Start – Boundary Hut
Finish – Mararoa River (TA km 2776)
Daily Distance – 29 km
TA Distance – 2776 km
Bluff Distance – 265 km
A dark and slightly chaotic start to the day. With head torches shining like miners in the deepest reaches
of the pit, we shuffled around with moleish grace. Boiling water for coffee, packing away sleeping bags
and in Ben’s case, succeeding in turning what was supposed to be delicious porridge into a thin
Dickensian groul. Oddly, nobody asked for more. Natalie even employed the unorthodox strategy of
spilling it onto her leg in preference to eating it. If there was a potted plant it would have been casting
nervous looks. It was that kind of morning.
To add to the oddity, it was discovered that a mouse had made his home at the bottom of the long drop.
Having a cuddly looking rodent staring up out of the toilet caused some considerable consternation, not to
mention constipation, before nature asserted itself and Harold’s (for he needed a name) day got
considerably worse.
After all of these adventures, a quick 29km jaunt in an icy Southern wind would surely be a doddle?
Well, the walking was easy, very beautiful and nobody felt particularly in danger of becoming too warm,
which was great. Also, having carried warm clothes for nearly 5 months, I have now worn them all,
thoroughly vindicating my decision to haul them for nearly the length of an entire country. After a brisk
10km, although not quite brisk enough to require the removal of gloves and hat, we arrived at the Mavora
lakes picnic area. A grassy lakeside area with picnic benches, water and a toilet, it was an ideal midmorning
coffee location. It also evoked pleasing memories of English picnics in bright sunshine, while
wrapped up in coat and scarf. The only slight incongruity being my knobbly knees poking out from
beneath my coat.
Fortunately, by mid-afternoon the wind had eased, allowing the sun to deliver gentle warmth to chilled
limbs and send flocks of misdirected penguins back to their Antarctic home. This evening we will be
camping in a beautiful clearing in the woods. This will set up another 29km walk tomorrow to reach the
state highway and a hitch to Te Anau for my final TA resupply.
