tramping new zealand

Christmas had come and gone, but it was still the height of the holiday season. I really needed an inexpensive place to camp for a few nights to rest and recuperate, and the Alberttown DOC campsite seemed a good spot to perch. It’s only a few minutes’ drive into Wānaka, with plenty of fresh food on offer.

$11 a night, and that was about what it was worth. About 10% of the cost of the next cheapest place in the area.

I was meaning to get to Meg Hut two years ago, but for some reason, poor weather, as I recall, prevented me from going.

Today was the opposite — just about perfect, with a bit of high haze, but basically a fully blue sky.

Good things come to those who wait.

New Year’s Eve, the night before, left me tired. The mid-1970s rock music blasted until 12 00 am, when the fireworks started, and that lasted sporadically for half an hour.

Plenty of dog howling accompaniment.

Then, 1980s rock continued for another hour.

I dozed on and off.

New Year’s Day was an early start, 5 30 am as usual when I’m in my tent, and I packed up and moved into Wānaka by the jetty, waiting for a cafe to open.

Around 6 30 am, half a dozen 18-year-old women who hadn’t yet gone to bed came down to the lake and freshened up by stripping off and going for a swim, about 50 m from where I was conspicuously located. They splashed around for 15 minutes in the cold alpine water, which would undoubtedly make you frisky, before heading off to bed.

Coffee would have to make do for me, together with a hearty breakfast.

I had my pack sorted out and then drove the 25 km to the start of the track. No hurry at all, it took more than an hour to get out of the car park.

It was around a 750 m climb to a saddle, and then up to a high point before dropping down to a splendid 1860s hut. A family of four that I met in the car park had gone ahead. We chatted, then a young Englishman turned up.

It was still only mid-afternoon. I thought, this isn’t a bad way to tramp.

Clearly, it was too late to get to Deep Creek Hut, but after the previous night, an easy day would be just fine.