It hammered in last night, maybe another 150 mm, the full thunder and lightning show once again.

I’m up early.

It’s dark and I fluster about making coffee and eating some muesli.

I have a plan for the day to smash out to the end of the track, 17 km, wander the 5 km to Seddonville, hitch to Westport and jump on the afternoon bus, well, the only bus to Nelson. Somehow sleeping in my own bed has a high level of appeal after all this dampness.

Then just after I leave, must be before 8 am, it entirely dumps down once again, just to get me in the West Coast mood.

No worries, I’ve spent time on The Coast in the past, it’s just a passing summer shower.

No, there’s not much point in hanging around, the weather is somewhat variable, but the river is way up, exciting, swirling along, a dirty brown, immense power as it squeezes through the gorge.

The track has precarious moments when you wonder what fun trampers had before the track was constructed just a couple of years previously.

There’s a couple of brief waterfalls that have sprung up that need to be negotiated.

I’m fairly wet again, it’s not so bad, I don’t care one little bit.

My Lawrence of Arabia cap keeps the rain off my glasses, the track is mostly level, my pack is about as light as it ever seems to be, and that mighty river is roaring, swirling, churning its way to the coast down below.

I feel alive, tingling.

Yeah, just about a perfect day.

← Day 17 | Specimen Point Hut, Mokihinui Forks Ecological Area