Breezy

Arthur's Pass to Lake Tekapo
Mile 1483 / KM 2387

Podcast of the day: 'Last podcast on the left'

Audiobook of the day: 'Educated' by Tara Westover

I miss: Wearing jeans. I can't wait to wear jeans and a crisp white shirt.

We needed to find a way to get around ‚Rangitata‘ and 'Rakaia' river which were both impassable due to the high water level, so we decided to hitch around them. A journey which would end up taking us 1.5 days and 8 hitches. I'm glad we didn't go with the shuttle option though because then I wouldn't have this story to tell you.

The first couple which gave us a ride was driving in two seperate cars. The lady opened the door of a red dodgy sportscar and the three of us girls jumped in, while Alex got into the Jeep with her partner. Our driver was singing along to trashy radio techno which we all had to listen to on her cell phone speaker. Then she explained, that they had just picked up the red car and when I asked how much they had paid for it she just said "the guy owed us some money". I decided not to ask any further questions. The car then broke down at a red light multiple times and we thought we’d never make it anywhere. Her partner, who had bad tattoos of dollar signs on his arm got into the driver seat and managed to get the motor going again, and despite looking like a bad boy he ended up being a very nice, shy guy, and he got us to the highway safe and sound. After the couple there was the super sporty old lady, the construction workers from Fiji who blasted weird country remixes in their van, the young German travellers, the old Germans that talked about the Berlin Wall, the dairy farmer waiting for his visa, the Dutch ladies and then there was Randy and Karen.

Now, we don’t pay for camping anymore and we were'nt about to change that when we finally got to Peel Forest, so we knocked on the door of a beautiful little house. A lady opened and allowed us to pitch our tents on her lawn. Karen and her husband turned out to be the sweetest couple in the world. They invited us into their home, let us use their shower and bath room and then they even served us ice cream in the evening. So nice.

We knew that one of the only ways to get to the trail head 50km further north was with the mail man, so we positioned in front of the 'Green Man Cafe' where his run was supposed to start. Randy, the mail man, showed up at noon and three of us hopped into the car, mail boxes and parcels on our laps. Did I ever think I'd deliver the mail somewhere in New Zealand? No, definitely not, but that's why being on trail is magic. Things just happen. Randy wore a cowboy hat and was loaded with hunting stories and we were chatting away while racing up the dirt road. The signs of civilisation were getting less and less, and when he dropped us at the trail head we were standing in the middle of nowhere aka. Rohan. Check the ‚Lord of the Rings' if you don’t know what I’m talking about. All the Rohan scenes were filmed right where we stood. Cami and Alex ended up getting a ride with Karen who drove her little yellow town car up those dirt roads like a trooper.

So off we went again. Finally back on trail. My enthusiasm didn't last long though, when I saw yet another gorge we had to walk through. They are killing me! So hard. So slow. It’s impossible to get into a rhythm on them. After about 15km and 25 river crossings, the five of us reached a hut where we spent the night. It looked like mouse paradise, holes in the walls and all, but didn't hear a single one all night. I slept in the next day and then started hiking on my own. I love that. Being with a group is the best but I often hike by myself during the day because I love to go fast, take short breaks and be alone with my thoughts. I listen to podcasts and sing out loud knowing that no one can hear me.

The trail led me through a gorgeous valley, and I reached the ‚Royal Hut' early in the afternoon. Prince Charles supposedly visited the hut when he was young so that's where it got the name from. Not sure how true that story is but let's just roll with it. While I was waiting for the rest of the group two north bounders came through the door, and after a little chat I found out that a Swiss friend of mine was about to reach the hut too. I had met her through the PCT and knew we'd bump into each other at some point on the South Island. It was so funny to meet in such a weird spot. We ended up chatting, the Canadians cought up and because there was a weather warning for ‚Stag Saddle', the highest point on the TeAraroa, we ended up staying at the Royal hut. Cami came up with the idea to get up at 4am and hike up to the saddle for sunrise, so that’s what we did.

We got up, gathered our things and started hiking up the mountain in the darkness. The sky was full of stars when we left the hut, but by the time we got to the top the sun was getting over the highest peaks on the horizon. It was beautiful. The wind was houling with 92km/h and almost blew me off my socks a couple of times. After taking some photos at the top, we decided to follow the ridge instead of following the normal route which lead into a valley. Ridge walks are always a smart choice when there’s strong winds, said no one ever. I'm so glad we went for it though. I cried more than once because I was so happy and overwhelmed by the beauty I was surrounded by. It is hard to put into words how special that morning was. There was a point when Cami looked at me and she said something like: ‚You know Dom, sometimes life is a bitch and it keeps throwing nasty things at you and you don’t know what to do, but then there are moments when life is clear. This is one of them‘. I looked at her and teared up again. When did I become such a wimp? I had had a bit of a rough time before coming to NZ and for a moment, there on that ridge, life was simple and crystal clear. It felt amazing.

Dance for a hitch.

The young Germans. Thanks for the ride 💕

Finally fixed the hole in my mesh. As good as new.

I exist without braids too in case you were wondering.

Randy

Rohan

Got a hitch to Lake Tekapo in this one <3