some rough and loose sections, finally arriving at a historic woolshed at the top of Quailburn Road. From here, mountain bikers ride most of the remaining stage on quiet country roads before arriving at Omarama. Lake Middleton Next to Lake Ōhau is the much smaller Lake Middleton. It has a shoreline of just under two kilometers, with a surface area of approximately 24 hectares. It is a popular spot in summer for camping, boating and fishing. The lake is 523 meters above sea level. Bookings are not required for the campsite. Access is available for motor homes and cars. Lake access is available for boats. There is a desire to provide a walking track around Lake Middleton but progress has been slow. The northern end of the lake is roped off with a buoy line to mark an area for swimming. In 2019, 83% of the water samples met the swimming water quality standard. However the northern end of the lake is filling in with sediment and weed on the lake floor up to one meter deep in some places. The swimming area is now considered unsuitable for swimming The many indigenous wildlife species at Lake Middleton include four fish, 27 birds, 26 plants (aquatic and terrestrial), 14 invertebrates (aquatic), and lizards present. Tramping around Lake Ōhau The many options for tramping around Lake Ōhau range from short walks such as the Freehold Creek Track (6 km, 2–3 hours), to longer over night trips up the Hopkins and Huxley Valleys. Several back country huts in the Hopkins Valley are worth a visit, including Monument Hut, Red Hut, Elcho Hut and Erceg Hut. The Huxley Valley, which branches off the Hopkins Valley, is home to several huts including Huxley Forks Hut. The Brodrick Hut can be accessed from the north branch of the Huxley river. From Brodrick Hut it is possible to climb over Brodrick Pass (1630 meters above sea level) and descend into the Landsborough Valley. The climb from Brodrick Hut to the pass is 600 vertical metres and on a well marked track. It is also possible to traverse from Brodrick Pass along the Main Divide in order to climb Mount McKenzie (2156 metres above sea level). This provides views of the Mt Hooker, Mt Dechen, Mt Strachan and Mt Cook. Both the North Temple and South Temple Tracks are shorter day walks, accessible from the head of Lake