Sunday 02.04.2023

• Te Araroa kilometres done: 2724
• Official kms: 14km
• Garmin kms: 13.12km
• Total time: 3.17
• Calories burned: 1419
• Body battery: 8/10
• Accommodation: Greenstone hut
• Tent nights tally: 18
• Zero days had so far: 27

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This morning I got to wake up next to my beautiful wife. She is amazing & what an amazing thing to drive all the way here for one night & then drive back again.

We aren’t planning to leave the Airbnb until 9am & then it’s a 45 minute drive to the Greenstone carpark. Antonia is then driving back to Christchurch from there. Big day!

We got to the carpark just before 10am & talked to some hikers who were sitting there waiting for a shuttle back to Queenstown. At least 2 of them were. One Czech guy didn’t have a ride & asked Antonia if she could drop him into Queenstown. She accepted.

We said our goodbyes & I started walking. Knowing this is all over in 3 weeks & I get to see her again then. The trail was amazing, pretty much great walk standards. Todays hike is only 13km or so, so really around 3 hours.

After about 9km I went off trail to find Slip flat hut as there is no known trail up to it. It was only about 300 metres away & I found it pretty quickly.

What an amazing little hut! I also see Ladina & Alina had stayed in here 3 nights prior. I was almost considering staying here but it’s only another 4km to the big Greenstone hut where I will stop for the day have lunch & take a zero here tomorrow.

I arrived at Greenstone hut at 1:30pm. There were 2 TA hikers here having a zero today. Not long after lots of other hikers started to make there way here, mainly people doing the Greenstone Caples loop.

A few of us walked down to check out the swimming hole about a 10 minute walk from the hut. Since it was fairly cold I wasn’t brave enough, but one lady was.

I’m looking forward to tomorrow off in a hut. I’m pretty sure it’s my 1st zero in a hut.