Day 70: Starveall to Rocks

We found another full hut last night at Starveall, so pitched the tent. Packing up in the morning, we didn't get on the trail until late morning. An easy decent down from Starveall's to Hackett hut, the worst of the Richmond's was well behind us. Yesterday was the most taxing of it, but simultaneously the most scenic and worthwhile. At the bottom of the decent, we plodded through a river, before finding wasps once more.

We reached Hackett, and Emma went off to use the longie, undetered by the swarms of wasps living inside. Brave. Inside the hut I found some beers left on a shelf. Though I was not keen to carry out the empties should I have drunk them... leave them for the next tramper I thought. The next hut was only a short walk away, so we elected to press on there for lunch to escape the wasps.

On the way to Browning hut, we were given the option of a high 'all weather' track, or a low 'fine weather' track on a river section around a wash out. Not being a very intelligent specimen, I misled Emma into taking the high track. I looked down to the low track, saw that I'd have to go down some 20 m or so, and I hate going downhill when we're trying to head up hill. I nearly immediately regretted it when the high track climbed some 100 m instead, only to bring us down to the river's edge maybe 200 m up stream. We stopped for lunch at the hut a short walk on.

From Browning hut, we had a steady climb uphill to Rocks hut. The afternoon dragged on a little longer than we thought. But we got some final views when we reached the top of the hill and the bush cleared off.

The late start was going to stop us short, as we'd had plans to get through to Middy hut today, 5 km downhill from Rock's. But it was nearly 20:00 when we arrived at Rock's, so we called it.

Rock's is a replica of Boyle Flat hut, but comes complete with a flushing toilet, a working water tank, and a huge deck. Quite luxury. Even though we were a hut short on intentions, this would wind up to be the most huts we've seen in a day while on the Te Araroa.

Summary