Guessing Brad's Hut Location Tonight...

How many hours is Brad hiking a day; how accurate are the Te Araroa Trail time and mile estimates; is it raining; are the rivers swollen? So many questions. So many ways the miles covered could change. But, estimating approcimately 6.5 hours of tramping per day since he left Havelock, I'm guessing he will be staying at the Rintoul Hut tonight, on the Richmond Alpine Track.

Rintoul Hut

Love From Home!

Love is like cough you can't hold it back.

~African proverb

To Brad!

I think tramping 1,864 miles on the Te Araroa Trail qualifies for finding out how far one can go.

Following Brad Hut by Hut.

Today Brad began the Pelorus River Track, a track rich in huts. Perhaps this section of the Te Araroa Trail could be called huting rather than tramping. My puzzle: how far will Brad get, or which hut will he spend the night in?

The Captain Creek Hut, approximately 8.5 km (4 hours):

The Middy Hut, another 5 km (2 hours):

The Roebuck Hut, another 7.5 km (4 hours):

Or, the Browning Hut, another 9 km (4.5 hours):

I'm betting on the Roebuck Hut, unless it started raining again and crossings became a problem. He could also get really ambitious and stop at the Browning Hut. Or, he could pitch his tent and not stay in any of the huts. So, once again, he's hiked one day and I have no idea where he is. It's fun to see the hut options though.

An interesting tidbit, New Zealand's Department of Conservation manages over 950 huts of all shapes and sizes, from one end of New Zealand to the other.

Rain, rain go away, come again another day...

Today, finally, Brad departs from Havelock. Not on schedule at all because of rain, rain and more rain. The Pelorus River, along with all its tributaries, has been high making crossings dangerous, if not impossible, all along the trail.

Pelorus River from Pelorus River Bridge, looking gentle, calm and non threatening

Hanging out at the hostel for another day or two made more sense than tackling the trail in non-stop rain and then getting stuck in a soggy tent waiting for crossing opportunities. Flooding in the Marlborough District is a serious enough issue that there's a website called: Flood Watch to provide up-to-date flooding information. By last evening when I last chatted with Brad, the rain had stopped and the river was returning to normal flow. He was leaving in the morning (that's about now!).

Sometimes, keeping one's feet dry is a river-crossing option.

Photo by David Noble

In the wait for the rain to stop yesterday, Brad did four hours of welding and other work for the owners of the hostel where he was staying; finished a book; blogged (See days 41-70 for more updated Te Araroa Trail tramping adventures); and solved a cash problem he's been having. His visa card will only work at the larger banks so he needed to send his card into the city with the hostel owners so they could get food-purchasing-cash for him.

So he's now with food, with cash, with pack packed, with rain stopped and with a will to get back on the trail. He's off into the wilderness so we won't hear from him for a spell. I'm hoping the friends he'd wanted to catch were stopped by the rain too so the distance between them didn't increase.

I'm now beginning a long tramp too -- no towns, no phone, no e-mail, no chat, no postcards, no blog updates, no Brad, for a long time...

Rain

I can hear you

making small holes

in the silence

rain

If I were deaf

the pores of my skin

would open to you

and shut

And I

should know you

by the lick of you

if I were blind

the something

special smell of you

when the sun cakes

the ground

the steady

drum-roll sound

you make

when the wind drops

But if I

should not hear

smell or feel or see

you

you would still

define me

disperse me

wash over me

rain

by Hone Tuwhare

Havelock and heading for wilderness

Just before Welllington, Brad reported he was "tired", as you can see from the photo below. So, he took several days for rest and resupply in Wellington, and then a couple more days of rest in Picton. Slowing down has allowed him to rest, let his knee heal, visit with friends, shop and tend to e-mail and blogging. But now, with his injured knee rested and healed, he's about ready to put his head down and cover some miles.

Brad is tired

Brad's update this morning (February 21) is that he's in Havelock, a coastal town on Pelorus Sound on the South Island. While there he is purchasing and packing food for the next nine days. Tomorrow (or even later today if it stops raining), he will hitch out of Havelock before beginning a several day tramp following the Pelorus River, along the Pelorus River Track. Upon leaving the river he will head into the mountains. First town off that track will be St. Arnald, gateway to Nelson Lakes National Park. At St. Arnaud he will resupply for six more days of tramping which will last him to his food drop. He supplied this food drop by mail from Wellington. This drop will last him for another six days. It looks like he could be out of touch for 20+ days. Brad will be tramping in some remote and difficult terrain. With luck he will catch Ludo and Flore who are now about four days ahead of him.

Track Marker

This orange sign is the NZ Department of Conservation track marker for the Te Araroa Trail. On Brad's tramp, he's needed to always be on the lookout for this sign, so I had to laugh when...

he pointed out on his blog that even the ferry had the orange marker.

Cook Strait Ferry