Well, it's been a fair hike since the last update. Where was I? Wanaka?! Seems like a long time ago anyway.

After skirting the lake, and the hordes of tourists taking the same photo of a particular tree, it was a 4 day stretch on the Motutapu Track, which had lovely new huts courtesy of popstar Shania Twain, built as part of the deal allowing her to buy the farmland as a foreigner. A couple of big fat possums also seemed to appreciate the huts, while through some nice beech woods a number of curious fantail birds would keep flitting from branch to branch in front of you, or try to trip you up.
The third day contained 5km stretch of walking in a beautiful but freezing cold river, a disappointingly non existent abandoned gold mining town (Macetown), and a touristy still existent ex gold mining town (Arrowtown).
Descending to Arrowtown I could start to sense the proximity to Queenstown, as the trail involved dodging swarms of electric mountain bikers, and views beautiful autumn colours appeared on the imported trees around a posh golf resort.
Also met a guy trail running the other way who subsequently turned out to work in the hostel I was staying at in Queenstown. The sort of coincidence which seems to happen all the time in NZ.

Queenstown is known as an outdoor adventure mecca, and the streets were lined with parked campervans and tour agents offering bungee jumps, jet boating, skydives, helicopter tours, etc etc, people actually playing frisbee golf and gathering to watch sunset at the lake. However I was only interested in getting the biggest burger a available, a new water filter and an extra layer of merino.

Then 3 days of road walking around the lake. Similar to the big rivers, the trail guide suggests you can skip this bit as you end up further north than you started, but that just seemed lazy, and the views were good.
The road itself seemed to be paved with decomposing possums rather than tarmac, while most of the traffic seemed to tours looking for lord of the rings filming locations.

Next up was a day to do the Routeburn track, which is one the famous Great Walks, also not technically part of the TA but only an extra day detour. Great Walks have lovely graded tracks and luxurious, extortionately expensive huts, aimed at less hardcore walkers, (complete with flushing toilets!) They also generally have fantastic scenery, which was the case here, although again unfortunately low cloud hid the peaks, but got the general idea.

Next day was a bit of slog along a widening glacial valley, but a nice Canadian family gave me an Easter egg, and at the end of the day I had Taipo hut all to myself, which was nice.
After that, 2 days alongside the Mavora lakes, the tranquility however interrupted by flatulent engine noises from families of dirt bikes, off roaders and party boaters.
Then a bit of road walking and a hitch into Te Anau with the local GP for the final big resupply and a few local whiskies....

Went straight back to the trail with no rest day to get on with the last section, as already it's getting dark by 6pm, and weather can only get worse.
No more big mountains, but plenty of slogging through boggy moorlands, muddy woods, drenched tussocks, big stations (farms) of cattle and sheep, and freezing frosty mornings.

The Longwoods (appropriately named) are renowned amongst the trail community, with northbound (nobo) hikers gleefully or shudderingly relating horror stories of endless knee / waist deep mud. (Ho ho ho, just you wait, etc) So I was surprised to find the first few km were a nice 4x4 track through sweet smelling eucalyptus, and a clear summit with radio masts and a first view to the finish at distant Bluff.
Following morning was a different story though, murky, wet, dingy, progress soon limited to 1km per hour, trying to skirt the worst bogs, hanging onto trees for support, balancing on slippy roots, feet already soaked but just trying to avoid repeated mucky dunkings. Also it was raining quite a bit, so i was much relieved that evening to arrive at Martin's Hut, the last hut on the trail. Pretty rustic, but watertight. Unfortunately no dry wood to get a proper fire going, but it's the last night in the wilds. The DOC intentions book is full of comments of relief, despair, hope, related to conditions in the woods, and more general messages of thanks for the experience of the trail as a whole, poignant ponderings on what life after the trail might entail, revelations, poems, final hello's to those behind. Apparently earlier in the year a local trail alumni brought a BBQ up here and made burgers for everyone. Where is he now though!!

And there are still 100km to go!
Next day is more mud, the woods really do seem to be going on forever, but finally track joins old mining water races and leads to a carpark, a road, civilization. It's easy street to the end now, pleasant beaches, clifftops paths and cafes all the way to Invercargill.
The beach offers a better chance for reflection on the trail experience, not having to worry about foot placement, harking back to the first few days on 90 mile beach all those months ago.
Any epiphanies? Not really. My legs are tired and I'm just relieved that the finish line is in sight.

Final night before the end is spent at Jasper's place, 10km from Bluff. Like other helpful, strategically placed people who happen to live next to the trail, he's set up a couple of cabins in the garden for hikers, and tonight I meet fellow hikers about to finish, but also Jop and Cyrine, who I started with in Cape Reinga. They finished a few weeks ago and have just come back from Stewart Island.
A jovial evening ensues of reminiscing on different places on trail, people met, experiences we all had at different times in slightly different ways, but now it feels like we were all there together. The gossip and news missed, of acquaintances helicoptered out, wildlife encounters, (possums and weka stealing food, George and Georgie finding a kitten a carrying it for two days to town) extraordinary hitches, best huts, camp spots, epic sunrises, illnesses, injuries, worst bits of track, weather, characters, meals, equipment, lessons learned, future plans, things which bind us but no one else will ever care about.

Bluff.
The last day. It's drizzling and I'm mainly concerned with how that will impact the finish line photos.
A fish processing plant, an aluminium smelter, a lighthouse, and one of those signposts with arms pointing to far off places - including Cape Reinga. This is the end of the TA. Congrats! Medals are available from the post office.

Epilogue.
Went to Stewart Island to look for kiwi, reunited with Mel who I haven't seen since I end of the north island.
Saw a total of two kiwi, during night time hunts close to Oban. Did leisurely 3 day great walk to wind down, hoping to see more kiwi, maybe in daytime. No luck. Nice nights under the stars though to say farewell to this way of life.
So, now I'm going to find somewhere warm to relax and rest my legs.
Sweet as, bro!

Well. Wow. Ow. Been a few miles in the wilds since the last update.
Besides a couple of days, have had the trail to myself for the last few weeks. There are still people a day or two ahead and behind, and occasionally at the same overnight spots, but during the day it's like the hills and valleys have been reserved for me alone.

And then there's the towns. Such a treat for me, a pie, a pint, a hot shower, but each town is increasingly touristy, full of gap yearing backpackers, "van lifers" and busloads of Chinese tourists taking pictures of everything - everything within a small radius of the car park that is.

Plenty of climbs and inevitable knee punishing descents, mixture of 4x4 tracks, including some up hills where you wonder what the motivation was to bulldoze them, bike paths where you have to stay alert for occasional swarms of electric mountain bikers, and proper tracks, scrambling up scree slopes, sloshing up streams, crossing wide (fortunately currently shallow) rivers, bashing across tussocky prairies, views of spiky peaks, including the snow topped Mount Cook, views of ridiculously blue lakes, deer farms, farms abandoned to rabbits, salmon farms, hydro power stations and associated river diversions, basically, enough to keep things interesting!

Some specifics:
Walked an extra two days to bridge the powerful Rakaia river, and resupply in Methven to collect a warranty replacement Thermarest mattress. Impressed with their helpfulness, and given the price of a new one quite a relief..

Crossed the braided Rangitata river with no drama whatsoever, other than the surrounding dramatic scenery (which was used in lord of the rings movies)
Woken by a group of Kea (alpine parrots) landing on the hut tin roof just above my head (being in a top bunk) and proceeding to try to dismantle said hut roof.

I eventually hitched out from Tekapo to Timaru on the coast to pick up new shoes which should see me through to the end.
Hitching is part of life here, amongst kiwis anyway, given the extreme lack of rural public transport. And you meet some interesting people!
An electrical engineer (guess what - they work in power lines by dangling out if helicopters), hydraulic engineer on 24hr call, the world's 16th best sheep shearer, kids looking for seasonal winter jobs, parents on their way to the airport to see their son at pilot school, a barman who I helped load a van with beer, another barman (friendly types!), an Australian couple on a driving holiday, sisters travelling to Auckland for a concert. Sounds like a lot of hitching, and that's just me getting from the trail into town for food and back, I won't bother ranting about hikers skipping sections again...

Camped on the highest official point on the trail, stag saddle at 1800m, to wake to an icy tent, but a clear day of stunning views
Met various other hikers and bikers making podcasts, YouTube vlogs, video diaries etc. Escaped all of them, but can't say no to free peaches, scones and even a beer at the Hawea Hotel.

Avoided another river walk (the notorious Timaru) by spending 2 days on a ridge, over Mt Proctor, and the unignorable Breast Hill and Little Breast Hill. Didn't realise the clocks had gone back though and when it got too dark to see, had to camp on the track on the first bit of flat ground I could find. Then another big day and a massive descent down to the valley, just before those very peaks covered in snow. Well, probably not deep but better to be not up there!

Taking nothing for granted, but what remains is now a fathomable distance, 3 more sections?

Having completed the notorious Richmond Ranges, said by many to be the hardest section of the trail due to the length, elevation, terrain, weather dependencies, with no dramas other than building up an appetite, I've had a day off in lakeside St Arnaud, stuffing my face with pies, pizza, burgers, ice cream, fry ups, pork scratchings, and beer. Basically as many calories as my poor shrunken stomach can take.

Tomorrow it's off up into the Nelson Lakes region, though seems to be less about lakes and more about climbing up more mountains, said by many to be the hardest section of the trail due to the altitude, scree slopes, sandflies, and weather dependencies - such as the two days of snow forecast later in the week. Should make things interesting, and finally justify the waterproofs I've been carrying for the last three months.

After all that comes a section that many people say is the hardest on the trail, due to its many river crossings, walking up rivers, detours around rivers, angry parrots, and more mountains.

But today has been relaxing at a vintage boat show and chatting to other hikers about other trip plans, a list which continues to grow...

Remember you don't need a boat that floats, you just need a good bilge pump

North island complete!

...Bye bye boots!

Footwear procrastination has taken a decisive turn - boots needed binning regardless, but have decided to commit to trail runners as primary shoe, and get sandals for light duties.
I wore the trail runners throughout the Tararuas as I couldn't trust the grip on the boots, and they did ok. Just anxious about how quickly they might wear out, so may need to get a new pair delivered at some point. Benefits are, feet feel lighter, and bag is lighter. Although the sandals probably weigh similar to the trail runners.

In Welly met up with Matt after a 12 year separation, last time I saw him was in Scotland having also just walked 1000 miles. Difficult theme to keep maintaining though!
Now he's the very model of an expat.

SOBO's seem to be thi [...read the rest]

Paddling the Whanganui

After a beautiful but tiring trek around Tongoriro National Park, a rest for the legs - but a relentless workout for the arms. [...read the rest]

I guess I should post something just so that the map recentres if nothing else!
Have written copious notes over the last month / first month of the trail, but too lazy to collect them into coherent paragraphs. Can do retrospectively.

So right now, the morning sun is beginning to warm the earth, and I'm surveying the terrain ahead - after many days trudging through the city suburbs and industrial parks, had a windy camp on a panoramic hilltop last night. Worth it for the views, though had to be up early before the local joggers got here.

Feet are toughening up at the same rate as boots are inevitably wearing out, so planning in future replacements.
Have leaned on my mate Matt in Wellington again and sent off a parcel to lighten my pack and replace a few items with more sun appropria [...read the rest]