Start – Arrowtown
Finish – Queenstown
Daily Distance – 29 km
TA Distance – 2711 km
Bluff Distance – 330 km
During this section, our merry community of professional bums (or TA hikers if you prefer), has been
joined by several “regular” people just out for a few days of walking. After months spent in the company
of TA folk it has been surprising to see just how much more we are now capable of by comparison. The
walking is still hard, but stints of 2-3 hours no longer seem unachievable. If I cast my mind back to the
early days of 90 mile beach this shouldn’t be a surprise. Somewhere during the course of the past months
a new reality has taken hold though and it takes people outside of the hiking bubble to provide
perspective.
Today’s route contained more twists and reversals of fortune than a kitten wrestling a ball of wool.
Leaving Arrowtown involved meandering through an achingly upper crust golf club, where we felt
distinctly out of place. I was certainly conscious of my mud splattered clothes and the half consumed
bottle of milk swinging jauntily at my side. If I had known, I would have at least bought the posher milk
and not the value brand! Other dubious highlights of the walk involved passing a sign just outside of
Arrowtown listing Queenstown as 15km distant. Hope briefly flared, before rechecking the map to find
that unless Queenstown had recently sprouted legs and relocated it was at least 20km away as the crow
flies.
However, being on paths actually used by members of the public did have one major advantage. Puppies!
For 99% of the TA route I haven’t seen any dogs to fuss over. Fat labradors, even fatter beagles and a
beautiful husky have all received cuddles and ear scratches today. It has really helped the miles roll by
and provided a nice change.
Tonight we have treated ourselves to a healthy, gourmet dinner of takeaway pizza, red wine and
marshmallows. Everything the active hiker needs! On the way into town I was hailed by several hikers
who were back in town having hiked long days and reached Bluff already. It has really brought home how
close the end of the journey is now friends are picking up the threads of their pre-hike lives.
