Te Araroa : Upper Waiau Forks to Hurunui Hut #5

KM this section : 104
KM completed : 2086

This is a bit more like it.

I walk down the Waiau river, the going here is hard as I've left the tourist route (the 'Travers - Sabine circuit') and am now on paths used by TA trampers and few others.  I pass an outdoor centre that apparently accepts packages for collection by hikers - why wasn't I organised enough to do that?  Feet feel OK, but the whole toe end of one of my boot soles is now coming away.  Maybe I could glue it back on, but after the outdoor centre the 'path' gets worse, with repeated wading through streams and bog.  Trying to glue wet fabric is not going to work - not easy this extreme cobblers.

Two thousand kilometres!

I camp in the wild again, nice spot apart from the ever present sandflies, evil things that descend in swarms whenever I pause - and for some reason are particularly attracted to the ears, nose and eyes, when they aren't just biting me of course.  To add to my woes, while my blisters seem better, where one of my toenails has cracked (has happened with both big toes, simply from the walking I think) an infection has set in - I'll spare you the details of my treatment regime.

At least from here the walking improves, NZ's geology continues to surprise, this is a glaciated region of steep valleys and many lakes such as I've just passed.  But where the river flowing from a lake has eroded the land down enough, the lake vanishes and the result is a a broad grassy plain surrounded by steep hillsides.  This makes for glorious, and generally pleasant walking, though of course at times the trail finds a way to leave the flat and scramble through woods up and down the steep valley sides instead.  I camp outside various huts, saves money and they're pretty full, may as well use the tent.  The normal world of roads, houses, television and so on seems a long way away...

Anne River Hut on a misty morning.

Photos to go with this post can be found here and here.