Boyle Village to Arthur’s Pass
22-Dec
Another early start on the Te Araroa. The Boyle River is running high so we are doing a 10km road bash to a bridge rather than risk the river crossing. Pauline managed to hitch a ride to the bridge while Geoff and I walked. We lost about two hours after some confusion about which bridge to meet at 🤔.
It was a beautiful walk most of the 26km to Hope Kiwi Lodge through old Beech forest. We are getting better at the longer distances!
23-Dec
Only 16km today to Hurunui hut. Again through old Beech forest most of the way. We thought we would have the 16 bed hut to ourselves as its Xmas 🎄eve tonight and a lot of walkers went home for Xmas. Last count there are 15 of us here and three more on the way 🙄.
24-Dec
We did a short day today to Hurunui hut No 3 to give the legs some time to recover.
25-Dec
Over Harper Pass today. Not a high pass but a rough track some of the way. We were going to stay at Locke Stream Hut but decided to go on to Kiwi hut. 23km all up for the day.
We hoped to have Kiwi hut which is an old 6 bunker to ourselves. We got there early and had a bed. By nightfall it was packed and a couple of late arrivals had to camp.
26-Dec
The next day was supposedly an easy stroll down the river valley to Morrison footbridge across a grassy valley. Turned out to be multiple river crossings, hours of walking on the dry riverbed or weaving through head high gorse. Each year the river floods and carves a new path. This takes out any path and track markers. So it took a while to do the 16km.
We found a beautiful grassy campsite right next to the river. We even had blue skies so did some washing and got out the solar panel to charge everything!
27-Dec
The next section from Morrison footbridge to Goat Pass we knew would be challenging. It is part of the Coast to Coast run. Takes 8 hours to do the 18km with a heavy pack. The runners do it in three hours. It starts out up a wide river bed which gets narrower and steeper as you go. The boulders also get larger as the route climbs. There really isn’t any track, it’s just up the river bed.
Along the way we were passed by a few runners. I’m betting there are lots of injuries on race day, it’s really hard on your ankles and feet and the chance of a fall is high.
The views from Goat Pass hut are spectacular. Especially since we had a blue sky day. A family with six young boys (around 10 years old) also made trip up. Some future runners in the making!
28-Dec
Next day the weather was going to turn to crap. Everyone was up at dawn (5.30). We were off by just after 6am. The rain had already started at about 4am. The track down from Goat Pass is much better so we made good time. By lunchtime we had made the 16km out to the main road near Arthur’s Pass and we had blue skies! Apperently it was bucketing down in Greymouth. We were chatting (scamming for a ride) to an older couple about our adventure in the Klondyke car park and hitched a ride with them to Christchurch instead of Greymouth. Better weather in Christchurch and we needed to stock up food for the next 10 days and I need a new pair of runners. I have a large hole on the outside of both shoes. Combination of scraping against sharp rocks and the shoe being a bit weak there. Pauline also needs some new insoles, they keep moving and folding up when they get wet, which is every day 😩. There are so many river crossing we think there have only been two days in the last month that we have had dry feet. Most days we have crossed at least one river by 9am!
Vegans please look away – we devoured a roast chicken and some token salad last night as well as 1/2 litre of Berry ice cream. This morning it’s bacon and eggs on toast for breakfast. Just a bit food focused at the moment 🤗.
A day in the TA (Te-Araroa)
- Awake by 6am. All the other TA walkers are up by 6am. I think Geoff would like this to be dawn which is about 5am but Pauline won’t budge before 6am 😒….
- Up, had breakfast, packed and walking by 7am
- Morning tea by 9am. In reality no tea, just nuts, chocolate and water.
- Lunch by 11.30am. Usually a half hour stop for crackers, cheese, peanut butter, nuttella and Vegemite.
- Afternoon tea or arrive at a hut by about 3pm
- Claim a bed in the hut and snooze or listen to talking book till 6pm.
- Eat dinner at 6pm.
- Talking book and sleep. Every TA walker is usually asleep by 8pm
- REPEAT
Some shoe repairs
Arthur’s Pass to Lake Tekapo
31-Dec
We posted off our next food drop then caught the afternoon bus back to Arthur’s Pass. It was only a short walk up to Bealey Hut where we camped the night. The hut was full. A Belgian family we had met a few times over the past week were also there. The mum had been to NZ 18 times, she used to compete at world level as a sailboarder. Super fit!
We had a day to kill between Bealey hut and the Rakaia River. The guy who is hiring us kayaks to cross it is all booked out on the third. So it will be a couple of easy days.
1-Jan
From Bealey hut it’s a 400m climb up to Lagoon Saddle. Great views back over the Waimakariri River and up to Arthur’s Pass.
An easy walk down to near West Harper Hut, where we camped for the night. The hut is old and not sand fly proof so not an option unless it was pouring rain.
2-Jan
Another easy stroll to Hamilton Hut, 20 beds. We arrived before lunch and had it to ourselves for about an hour. The crowds rolled in for the rest of the day. So it was pretty full by night fall. We are now meeting a lot more NOBOs (north bound hobos on the TA). Lots of useful tips on what is ahead of us and our chance to warn them!
3-Jan
Today we are back to the early start. Off and walking by 6.30am. Finished the 19km to Harper River Campsite before 12 😁. On an old four wheel drive track most of the way. Still lots of river crossings. Tomorrow we kayak down the Wilberforce River to the Rakaia River and across to pick up the Te-Araroa trail again. The Rakaia is way too big to cross. The rumor is that one TA walker has drowned this year crossing a swollen river, don’t know where.
So the easy days had to end sooner or later. The next three were all big.
4-Jan
Wayne from Alps2ocean met us with the kayaks, Geoff and I headed off for a leisurely paddle down the Wilberforce. Pauline went with Wayne as her shoulder has been playing up 😢. Three hours of continuous rapids later we met them where the Rakiaia joins the Wilberforce. Lots of fun 😜.
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A short lunch at 2pm followed by an 800m climb and a 16km tramp to Comyns hut. We arrived at about 7pm to find Kevin of “Kevin and Deb” fame 😊. Lots of catching up as we hadn’t seen them for a couple of weeks.
5-Jan
The usual start at 7pm, up, up, up from the hut. The first three km we had 50 river crossings as the route winds its way up a narrow gorge.
Then a 600m climb over a saddle and a long desent to Manuka hut for the night. Along the way we had to deal with some of the local vegetation.
The locals call this innocent 🙄 looking plant a Spaniard or Soldier. Te-Araroa made sure we got the full experience by routing the track through a field (may be a murder or lawyer) of them. Geoff tested his gaiters out on them, no match! The spikes go straight through full gaiters two pair of socks and your leg 😢.
Pauline cooling off in a stream.
6-Jan
The next day was our longest distance so far, 32km for the day. Wayne picked us up at the end of all this for transport around the Rangatiti River.
Some fellow TA travellers we have been walking with for the past couple of days.
7-Jan
We used plan B for the trip up Bush Stream to Crooked Spur hut. We had seen rain over the area all the previous day. Wayne also warned us that 80mm had fallen in the past day. Bush Stream is impassable in high flows so we went up Forrest Creek track which brings us back on the TA at Royal Hut.
It was 12km up Forrest Creek, took six hours as there is no track. We found a nice camp just before the track climbs from the stream.
8-Jan
The next day was up, up, up over Bullock Bow pass. 1000m climb in 4km.
Geoff took pity on Pauline and went back down to carry her pack up the last 500m which she was very happy about 🤗.
Royal hut is an old eight bunk hut but in good condition. We got there early enough to do some washing.
9-Jan
The start of next day was almost a repeat of the previous, but not as big a climb. Up over Stag pass. This is the highest point on the TA.
Once over the pass there is an alternate fine weather route along a Ridge. This turned out to be one of the best views on the TA so far. We could see Mt Cook and many other mountains. Hard to do justice with a photo.
In the distance we could also see Lake Tekapo. We followed the Ridge for the afternoon down to Camp Stream Hut. An tiny old rusty 6 bed tin hut. There were two girls there before us, and another arrived after. Packed for the night!
10-Jan
The next day was an easy tramp 19km along a bench to boundary stream. This is the last place you can camp before Lake Tekapo. We camped overnight in amongst the Cape broom and other weeds to get out of the wind.
11-Jan
Another early start this morning to avoid the heat on the 16km road trudge to Lake Tekapo. LOTS of tourists and other clean people!!!
We have invaded the supermarket and bought lots of fresh fruit, some fresh bread and some juice without sugar 🤗. Geoff had two pies and a bag of chocolate croissants 🥴.
We trudged up to the backpackers all ready for our first shower in 10 days, some moron has dug up the main water pipe to Lake Tekapo! No showers😢, no laundry, no flushing toilets😫. Water everywhere except in the pipes!
12-jan
Tomorrow we have hired bikes for the 55km section to Twizel. The first 42km is along an aqueduct, with no camping so it would have been a long boring walk.
We are also planning a day off at Twizel, then another 30km bike ride to Lake Ohau to avoid all the boring road walking. So the next three nights are in a real bed!!! 🛌