Heaphy Day 3: 9 Feb 2018

A leisurely start, up at 8:30, down for a swim and then breakfast. Last night a small group of us went for an optimistic kiwi search as the light faded. Jenny, a fellow tramper, is also a bird conservationist. She has been on kiwi call recording trips in the region previously, and was happy to guide us around. In the end only 2 kiwi were heard, and none seen, but we also heard morepork calling – of more interest to our international guests than us New Zealanders. As everyone else drifted back to the hut, I took the opportunity to stay out lying under the perfect starscape.

A brisk morning swim

The track now crosses the last arm of the Downs, before following the Saxon River into the rolling ridges that border them. Rising steadily up the sides of the ridges it then meandered through some tussock bogs before finally making its way back to beech forest and the James MacKay Hut. Here I actually crashed after setting up my pack and bed – which I’m going to blame on my late night previously (and definitely not at all due to my general lack of fitness).

Having made something of a habit of it now, I knew I had to get into the local swimming spot; really just a glorified dip in the stream. Not as deep as the other spots along the track, this one did have the benefit of moss covered rocks, and a few sandy “beaches”. I lay half submerged in the current and felt much enlivened by the experience.

I had spotted my German friend from Day 1, who I spoke to at Aorere shelter. He is camping rather than using the huts, and his stay last night was at Gouland. I went in search of him after dinner and he introduced me to another camper – Sven. We chatted for a while on the camping platform braving multiple sandfly bites and thieving weka, until Sven suggested a trip up Mount Otipo to catch the sunset. The summit track took us less than 20 minutes but is a tricky bit of walking given that the poorly-maintained route clambers through tree roots – the view however, was well worth it. Gazing out to the misty ocean we could see the line where the sea met sky. The golden beaches of the Heaphy River-mouth glowed in the sunlight, and the clouds that were starting to move in draped the hills, turning the sky pink and gold.

A spectacular finish to the day.