The End of the World

By Tyler Socash
IG: @tylerhikes 

 

"You make your own luck, that's what I believe," our host Dene was steadfast with his delivery.  Decades of hard work at the bottom of New Zealand's South Island fortified his opinion that opportunities are well-earned.  A poster hanging on Dene's wall depicts a man on a fishing vessel hauling crayfish crates.  It reads: laboring in the Foveaux Straight takes all that you've got, and the men of the Southland have got all that it takes.

I met Dene on the Motatapu Track between Wanaka and Arrowtown.  An ardent outdoorsman, Dene completed Te Araroa a year before the pathway was officially opened.  As a cancer survivor, he simply stopped making excuses and made time for the things he loves.  He's even planning to thru-hike the trail again before he turns 70 next year.

 

 Dene - the man, the myth, the legend

Rain fell cold and hard when I met Dene at the Highland Creek Hut.  Following a conversation about efforts to protect native birds, bush, and rivers, Dene invited me to stay at his house in Riverton when I walked by.

"What if I have friends with me?" I asked.

"Bring them all, mate."

Everything in the wake of this encounter has seemed serendipitous.  Bekah and I were hiking by ourselves now.  We left Queenstown and began our latest deviation from the TA... Adding on the Routeburn Track Great Walk and the Greenstone Valley.  We hiked the Routeburn in a day, which happened to be one of our most beautiful and difficult days on trail.  The Conical Hill spur was a highlight, as was Routeburn Falls.  We even spotted an endangered kākā parrot in flight! 

 

Conical Hill view with Fiordland NP in the back

 

The majestic Routeburn Track

Great Walks are wonderful, yet overcrowded.  If visiting New Zealand, you are more likely to have a better wilderness experience far, far away from the nine Great Walks.  Great Walks are also a bit pricey.  Doing the Milford Track alone costs over 300 dollars.  We didn't do that one.  

At the end of the Greenstone Valley we connected with Te Araroa once again.  Bekah and I also got to meet two wonderful new characters... Paul and Kelli!  The timing seemed too good to be true, as Reyne and Brooke also arrived at this amazing hut before darkness settled.  It was great catching up with old and new friends!

We had seen Paul and Kelli before.  During our 100km bike day we rode past them as they were marching along.  It was exciting to officially meet our newest hiking partners.  Paul is a phenomenal story teller (remind me to retell his story about Barry the Brick in-person), and Kelli has gained the official title of "Chocolate Manager."  Paul would eat all of their treats if not for Kelli's diligence.  

Following the Movora Lakes Walkway, known for some Fangorn Forest filming scenes in The Lord of the Rings, Bekah and I headed into Te Anau to add on another bonus hike.  Six years ago my sister Nikki and I hiked half of the Kepler Track that wasn't covered in avalanche chutes.  Yet again I felt like this was a fortuitous opportunity to complete a trail that I never got to finish.  Bekah and I finished the 60km loop in a day and a half!  (Pretty impressive considering Bekah's sore foot.)  But maybe Dene is right?  Maybe we earned this opportunity by hiking hard and fast?  Maybe things happen for a reason because we make the things we love happen?  Here are some photographs...

 

 Kea along the Kepler Great Walk

 

Inside the Luxmore Cave

 

 Tākahe being feed by their protector

 

There's never enough time for me to talk about everything, but darn it I'll make time for the tākahe.  These flightless birds were once thought to be extinct. Then in 1948 a biologist explored a remote valley in Fiordland National Park and rediscovered a small population.  The Department of Conservation was thrilled and met the challenge of protecting these birds on the brink of extinction.  Trap lines were set to annihilate stoats, and the species has slowly made a precarious comeback in the delicate region.  Wouldn't you do the same if tigers, rhinos, or moose were going extinct?  Here's what's happening:  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoats_in_New_Zealand

After the Kepler, Bekah and I rejoined with Paul and Kelli for the Takitimu Range.  It was here that we also had a teary-eyed goodbye with Reyne, thinking that we'd not see him again.  The Takitimu's are a hopelessly muddy place, but the silver lining is this strenuous ridgeline hike...  (Picture below)

 

Pretty soon we could see Bluff!  From the Twinlaw radio tower platform we could see what appeared to be an island jutting out into the Foveaux Straight.  It was our terminus!  It was the end.  Pangs of emotions begin to course through you.  Trying to live more in the moment, Bekah and I never really spoke about the end.  Actually seeing Bluff choked me up.  This wonderful woman who has been with me since Helena Bay was about to leave my side.  I shook off this vulnerable feeling and enjoyed the view.

 

Interestingly, Te Araroa's ending mirrors the beginning: beach walks, muddy bush tracks, farms, and roads.  We kept feeling like we were back at Cape Reinga!  While in the Longwood Forest, our final bush walk, we saw Bluff again.  Our boots filled with mud for the final time.  We slept in our last hut - Martin's Hut.  Paul and Kelli joined us.  What a rustic place!  We loved it!  It was nice to read all of the nostalgic and sentimental messages in the last hut book.  

Bekah, Paul, Kelli, and I strolled into Riverton to find Dene waiting for us outside of his house.  "I brought friends, Dene!" I shouted.  Dene and his wife Sally offered us beds and fed us for three straight days!  It was another unexpected act of kindness that has been pervasive throughout my time in New Zealand.  "It's just what you do, mate," Dene downplayed his generosity.  I am really going to have to pay this forward someday!

 

Dinner at Dene and Sally's

 

Oreti Beach, the final beach walk

As we walked towards Bluff, a crazy man on a bicycle rode by shouting, "Heading towards Bluff?"  Without waiting for a response he added, "THE END OF THE WORLD!" in a vigorous cackle.

 

It ends in a flurry.  You travel 3,000+ kilometers along a long-distance trail, touch a sign post, and then you have to go home.

 

April 19th at the finish line 

Dene brought us wine and awards!

And just when timing couldn't be any better...

 

 

...You get to be there with all of your friends!  Couples Retreat caught up, and so did Reyne and Brooke!

 

I don't think I got here by chance.  Every vacation I've ever made for myself has involved hiking.  That's 10 years of hiking!  It may sound obsessive, but I'm doing what I love.  I made the jump.  I saved money for six years!  I lived in squalor with five other amazing dudes back in Rochester.  I never bought that tangerine Subaru CrossTrek.  Thank goodness thru-hiking happens to be a relatively inexpensive way to have a long holiday! 

Thank you all for your support.  It can get a bit lonely being so far from home.  Your messages and well-wishes really matter.  Sharing my appreciation for the natural world with you... I hope that matters.  Not everyone can just walk away from life's responsibilities right now, but if these posts do anything at all, I hope they inspire readers at work/home to value nature.  Not as something to exploit, but rather to cherish...

http://salsa4.salsalabs.com/o/51275/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=16247

If you want to protect a wilderness area, fill this out (takes 1 minute, I just did it).  This is a very easy way to make a huge difference.

We live in a finite space.  We need to vote to protect what unspoiled lands we have left.  Please vote to support wilderness preservation whenever possible.  We need to speak for the trees.  We are all a part of the same world, and it's the only one we've got.

Bekah and I flew back to Christchurch together.  Tempering my emotions, I pressed my face against the window.  Our long pathway unfolded beneath us!  I urged Bekah to look.  We could see Wanaka, Hawea, Ahiriri River, Mount Cook, Pukaki, Tekapo, the Rangitata River...  With tears in our eyes, we said goodbye.

One chapter ends so that another may begin.  I'm already 5 days into my third thru-hike: the Appalachian Trail.  With only two months to spare in this "Calendar Year," I hope you'll join me as I try for something remarkable...

The self-supported fastest known time!

Pack Weight

By Tyler Socash
IG: @tylerhikes

Bill Bryson never liked talking about hiking gear.  If you read A Walk in the Woods, you know how uncomfortable a conversation about hiking equipment can be.  I don't understand the intrigue when it's happening on-trail, but alas, it happens.  We are all outside, nature surrounds us, and no I don't know how much my tarp set-up weighs.  Gahhh!

That said, I'm going to to provide an unsolicited list of the things that I currently have on my person for the TA.  Most of these things survived the PCT thru-hike as well:

● Granite Gear pack - Crown 60 (60 liter capacity)
● Rain cover for pack
● Light-weight umbrella found along the PCT
● 3-liter water badder
● Gatorade bottle
● Fuel cannister
● Mountain Lorel Design Large Quilt, Bivy Sack, and Cubanfiber tarp (8 stakes and guylines).  I also have a thermarest sleeping pad.  Thanks Harpo and Groucho for the advice!
● Down Jacket, 2 merino wool long-sleeves (one is falling apart), acrylic hat, fleece gloves, 2 pairs of running shorts, 1 pair of windpants, 1 polyester hiking shirt, 1 town cotton shirt, flip flops, 1 bandana, 2 headbands, 1 light rain jacket, dorky sun hat, sunglasses w/ band.  That's all within a water-resistant bag.
● My 2 pairs of Darn Tough socks will last from Cape Reinga to Bluff and beyond
● Breeze 2.0 Vasque boots.  Possibly the only person hiking 3,000km in the same pair of boots from Cape Reinga to Bluff
● Food bag with various amounts of sustenance
● A durable garbage bag used to hold sleeping system + clothes
● Cooking pot + lid with the following inside, bowl, spoon, knife, lighter, pocket rocket
● Trekking poles

The rest of this list is everything in my Sea to Summit dry bag...
● Small medical kit with standard items inside. (Running low on band-aids, discarded most medications and just brought some ibuprofen, triple antibiotic, and Excedrin)
● Aquatabs and Aquamira found along PCT hikerboxes
● Bug head net and sunscreen
● Passport, small wallet, cell phone
● Small journal and pencil
● Toilet paper
● TOO MANY ELECTRONIC CHARGERS (adapters for NZ outlets)
● External batteries for devices
● GPS
● Headlamp
● Deck of cards (with the jokers for some reason)
● Toiletries... Standard stuff but I'll list it all.  (No deodorant)  Mini-toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, small toenail clippers, small scissors for my mustache, tweezers, q-tips.

And finally, Leuko Tape from Bipolar.  This is the best blister tape.

The overall weight does not matter as long as you finish your hike without leaving a trace of litter in your wake.  Picking up trail trash, thereby increasing your packweight, is actually much cooler.

The river crossings were innumerable.  Te Araroa from Harper's Pass to the Rangitata River poses some daunting challenges.  If the rain falls in torrents, you will likely have to spend an extra night (or more) in huts while you patiently wait for water levels to decrease.

Entering Arthur's Pass National Park, we had heard about the notorious Deception River.  Earlier this season a woman drowned in one of the many crossings en route to Goat Pass Hut.  I hiked this stretch alone.

At one moment I had the genius idea of taking a picture of my legs mid-way across the Deception.  Tossing my trekking poles to the opposing shore, I now had the necessary dexterity to snap a photograph.  Suddenly I stood helpless without support.  My next step would be critical.  The thigh-deep current was relentless, and the algae-covered rock bed unforgiving.  I escaped with just a subtle pack dip.  Close call.

The backcountry of Arthur's Pass was beautiful, and dangerous.  Our hiking companion Sebastien actually broke his foot while concurrently snapping a photo of its splendor.  It was a sobering moment for the fractured Cute Boys Club.

Bekah's mum Adrienne lifted our spirits by surprising us with a smorgasbord of sweet and savory treats at the Bealey Hut.  Her parents also gave us a ride around the Rakaia River, officially labeled a Te Araroa "Hazard Zone."  The Rakaia is one of New Zealand's largest braided rivers, and fortunately thru-hikers are exempt from crossing it.  (Although, some brave purists will make a daring swim!)

The section of Te Araroa between the Rakaia and Rangitata Rivers is absolutely stunning.  Do not miss out!  Endless tussock fields merge with spanning scree fields and stream walks.  The highlight for me was spotting Mount Sunday, filming location for Edoras in The Two Towers.  I couldn't stop smiling as I thought fondly of the riders of Rohan while crossing the Rangitata with Bekah.

Fortuitously, heavy rain started to fall after climbing out of the Rangitata's final braided bed.  Dangerous crossings behind us, we staggered through Bush Stream towards the Crooked Spur Hut.  Up and up and up we climbed through the rain, desperate for dry quarters.  The rain fell hard, and we arrived at the tired hut near sunset.  There was no room at the inn!  At least the hut was filled with our friends Reyne, Alex, Renate, DJ, and Otis.

Pounding rain fell until approximately 4am.  Suddenly it stopped.  The cold hut walls radiated no heat, and I lied awake shivering until dawn.  Renate made a quip about New Zealand's four seasons and revealed that the precipitation never stopped.  It was snowing!

Reyne rushed outside to touch snow for the first time.  It was thrilling to see the mountains coated in a couple of inches of powder!  The snowfields helped Alex spot a herd of introduced Himalayan Tahr on the mountainside.  This was my first time thru-hiking in a snow squall.  It was a bit unnerving.   Our footing on the steep tracks was compromised, and I typically carry better gear in these conditions.  By the mid-afternoon though, the snow had melted below 1,500 meters.  We stopped early that day at Royal Hut where prince Charles once stayed to soak up the rays.

We awoke to a bluebird day.  Snow still covered the mountain tops, but the tussocks gleamed with morning dew.  I decided that going off-trail for a ridge hike would be optimal on this day.  Bekah, Alex, Renate, and Reyne agreed.  The five of us made up our own trail to find staggering views high above Royal Hut.  We followed a knife's edge rocky ridge towards a tarn-filled basin.  I knew that Sebastien would be loving this place, and I hope he enjoys this same detour next year when he returns healthy.  The scrambling stopped well above Stag Saddle, highest point of Te Araroa, at the 2070-meter Beuzenberg Peak.  Glory! 

Mt. Cook and the surrounding Southern Alps spanned the horizon.  New Zealand really was "the land of the long white cloud."  Yesterday's snowfall gave the peaks around us glistening crowns.  The 360 degree view was breathtaking.  I really felt like the journey from Cape Reinga to here was well worth it for the feeling I had perched on that summit ridge.  The glacial till-waters of Lake Tekapo glimmered blue far below, and a sea of tussocks stretched out in every direction.  New Zealand, damn it you're incredible.

I'm just so very grateful that in that moment, Bekah didn't turn me and ask, "So Ty-Lah, what's your pack base weight?"

A Whole New World

By Tyler Socash
IG: @tylerhikes

                                ACT II

[Our protagonists collectively stand with mouths agape afront the lush greenery of the Queen Charlotte Track.  The surf settles within the reaching arms of the Marlborough Sounds, as the hum of a departing water taxi's motor distantly dampens.  Nearby, an interpetive sign reads, "This morn I was awakd by the singing of birds ashore.  Their voices were the most melodious wild musick I have ever heard, almost imitating small bells..."  Calloused and tan, eager members of Cute Boys Club, Couples Retreat, and Comfort Theory drop their clothes.  The South Island christening is about to begin...]

QUEEN CHARLOTTE TRACK

Smelling the sea salt, I retreat from the cold shallows of Ship Cove.  Bekah, Reyne, and I had simultaneously touched the water to commemorate a new beginning.  A new island!  Would we all touch the great white shark-infested waters of Foveaux Straight beside Bluff? I wondered silently.

Suddenly Sebastien, Dan, and I were stripped down to our shorts.  With a little bit of courage we jumped off the wharf and into same cove where Captain Cook anchored his ship, The Endeavour, long ago.  Fear of the unknown residents within the depths drives me ashore faster than the frigid temperatures.  Will Bluff's water be colder? I wondered knowingly.

The interpretive sign informs us that our senses should be bombarded by an environment similar to the one encountered by Sir Joseph Banks in 1770.  As the naturalist among Cook's crew, he was taken aback by the teeming bird life.  Ambient wasp buzzing and pesky weka caws seemed to dominate in 2016.

Even though the Queen Charlotte Track was well-graded throughout our 3 day walk, Reyne, Seb, Bekah, Dan, Kate, and I saw change on the horizon.  Quite literally!  Above Picton's city lights the Kaikoura Range stood mightily in the sunset's alpenglow.  Jagged peaks perforated the clouds.  The South Island would be an entirely different beast.

Our celebratory first night was a catastrophe.  We separated from Couples Retreat, camped in the rain, slept on an uneven sloping hill of gorse (the bush was too thick to camp elsewhere), and had to breathe the smell of rotting possum throughout the night.  The night was even worse for Bekah, she spilled her macaroni and cheese dinner on the ground.  She managed to scoop up most of it, which fell inside of Kate's tent vestibule.

Unlike the Abel Tasman Great Walk, Queen Charlotte avoids the coast.  It undulates along a rolling ridge all the way to Davie's Bay.  Bekah, who vacations annually in the Sounds with her family, felt at home.  "You guys can camp where you want but I'm staying here," she resoundingly declared.  I'm glad we stopped!  We all pushed and tackled each other into the calm tidal waters, and picked up cockles (clams) to rinse and steam back on shore. 

Aside from the consistency of wasp stings (my foot ballooned up awkwardly, Seb's allergies were tested, but Kate didn't flinch or complain at all when she was stung), it was an amazing start to the South Island.

"Was the North Island really worth the effort?" "Wasn't it a lot of road walking?" "Should I only focus on thru-hiking the South Island?"

I learned on the PCT that people try to use fear mongering as a tool to sensationalize their own experiences.  Maybe they want to sound like a hero?  Maybe they want you to make the same decisions that they made?  Typically, they do this to try to justify their decision to hitch around a difficult stretch.

The steps in the Hakarimatas on the North Island had a quote from Henry Ford fastened to one of the railings, "Whether you think you can or you can't - you're right."  What kind of mindset do you want to have?

The North Island is laden with trail magic (especially if you endure the character-building road walks).  There is beauty also!  The Northland beaches, Bream Head, Ngunguru sea kayaking, Pirongia, Pureora forests, Tongariro Crossing, Whanganui River paddling, Tararuas... These are all places that you want to see!

You'll notice I didn't list Raetea, Rangariri stop banks, 42 Traverse, walking along State Highway One, but these places provide good stories.  They aren't bad.  Like Alex from Couples Retreat says, "It's all part of it."

I'm currently writing my Top 10 Te Araroa Quotes in hut books along the South Island towards Bluff.  Every single quote originates from the North Island.  Trail families are forged in the relentless grinding crucible that is Geoff Chapple's (curator of the TA) North Island path.  I'm glad that I took it.  Don't listen to the naysayers, the North Island is cool.

RICHMOND RANGES

Remote.  Rugged.  Weather-dependent.  The Richmond Ranges are unlike anything SOBO Te Araroa hikers have seen.  Here are some facts...

● It's 160km between resupply points, Havelock to St. Arnaud.

● There are 14 on-trail huts to stay in during Te Araroa's path through the Richmonds.  Don't forget to purchase a backcountry hut pass from DOC.

● This section took Bekah and I seven days to complete.  Reyne did it in six days. 

● When the rivers swell they can become impassable, forcing you to wait out the weather in one of the backcountry huts. 

● This would be our longest stretch between resupply points on the entire trail.  For those of you who are looking for hardcore tramping ideas, you'll want to experience this part of New Zealand.  It's challenging, and very rewarding.

After the most wonderful rest day in Blenheim with Kate's friends Mac and Anne (not to mention an amazing chicken curry dinner) we hitched back to the trail.  I found a ragged, bloodied rugby shirt carelessly discarded alongside the road and added it to my wardrobe.  You want to look good when embarking on the most demanding stretches of the TA.

A 20km road/farm walk kicks things off, flooding our memories with North Island nostalgia.  Teal colored waters beneath the Pelorus Bridge invited us towards the cliff edge.  Seb, Dan, Kate, Bekah, and I all hurled ourselves into the frigid depths, just like the actors in The Hobbit did at this location, only to meet our new nemesis...

"Nothing dangerous lives in New Zealand."  Aside from three species of poisonous spiders, that statement is correct.  There are a few things, though, that you should at least be cognizant of while traveling to New Zealand's South Island: sandflies, spaniard grass, hook grass, matagouri, and gorse.  The latter four are spiky plants that trampers invariably walk into during a normal TA day.  Sandflies are simply a camping nightmare. 

Worse than mosquitos, blackflies, deer flies, and horse flies, sandflies are ubiquitous across the South Island.  "I thought they'd be gone by fall?" I asked hopefully.  "No, every season is sandfly season."  Kate, a native South Island Kiwi, brought unfortunate tidings.  As we exited the Pelorus River, the onslaught commenced.  The secret is to keep moving.  Once motionless, or drying off after a Pelorus River swim session, the sandflies reign supreme.

During our first night of camping along the Pelorus, we found no reprieve from the endless barrage of sandfly attacks.  I was honestly an immature baby about it.  Rolling my gloved hands over my socks (sandflies attack low) I would steamroll a dozen flies, only to see their numbers replenish within seconds.

"What do they eat when they can't get hobbit?!" Merry cries with utter disbelief in The Fellowship of the Ring Extended Edition.  "Stop complaining Tyler," I could hear the others saying under their breath.  My tarp tent set up seems absolutely flawed in sandfly country.  I lamented my lack of enclosure, and hoped daylight would come soon.

I awoke irritable and tormented.  Sandflies abound, I stormed out of camp only to find more flies with Sebastien at the Emerald Pools and Captain's Creek Hut.  Previous visitors cried out in the hut book regarding the prolific sandfly population.  Protected inside the hut, I apologized for my morning frustrations and continued over beautiful swing bridges and up steep tracks to Rock Hut.

Glory awaits at Rock Hut in the form of a legendary flushing outhouse toilet.  Epic views unfold atop The Rocks side trail.  The Richmond Ranges surround us now.  The Tasman Sea is visible to the north, the seemingly endless Kahurangi National Park dominates the western sky, and our future alpine track lies to the south. 

Spotting Mount Owen to was particularly thrilling for me.  I climbed this peak six years ago, and to this day it is still the greatest mountain I've ever climbed. 

Reyne, who had an extra day off in Blenheim, surprised us the next day at Browning Hut.  He hammered out an impressive 40km day to catch us!  With the full squad back together, we went towards Hackett Hut.  In the hut book we learned that a group of TA hikers were stuck here for nearly four days due to flooded streams.  The Cute Boys Club had seven days of blue sky throughout our dry Richmond Ranges crossing.

Dan and I were the first to complete the 900-meter climb into the alpine zone.  The Starveall Hut was immaculate.  I went back down to tell Bekah and Reyne that unfortunately there was no view, no water, and that the hut was dilapidated with dead stotes in the rafters.  They couldn't tell that I was being facetious.  The truth was revealed soon enough.  At the base of Mt. Starveall we reached thru-hiking glory.  Every step since Starveall Hut has been backpacking bliss.  Te Araroa had become the most scenic trail imaginable.

The 20km hike from Starveall to Rintoul Hut was a glorious ridge walk.  Ridge walks are the best.  We scrambled over seven mountains and had great views in-between.  Scrambling might be an understatement.  Climbing and descending Little Rintoul and Rintoul were downright dangerous.  The risk was worth the reward, as we were treated to stellar views and an incredible sunset.

What happened the next was unexpected.  In the midst of the greatest hiking day on trail, the Cute Boys Club separated.  Reyne, Bekah, and I went ahead, while the others enjoyed various campsites along the way.  Despite the separation anxiety, we were all able to appreciate the Richmond Range brutality.  We were ready for anything the South Island could throw at us.

NELSON LAKES NATIONAL PARK

At Redhill Hut, the final hut in the Richmond Ranges, Bekah was reading some entries from the hit book aloud.  These hut books are like trail registers, and the personalized comments are typically humorous as well as informative. 

"Sounds like the Lodge in St. Arnaud has an all-you-can-eat barbecue on Sundays at 6pm," Bekah inferred from the notes.  "Hey Ty-Lah, what day is it?"

"...Oh my God it's a Sunday!"

The three of us hustled for three hours.  We made it to the Lodge at 6:10pm and enjoyed two hours of delicious food.  Medium rare steak, tender to the touch was our primary objective with each plate reload.  Cucumber salad, couscous salad, hearty potato salads, succulent chicken legs all went down smooth after completing the seven day gauntlet.

I had a trail deviation in mind for Nelson Lakes ever since flying back to New Zealand.  Six years ago I hiked to Angelus Hut, which is a ridge walk of a lifetime.  I didn't climb Mt. Angelus due to the snowpack, and I wanted to make amends.  Instead of valley walking, Reyne, Bekah, and I left St. Arnaud's, climbed Robert's Ridge, and camped in the Angelus Basin.

"Just magic!" as some Kiwis say.  After 12km of ridge walking, we were at Angelus Hut.  Positioned in a ring of mountains sits the most wonderful tarn one could hope to find.  The brand new Angelus Hut sits adjacent to it. 

Mary the 70-year old hut warden told us that she climbed Mt. Angelus in 1 hour 30 minutes yesterday.  Reyne and I nearly matched her ascent with a time of 1 hour 28 minutes.  This brings me to the conclusion that Hut Warden Mary is an absolute animal.

I feel like I could be an ambassador for Nelson Lakes National Park.  Instead of prose, allow me to bullet the highlights of this section. 

● Hike Roberts Ridge
● Stay at Angelus Hut  (requires a DOC booking)
● Climb up Sunrise Saddle and summit the 2,000+-meter Mt. Angelus
● Skinny dip in a tarn
● Jump into the Sabine Gorge
● Stop by Blue Lake, clearest known freshwater in the world
● Be on the lookout for whio, New Zealand's endangered duck
● Be on the lookout for whio pooping in what once was the clearest freshwater in the world
● Stand upon the Lake Constance glacial moraine
● Climb Waiau Pass and marvel in the glory of New Zealand's backcountry

The pictures won't do it justice!

SAINT JAMES WALKWAY

I'll end this blog with a bit of astronomy.  After a restless night in Caroline's Bivy, a sandfly stronghold, we ambled through fields of gold to Anne Hut.  Bekah stayed here years ago, and was excited to return.  An older group of trampers greeted us upon arrival.  You never know what type of characters you'll bump into at the huts, but they usually have interesting stories.  Thus group, including mostly women over the age of 60, had done Waiau Pass the day before us.  We shared tramping tales all night, played an addicting card game called Quiddler, and received an astronomy lesson from Jupiter Jeff.

Jeff was rolling around in the grass to secure a primo view of Jupiter's moons.  I was permitted to use his binoculars to see them for myself.  I felt like a modern day Galileo!  Here we are hiking across a small portion of planet Earth, while staring at moons and planets in different parts of our solar system. 

Then Jupiter Jeff (I started calling him "Jupiter Jeff" in the wake of this astronomy lesson) showed us how to use the Southern Cross constellation to navigate. 

He wasn't finished!   Then he pointed out Alpha Centauri, the closest star to our very own sun.  Jupiter Jeff showed us the Coal Sack in the Milky Way.  Finally, he pointed our two other galaxies visible to the naked eye: the Magellanic Clouds.  It felt really good to dork out again.

This experience at Anne Hut made me want to be more aware of the happenings in the night sky.  There's a whole universe of new worlds out there, and no time is better than right now to start checking them out.

Where the Wild Things Were

By Tyler Socash
IG: @tylerhikes

"Hello everyone, I need your help!" I announced with grandeur to the assembling crowd.  "My good friends Kate and Reyne are going to need some encouragement..."

The Cute Boys Club made it to kilometer marker 1688 of Te Araroa.  We had a reunion in downtown Wellington on the waterfront just outside of Te Papa Museum.  At this site a large diving platform at the harbor gives tourists, locals, and thru-hikers another reason to celebrate the city.  The accolades of Wellington extend far beyond the city limits.  We've been hearing about this magnificent place since meeting Marcus, Sue, Louis, and Ella north of Auckland. 

Rewinding one week, the luxuries and amenities of the capital seemed ages away from Wanganui.  Our group splintered once the river adventure concluded.  Couples Retreat + Reyne went ahead, while Dan, Kate, Seb, Bekah, and I slowly made our way through the towns of Bulls, Feilding, and Palmerston North.

The trail magic in this road-heavy section was extraordinary.  After swimming on the driftwood beaches of Turakina, we were welcomed into Mike & Jo's homestead.  Their hiker haven, "Mayhem Roost," is open to wary travelers walking Te Araroa.

Mike shared that by opening their doors to trampers, an educational opportunity arose for their children.  Mike & Jo's four kids were eager to interact with us, learn where we were from, and to introduce us to their favorite games.  Mike even rode his unicycle around the property, inspiring Kate to purchase a unicycle of her own someday.  (Commit to this, Kate!)  Our conversations were wonderful, and "Mayhem Roost" will never be forgotten...  Nor will that incredible venison dinner!

While strolling through Palmerston North two days later, another unexpected act of kindness morphed into a spectacular evening.  We were approached by a friendly man on the street inquiring if we were walking Te Araroa.  His name was Anthony, and he thru-hiked the South Island with his wife Fiona last year.

"I'd invite you all to stay at our house, but we are renovating right now.  I'll happily take you all to the grocery store though!"

Anthony, who has a legendary beard that he started on his last thru-hike, obviously wanted to assist us in anyway he could.   It wasn't so shocking to see him back in the Countdown supermarket minutes later with an update, "Nevermind!  You all are welcome to stay at our house."  Apparently Fiona was very keen on hosting us despite their home repair projects.

We consumed Scrumpy's all night, learned of Anthony & Fiona's plans to hike the North Island in an atypical way by linking remote mountain ranges (a way that I wished the TA could emulate - fewer road walks), talked about conservation efforts, ate an amazing pesto pasta dinner, and saw our best New Zealand sunset from their rooftop.  Fiona encouraged us to get a better view of the red sky from a higher vantage point.  Dan, Kate, Bekah, Seb, and I had a night to remember.

One of our discussions continues to permeate my thoughts...  Anthony & Fiona, along with the Department of Conservation and other wonderful volunteers, do a lot to remove invasive species from the Tararua Ranges.  Before the arrival of the British, New Zealand only had 2 native mammals: the long-tailed bat and the short-tailed bat.  Every other mammal seen on New Zealand today is invasive.  Sheep, cattle, red deer, dogs, possums, boars, rabbits, weasels, ferrets, stotes, rats...  This a big problem for New Zealand's native bird populations.  For millions of years, New Zealand's birds evolved without the threat of predators.  Some of these birds are flightless.  The whio, kākā, kokako, kākāpo, kākāriki and the kiwi, once teeming around New Zealand, are all disappearing...  The eggs and chicks are being eaten by mammalian predators. 

The British vision of changing New Zealand into a pastoral paradise was only the beginning...  Possums were introduced to spur a fur trade.  Rabbits and red deer were introduced for people to hunt.  More native bird habitat was destroyed for sheep and cattle to graze.  Once these animals arrived, they had no natural predators to worry about!  Brilliantly, we introduced more predators (including falcons and hawks) to help cull the booming rabbit population.  It turns out that slow, flightless birds make easier prey.

Small victores need to be celebrated.  The whio is an endangered New Zealand duck.  Stotes, described by Fiona as "effective killing machines," eat the duck eggs.  Along with Anthony, Fiona carries 10+ kilograms of eggs to reset stote traps throughout the rugged Tararua Ranges.  It's a thankless job, but vital as an endangered species hangs in the balance.  Due to Anthony and Fiona's trap setting efforts, the remaining ducks in the region are being protected.  You can read more about the adventures of my heroes here: http://whiowhio.weebly.com/blog

As we entered the Tararuas, our friend James from Christchurch rejoined us for a long weekend!  James hiked from Pakiri to Huntly with us earlier in the North Island.  It was nice of him to return to see us reach the halfway-point of our journey.  One of the highlights of this section was meeting an ultralight hiker named Mike, sporting 7 kg's of gear (I carry 15 total) with a dash of fear mongering.  He was a hoot.  We enjoyed a long river swim, a beautiful campsite near a reservoir, and some arduous ascents with James along the way.

Before our 800-meter ascent into the High Tararuas, we said goodbye to James, jumped off a bridge into the Ohau River, and said hello to Kate's friend Scotty.  Scotty surprised us with a 12-pack of Speight's beer at the beautiful Waiopehu Hut.  Clouds billowed over the Main Tararua Ridge like a soft blanket.  Sebastien and I ran up to the see the sunset.  It was magic!

Describing the Tararuas is difficult.  I'll mainly leave it to the pictures below.  It's like hiking in the Great Range of the Adirondack High Peaks, but with Fangorn Forest trees in every col.  It's also like hiking above treeline in the Mountain West, but with the Cook Straight and the South Island visible in the distance.  The vegetation is lush, the wind unforgiving, and the tramping is well-earned.

Our three days in the Tararuas were as difficult as Ultralight Mike warned.  Every ascent seemed to by followed by an equal descent.  The undulating ridge involved strenuous climbs, but the views made it all worthwhile!  We were in the clouds!  When the clouds cleared, we were in a slice of heaven!  Among all the hiking trips in my life, the Tararuas rank in the top 10.  Messages from Reyne and Couples Retreat in the hut books kept us laughing.  We were eager to catch up to them.

Reyne surprised us outside of Wellington's Botanical Gardens.  We almost couldn't recognize our friend with his sun-kissed hair!  Reyne rejoined the Cute Boys Club on our walk to kilometer marker 1700 at the end of the North Island.

The pathway guided us towards the waterfront where a towering platform enticed us to swim.  Seb, Dan, Bekah, and I were quick to take the leap.  Reyne and Kate balked. 

Every passerby is drawn to the platform.  Wellington's waterfront is beautiful, and a public diving area only accentuates the uniqueness of the city.  A crowd assembling, I seized the opportunity to be a show pony.

"Let's put our hands together for Reyne and Kate everyone!" I encouraged the masses.  "They are terrified of heights so they are really going to need your support," I added only to draw intrigue.

To the dismay of Reyne and Kate, the proverbial slow clap began.  Strangers shouted their names.  Simultaneously, they approached their respective platforms and quickly retreated.

Without warning, Reyne sent himself over the edge, leaving Kate in the unwanted spotlight.  It took another excruciating 30 seconds of coaxing for Kate to follow Reyne's lead.  Everyone cheered with delight.

It concerns me to announce how the six of us completed the North Island.  With 12 kilometers to go, I announced that we would attempt the "12 in 12."  Some of you may remember my blog post about the 24-24-24 on the PCT.  This was like that.

12 beers in hand, we marched south!  It didn't take long for us to fall into bushes, ask random people to join us on our quest, and to lose the trail.  We even walked past the end point of the North Island's Te Araroa and had to double back.  Much unlike the 24-24-24 Challenge, I completed the 12 in 12. 

A plaque commemorates the end at Island Bay.  It was amazing to think how far we tramped together as a group.  I finished the North Island just under two months, and just across the Cook Straight lied our next objective.  Sebastien, Bekah, Dan, Kate, Reyne, and I returned to Wellington.  We readied our food mail drops (with the help of Scotty who graciously hosted and chauffeured hikertrash around Wellington for 4 days) and purchased our Interislander Ferry tickets.

Welcome to the greatest head fake of all-time.  Te Araroa lulls you into an elevated state of self-confidence, and suddenly you're dropped off by boat at Ship Cove.  At the tip of the Marlborough Sounds you are about to embark on a starkly different thru-hike.  Welcome to the South Island.