TASTY INSECT BUTTS AND A WHOLE LOT OF BEECHES
18 JANUARY 2024
One Man's Trash Is Another Man's Treasure
One of the reasons we love hiking in Picton vs most other places in Marlborough, is because most of the tracks are in the forest, so it's ideal for hot summer days and cool rainy days when you need to stretch ya little leggies but don't want to get beat down by the weather.
A couple of months ago, we did the Barnes Dam Track, which branches off from the Humphries Dam Track, and that was a very interesting hike.... with a narrow path (alongside steep drop offs) dense bush in some areas and although it had a pretty waterfall, we were wondering what would happen if the dam were to burst and we were standing right there.... Final Destination thoughts! It was still a nice walk but out of the two, Humphries is much easier to navigate and a bit more interesting in our option... but as we have found out from hikes, it's a one man's trash is another man's treasure kinda deal, so you may like it more than the Humphries track!
We weren't exactly sure what to expect when we started the Humphries Dam Track, as on the Barnes Dam Track, we followed old water pipes the whole way and the track was really narrow in, so we weren't quite sure if we would be on a similar track or not but the Humphries track was flat, wider and we found more things to interest us, like the beautiful fern fronds and vibrant fox gloves. Of course, the forest flora and fauna was exactly the same, as both tracks are so close to each other so there was no change there!
In the 1920s, two dams were built in the Esson Valley - Humphries Dam and the Williams Dam, but they were made redundant in the early 1950s when the Barnes Dam was built... so these two dams are no longer used for water supply.
A couple of months ago, we did the Barnes Dam Track, which branches off from the Humphries Dam Track, and that was a very interesting hike.... with a narrow path (alongside steep drop offs) dense bush in some areas and although it had a pretty waterfall, we were wondering what would happen if the dam were to burst and we were standing right there.... Final Destination thoughts! It was still a nice walk but out of the two, Humphries is much easier to navigate and a bit more interesting in our option... but as we have found out from hikes, it's a one man's trash is another man's treasure kinda deal, so you may like it more than the Humphries track!
We weren't exactly sure what to expect when we started the Humphries Dam Track, as on the Barnes Dam Track, we followed old water pipes the whole way and the track was really narrow in, so we weren't quite sure if we would be on a similar track or not but the Humphries track was flat, wider and we found more things to interest us, like the beautiful fern fronds and vibrant fox gloves. Of course, the forest flora and fauna was exactly the same, as both tracks are so close to each other so there was no change there!
In the 1920s, two dams were built in the Esson Valley - Humphries Dam and the Williams Dam, but they were made redundant in the early 1950s when the Barnes Dam was built... so these two dams are no longer used for water supply.
Taste The Insect Butt Juice
The track starts off as a road and eventually narrows off when the forest becomes thicker and the paths and road all go their separate ways. It's a really easy, flat track that can be done by pretty much all abilities! Also furry friends are allowed here which is great to see.
The girls found some thick vines hanging off the trees and were practicing some climbing for ages - if you have kids, I recommend you let them enjoy the walk and stop and play as much as time allows... we hike A LOT and have found this is the best way for everyone to enjoy themselves, as long as we're not in a rush otherwise it's full steam ahead, Captain! A walk or hike is an adventure in itself, not the view at the end or the relief of getting back to your car... there is enjoyment and sometimes tears and happiness and sometimes pain, but it's all part of the adventure and the sooner we learn to embrace this, the less stressed we will become and we will learn to enjoy every little moment (except for grazed knees!).
It took us around an hour to reach the dam but it can be done quicker, we had little side quests to complete along the way. It basically looked like a small lake, nothing too interesting! We couldn't see the bottom of it but wonder if it's a local swimming spot in summer.
There are a few information boards on the track, showcasing various things that are in the forest, such as geckos, eels and even the tiny koaro fish which make a mountain to sea passage in their lifetime! So incredible! Some other boards show all the different types of beech trees in the forest, such as red beech, hard beech, silver beech, black beech and mountain beech... that's a lot of beeches!
Our favourite thing in the forest was reading about the beech scale insects who produce a honey like substance from their butt tubes... that you can actually taste!! They live in the upper South Island forests and live on any kind of beech tree except for the silver beech. We have seen these threads in loads of forests in New Zealand but mostly on the tracks in Marlborough and we had no idea what they were until now! You can see a little drop of liquid hanging off the end of these threads/butt tubes and this is the waste product leftover, after the insect has got what it needs from the sap of the beech tree. Just pop it on the end of your finger without breaking the thread (or the insect dies) and voila, you have some delicious insect butt juice. Sounds so disgusting but we tried it and it was extremely sweet! A lot of bats, insects, birds, wasps and lizards eat this sweet liquid.
The girls found some thick vines hanging off the trees and were practicing some climbing for ages - if you have kids, I recommend you let them enjoy the walk and stop and play as much as time allows... we hike A LOT and have found this is the best way for everyone to enjoy themselves, as long as we're not in a rush otherwise it's full steam ahead, Captain! A walk or hike is an adventure in itself, not the view at the end or the relief of getting back to your car... there is enjoyment and sometimes tears and happiness and sometimes pain, but it's all part of the adventure and the sooner we learn to embrace this, the less stressed we will become and we will learn to enjoy every little moment (except for grazed knees!).
It took us around an hour to reach the dam but it can be done quicker, we had little side quests to complete along the way. It basically looked like a small lake, nothing too interesting! We couldn't see the bottom of it but wonder if it's a local swimming spot in summer.
There are a few information boards on the track, showcasing various things that are in the forest, such as geckos, eels and even the tiny koaro fish which make a mountain to sea passage in their lifetime! So incredible! Some other boards show all the different types of beech trees in the forest, such as red beech, hard beech, silver beech, black beech and mountain beech... that's a lot of beeches!
Our favourite thing in the forest was reading about the beech scale insects who produce a honey like substance from their butt tubes... that you can actually taste!! They live in the upper South Island forests and live on any kind of beech tree except for the silver beech. We have seen these threads in loads of forests in New Zealand but mostly on the tracks in Marlborough and we had no idea what they were until now! You can see a little drop of liquid hanging off the end of these threads/butt tubes and this is the waste product leftover, after the insect has got what it needs from the sap of the beech tree. Just pop it on the end of your finger without breaking the thread (or the insect dies) and voila, you have some delicious insect butt juice. Sounds so disgusting but we tried it and it was extremely sweet! A lot of bats, insects, birds, wasps and lizards eat this sweet liquid.
Which Route Will You Take?
Around 5-minutes into the track there is a picnic table on a large area of grass and just to the left of that is a river where we love stopping at each time we come to Esson Valley so the girls can play in it. It's really calm and it would be the perfect spot to cool off in summer! We do wonder if any water gets released from the dam and comes down this way though hmmm.
This time, Bella was strategising about how she could get across the river to a large boulder, without getting her shoes wet. She managed to get a log from point A to point B and walk along that and she did so well until she slipped on her way back to us. Sienna just went into the water with her sneakers on.... in true Sienna "I don't give a poopey" style! We were glad we did the river on the way back and not on the way there otherwise helloooooo soggy shoes and one complaining kid!
This time, Bella was strategising about how she could get across the river to a large boulder, without getting her shoes wet. She managed to get a log from point A to point B and walk along that and she did so well until she slipped on her way back to us. Sienna just went into the water with her sneakers on.... in true Sienna "I don't give a poopey" style! We were glad we did the river on the way back and not on the way there otherwise helloooooo soggy shoes and one complaining kid!
Know Before You Go
- The Barnes Dam track and Humphries Dam track are also known as the Esson Valley Tracks
- There are no toilets here
- The track can be slippery in places
- The track will take around 1.5 hours return
- There are wasps in some areas of the track but they seem to leave you alone and they hang out on the beech trees with black fungus
- Try out the insect butt juice, you'll love it!
How To Get To The Humphries Dam Track in Marlborough
The Humphries Dam Track is located at the end of Garden Terrace Road in Picton which is 3-minutes south of the centre of town. You won't find the track on Google, so when you are looking for directions, search for the Essons Valley Home Stay as this is pretty much by the trail head.
There is no official carpark, but you can see where to park once you get there. Click here for the location on Google Maps.
There is no official carpark, but you can see where to park once you get there. Click here for the location on Google Maps.
Conclusion
This is a great walk for all abilities as it's flat and covered by the forest from all elements. We love the information boards along the way as it's so interesting to learn something new and actually spot the things we read about!
You can do the Barnes Dam Track after doing this track, as it starts out from the same trail head.
You can do the Barnes Dam Track after doing this track, as it starts out from the same trail head.
Gallery of the Humphries Dam Track
Check out the rest of the awesomeness that didn't make it to the main blog but deserves to be shown.
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