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
All the tips you need to hike the Te Araroa Trail :
Complete Guide to the Te Araroa Trail
Te Araroa Trail Resupply Guide
Te Araroa Trail Gear List
Te Araroa Trail Gear Review
That opening pic of the sky is fabulous. Also love the colours in the second last pi.
The sky was the star today