What weather would the day bring?
No more rain since 5 pm yesterday. The creek had dropped 300 mm, but it was still gloomy early on. Mist on the hills.
The obvious decision was made that Doughboy was now not on the agenda. The Freds Camp compromise will be the way to go, depending on water levels on the way to Freshwater.
So that gave me the opportunity to keep going south for an hour on the beach to Kilbride Homestead for another look. It’s hard to understand how the original settlers in the 1870s thought this was a good place to make a life farming.
No electricity. Cutting firewood for heating, cooking, and hot water.
Just terribly hard work and dismal conditions.
Also, very lonely for much of the time.
As for me, I haven’t seen anyone since the dream team left Yankee River early on Day 6, so that’s almost 10 days, with another few solitary days to go.
Then again, I’m going to be making my way back to civilisation with clear possibilities of some more gregariousness. I can cope with having people around at times.
Nevertheless, I enjoy getting away from the world for limited periods of time.
The sun came out as I wandered through the home paddocks back down to the beach. The tide was in my favour this time around.
Heading north I zipped past the two hunters’ huts and cut back through the area that has been sprayed, not so much as a shortcut, which it was, but to get a better idea of the landscape that is being achieved with no high marram grass sandhills.
Well, no sandhills of consequence, and it’s stoney once the sand has been blown away.
I checked out the old Homestead, but made a beeline for the hunters hut.
Surprise!!
They had a few old AA batteries abandoned on the top shelf, so I might borrow one so I am no longer required to be on radio rations. It’s always good to keep up with what’s going on elsewhere, and at the moment it looks like I might be emerging when the South Island has gone down to Level 3.
Still no great hurry to return to civilisation. I might as well stay out here while I still have food, and I still carrying plenty of fuel since I’ve encountered remnants of other trampers gas canisters to use. I’m now carrying an assortment of empties.
Needless to say, another quiet night, except for a few birds. A male kiwi in the distance.
No people around, of course.
A guide to the night’s accommodation: Homestead Hunters Hut
