Day 69
Nov 8 day 69 Portage Bay to Havelock 36 km 7:30-4:00 Day started as one simple move– make good time to Havelock to position for a long isolated trek to St. Arnaud. The queen Charlotte really is like a sidewalk on this part– some beautiful views, but also a path to make time, which I […]
Day 68
Nov 7 day 68 Furneaux Lodge to Portage Bay DeBretts Backpackers 34 km 8:00-4:00 There is something about the familiarity of this area that makes me both happy and nostalgic. I hiked the Queen Charlotte over ten years ago, and also parts of it a few years back with my colleague Greg. It is New […]
Day 67 South Island Odyssey Begins
Nov 6 day 67 Wellington (via ferry) to Ship Cove to Furneaux Lodge 13 km 4:30-7:00 The South Island Odyssey Begins Caught the 9:30 InterIslander ferry to Picton. Absolutely crystal day, I could feel everyone’s enthusiasm for some warmth and sunshine. Crowded boat, but I found a seat on the back atrium sundeck. Good views […]
Day 66
Nov 5 day 66 Wellington. 0 km Quiet day, mailed boxes, caught up on correspondence. Just took some time to relax.
Point/Line/Plane/Vector
Traversing Space: Point/Line/Plane/Vector Homage to Deleuze and Guattari POINT When I began hiking the main Tararua Range, the weather was mild– the kind of day that makes you want to walk. Past the gate, the first stretch was up through a cattle pasture, fields that appear simple solid green grass until you try to cross […]
Day 65
Nov 4 day 65 Wellington Harbor to Island Bay 12 km 1:00-3:00 The Te Araroa ends on the North Island at a stone in Shortland Park at Island Bay, just south of Wellington. Not a long walk from the city, nor is it particularly difficult, though they manage to take you along trails that feel […]
Day 64
Nov 3 day 64 Porirua to Wellington 32 km 7:00- 2:30 Camp Elsdon had a school group staying, so the place was crawling with loud middle schoolers and their harried teachers. Lots of doors slamming, loud voices, but I slept through it all well and got on the trail early. The morning was supposed […]
Day 63
Nov 2 day 63 Paekakariki to Porirua 26 km 8:00-2:00 Woke in the middle of the night to a soft sprinkle on my tent. New Zealand more often than not has a heavy mist going on, particularly at night. Not quite rain, but heavier than fog. It makes a noise on the tent (the cuben […]
Day 62
Nov 1 day 62 Waikanae to Paekakariki 21 km 10:00-3:00 The Otaki Hotel is not the quietest place on earth. There were people and dogs bumping and thumping all night, and I definitely did not need to set an alarm. The place was rocking at 4:30 am, half the town came in for the game […]
Day 61
Oct 31 Day 61 Nichols Hut to Otaki Forks 18 km 7:00-4:00 Woke up ready, packed up in record time, stepping out into a bright but cold morning. It was sublime. Hands and feet almost numb, the ground was frozen so the trail was stable, not slippery mud. The morning trek was on razor peak […]