After rest, shower and clean clothes I was over confident once again as I head into the remaining sections of this walk and leave Te Anau. Instead of following my own game plan and capability the chance to meet up with Becks and Max at Aparima Hut tonight was now my goal. Max sent a text with their update; it looked straight forward. I shudda wudda stayed at Princhester Hut as planned but was tempted to be a super sporting hero to be with friends.
Huh, my capability in climbing through mud, drained my afternoon. Bog Burn and Waterloo Burn should have indicated the boggy terrain uphill. Over the other side was an open valley with a track that descended through tussock.
Yep lost! Walking in circles at 5:00pm was when I sat and saw a bird that looked like a takahe, Wow I sat and watched it. Intrigued my focus changed immediately. I walked the sidling ahead that went on over to yet another valley. This was really a pleasant walk but I was losing light and twilight threatened and at 8:45pm a sign 2km to the hut, uphill I climbed high above the river.
I was walking on a track laid with stone that reflected light, an old way of lighting the way in the dark. I knew Maori tracks included shells for the same purpose. I could see the track quite clearly until I met some dark bush. I was thrilled with the discovery of the bird at dusk and the old lighting system, this prompted me on.
Using my head torch as well as phone torch I could see both the triangle markers on the trees in the now pitch black and my step. It was 500m away from the hut so my GPS told me.
I found the hut and tapped on the door waking Becks and Max at 9:30. I took 8 hours it took Max and Bex 7 hours. What a day, shudda been two days for me!
Oh boy that's a huge day! Although seeing that lighting system with the stones must have been something very cool, it would be easy to miss that in the day time I imagine.
