tramping new zealand

A great sleep was shattered by two wekas serenading each other less than a metre from my head. Retribution for my failure to accommodate them last night.

I was still horizontal when I heard voices on the track above, marching out after a night at Nydia Lodge. It was before 6 am, and probably an hour and a half already under their belt. Later, I realised they were on bikes and had stayed at private accommodation much closer to mine.

I was in no hurry. Just a stroll around to whence they come. I’d have a leisurely brekkie first and contemplate my solitude.

A speedboat zoomed along the opposite shoreline, but too far away for any noise to percolate my way.

No sign of the gannet that did the three flybys last evening. I love their golden tinges and black pointed wings. So graceful in their travels.

Instead, a white-faced heron rested on the shore below. It must have been replete after an early morning high tide feast. Plenty to eat under the surface of those sheltered waters.

After my own breakfast, I made my way around to Nydia Lodge, making the acquaintance of a large eel along the way. Must be as old as me, as it didn’t like moving much, just waggled its long, thin tail leisurely.

You wander past a few batches, in various states of disrepair. One belonged to an avid junk collector who excels in his mission. A farm is for sale, but judging by the mould on the sign, there are a few buyers around for properties having only barge access.

At the lodge, the new hot warden had only just arrived. He offered me a green tea bag, which I accepted, and we chatted for a couple of hours.

I went on about the difference between mānuka and kānuka. One has sharp, pointed leaves, and the other is soft. One rough bark, the other papery. I guessed they were kānuka, being huge, with soft leaves. I vowed to check something that had been second nature to me for decades.

You have to pre-book a room at the lodge for $38, where you get a choice of three bunks. There are other, larger bunk rooms. The entire lodge with 50 beds is $600 a night.

Meanwhile, my tent site was $6, which I could afford.

It was a lovely day, and as usual, the two hours back didn’t seem as long as the two hours it took to get to the lodge.

I passed two groups of two hikers, but their conversation was of the grunt-as-we-go style. Fortunately, my own company is quite sociable. Seems I’m happy with my own daydreaming.