tramping new zealand

As predicted, the rain came through before 6 am. I cooked brekkie in the tiny vestibule of my tent while prostrate on my sleeping mat. To be honest, it was a pretty grim day. Four or five hours getting wet while climbing and descending a hill.

I guess that’s what I signed up for.

By the time I’d packed up in the confines of the tent, the rain had lessened, but the tent sure was soaked. But I’ve chosen wisely about where to perch, seemingly odd to pick a slope, but after some heavy rain, the lowlands were flooded, and little rivers were flowing.

I thought my pack would be lighter on the way out, but the moisture must’ve added up.

Did I care?

I was in the forest in the rain, which proved of limited consequence.

My already-wet hiking shoes from the stream crossings the day before were quickly rinsed, and my Lawrence of Arabia long peaked cap kept the rain off my glasses until I decided to forgo them.

The track seemed less gnarly on the way back. Lots of smooth sections that I hadn’t really noted on my way in.

The thing about wet conditions is that they encourage motion, and by 1 pm, I was back at the car park.

I found I had limited enthusiasm for more hours of walking uphill that day. You can overdo this form of enjoyment in the early days of a summer expedition. Then I found the road to an alternative Marlborough Sound’s point of interest was closed during the day for repair.

That campsite up the Warirau River Valley would let me have an almost rest day in Murchison.

I neglected to buy cleaning supplies for Burn Creek Hut, so I detoured to Blenheim and found something non-dehydrated for dinner as well. I was going to have plenty of that in the immediate future.

As it turned out, the Kawhai Point campsite had been replaced with an RV-only campsite on the other side of the road. Time for a decision.

It was 5 30 pm, and it seemed that two nights in Murchison would help alleviate the weariness in my limbs. A dry bed would be appreciated, and I might even be able to dry out my full caboodle.