Thursday 23.03.2023

• Te Araroa kilometres done: 2555.5km
• Official kms: 13km
• Garmin kms:13.75km
• Total time: 4:38
• Calories burned: 2083
• Body battery: 7/10
• Accommodation: Top Timaru hut.
• Tent nights tally: 18
• Zero days had so far: 26

https://givealittle.co.nz/fundraiser/walking-te-araroa-3000km-for-the-key-to-life

Track me live here:

https://aus-share.explore.garmin.com/curtiss

I’m considering just doing a short day today and only going to Top Timaru hut which is only 13km away. This is all weather dependent because the next section after this is mainly in the river.

Before I was ready to leave I was telling Lindy about a hard to reach prickle in my foot. She offered to dig it out & managed to do so with success!

Leaving at 8:30am I had to get cold wet feet straight away crossing the stream. From here it was a gradual climb up the trail before reconnecting with the 4wd track.

There is a total climb of 750 metres from the hut to the high point & it started straight away! Depending on where in the valley the track took me I was in & out of the sun.

As I got higher the view’s started to become amazing. At one point once I had reached the snow I seen Alina’s name etched in the snow (from yesterday) as well as Jens.

As I got a little higher I got a nice surprise, my name was etched in the snow! Alina & Ladina must have done it yesterday.

Not far from this point I had reached the saddle & just on 2 hours with another fellow hiker around the same time, there was amazing views here.

There was also cell phone reception here so I took a good 40 minute break & checked the weather & emails etc.

It was only 7km to Top Timaru hut from here so I set off to get there, it started with a steep descent where I dropped about 400 metres in the first 2km, once I had reached the valley it was a nice gradual descent.

One of the side streams I crossed had very thick grey water running down it. Something I have never seen before. After it had made its way into the main river this also turned this colour from all the sediment.

I managed to reach the hut just after 1pm & in time for some lunch. There are already two beds claimed here & a lot of gear & food. Looks like it might be 2 hunters who have flown in for the roar.

Lindy & Jake turned up just before 4pm after doing the alternate ridge track. Not long after this the hunter & his grandson turned up then 30 minutes later 2 other hunters as well as 2 more TA hikers turned up. That’s 9 of us here at this 6 bunk hut. 7 in the hut 2 tenting.

And then after writing this more turned up, it’s like tent city here tonight. Looks like it may be a race to the next hut tomorrow with at least 10 of us here heading that way.

I may be tenting tomorrow night, hopefully the temperature is a bit warmer.