and have never been back.

It will be 3 relatively stock LWB 4WD's, snorkels, winches and bigger tyres, set up for remote touring and being self but still a bunch of Nth Islanders more at home on muddy tracks.

What I want to know is:

:arrow: Are people going in through Glenthorne Station or Canal road?? Just go up canal Rd
:arrow: Does the station access get you further up the river easily and quickly making it worth it for more stock vehicles?? Not really, slightly faster but you need key from Glenthorne
:arrow: I have seen photos recently of people parked up on the grass by a hut, is this Fanghill hut, or another one?? Most likely Fanghill Hut, You can stay at it but you will need permission from glenthorne (cost $5 per person per night)
:arrow: Is it worth heading up the northern side of the river or go around and head up the southern side of the river?? Depends where you want to go. If your just going to Fanghill stay on the Northern side, as you go further up the valley you will have to cross the Wilberforce. (Just be careful if rain or northwesters are forecast as the Wilberforce take no prisoners).

Any other good bits of info, places to check out, things to do in that area before we move on that are good for a bunch of tourists?? Have a good trip and take heaps of photos

Will also be heading to do the Hopins River and the Dobson river and probably head up McCauley because we have to go past it :D

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Re: Lake Coleridge & Wilberforce River

Postby wjw » Fri Nov 30, 2018 6:23 am

Trevor ... Go up via the canal .. its easy and free. Fanghill is on the right and on other side is a private hut on kiwiflat. Just watch the colour of the river and the height and should be fine. The fire in the hut at kiwiflat smokes terribly. Take a roll of tin foil to jam in the cracks on the outside to block up the holes in the corners. Hut has 6 bunks ( i think ).


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Re: Lake Coleridge & Wilberforce River

Postby DieselBoy » Wed Dec 05, 2018 8:31 am

Cheers for that.

What's it like getting up the Avoca river??

Is it straight forward to hit the Harper river and then onto Avoca with out any access permission??
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Re: Lake Coleridge & Wilberforce River

Postby 4x4 » Wed Dec 05, 2018 8:46 pm

DieselBoy wrote:Cheers for that.

What's it like getting up the Avoca river??

Is it straight forward to hit the Harper river and then onto Avoca with out any access permission??


To get up the Avoca Or Harper you will need to contact Glenthorne and get key ($20)
You can drive up to Basins Hut pretty easy and even further up Avoca is relatively easy.
The Harper is about the same but you can only drive to sign says no 4x4 past this point (before swingbridge) It's about 30 min walk from there to the Hamilton Hut.

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Re: Lake Coleridge & Wilberforce River

Postby dangerous » Fri Dec 21, 2018 4:50 am

I thought with newish glenthorp owners (scottish) there was no access... like 2 years ago he bulldosed the huts and native plants that were planted 30yrs ago this comes from a nabour who planted them way back.

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Re: Lake Coleridge & Wilberforce River

Postby 4x4 » Fri Dec 21, 2018 8:21 pm

dangerous wrote:I thought with newish glenthorp owners (scottish) there was no access... like 2 years ago he bulldosed the huts and native plants that were planted 30yrs ago this comes from a nabour who planted them way back.

English merchant banker John Shrimpton owns the place and still allows access to property, best to have a look at Glenthorne website.

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