Day 11: Rintoul Hut to Mid Wairoa Hut - New Years Eve

15kms 7.5 hours

Someone's alarm went off at 500am so I guess the day started for me at this time. I had my oats, with milk powder, dried cranberries and trail mix and a coffee, packed up and hit the trail early before the others. It was a freezing cold morning with the wind blowing the clouds over the ridge we were on. I power walked to keep warm but got 700m down the track when I realised my arms were moving too freely, I'd left my poles at the hut.

Nooooo, i had to go back. I downed my pack and ran the track back, grabbed them and took off again. Was feeling fit today!

The first hour was through the eerie bush in dead silence. There were no bird sounds, just trees creaking hauntingly and then every now and then I'd hear a noise that sounded like some strange animal but put it down to just being a possum.

Out of the tree line and I realised I had to summit another peak. I did not read the trail notes or check elevation today. I've reached a point where I figure it doesn't really matter, Ive just got to do what is before me anyways. My main concern is where I'm getting water from each day.

David had caught up to me and so we climbed up Purple Top peak, the sun coming out as we made our way up but the clouds all on the valleys below. We had great views of the Alps again. I stood there and looked out over the mountains looking southward thinking - I'll be walking all over them. Felt like I was Shadow, Chance and Sassy in the Homeward Bound looking out at the great adventure I have before me.

I felt more confident on the downhills today, maybe cause I had all the fear taken out of me on Mt Rintoul or maybe I just thought nothing can be as tough as that again.

Back through the bush for hours we climbed every now and then we'd appear on a small peak above the tree line where we could look back and see all the mountains and ridges we'd come down. We all were heading to Tarn Hut, spurred on by the fact we knew there had to be a tarn (alpine lake) near which could offer us a swim and a chance to clean the three day dirt and sweat off us. I'd secretly been hoping my legs were getting tanned but realistically it was just a darker shade of dirt.

We all sat round in the sun at Tarn hut having lunch drying tents, drying our clothes and we had such a laugh over how gross us hikers are and all our fears of the dentist. Turns out you either went and saw a dentist before this hike or you've put it off for post hike admin.

After a very leisurely lunch and swim in the warm tarn. We individually all headed off for the next 10 km to Mid Wairou Hut for New Years together.

It was supposed to take four hours from Tarn Hut to Mid Wairou Hut but I flew. Parts of the down hill were on this great forest track that was free of tree roots so it meant i could get a fast pace almost a jog on. Then we hit the long steep descent downhill that slowed me up. Loose rocks aren't the greatest but i still made it in just over 2 hours.

What it meant was we got almost a whole afternoon as a rest in such a beautiful location beside a river with a small gorge you could swim up through if you were able to withstand the freezing water temperature long enough. I wasn't.

It was such a fun afternoon, we were all in our underwear washing in the river, fighting the cold water but also wanting to feel clean again. The dry off on the rocks in the sun was the best part. We joked it was like an olden day family having a yearly wash for the new year.

The worst part of this whole walk has been the sandflies! They are everywhere!

I can't believe I'm spending New Years in this wonderful location with a group of people were strangers 2 days ago and now feel like such good old friends.

We had, Laura, Conny, David, Andrew, Mathew, Marlin & Jennie. The problem was none of us were going to make it to midnight but we still wanted to celebrate new years. 9pm was to be our midnight. Hikers midnight and so we all chose our best dehydrated meal and we ate that together. I asked around at what everyone would be doing for new years if they were back home and we got on to hearing about different traditions.

Conny put up her battery powered fairy lights, then at 5 minutes to 9pm we went outside and prepared for the countdown. In the absence of any form of alcohol, we pretended our drink bottles were champagne bottles and at our midnight we all sprayed it round as if we were showering in champagne. Conny had mentioned in Austria they do the waltz and so we then all danced the waltz, individually. It would have looked ridiculous from anyone else watching. With a happy new year hug for everyone we retired to our tents and hut.

Laura told me that one of the ladies we had stayed in the hut with last night, she was walking north bound whereas we are all south bound. She told Laura she chose north so she could walk more alone but then we she meets groups of people like us having so much fun together it makes her feel like she's missing out. And that's what we have realised we are all so individuals but we exude so much happiness and laughter when we're all together, people notice.

Ren x