Past Stody’s to Top Timaru – Day 28.

I started by leaving Pakituhi Hut, where I spent the night, climbing 250m in elevation to the top of Breast Hill. You can see for miles up here, and just about every other mountain range I crossed in the last two weeks.

Turning away from Hawea, I followed a ridge down, where I was joined by a small falcon, soaring the ridge, staying ahead of me in the wind, looking for breakfast.  I guess it was opportunistic, hoping I would scare a rodent of sort, forcing movement and it making a meal of it. I sat down here and opened a pack of sweets watching it effortlessly and elegantly “play” in the wind, before being joined by another falcon, complaining out loud, that one of us were encroaching on its territory. I wish a could stay and watch how the two of them settled the “difference in opinion”, but it was back up another hill for me.

From this hill, you guessed it, it was down more than 600m in elevation over the next 4km into the forest. This is where I past Stody’s Hut, having a quick lunch before entering the forest.

Joined the river at the bottom, walking next to it, or in it for the next 11-ish kilometres while going, yes, upstream again 350m in elevation. I had the music turned on today, to help me keep up my pace and I think the song of this week is – “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” by Green Day.

Towards the end of the day, the trail got really tricky and I was getting tired. Almost 10 hours on the trail today, nearing 26km in total. The Hamster was asking the Haaikie to burn everything to keep the “boiler” going. This was difficult after yesterday, so the Haaikie cleaned out, throwing everything on the fire. This included the stack of pepper corns he kept for the last 7 years, drawings of him, from when he was younger, that were stuck on the wall, some old Lego blocks I swallowed when I was young… EVERYthing, including his clipboard holding paperwork.

The Hamster had to chip in as well with some chocolate and Oreo cookies, but in the end, “we” all made it to Top Timaru Hut, taking the last bunk in a full Hut.