Day 86 - 12 long hours
Mid Wairoa hut —-> Hunters hut 17km
This morning we were looking forward to a change of scenery within the Richmonds, no giant mountains to climb up and no struggle down, just a track that siddled alongside a river and over rocks up the valley.
“Just a track” proved to be our biggest underestimation of the trail to date.
DOC estimated 4.5 hours for the 7km between Mid Wairoa and Top Wairoa huts. Trail comments from other hikers this season all put the timings less than this, some as low as 2.5 hours, but mostly under 4. Easy then!
Kat set off early doors, and we weren’t far behind leaving around 7.45am.
Immediately we were thrown into scramble mode, scuttling along rock ledges and lowering ourselves down crevices.
The track followed a river, sometimes from a track up above, but other times walking straight through. We were treated to wondrous waterfalls and swimming holes along the way. Had we been there a few months earlier, I’m sure we would have jumped in, but we just weren’t quite up for how cold the water was to subject ourselves to that…
Drinking water on the North Island was always tepid; warm from the days sun, but water on the South Island is always refreshingly cold, collected straight from the streams and rivers as we walk through.
The trail was very slow going, two and a half hours came and went and we were only half way….! It was so fun however dipping in and out of the water through the river bed. The sun was slowly rising over the valley which made everything more beautiful.
The river eventually left the forest and we climbed up through the rocky valley…
…and eventually reached Top Wairoa hut around 1.15pm, a good 5.5 hours later.
The sun was basking down and we sat with Kat eating lunch, she’d found the track equally as tricksy and hadn’t been at the hut for long. There were more bumblebees at this hut and they took a particular liking to my blue socks.
The afternoon’s trail took us away from the river and up towards Mt Ellis - A 750m climb in elevation. We were in red hills country now, surrounded by red rocky rubble, we almost felt we were back in Australia.
The red rock turned to tussock as we climbed higher, almost desert like - a world away from the lush greenery and water we were travelling through this morning.
With the height came weather and we were hit with a giant wave of wind as we crossed over the saddle.
Climbing down the other side, we first remained in the tussock, with glorious views across the red hills range.
We could see Kat in the distance, a teeny little ant scurrying across the skree slopes.
On and on we went, and then down and down, and then on and on again. The trail felt like it would never end.
By 7pm we’d reached the river again, the water high enough to ensure our shoes would remain wet all night.
One last push up a steep hill and Hunters hut finally came into view. 7.30pm and we were stumbling onto the decking of the hut with just enough time to look at the incredible view before the sun went down.
A 12 hour day and we were all exhausted. We made dinner by head torch, wiped the mud off our legs and went to sleep praying tomorrow would be easier.
