Tāhekerua - Sharplin Falls

Time: 1 hour and 25 minutes (includes plant inspections and photo taking)
Distance: 2.3 km
Start:  Sharplin Falls Reserve car park at the end of Flynn's Road, Staveley
Finish:  Same place (it's there and back)
Date: Friday 12th April 2024

Dodgy weather across all of New Zealand today - rain and storms everywhere - except for a small pocket of clearish skies, forecast to hit Methven at approximately 11am. That was good enough for me and Linda was keen too. We drove across the Canterbury Plains/ Kā Pākihi Whakatekateka o Waitaha, via a work related side trip to Rolleston, which I am mentioning here because, as we turned off State Highway 1, a male pheasant, in all its glory, flew in an ungainly fashion across the bonnet of my car. It was a close shave. 

By the time we got to Staveley we were hanging out for a coffee so we popped into the Staveley Store and Cafe where we bumped into Jenny, an ex work colleague of mine, and her partner Doug - who is semi-famous. We plonked ourselves down at their table and chatted away. 

After coffee (and muffins), Linda and I continued on down Flynn's Road to the Sharplin Falls Reserve car park.  There were no other cars there - I suspect a direct reflection of the inclement weather across Aotearoa. As we exited the car, it was 11am and the rain had cleared somewhat as per the promised forecast.  The reserve is at the base of the Canterbury foothills and through the mist we could see the layers of hills and Mount Somers - Te Kiekie in the distance. He ataahua tēnei maunga!

The original track up to the Sharplin Falls on the true left of the Tinstone Creek, was closed in 2017 after a massive slip obliterated part of it.  Me and my hoa rangitira tried to get around that slip one day, by going off-piste and crashing through the undergrowth. To no avail. Too expensive to repair said DOC, and they closed the track permanently. But the Mount Somers Walkway Society stepped up to the mark - planning, fundraising and building an alternative track on the other side of the river. The new track opened to the public mid 2023. 

We donned boots and raincoats and were soon on our way, walking for about five minutes on the Mount Somers Walkway South Face Track before turning off on the Sharplin Falls Track. The latter is a veritable highway - wide and well gravelled. The forest today was lush and dripping - predominantly beech trees with a superb carpet of bright green crown ferns/piupiu. It was so pretty and we dilly-dallied taking numerous photos of ferns, mosses, liverworts and lichens. 

After about 30 minutes of very pleasant walking, we crossed two 30-meter-long footbridges in quick succession. We stood in the middle and peered down to the river below, swollen with the rain. The water tumbled through a myriad of massive boulders and we couldn't help but wonder how they got there. In some places you could see up high that rocks had once been gouged off. Slips I suspect. 

At the end of the second foot bridge, we had to duck under the biggest boulder you ever did see. Then it was up a flight of stairs and onto the final lookout platform.  From here we had a good view of the waterfall with the brownish floodwaters cascading down on multiple levels. I had my togs with me but yeah-nah. The falls were named Tāhekerua in 1911 - tāheke means "waterfall" in Te Reo Māori and "rua" means "two".  In typical colonial fashion, locals in 1911 preferred the name Sharplin, after the early European local land owner Henry Havelock Sharplin. On the topo map, above the falls are the "Gold Smith Rapids". Sounds interesting.

On the return, a cocker spaniel came running by at high speed without stopping, on a mission to god- knows-where. No owner in sight.  The next person we met on their way to the falls was not the dog owner - however eventually we did find her - a local septuagenarian with a total of three dogs. She did tell us that the track is officially a dog-free zone but she has been walking the Mount Somers Tracks for years. We ambled on slowly chatting and she told us all about the local Staveley Ice Rink (skating and curling), of which she is a member. As we went, Linda, who is an avid gardener, stooped now and then to pick weeds out of the path. I notice that she was mindfully leaving the native astelia seedlings (a.k.a bush lily, bush flax and kakaha).

Eventually we got back to the car-park and chatted to a french tourist who was about to walk to the falls.  Tomorrow she is planning to climb Aoraki. Hang on a tick. I thought we were having a communication breakdown and we had a quick discussion during which I patiently explained the meaning of "full-on mountain". But she managed to articulate to me that it was in fact her plan. We stopped the car a few times driving out on Flynn's Road for a quirky set of photos: the gate to the Staveley Ice Rink (skating and curling), an old shed and a couple of Dr. Seuss characters.

We drove back to Rakaia and the Salmon Tales Cafe for victuals. Linda checked the news and announced that flooding had closed the SH1 bridge between Ashburton and Timaru.  Oh shit. We hurriedly checked out the craft shop and then hastened over the Rakaia bridge before it was too late. The water was gushing along underneath but we got across without a hitch. 

We chewed the fat (about future better lives, remits, select committee hearings, local M.P.s, our worrying current government and the foibles of youth) all the way across the plains and we were back in Crikers in a flash.