Day 4: Aparima/Riverton to Ōtaka/Colac Bay

Relaxed start to the day, intending to have the second of our two half days to let the calves and hamstrings adjust. Breakfast at the same café as yesterday, Jacob's River Bakehouse. They were happy to see repeat custom.

Then it was time for a resupply at the supersave. We counted 4 days to our next one, excepting the burgers we intended to have at Colac campground, and our breakfast. So we stocked up for 3.25 days, we had 50,000 kJ still in our packs, so we needed to supplement a further 50,000 kJ.

After squeezing it all into our packs it was time to leave Riverton.

Reaching the top of a gravel hill, we found our first decent piece of native bush.

From the lookout we could see where we needed to get to today (Colac), where we'd be for the next few days along the Longwood forest, and then further north to the much more elevated Takitimu range. We could look back at where we'd come from across Oreti beach, all the way off in the distance to Bluff.

Descending down onto the beach, we found a much difficult progress than Oreti as it were quite a bit steeper, but more importantly it was all pea sand, very loose. We did happen across a channel cut through the rock with waves crashing through it.

The beach was cut by rock protrusions in multiple places, so the trail was undulating up into the hills then back down to the pebble beach. This went on for a few km until we reached the final drop down to the last 4 km or so of uninterrupted beach.

Walking across the pebbles would have been absolutely punishing so we fast to head to the grass/dunes in look of a route. We found hidden away in the tussock somebody's best mate, and shortly after that something of a rough whisper of a trail off the beach.

A few km later we were up on the road, or what was left of it. Rising sea levels have caused the main costal road to be abandoned, as it slowly disintegrates out to the ocean with each storm. They've erected a rough storm wall of boulders along the bulk of the township, but you are left wondering what the future holds for places like these.

Finally we reached the campsite, Thursday is a good time to spend at Colac... $3 beers, and $12.50 burgers. I had my second fish burger of the day, while Emma opted for a panko chicken and bacon.

Heading into the bush tomorrow. Might be 3–4 days until we can upload the next updates. Even this one in Colac is sketchy.

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