Day 97: Saturday February 9th, 0mi/0km

Wanaka Lakeview Holiday Park (2575.4/291m)

I sleep in, knowing it’s a zero day. I emerge from my tent at 8:30am, and do some planning in the kitchen. I renew my campsite at the Holiday Park, which has a beautiful spot by the lake.

I walk into town to get information from the DOC iSite for a side-trip to the Cascade Saddle Track and Routeburn Track.

Achille is in town, and he messages me, and I meet him downtown and we go grocery shopping. Then we have lunch at Waterbar – pizza and beer for only $15! Amanda & Ruben show up, and we all have lunch. Achille leaves to hike another 15km to a holiday park. After lunch, Amanda & I see the movie “Free Solo” while Ruben visits with some friends.

We go shopping after the movie (I buy a new merino shirt!), and then walk back to the Holiday Park and make dinner.  I stay up late and have a 2nd shower, and finally get to bed at 11pm.

 

Day 98: Sunday February 10th, 18.5mi/29.7km

Wanaka Lakeview Holiday Park (2575.4/291m) to Highland Creek Hut (2605.1/848m)

Amanda, Ruben, and I pack up and hike out from the holiday park at 7:30am. Soon after, we get to the lake and get a photo of the famous “lonely tree”.

Then we continue our 3 hour walk along the lake on an easy path.

We have a nice break in the shade by a toilet and have salty snacks, and then continue onward. After another hour, we stop for lunch along the side of the trail, in the shade of some pine trees.

We talk to a Northbound hiker, and the Michigan girls pass us again – leapfrog! After lunch, the trail starts to climb, and I lose my group. Then, my stomach starts to hurt, alot. I’m occasionally distracted by strange sights in the forest.

I undo my hipbelt and hike uphill slowly, at least the scenery is nice.

I make it to Fern Bern hut at 3pm and take off my pack, which feels really good.

After 20 minutes, my group arrives and we all continue on. I lose them again on an uphill, and finish the climb up to Jack Hall’s Saddle (el. 1275m).

I run the downhill for fun, and I pass Zaneta (Czech girl) along the way.

I get to the hut at 5pm, and after awhile we have 12 SOBO hikers, and 1 NOBO…big crowd!

After dinner, I enjoy the sunset from the front porch.

I return inside the hut, where there is much socializing, and I go to bed at 10pm. 

 

Day 99: Monday February 11th, 19.1mi/30.7km

Highland Creek Hut (2605.1/848m) to Campsite 1.5km before Arrowtown (2635.8/602m)

I’m awake at 6:30am, and everyone else is packing up too. I chat a bit, then head out right after the Austrian couple, and the same time as Zaneta, Amanda, and Ruben. 

The trail is annoying today – it drops steeply down to a creek, then UP to a ridge, then down 500m to a creek, then up another ridge, and finally down to Roses Hut. 

Someone tried to adapt the Appalacian Trail logo for the Te Araroa trail!

I see a helicopter nearby, and run down the hill to talk to them, but they fly off a few minutes before I arrive. 

I get to Roses Hut at 10:30am to have 2nd breakfast, and read the fun Hut logbook.

After waiting 20 minutes, no one else has arrived, so I leave and climb up the next saddle – it’s kinda easy by comparison!

On the other side of the saddle, I meet a DOC crew doing trail maintenance, and we chat for 10 minutes. (The river option down below looks better and less brushy!) I get to an old mining town, Macetown, at 2pm and receive trail magic!

Fruit, pie, bread, and salad – wow! They were a very nice group, out for a walk and picnic lunch.

Eventually I pull myself away from Macetown, and hike up and over Big Hill Saddle. I’m nearing civilization, so I’m careful not to hike too far, and setup camp 1.5km before town. It’s only 5:30pm, so I have plenty of time for reading and relaxing before an early bedtime at 9pm.

 

Day 100: Tuesday February 12th, 18.8mi/30.2km

Campsite 1.5km before Arrowtown (2635.8/602m) to Queenstown Black Sheep Hostel (2666.0/321m)

I get up at 7am, and leisurely get going at 7:30am. It stopped raining a couple hours ago, but everything is still wet. I’m glad I’m that I’m only 1.5km out from town, and on a wide non-brushy trail. Within 20 minutes I arrive to a road, walking thru Arrowtown, and then a nice golf course.

After the golf course, the trail follows along a lakeshore. It’s getting hot and sunny.

I walk along a highway for 2km, skipping a longer river detour. I cross the Shotover River on a historic bridge, and 20 minutes later I see a McDonalds…milkshakes!! I take an hour to eat and plan stuff, and leave the restaurant at 1:30pm. I walk the final 6km to Queenstown and catch up to Achille, who is drying his tent. We walk in together, arriving to town at 3pm.

I check into the Black Sheep Hostel, shower, nap, and then meet Achille for dinner at the famous FergBurger.

After dinner we watch the street performers….

…and the sunset.

We grab some beers and fresh crepes from nearby food cart, and enjoy the walk thru town.

A pretty solid day! I walk back to the hostel and go to bed at 10pm, suddenly not feeling well.

 

Day 101: Wednesday February 13th, 0mi/0km

Queenstown Black Sheep Hostel (2666.0/321m) to Queenstown Base Hostel (2666.0/321m)

I woke up feeling like crap, and laid in bed until 9am. I packed up and checked out at 10am, and wandered to downtown. I sat on nice bench by a church for almost 2 hours, distracting myself on my phone. I walk over to Base Hostel at noon, and they allow me to store my packpack in a locker, and sit in the TV lounge for a couple of hours. At 2pm I could officially check-in, so I did, and laid in bed for 3 hours – bleh. At 5pm I get a message from Achille, so I meet the three of them for dinner, even though I don’t feel like eating anything. 

I order a ginger ale at the bar, then we go out for ice cream afterwards and I get a sorbet. It’s our (probably) last night together as a group, since we all have slightly different schedules for the last 2 weeks of this trail. Amanda and Ruben plan to finish on February 27th, Achille on the 28th (to meet his dad!), and I’m taking a two day side-trip over Cascade saddle, so I may not catch them at all!

We get a nice group photo and hang out by the waterfront for awhile. We finally part ways, and I’m in bed at 10pm.

 

Day 102: Thursday February 14th, 0mi/0km

Queenstown Base Hostel (2666.0/321m) to Wanaka Base Hostel (2666/289m)

I get up at 7am, to catch the 8am bus to Wanaka. It’s a 5 block walk to the bus stop, and I somehow get lost…I guess I’m still not feeling well. It’s a nice bus and a relaxing 2 hour ride, and I get to Wanaka at 10am. I go straight to the Base Hostel and store my backpack, and sit in the lounge for 2 hours on my phone planning my last two weeks in NZ. At noon, I get up and walk to Domino’s, and get cheesy bread, soda pop and pizza. I finish my meal as I’m in queue to check-in to the hostel. I get situated in my room, and lay in bed for awhile. I walk down the hall to the bathroom and take a long shower. I wander back to my spacious room – there are only 3 people in an 8-person room! I settle into bed very early, but stay awake on my phone until 11pm. It’s very loud outside.

 

Day 91: Sunday February 3rd, 26.5mi/42.6km

Lake Tekapo Holiday Park (2379.0/727m) to The Pines Campsite (2421.6/552m)

I sleep in way too late, and leave my tent at 7:30am. I hang out in the kitchen, eating and charging my devices. A Dutch biker gives me his extra fried egg! So nice of him. I pack up my tent at 9:30, and we walk back to town. At 10:45am, we finally begin today’s 42km hike, and it’s easy and flat but HOT. Within a few minutes, we walk past the dam and hydropower station.

Right after the dam begins the endless walk along the canal.

Amanda & Ruben catch me up when I take a lunch break along the canal. It’s sooo hot.

We walk on, and celebrate the 2400km mark. Soon after, we walk by a neat salmon farm.

Finally, at 5:30pm, we leave the canal and walk along a lake! Only 12km to go!

It’s finally cooling down, and it’s a nice walk along a bike path named “Alps 2 Ocean”, so there’s no car traffic! Somehow I lose Amanda & Ruben, and I get to camp at 8pm at “The Pines” campsites. There are a TON of RV’s and campervans, but it’s very nice in the trees with the other tents.

I setup in the forest, and walk down to the lake where there’s a great view of the mountains. I’m on my phone until almost 11pm, buying return flights to the US. Sleep comes quickly after that.

 

Day 92: Monday February 4th, 7.2mi/11.6km

The Pines Campsite (2421.6/552m) to Twizel Holiday Park (2433.2/471m)

I’ve slept in a bit, having been up so late the last two nights. I get walking at 8am, and it’s still cool weather. It’s a nice walk along the Alps2Ocean trail, with heaps of good views!

It gets warm as I approach town, and I arrive at 10:30am to Twizel.

Since it’s early, I have 2nd breakfast at a cafe. The food is mediocre. After the meal, I head down to FourSquare for my resupply, and meet Achille for lunch afterwards. I’m pretty excited, it has been so long since I’ve seen him – since Wellington! I eat an amazing salmon salad, and we have ice cream, and walk to the Twizel Holiday Park to camp.

I pay and setup my tent. It’s hot, so I retreat back to town, and we buy barbecue food for dinner. Back at camp, I do laundry, shower, and we make dinner. By 7pm we are enjoying our barbecue and some beers too! Life is good.

We talk and swap stories until 9pm, then I’m doing more travel planning on my phone until 11pm. 

 

Day 93: Tuesday February 5th, 23.9mi/38.5km

Twizel Holiday Park (2433.2/471m) to Freehold Creek Campsites (2471.7/1068m)

We get up at 6:30am, and pack up and head to the kitchen. After eating breakfast and charging our phones, we start hiking at 8am. We walk back thru town, and after an hour of walking we pass a salmon shop.

It’s impossible to resist visiting, and I order a bagel with salmon. We feed the fish, and it’s so entertaining.

The rest of the morning is easy and flat walking, and we catch up to Bree and Devin from Michigan. I chat with them for an hour, then make a toilet stop. I walk alone until almost lunchtime, when I catch up Achille, Ruben and Amanda, and we decide to have our lunch break at another toilet (it has a bench). 

It’s windy, and we continue on another 13km along Lake Ohau.

It’s an easy track, but kinda boring, except for a little monument to the native peoples’ history.

We pass the Michigan girls at a campsite, and keep going to a nice camp in the forest, next to Freehold Creek.

It’s only 6:15pm, which is kinda surprising given all that we’ve seen today. I have dinner at 7pm, and fall asleep by 9pm.

 

Day 94: Wednesday February 6th, 18.6mi/29.9km

Freehold Creek Campsites (2471.7/1068m) to Tin Hut (2501.6/930m)

I get up at 6:45am, and pack up quickly since it’s late. I’m hiking at 7:30am, and the other three are just behind me. It’s pretty cold and I stay warm by hiking uphill to the saddle. Looking back at Lake Ohau:

At the top, I put on my red puffy coat since it’s still cold, cloudy and windy. At 9:30am it’s finally a little warmer, and I stop for a 2nd breakfast break. Some northbound hikers pass by, and Achille catches me. We walk together the rest of the morning, stopping for lunch at a sunny spot.

It’s finally getting warm, so I take off my coat, and hike in only the fleece vest. We are gradually approaching the Ahuriri River, it’s been in view for a couple hours.

At 2pm, we ford the Ahuriri River, the biggest unbridged river on the TA (this doesn’t include the “hazard zones” of the Rakaia & Rangitata Rivers).  The crossing goes smoothly, and the water is only just above knee-deep. Achille and I walk together, following a small river upstream for a couple hours. 

We arrive to Tin Hut at 5pm, and Amanda & Ruben arrive an hour later. John (Aussie) is already at the hut, so we have 5 people – perfect! We all talk and make jokes for 2 hours, and have dinner at 7pm. Some of the others stay awake and chat, I’m in bed at 9:15pm.

 

Day 95: Thursday February 7th, 23.4mi/37.6km

Tin Hut (2501.6/930m) to Pakituhi Hut (2539.2/1333m)

I woke up at 6:45am, and I slept sooo good! What a nice, quiet hut.

I leave at 7:30, right after Amanda & Ruben, and Achille is a few minutes behind me.

I pass them on the climb, and we all gather at Martha Saddle.

We take some photos for the 2500km marker, have some snacks, and then depart at 9:30am.

I stay with the group for 30 minutes, then I have fun charging down the hill. There’s a cool rock arrangment next to the trail!

I stop at Top Timaru Hut for an early lunch at 11:30am, and leave by noon. I pass the three of them having lunch at a trail junction 20 minutes later. The rest of the afternoon is on a sidle-trail along (and in) the Timaru River.

At least there is interesting scenery to distract me. Like tightly switchbacked trails. And waterfalls!

After 3.5 hours of that annoying slanty trail, I climb steeply 2km to Stody Hut. I take a 10 minute break, then continue up the more gradual climb.

I see John (Aussie) again, amazing timing! I get to Breast Hill at 6:30pm, which has spectacular views of Lake Hawea.

I run down to Pakituhi Hut, passing some friendly sheep along the way.

I arrive at 7:15pm, and the hut is very full with 13 people, and three of us end up sleeping on the floor. 

 

Day 96: Friday February 8th, 22.5mi/36.2km

Pakituhi Hut (2539.2/1333m) to Wanaka Lakeview Holiday Park (2575.4/291m)

I woke up from the floor of the hut at 6:30am, after I hear a couple of other hikers getting up. John, Andrew, and I pack up (we slept on the floor) and I get walking at 7:15am.

It’s a punishing descent of 900m over 4km down to the road, but the views are amazing!

It’s a nice morning walk along lake Hawea, and I stop for 2nd breakfast at 9:30am. I buy a breakfast pie and milkshake, and get a free soda pop! (someone paid for a soda for the next 4 TA hikers!). After 45 minutes, I resume hiking, and it’s hot now.  The walk along the Hawea River is beautiful, and I’m able to space out and relax. I also get to witness people trying to surf the standing wave in the river.

I get to a small town and order a $9 fish & chips special, with a beer.

Ha!

It’s so hot outside. The final walk along the Clutha River feels long, it’s hot, and there is alot of biker traffic.

Along the way, I get to see a wedding, and meet a guy who hiked the PCT over 3 years. The rest of the walk along Wanaka Lake is nice, and I arrive at the Wanaka Lakeview Holiday Park at 5pm. As I’m making my dinner in the kitchen, I see some familiar faces. Sarah and Mike are friends from Boston, who are on their honeymoon visiting NZ! What a coincidence we would be at the same holiday park on the same day!

I finish my dinner, and the three of us get ice cream and walk around downtown Wanaka. I eventually get to bed at 11pm.

Day 86: Tuesday January 29th, 15.6mi/25.1km

Lake Coleridge Village (2235.0/375m) to Clent Hills Saddle (2260.1/1480m)

Stu is not a morning person, so we don’t get up until 7:30am, and he isn’t awake until after 8am. Ugh…late day. After a nice breakfast, he is moving slowly and is very chatty. We finally leave at 9:30am, and get to town at 10:15am. I do my resupply in 18 minutes, and we are back in the car at 10:45am. A few more delays (gas, coffee), and then we are driving up a slow dirt road to the trailhead. It’s even slower with the occasional sheep blockade!

Stu drops us off at the trailhead at noon, and we finally hit the trail at 12:15pm. We are all a little frustrated by the slow pace of the day, but it’s nice to be hiking again. I don’t even notice that it’s hot, as we climb 500m up to Turton’s saddle. Looking ahead, towards the saddle:

Looking behind, at the Rakaia River:

We pass another Southbound hiker, he is only doing South Island. We take a short break at the top of the saddle, but there isn’t any shade so we don’t stay long. We continue down the backside, stopping briefly at the A-frame Hut, and again at Comyns Hut for snack breaks. After Comyns Hut, the trail leaves Turton’s Stream, and climbs up the Hakatere Stream. It’s a very narrow valley, so most of the time the trail is actually IN the stream. Just before 6pm, I see some northbound hikers coming our way. They look familiar! Dino DNA and Etch-a-Sketch, whom I met on the PCT in 2015, are living here in Christchurch NZ, and are hiking the South Island! Amazing coincidence.

All of us still have much more hiking to do before dark, so we only chat for a minute. Amanda, Ruben and I continue walking up the streambed, and after 2.5 hours of wet feet, we finally leave the stream. We hike thru tussock for another hour, arriving to our intended camp spot at 8pm. The view from the top of Clent Saddle (el. 1480m):

We quickly set up our tents and make dinner, since the sun has already set. I fall asleep quickly in my warm tent, in such a quiet peaceful spot.

 

Day 87: Wednesday January 30th, 21.3mi/34.3km

Clent Hills Saddle (2260.1/1480m) to Pond above Lake Clearwater (2294.4/885m)

It was a great night of sleep, and I get up in a dry (no dew!) tent at 6:30am, and hike out at 7am with Ruben and Amanda just 10 minutes behind me.

The scree trail is nice, but then the tussock trail makes a re-appearance…ugh.

Soon I get to a junction, and wait 45 minutes for the other two. I wonder if they took a detour…they’re faster hikers than I am! The trail is a nice 4wd track until our lunch spot, which is a nice sunny flat area. It’s HOT again, and I setup my umbrella for shade at the gravel parking lot and eat lunch.

The rest of the day is a roadwalk on gravel roads in the heat, then 5km on another 4wd track with no shade.

I stop at a creek for 30 minutes to cool down, and I linger long enough for the duo to catch up to me. We hike the last 5km to camp together, and arrive at 6pm. Our campsite is next to a pond, on a cliff overlooking Lake Clearwater.

It’s an amazing sunset!

We cook dinner behind their large Big Agnes tent, which blocks the wind pretty well.  After dinner, we discuss our strategy for crossing the Rangitata River (another TA hazard zone) tomorrow, and get to bed by 9:30pm.

 

Day 88: Thursday January 31st, 19.6mi/31.6km

Pond above Lake Clearwater (2294.4/885m) to Crooked Spur Hut (2314.1/1024m)

I wake up to the sound of Amanda and Ruben getting ready, and it’s 6:20am. I lay in bed for another 10 minutes, then eat breakfast inside my tent – the sandflies are back! We leave camp just after 7am, which makes me happy. I love my morning miles!

It’s an easy 10km walk on a nice trail thru fields, all the way to the Rangitata River.

Looking down on the Potts River, a tributary to the Rangitata River in the distance.

We stop for a nice shady break at a popular camp spot, and we meet two other Southbound hikers. They are waiting for “Wayne” who will give them a ride around the river this afternoon. After checking the river flow data, maps, and weather one more time, we head for the Rangitata River. A few minutes after heading out, we cross paths with a Northbound hiker who just forded the river, saying it was “simple as”. That’s encouraging! OK, off we go!

I record a GPS track from our departure point of the TA, to help us navigate to where the trail resumes again on the opposite side. The Rangitata is a braided glacial river, so it has many channels across the wide river valley. We cross each “braid” carefully.

After 3 hours and 12km, we are finished with the crossing. We stop for a late (1pm) lunch break under a bridge for shade. We walk a dirt road for a few minutes, then re-join the TA, which is named the “Bush Stream Track” in this section.

We hike up the Bush Stream for 2.5 hours, which is slow, but feels nice on a hot day.

The trail leaves Bush Stream, and we climb steeply for the last 1.5km to the hut.

We get to Crooked Spur Hut at 6pm, and just sit for awhile after the long day.

There is one other hiker in the hut, he doesn’t say much. After dinner, I’m in bed at the usual 9:30pm.

 

Day 89: Friday February 1st, 18.8mi/30.3km

Crooked Spur Hut (2314.1/1024m) to Camp Stream Hut (2344.4/1226m)

As I was going to sleep last night, a family of four showed up, so we had 8 people – a full hut! It was also very windy last night, so I didn’t sleep well with all the commotion. I got moving just after 7am, with Amanda/Ruben shortly behind me. It’s a quick hike up the first saddle at 1500m, but it was very windy all morning. I drop down the other side, the views are amazing!

The views continue further down the valley.

I get to Stone hut at 10:30am and have a quick snack break.

I depart, and 30 minutes later it starts to rain – very hard. I get to Royal Hut at 12:15pm, soaking wet from the waist down. I stay at the hut for 2 hours, drying off, eating lunch, and waiting for the storm to pass. The hut already has 10 occupants, all were very friendly.

Eventually Amanda/Ruben show up, and we all head out at 2:15pm. We hike up to Stag Saddle together, arriving at 4pm. It’s the highest point on the TA, 1925m!

Ruben and his 2300km marker!

We kinda had a yardsale of our backpacking gear…oops.

It’s an epic ridgewalk down from the saddle, my favorite on this whole trail so far. 

Amanda and Ruben coming down the ridge behind me.

Such an amazing ridgewalk, and perfect weather too! Lake Tekapo is in the distance.

We get to Camp Stream Hut at 7pm, and there are already 12 people camped there!

A couple brave hikers are staying in the hut itself, which is reported to be full of mice and spiders…no thanks.

I make dinner at 7:30pm and meet some of my fellow campers, and fall asleep at 9pm.

 

Day 90: Saturday February 2nd, 21.5mi/34.6km

Camp Stream Hut (2344.4/1226m) to Lake Tekapo Holiday Park (2379.0/727m)

I wake up early, which always seems easier with the excitement of a town day! I’m packed up quickly and hiking at 6:45am. I pass Amanda and Ruben 10 minutes later, they were camped a kilometer further down the trail. 

It’s COLD, like 6C. I have to get my feet wet in a stream crossing, which doesn’t help. Fortunately after the stream there is a 200m climb, which warms me up. The trail is in the shade for the next hour, so I hike in my red puffy coat. Finally, at 9am, the sun makes it over the mountains. 

I get passed by an American couple, they hike so fast. 

I get to the road at 10:45am, and it’s finally warm! I have a snack break at the trailhead, which has a funny sign.

Amanda & Ruben catch up to me here, and we all walk the 15km roadwalk to town. We get to Tekapo Lake at 2pm, and all the hostels and motels are full, so we reserve a campsite at a holiday park, 1km from town…ugh. I don’t like “bonus miles” in towns.

We stay in town and eat, use wi-fi, grocery shop, and eat ice cream. Ruben and I accidentally eat the entire 2L container of Hokey Pokey ice cream, oops! We finally walk to the holiday park at 7pm, make dinner, shower, and finally get to bed at 11pm. 

 

Day 83: Saturday January 26th, 13.3mi/21.4km

The Sanctuary Arthur’s Pass, via Morrison Footbridge (2163.1/751m) to Lagoon Saddle Hut (2178.8/1147m) + 5.7km road

I wake up later at 7am, knowing that the DOC office doesn’t open until 8am, where I need to pick up my food box (that I mailed to myself from Wellington). I walk down there at 8:30 and retrieve it, and also buy an ice cream, soda pop, and cheese on the walk back. I have breakfast back at the Sanctuary cabin, and take a 2nd shower too, ha! I lounge around until noon, finally hiking out at 12:30pm. It’s about an hour of roadwalking before I re-join the official TA route, and I make some phone calls to family as I’m walking.

The official TA route is another 9km of roadwalking, and I finally reach the start of the hiking trail at 4:30pm. I step onto the trail, and the soft dirt feels nice under my shoes, and it’s a nice switchbacked trail up thru a pine forest.

I climb 600m up to a ridge, where I have pretty amazing views down the Waimakariri River valley below.

I arrive to the Lagoon Saddle Hut at 6:15pm, and it’s quite a surprise, this hut is in a cool A-frame shape!

There are two other hikers at the hut, a Kiwi girl (Lis) and a German guy (?). We chat for several hours, I can tell we have similar personalities and are really enjoying each others’ company. We eat dinner together, and finally get to bed at 10pm.

 

Day 84: Sunday January 27th, 17.1mi/27.6km

Lagoon Saddle Hut (2178.8/1147m) to Harper River Camp (2206.4/530m)

I get up at 6:15am, and quietly pack up to avoid waking the other two people. I whisper goodbye to Lis, and start hiking at 6:40. It’s a surprisingly warm morning, and after 40 minutes, I catch Amanda & Ruben!

We hike together all day, taking at break at the West Harper Hut, which is gross. The swingbridge across the Harper River is fun!

We cross and re-cross the river several times.

Later, we take a lunch break next to the Harper River.

All afternoon we hike along the river, and there is no trees or shade, and it’s quite hot.

And re-crossing the river again.

The lack of trees makes for hot hiking, but it also means good views!

At lunch, we “swim” in the river, by doing river push-ups!

We continue on  the 4wd road, all the way to camp at the power station, which they’ve named “Harper River Camp”.  There’s also a funny sign near the entrance:

We get there at 4:15pm, and see two other northbound TA hikers, a French guy and a Kiwi girl. It’s hot and windy, so we walk the 1km down to the lake and go for a swim.

We have dinner together at 7pm, and talk about our plans for tomorrow for awhile, finally getting to bed at 9:30pm.

 

Day 85: Monday January 28th, 17.8mi/28.6km

Harper River Camp (2206.4/530m) to Lake Coleridge Village (2235.0/375m)

I get up early, since we have 28km to walk by 1pm. (There is a shuttle bus that *might* come then). I’m ready to go at 6:45, but we don’t start walking until 7am.

The road walk is uneventful, with only a few cars passing us all morning, and at very high speeds. These signs provide entertainment though!

The skies become clear, and at 9:30am the sun breaks out, and it’s hot again. I take a couple short breaks, but nothing too long.

At 11:30am we leave the road and do the 3k Lake Hill Track, a confusing mess of old jeep roads and poor trail.

We hike another road, and of course our bovine friends are watching us.

We arrive at the pickup spot at 1pm. There is already another hiker there, and we all wait together. The shuttle bus never arrives, and at 2:30pm the three of us head to a hitching spot. We find a map of the area, and decide that the town of Methven is our target.

A local guy named Stu drives by and offers us a place to stay, and a promise of a ride across the river the next day. We accept his very nice offer, and he shows us the mighty Rakaia River along the way.

The Rakaia River is a large braided glacial river, and is generally considered uncrossable. It is one of three “hazard zones” on the TA, where hikers have to get a ride around the river or lake. The trail resumes on the opposite riverbank.

Back at Stu’s house, we enjoy a huge dinner of burgers, salad and cake at 8pm, and then pass out by 10pm.

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…