Sleep late. It’s a strange feeling not having to move today. Of course I already moved a little. At 4 in the morning. When my tent partially collapsed due to the hurricane-force winds that hit the campground.
I must take possession. I cast lazily believing I had enough shelter from the wind with the trees around my site. I made a mistake. Fortunately, it was an easy fix as only one stake had come out. I pushed all bets and went back to sleep within seconds of re-entering.
I woke up to the sun as usual. The realization of knowing that I had nothing to do today came quickly after I opened my eyelids. So I closed them again. A couple of hours later I woke up again. Feeling a million bucks, I enthusiastically dug into my oatmeal as the wind continued howling outside.
The rest of the day was uneventful in the best of ways. I read my book for a while. I wandered around the city so as not to get too stiff. I had no internet because the cell phone tower had not been repaired. Then I read my book again. I chatted with other hikers who couldn’t decide what to do as winds continued to reach more than 120 km/h in the park’s mountains, according to weather reports.
The end of the afternoon brought me considerable joy for two reasons. The first was the Durston convention that sprang up around me as hiker after hiker arrived with the same manufactured tent. The second was the new hikers who spent all their remaining energy bitching and complaining about the sand flies that plagued the camp. Europeans generally do not tolerate insect bites well.
The day after the day of rest
The wind died down during the night and I woke up to a much calmer environment. I knew my walk today was easy, as I had to wander around a lake and then cover as many miles as I could across the relative flatlands of the park. The important climb would begin tomorrow.
So I entertained myself and entertained part of the morning, chatting with other hikers and campers. I finally returned to the trail mid-morning and enjoyed the sounds and sensations of being in nature once again.
As is often the case in New Zealand, being close to a road and a major DOC campground means beautiful wide trails for day hikers to enjoy. Knowing that I would only have today to enjoy this quality, I was able to really look around and enjoy the beautiful forest and the sublime Lake Rotoiti.
After a couple of hours of easy sailing, I arrived at the imaginatively named Lakehead Hut. I think it had something to do with its location.
I dug into my refilled lunch bag, located my new jar of PB, and proceeded to smear my tortillas with the stuff. With the extra food I had for bad weather and the fact that no bad weather was forecast, I stuffed my face.
Once satisfied, I returned to the path. I still hadn’t seen another human being despite the proximity to the road, I guess leaving so late in the day had gotten me out of sync with the other hikers in the park.
The trail ran along meadows, extraordinarily flat for New Zealand. It was a joy to have such easy miles melting beneath my feet, and equally a joy to see the mountains I would climb in the coming days looming before me.
The trail went in and out of the forest for the rest of the afternoon. It was dreamy, calm and relaxing. Even the bridges were better built than those in Richmond and the water crossings were smooth and easy.
I spent most of the afternoon spying on possible wild camps. The highlight of Nelson Lakes is being able to find your own little piece of paradise, as there are so many corners you can settle into.
I finally found the perfect place. Surrounded by trees, close enough to a river and with mountain views in all directions. I set up camp, filtered some water, did some stretches, and climbed into the tent feeling fantastic. The only thing I could hear was the soft murmur of water rushing nearby. Darling.
I read my book for a while, ate my delicious cold soaked couscous dinner, and fell asleep.
This website contains affiliate links, which means The Trek may receive a percentage of any products or services you purchase using links in articles or advertisements. The buyer pays the same price they would otherwise pay, and their purchase helps support The Trek’s ongoing goal of bringing you quality backpacking information and advice. Thank you for your support!
For more information, visit the About page of this site.
