Tuesday 16th February - A day mainly spent with wet feet. Lots of river and stream crossings then a climb up and sidling across hills before descending down to a valley and onto Double Hut. Once again the only one at Double Hut when I got there so decided to stay rather than moving onto the next Manuka Hut a short distance away. Great landscape views from the hut and can see that lots of locals tend to travel in to stay at this hut as has 4 wheel drive access.
0 Comments
Monday 15th February - Happy Birthday Julian!!! Early start today. Caught the 6am school bus that takes Te Araroa walkers from Methven up to the start of the track on the other side of the Rakaia river and then picks up school kids on the way back to their school in Methven. The bus trip took an hour on a really rough and rugged gravel road. So pleased this is not part of the formal Te Araroa Trail as would have been horrible to walk up.
Was just three of us on the bus - me and another French couple. Really funny journey in the old school bus in the dark and having breakfast bumping along. Once there the driver was very descriptive of where we should head to, but it was very straight forward. I love it how people are very passionate about their area and location. Amazing early morning views back over to the mountains and the Rakaia River. The landscape has now changed to be low level growth and mainly tussock so has a very brown and desert like feeling when walking through. Lunch stop was at the cute A frame hut. It has a very well thought through name of 'A-Frame Hut'. Carried on to Comyns Hut which seems to have recently been made famous with the Listener article that featured Te Araroa. A copy of the article was there in the hut to have a read through. It is a very basic tin hut and I ended up staying there on my own as the French couple decided to push on and camp out somewhere further along the track. Quite cool to have a hut to yourself for the night. Sunday 14th February - Happy Valentines Day! The Mt Hutt Bunkhouse BackPackers is a great place to stay, and am enjoying Methven so am staying another night. A great relaxing day chilling out and getting ready for the next section of the trail between the Rakaia and Rangitata rivers. Even went to the movies in the evening to see Zoolander 2 at the local Cinema.
Saturday 13th February - The next section of the trail starts with the Rakaia river but it is considered a hazard zone and not to be crossed so walkers have to organise alternative transport around it. I arranged a lift through from Lake Coleridge Village to Methven and onto the Bunkhouse Backpacker accomodation this morning with Dave who seems to organise most of the transport options to and from Methven. Being a Saturday the local power station staff are not around and word has it that during the week they normally transport walkers to and from Methven too. On Monday I'll then get the early school bus that goes up to the start of the trail on the south side of the Rakaia. The bus then picks up all the kids on the return trip back to Methven.
I've never been to Methven, so a couple of rest days to check out the place, do my laundry, catch up on the blogs and get ready for the next section is appealling. Started off by having lunch at the Blue Pub and then picked up some groceries for the rest of the weekend. Headed back to the backpackers and later in the evening watched the news for the first time in a while then a movie. Haven't had a Saturday night like this for a long time! No sandflies or longdrops and am in cell phone range - nice. Friday 12th February - Awoke this morning and there had been a few other walkers arrive to the campsite overnight too. They were Northbound walkers so we swapped tips for the upcoming sections and then headed off in our own directions once packed up. I started the long gravel road walk ahead. Another hot day and very dusty. Great views back over the river valley and also past the three lakes on the way to Lake Coleridge. Finally got to the lodge and had a lovely relaxing night after a long walking day.
Thursday 11th February - Breakfast this morning was interupted by visiting Kea birds. They came onto the hut deck to check out activities. Luckily there wasn't anything out there for them to rip into.
The walk out of the Harper River track was another hot day down the river bed. A few low level river crossings, a walk past the Pinnicles, and then a final walk through a farm road out to Harper Road. When I got to the end of the track, a group of day walkers were there getting ready to drive out and one guy was fascinated with me being a Te Araroa walker that he wanted a photo with me to show his wife. Mmmmm. I carried on to the Harper campsite a few minutes walk up the road. Was a great spot with a toilet and tap water. Slept soundly. Wednesday 10th February - Was a great last night at the Bealey Hotel who have both motel style rooms and comfortable backpackers rooms perfect for walkers like me. There is no cell phone reception but to connect with family the Hotel lets you use their landline phone.
I was back on the trail today and headed for Hamilton hut. Very sunny again today so made for stunning scenery and tiring pack carrying. Managed to get cell phone coverage so was great to get some messages out. Was a great walking day to see the last of the views back to where I had walked from in previous days. Walked by some old and classic huts (one with a dirt floor too) before getting to the very large and comfortable Hamilton Hut. Plenty of beds still available by the time I got there and also met another walker who is tackling Te Araroa in sections so she has been doing the trail for a few years now. Tuesday 9th February - A lovely casual morning and a cooked breakfast. Yum. Went and had a look at the amazing rocks on the other side of the village. Lots of rock climbers go there and also great to see something interesting outside of the Te Araroa trail. A beautiful hot day so it was then down to the Cave River area and had a wee dip. The water was freezing but was a great lunch spot.
The Christchurch crew dropped me back to the Bealey after all the pampering. A few more kilos of food in my stomach and in my pack for the days ahead plus updated sandals and toiletries. Diana, Libby and Belinda - what a great few days, an enormous thankyou. Belinda your sandals are much more comfortable than my broken duct-taped ones. Thankyou!!! Monday 8th February - A very exciting rest day today as friends from Christchurch came through to the Bealey and picked me up for a side trip to Castle Hill. Diana, Libby and Belinda had thought they would walk up to meet me at Goat Hut but given I had walked out of the hills earlier than planned they organised to stay at a bach in Castle Hill village.
The world of Te Araroa walkers is very small and it so happened that Diana also was bringing another Te Araroa walker, through to Arthur's Pass so it was great to meet up with her and swap stories. Her story was more eventful as she had broken her shoulder and not able to continue with the walk but had decided to see more of the South Island with her mother before heading back to America. Once dropping them off at Arthur's Pass it was off to the Castle Hills bach where the Christchurch crew helped patch up a few holes in my pack and went through my gear and reassessed what was really a necessity. We also went for a walk up to the surrounding hills to a point called 'the depression' and had a beautiful view back over the village and beyond. Then they proceeded to pamper me with food, wine, and good company. A fantastic night topped off with a comfy bed. Wonderful. Sunday 7th February - Lots of activity in the hut as the groups got themselves sorted and out the door. Another stunning day weather wise today and an easy start to the walk on boardwalk stretches down to the Minga River. A few steep bits here and there but a much easier day compared to yesterday. Agnes and I walked together again through to the end of the Minga river then onto the stretch that takes you to the Bealey Hotel where I was staying. She was hitching back to Arthur's Pass Village so we said our farewells and headed in our different directions.
I was a couple of days ahead of my expected booking with The Bealey Hotel but they were able to give me a room thank goodness. Being out of cell phone range makes it a bit tricky to organise or update bookings but most accomodation stops are aware of the issues and are flexible thank goodness. Had a great steak dinner there and sat outside enjoying the view of the river and surrounding mountains. |