Map
Here is the map:
https://onthegomap.com/s/9gcf4nmt

Summary
Sunday 12th February
Not gonna lie, I really did not want to wake up this morning. I think having WiFi and signal again is a bad thing, I just talk to friends and browse the interwebs for a bit longer than I should, getting less sleep as a result. Whoops. I guess I need to improve some self-discipline when it comes to these things.
Packing up, eating breakfast and then heading to my hired bike were all done with the help of a cup of tea though, so life is fine. I packed some lunch into the back rack pack of my bike, put on the high-viz vest and yellow helmet, and then set off for the day, along with everyone else. That is, we had booked with Pierre, Arwin and Oz. Biker gang on the move.


It was cloudy, overcast. Kinda cold really. We had a nice downhill section to the Tekapo Canal from the village, but en route both Rob, Oz and Reid lost their bottles of water and suncream and had to stop and go back for them. Rocky start. I’m really slow on a bike though so I just kept going.
I tell you now, completely for free, no charge whatsoever. Biking along a canal can be… Monotonous. It was an amazing canal though, crazy colour of water, but that novelty kinda wears off after a bit. Which I guess is actually a real shame now that I think about it. But anyways, I made my way all the way along the Tekapo Canal. Sometimes on gravel, sometimes on sealed road. It was smooth sailing really, nothing to complain about. The thrum of the tyres against the tarmac and the scrunch of the tread against the gravel were my most constant companions really.


Pierre and Oz were ahead and they had stopped for a break, but I kept going. I had some music in at this point and was just cycling along some empty, sealed roads, past salmon farms and on towards Lake Pukaki. It was fun, there wasn’t so much wind here so I could cycle with no handlebars. Arms crossed or arms outstretched, it was actually kinda magical. Felt like I was in a movie. Music playing, a weak sun, across the Mackenzie Basin, arms outstretched. What a time.


The Tekapo Canal descended down to Lake Pukaki and the road alongside followed suit and I plummeted down to then circumnavigate Lake Pukaki. Again, the colour was just out of this world. A kind of opaque turquoise. Glacial meltwater in it’s purest form.
I must say though, here I did crash my bike. The route followed a gravel route around the lake and I one hundred percent was not always looking at the trail, meaning at one point I hit a rock or slewed off into deep gravel or something (I am still unsure) and I went head over handlebars. Whoops. Just a bruised thumb and a scratched up palm and arm though. Pierre came across me sitting on the ground with a frown on my face! Haha
So yeah, seems I am accident prone on a bike. Maybe bike-packing adventures need me to practice cycling more! Still, we made it to our stop, the Mt. Cook Alpine Salmon Shop where we could buy coffee, refill water bottles and, in Pierre’s case, buy some salmon. We regrouped here, Rob produced a tub of molten ice cream (the day was heating up and the sun was now out in force), and we proceeded to eat the entire tub between us. Yep, you read that right, ate an entire tub of ice cream for a snack. I must apologise to Arwin though, again. He knows why.



We all cycled across the Pukaki Flats and into Twizel where we had an overpriced lunch and then continued along in blazing sun along the Pukaki Canal. Accidentally angered some locals on the way, cycling across a one way bridge. Whoops. Sorry. I was also feeling well tired, I am not used to this muscle movement! Hiking is safer anyways
But yes, from there we passed salmon farm after salmon farm (again), changed onto the Ōhau Canal and made our way all the way along to Lake Ōhau with a stiff headwind. It was another gravel track around the circumference of it, but this time I kept my eyes firmly on what was in front of me. No crashing this time. Too soon, we were at the DOC campsite outside of Lake Ōhau Village, sitting in the shade, eating some snacks. 90km done, just like that, in one day. I do like cycling, biking, I would be definitely keen to improve this skill for sure.



Annie (the bike hire lady) soon met us and dropped off our packs and we helped her with the bikes, before we headed off and pitched our tents. The afternoon was spent lazing around. Eating crisps, chatting about if the environmental impact of (any) art is worth it, and dreaming up the best possible meals. We had dinner at the appointed time as ever, and had heaps of hikers eating with us. Rob and Reid, of course, but also Arwin, Oz, Pierre and Ehud joined us. A nice, fun evening for sure before bed! By the by, there were twenty-three tents here, from people hiking this section and other bikers! Gonna be a busy couple days! New bubble it seems!

Monday 13th February
The sunrise this morning over Lake Middleton was just some else altogether. A true spectacle. Serene for sure. Birds were singing and there were small ripples on the mirror surface of the lake created by soft breaths of wind. How’s that serenity?

It was going to be a scorcher of a day though. We set off at 07:30 on the dot (for once) and made our way round Lake Ōhau Village and then up a river and into the Ōhau Mountain Range. We climbed, under a hot, hard sun, up and up. I think the 90km bike ride the day before had done a number to us since we all felt like our packs were super heavy and we were slow. In reality, we were just tired. Steady was king though, so we pushed up this valley with barely a stop, but at a slower speed to usual.
After a couple hours of climbing, not much talking, and much applying of suncream, we got to the saddle. I had my first Cliff bar of the hike too on the way up. They’re OK. Nothing special in all honesty. I choose OSM everyday. The saddle was barren, tussock and spear grass as it has been for the last 300km, with a touch of bog.


We descended down from the saddle and started following the Ahuriri River East Branch (yes that was the name of the river… Bit of a mouthful!) down through the valley. We chatted, ate lunch in the boiling sun, listened to music, followed Scarlett and Joey and got overtaken by Arwin. All typical hiking things.
Rob, Reid and I pitched up under some brocolli-looking trees close to 15:00. 25km done today, not a bad days work walk. We were all still kinda tired so we had an afternoon snooze in our tents, shaded by our pieces of oversized brocolli.
We must have slept through everyone walking past us, there were twenty-three tents yesterday, but we definitely didn’t see twenty other hikers today! Still, no bother to us. We still managed to play frisbee before making some dinner and heading to sleep.
I must say, throughout today, I think I have realised that my mindset has changed. Before I was like “Pfff, Wānaka is miles away, I’ll never get there, no need to worry” but now I realise that I’ll be in Wānaka on Thursday and with that, a short hop and a skip to Queenstown and then a mere three hundred kilometre hike to Bluff. It’s… Scary, knowing that the end is near. Bittersweet. There’s no rush though, and I’m still determined to enjoy every single bit, to find the joy and humour everywhere I look.
But yes, my mindset and mood has changed and I’m now definitely considering the future as being just round the corner instead of “pfff, in March and April, ages away”. Fun times coming up, I’m cautiously excited for the next stage for sure!
Tuesday 14th February
The tents stayed dry under the brocolli trees, so a good start to the day. Rob had actually slept without his outer fly on his tent in the hope of seeing some stars, but he was so tired he slept the entire night without raising his head to look!
From the brocolli trees, it was an easy hike in the early morning light to the Ahuriri River, the biggest unabridged river crossing on the TA. And yeah, it was a bit sketchy at parts, a fast flow and coming up to mid thigh. Plus, I only had one pole. Mid river I thought to myself “maybe I should have my phone at the top of my pack hmmm” but thankfully, I didn’t fall.



We had heard rumour the previous day of trail magic at the car park, but alas, when we got there with wet feet and wet legs, traipsing through the fields, there was no trail magic today. Ah well, c’est la vie. From here, we continued in a straight line south, into another valley, along a 4WD track all the way to Tin Hut. It was just a classic 4WD track with cows and sheep grazing at the side of the road. I can only imagine how many cow and sheep we’ve seen so far. It seems any land where an animal can stand is being used as possible cow and sheep fields! We put in some music and just… Walked… In the hard sun on the undulating track.

Tin Hut was fun. It was a historic hut which was now being looked after by the people who owned the land, not DOC. The toilet had no door though, this is what made it “fun”. A wonderful view of the track from the toilet… Oh dear. We had some coffee at Tin Hut, and that morphed into an early lunch before we set off again. Met two British NoBos here too. I have hardly met any British people I have felt.
The track led up, up and a bit more up. Rough start to the afternoon on a hot afternoon. My arms were shiny from sweat after a small bit and the slight breeze was well welcomed. I had an OSM bar halfway up and powered up to the saddle by Mt. Martha with the wind just growing stronger the higher I got.
The saddle provided me with a view over both valleys, ahead and behind me. I could also see Mt. Aspiring, a triangle pointy mountain on the horizon. Arwin joined me, and then Rob and Reid before long. We stood atop the saddle for a while, leaning into the cold wind. Shivering, we dropped down into the next valley, buzzing all the way along to Top Timaru Hut to stay warm. A nice, easy walk really.


But the heat! The heat of the day was vicious and we were all wanting to stop when we got to the hut. Like, the sun was just so savage. The hut provided refuge from the sunlight, but it heated up and we soon fell asleep like cats for an afternoon nap. When dinnertime came round, it was still really warm and stuffy. A sauna really. A hot hot day for sure. I made sure to drink plenty of liquid, I wasn’t wanting any adverse affects coming from this heat. And to think the rest of the country is experiencing a cyclone and horrendous flooding at the moment… Crazy!
Wednesday 15th February
Everyone, bar Arwin, woke up at the same time in the hut and packed in semi-silence. Arwin remained firmly and steadfastly asleep throughout our morning routines. What a sleeper.
Reid and I started out before Rob. The sun hadn’t risen above the mountains yet, meaning we started the day in the shade. But boy was it gonna be a scorcher of a day for sure, the sky was without a cloud in sight. Reid and I bashed down the Timaru River, splashing along crossing from bank to bank. There was a path to follow, but this was a) easier and b) more fun. That is, until our feet got so cold from the fresh mountain water and we started encountering gorges and waterfalls, then we hopped on to the path and made our way down the valley from there.



The path was not easy going though, it was up down, twisted and turning every direction along the side of a valley that was getting progressively steeper. Eek. Just sapping really. We had scoffed at the suggested timing to reach the Stody’s Hut junction, but maybe it was actually going to be accurate.
Rob caught up to us, and we got to the junction at 11:50. Lunch time? Nah, not yet. Reason being, the path led for 2km directly up hill. And I mean, directly. But at the top of this hill was Stody’s Hut. Therefore, big effort, let’s go. Lunch was calling. Reid was on a massive energy high (coffees, OSM bars, energy bars – all plural), so he disappeared ahead of us but Rob and I still sent it, getting up this massive hill in under an hour. Doesn’t sound impressive does it, but it was a predicted two hour climb according to the trail notes and DOC signs. We were sweaty, of course.
Along the way, I had found half a bag of granola which had obviously fallen out of some hikers bag. No litter allowed, therefore I took it and, uh, ate it for lunch. Would you eat granola you found on the side of a path? Have I turned into an absolute animal? Desperate for food at any turn? Whoops.
Stody’s Hut was fun though, more like a medieval torture chamber or something along those lines. Tiny windows and creepy sounds with carvings everywhere on all the walls. A nice spot for lunch, in other words. Pierre was there too, so that was cool. He hadn’t seen our tents under the broccoli trees the previous night so he’d passed us and camped down the trail from us.
Reid disappeared ahead of us once again and we all trudged along in his footsteps, eating dust. The track joined a 4WD track on the ridgetop and it wound it’s way along, presenting us with wonderful views of the tawny coloured mountains on all sides. At the end of this track was Breast Hill, a steep final climb of the day.


I panted my way to the top of Breast Hill and the world opened up beneath me. Lake Hāwea stretched blue beneath me and ridgelines of various mountains were in every direction. What a view. I felt on top of the world for sure. The trail notes had said this was a TA highlight. I wholeheartedly agree!



We sat atop of Breast Hill for a good while, chatting to friends with the rare bit of signal, but mainly sitting back and admiring the view. Arwin also caught up with us. Machine. Reid, Rob and I got going again and walked along the broken, jagged ridgeline down to Pakituhi Hut. Spoilers, it was completely stuffed and there were no camp spots. Oh no. We sat down and had a discussion. We were expecting a whole bunch of people behind us to be aiming for here and there was only so much floor space for people to sleep on. Therefore, we decided to head down the mountain that night and camp at the bottom where there were supposed camp spots.
Shouldering my bag, weary from a long day, I groaned back to my feet. Knees clicked. Time for a knee crunching descent at 17:00 in the evening. Well… No time like the present.

Not gonna lie, I think I was very much on a machine, numb mindset as I descended that steep steep hill. It was meant to be a two hour descent but I crushed it and got to bottom in a touch over an hour. My turn to leave Rob and Reid in my dust! Haha, but no, let’s not get into a race mindset, that would be detrimental to everyone.
I sat at the bottom and once they caught up with me, we wondered along to the park close by. Now, time to admit a crime. We weren’t strictly allowed to camp here. But we felt there was no other option with the hut behind us being completely full and what with it being evening with no one using the park, it should be OK, right?
We set up camp beneath a tree, away from prying eyes, on the bank of Lake Hāwea. We had a lovely evening, eating food, skimming stones in the setting sun and drinking tea and Milo (was that two separate drinks, or everything in one cup? I’ll let you decide, I’m not telling). Long day. I slept well, didn’t get harassed by the hedgehogs, unlike Reid!



Thursday 16th February
We got up and packed up real quick, before anyone showed up and give us a possible fine. Let’s keep this on the down low though, keep this stealth camping secret between us, yeah? Wasn’t the happiest though, the weeping willow and left sticky residue all over my tent. Grrrr

I skipped some stones whilst Reid and Rob finished packing up and when they were good, we got going. We walked along the lake front of Lake Hāwea. Rich area, lots of expensive looking people doing expensive looking activities. We moseyed on through the town and to a coffee place called Mo’s, Reid and Rob were in need.
After that, we then crossed the Hāwea dam (seeing the jets of water spurting out!) and got stuck into the walk into Albert Town along the river. Super easy, we only had to keep stepping aside to let runners, cyclists and other pedestrians past as we cruised along. I chatted to my brothers as I walked, texting. Driving and texting isn’t allowed, but walking and texting is, right? Just about, maybe, but not in cities.


We arrived into Albert Town for lunchtime, the sun ferocious overhead. We had only had, until this point, like five days of rain on the South Island total. Maybe six? Crazy, either which way. North Island seemed like a lot of rain, South Island is the exact opposite it seems! Reid knew a French pâtisserie in Albert Town and so we had lunch there. It was nice, very Parisian for sure. Got myself an overpriced canelé too, but they’re always worth it. Favourite French delicacy, personally.
Emerging back into the sun, we walked down the Clutha River track, around to Beacon Point. This was a walk up memory lane for Reid since he used to live in Wānaka and was well used to this track. Rob stopped twice to swim, both in the Clutha River and also in Lake Wānaka. It was a good afternoon. Dry, dusty soil underfoot with cool, clear, fresh water to our right. Mountain bike tracks were above us to our left and the Southern Alps were spread ahead of us like a vista. Stunning.



Walking into Wānaka, we saw Reid’s old flat where he used to live, before we got into town proper and did a small shop at New World for dinner. No eggs though, national shortage. Had to go hunting in the Countdown Metro for a box of them! The town seemed hella busy and it turned out there was the Wānaka triathlon festival about to start the next day. So an already busy, outdoorsy, touristic town was made even more busy. The only room at the inn we could find was in a holiday park a couple kilometres out of town which we walked to, carrying our boxes of food. Even there we were disturbed by triathletes and parties!

We lay in our room, our clothes firstly in the washing machine, and then in the dryer. When they were ready, we laboriously got up to make dinner. Reid cooked some food at the BBQ and I made myself the British classic, beans on toast. Love it so much. I seriously ate so much food it was delicious! But I also practically collapsed asleep as soon as I got into bed.
Friday 17th February
Wānaka zero day. Well to start with, I think we all had a bad sleep. There were some young triathletes in the room beside us and they stayed up for ages, making a tonne of noise. And the beds were not the greatest either… Well, Rob and I went and spoke to reception and we arranged for our second night to be on a camp spot that was super quiet and away from everyone else.
Well, c’est la vie. I phoned my parents (Hi mum! Hi dad!) and then we made our way into town. I walked those couple kilometres in my flip flops since I was hoping to swap my holey socks for new ones using the Icebreaker warranty (the socks need to be clean to swap them out). Well, turns out I couldn’t since they didn’t have any socks to swap them out with. Got my last and final pair of shoes though!

Apart from that, I spent time enjoying myself. Went to the library to write for a bit, met Oz there. Also drank a lot of hot beverages at Kai Whaka Pai, a café/bar/restaurant. Saw Richie McCaw. Casual. Apparently famous people love NZ since no one really bothers them. Cultural thing. Spent some time on the beach too. Life is a dream.
In the evening, we met up with Hannah and Sarah for drinks at Kai Whaka Pai. Armound joined us, and then when we made our way to a pizza place (The Cow), Pierre joined us too. Good evening, great company. Pizza was decent too, not as good as any homemade pizza though of course.


From The Cow, we went to New World to do a late night resupply for the next section and then we trudged all the way back to camp. Not much of a rest day really, more of a town day…
New People
- Jennie: Kiwi lady who has been having issues with her sleeping mat which keeps deflating. Don’t get Sea to Summit mats, kids!
Status
- Physical: 10/10
- Mental: 10/10
- Distance covered: 2620km
- Most memorable moment: Biking around Lake Pukaki and seeing Mt. Cook in the distance
- Toughest moment: Finding Pakituhi Hut full and having to descend in the twilight and stealth camp.
- Burnt-o-meter: 4/10 – I have a good (for a ginger) tan going
- Oatly Bars: 98
- Jars of peanut butter finished: 16
- Falls: 23
- Song suggestion: Handlebars, Flobot
What’s Next?
Having had a well deserved zero day in Wānaka, we will then head through the Crown Range towards Arrowtown and Queenstown. We actually will be seeing Kristine and Bernard (from the Whanganui River) in Arrowtown which will be nice.
From there, we’ll head down towards Mavora and Riverton (via the Routeburn track) along the bottom of the South Island towards Invercargill and to Bluff… Sounds scary when I put it like that! Very close to finishing now!
Paul Nicholls
Al