Arthur's Pass
Windy Point - Hope Kiwi Lodge (15km)
I didn't think we were ever going to get out of Hanmer - Luke and I kept exchanging possible delay tactics that would mean we could validate another day in the little tourist village but in the end we decided both budget and deadlines called for a day of walking as opposed to lounging in a hostel drinking coffee.
Our parcel from Donna and Mark hadn't yet arrived so we arranged with the hostel to post it on to our next accommodation in Methven once they receive it. We checked the track notes, triple checked we had ALL of our kit, and then finally started hitching out of Hanmer to Windy Point. The track is supposed to start a few km on from Windy Point at Boyle Village but to avoid river crossings we decided this was a more sensible start point considering the weather the past few days.
We waited almost an hour for a hitch but eventually got picked up by a DOC ranger so we could ask him about the tracks which was handy! He said the Arthur's Pass section should be all good aside for a few fallen trees but did warn us about a few more days rain on the way - music to our ears!
The track was, as he said, mostly good. It was boggy in parts from where the track had been flooded by the swell of the river and small sections had been washed out but it was easily walkable - it was strange to see just how much damage had been done by just rainfall! The track markers were right up on the bank at least a meter and a half above the river but it had obviously risen as high as half way up the poles because there were branches and debris all wrapped around them and the grass had all been flattened down.
As we approached the hut we were walking through fields of huge Mountain Daisys- they were everywhere and there were butterflies flying around and landing on us like something off of The Little House On the Prairie or something.
The hut was like a little ski chalet with separate bedrooms and a big kitchen-dining area with a fire in the middle as opposed to the others that are just one room for everything.
Luke and I had saved some spaghetti bolognese from the night before so we had the best tea (everyone was very jealous!) and then we played code names with everyone before bed (Brian, Renee, Dakota, Brandon, Pia, Byron - New addition from Sweden).
Hope Kiwi Lodge - Huranui Hut (17km)
Landslides, landslides, landslides! Landslides are horrible and make me feel wimpy!
Really steady climb to saddle
Steeper down on scree and under overhangs
Huranui - No 3 Hut (10km)
Could have walked further but Code Names was on the table.
This section has been a surprise considering I expected the South to be really tough going. We are walking mostly on grassy river flats and in Beech forest which is beautiful and very well pathed actually.
About an hour and a half in we reached a natural hot spring - it smelled of disgusting egg but the water was amazing! Luke got in up to his knees and said it was hotter than bath water- I put my hand in to confirm but there was no way I was sitting in it since when luke got out he had lines of dirt up to his knees. I was amazed to hear Renee and the team had actually got in and sat in it for half an hour!
When we arrived at No 3 it was just starting to rain so we started a fire up to make Cassadias on the fire place for lunch and decided to stay put.
We had an evening of reading/drinking tea/playing code names, of course! And ended up having another late night - good company makes for bad habits it seems!
No 3 - Lock Stream Hut
It rained all night, surprise surprise! I bet you're all having less rain in England than we are having here! We held off until mid morning before setting off when the rain eased off.
Our first crossing of the day was over Cameron Stream on a 3 wire bridge - our first 3 wire of the trip and hopefully the last! It was cool and I felt kind of like an acrobat but also kind of like I was going to fall off at any moment. It was also completely pointless given the number of bridgeless rivers we had to cross over the following few hours. I knew it was only a matter of time until my boots got wet and stayed wet and I today was that day - I've had wet feet before but the weather has been good enough to dry them. With the weather we've got at the moment I'm not sure they'll dry at all!
So aside for the crossings, it was another beautiful day, though very slightly more difficult and irritating popping in and out of the bush onto boggy flats. The rain held off for us until we arrived at the hut early afternoon - we were first in so we chose the top bunk of the three tier bunk beds and started a fire to dry our stuff and for everyone on their way.
Not long after, everyone had arrived and eaten and would you believe it if I told you we had a movie night? Because we did! Byron is only section hiking so he's carrying his iPad- we propped it up against the wall and put our mattresses on the floor and huddled in so we could hear it. We watched 'Hunt for the Wilder People' which is a New Zealand film - it was a bit shitty but it was fitting nonetheless.
Lock Stream - Arthur's Pass
What on earth even happened today? We left Lock Stream Hut at 8.30 and didn't arrive in Arthur's Pass until 5pm because each and every time we thought we'd found the track it would come to an abrupt stop where it had been washed away into the river or there had been a huge landslide right over the top of it. We spent probably 50% of the day bush bashing our way through horrible spikey bushes that jab into your thighs and spear grass that pulls on all your leg hairs as you walk through it, and the other 50% crossing rivers that were so cold and so fast you came out the other side with pins and needles. And when neither of the above were bothering you it was the rocks that we spent the entire day walking over that would turn under your feet so you couldn't walk straight.
All that aside, it was a stunning walk through the valley. There were snow capped mountains either side of us and braided rivers covering the entire valley floor- you could see how in flood the whole valley would probably be submerged entirely.
It took us about 5 hours to get to the track junction where you could walk 1.5km to the road or take a longer route to a swing bridge. We though we'd go for the shorter route not realising the extent of the river we'd have had to cross. When we arrived at the crossing point we spent about an hour assessing whether we could make it but giving the crashing waves and random pits of doom we decided to back track and do the longer route instead. HOWEVER! The alternative track made me wonder whether I'd have just preferred chancing my life crossing the river. It basically ended with me straddling a giant fallen tree on my tummy unable to reach the floor with either foot and unable to move while crying and shouting 'I hate his track!'
When we had eventually bush bashed our way over fallen trees, land slides and bogs up to my knees we met a nice family on the swing bridge over the river. They offered to take us in their camper van to Arthur's Pass so we didn't have to walk on the highway another 22km - thank god! We were both tired and fed up and just wanted to be there!
They dropped us off outside the cafe/bar - luke had a beer and I had a hot chocolate with marshmallows before we set up our tent. It's nice to be back in the tent again all cosy while it's cold outside!
