tramping new zealand

One look at the early morning gloom and note my still sodden clothes and pack, and it didn’t take long to realise I’d be here for a second night.

Plenty of food that I was able to split for another couple of nights. For once, I don’t need to be somewhere else in a hurry.

Somehow, despite being just a half-day walk from the road end, the hut seems to be in the middle of the wilderness. It’s never been farmed or logged, plus, winding up those narrow river valleys with your feet in the water made it seem longer.

Up early as usual, but after my coffee and porridge, I took to wood gathering and chopping it up with my folding saw.

Then I started on a book I found in the hut library and cracked it out. Around 4 pm, a DOC guy turned up to inspect the hut and track as far as the ridge, but deferred the 600 m climb to the next day. That left plenty of time for a chat with various observations and theories batted back and forth.

Always something to talk about, and we went on for a long while. We adjourned to our sleeping bags around 9 pm after doing good work on the wood situation, slicing up solid wood from recently fallen solid branches rather than dry, rotten logs.

My bruised foot seemed somewhat better, although it was painful with some configurations. The weather cleared up during the day, but it was supposed to be showery at times for the following day.

Just hoped I could get over the river to Leon Kinvig Hut.