tramping new zealand

Fortunately, the change to daylight saving time was remembered, with sunset an hour earlier than it is now and an extra hour of morning light.

The continuing deer roaring was heard throughout the night. I counted at least six stags doing their thing in the vicinity, but I also noted the lack of hunters. I’d heard four deer at Islands or Upper Cromwell Huts.

I don’t think it was just noticing my own snoring.

It was still misty drizzle early on, with very low cloud in the surrounding hills.

Branch Hut is the same type as Islands, although with a different configuration. The four bunks are in the original position, and it hasn’t yet been painted as recently.

It’s mornings like these, damp underfoot, and a semi-swampy tussock land to get to the river, where I’m glad I carry both a 3 and 1 litre folding water containers, which I fill with a 1.2 L pot, giving me about 4.5 litres of water to deal with both dinner and breakfast requirements.

It would be a struggle going down in the dark for a top-up.

It was cool again, with the dampness of my clothes playing a part there. I started out wearing all my dry clothes: two long-sleeved wool T-shirts, my alpine puffer jacket (though not so puffy anymore), and a couple of fleece vests. A beanie and my wool pants. Add my trusty jandals to insulate my feet from the floor. Most items were swapped out for damp alternatives when it was time to leave. No surprise, I was in no great hurry.

The walk today was mostly through the forest, just the pockmarked swamp to get across first up, and I’d already been told about crossing the river at Irthing Hut.

The track to Irthing seemed the easiest of days to date. A few windfall to get through, most notably close to Irthing Hut, where a few had been laid down parallel to the track.

Another gloomy day with drizzle for part of it, but even with the climbing, I left my vest done up under my raincoat.

I still stopped at times to take in the forest with its moss and lichen.

Irthing Hut had a different configuration from Upper Cromel, but it lacked the useful porch. No other people around.

It seems more visitors get to Irthing, often via the tops from Mansion Hut on a big day. Or more popularly from Mt Bee Bunkhouses.

Tomorrow requires 300 m of climbing to get up to the four-wheel-drive track level, although it seems there’s there will be plenty of tussock before I reach that.

The penultimate day, Mt Bee tomorrow, then back to civilisation. My South Island tramping excursion will be over, as I’m feeling it’s time to head home.