Life's a Stitch

Queen Charlotte track – Day 3 of hiking

Due to yesterday's torrential rain, our rest day and time limitations, we water taxied to Torea Saddle to begin the day's hike.

I did my honest best to convince C to take one of two alternative routes in order to avoid some 20+degree grades and 400 meters of elevation over 2 K. Nope. We’re sticking to the plan. I hate to admit that it wasn’t too bad. We’re getting stronger as our hike goes on.

The views were spectacular, but it was grey and cloudy with about an hour of light rain. Shamrock Ridge is the highest point on the Queen Charlotte Track.

The views from both sides of the ridge:

Back to those NZ sand flies, which are doing a good job of biting. Can’t figure out how they were named as there appears to be no sand, the beaches being rocky. The first night we could feel them biting, but no after effects. Must have hit our limits for histamine intake because now we each have a couple of dozen good sized itchy welts.  Turns out this particular variety of sand fly is located on the South Island and has a preference for penguin blood, but in their absence will settle for humans.  Met an Aussie who recommended we stop in a pharmacy when we get to civilization and get a super terrific antihistamine bug bite cream, Anthisan, available in NZ and Britain, not in Canada, the US or Australia. For now, our arnica gel seems to help. And next time, in the absence of the ability to carry along a penguin as sand fly bait, we will do a better job of planning for repellant.

After 4.5 hours we arrived at Te Mahia for our last night on the track. Located way off trail we enquired about a shuttle back. None here, she informed me, everyone walks it. I asked how old their average hiker is, trying to play the senior card. It comes in handy sometimes. Not this time apparently. It’s just we are pressed for time tomorrow, having to meet a water taxi at 3:30 after an estimated five hours of hiking in addition to this new bit, probably over an hour.

The place is dated, but clean with a well supplied kitchen, and positioned nicely on the beach with beautiful gardens. BUT, no restaurant. Just a “cafe” that serves frozen pizza, coffee and a few baked goods and a “grocery” with limited items for cooking in your room. We were offered a water taxi ride to a restaurant, but the fare would be $72 return, so I bought $4 cans of beans, tomatoes and a lump of frozen ground beef for “chili.” Also a $4 can of peaches for dessert and yogurt for brekkie. Arriving in the room we found a sprig of fresh rosemary on our basket of towels, so that’s going in there, too. A little later, some track magic: an herb garden on our patio and the offer of a ride to the track in the morning.

Yes, that's a peek of the expansive water view from the kitchen table. The view from our bed:

We made the effort to stay awake two hours after sundown for the chance to see more magic -  the famous NZ glow worms in their natural habitat, a rocky grotto located only a five minute walk away. Then we slept to the sound of gently lapping water on the beach right outside our window.

(11-3-17)