Day 80: Wednesday January 23rd, 26.7mi/42.9km

Boyle River Outdoor Centre (2050.7/581m) to Hurunui Hut (2093.6/627m)

I’m up at 7am, the bed is really comfortable! Everyone else is starting to stir as well. I get packed up and hit the trail at 7:30am.

I opt for the roadwalk option, as the river looks a little too high to ford.

It rains lightly on and off, and the umbrella is handy.

I get to Windy Point, and have a dry break in a bus stop shelter. It’s a short break – the sandflies found me again! I push into the forest at 10am, and it’s sprinkling so lightly that I put away the umbrella. Looking down into the Hope River valley:

By the time I reach Hope Halfway Hut, it’s noon so I have lunch. 

After lunch, I’m able to put away the raincoat too, there are breaks of sunshine! I follow the Hope River upstream for awhile, finally crossing it on a nice swingbridge.

Two hours after I left the previous hut, I’m at the Hope Kiwi Lodge. I have a nice chat with the lodge’s only occupant – a German TA hiker. After 20 minutes I depart, the trail is so nice!

After cruising thru grassy meadows, I hike over Kiwi Saddle, and then the rain starts to come. 

By 5:30pm, it’s a full on downpour, with so much wind! So much wind. I get to Hurunui Hut at 6:30pm, very soaked. There are at least a dozen other hikers in this huge hut, and I claim a bunk and change into dry clothes. I eat my dinner by the warm woodstove, and fall asleep by 9pm.

 

Day 81: Thursday January 24th, 14.9mi/24.0km

Hurunui Hut (2093.6/627m) to Locke Stream Hut (2117.6/510m)

I was up at 6:45am, I didn’t sleep great after a group of guys came in at 9pm, and were loud for awhile. With all the people in the hut, I have trouble finding a spot to get packed up, but finally get out at 8:20am. I chat with the “other” Czech couple before leaving, I hope to see them again in town. It’s a little cold, so I hike in a vest and warm hat for an hour.

I follow the Hurunui River upstream for awhile, and come across a hot spring! I have a quick dip in the 40C water.

I catch the Canadian & Kiwi duo just before Hurunui #3 Hut, and we all have a small break in the hut. The dutch couple also comes in a bit later.

I leave and soon come to a strange bridge over Cameron Stream. I think normally this stream is easily forded, but this “emergency 3-wire bridge” is nice to have, even if it’s alarming to use.

 

I arrive to the next hut, Cameron Hut, and have lunch. The group of four catches up, and they all come in and say hi, and then quickly leave.  Then I catch everyone again 3km later. After a brief look around the Harper Pass bivy, I continue over Harper Pass at 3:30pm.

The trail down the other side is pretty steep.

I descend to the Taramakau River, and follow it downstream the rest of the day.

There are cool bird tracks in the river mud.

And these neat red rocks, I think they’re covered in some sort of moss?

Just around the corner is a cool distance marker, 2100km!

I make it to Locke Stream Hut by 5pm, and decide to not continue to Kiwi Hut. The two girls show up at 6:30pm, and we have dinner together in the expansive hut. I’m get in my warm sleeping bag and read my book and pass out by 9:30pm.

 

Day 82: Friday January 25th, 26.2mi/42.2km

Locke Stream Hut (2117.6/510m) to The Sanctuary Arthur’s Pass, via Morrison Footbridge (2139.5/751m) + 20.3km road

I have an early start at 6am, and I’m hiking at 6:40am. It’s a nice trail for awhile, and I easily ford the first crossing of the Taramakau River.

The rest of the morning is nice walking on a jeep track.

The 2nd and final river crossing is a bit more…exciting! I look around for the best crossing spot, eventually deciding to go upstream of the confluence of the Otehake & Taramakau Rivers, and cross each one separately. The Otehake feels far more difficult, with fast muddy water. I’m wet up to my waist, but not feeling cold with all the adrenaline. I walk in the riverbed for awhile, which is easy.

Looking back up the Taramakau River:

The trail resumes on a jeep road, and I cruise to the junction to the Morrison Bridge.

The last 4km to the bridge is a rough trail, so I walk in the dry streambed of the Otira River. I get to the Morrison Bridge at 1:30pm, taking a break to eat some snacks and clean off my shoes.

From here, the TA goes up the Deception streambed to a pass, then comes out at Arthur’s Pass Village.

The water levels are far too high to follow that route, so instead I walk 4 hours on the road to Arthur’s Pass Village.

I stop at a quirky cafe/hotel along the way, and buy some hot food. 

For Ruben & Amanda:

The Arthur’s Pass road must’ve been a feat of engineering to build, the terrain is really rough!

I arrive at “The Sanctuary” at 5:30pm, it’s a nice cabin that the owners have setup for TA hikers to use for a small fee. 

I go inside, and Amanda & Ruben are there! I’ve caught up to them!  I have a dinner of backpacking food at 7pm, have a shower, and then spend the rest of the night catching up with my friends. I think I finally get to bed at 11pm.

Day 75: Friday January 18th, 14.7mi/23.6km

St. Arnaud Village (1935.2/638m) to John Tait Hut (1958.8/818m)

I wake up at 7:30am in the bunkroom, and lounge around – breakfast doesn’t start until 8am. I pack up a bit, and then go enjoy bacon, eggs and toast! And it’s only $16, which is relatively cheap for this area. I hurry back to my room, and say good-bye to my German roommate before he leaves. I have a nice long final shower, and finish packing and check-out at 11am. I head across the street to grab a soda pop and ice cream, and begin hiking at noon. It’s a beautiful walk along Lake Rotoiti.

I take a couple of breaks, but short ones because of the sandflies!

I get to Lakehead Hut at 3:30pm, and its HOT. I find the toilet, but there are wasps, so I’m outta there pretty quickly. It’s a nice trail thru the meadows along the Travers River.

I didn’t turn down this track, but I love the name. 

Some parts of the meadow were marshy, and the DOC has built this beautiful boardwalk thru the wet areas.

The valley narrows, and there are nice little creeks flowing across the trail, joining the Travers River.

Just before the John Tait Hut, there is a warning sign about avalanches. Yes, “May to November” is accurate, since that’s wintertime here.

I arrive to the hut at 6:30pm, and there is a tramping club there with 10 people, plus a couple of TA hikers. Fortunately, it’s a big 20-person hut, so I easily fit. I have some nice dinner conversations, finishing dinner at 7:30pm, and relax until bedtime at 9:30pm.

 

Day 76: Saturday January 19th, 13.4mi/21.5km

John Tait Hut (1958.8/818m) to Blue Lake Hut (1980.3/1199m)

I woke at 7am, sleeping in a full 2 hours after the tramping club left at 5am. I eat breakfast, and get on trail at 7:45am. It’s cold for 20 minutes, then I have to de-layer. A half-hour later, I pass by Travers Falls.

I continue up the hill, and it’s an easy but steady climb. I get to the Upper Travers Hut at 10am and take a break.

There is still 1 hiker there from the night before, and she is packing up to head to St. Arnaud Village. We chat, and I head up the Travers Saddle in the cold, cloudy day.

Just past the hut, I enter another avalanche path. I really like these signs, I wish we had them in the US. 

It’s a steep climb now, so I warm up quickly, arriving at the top of Travers Saddle (el. 1787m) at 11am.

It’s windy, so I keep going, and get down to treeline. The views on the descent are pretty spectacular.

I pass several hikers along the Sabine River, and get to the West Sabine Hut at 1:30pm, and have lunch. I eat quickly, and leave at 2pm to beat the forecasted rain storm.

I move quickly up the 7km of trail, following the Sabine River West Branch uphill. There are a few bits of scenery along the way.

I’m not sure why this tree gets it’s own punctuation!

I arrive at Blue Lake Hut at 3:45pm, walking in light rain for the last 10 minutes. Once I get indoors, I meet about 12 other people staying in the hut, as this is another large hut.

It even has a sign explaining about Blue Lake, for which the hut is named. Apparently it is twice as clear as Crater Lake, Oregon (on the PCT).

I have dinner at 6pm, talk to the on-duty Hut Warden, and do some strategizing for tomorrow. Finally, I get to bed at 9:30pm.

 

Day 77: Sunday January 20th, 9.9mi/15.9km

Blue Lake Hut (1980.3/1199m) to Waiau Hut (1996.2/861m)

I woke up late on purpose, since the weather forecast said rain until 9 or 10am. But, when I woke up at 7am, the sky was clear and blue!

The six TA hikers packed up quietly, and we all left just before 8am. I stopped by the Blue Lake to see the clarity. 

It’s hard to tell how clear it really is, since it’s not that deep. Looking back down on Blue Lake:

I catch up to the Dutch couple, and we hike up to Lake Constance. We soon catch the French guy, and the Czech girl.

It is a long, slow 500m climb up to Waiau Pass. Lake Constance gradually becomes smaller below us.

Our group keeps pushing uphill to the pass.

Looking back at the Czech girl coming up:

We get to the top of Waiau Pass (el. 1870m) at 11:30am and take some quick photos, before beginning the descent. The initial descent is slow and steep.

There is even some down-climbing on 4th class rock.

As we descend, the landscape becomes greener.

We get down to the Waiau River, and it’s warm again!

We all hike at our own paces, and slowly drift apart.

I meet a family from Maine (Mount Desert Island) doing the TA Southbound. I continue down the hill, passing the Caroline Creek Bivy cabin just after 3pm, and arriving to Waiau Hut at 4pm. 

There is already a NOBO German girl at the hut, so when the other 5 hikers arrive an hour later, we have 7 people in a 6-person hut. Someone’s sleeping on the floor! We cook dinner outside, since there isn’t much room inside. I go to bed at 9:30pm.

 

Day 78: Monday January 21st, 16.2mi/26.0km

Waiau Hut (1996.2/861m) to Anne Hut (2022.2/891m)

I wake up at 7am, and it’s raining and very windy outside. I’m not excited to go outside and get wet for 26km. We all slowly pack up, and I leave at 8:10am, with the Dutch couple shortly behind me. It’s very windy, but not really raining anymore, just a light mist.

I get stuck at a river crossing, and they catch up. The three of us walk together all morning, chatting about various hiker stuff.  Eventually, the trail becomes a nice jeep road.

We take a break a few hours later for lunch, at a stream crossing. Sergio (France) catches up to us and joins the break. It’s cold and windy (but no longer wet), so we pack up after only 30 minutes and resume hiking. The three of us cut over to the St. James Track, which is supposed to be nicer, but turns out to be the same.

I walk alone for a couple hours, daydreaming. About 2km before the hut, I cross a cool swingbridge over the Anne (Henry?) River.

I arrive to Anne Hut pretty early, it’s only 2:15pm. The Dutch couple and Sergio arrive a few minutes later.

There are several other groups already at the hut, and by dinnertime there are over a dozen hikers milling around the kitchen area. I get to know some of the new faces, and then head to bed at 9:30pm.

 

Day 79: Tuesday January 22nd, 17.7mi/28.5km

Anne Hut (2022.2/891m) to Boyle River Outdoor Centre (2050.7/581m)

I’m awake early, hearing everyone else packing up at 5:45am. So, I get up at 6:15 and start hiking at 6:30am. Sergio starts with me, and stays behind me for an hour, which is kind of creepy. I lose him after awhile, and even though I take a few wrong turns (the track is poorly marked) and lose time, I don’t see him again. I climb up to Anne Saddle, the highpoint for today. It’s only 1136 meters, feels easy!

I descend from the saddle on a nicely graded trail, and follow the Boyle River downstream.

The trail alternates between open meadows and dense forest.

I turn off the trail, and cross a swingbridge, to take a break at Boyle Flat Hut. It’s 10:30am, past my usual snacktime! But it’s a quick break because of all the sandflies…inside the hut!

I continue onward to Boyle Village, and it’s an easy walk in nice weather.

I arrive at 1:15pm to the Boyle River Outdoor Education Centre, which is a popular spot for TA hikers to mail resupply boxes and spend the night. I do both, and pickup my food box, and claim a bunk. I shower and do laundry, and then Sergio shows up. Then the Czech girl and a Kiwi couple arrive. We chat at dinner, and watch the rain blow in the wind. The forecast doesn’t look much better for the next few days, either.

The Kiwi hikers have extra (meat) pies, so they give us some! So delicious. I walk to the road to get a phone signal, and then head to bed at 9:30pm.

Day 70: Sunday January 13th, 19.8mi/31.8km

Pelorus Bridge (1794.8/35m) to Rocks Hut (1826.6/814m)

We had a leisurely morning at the campground, and packed up at 7:30am and walked down to the cafe. Kuba and Kacka bought coffee, and I got a muffin, which we enjoyed while charging our phones. Finally, at 9:15am we roll out of the campground, and walk the 14km gravel road all morning.

The road ends, and the Pelorus Track begins. It’s a pretty nice track!

The swingbridges are always fun. Bounce, bounce…

We stopped for a swim in the “emerald pool”, a deep and swimmable part of the Pelorus River. There is a picnic table at the spot, so we took a lunch break too. The white graffitti on the table is cute, “All you need is love”.

The water temperature was nice, just cool enough to feel refreshing. But there are sooo many sandflies! And with a bunch of other people around, we decide to skip swimming.

I continue on, as I try to make it to the next hut 5km away, in time for a toilet stop, ha! After an hour, I arrive to Captains Creek Hut, which is pretty nice. I stay only a few minutes, and then I’m back on the trail, hiking the 5km to Middy Creek Hut. It’s a nice hut, but there are sandflies everywhere, so I only linger for 10 minutes.

I hike the 5km climb up to Rocks Hut, gaining 650m in just over an hour. Ouch! I arrive at 6:30pm, and there is only one other person in the hut, a friendly Kiwi named Clare.

Kuba and Kacka arrive an hour later, and we have dinner together at the indoor dining table. It’s nice to be this high up, there’s no sandflies! Everyone is in bed at 9:30pm, since we all expect a tiring day tomorrow in these big mountains!

 

Day 71: Monday January 14th, 15.3mi/24.7km

Rocks Hut (1826.6/814m) to Slaty Hut (1851.3/1399m)

I’m awake at 6:45am, feeling very refreshed, I slept really well. I packed up quietly, as the other 5 hut residents were still sleeping. I said good-bye to Kuba and Kacka, and leave the hut at 7:30am. 

It was a beautiful but cold morning, and I hiked up and along the ridge for a couple hours, admiring the swirling clouds and views.

I stopped at Browning hut at 10:30 for a break, and saw a solo hiker leaving, she waved as she walked away. I had a snack and drink, then continued another 3km to Hacket Creek Hut. It was a quick lunch, as I wanted to get up the next climb before any rain came. Past Hacket Hut, the track becomes noticeably more rugged.

I slowly pushed up the hill, and just over 2 hours later I had climbed the 900m to the Starveall Hut. I walked right past it, since it was already 2:30pm, and I was trying to make it to the next hut.

I charged up the exposed hill, passing two other hikers, Rose (Quebec) and Elena (Netherlands). The views are incredible.

I arrive to Slaty Hut at 3:45pm, and see Alison again. I also meet 2 American guys from Idaho and Montana.

I setup in the hut, and then get some photos of the late afternoon sun on the mountains. The light is really cool!

We have dinner on the designated table inside the hut (it’s windy outside). The two indoor residents (Alison and Megan) don’t seem to be in a conversational mood, so I go chat outside with the two American guys. They are camping out on this cold windy ridgetop! I’m in bed at 9pm and sleep great in the warm hut.

 

Day 72: Tuesday January 15th, 17.6mi/28.3km

Slaty Hut (1851.3/1399m) to Mid Wairoa Hut (1879.6/395m)

I woke at 6:30am, and two of the other girls are already getting ready. Getting packed up is easy in a hut, as there’s no tent to pack up, and I’m on trail at 6:55am. It’s cold, so I wear pants for the first time since the first day, way back at Cape Reinga! It’s a beautiful exposed ridgewalk, and I enjoy every minute of the morning light.

I catch up to Alison at 8:30am, and she interviews me for a podcast that she does, “blissful tramper” (I think?). She was much more talkative today, it was fun! Then, onwards with the epic ridgewalk…

I pass by the turnoff for Old Man Hut, and continue on the epic ridgewalk, climbing up Little Rintoul mountain (el. 1643m). I meet a couple of TA hikers at the top, a Kiwi guy from Wellington, and a German girl.

It’s getting hot, so I change to shorts and t-shirt. I hike a little further, and get to the top of Mt. Rintoul at 11:30am. It’s 1731m high, so there are amazing views in every direction.

I hike downhill a quick 30 minutes to Rintoul Hut and have lunch. It’s a beautiful day, and I have a leisurely lunch while reading the Hut register. It’s fun to see my friends who came thru last year!

I leave the hut for the next peak, Purple Top Mountain. It’s an easy climb, then along a ridge in the forest with lots of bugs (wasps?). I get to Tarn Hut at 3:30pm and take a break.

It’s early, so I continue onto Mid-Wairoa Hut, another 7km away. It’s a nice walk in the forest.

I arrive to the hut at 5:50pm and surprisingly it’s empty! I spend the next 3 hours relaxing, eating dinner, and planning the next section, before falling asleep at 9pm.

 

Day 73: Wednesday January 16th, 15.0mi/24.1km

Mid Wairoa Hut (1879.6/395m) to Porters Creek Hut (1903.7/895m)

I woke up at 6:45am, and was hiking at 7:15am. The trail followed the creek for a couple hours, which was nice, but it was a horrible side-hill trail.

It was also very narrow in spots with long drop-offs, so it was scary and slow going. I cross the Wairoa River Left Branch, which was an easy ford. 

Just after the ford is the Upper Wairoa Hut, and I have a long snack break. I was so busy focusing on the sketchy trail all morning, I forgot to stop and eat, and it’s already 10:30am! I hike up the rest of the hill, which climbs above the trees, so there is no longer any shade. 

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I get to the topmost point of the ridge and have a nice lunch. It’s only 1pm, so I eat slowly and catch up on internet on my phone. I leave at 2pm and fly down the hill, passing two friendly German women on the way to Hunters Hut. I have a brief break at the hut and explore the surroundings. 

I depart the hut at 3:30pm, aiming for Porters Creek Hut for tonight. There are a couple of small climbs, and then a long descent to Porters Creek Hut on a slanty slippery trail.

Looking back up the trail that I just hiked down:

The trail isn’t benched into the hillside, and the side-slope was contantly making me slip on the loose gravel. With the scary part of the trail finished, I arrived at the hut at 6:15pm.

There is one other hiker at the hut, a guy from the UK. We have dinner at 7pm, and then I entertain myself with the hut register book. My friends are ahead of me, and they left me some notes!

I switch to reading my regular book, and pass out at 9:30pm.

 

Day 74: Thursday January 17th, 19.6mi/31.5km

Porters Creek Hut (1903.7/895m) to St. Arnaud Village (1935.2/638m)

I’m awake at 6:30 again, and it’s cold in Porters Creek Hut. I pack quietly as to not wake the other hiker, and start hiking at 7am.

It’s cold for the first 10 minutes, then suddenly warms up.

The trail has some scary sections – sidehill hiking with loose round gravel underfoot, and it’s a long way down to the valley bottom. I climb up/down several small valleys, and take a shade break during the final climb to Red Hills hut. I get to the hut at 11am, and have a snack, only to realize I have almost no food left!

I love the note that someone left for the NOBO hikers, who are just starting the Richmond Range at this point.

The view from the hut is pretty nice.

The final part of the trail is on a nice mountain bike path, but it climbs up/down annoyingly, and finally I reach the 1300m highpoint, and the dirt road.

I walk down the easy gentle grade, taking a final snack break on the road at 1pm. I’m now out of snack foods, but I’m just a few hours from town. And there are nearby sheep to distract me from hunger.

I catch up and pass a hiking couple, and walk the 8km of paved road into the town of St. Arnaud. It’s 4:30pm, so I check-in to the St. Arnaud lodge, get my food packages (that I shipped to myself from Wellington), shower, and order a pizza!

My roommate at the lodge is a German who is hiking NOBO, he loves talking about gear. We talk pretty late into the night, I don’t go to bed until 11pm.

Day 67: Thursday January 10th, 8.0mi/11.9km

Abel Tasman Start (0.0/5m) to Anchorage Camp (11.9/20m) + 1.0km to camp

We got to sleep in late, since we only need to hike 12km today to get to our reserved campsite, yay! I finally got out of bed at 8am, and then read a book for awhile. The three of us checked-out of the hotel at 10am, and went to the Pak-n-Save to resupply. It was fast, and we were walking to our hitching spot at 11am, when a nice guy named Adam approached us on foot and offered us a ride to our hitching intersection 2km away. We then got the next hitch within 10 minutes from a Swiss couple driving to the beach, and we spent 45 minutes in the car chatting with them. We spent a couple of hours at the beach, swimming, bridge jumping, and having lunch.

We showered off the saltwater, and started our final hitch at 3pm. We had no luck at that spot, so we walked out of town 1km, and a local mother/daughter stopped and gave us a ride all the way to the Abel Tasman track! After a 30 minute coffee & ice cream break, we started the Abel Tasman Track.

The Abel Tasman is one of NZ’s “great walks”, one of eight premier tracks showcasing some of the best scenery in NZ. The Abel Tasman is a 60km point-to-point (not a loop) coastal track, and is quite popular in the summer months. We were lucky to get a reservation for this track, as campsites are limited and fill quickly.

The trail is pretty flat, and never climbs higher than 100m on this first section. We have pretty nice views of Tasman Bay for the afternoon.

Despite being located in a very tropical climate, the trail is never overgrown, and is usually quite wide and well-maintained. 

We climb a tiny hill, maybe 80m, and have a view of Anchorage Bay, where we will be camping!

It’s an easy and uneventful walk to Anchorage Camp, and we arrive at 7:30pm to a bustling campsite.

It’s a pretty comfortable camp, as there is a cooking shelter, water taps, flush toilets, and even solar charging for phones. There are 50 tent sites, and most of them were full; I’d guess half the campers here arrived by boat. We talk with a few of them during dinner, and then we head to bed. 

 

Day 68: Friday January 11th, 17.9mi/28.8km

Anchorage Camp (11.9/20m) to Totaranui Camp (40.7/5m)

Sleeping in is fun! We woke up around 7am, and had a leisurely morning, not leaving camp until 8:30am. 

After 1km, we crossed our first “low tide” estuary of the day. It is almost completely dry 1.5 hours after low tide, but the sand is wet so we took off our shoes. Dozens of hikers crossed, it was fun to watch!

We continued on, hiking another couple hours, passing probably 50 people. The trail was mostly in the trees, but occasionally a viewpoint would reveal itself.

We are approaching Bark Bay, and the beach looks amazing.

Looking across Bark Bay:

We stop at the Bark Bay hut and have a snack and water. Since there is also an outdoor shower here, we decide to have a swim in the ocean too. After an hour of swimming and lounging, we shower and hike to Awaroa Hut.

I think this is Onetahuti Beach.

It’s hot on Onetahuti beach, and we are tempted to go swimming, but we are also getting sunburned.

Looking down into Awaroa Bay.

We arrive to Awaroa hut, and wait for the low tide, along with a dozen other trampers.

At 6pm (1.5 hours before low tide), the water is low enough to cross, as it’s only knee-deep in a couple of places. There are like 50 people crossing!

We walk the last 7km pretty quickly. Except one small climb, the trail is pretty flat.

We arrive to Totaranui Camp at 7:30pm, and it’s huge. There is even a map to show all the campsites and buildings.

We meet Charlie and Tracy, two women who are also hiking the TA. They are taking a side-trip to explore this track as well! We have dinner, explore the large campground, and chat with other campers. It was a pretty easy and relaxing day, and I’m still falling asleep at 9:45pm!

 

Day 69: Saturday January 12th, 9.6mi/15.5km

Totaranui Camp (40.7/5m) to Wainui Carpark (56.2/10m)

We woke up a little earlier today, since we have 3 hours of walking to do, and alot of hitchhiking. We were packed up and walking out of camp at 7:15am, along with Tracy and Charlie. Kacka walks fast, and she is in the lead.

It was another nice weather day on the Abel Tasman track.

We have a good pace all morning, and take a break at the last Hut/camp on the trail at 9:30am. I chat with a nice family for awhile, hoping that they will offer us a ride at the carpark. We leave the Whariwharangi Hut at 10am, and have a nice gradual downhill walk to the carpark. Looking down into Wainui bay:

The track became even nicer as we neared the carpark.

The Abel Tasman track even has a finishing arch!

We arrived to the carpark at 11am, and there are a dozen cars parked. But no one is leaving, just more cars arriving. A shuttle bus comes thru, and they offer to take us for $20 to Takaka. 

We accept, and a 40-minute ride later, we are standing in Takaka, hitching to Nelson. After an hour of trying, the three of us aren’t having any luck hitching, so I take the $35 bus to Nelson. Kuba and Kacka will have a much easier time hitching as a duo, and sure enough they text me 5 minutes later that they have a ride! 

After a long 2 hour ride on the bus to Nelson, I walk to the Countdown grocery and resupply for the next section of the TA. Kuba and Kacka show up 15 minutes later, and after some more food shopping, we start hitching at 6pm. We get a ride at 6:30, and he takes us directly to the Pelorus Bridge Campground! Perfect timing, we still have a half-hour before the campground office closes at 8pm, so we check-in to a campsite. It’s $8, but I’m so tired I don’t care. We setup our tents and fall asleep by 9pm.

Day 64: Monday January 7th, 10.7mi/17.2km

Ship Cove (1688.8/15m) to Madsen’s Camp (1706.0/39m)

I got up at 4:30am, and was packed and in an Uber by 5am. We pick up Kuba and Kacka along the way, and the 3 of us arrive at the ferry terminal at 5:15am. They let us board the ferry at 5:30, and we relax in some nice sofa chairs for an hour, before we venture downstairs to get breakfast. After finishing our bacon and eggs, we go outside to get some fresh air and see the views.

It’s cold and drizzly, and we have a hot drink, and finish the trip inside the warmth of the ferry.

The ferry arrives to Picton, where we buy our water taxi tickets.

The 3 of us have been planning to hike the Abel Tasman Track (one of NZ’s 8 “great walks”), so we go to the iSite and get the needed reservations. Afterwards, we stop by the grocery to buy cheese, and then have lunch nearby. We head down to the dock to meet the water taxi, and take some seats inside where it’s warm. I nap a little, and then study the map for the upcoming section. The Queen Charlotte Track is the only section of the TA that has a fee, which supports the excellent trail maintenance for this part.

I venture outside to the back deck, and see an adorable pile of dogs taking a nap. 

We arrive to Ship Cove just before 4pm, and take some photos. This is the start of South Island!

It’s an easy and uneventful walk, with views of Resolution Bay and Endeavour Inlet along the way.

After 17km of walking, we arrive to Madsen’s Camp at 7:30pm. Most of the camping on the Queen Charlotte Track is at developed sites which charge a fee. This site is privately owned, and we talk to a nice guy named Tony for a bit, before settling in and having a late 8pm dinner. By 9pm, the three of us are in bed!

 

Day 65: Tuesday January 8th, 26.7mi/43.0km

Madsen’s Camp (1706.0/39m) to Viewpoint above Houhou Point (1749.0/189m)

I’m awake at 6:30am, get packed up, and join the other campers at the breakfast table. The view over the inlet is a nice backdrop.

Kuba, Kacka and I leave camp at 7:15am, and have a nice easy walk for 6km.

Then we had some work to do, climb a 250m hill. It was a nice track, but the weather is quite hot already at 9am.

I take a break at the top of the climb, and the Czech couple catches up 10 minutes later.

We have a snack break, then continue walking together until our lunch stop. We strategically pick a sunny spot to have lunch, to dry the dew from our tents.

It’s so hot, and the tents dry quickly.

The afternoon is a mix of hot hiking and short breaks, with some photos at the break spots.

We stop at Black Rock Camp for some water, which has been somewhat scarce on this high ridgewalk. A DOC crew is onsite digging postholes for some new tent platforms, and they are camping here all week. So, we continue onward, soaking in the views along the way.

We pass an official campsite, but decide to keep going to a potential campsite a couple hours away. At 6pm we make a water stop and re-fill, knowing the campsite will be dry. We have heavy water-filled packs for the last 45 minutes.

We arrive to the potential campsite, which is just a flat platform with a picnic table on it. We eat dinner first at the picnic table, then we slide the table over and setup our tents. It’s not as refined as other campsites, but it’s free!

There are some un-shy birds that we have to occasionally “shoo” away, but otherwise it’s a peaceful sunset.

 

Day 66: Wednesday January 9th, 28.5mi/45.8km

Viewpoint above Houhou Point (1749.0/189m) to Pelorus Bridge (1794.8/35m)

I was awake at 6:15am, and the three of us enjoyed a nice breakfast, it feels so civilized sitting at a picnic table!

A biker rode by as we were packing up, giving us a confused look as he rode by. I made it to Anakiwa by 8:30am, which means the end of the Queen Charlotte Track. The link pathway is a nice path that parallels the road from Anakiwa to Havelock, with only a couple small 1km sections missing. We stopped for ice cream at 9:30am, and then a “lunch” and tent-drying at noon. After lunch, we walked a nice new track along the Mahakipawa Arm.

We made it to Havelock at 1pm, and had a quick lunch of fish & chips. After a small resupply, we hiked out of Havelock at 2pm. We walked along a busy highway for 30 minutes, then a nice quiet gravel road for 2 hours. We almost caught up a Polish hiker, but they were speedy. We finally left the gravel road, and the last 7km of the day was on a farm track.

There were all the usual suspects of a farm track in NZ.

Cows:

Fields with fences:

We arrived at Pelorus Bridge at 6:45pm, and stop at the nearby campground to use the bathroom and take a quick break. We see Amanda & Ruben, who are camping there, they are heading into the Richmond Range tomorrow! But we are taking a side-trip, hitchhiking out to Nelson, to start our Abel Tasman walk tomorrow. After 5 minutes, two guys in a ute (pickup truck) stop and give us a ride, and they insist we stop for to-go beers at their favorite bar along the way.

After an hour drive, they drop us off in Nelson, and we quickly get another hitch to Richmond. It’s a short drive and we are in town at 8pm, which seems like plenty of time to get dinner and a hotel room. To our surprise, everything in this town closes early, and we are stuck eating Domino’s pizza, and wandering around looking for any open hotel. We finally get a room and pass out at 11pm.

 

Day 59: (January 2nd) 19.4mi/31.3km Mangaone carpark to Paekakariki holiday park

I slept in today, I think I’m still catching up from sleep from yesterday. I pack up, and walk the 10 minutes to the carpark, where I see Cami & Michael (Canada). They must’ve camped there, haha. I do the 10km roadwalk to town, using my umbrella in the drizzle.

It’s a public holiday, so most of the shops are closed, but Subway is open! I have 2nd breakfast with a sandwich. The lady working there is super friendly, and she hears me say “wicked”, which leads to a conversation, since her son goes to college at Bentley University (Boston MA).

I get some groceries for the next 2 days, and walk thru town along the river, to the beach.

The beach is cool, the sun is coming out, and there are views of Kapiti island!

The trail leaves the beach and follows a trail thru the dunes, which is a nice break from the wind.

I get to the holiday park at 6pm, and Amanda & Ruben arrive too!

Day 60: (January 3rd) 21.3mi/34.1km Paekakariki holiday park to Spicer Forest

I leave the holiday park late at 8:15am, since I have to make some phone calls to figure out some stuff for the upcoming south island, like ferries and resupply boxes.

The hike is easy along the beach, and then climbs uphill 300m on the Escarpment track.

Then the trail drops down to a town, where there is a dairy on the trail. Of course, there are like 8-10 other hikers there. And of course, I get an ice cream.

I walk with the Canadian couple for the rest of the morning, and we do the roadwalk to the next town, where there is a small water park! It’s hot, so we run thru the water cannons, buckets, and sprinklers.

We stop for a late lunch at BurgerFuel, a NZ upscale burger chain. The milkshakes are delicious, and actually thick with ice cream!

The rest of the group is staying in town, but I continue on another couple hours. The trail climbs a hill with nice views, then drops down into a nice pine forest.

Perfect for camping!

Day 61: (January 4th) 15.8mi/25.5km Spicer Forest to Wellington CBD

I realized last night that today is Friday, and the post offices are closed tomorrow, so I have to mail my resupply today! After hiking 25km too. So, I’m awake early and hiking at 6:30am.

The trail climbs and descends a couple small hills, with great views of wellington and the sea.

The last hour of the trail goes thru suburbs, where I see the most NZ thing yet – a dog playing on a trampoline.

The route goes thru the botanical gardens, which is a nice break from the suburbs.

I arrive in the CBD at noon, and do my grocery shopping for 3 sections of south island, since there are some towns there without grocery stores.

I Mail the food ($200 worth!), and go to my hostel to Check in. I see Achille, Amanda and Ruben at the hostel, and we go to dinner to celebrate the end of North Island! The Sriracha pizza is delicious.

Day 62: (January 5th) 7.1mi/11.4km Wellington CBD to North Island Terminus

I wake up late, and renew my bunk room for tonight. I leave most of my stuff in the room, and slackpack the 2 hours walk to the monument that marks the Terminus of the North Island.

The trail goes along the sea, and some city parks along the way.

And… the monument! North Island (and 1689km) is done!

Day 63: (January 6th) ZERO

I take a zero day today! No hiking, just relaxing. I stroll downtown, see the pedestrian mall, visit a museum, and go to the beach.

No photos today! I go to bed early, since the ferry leaves at 6:30am tomorrow. It will take us to south island, and we will resume hiking tomorrow afternoon. I can’t wait to see what SI will bring…

Day 54: (December 28th) 21.0mi/33. 7km Palmerston Nth to Tokomaru River

Today we start the section with the Tararua mountains, but today is mostly an easy approach through the foothills. We have a nice breakfast with Zigzag, and it’s hard to remember the last time I had such a nice meal – eggs, bacon, oatmeal, toast, juice! Hw gives us a ride back to the trail, and we say our goodbyes. Time to roadwalk!

A few hours later, we pass a “halfway done” sign along the dirt road.

It’s a beautiful morning to walk, and I’m enjoying these easy miles. After a great lunch break (we found a picnic table!), some more roadwalking brought us to a swimming hole. Perfect!

The last hour is on a nice trail, and I setup camp by a river, and join 6 other hikers who are already there.

Day 55: (December 29th) 17.0mi/27.4km Tokomaru River to Makahika Outdoor Center

I get up at 6am, and coincidentally leave the same time as French couple, so we hike together for a couple of hours. The trail crosses many small streams, so we get our wet feet for the day.

I take a break to have a snack, and Achille catches up to me. We walk together for the day, and enter the Tararua Forest!

It’s not mountainous or muddy yet, but that comes tomorrow. Today is a nice trail in a dense forest.

Since it’s so dense, we take a lunch break on the trail!

There are some views from an opening in the trees, and then we descend down to the Makahika River.

There is limited camping options in this area, and most hikers stay at the Makahika outdoor center, courtesy of John & Sally! There are showers, toilets, wifi, & a cooking tent!

Day 56: (December 30th) 10.6mi/17.0km Makahika Outdoor Center to Te Matawai Hut

Knowing today would be a slow day, I got an early start at 6:30am. It’s only 17km, but on a muddy trail with 800m of elevation gain. I walk the hour roadwalk to the trailhead, using my umbrella briefly for some light rain.

The walk starts nicely in a cow field, then enters the forest.

After 40 minutes, I cross a suspension bridge and climb UP UP UP!

It’s lightly raining the whole time, so I use my umbrella… such a nice piece of gear to have!

It’s cold & foggy up on the ridge, so I keep moving.

I get to the hut at 1pm, and decide to stay. The next hut is 3 hours away, and will probably already be full, so I decide to stay here. Other hikers arrive and we build a fire in the woodstove to warm up & dry out. Nice!

Day 57: (December 31st) 12.5mi/20.2km Te Matawai Hut to Waitewaewae Hut

I get up at 5:15am, and hit the trail at 5:50am. I expect today to be 2km per hour pace, so 10+ hours of hiking.

It’s cold and thick fog & must, and I push hard up the hill to get warm. No umbrella today… too windy.

I get to Dracophyllum hut at 9:30am and take a nice break, Paul is already there making hot tea.

I depart at 10am, and it’s still cold and wet. Ugh. I hike nonstop until I reach Nichols hut at 1pm, since hiking is the only way to stay warm.

I have lunch in the hut, then continue on over Mt Crawford summit (1557m).

Its no longer raining, but still cold & foggy.

I descend off the ridge, and get below treeline. It gets warmer as I descend, and by 6pm I’m crossing the swingbridge that leads to Waitewaewae Hut.

It’s a very large modern hut. I’m so happy to be warm, dry, and sitting down. This was the hardest day of the Te Araroa so far!

I try to stay awake until midnight for New Year’s, but I fall asleep by 10pm.

Happy New Year 2019!

Day 58: (January 1st) 14.4mi/23.2km Waitewaewae hut to Mangaone carpark

I must’ve been tired, I sleep until 7am. I get hiking at 7:30, and the first 6km takes me 3 hours! So many fallen trees, mud, and pointless little 10m ups/downs.

Then it joins a nice path, which appears to be an old railroad grade.

I cruise until lunch, and stop by the Otaki river to eat & dry my tent (yes, wet from 3 days ago).

There is a 700m climb after lunch, up to the summit of Mt Pukeatea. The trail is nice, the weather is nice, and the climb is gradual!

The summit has views of the ocean!

I leave the summit at 4pm, since I’m trying to make it to the end of the forest tonight. The last 4km has sadly been logged, so it’s a landscape of stumps and hot sun.

I get to the trailhead carpark at 6pm, and eventually find a spot to camp. No one else arrives, and it’s a rare event to camp by myself. Glad to have the mountains and muddy forest done!

Day 51: (December 25th) 22.3mi/35.9km Whanganui Holiday Park to Koitiata campsite

Christmas day! I wake up at 7am, and the 7 of us have a nice Christmas breakfast that Andrea made. Cinnamon rolls, bacon omelet/quiche, fruit… so good!

I lazily pack up and leave at 11am, and walk in nice weather for a few hours. It’s a road walk all day, so not too exciting.

It rains at the end of the day, and my umbrella works great!

I camp next to Ruben & Amanda, and Achille and Paul are nearby too. There isn’t any other legal place to camp before this spot, so hikers tend to get bunched up here at the beach campsite.

Day 52: (December 26th) 25.0mi/40.2km Koitiata campsite to Lee’s Reserve

Today is a long 40km day, so I get up at 6am to get a good start. It’s Christmas day in the US, so I make a couple of Facebook chat calls while walking the trail. But, then it gets wet…

Once we enter the beach, it’s a nice cruise, and it has cool black sand.

The rest of the morning is in a nice forest, before we do a road walk all afternoon.

We get to a town called Bulls, and there are puns with this name everywhere in town… “our prices are incredi-bull”, “our food is delecta-bull”, etc.

After stopping for ice cream and a milkshake, we walk the last 2 hours to Lee’s Reserve, which allows TA hikers to camp for a donation.

Day 53: (December 27th) 21.3mi/34.3km Lee’s Reserve to Palmerston Nth

I get up at 6am for another long day of roadwalking, and the other hikers are starting to pack up too. I think there were 12 people here last night!

I hit the road at 7am with Amanda, Ruben, and Achille. We gradually separate at different paces today, and I get to a small town at 9:30am, not much is open… except subway. Subs!

I head out after an hour, and after more road walk, the route goes on a short trail… the first 100m is nice. Then, it dead ends at a stream without a bridge. Huh?! We backtrack up to some train tracks, and cross using the bridge. Shortly after we cross, a train approaches, exciting!

The 4 of us meet at a grocery store, and do our resupply for the next 6-day section. Then we head to my friend ZigZag’s house. I met him on the PCT in 2015, and he lives in Palmerston North.

It is great to see him and catch up! He has since hiked a few other trails, including the Bibbulmun track (1000km in Australia), which I now want to do someday.

Tomorrow we head out, and start the last section with mountains on the north island!

Day 46: (December 20th) 21.4mi/34.5km Whakahoro campsite to John Coull campsite

We have a lazy morning, since the canoe company isn’t arriving until 10am. I wander over to the Cafe again, and order breakfast as soon as they open at 8am.

The canoe company, Blazing Paddles, arrives after 10am, and we do an intro, safety briefing & equipment fitting. We get on the river at 11:30, and after 30 minutes, Achille and I get the hang of maneuvering our canoe.

Most of the day is nice weather, but it rains towards the end of the day.

After 39km, we arrive at John Coull hut at 5:30pm, and it’s pouring rain. We warm up in the hut, and wait until it stops raining to setup our tents.

Day 47: (December 21st) 19.7mi/31.7km John Coull campsite to Tikae Marae campsite

I wake up to nice weather, and wander up to the cooking shelter to make breakfast. Usually I don’t cook breakfast on the trail, but since weight is no issue during this section, I carry heavier food.

Achille and I get on the river at 9am, and paddle an hour before a group break. The other canoe groups also stop and join us, Andrea/Alon, Franzi/Nathan, & Ruben/Amanda. We dry our tents on a nice warm gravel bar and have my favorite meal, 2nd breakfast.

The rest of the morning is an easy cruise on the river current, and we occasionally link canoes, play games, and generally do ridiculous things!

In the afternoon we dock the canoes, and do a quick side hike (2km) to the “Bridge to nowhere”, which was built with the expectation of a road that never came to fruition.

We paddle a little further, and arrive at Tieke Marae, a Maori site which shows river travelers a traditional welcoming ceremony, a “powhiri”. Cool!

It starts to rain at the end of it, and they quickly finish it and we retreat to our tents for the night.

Day 48: (December 22nd) 27.4mi/44.0km Tikae Marae campsite to Moutere Island

I’m getting used to these late mornings and hot breakfasts! We get on the river at 8 am, and after a couple of rapids, it’s smooth cruising.

After a couple of hours, we hit a big rapid, then take a break on a nearby gravel bar. It was a big rapid, so it was very entertaining seeing other canoes navigate it, and some flipped over!

We have an uneventful morning of paddling after that, and stop for lunch at another gravel bar.

In this part of the river, there are no more official campsites, so we aim for a grassy area near Moutere Island.

Nathan broke his tent…bummer dude!

Day 49: (December 23rd) 25.3mi/40.8km Moutere island to Hipango Park campsite

We woke up early, at 6am, and were on the river at 7:15am, to take advantage of the nice weather.

We have fun paddling a few rapids, then catch the other 2 canoes in our group, Paul/Richard and Kacka/Kuba. They had continued a bit further yesterday to land at the Flying Fox, a riverside camping/cabins.

We have a nice long lunch at a sunny gravel bank , and Ruben builds a “1300km” sign from canoes and humans! And I fix my broken jandal with a bread tie.

We get back on the water, and hit a couple of more rapids, and the rest of the afternoon is calm, and we create a canoe flotilla.

The current is slow, so we have to Paddle constantly to get to camp at Hipango Park, a DOC campsite on a hill above the river.

Day 50: (December 24th) 12.4mi/20.0km Hipango Park campsite to Whanganui Holiday Park

It rained steadily all night, and I slept great to the sound of the rain. Achille and I had agreed on a 7am departure time, so I got up at 6am and ate all my remaining food, since it’s only a couple of hours to town today.

It drizzled for the first 30 minutes, then it stopped raining.

We covered 8km in the first hour (as usual), then the incoming tide slowed our progress to 2km per hour… ugh. We finally got to the holiday park at 10am, such a relief!

I checked in to our cabin, unpacked, dried out, and had a nice hot shower. We got a ride into town, and I bought groceries for the next hiking section, but also for a Christmas eve dinner! Salmon, asparagus, and couscous.

Most of our group stayed at the holiday park, and we had a nice dinner together.

Merry Christmas!

Day 38: (December 12th) 16.6mi/26.6km Taumarunui to start of 42 Traverse

I wake up early, even though it’s a short day. Andrea, Franzi and I are slackpacking the 20km road section from town to the start of the forest, then hitchhiking back to town and staying at the same holiday park.

It’s an uneventful 3.5 hour walk, with lots of nice countryside views.

We quickly get a hitch back, and I do my town errands. Pharmacy (sandfly bites itch!), general store, outdoor store, i-site, and post office. We have all the food packed up for our can trip next week. This is 8 people’s food.

Somehow, I manage to eat an entire rotisserie chicken and garlic bread loaf for dinner. Hiker hunger!

Day 39: (December 13th) 12.2mi/19.7km Start of 42 Traverse to mid 42 Traverse

I have a short day planned, so even though I’m up at the usual time, I don’t depart until 11am. Unfortunately, it takes me an hour to get a hitch back to the point I left off yesterday. Finally, a nice real estate woman named Jo picks me up, and we have a nice chat.

I start on the trail at 1pm, and it’s a nice 4wd road!

The weather is a weird mix of sunny, then thunder/sprinkles.

I hike until I find a flat spot to camp, and at 6:30 I find a nice spot a short distance from the trail. I hear thunder in the distance, so I setup quickly… 20 minutes after I get into my sleeping bag, it rains. Perfect timing!

Day 40: (December 14th) 11.4mi/18.3km Mid 42 Traverse to Tongariro Holiday Park

It rained very hard last night, so even though I was perfectly dry in my tent, everything outside is wet. The clouds are starting to clear, and I get views of the upcoming mountains!

Then, the route leaves the 42 Traverse trail, and turns onto the Cokers track. It is much narrower and overgrown, and all the plants are wet. Ugh. Finally I join another 4wd road, and it’s wide.

The trail emerges at a highway near an old battle fort, which is a cool historic spot.

There’s a short road walk to the Tongariro holiday park, and I arrive at noon.

It rains on/off throughout the afternoon, but I’m dry inside. And there’s a cool rainbow at sunset to end the day!

Day 41: (December 15th) 5.4mi/8.7km Tongariro Holiday Park to Tongariro carpark

Today is a planned short day, since the weather looks to be much better for the Tongariro crossing tomorrow. It’s a high elevation alpine crossing, so rain or high winds would make it miserable and/or dangerous.

We dry our tents, then pack up at 9:30 and hitch to the nearby town of National Park, to kill some time. Andrea and I buy some food, do some shopping, then hitch back. I hang out with Ruben & Amanda at the holiday park, then do my short roadwalk to the trailhead.

I arrive at 7pm, and there is a sketchy van hanging out in the parking lot, so I hike into the forest a km or two.

Perfect camping spot!

Day 42: (December 16th) 15.8mi/25.4km Tongariro carpark to Whakapapa Village

I’m super excited about today, so I get up at 5:30am, and while I’m packing up, Franzi stops by!

We hike up the hill together, taking a short break at a view spot with a bench.

It’s a long gradual climb up to the craters, and we take another break at Blue Lake.

We continue on up to Red crater, passing hundreds of tourists going the opposite direction. Yikes.

I take a quick stop at the “mordor” toilets, then have a quick climb up Mt Ngauruhoe (Mt Doom), so I can destroy the one ring.

I do some fun scree-surfing on the way down, and I catch Franzi after I return from Mt doom. It turns out she had climbed the wrong mountain! Oops.

We walk the rest of the way to Whakapapa village, seeing almost no one along the way. We grab the last 2 bunks, and I enjoy some nice bar food and a nice sunset. Big day!

Day 43: (December 17th) 12.2mi/19.8km Whakapapa Village to National Park

It’s another short day today, since our canoe trip date is set for the 20th, and it’s not a far distance. After a leisurely breakfast, I pack up and leave at 10:30am. The trail starts off as an easy tourist trail, then it becomes a rutted and slightly overgrown mess.

At least there are boardwalks for the marshy bits!

The trail ends at a paved road, which has a funny sign. Must have too many problems with bad tourist drivers?

I walk an hour on the road, and get to National Park village at 3pm. The first thing to do, of course, is share an ice cream break with Achille. Then I setup my tent at the YHA hostel, and meet Paul for dinner at a nearby restaurant.

Day 44: (December 18th) 17.3mi/27.7km National Park to War Memorial

These short days are nice, I slept in until 7:30, and lounged around at a coffee shop reading a book until 9:30am. I hike out of town, and it’s a beautiful day. This section is on the “mountains to sea” bike trail, and it’s smooth walking.

I catch up with Achille at lunch, along with a czech couple, Kačka and Kuba.

We all head to the only legal camp spot, at a roadside war memorial.

There are 12 of us camped here tonight, big group!

Day 45: (December 19th) 15.4mi/24.8km War Memorial to Whakahoro campsite

I get up early, since the forecast is for afternoon rain. I walk alone for an hour, then catch up to Andrea and Paul. It starts to sprinkle a bit, this umbrella really is worth the weight!

I stop for a quick early lunch break, and also make a “1200”km sign, since one doesn’t already exist!

I get to the” town” of Whakahoro at 11:30am, it’s quite small!

I head to the Blue Duck Cafe for lunch, then go to the hut to get setup in a bunk. Some people decide to camp.

We meet the canoe company folks tomorrow morning at 10am, and they will give us gear, information, and advice. I can’t wait for 5 days of paddling, and my feet are even more excited!