Start – TA km 2526 (Ahuriri River East Branch)
Finish – TA km 2539 (Melina Ridge Track)
Daily Distance – 13 km + 10 km detour
TA Distance – 2539 km
Bluff Distance – 502 km
“The greatest trick the TA trust ever pulled was convincing the world the trail exists.”
B Cooper, Reflections on a bridge detour
That pretty accurately sums up my feelings about today. It also neatly sidesteps the profanity laden, stone
throwing, despair induced tantrums that have given today such a rosy glow.
It was all supposed to be so easy. Finish the last 10km of the East Ahuriri track, make the 10km roundtrip
detour to the nearest bridge as the Ahuriri will probably be too high to cross, camp by early afternoon
and rest up for tomorrow. Simple!
The reason for the short day is that it’s 22km (7-8hrs) to the first hut on the Breast Hill track, so I haven’t
the time to reach it today and there don’t look to be many flat surfaces to pitch a tent before then. Of
course it has all been rendered somewhat moot having arrived at the chosen camp spot at my regular
finish time anyway. I really should know better by now than to take the “safer alternative” route. The trail
notes innocuously state, “If the river is impassible, walk downstream for 5km, cross the bridge and walk
5km back up the road”. Straightforward? Not so much. There are a few phrases of trifling importance
missing for the downstream section. Phrases like “impenetrable thickets of spiky bushes”, “thigh high
bogs”, “land slips” and my personal favourite, “flies, biblical plague proportions”. I never realised before,
but I am entirely incapable of nonchalantly shrugging off scores of tiny flies crawling on my arms, neck
and face. Having spent 3.5 hours reflecting on the choice as I struggled downstream, I should have just
accepted the possibility of taking a swim in the river.
The most bitter pill to swallow? It all looks so damned beautiful in the photos! Disgusting!
