Castle Rocks Hut to Nelson 15 k hiking The alarm goes off just after 5:00, and we quietly sneak out to the porch to let the traumatized young Germans sleep. We hope that we indeed collected all of our gear last night, as their backpacks appear to have vomited camping gear and food rations over …
1/20 Castle Rocks and Moa Park
Awapoto Hut to Castle Rocks Hut 13 K The Swedish girl leaves silently, presumably early. She is gone when we awake after 7:00. We drink coffee and work on crosswords, then eat breakfast and work on the chores of cleaning and thoroughly drying everything. I shake sand out of all the pockets, hang all the …
1/19 Inland
Totaranui to Awapoto Hut 27 k It’s a crisp, clear morning, and we are hiking in the soft glow of early light. The Totaranui estuary is empty as we cross. Perfect timing. The trail leads up and up into the headland. We touch down at the ocean briefly at Apati Bay and again at Mutton …
1/18 Across Awaroa Bay
Tonga Quarry to Totaranui 16 K At one point last night I woke up to the massive sound of a wave breaking, and I thought the ocean was coming up over our mini-dune and inundating camp. Then I realized the reason it was so loud: no rain. The weather report hanging in the Bark Bay …
1/17 A Wild Day in a Tamed Place
Coquille Bay to Tonga Quarry ~30 K After the emotional and mental fatigue yesterday, we sleep the sleep of the satisfied without an alarm set. I wake up with the light, but doze on and off and just appreciate the sensation of existing in a painting. I love camping on the beach! The sound and …
1/16 The Golden Coast
Circle Loop Track to Pelorus Bridge 1.6 K Pelorus Bridge to Motueka: hitching Motueka to Marahua: bus Abel Tasman: Marahua to Coquille Bay 3 K We wake up early and already warm, and as we are drinking our coffee a truck drives up the other side of the field. Immediately assuming we must be in …
1/15 Green Lips and a Decision to Detour
Davies Bay to Circle Loop Track 40 k There was some kind of possum standoff last night, and our tent was in between the two opponents. They made the nastiest sounds, something between a mountain lion scream and a rattlesnake vibrating. It was a warm clammy night, and the morning isn’t any cooler. We walk …
1/14 To Stink or Not To Stink- That Is Subjective
Bay of Many Coves Campsite to Davies Bay Campsite 31 k I awoke at the wee hour of 10:30pm to Prana shining his flashlight through the tent screen, spotlighting a possum frozen in mid-rummage of his pack. The possum seemed rather unabashed, I thought, for being caught red-handed. He languidly blinked, and blinked again, and …
Continue reading 1/14 To Stink or Not To Stink- That Is Subjective
1/13 Along Queen Charlotte Sound
School House Bay to Bay of Many Coves Campsite 29 k I am so ready to hike! I feel fantastic after our day of mental rest yesterday. The Weka friends are wading in the ocean’s edge when I wander down this morning. We start hiking early to a great temperature. The trail is well graded, …
1/12 Schoolhouse Bay
Layover day at Schoolhouse Bay Another layover day? you may be thinking. Yes. The on-trail layover day. It’s a rarely-implemented practice, unfortunately. In the right place, it is pure magic. School House Bay is a right place. We don’t see anyone all day. I catch up on every single one of my journal entries. We …
muddy shoe memoirs 