tramping new zealand

Drizzle overnight. Somehow a drip came down the chimney and hit a metal object, but I was too exhausted to move, Instead, I lay awake for an hour or two listening to the regular drips.

Nevertheless, I wanted an early start so I could get back to my car. I wasn’t entirely sure what to do if I couldn’t make it.

I was up at 6 am as usual this summer with a new love of porridge, having found the steel cut variety. As usual, two cups of filtered coffee with my new filter mechanism, which is an unqualified success.

Away by 7 30 am and carrying a litre of water for the first time in the summer. The cloud was down to the valley floor until 1 pm.

I ascended.

It was an 800 m climb with the soggy, steep bit right from the stream crossing. A good test for my summer fitness, and I have to say nine weeks of climbing hills has made a difference.

I just kept plugging up and stopping for a minute, every 15 minutes, to mark my progress on my GPS. Fortunately, it became easier the higher I progressed in that the grassland thinned out in the slope and became less of a challenge.

The track recording was helpful in the cloud along the flat ridge, but I was really able to stretch out and make pace as it was well-rounded with not too much in the way of additional ups and downs.

It was coming down the steep bits that were the most painful, but eventually, I was below the clouds and could see the lay of the land.

It was a little discombobulating because I hadn’t anticipated the distances involved. Lake Mason was away in the distance with the North Esk River directly below. Island Hills blocked my view of the Hurunui South branch, but I could see a farm road that could take me closer to my car.

At the bottom, after a knee-jarring descent, at the bridge over the North Esk River was a four-wheel-drive and an enthusiastic Canadian fisher who had found the only river in the region without trout. He didn’t have a map and was disorientated. We talked for about an hour as I had lunch, as I hadn’t had any sustenance or water, and it was now almost 2 pm.

Another steep climb out of the river onto the river terrace and then an hour or two of level walking to get around to the South Hurunui River. By this time, my sweaty vest and raincoat were off, and water levels in my water bottle were distinctly low tide.

Finding a way down to the big Hurunui River was a task with steep slopes to the river terraces and the matagouri thickets in places, but soon I was down with my feet in the water and heading for the farm road through the rift in the mountains ahead.

All in all, it was a big day with a big surprise at the end.

The Lake Taylor campsite was packed, and my car was parked in by a massive pergola, boat, bikes etc.

“I didn’t realise I had so many friends”, I said to a very friendly throng seated at a table under the pergola. They plied me with beer and cake, and I’d work out how to extract myself in the morning.

Man, I was tired after my 35 km day with all that climbing and descending.

I’d sort out the issue about being wedged tomorrow.