Te Araroa : Hurunui Hut #5 to Arthur's Pass

KM this section : 72
KM completed : 2158

One of many hut photos from this section.

I keep walking through flat bottomed glaciated valleys, it's all very pleasant and makes for a fast pace, I reach Locke Stream Hut early and have time to wash my clothes and yes, glue my boots.  I don't go as far as a young French chap and wash myself in the river, well it is freezing.  From here, sadly the path deteriorates,  crazy up and down through forest, and then a path, the 'Flood Track', which essentially seems to have fallen into the large river next to it.  I struggle on, but really am not happy to see a sign saying eight hours to my planned hut stop, this at 3pm.

The rushing Deception River.

Well... from here at least the path is well trodden, the route up the Deception River and over Goat Pass being a famous one, in fact tomorrow there will be a race here, part of the coast to coast event in which people arguably even more mad than me run, cycle and of course kayak across the island.  So at least on the flat bits I can see where many people have walked... for the rest, I scramble up boulders, ford the rushing river over and over - thirty-four times according to a DOC guy I speak to later.  It is all completely insane, but somehow fun, good that my pack is light now with little food left, my feet feel fine, even the stones in my shoes not a problem, and so what if the front of one boot is only held together with wire... I make it to Upper Deception Hut for 8:45pm, it is still light, there's one spare bunk among the DOC people setting up for the race, and they even give me a beer.  Could be a lot worse.

The other side of Goat Pass.

It's a short if hard climb to the pass next morning, whereafter things get easier (boardwalk!) and by the time the runners start passing me the going is pretty flat so it is no problem.  Then just a few kilometres of road and I am at Arthur's Pass, not much of a place, no way am I getting boots here.  Fortunately I am in time for the second of two daily buses to Greymouth, a proper town on the west coast... the bus journey confirms just how mountainous South Island is, starting at the high pass we follow a winding road through steep valleys all the way to the sea, and this is one of only two routes from Christchurch to the West, the other is similar.  Nice to see the Tasman again, and nice to find a pub (beef schnitzel - seems to be a kiwi thing).  Shame there are no beds to be had in town, full of people for either the coast to coast, or Chinese New Year.  But, there is a free campsite, fair play.

The mark of the Kea!

I do a big shop, so much cheaper than up on the trail, and it's back to the Warehouse for more boots.  Their most expensive pair this time, fifty dollars - how long will they last... then a bus back to the pass, six dollars to camp here, it is very busy although that doesn't stop the one and only bar here calling time at 8pm, total madness.  Ah well, I got my fish and chips and a beer or three in at least.  There are many warnings here about Keas, attractive mountain parrots which will steal your food and even rip your tent to get to it!  Well, I change my routine a bit and put the huge bag of food inside the inner tent with me... it works, but a Kea did go for my peg bag which I left under the flysheet as usual, doh.  There is a small beak mark just there as well, but I think the tent will survive...

Photos to go with this post can be found here.