The Mt Richardson Track is located in the Mount Thomas Forest Conservation Area in Canterbury’s foothills forests, 65km northwest of Christchurch. At 1047m, Mt Richardson is a little higher than Mt Grey in neighbouring Hurunui District, but can still easily be climbed on a half-day loop trail by linking the Richardson, Bypass, and Blowhard tracks to make a circuit.

My expectations of the hike, when we set off clockwise from the fog-shrouded Glentui picnic area on the Richardson Track, were rather low because of the weather. The heavy pea soup fog gave little hope of clearing up anytime soon and not only was the air wet, but it was also a chilly 13 degrees – in the middle of summer. Naturally, I wasn’t dressed for winter temperatures and unwilling to wear long pants on a hike in January on principle.

The steady climb through native beech forest was similar to the ascent of Mt Grey and a little monotonous. We’ve done a lot of hiking in New Zealand and much of it through beech forest, which is always nice, but pretty much the same everywhere.

Then at last, the fog started to clear and soon the beech tree crowns were bathed in sunlight. In terms of views the sun made no difference, because the trail stayed firmly in the woods, but at least the air warmed quickly to the sun flooding through the canopy.

The trees thinned only at the very last minute when we were just a few metres from the summit signpost. Yet when they did, so suddenly, the transition from a narrow tunnel of dark foliage to an exposed summit point basking in the sunshine was a really pleasant surprise.

From the summit, you can retrace your steps on the Richardson Track back to the start. That’s the fastest way to return to the picnic area, but you’d miss out on the best trail section – walking on the Blowhard Track along the summit ridge, completing the circuit.

The ridge is different to that of Mt Grey, not so much covered in straw-coloured, open tussock grasslands, but more in green, sturdy shrubs. The views though are equally impressive, over the Puketeraki Range and Lees Valley to the north, Mt Oxford and the Torlesse Range to the west, Mt Grey to the east, and the Canterbury Plains stretching southeast to Banks Peninsula.

When the Blowhard Track met a junction with the Bypass Track, we followed the latter back into the bush, down the eastern side of the Glentui River catchment. The descent was similar to the ascent on the Richardson Track, only in reverse: the path was a little rugged and muddy, quite steep and rocky in parts too, with endless roots underneath a beautiful beech tree canopy.