Well that was a whole lot less fun. Woke to drizzle and low cloud. First section over to Taipo Hut (2h) was a whole lot of wet track and intermittent bog. Stopped at hut for snack and to layer up – cold across the tops. Hut book had dire warnings from SOBO hikers about swamps. They weren’t wrong! First 2k out of hut was just trackless tussock bog, wading between orange poles. Then meandering over rocky ridges and along side of stream where the whole track was either flooded or thick mud. Yay. Finally crossed stream (third one today, with some a bit on the sketchy side after so much rain) and through more beech forest down to Greenstone Hut. Aaaah! People dribbled in until there were half a dozen of us, we lit the fire and spent the evening chatting. MUCH better…

Well I’m now completely off the plan. Got lift up to start of Mavora Road with Chris and Rich (who are SOOO nice) and started yomping up the gravel road. Only 37k of it to cover to first hut (☹️). After only about 6-7k a lovely friendly Washington State angler stopped to give me a ride all the way to South Mavora Lake. Not only did he save me a day’s walking, I also learned a lot about fish! Started on track around lake about 10.30. Lovely beech forest but SO wet.

Then back to gravel road through campsite along North Mavora Lake and up to Carey’s Hut on shore for lunch. For once, the weather gods were playing nice…

The section after the hut was boggy 4WD track – easy to follow but also wet. Great craggy views though, all the way up to tiny-but-cosy Boundary Hut on the saddle. Just me and one other hiker.

Well that was nice. Woke to torrential rain but I was warm and cosy in a bed. Eventually got up and had breakfast, inside, using electricity!

Read Kindle, wandered into town once rain stopped (and bought two merino sweaters from Op Shop for $24) , ate pizza, drank wine and had an 8k run round to control gates on lake. Ahhhh! Also booked flight out of QT on 22nd do that’s it – I’m officially bailing early. Sorry all but it’s just too bloody wet!

It’s all starting to blur together a bit. This morning Lari and I set out to hitch to Te Anau nice and early to catch the morning workers, only to realise after standing by a deserted road for half an hour that today is in fact Saturday. Oops! Finally a battered red car with a wonderful local lady stopped and gave us a ride all the way to SH94 (going about 20k out of her way and refusing any cash), then two Invercargill lads picked us up and took us through to Te Anau. Sweet as!

So now I’m chillin’ in Lakefront Backpackers in Te Anau. My clothes are clean, I found a pair of shoes my size in the Free Stuff box to wear in town, and I have a warm clean bed with a lake view. Oh, and they had a Santa Parade and a craft market. How good does life get?!

Sorry this is all completely useless to anyone following and hoping for trail tips, but actually a good one might be ‘Days off trail are sometimes as good as days on trail‘!

TTFN…

The last part of yesterday was actually not bad – it helped that I was expecting it to be 17k and it was only 12.5 : 5k downhill through reasonably dry birch forest to the edge of the forest (Bye bye Mirkwood!) then 7.5k down a forestry track to Merrivale, where there is an AMAZING tiny cabin (Merriview)

Day 6 : Merrivale to Birchwood Station

Would you believe MORE forest?! First 11k or so was pretty cruisy – farm track up to pine forest (where there was a SERIOUS lack of orange markers to start) then forestry and farm tracks to the start of Woodlaw Forest (yeah I know – the clue was in the name…) I even ran a chunk of it just to keep the blog title honest!

This is where the fun started. The track notes AND Guthook app both stated it was a 4WD track 5.5k up through the forest. However, about 2k in, the trail took a turn off over a stream and straight up a giant hill. ?????!!! No other option than to follow. Got a bit spooked by how far off the ‘official’ route I was heading, but after about a dozen stops for air I eventually came out on the forestry road on top. I felt like doing a Pope and kissing the ground.

Easy track walking for most of the rest of the day, until the track took another dive, this time down the side of a hill. Brought back memories of Welsh hills and Somerset trail runs! Finally just when I thought I was done for the day, the route ‘through the eucalyptus forest’ turned to have been clear felled and it was all dead trees and mud. At which point the driving rain set in (can you tell I enjoyed this?!) But at long last I got to Birchwood Station, with a cute-as little hut/cottage complete with log burner, cosy chairs, cooked dinner (courtesy of owner Sarah) and an actual other NOBO tramper! Turns out it was Lari from Finland whose name I’d seen in the Martin’s Hut book. Super-friendly guy who’d also pretty much had enough of the rain and mud for now. Unfortunately this DID mean that we ended up talking each other out of the next 3 days of farmland (complete with marshes, river crossings and gale-prone ridges) in favour of trying to hitch to Te Anau tomorrow and wait out the incoming weather….

Sorry for bailing but hey, this IS my summer holiday. Am hoping that it’ll clear enough for me to get back on for Mavora Lakes to Queenstown, but after that all bets are off! (Obviously the next three days will now be hot and sunny…)

Mirkwood. That’s all I have to say. Longwood Forest is probably lovely when dry, but after a week or more of rain it was a bloody nightmare. The water race to Martins Hut is at least mostly flattish, but there are about fifty little steam gullies to cross. Climbing under trees, over trees, wading, jumping and trackless scrub bashing. Then about an hour of relentless uphill to the hut. Lovely forest mind, and cute little hut (with resident mice).

Day two started with more of the same, if steeper and wetter. Then out onto the tops – SUN!! Still boggy as, but at least there were huge views.

Then back down into Mirkwood part 2. Thought the mud would never let me go! Finally put onto more open tops, then down through almost dry beech forest to quarry, and about 4K of gravel road up to mast, where I’m currently having second lunch. 13.5k still to go and I’m KNACKERED. Not sure how long this trip is gonna last if it doesn’t get any easier…

Short easy day. Lay in enjoying my tiny caravan, then leisurely breakfast of canned fruit, then off about 10.30 once the rain eased a bit. Got lost about 2k in as the sign down to the beach was less than obvious (if you follow the marked TA trail down to the fence and stile, head LEFT to the ‘balancing boulder’) but eventually got there. Stunning first half – all rocky outcrops, red sand and surf. Bit like Dorset!

Second half a lot less thrilling – lots and lots of banked stones and that headwind again. Bailed early on and found a track parallel behind the beach, then detoured you main road when that ran out. Lots of trucks but no wind!

Made it to Colac Bay Tavern about 2pm, by which time the sun had made a proper appearance. Checked into bunk room (bargain at $25) then chilled on the grass with my Kindle until it was a respectable time for a mug of cider. Apparently there’s a whole load of truckers in for their Xmas party later so I might retire early! Tomorrow the ‘proper’ trail starts – no more cosy beds or bar meals (or beer)☹️

Probably won’t be blogging again until back in civilisation at Te Anau in about a week but will try to keep FB posts going if I get a phone signal at night in huts.

Over and out!

Got a ride out through town to start of Oreti Beach (thanks Chris – legend!) then about 25k of beach walking into a constant wind. Pretty straightforward and quite scenic but I can see why SOBO walkers go nuts on 90 mile…

Got a bit stranded at the Waimatuku stream as I hit it bang in high tide, but there’s a path through the back of the dunes so I headed up there to wait it out. Unfortunately you can’t cross the stream any easier further inland so it was just a case of chilling with my Kindle until the water receded to wading depth. Hey, my first river crossing!!!

Then it was just another hour/hour and a half of beach bashing. Pretty glad to see Riverton. Advice to other NOBOs – the track goes round the river to the bridge but if you get off at the first orange markets you’ll go through the Main Street and not have to backtrack. Good minimart by the bridge. Cute little place…

Stop for the night is my own teensy caravan up the hill (yep!) at Riverton Holiday Park. Nice spot but now have to walk down for food (and the van’s rocking a good ‘un in the wind!) Still, beets a tent if it rains. Only about 12k tomorrow to Colac Bay – yay!!

Well that was a day of two halves. Loaded AirB&B bike up for bus ride down to Bluff with the indefatigable Gary from Stewart Island Experience. I think Gary knows everyone in Southland! He insisted that just cycling back straight away would be boring so drove me round to the signpost for photos then took my bike back to the ferry terminal whilst I hiked up Bluff Hill. Great suggestion Gary! 360 views and tons of native birdsong.

The ride back was a little less sublime. 2hours grafting up SH1 with the occasional homicidal ute driver to liven things up, all in driving rain. There was about 500m respite on a gravel section but as I missed the (unmarked?) turn off for the stopbank trail, I just ground on back up to Invercargill. Who knew you could be happy to see the place? Sod’s Law : the second I got off at the I-Site, the sun came out. Still, Day 1 done, dusted AND I bought a ‘Bluff’ key ring. Does that mean I can go home now?…. !!!

Well I made it to Invercargill and am now waiting to see what the weather gods throw at me. Posts all over the TA Facebook pages about trampers stuck in huts throughout Southland. I’ve checked the forecast and tomorrow says ‘thunder and lightning’ so that’ll be fun on SH1 from Bluff…

AirB&B owner Chris is kindly lending me a bike so I don’t have to foot slog it. Now just have to see whether the Stewart Island shuttle actually takes bikes. Could be a LOONG day! Still, cosy bed tonight and tomorrow so making the most of it.