tramping new zealand

The day before walking was more or less what I had envisaged for the first half of summer, despite my ambitions being curtailed. Getting some kilometres in on a four-wheel-drive track to build up my Achilles tendon.

Basically, a decent day walk without a heavy pack.

Today was along those lines, albeit with the aforementioned pack.

I was finally in Otago, after 18 days since leaving Nelson.

My objective down here was to use the excuse of visiting random remote huts as a means to discover new territory. And also ease my Achilles tendon back into carrying decent loads on multi-day expeditions.

The Lauder Basin expedition involved driving up a farm road designated for a four-wheel-drive vehicle in a non-four-wheel-drive car, although I didn’t quite make the full 8 km, and then walking up a four-wheel-drive track to around 1520 m altitude.

Climbing 1100 m in one straight hit can go on a bit, particularly while carrying an overnight pack that includes a tent and sleeping mat, so let’s say I’m feeling well-exercised.

The hard part was coming down about a 200 m elevation drop through waist-high tussock, laced with some spiky speargrass.

A long day, and it was a relief to stumble into a splendid little aluminium and Dexion garden shed. (Dexion is like giant Meccano bolted together.) It doesn’t receive many trampers, mostly four-wheel drivers and hunters who seem to mostly shoot pigs or a bunch of goats.

The 12-year-old hut book is sparsely populated, but there are a few familiar names. I was the 22nd party to make an entry for the year, and the first for a month.