tramping new zealand

The campsite proved very comfortable, and I had the longest sleep in recorded history. More than nine hours, so I must’ve been tired.

Due to my early bedtime, when it was still light, I woke just after 6 am. The tent was damp, although the sky was clear. It didn’t take long for clouds to roll in, but the rain kept away.

I wasn’t in any hurry, only being about 6 km in a straight line to the hut. Instead, I spoke to the DOC contractor about stoats, they love mayonnaise, lidar use in measuring canopy growth in forests, plastic traps, etc.

So I wasn’t away until 9 30 am.

I found the easier travel didn’t last long, as I got out of the flat river into some chest-high tussock that took some negotiation. The track markers had a big gap.

The river started to drop steeply, and I couldn’t figure out where the most straightforward path was. The valley was trackless. The river was bouldery, and so was the forest, on both sides.

My pace slowed to 1 km/hour for the next two hours, but I didn’t seem to mind. It was an interesting forest, mixed podocarp with silver beech sprinkled through and no hint of a track on the ground.

I had my lunch, and found it easier travel through the forest.

Eventually, I got to an occasional plastic ribbon, with the route trimmed through the trees and found it less taxing in trying to find my way.

The last half hour was out in the open on river flats. The hut is up above the river but not visible from there. You climb up 50 m, and there it is at the end of the clearing, a splendid site.

I arrived before 4 30 pm, but to be honest, I’d mucked around a lot.

It was too late in the day to dry my tent thoroughly, but I had the place to myself.

I have two nights here to soak it all in before returning.

Some recuperation time.

I sure need it, despite being on the move for only three days. The first was with my full 12 days of food. The next two days with a mission to get here. It’s still two days to get back, which I now have preconceptions about, but I should be better with the route finding. At least I know to keep out of the river where possible.