Te Araroa : St Arnaud to Upper Waiau Forks

KM this section : 53
KM completed : 1982

The Travers River.

Leaving St Arnaud, I have a few problems to work with : my boots are coming apart, my feet are not fully healed, and there is the sheer logistical difficulty of walking the next two hundred and thirty kilometres or so until the next town with only what I can carry to eat.  OK, I plan for eight and a half days, so have a big lunch before setting off, after one and a half days of healing - the luxury.  An easy first day, seventeen kilometres or so along a lake and then through pleasant grassy meadows.  Seems to work, that and the savlon I bought, next morning the feet feel better.  As for the boots, using the laces to hold them together seemed to work, but I worried about them wearing through, so have bought some wire... and even some araldite.  On the trail footwear maintenance - or as I call it, 'extreme cobblers' - will give me something to do in the evenings.

Blue Lake.  Not so much blue as transparent really.

Big test of feet and boots coming now, proper high country as I walk up along the Travers river, and up, and just keep climbing, so high that when I reach the Travers Saddle, the mountain pass that is today's high point, there is still snow on the peaks to either side.  Certainly is an awesome spot, and one not many will see.  The feet seem happy, I guess I am not taking many steps, and the boots are holding.  I make it to the hut, a fancy affair that costs fifteen dollars a night to stay in, too rich for me so I camp outside.  Even that is five dollars.  I guess this is because these are busy trails, I see plenty of tourists and even some Kiwi trampers.  It is really very nice to walk a well used path.

Lake Constance.

So, next day I do it again... up past the phenomenally clear waters of Blue Lake, and then Lake Constance, to Waiau Pass, the second highest point of the trail.  Takes some doing to get up there, but worth it to be in this otherworldly place, mountains all around and no sign of the works of man.  From there I descend, a lot, practically a kilometre straight down, still me and my feet make it somehow.  Upper Waiau Forks isn't a town, or even a hut, just a bit of flat ground by the river.  I camp up, build a fire, and cook my dinner over it - everybody should do this at least once in their lives. 

High point of Waiau Pass.

Photos to go with this post can be found here.