Camp Bay to Cowshed Bay aka Te Araroa LASH Day 5

The day dawned…cold.

It is important that those of you who are not from this unstable island understand that New Zealand has no respect for the concept of seasonality. In most countries there is a tacit agreement between humans and the land that summer is a few months of warm weather, with plenty of sun and gentle refreshing breezes.

New Zealand faces summer in a very different way. It will be hot from time to time. Generally, you will simply do what you feel like on any given day and reserve the right to change your mind hour by hour.

This morning, at sea level, the weather decided to see if 5°C would be the right temperature to start a midsummer day.

I put on my big boy pants (metaphorically, I actually put on the same pants I’ll wear every day until the hike is over) and my alpha sweater and my beanie and my beanie and wondered if I could have summer back.

Due to the cold start, I decided to mix up my meal plan for the day. I hadn’t eaten my chocolate for dessert last night, so I grabbed some Caramello and a Boost, packed up as quickly as I could, and was on my way.

wrong turns

Very few navigation decisions are required on the Queen Charlotte Track. This is mainly due to the fact that you’re on a thin strip of land and turning in the wrong direction will probably make you swim, which is a reasonably clear indication that you’ve made the wrong directional decision.

However, I managed to leave the camp the wrong way. Ego prevented me from backtracking through the campground full of hikers, and as a result, I walked an extra kilometer through a 5-star resort at 7:30 in the morning.

I finally found my way back to the main road and began to melt a few more miles under my cool as could be feet.

A long, steady climb brought me to a beautiful viewpoint after 90 minutes and I settled on a bench to enjoy my second breakfast of overnight oats. The sun had finally warmed the morning and life seemed too glorious.

With a full stomach I walked the trail for the rest of the morning. I managed to spy one of the great pests of the New Zealand forest, the goat. Goats are a constant problem in New Zealand. Hunters do everything they can to eliminate them, but they are cunning animals and excellent survivors.

The views continued to be magnificent throughout the morning. I saw no other humans along the trail, which would prove to be a persistent pattern due to my reasonably early starts each day.

Lunch

I arrived at a small camp around what I define as lunch. Generally speaking, lunch occurs anytime between 11am and 2pm and is mainly due to reaching a point in the journey that lends itself to other humans gathering.

Over the next two hours I chatted with many other hikers. There were TAs from the US and a variety of European venues along with some Kiwi wanderers enjoying a long weekend in the sun.

Long lunches are ideal for the Queen Charlotte as you can spend a good time walking around. It was great to sit in the sun and enjoy the camaraderie of other people who are happy to give up so many comforts in search of the outdoors.

The afternoon passed along the trail. The views were still superlative, the weather was still playing at being summer and the track remained firm underfoot.

All too soon I arrived at my camp for the night at Cowshed Bay. It’s a very popular spot for both international travelers and New Zealanders, with road access and a beautiful beach for swimming and generally having fun.

I found a patch of grass away from the motorhomes, at the top of the hill. Lihat juga mnh4. The Durston went up in seconds and I spent some time stretching and snacking.

I did some math with a napkin and decided that tomorrow would be my last day on the Queen Charlotte. It has been a vacation for the sake of walking and is not a true reflection of what is to come over the next few weeks. Which has also been a great way to warm up the legs for the Richmond Ranges, one of the most feared sections of the TA.

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