GC Chronicles

Rakaia and Rangitata

“Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration”
Thomas Edison

Day 82 to 86

Day 82 – Arthurs Pass to Hamilton Hut ; 23 km
Day 83 – Hamilton Hut to Lake Coleridge ; 40 km (Rakaia River Hazard)
Day 84 – Double Hill to Comyns Hut ; 20 km
Day 85 – Comyns Hut to Lake Emily ; 23 km
Day 86 – Lake Emily to Mt Potts ; 31 km (Rangitata River Hazard)

Total hiked: 2335 km

The trot from Bealey meant we were leaving the gorgeous Arthurs Pass behind and sadly back along a state highway, this time as we headed into Craigieburn Forest Park.

After a sweaty, steady climb around Mt Bruce we headed up over Lagoon Saddle where we stopped for lunch and were greeted with a delightful surprise. No sandflies! Outside lunches… yay. 🙂

Trotting alongside Harper River we followed a severely washed out valley for many kilometres meaning rock hoping, river crossings and many lost trail moments before making it to Hamilton Hut. I was very grateful for the long, hot days walk to be over and ecstatic to take off the pack. One day without a pack and I became a weakling haha.

The next day involved a little of everything; river crossings, farm track, lake sightings, mountain views, road walking and hitchhiking.

Unfortunately due to the nature of the Rakaia and Rangitata Rivers Te Araroa trail has identified hazard zones or ‘natural breaks in the continuum’ that they ask hikers to bypass. Similarly to the Cook Strait these bodies of water are to ferried across, shuttled around or in our case from Lake Coleridge to Methven hitched. It took three hitches and some road walking but we made it out of the rain and to the town just in time for fries and some beersies. 😛

Fully fledged connoisseurs of beersies and fries 😛

Not wanting to stretch our hitchhiking luck too far, for getting back on trail and the subsequent river bypass we organised a shuttle and headed to Double Hill the following morning.

The next section, while geographically hard to define as it sits between different valleys and mountain ranges can really be best described as wet! Whether that was from the sweat dripping off my back, forehead and even chin the first day, the second days 58 river crossings (I’m not kidding) or the numerous lakes we trotted past on the third day… this section was wet.

Views of the Rakaia River from Turtons Saddle

Climbing alongside Glenroch Stream we made it to the top of Turtons Saddle and down Turtons Stream towards our hut for the night. I’m going to blame the stream for why I look so wet in any photo, not the copious amount of sweat running off me… all the streams fault. 😉

The subsequent morning, seriously I’m not kidding, we crossed Hakatere River and Hill Creek River 58 times before making it up and over Clent Hills Saddle and back down towards more rivers. 58 times!

After passing Seagull and Manuka Lake we climbed up and over Mt Emily before setting up tent for the night with a magnificent view of her lake.

Awaking in the morning to low set fog hiding Lake Emily from view we ate porridge then set off for more lake sightings including Māori Lakes, Lake Camp and Lake Clearwater before finally making it to Mt Potts and the Rangitata River for our next shuttle.

Trot trot trot… getting closer to Bluff with each step!

Oh and extra thanks to Darren, Mike and the three lovely individuals who picked us up on our bypassing adventure. Otherwise we would probably still be trotting the 90+ kilometres around the river to Geraldine.

Pass, Pass, Pass

“We were a fresh page on the desk. Filling in the blanks as we go.
As if the street lights pointed in an arrowhead. Leading us home.
And I hope I never lose you. Hope it never ends”
Taylor Swift – Cornelia Street

Day 77 to 81

Day 77 – Boyle Village to Hope Kiwi Hut ; 25 km
Day 78 – Hope Kiwi Hut to Hurunui No. 3 Hut ; 27 km
Day 79 – Hurunui No. 3 Hut to Kiwi Hut ; 23 km
Day 80 – Kiwi Hut to Aickens ; 14 km
Day 81 – Aickens to Bealey ; 29 km

Total hiked: 2198 km

We trotted through a lot of passes this section. To be more specific Harpers Pass, Goat Pass and Arthurs Pass.

Whilst the passes involved many different mountains, rivers, valleys, bogginess and hoards of sandflies there was one common theme throughout. A sense of contentment. I could say I felt at equilibrium but that word sounds too scientific for a trot and makes me think of pipettes, beakers and centrifuging. You know all the classic things they put in blockbuster movies to make you think – science! So instead I will describe a feeling… very unscientific. 😉

Close your eyes and… no no that’s silly you’re reading my blog, instead I would like you to imagine.

You are standing in grassy meadow. There is an early morning dew on the ground forcing the lower half of your legs and feet to be damp. Walking in and out of bog all morning your feet have adopted a wrinkly chill about them that you can’t seem to escape. But as you trot through the fields you spot movement up ahead.

In the distance is a herd of deer, maybe five or six all with their heads down eating grass or drinking from the lake. As you trot closer they notice you and scatter into the surrounding forest.

Around you in every direction are trees extending high up and over the mountainous slopes. Carrying on through the forest you hear the constant hum of wasps above, trickles of nearby streams and waterfalls, occasional scrambles of rocks against the riverbed and flutters of fantail wings in the trees. The sun begins to gleam through the tree canopy and you hope at some point this morning you might feel your toes again. 😛 You are in Hope Valley and later that day will climb Harpers Pass.

Next pretend you are bundled up in your thermal top, beanie, mittens and socks with your usual trotting attire overtop. The comforting snuggness is all you have as you rock hop, scale boulders and cling to the sides of cliff faces on your pursuit to the summit.

The forceful rivers make you sway sideways but you thankfully never loose your footing as you stagger or rock hop across. The freezing cold water makes you grateful that it’s only knee-thigh high and you haven’t fallen in. Without a pack on you back you feel weightless. Despite your fear of heights, river crossings or slipping this light, nimble feeling almost gives you a super power and you effortlessly leap from boulder to boulder, growing stronger and more sure of your footing with each jump.

Your confidence improves as the summit gets ever little bit closer which only increases your speed until you round the top and euphoria overwhelms you. You did it. You made it to the top of Goat Pass!

Lastly I want you imagine a bluebird day. As the sunshine beams through the pine trees, not a cloud in the sky, nor wind about the air is calm and cosy. With an icecream in one hand and a coffee on the table you are the perfect balance of sweet, bitter, hot and cold. The biggest decision is what to have first. Knowing you have the afternoon to catch up on trail planning, washing, shoe repairs and a food resupply you decide to take this moment to enjoy what’s right in front of you and close your eyes. Soak in the sunshine. Relax your muscles. Clear your mind. Just be. Well until you hear the squawk of a nearby bird and open one eyelid to spy a kea eyeing up your fingers icecream cone… maybe best to relax inside. Arthur’s Pass, where icecream dreams and kea avoidance relationships are made. 😉

Over the past five days N.D and I trotted from Boyle Village to Bealey, crossed over Harpers and Goat Pass and stayed one night in Arthurs Pass in between. While the valleys provided amazing wildlife spotting opportunities and the passes breathtaking views, it was the feeling of happiness, confidence and peace I had that I truly cherished. I felt content.

Just a gal dancing to Tay Tay, Cornelia Street to be specific

I would like to give special mentions to:

the ridiculously hot natural hot pool in Hope Valley. I know it’s called a hot pool but seriously that would give third degree burns if you soaked in there! Everyone keep the cold piping tube in at all times.
sandflies. The number of sandflies was crazy enough, let alone how blood thirsty and savage they behaved.
deception-minga trail. For those more familiar with the Coast to Coast this is that trail. While yes it is technical it’s nothing TA walkers haven’t done before and I think it gets a lot hate and avoidance for a really fun trail with awesome views 🙂
Bill, at The Sanctuary in Arthurs Pass. I couldn’t not mention the ultimate, kindest, sweetest, most genuine man, the legend, the true essence of a trail angel; Bill. He owns the backpackers ‘The Sanctuary’ and went above and beyond when we stayed their. He took N.D and myself to and from the trailhead both days, gave us a lovely tour of the accommodation, recommended places to eat in Arthurs Pass, helped repair our trail shoes, met us after we slack-packed Goat Pass with our packs and dropped us off at Bealey. Seriously the loveliest of humans and a real G.C – great chap!

Happy trotting everyone. And if you’re ever passing through Arthurs Pass stay with Bill! 🙂

Nelson Lakes

“You can’t always see the light at the end of
the tunnel, but if you just keep moving you will come to a better place. “
Iroh – Avatar: The Last Airbender

Day 72 to 76

Day 72 – St Arnaud to John Tait Hut ; 24 km
Day 73 – John Tait Hut to Blue Lake Hut ; 21 km
Day 74 – Blue Lake Hut to Waiau Hut ; 16 km
Day 75 – Waiau Hut to Anne Hut ; 26 km
Day 76 – Anne Hut to Boyle Village ; 29 km

Total hiked: 2080 km

I am social. If you know me, you know this about me. I’m friendly, excessively chatty and love being around people. If you don’t know me, then hi my name is Alex and I am social.

Delayed cake… but TA birthday celebration none the less 🙂 Chuffed.

Some people are introverted and content in their own company. While I have spent a great deal of this trot alone and working on being happy and accepting of myself I can’t deny the fact that naturally I am extroverted and need to talk to someone! So as you can imagine when the opportunity arose to have a rest day in Nelson and see Jeni and Gary I was chuffed. Sadly as I have found with every day that follows a social excursion, when N.D and I returned to St Arnaud and were back on trail I wasn’t fully in it anymore. The feelings of isolation, absence and loneliness I felt when I would previously return to trail resurfaced. The difference was I now had N.D. So while my habit of finding the first day back tough, trying to get into the grove of trotting and distracting myself with things to look forward to emerged, I could actually chat to someone!

Working through these feelings amongst the gloomy, wet weather as we made our way to Lakehead Hut and then John Tait Hut for the night I discussed feeling ‘off’. We agreed that the best way to deal with these emotions is to sometimes just keep going and you’ll find your way through. And fortunately we were right.

The next morning I awoke bright and early at 5am to a bluebird, sunny day for the Travers Saddle and the rest of the beautiful Nelson Lakes ahead. 🙂

The early morning wake up was required that day as we aimed to climb Travers Saddle and make it past two huts, Upper Travers and West Sabine to stay at Blue Lake Hut that evening. But I’m still not a morning person haha.

While climbing up the Travers Saddle, around the scree slopes, waterfalls and in the presence of some awe worthy mountains I exclaimed to N.D “this might be my favourite day on trail”. The weather was perfect, the scenery beautiful and I felt great. Company was also not half bad. 😉

N.D replied “really? todays your favourite, but what about the Waiau Pass tomorrow?”. Hmm I thought, he’s probably right, given how stunning this is I bet it’ll be spectacular. “Well for now todays my favourite day on trail and tomorrow can be my new favourite day when it arises!”. I had just become an inspirational bumper sticker. But it got me thinking… what if everyday you tried to ‘live it to be your best day’… you’d end up with a lot of favourite days! That would be pretty incredible 🙂

The early morning start meant we had plenty of time to marvel at the breathtaking views from the Travers Saddle (1787 metres) which did become my favourite part of the entire Nelson Lakes National Park. We even fit in one, two or five muesli bar snack breaks along the way including a long lunch and many go go juice stops. Overall it was a fantastic day 🙂 and ending it at Blue Lake Hut and seeing the clearest water in the world wasn’t too bad either.

Blue Lake/Rotomairewhenua and Lake Constance/Rotopohueroa make up the valley floor of the Franklin Ridge. Lake Constance which is damned by the Sabine River slowly seeps into Blue Lake (well not after heavy rainfall or in flood like it was when we trotted past) . Eventually the fan of debris that is gradually moving from the Mahanga Range will impede the flow from the lake and completely infill it. Until then they are both pretty spectacular, especially when viewed higher up from Waiau Pass.

During this track I also passed a milestone; 2000 kilometres trotted on the trail! I’ve completed over two thirds of Te Araroa. Just 1000 ish kilometres to go 😛

2000 kilometres trotted!!!

The next day we trotted up over Waiau Pass and down along the river to Waiau Hut. If I made that sound chill then you are very mistaken. At 1870 metres tall Waiau Pass is the tallest thing to date N.D and I have scaled on Te Araroa and will be the second tallest ascent of the entire trail. Aside from the scree slopes we slogged up to make it to the top of the pass, the descent proved even steeper and much more technical. With shear slate rock face and slippery stones the poled route required rock climbing (or falling) talent to make it down and all while at a great height or on a cliff edge. Let’s just say I was happy when we made it to the river.

The remainder of the coming days trot to Anne Hut, past Boyle Flats Hut and out to Boyle Village went easy. A mix of one scorching hot and one overcast, tempting to rain day reminded us of why we get up early or why we should pack our rain gear and warm gloves at the top of the pack.

Overall we thoroughly enjoyed our time in Nelson Lakes, the stunning scenery and copious amount of food we consumed (we learnt from the previous section to overpack food because we will eat it all) and keen to trot on to the sections ahead.

The sign said saddle… so I rode it obviously

Richmond Ranges

“It’s not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.”
Sir Edmund Hillary

Day 65 to 71

Day 65 – Havelock to Captains Creek Hut ; 43 km
Day 66 – Captains Creek Hut to Rocks Hut ; 10 km
Day 67 – Rocks Hut to Starveall Hut ; 19 km
Day 68 – Starveall Hut to Rintoul Hut ; 19 km
Day 69 – Rintoul Hut to Top Wairoa Hut ; 22 km
Day 70 – Top Wairoa Hut to Porters Creek Hut ; 17 km
Day 71 – Porters Creek Hut to St Arnaud ; 31 km

Total hiked: 1964 km

How to describe a week of WOW.

Everything happened.

The weather turned terrible then fantastic.

The terrain changed from bushy beech, to magnificent mountains, to a flurry of rivers, to enchanted forest, to windy ridge lines and even to gigantic boulder hopping and desert sand.

The views were spectacular!

The river crossings almost became trail ending (well for my left trotting pole)

The mountain goats were in abundance every way we looked. 🙂

The wasps even made their dominance known. 😦

Overall wow.

Best part of the TA. So far…

We started from Havelock with excitement, anticipation and a hot coffee for N.D and chocolate thickshake for me (one of us needs a little more sugar in the mornings 😛 ). Making our way to Perlous Bridge we had the first of our bounce boxes eagerly awaiting us. Having pre-packed these months ago with food and other goodies for the more remote parts of our South Island adventure, neither of us could remember exactly what the contents were and on opening the box wondered how we were going to fit it all into our bags.

The Richmond Ranges is renowned for being a tough section of the trail but all worth it when you experience the extraordinary scenery. And boy did the views deliver!

We started the next section along the Pelorus River Track which encompasses 44 kilometres of trail from the river cafe through to Hackett Hut where the official start of the Te Araroa Richmond Ranges Trail begins and continues for 94 more kilometres to SH63 and then St Arnaud.

The initial trot involved a farm road which as the rain poured down developed rock waterfalls and flooding, all while we chatted about what to eat first that evening to lighten the bags. Sadly this distracted us to the first wasp attack, sneakily landing on N.Ds pack while we took a break he was painfully greeted with a sting as the bag went back on. 😦 The remainder of the track was on a hiking trail towards Captain Creek and fortunately uneventful with many fun swing bridge crossings.

Day two the rain sadly continued and the goats came out to enjoy the fresh wet grass which I enjoyed watching. Our trot past Middy Creek Hut remained wet but with every bridge crossing and sighting of the ever rising and powerful Pelorus River I was happy to be on the trail. From Middy to Rocks Hut the trail diverts off the Pelorus Track and instead follows an old mining route. We made it to The Rocks Lookout before the cloud completely set in and were treated to views of Mt Richmond and Mt Fell.

The third day we crossed from the Pelorus River section to the Richmond Ranges; but not without traversing multiple slips, fallen trees, high river detours, Browning Hut and Hackett Hut first. While on this track we caught glimpses of Nelson city below and waved to Jeni and Gary who would be our delightful ‘trail angels’ at the end of the week. From Hackett to Starveall Hut we crossed Hackett and Weka Creek multiple times, each time hoping it was the last as we would ‘submarine’ our shoes, adopt a wide stance, unclip the bag straps and waddle across. Fortunately the river wasn’t too forceful and we safely navigated across 9-10 crossings, ranging from mid-thigh to waist deep. Little did we know it’s normally only ankle deep this time of year. On making it to the hut we sadly had no view but did get reception which N.D took full advantage of to watch Israel destroy Whittaker while I enjoyed one of my favourite dinners on trail… potatoe and gravy 😛

Our fourth day was definitely my favourite in the Richmond Ranges and for two very tall reasons; the Rintouls. After a morning ascent of Mt Starveall to Slaty Hut for a cuppa, along the ridge line, stopping for a quick picture and bypassing Old Man Hut we were faced with our afternoon ahead… summiting the highest peaks of the Richmond Ranges.

That afternoon after some scree and rock scrambling, a lot of sweat, a bottle of sugared water and many muesli bars N.D and myself summited Big and Lil Rintoul mountains. At 1643 metres tall Little Rintoul was the first achievement which then involved a very steep descent to only climb further up to Mt Rintoul at 1731 metres tall. The views were spectacular 🙂 . The entire Richmond Ranges could be seen, the sky was bluebird clear, the wind had settled and we basked in the achievement of climbing these big maunga and what we were being rewarded with as a result!

Still with a smile on my face we slipped and slid down Mt Rintouls scree slope towards the appropriately named Rintoul Hut, but not before N.D could trip on a large rock piercing his gaiter and swelling his right ankle, all while I being very cautious not to slip the entire descent got excited at seeing the tree line and lost my footing only to roll my ankle.

Day five started similarly to our previous mornings with an early ascent, this time of Mt Purple Top followed by a steep, steep descent en route to lunch, but not before stopping for second breakfast and elevensies. This was becoming quite the trail trotting and snacking routine in the Richmonds; morning climb, lunch descent and you guessed it, afternoon river crossings. All with two hourly, sometimes hourly if I could convince N.D muesli bar stops and go go juice sips. This day did not falter from the routine. After a lunch stop at Mid Wairoa Hut where N.D took a quick dip in the river (little did he know he would be swimming in it later rescuing my pole) we began our river crossing afternoon up to Top Wairoa Hut.

Sadly what started out as a great morning turned into a horrible day for myself for a few reasons. The trail up to Top Wairoa Hut was more technical than the previous with cliff edge traversing, multiple river crossings, narrow step holds, some rock climbing, navigating around a lot of fallen trees and slippery rocks making it a slower trot and requiring more concentration. Despite my best efforts I managed to slip and fall in the stream while crossing and let go of my left trotting pole. Helplessly I watched on as it quickly floated down stream joining the much larger Wairoa River thought to be lost forever. Very fortunately N.D hadn’t given up as soon as I and charged past me, stripping off to his undies and diving into the river eventually saving my pole! While I was chuffed to have my pole back and relieved I hadn’t seriously hurt myself, the slip into the stream did shake my confidence and I proceeded to find the rest of the trail quite intimidating and started to slip down mud banks or trip over tree branches more and more frequently. When I asked how N.D was feeling he exclaimed that this was his favourite track to date because of the terrain variation and technical aspect. To make matters worse while in my mood slump and with track hesitation I managed to get stung by a wasp. 😦

It was during this moment that I realised I could let this afternoon trot ruin the rest of my day or accept the fact that yes this is challenging and scary at times but that’s part of the Te Araroa trail! I want to broaden my hiking experience and gain new skills, there’s no harm in being scared of something you don’t know and by the end of this I should feel more confident at it. In the mean time I can take the track slower, I have N.D here as reassurance and without being on this track I wouldn’t see these amazing views 🙂 oh and N.D also got stung again by a wasp and is still smiling so I can at least try have a good time!

What a change a day can make. The sixth day saw us climbing up another maunga in the morning once again, only to end up surrounded in desert like terrain with red rocks and a sandy ground. I saw more mountain goats which always brings a smile to my face. We boulder hopped around and down Mt Ellis, then alongside the Motueka River to Hunters Hut for lunch. Later crossing more rivers, we continued our desert like trot to Porters Creek Hut for the night.

Seventh and final day saw N.D and I trotting alongside the Maitland River in tree cover for most of the morning, before breaking for lunch at Red Hill Hut and beginning our final descent of the Richmond Ranges out and towards St Arnaud (not without a road walk first of course).

Upon making it to St Arnaud we were very happy to have completed the Richmond Ranges, chuffed at the views and trail we trotted, pleased at our decision to walk bigger distances and less days so we could eat more food and over the moon when we saw Gary and Jeni arrive to whisk us away to Nelson for a rest day! Thank you so much Gary and Jeni :).

Queen Charlotte Track

“The rule is you have to dance a little bit in the morning because it changes the way you walk out in the world.”
Sandra Bullock

Day 62 to 64

Day 62 – Picton to Camp Bay ; 28 km
Day 63 – Camp Bay to Cowshed Bay ; 22 km
Day 64 – Cowshed Bay to Havelock ; 39 km

Total hiked: 1803 km

On leaving Wellington I was excited!

Not only was I leaving the North Island ready to start my first trot on the South Island and had my favourite trotting buddy in tow but I was crossing the Cook Strait for the first time 🙂

The South Island started with a water taxi ride to Ship Cove and the Captain Cook Monument symbolising the start of the Queen Charlotte Track.

Spanning 71 kilometres the track runs from Ship Cove to Anakiwa. To describe the Queen Charlotte as a trail would be a bit of a stretch think more trail highway. With compact clay ground, wide passages, meandering and sometimes undulating summits or saddles this trail is the crème brûlée of comfort hiking. Unfortunately due to the weather that followed us from Wellington, the prospect of gentle days trotting while marvelling at the Queen Charlotte/Totaraui and Kenepuru Sound, followed by sea swims and sun kissed evenings wasn’t so. Instead we had hummid days with intermittent rain showers and one attempt at swimming which was beyond freezing!

Various views of the sounds… some better than others 😉

A very big plus side though was that we had extra company for these three days… with the addition of José and Mark (N.Ds parents). The Yahtzee games, evening drinks, trotting companions and added banter made the weather an insignificant factor in what was a really enjoyable trot in a region neither of us had explored. Oh and I shouldn’t forget about the food. So so so much delicious food was consumed, from lemon-coconut cake, to gourmet filled crackers/wraps, gin cocktails, chicken pasta and lentil curries. Our tums were very satisfied! Thanks a lot José 🙂

The track passes many saddles, summits, coves and bays which all offer amazing views of the sounds, mountains and surrounding beaches. In particular Eatwells Lookout provided stunning views across Endeavour Inlet 🙂

The trot through the Queen Charlotte Track reminded me that it’s your mindset and the people you surround yourself with that can change your day from average to great. Try to get up every morning keen for any adventure that awaits you and ready for whatever comes your way! Be friendly. Be kind. Be ready to smile, laugh and maybe even dance a little 😛 Because that can be the difference between a day spent sad at the weather and missed beach swim or chuffed at the summits reached, sweaty brows and well deserved beer with family and friends 🙂

Far better views of the sounds with great people:)

From the Queen Charlotte Track we waved farewell to José and Mark and began our road walk towards Havelock where we celebrated a big trot and future Richmond Ranges adventure the only way we know how…

Happy trotting everyone… or should I say dancing 😉

Wellington

“There is a past version of you that is so proud of how far you have come.”
Paulo Coelho

Day 61

Day 61 – Wellington to Picton ; 22 km

Total hiked: 1714 km

Wow. I did it! I conquered one island. Not only that I kind of conquered myself.

Truth be told I started this walk to reset myself. Not just my career and future aspirations but mainly my relationship with myself. I did not start this walk liking myself. While I know that sounds strange to some people if you read that and felt something then you probably get what I mean (and to you I am truly sorry and hope this next part helps).

When I was having a particularly bad day (who am I kidding months) someone asked me what I liked about myself and I couldn’t answer. I liked nothing. I didn’t understand why people would want to talk to me, see me, date me, be friends with me, let alone trust to work alongside me and take my advice. I didn’t like a single thing about myself. Anything good that happened I saw as lucky and anything bad I saw as intentional and my own fault. Nothing seemed worth it anymore. Starting this walk was as much about accomplishing kilometres daily as it was about forcing myself to reset in a new environment. Re-think what I was doing with my life. Try to like myself.

On entering Wellington and trotting through the streets and up Mount Victoria/Tangi Te Keo/Matairangi I remembered walking the same track with N.D almost a year ago. We had just attended Home Grown music festival and were supposed to be enjoying our final day before returning to work. All I really remember of that day was crying. I cried a lot back then. Now it seems almost poetic that on my final day in the North Island, back on this maunga, looking out across Wellington city I am smiling. Soon to reach the end of the island I have a completely different mindset and am actually happy. Whilst talking to myself (its normal I swear) I said aloud “I like me!”. To any passer-by fortunately there were none that would have seemed odd but for me its a pretty big deal. I actually like me!

Top of Mount Victoria

Carrying on the trot towards Island Bay the rain and wind continued as we climbed up, over and around Mount Alfred and Mount Albert/Ōwairaka/Te Ahi kā a Rakataura along the Southern Walkway.

The slide was on the trail, I had to do it 😛

Throughout the trot I was reminded of a hindu proverb that I learnt from one of my books back when I was trotting in Northland ; Īśvara praṇidhāna – surrender to the universe. It seemed an appropriate theme for my journey so far. How I got started deciding to walk the length of the country, COVID protocols, lockdowns, traffic light systems, border restrictions, injuries, accidents, weather and peoples opinions are all factors that for the most part are out of our control. But as easy as you can let these factors effect you and your decisions, you can also just accept that shit happens and to let it be. Relax. Go with the flow. Surrender to the universe. 🙂

With that in mind the sunny day I had hoped for as I completed the North Island section of Te Araroa became less important than reaching the northern terminus with a smile on my face and surrounded by the people who helped me get here.

The final kilometre of the North Island saw my parents, soaked and wind blown meet N.D and I as we trotted towards Shortland Park and all posed for a photo. I had done it! I had trotted one island of New Zealand/Aotearoa 🙂 better yet I was surrounded by some of the lovely people who had helped get me here!!!

Now just to cross the Cook Strait/Te Moana-o-Raukawa and walk the other island, surely it can’t be that different… well we will see 😉

“The longest relationship of your life is with yourself. Make it a good one.”
Diane Vin Furstenberg

Kāpiti Coast

“Find someone who sees your madness as magic”
J Strelou

Day 59 to 60

Day 59 – Waikanae to Plimmerton ; 38 km
Day 60 – Plimmerton to Wellington ; 32 km

Total hiked: 1692 km

While some people may divide a trail in regards to towns passed, kilometres trotted or the various tracks they complete, I will instead separate the Kāpiti Coast as per the snack stops we took. 🙂

Starting the morning the right way we finished the leftover pizza and cookie time icecream from my birthday celebration (breakfast of champions 😛 ) and watched some of the surf competition from Pipe.

Urban trotting (trying to make road walking sound exciting) was in full swing as we set off from Waikanae towards Wellington. Having just completed the Tararuas we were both happy to not have an immediate morning climb or descent, but the foot rest was short lived as our soles started pounding pavement.

Following along Waikanae River, past a domain, through a board walked estuary and scenic reserve you would’ve thought we had never eaten based on the amount ND and I talked about the food we wanted to consume… more like inhale. With Kāpiti Island in full view from Paraparaumu beach what better place to stop for a coffee and scone break 😉

Along Paraparaumu beach we continued to Raumati beach, through the dunes of Queen Elizabeth Park and onto Paekākāriki. We trotted to Geoff and Sues lovely home in Paekākāriki and were greeted by Geoff, their cute dog and a buffet of salmon, relish, olives and flat bread… delish. After one or three coffees (I struggled to say no) we continued on to the highlight of the day!

Situated between Paekākāriki and Pukerua Bay the Escarpment Track traverses high above State Highway 1 and the Wellington railway. Reaching 220 metres above sea level, it passes through Kohekohe forest, ascends many stairs and steep rocky terrain, zig-zags narrow cliff edges and across two swing bridges all to offer spectacular views of the Wellington region, Mt Taranaki, Kāpiti Island and trains screeching past. It was great!

Okay trotter. Poor filmographer. 😛

We even saw sheep having a meeting on the train tracks which I thoroughly enjoyed providing commentary for.

The end of track finished very conveniently across from a dairy which provided lots of sugary (for one of us) hydration and set us back on our urban trail through Pukerua Bay and Plimmerton.

The following day bought rain. Lots and lots of rain. And wind. Then some more rain. Unfortunately mixing a windy, wet Wellington with hills wasn’t an entirely enjoyable experience but we tried to make the best of it.

The trail from Porirua passes through the town square (where a coffee stop was greatly appreciated for both an energy boost and hand warmer) along an industrial track and up Colonial Knob/Rangituhi. From the summit we continued along the exposed ridge line towards Mt Kaukau. Unfortunately due to high winds, constant rain and nowhere to shelter from the elements I started to get quite chilly; with a constant fog and not a view insight we decided to descend the track and continue via road.

Getting to the top of Colonial Knob… bit wet

While not the ideal plan, we had both completed the tracks on our previous visit last year and were happy to be able to hide from the wind in the awning of the buildings. The suburban trot was a reminder of how good we had it just a few days ago in the Tararuas and got us excited for the South Island adventures to come. Well that and every train that zoomed past I yelled TRAIN and was captivated by until it left, who doesn’t find that exciting haha.

Through Trelissick Park, over Te Ahumairangi Hill/Tinakori past the Botanic Gardens and ending at the Cable Car terminus was a flashback from our visit to the city last year. However this time even with mini swamps in both my trail shoes,

I was more chuffed to walk past the Beehive and over the Te Araroa plaque in the concrete knowing I was every bit closer to finishing the North Island.

Oh and this day wouldn’t be complete without another drink stop and catch up with a great friend – thanks Yuhan 🙂

Tararua Ranges

“Don’t climb mountains so that the world can see you. Climb mountains so that you can see the world”
David McCullough

Day 55 to 58

Day 55 – Levin to Te Matawai Hut ; 13 km
Day 56 – Te Matawai Hut to Nichols Hut ; 12 km
Day 57 – Nichols Hut to Pārāwai Hut ; 19 km
Day 58 – Pārāwai Hut to Waikanae ; 24 km

Total hiked: 1622 km

Now the real hiking begins!!!

The first half of the country was just a warm-up for the mountain ranges, summits and passes to come. As I headed towards the Tararua Ranges I not only had new shoes for this bigger adventure but also a new trotting buddy… more on him later.

Day one of the ranges wasn’t an easy trot. After leaving Levin we took the Gable Ridge Track towards Te Matawai Hut. With over 1400 metres of elevation we eventually made it to the hut sweaty, tired and having both vocalised our displeasure at all descents just to struggle back up to the ridge line at the next bend; but overall it was great to be back on a tramping track out in nature (natures neat!) with amazing views and to have my favourite trotting buddy with me 🙂

The following day we climbed over 1400 metres of elevation again, this time summiting Mt Pukematawai at 1432 metres tall; it would be the second tallest maunga we climbed in the Tararuas. We lunched at Dracophyllum Hut/Bivy and then continued our trot up, up, up to finish the day at Nichols Hut. If you were anywhere in the ranges that afternoon you may have heard the rave moving up Mt Nichols and no they haven’t built a club in the ranges it was just our motivation tunes 😛

The third day in the Tararuas bought with it an early morning start, a long day of trotting, very sweaty foreheads but all completely worth while!

Mt Crawford was our morning ascent; at 1462 metres it was our highest peak in the ranges and did not disappoint. With views of Mt Ruapehu, Mt Taranaki, Kapiti Island and the South Island we could truly see it all… well we had views while we climbed up and down the maunga, sadly the clouds rolling through the ranges meant little was to be seen when we were actually on the very top.

Mt Crawford Views

The decent continued along a ridge line for an hour or so with ongoing westerly winds and occasional 30-40 knot gusts that left one of us quite concerned they’d be blown off, I’ll let you decide which one 😉

Joining my TA trot was something both N.D and I were looking forward to. Him for the adventure and to complete trails in the South Island he hasn’t done before, me to share this with someone and be able to climb to the top of a peak and look across at someone chuffed at what we have achieved. The views make the climb, sweat and quad pain worthwhile, to see parts of your country you haven’t from heights you didn’t know you could achieve is something great… but for me being able to share that feeling is the true joy!

On entering the bush line we were greeted with more descent, 1400 metres of continuous descent to be exact. All the way down to the Waitewaiwai Hut where we breaked for lunch and to apologise to my knees! Not before crossing a swing bridge across Ōtaki River though; gotta love a good swing bridge.

The trail from the hut meandered through moss covered forest with various stream crossings and subsequently took a bypass route around a giant slip. What we didn’t expect was all the detours around other fallen tree trunks on the bypass track; we detoured a detour. After completing more descent (the knees were really not happy with me by the end of the day), passing around bigger slips and eventually stumbling across another swing bridge we made it to Parawai Hut for the night. Finishing a 2300 metres total decent day was a new record and we celebrated by eating a lot of chocolate, rice and lentils to lighten our packs before our last day out of the Tararua Ranges.

The addition of N.D to trail not only bought companionship but also culinary expertise. My former diet of two minute noodles and soup packets was replaced with wraps, lentils, vegetables, chicken & tomato pasta, peanut butter and fruit bread! It was a very tasty change 🙂

The forth and final day in the Tararua Ranges was a particularly exciting one for me as it was my birthday. While not normally one who enjoys celebrating their birthday, I decided it’s not every year you’re out on a thru hike turning a year older so with the limited food remaining I was going to make the most of it. Well that and we were walking into Waikanae that evening so if my breakie extravaganza didn’t quite live up to the hype I had tasty town treats to look forward to 😛

With Tay Tay in full sing we trotted to the end of the Tararua Ranges and I couldn’t have been happier to be on flat ground. At least for a bit.

Happy trail trotting everyone… especially those who are 28 and feeling great 😛

Special Spot

“Believe you can and you’re halfway there”
Theodore Roosevelt

Day 49 to 54

Day 49 – Whanganui to Bulls ; 40 km
Day 50 – Bulls to Feilding ; 25 km
Day 51 – Feilding to Palmerston North ; 26 km
Day 52 – Palmerston North to Moturimu; 31 km plus 19 km around town to keep my kilometres the same as the trail haha
Day 53 – Moturimu to Tokomaru ; 15 km
Day 54 – Tokomaru to Levin ; 22 km

Total hiked: 1554 km

On leaving Whanganui I waved goodbye to Dad and briefly the official trail.

Whanganui tram

The next portion of the trail involved a tidal river crossing to Koitiata; given the 20:40 low tide, my previous crossing experience and the fact that I was back to being a solo trotter I didn’t fancy a nighttime swim in a foreign current nor the very large road bypass. So a detour it was.

Previous seasons trails have passed from Whanganui to Bulls and I was already planning to trot quite a bit of road to Palmerston North anyway, so with the old trail route in mind I set off. At least I was still headed south.

My body is a temple… filled with ‘complex’ carbohydrates; this one called a pineapple lump donut 😉

Bulls; what to say, it’s unbelieva-bull, no that’s not right, it’s incredi-bull, no no, it’s adora-bull, that’s it! It’s the town full of bull puns and rightly so, look anywhere and you’ll see a bull. It was also the first time on trail that I was pleased to pose with a bull, plastic of course 😛

Trotting to Feilding I passed more state highway, many bull paddocks and gained holes in my trail shoes. Fortunately my audiobook was really enjoyable and the first store I saw on entering town sold ice cream 🙂

From Feilding I passed through Bunnythorpe (yes that is the name of a real place) and alongside the Manawatū River into Palmerston North.

Approaching Palmerston North I had mixed feelings. I was nearing halfway on the trail which is a very exciting achievement for anyone but sadly two very dear friends of mine weren’t here to celebrate this with me. Had I trotted this trail two years ago I would have been able to share this experience with them. Back then when I was living in Palmerston North I shared many great times with them. Despite feeling terrible within myself, they both were able to cheer me up whenever we were together and encouraged me to do whatever would make me happy. Now I would want to share this with them, show them how far I had come and how they had helped me be a happier person.

Sadly, very, very sadly this is not possible. Instead I sit in The Square and think about all the great, wonderful, unforgettable times we shared; not just in Palmerston North but in Gisborne, Auckland and afar. The potlucks, games nights, beach adventures, long days at work, never ending weekend shifts, first night shifts, cave trips, roadie trips, curry dinners, dumpling dinners, flat dinners. The two of you will always hold a special spot in my heart and while I can’t thank you in person for being incredible human-beings not just to me but every person you interacted with, I want you to know I wouldn’t be here at the halfway point without you and for that I always be grateful.

“A great friend is something to be cherished, whether they remain by your side in this life or wait for you in the next.”
Greek Proverb

My night stay in Palmerston North was only the second night on trail that I stayed in a hut. Of all places in New Zealand I doubt many of you would think there would be a DOC hut named Whiowhio in someone’s backyard in Palmy; thanks Anthony and Fiona. I highly recommend if you’re trotting through to check out this cool place 🙂

Leaving Palmerston North I met a fellow TA hiker Alix and her friend Ben who were also headed SOBO and about to the start the ‘Baby Tararuas’; a section encompassing Back Track, Burtton’s Track and Mangahao-Makahika Track.

We trotted together for the next three days and I had a really enjoyable time. Laughing together, comparing smelliness, chatting about hiking food, showing pack contents, debating best chocolate flavours, discussing what G.C could stand for, sharing work stories and all while checking no one slipped off the trail or got carried away in one of the many river crossings. Thanks for the Good Company and Great Chat 😛

After a large slip during the December 2021 storm which damned the Tokomaru River, a section of trail on Burtton’s Track that normally passes alongside the river became a calf deep river-trail hybrid. It might sound like a boggy, wet, muddy disaster but it was actually my favourite party of the entire day!

The Mangahao-Makahika Track heading towards Levin was also an incredible trail. The track exhibited diverse fauna with every turn and gulley; enchanted, moss covered trees and forest floor to vine woven trunks and sparse open landscapes, we were in awe throughout. While the ridge line provided magnificent views from Horowhenua and Archie’s Lookout across Shannon, Levin, the Tararuas, Kapiti Island and even gave us a glimpse of the South Island in the distance.

I’m halfway!!!

During this section of trail I reminisced about dear friends and meet some new ones, I also achieved a pretty big accomplishment myself. I have now trotted over 1500 kilometres. I have completed over half the country. I am now closer to Bluff than I am to Cape Reinga! Wow 🙂

Happy trotting everyone!!!

Whanganui River

‘Ko au te awa. Ko te awa ko au’
‘I am the river. The river is me’
Māori proverb

Day 45 to 48

Day 45 – Whakahoro to Mangawaiiti ; 47 km paddled
Day 46 – Mangawaiiti to Ngaporo ; 32 km paddled
Day 47 – Ngaporo to Koriniti ; 9 km paddled and 31 km hiked
Day 48 – Koriniti to Whanganui ; 38 km hiked

Total hiked (and paddled): 1376 km

What happens when you put two sailors into a canoe for three days, tosh them down a river, throw in some rapids for good measure and give them a constant headwind… an adventure to say the least!

On a delightful sunny morning I met Dad, our canoe, five barrels and two paddles at Whakahoro to start the Whanganui River. After our river briefing and an initial delay getting maps from the company we were ready to set off. Due to how popular the Whanganui River is as one of ‘New Zealand’s Great Walks’ (more like paddles) the closer camping sites to Whakahoro were already booked which meant we were setting off late for a predicted 8-9 hour paddle.

What a day it was! A constant headwind, scorching sun and the on-going time pressure of trying to get to our campsite before it got dark with enough time to set up the tent made the day hard. I don’t think dad or I rested once during the first half of the day, constantly paddling, myself at the front with him at the back, our heads down trying to keep out of the wind and constantly, constantly paddling. By 3-4pm we were both exhausted. Our palms had started to blister, upper backs ached and our arms felt like jelly. Trotting had not prepared me for using any of these muscles. The soles of my feet may be tough but my previously soft palms were now being torn apart 😦

The last three hours paddling to camp were hard, both of us trying to yell words of encouragement, gone was our well timed strokes instead replaced with feeble attempts at just putting the oars in the water and not rocking out of the canoe in the process.

And I haven’t even mentioned the rapids! Fortunately most of these were in the earlier part of our paddle when we still had energy, could try lining up the canoe and power stroke through. But later in the day our uncoordinated bodies just focused on bracing against the rails and letting the rapid take the canoe wherever, just hoping we wouldn’t end up in an eddie and have to do too much extra paddling afterwards.

Morning mist at our Mangawaiiti campsite

Exhausted and sunburnt we fortunately located camp just before 7pm and carried all the barrels up the hill to set up tent and eat a well deserved and very needed dinner, having both skipped lunch to make it their on time!

The next two days on the river went much better. Ironically, exhausting ourselves on the river the first day meant our gusto and limber muscles to paddle were gone and we were content to float where possible and reserve energy for when the headwind picked up, rapids emerged or to avoid floating backwards (unfortunately this happened a lot). The rest periods were great!

Day two: no wind!

Yup I have A LOT of zinc on my face and yup Dads hat is that bright!

As the river saying goes “sometimes it sweeps you gently along and sometimes the rapids come out of nowhere” which dad and I can completely attest to. We developed bat like hearing during our three days on the river, attuned to the sound of rushing water and when we needed to prep ourselves for ‘river rapid readiness – butts back, knees braced, canoe aligned, power strokes at the helm’. I’m quite proud to say that during our entire paddle on the Whanganui River and with no previous rapid experience dad and I managed to not once fall in or capsize the canoe. We even successfully navigated the renowned 50:50 rapid which given what we witnessed claimed far more than 50% of its riders 😛

During our windy river rendezvous, on multiple occasions, comment that a headsail would have been much more effective than whatever we were attempting to achieve with our limited paddling prowess.

Is it a plane, is it a car; no it’s a jet boat! At the beginning we were briefed on what to do when jet boats sped through, but after confusingly staring at each other the first time wondering what that ever growing loud rumble was we were both very surprised by the amount of wake generated from the jet boats and subsequent water displaced from the gorge sides. It was actually quite fun and later kept hoping all overhead plane sounds were jet boats instead.

Jet boaters across from Ngaporo campsite

Some campsites like ours on the second night provided excellent rivers views of all other canoers, jet boaters and the many wild goats that frolicked the gorge edge.

Arriving at Pipiriki on the third day we were sad to leave the canoe behind; but I was definitely pleased for the future blister relief to my palms, bruising relief to my butt and that my arms hadn’t fallen off. Though the back ache was truly tested as we loaded our hiking packs with all food we hadn’t yet eaten and began our slow trot along Whanganui River Road towards Whanganui. Now the headwind having previously exhausted us was a welcome company from the ever blazing sunshine and we began chatting about the best films, songs and television shows of all time.

The trot from Pipiriki to Whanganui passes through numerous small towns including Hiruharama/Jerusalem, Ranana, Matahiwi, Koriniti, Atene, Parakino and Upokongaro. All with their own history, quirks and wild goat population it provided lots to marvel and ponder at. But I’d drive it if I were to do this again, there were a few big hills to climb and not a lot of shelter.

On arriving in Whanganui we were sweaty, weary and dehydrated; but we had had an eventful five days and I wouldn’t have wanted to do it with anyone else.

Sweaty trotters along Whanganui River Road

Thank you so much for paddling and trotting with me Dad! While both of us now complain about back pain I wouldn’t want to share this ache I mean experience with anyone else 😉

Both having fun clearly 🙂