My pack is HEAVY. Having been too lazy to send a supply box ahead, I now have to carry 10 days of food - plus some extra in case I get stuck, which the weather forecast suggests I might. I could barely close the clips on my bulging bag.

Luckily this day doesn't include too many steep climbs, just gentle ups and downs through a forest that's buzzing with wasps. The path is nice and easy.

When I arrive at the 20 bunk mountain hut around 7 pm, surprisingly there's no one there yet. A French couple does come in later, but I end up having an entire bunk room to myself. Pure luxury!

After spending a night by the fire, my shoes and socks are dry for exactly 3 minutes and 16 seconds before they get drenched in the first stream crossing. 😩

The day continues wet, with lots of drizzle, creeks and bogs. Most of the trail is an easy forest path, with only a few trees to climb over.

Smoke rises from the chimney when I get to the hut, a homely fire already lit to dry everyone's stuff. I quickly finish my chores and then indulge in reading my book with a hot chocolate in hand.

Another day in the forest and I decide to take it slow. Not too many kilometers and just enjoying the day! I find some interesting fungi between the the trees and make my way over beautiful Harper pass.

When it's time for lunch there's no hut nearby, so I'm forced to eat amongst the sandflies. This was not fun (an understatement) and probably how the devil makes people eat their lunch in hell (not an overstatement).

The hut where I sleep is very nice, and I meet some lovely NoBo's (people going the opposite direction; NorthBounders 😉) 

In an attempt to let Marie catch up with me, I decide to take a small detour, following a trail away from TA into a beautiful old forest. The initial plan is to visit a natural hotspring, but after I set up camp near a lake I decide to jump in there instead. I gather firewood and make a campfire to keep the sandflies at bay and cook my dinner on. I'm a wild woman!

I always feel a little queasy when going off trail, but it's also an incredible feeling to be all alone in nature. It's thrilling, liberating and a little scary (but not uncomfortably so).

The night passes without incident; no uninvited visitors crawling into my tent looking for food. I didn't sleep much, but enjoyed the night bush sounds - including the repeated call of a male kiwi bird.

While walking back to the trail, the forest around me colours golden and I know this will be a great day ☀️

After a rough section, the path gets easier and I find some hiking friends, which is nice. Under a blue sky I walk further into the valley, taking a swimming break halfway. Lots of river crossings and scrambling later I arrive at the hut, where I have another cold dip and a relaxed evening.

I'm starting to get better at knowing when to stop, not pushing my mind and body further than I enjoy. Making the right call yesterday resulted in a super fun climb this morning!

Bouldering through the river, clambering on rocks, it was an adventure I wouldn't have been able to appreciate with tired legs, but loved doing now. At times I even deliberately picked a different route from the trail, testing my skills.

After my climb I had a coffee in the sun plus a long chat at a hut, and then thoroughly enjoyed the boardwalk over Goat Pass. One stunning walk down the valley and a bit of roadwalking later, I found myself zigzagging through a field full of spiky bushes - no trail to be found. I made it out though and arrived at the hut tired but happy. 

Two hours of climbing through cobwebbed woods and I'm up in the mountains again! The views are great, but dark clouds hang threatening above me. Luckily they keep their contents for somewhere else.

I thought today might be the first time in more than a week to keep my feet dry, but nope - I put my faith in the wrong stone while rock hopping a river and landed in the water.

A bunch of familiar hikers enter the hut and I decide to join their group for a bit! We immediately start talking about undertaking a great adventure tomorrow...

After packing up at 6, seeing the sun rise at 7 and seeing only two cars before 8, we admit defeat and pay for a shuttle to town. We eat a lot, chill in the park and then move to the campground, where we each have a tiny cabin to ourselves 😍

The next day it's 15 degrees colder outside, rainy and windy, so we decide on another zero: ☕🍫🧩🥐😴 

After multiple coffees, breakfast and lunch at a cafe, we finally make our way back to the trailhead. We're getting a ride from Kevin, the legendary German I started the trail with and who's already finished it - so today he will be our trail angel! His cousin Max and friend Maya are also joining and together we walk the 9 kilometers to the first hut, a cosy 3 bunk hut shaped like a tent.

We share 2 bottles of wine between us and have some nice chats, then crawl into our sleeping bags with the sound of rain against the tin roof. Kevin reads us a chapter from his book (in German) as a bedtime story, which, after some giggles, gently lulls us to sleep.

After some difficulties getting out of our sleeping bags and into the cold, we start walking through a beautiful field of frozen grass glittering in the sun. The icy morning quickly turns into a simmering hot day, walking an exposed route through a dry valley. It's weird to be in a hot and dry desert-like landscape just one day after ploughing through the snow. But typically New Zealand 😅

Many kilometers of golden landscape with distant snowy peaks later, we reach the Rangitata river. We camp next to it, enjoy dinner with a view and see how sunset colours the sky in many shades of blue, pink and orange.

A clear blue sky quickly vanishes behind a thick mist. Bad news, because today I'm climbing Stag Saddle, the highest point of Te Araroa. Once there, thick clouds roll over the mountains and I don't see a thing. Climbing up to the adjacent peak doesn't help. I decide to have lunch and wait a bit.

Luckily it clears a little and I get some views from the ridge, gradually more when I descend. And then suddenly the bluest lake looms up ahead of me. What a stunning sight! The yellow/golden mountains, hills and fields contrasting with a deep bright blue Lake Tekapo in the distance.

I enjoy every step of the ridge, taking it very slow with lots of breaks. When I get to the hut, it turns out to be quite a historic one - built in 1898! It's cute and a little moldy, but certainly good enough for a tired hiker.

Instead of having my endlessly slow morning routine in the hut, I decide to quickly pack up and go to have my coffee and breakfast in the sun a little later. I found the perfect spot for it in a golden valley.

After another short climb, I'm back on the hills overlooking lake Tekapo, a very enjoyable walk. The route then leads down to a long dusty road along the lake, where I'm surprised by my favourite trail angels Kevin and Max with a cold Sprite and an apple 😍

Once I get into town I decide it's now really time to let Marie catch up with me. Half being invited, half inviting myself, I hop into the car with Maya, Kevin and Max to go wild camping somewhere and then join them on their roadtrip for a few days. Our evening is filled with wine, campfire and stars - a perfect start of this short off-trail adventure!