A wet day, it rained in a West Coast manner all morning.

Just a light shower said one of the locals, totally drenched as he staggered in.

I made the most of my accommodation, chatting variously to the others: a bloke who had finished a PhD on the genetic diversity of keas, there is a stray group at Okarito; a German engineer specialising in renewable energy systems; and the usual riffraff that had turned up at one of the most isolated backpackers in New Zealand, if not the world.

Oh, and also B, possibly the world’s most overqualified backpacker manager, similar to myself having arrived back in New Zealand after decades overseas, quietly considering his options for the future. He was good for some intense and intelligent conversation, that can often be missing at your average backpackers where English is not always people’s first language.

Yeah. The people are low-key, generous, interested, interesting.

In the afternoon I walked the 1.3 km to the Foursquare supermarket to get some supplies for my homeward leg, 10 days should do.

A great day recuperating, recharging batteries and eating fresh food.

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