tramping new zealand

D devised a running schedule to ensure we wouldn’t miss the transport to Browns Hut.

That involved a visit to the Wholemeal Cafe for breakfast, dropping off our packs at the bus place ready for our pick up, and leaving the car with the mechanic for a cheap and cheerful, and hopefully more permanent repair. The cable ties would probably work, but there wasn’t a lot of confidence for the others to take the unfamiliar car back over the hill in my absence.

We rang to sort out our change of pickup from central Takaka rather than Takaka International Airport, and found that there were two bus companies; we were stationed at the wrong one, which was not currently operating. We should go up to the iSite and wait there.

Our packs were retrieved, the car dropped off, and I wandered back to the iSite.

The driver turned up right on time. We were in with the full complement in the van and heading for Brown Hut. The driver was chatty, and the van had a great vibe with everyone else heading to the same accommodation as us.

Furthermore, the sandflies seemed sick of tourists and had debunked elsewhere, which suited us.

I wanted to recreate an old photo at Brown Hut, which allowed the other van passengers, eight in total, to cruise past and leave us in our solitude.

The start of this 78 km track starts with a relentless four-hour or so climb to Perry Saddle. Burning out early was avoided by slowly getting into the hill climb groove, and we generally were able to sit when we took some short breaks.

The highlights were a big clump of flowering orchids, some large-leaved Dracophyllum that looked like the Lorax bushes from Dr Seuss, and a long, high vertical wall of splendid bright green sphagnum moss.

For the other two, it may have been the sight of their accommodations, but we got there with a lack of complaint about the initial uphill stretch that does go on a bit.

They claimed bunks, and for me, it was a level and non-lumpy tent site.

Despite the endeavour of my summer, I welcomed sliding into my sleeping bag and making myself comfortable in a horizontal position.

The squawking wekas failed to delay my almost immediate slumber.