Day 31/64 🥾Te Araroa Trail - The South Island 🇳🇿
📍Supported by ZOLEO @zoleolifeeurope #ChallengeWithZoleo
Final part of Deception Track, Harper River Track & Klondyke Track.
ℹ️Stats: Wednesday 31st January
Weather: hot & sunny ☀️
From: Goats Pass Hut
Start time: 8.55am
To: Bealey Hut
End time: 5.45pm
Accommodation: bottom bunk - 6 bed hut
🥾Km: 15.9
🦶Steps: 20,392
Total Km: 2212/3028 = 73% ✅
💰Costs: $45.90 - Cobb salad with bacon & chicken. With Eaton mess for dessert and a coke. Bealey Hotel
Subjective feeling out of 10 on:
Enjoyment: 8/10 - today’s been another great day. 👍
Fatigue: 4/10 - feeling great after a big lunch 😋
Ease of terrain: 5/10
⭐️Highlights: started a little later as no real rush - plus the valley was going to be in shade - which I don’t like. The weather through Arthur’s Pass has been amazing 🤩. stopping for lunch at the Bealey Hotel & chatting with Peter (🇳🇿) before walking on to the hut.
🏔️Challenges: the section from Klondyke corner Campsite to the Bruce bridge was unmarked - not nice walking. So I made my way to the bridge on SH73 and crossed there instead of crossing the river.
💭Thoughts: the rain is coming!!! Not much I can do about it. I’ll be at Hamilton Hut when it hits and will have to make a decision then. Either have a chilled day at the hut and wait it out or push on through.
Day 32/64 🥾Te Araroa Trail - The South Island 🇳🇿
📍Supported by ZOLEO @zoleolifeeurope #ChallengeWithZoleo
Arthur’s Pass to Rakaia River
ℹ️Stats: Thursday 1st February
Weather: blue skies & sunny ☀️
From: Bealey Hut
Start time: 7.25am
To: Hamilton Hut
End time: 2.45 pm
Accommodation: bottom bunk in a room for 10 people.
Terrain: really nice track, some rooty ups & downs a few streams to cross. Very nice walking.
🥾Km: 10.6
🦶Steps: 13,566
Total Km: 2227/3028 = 73.5% ✅
💰Costs: $0 🥳
Subjective feeling out of 10 on:
Enjoyment: 8/10
Fatigue: 3/10
Ease of terrain: 5/10
⭐️Highlights: 😍The views looking back at Arthur’s pass were stunning, lovely walk. Feeling very chilled and relaxed 😎 Hamilton Hut is lovely 🥰 also really packed with trampers. (Peter 🇳🇿, Curt 🇺🇸🇳🇿, Barb🇨🇦, Erika 🇸🇪 @erikahikes, Olia 🇩🇪, Clem 🇫🇷, Marcel 🇩🇪, + others, but I can’t remember their names!) Good atmosphere. I also had a hot dinner which is rare for me. Wildneeness stew with mashed potato - delicious. 😋
🏔️Challenges: none walking today. Until I tried to sleep - the snoring and farting 💤💨 plus it’s super hot in here. You cant open the windows or else the sandflies get in.
💭Thoughts: the weather all changes tomorrow- rain - rain and more rain 🌧️ . so it’s going to be an early start tomorrow to so the next stretch and then I plan to hitch to Methven (and avoid a 24km road walk - which in the notes says “Take extreme care, this road has a 100km/h speed limit, and drivers are often not expecting walkers.”)
Day 33+34/64 🥾Te Araroa Trail - The South Island 🇳🇿
📍Supported by ZOLEO @zoleolifeeurope #ChallengeWithZoleo
ℹ️Stats: Friday 2nd February & Saturday 3rd Feb (rest day)
Weather: cold rain all day 🌧️
From: Hamilton Hut
Start time: 6.25am
To: Methven
End time: 4pm
Accommodation: the brown pub
Terrain: rocks, more rocks, water, mud, rivers, streams, 4wheel drive very rough track
🥾Km: 16
🦶Steps: 20,383
🚗Ride share to Methven (van with 11 other hikers) Alec - Methven Shuttle / best to text!
Total Km: 2275/3028 = 75% ✅
💰Costs: ride share $60
Accommodation $100 (2 nights)
Food resupply $101 - Friday
Food resupply $70 - Saturday
$331
Subjective feeling out of 10 on:
Enjoyment: 4/10 - I had to average it out - dropped to 2 and a high of 7/8 when warm and dry in the van
Fatigue: 3/10 - not tired - but the cold. 🥶
Ease of terrain: 4/10
⭐️Highlights: Peter arranging the shuttle for us (Barb, Erika, Curt, & me) - we then picked up more hikers and got to catch up with destroyer again
🏔️Challenges: felt like I was going to die - it was so cold. 🥶 lips went blue. Was not able to stop walking or else I would have been in trouble.
💭Thoughts: what a day! So glad to get warm again. Plus arranged for a shuttle for the Sunday to get to the next section!
Saturday was a total rest, and I didn’t do anything apart from lie in bed, FaceTime the family, sort out my gear and do social media 🥳
Day 35/64 🥾Te Araroa Trail - The South Island 🇳🇿
📍Supported by ZOLEO @zoleolifeeurope #ChallengeWithZoleo
Rākaia River to Rangitata River
ℹ️Stats: Sunday 4th February
Weather: sunny & windy 🌬️
From: Methven - shuttle to trail head
Start time: 8am collection by shuttle, 9.15 from trail head
To: Comyns Hut
End time: 2.30pm
Accommodation: mattress - top bunk
Terrain: easy track, 4WD, grassy. Really nice walking
🥾Km: 14.4
🦶Steps: 18,406
🚙 to trail head - 2276km marker
Total Km: 2292/3028 = 76% ✅
💰Costs: $60 shuttle to trailhead.
Subjective feeling out of 10 on:
Enjoyment: 7/10 - a really pleasant and beautiful day 😀
Fatigue: 3/10
Ease of terrain: 3/10 one of the easiest day on trail
⭐️Highlights: getting a bed at the hut. I felt for sure I was going to be camping. 🏕️ (which still would have been ok) but it does make life easier to stay in a hut.
🏔️Challenges: none
💭Thoughts: I’ve got a rough plan for the next 2 days. I can either get the shuttle on the 6th at 4/5pm (if there is room - it’s full at the moment - but someone may not turn up). If I can’t get the shuttle, I’ll walk another 3k down the road and stay at the lodge and then get a shuttle on the 7th at 3pm. So it’s a win/win for me whatever happens. 👍