10th February
27.3km
Roadside camp 2749.7km to Bushcamp 2777km.
I slept in. A bright red hue outside my tent woke me. The sky was various shades of gray, red, orange and pink. Despite yet another good sleep I was tired and was very slow at conducting my morning tasks. It was 8am when I started hiking.
Another 20km of roadwalks till I reached a hut and the start of hiking trails. The only thing of interest today were the clouds. From sunrise till lunchtime at the hut I was fascinated by the rolling forms in the sky. At times it looked like a tempest was about to rip the sky apart, at other times the the definition of the subtle gray colors were unlike any I’d seen recently.
It was a short 2km walk on the main road that links to Te Anau and Milford Sound. Campervans and motorbikes outnumbered all others on this road. Having visited Milford Sound before I know with good reason why that place is so well visited. Imagine Yosemite Valley filled with water from the ocean.
10am photo below
After a late lunch in the hut I continued on a trail for several hours till my legs simply gave up on me. They felt like heavy lead weights, slow and sluggish to move. I suspect I hadn’t eaten enough food during the past two days and it may have caught up with me. At one point a sudden gust of wind blew me off my feet while walking through a field of tussock grass. I’d had enough for the day. Fatigue and strong winds did their best to wear me out. The next hut was only 7km away but I thought it best to give up on that idea.
I set up camp in a small protected clearing with the sandflies. To replenish my energy I cooked some packet pasta mixed with peas, dill flavoured salmon and spicy pepperoni. For extra calories I had a couple of handfuls of peanuts washed down with a hot chocolate and choc chip cookies. Oh, and a vitamin tablet. My energy levels should be replenished by the morning.
Distance to The Bluff 219km
Next – Day 111 – In sight of the Southern Ocean
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Complete Guide to the Te Araroa Trail
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Te Araroa Trail Gear List
Te Araroa Trail Gear Review
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