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I don't know how I can be continually surprised everyday by the scenery I'm walking through but i am. How we have had 8 days straight of hot sunny days is another thing I can't believe but am utterly thankful for because there's no way I probably would have survived todays hike, up and down, across and all over goat tracks across sketchy as shale landslides and straight up dirt cliffs, not to mention rock hopping up hill and down creek beds.
After a good night's sleep in the hut we all got up early and hit the track at 730am. Even Conny with her burns. Maybe we're finally cottoning on that if you get up early you beat the hottest part of the day but the truth is when you're walking 8-10 hour days, you bake all day in the piercing NZ sun no matter what time you're on trail. I'm already one bottle of sunscreen down and onto my second.
I'm not sure I'm going to be able to accurately describe the type of landscape i hiked across and I'm so tired so hopefully the pictures do the talking!
Ive learnt today that Australia has a lot to learn about new Zealands hut system but new Zealand has a lot to learn about Australia's approach to hiking up hills. We zig zag tracks. Here i reckon someone just goes 'we gotta go up there' and then the track is just straight up. Honestly i literally had to pull myself up a dirt cliff a metre or 2 off the ground (rocks) and hope like hell that the tiny root i was using to pull myself up didn't snap or the loose dirt foothold i was using to hoist myself up wouldn't crumble under my weight. I made it though. And everytime today i successfully hauled myself up a vertical dirt cliff rather than stopping because I literally just carry on walking like it was no big deal, i chuckle and think, how my mindset has changed in a week.
Like there is almost the absence of fear in a risky situation. I just do it without hesitation or thinking one wrong move and I'm sliding hundreds of metres down a cliff to my death. I'm not even over exaggerating. We keep saying that the girls on trail are 'badass' and it's pretty true. If you could see what we are putting ourselves through without any thought, we just go forward because it's the only way. A passing comment today by one of the guys i was walking with, Brent, was every day is tough and it's not just you do a hard bit and then it's downhill, it's 8 hours a day tough and you can't lose concentration the entire time. Andrew then threw in the comment about he never underestimating the strength of women. And this trail is prime example of that.
Today was physically tough and I walked alongside Laura, Conny & Jennie who not once any of us complained. Even poor Conny who we had wrapped up her burn on her inner thigh, hiking on like it's no big deal. She is an absolute trouper!
All of us girls also put music in today and listened and sung as we hiked. I rarely do it, but today i was flying along the track which overlooked the valley of the right branch of the motueka river, i was singing out loud just enjoying where i was and what i was seeing. Even with sweat pouring down my face because it was so hot. It's just such a freeing happy feeling when a song on shuffle comes on that's lyrics perfectly suit how you're feeling in that moment.
We passed another bright orange Backcountry hut called Porters Hut which had a really old range guage book inside and a manual rain guage which just looked like an old milk can.
I've been hiking for 14 days straight now some 7-10 hours every day. We have made it to red hills hut which is on the outside of the Richmond Ranges. And seeing the sign that says Richmond Range Forest Park, in front of the mountains we've just walked over I felt really emotional. I'd survived the Richmond Ranges. I had done the toughest section of the Te Araroa. The longest section. The section everyone fears. In 9 days. Not the average 10-12 days. I have seen some of the most incredible landscapes i don't think I'll get to see again. I probably scaled mountain peaks and moreso came down mountain cliffs i never thought should be physically possible or achievable. I just did it. Thinking back over the 8 days and what I've done now, actually scares me or makes me think 'wow, I just did some next level stuff'.
One more day tomorrow of hills and then an 8.5km road walk into St Arnaud where there better be a cold beer and chocolate milk waiting for me, as well as a shower and a washing machine. 9 day old socks and clothes tend to have a bit of an aroma.
Ren x
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