Queen Charlotte Sounds Walkway

Weka stole my lunch!

As I had a few days to spare after arriving in Picton, before my ferry booking to Wellington. I walked the Queen Charlotte Walkway. Many thanks to Cougar Lines who sponsored me by providing a 50% discount on the boat trip. The Walkway is 71km long and I took the Cougar Line boat to Ships Cove to start the walk and they ferried my pack on each day and then collected me at the end from Anakiwa and took me back to Picton.

I really enjoyed the 3 day walk. The views on both sides are fabulous, the gradients are not too steep and as most of the walk is under the bush canopy, it wasn't too hot. While eating lunch on the first day I put my sandwich down on the seat alongside me and a couple of cheeky Weka stole it while I wasn't looking. This is not the first time I have been mugged by birds!  That night Weka also dragged my toilet bag away from my tent, possibly trying to get at the fish oil tablets inside.

Kaia, a German girl was also walking the track at the same time as me and we met up both evenings and discussed the days walk. I also met a Christchurch couple on the second and third days. Although I stayed at DOC campsites both nights, there are other accommodation options. Several hotels are situated along the track.

I took the opportunity to look around the Outward Bound School at Anakiwa while waiting for the boat back to Picton. I have always been interested in Outward Bound and the leadership and confidence building courses they provide so it was great to see the place and look around.

I am now back in Hamilton for 3 weeks and will start the North Island leg of the walk on 10th January. I wish you all a very Happy Xmas and may 2013 be good to you.

Done it - South Island

I had celebratory dinner last night to mark the completion of my walk of the South Island.  But that is getting ahead of myself.

On Saturday 8th December after 4 nights in Blenheim I walked to Rarangi Beach. On the way out of Blenheim I came across an outdoors market, those of you who know me will also know that I couldn't resist stopping and checking for bargains. I found a few too, but due to weight constraints had to leave most of them behind, although I did buy a couple of small items.

The first 10km were on SHI and then 10km down side roads to the beach. Was offered two lifts on the way, once by a farmer. Then just short of my destination Joe & Steph, a pleasant young couple, stopped and were disappointed that I didn't want a ride. They were interested to know where I was going and what I was doing. They asked lots of questions and gave me strawberries and a book to read.

It started to rain just before I got to the DOC campsite but stopped as I was putting up my tent. Later Pam who looks after 12 DOC campsites called around. She couldn't find my camp fee envelope even though I had posted it in the correct slot. After much poking with a stick and posting other objects through the slot my envelope finally fell out. I had started to think that Pam thought I was lying about paying. She gave me a ride up the hill above the camp so that I could see if the road or  the track was the better option the following day.

Next day I walked up the scenic track to Whites Bay and called in at Pam's cottage for a cup of tea. She thought she knew someone looking for workers but several phone calls later it turned out her friend had filled his quota of vineyard workers.  Only walked a total of 10km that day, to Robinhood Bay. Set up in another DOC campsite and had a sociable night with Max a German travelling on his own, Marco & Sandie another German couple, Dave a Kiwi tour guide and another couple who's name I have forgotten. A nice evening drinking wine and beer swapping travel stories was had by all.

Marco & Sandie were travelling in the same direction as me the next day and agreed to take on my pack on. As I wasn't sure of where I would get to that night, we arranged that I would set off walking early and would get my pack once they caught me up. I was away at 6.25am and had walked 12.5km up the road and past several bays by the time they caught me up at 8.50am. A quick thanks and farewell and they were off to catch the ferry to Wellington. Helped again by strangers.

Another 2.5 km up the road I found a sign advertising backpackers and camping. All the beds were taken by a forestry gang but Sandra offered me a tent site  free of charge. It was still morning but 28c were forecasts and it was already quite hot so I was grateful for a place to camp. A gold coin bought me a welcome shower. I had been told that Sandra cooked a good evening meal and this proved to be the case. $10 bought me soup and toast, roast lamb & vege, cheesecake & fruit. She also had a spare packed lunch and gave me that. I was also able to help myself to toast for breakfast. The bargain of the century.

Sandra's husband Ray works at Queen Charlotte College in Picton as the International Student Coordinator and yesterday morning he brought my pack into town with him.  I walked the 15km into Picton, 4km uphill and the rest downhill along a tar sealed road that showed the signs of the high temperature the day before. I collected my pack from the school and arranged with Ray that I would return this morning to talk to a group of 11 year olds about my walk.

After booking into the Atlantis Backpackers and having a shower I walked the few metres to the ferry terminal to complete my walk of the South Island. It seems surreal that I have now finished this part of the journey. Total walked since I started is 1735km.

This morning I gave a 50minute talk to 36 11 year olds. I was pleasantly surprised how many insightful questions were asked. Thanks to their teacher Dave who has loaned me his laptop to update this blog.

Thanks to Cougar Cruises who have offered me a 50% discount off the cost of the boat trip out to the start of the Queen Charlotte Sounds walk tomorrow. I will take 3 days and two nights to do the walk and they will take my pack on each day. Next Tuesday I take the ferry to Wellington and then fly back to Hamilton for 3 weeks recuperation over Xmas and New Year.

Nearly There - South Island

Tent site amongst the lupins

Railway bridge, Clarence River 

Dead Sperm Whale, north of Clarence

Natural rock arch Wharanui beach

Nicola, Wharanui

Whare, where I spent the night on Cape Campbell Walkway

I have now walked a total of 1680km and only a few days to go until I complete the South Island part of my walk. Picton, where I catch the ferry to the North Island is only 28km away by the direct route, but as usual I will be taking the long way around.

On my final night at the Albatross Backpackers in Kaikoura they had a curry night, very nice too. On Sunday 25th November I was away at 8.30am and walked on the beach past the Whale Watch offices and eventually to Hapuku 14km up the coast. The beach was mostly shingle and I got wet feet crossing the Hapuke River. I saw one lone dolphin, usually they are in pairs. There is a toilet at Hapuku but no running water so I called at a local house to refill my water bottles. My tent site was amongst yellow lupins with a view of snow capped mountains inland. Perfect!

The following day I was away at 7.30am and walked up the beach for 5km before having to walk on SH1 for 9km. The road here was better than south of Kaikoura to walk on with either wide verges or crash barriers. Usually there is just enough room to walk behind the barriers. The railway track mostly runs alongside the road and at one place there was major track work going on replacing the wooden sleepers with concrete ones. I exchanged greetings with some of the workers who I had met at Goose Bay. I walked past two seal colonies where cars were stopped and people watching the seals. As I have seen thousands of seals I didn't stop. I did stop and watch later though, to watch seals diving in and out of the surf like dolphins. I found a camping ground at Waipapa Bay which I didn't know about, so stopped there for the night after 15km for the day. The owner, Cheryl, agreed to sponsor me by not charging for my tent site. There was a good shower and toilet block, the shower was particularly welcome.

Goudie, who was staying in a caravan opposite me works on the railway and told me that replacing the wooden sleepers with concrete ones costs $1.3 million per km! Gordie kindly donated a bottle of sparkling water and pork strips to my dinner that night.

The next morning I had a 5km walk up the beach before once again being forced onto SH1 due to the Clarence River. It was only about a kilometre from the beach to the road but half of this was through a pine forest which took me over an hour to get through. The problem was that the trees had been pruned and all the prunings were on the ground and had to be climbed over. I walked through Clarence and then regained the beach. Some kilometres ahead I could see diggers working close to the beach. I also became aware of a large object and as I got closer I realised it was the dead Sperm Whale I had heard about. I stopped to take photos but had to be careful trying to get a shot from the sea side as the tide was coming in. I could see the railway workers pointing in my direction and I thought maybe they thought I shouldn't be taking photos. However, when I climbed the bank and spoke to them they told me that, as I was taking the photos, a 1m shark was thrashing around in the surf! It had obviously smelt the decaying whale. I saw nothing of interest or any other people for several kilometres in either direction and the whale had come ashore right in front of where these guys were working!

Due to Health & Safety regulations, I was asked to take a wide berth around the diggers but once on the other side I was given a cup of tea and had my water bottle refilled. After another 1.5km I found a great spot to camp just off the beach.

On Wednesday I walked 17km up the beach to Kekerengu. There is a cafe there and I decided to shout myself a big lunch. While discussing the beach ahead with the staff, my waitress told me she lived 10km up the beach at Wharanui in a flat with other cafe staff.  Nicola offered me a bed at the flat and I gratefully accepted. I hung around the cafe reading for the rest of the day and at the end of the shift Nicola drove us to the flat, an old 4 bedroom farm house. I met the other occupants Fiona & John, a pleasant young Irish couple. Before dinner we all walked to the beach so that I would know where to come off the beach the following day.

On Thursday morning Nicola drove me to Seddon so that I could replenish my food supplies. We also dropped my pack at Ward, where I was heading the day after. When Nicola started work I caught a ride with her then walked the 10km back to the flat where I spent a second night. There is an unusual natural rock archway on the beach at Wharanui as well as a couple of seal colonies.

I was away at 7.30am on Friday after saying farewell to Nicola and thanking her for all her kindness.
A 3.5km walk up the beach to the Ure River and I was blown by a strong southerly 11.5km up SH1. My pack and I were reunited at the A1 Motel in Ward where they also have tent sites. The manager Julz agreed to sponsor me by not charging for the tent site. There is a really nice kitchen and lounge area and, as I was the only one staying, I had it all to myself. In the evening I phoned the owners of the Cape Campbell Walkway and was given permission to walk their private track. Sleep didn't come easy that night with trucks rumbling up SH1 all night, the local fire siren going off at 11.30pm and drunks walking and yelling up the road at 2.45am!

A 3km walk on Saturday brought me to the home of Peter and Carol one of the owners of the Cape Campbell walkway. Over a cuppa they gave me directions for the next two days. They farm over 4000 acres and the 6th generation was recently born on the farm. After a gradual climb up a farm track I walked along a ridge alongside fences for 4km. This is all hilly sheep/beef country with good views out to sea. I arrived at The Whare, an old shepherds hut, one of the day shelters on the walkway, where I spent the night.

On Sunday I continued on the walkway to Cape Campbell lighthouse over Rob and Sally's land. The wind was blowing so hard that it actually stopped me in my tracks several times. I had lunch in a sheltered spot under the lighthouse and then walked 6km up the coast to Marfells Beach.   Making my way around a headland I came across 5 people waiting for the tide recede enough to get their 4 wheel farm bikes around. They were quite surprised to see me appear suddenly, as if I'd emerged form the sea. Camped at a DOC campsite that night.

Monday 3rd December saw me away at 7.20am before anyone else was up. The first 8km was up the beach and I walked past the saltworks at Lake Grassmere. It was a different landscape for the next 12km up mostly gravel roads past vineyard after vineyard. It was pleasing to have wide grass verges to walk on. I stopped for a rest at one stage and became aware of classical music being played to the grapes! I booked into the camping ground at Seddon. The kitchen and shower facilities all have a seedy atmosphere and there were several semi-permanent residents living there while working at the vineyards.

Leaving at 7.30am on Tuesday I walked 4km on SH1 and then 10km down Redwood Pass and Renners Roads. Once again it was vineyards all the way. At the end of Renners Rd, I found what I initially thought was Domain but turned out to be private property. I met Peter Wells who is a Taxidermist but has branched out to making carbon fibre walking sticks. Thanks to Peter my stick Pak 'n' Save now sports a leather lanyard and a rubber stopper! He and his wife live in a house his father in law built. It is built into a bank, has a turf roof and cant be seen from the land side. The front of the house looks out over the ocean.

Unfortunately, their dog decided to follow me down the beach. despite much yelling and pleading on my part she would not go home. I thought several times that she had gone home only for her to reappear from the scrub. After 3km I thought I would have to take her back myself but when I stopped for lunch she eventually left. Later I texted Peter to make sure she got home OK and he texted back that she was home and "buggered"! He thanked me for tiring her out!

The tide was on the way out and I was able to walk on a a narrow shingle beach beneath cliffs for 3km until I reached Boulder Bank. As there is a large uncrossable river mouth at the other end I had to turn inland.
As I walked up what I thought was a public road I came across Chris and Simon. They are contractors who spend 7 months a year grubbing out Chilean Tussock, an invasive weed. It turns out it was not a public road but a farm track. A phone call to the farm manger Paul by Chris brought me permission to walk to the road. As Chris and Simon were just finished work for the day and returning the next day they agreed to take me into Blenheim where I booked into a backpackers. Finding a backpackers was easy, finding one to stay in proved more difficult. The first was full of young vineyard workers who liked to drink all night and I was advised to try elsewhere. The second place I tried was closed for two hours, the third I could find nobody about, the 4th had closed down for good! Finally I found "The Grapevine" where I am staying now for a few days.

Yesterday I was up early and Chris & Simon gave me a ride back to where they picked me up from. They carried on grubbing and I walked into Blenheim via the farm track, a minor road then SH1. There were a few showers on the way but just before I got into Blenheim it rained harder.

As I have another 12 days until I catch the ferry to Wellington and its not far to Picton I am hoping to get some casual work here.

I have recently changed some settings  which hopefully will make it easier for those of you who have been trying to send me comments on this blog. So if you have experienced problems sending a comment, please try again. Adding photos to this post will have to wait until I get back to Hamilton for Xmas as I'm unable to load photos from this computer at the library.

Kaikoura Experience

Sperm whale

I have now been in Kaikoura for 4 days. When I arrived on Wednesday I booked into the Albatross Backpackers for a few nights of luxury. Katie, Ben and David all made me welcome. They run a very friendly establishment, on my first night they and the staff put on a Thanksgiving dinner. This was a very pleasant evening with lots to eat and good company. It was nice to socialise after so much time on my own.

On Thursday I walked the 12km Kaikoura Walkway and was amazed how much effort and money have been put into it, with part of the track paved to allow wheelchair access and landscaping walls alongside. If only a fraction the money had been spent on the Port Robinson Walkway it could be kept open for the next 50 years! Good views are to be had all the way around the walkway.

Yesterday I visited the local Museum and was also interviewed by the Kaikoura Star and Marlborough Express newspapers. I was due to go on a Whale Watching trip in the afternoon but this was cancelled as no Whales had been sighted all day. However my booking was transferred to this morning. Last night I set my phone alarm for 6am and was worried I would wake the other people in the dorm. When the fire alarm klaxon went off at 11.30pm I came out of a deep sleep in a panic wondering how I'd managed to set such a load alarm on my phone! The alarm was because someone in another room had put a sweater over a heater!

A HUGE thanks to Whale Watch Kaikoura for sponsoring me by providing a complimentary Whale Watch experience. It was one of the things on my list to accomplish and I was not disappointed. While we only saw one whale, it was a great trip. The sperm whale was the same size as the boat and resting on the ocean. It then dived and we returned an hour later when it resurfaced. In the intervening hour, we saw dozens of dolphins leaping in and out of the water. It was a brilliant day on the water and a magical experience. Thanks again Whale Watch.

This is my last night in Kaikoura at the Albatross where tonight it is Curry Night so I'm looking forward to that. Thanks to Katie & Ben who are sponsoring me by providing a free room tonight.

I have really enjoyed my time here and the evening chats, cheese and wine with Sally and Cedric on holiday here from Guernsey. I hope you folks enjoy the rest of your holiday. Hope you enjoy the book Cedric.

Those who know me will know that I'm obliged  to say I only got this photo by fluke!

In case your wondering if I went overboard to get this photo. It is in fact another boat in the same fleet.

The Joys & Jubilation, Trials & Tribulation of a Long Distance Walker

Locals thoughts on Insurance companies.

Add caption

Blythe Valley Sheep Stations

Looking down on Camping Ground Hurunui Mouth

Port Robinson Walkway is a big disappointment

Cathedral Cliffs Gore Bay

It has been awhile since I last posted so this will be a long post. I am now in Kaikoura and have walked a total of 1500km since I started in Stewart Island over a year ago!

On Tuesday 6th of November I flew back to Christchurch and spent a couple of nights with my friends Karla & Troy. They once again opened their home up to me. On Wednesday morning I caught buses to New Brighton Pier and restarted walking from where I had left off two weeks prior. The first 8km was up the beach and I saw numerous people walking their dogs. After I left the beach I found the Spencer Park camp office and received directions for walking the track alongside Broadlands Lagoon. At the end of the sandy track I spoke to Charles and Tricia who live there but also have a house bus alongside the lagoon. I told Charles that my second name is Charles and he told me their dogs name is Charlie. In celebration of the meeting of the Charlies he gave me a cap full of bourbon from the bottle he was swigging on! The next 6km was all on stopbanks which brought me to the main road and the Waimakariri bridge. There is no footpath and it was quite scary crossing it with cars, trucks and buses all having to slow down for me. A further 5km of stopbanks brought me to Kaiapoi. I had seen lots of evidence of earthquake damage in Christchurch but it seems worse in Kaiapoi with lots of cleared sections and abandoned houses. Total distance walked for the day was 21km. After a visit to the I Site and an ice cream another couple of buses took me back to Karla and Troys.

On Thursday morning before starting work Karla kindly drove me to Kaiapoi after dropping my pack at Woodend. This was a short day of just 10km. 5km of  stopbanks to Kairaki, where I once again saw lots of evidence of earthquake damage. 1km road and then a mixture of beach and tracks. On arrival at the Woodend Camping Ground the owner Jan waived the camping fee and gave me a free Ice Cream. ( I challenge all other camping ground owners to do the same or better!!!) This is a large but quiet camp with well maintained grounds and friendly staff.

The reason for only walking a short distance that day was that I had friends at Woodend who I hoped to catch up with. I have known them for years and when they lived in Wellington and we lived in Rotorua we would sometimes go out for a meal together when visiting the others city. When I first planned my walk I emailed them that when I got to their area I would let them know and hopefully they would have a bed for me. I received an email in reply that they were not hospitable people and would be unable to put me up. As they had been badly affected by the earthquakes I accepted this and said perhaps we could catch up for a cuppa. A phone call to them brought the response that they were too busy to catch up! I pondered on the kindness I had received from complete strangers and yet my friends couldn't even bother to drive 3km down the road for a catch up!! 

On Friday 9th I walked with my full pack for the first time for a few weeks. The first 6km up the beach on nice hard sand. I left the beach at Waikuku and followed a stopbank for a short way before crossing the Ashley River after confirming with a couple of whitebaiters a safe place to cross. This avoided crossing another road bridge further up. Another short stretch of stopbanks and then 6km of  walking on SH1. There is a good wide mown grass verge so walking was better than I had anticipated. There was a cafe where I turned off the main road so stopped for tea and cake. 1.5km down road to the beach and a further 2km of soft sand and stones along the beach brought me to the Leithfield Beach Camping Ground. A total of 18km for the day. As it was a Friday they were doing Fish & Chips so I didn't need to cook.  That night I phoned the local PGG Wrightson agent who gave me the contact details of a farmer who's land I would need to cross the following day. John Mckingtosh happily gave me permission and gave me directions.

On Saturday morning I discovered that the fridge I had placed my water bottles in the night before was in fact a freezer. One of my bottles had split across the bottom so I was down to 2lt of water. Meeting a man further along the beach I told him the water bottle saga and he offered to drive me 6km to the nearest shops to purchase another bottle then return me to the beach. I declined his offer but once again thought about the kindness of strangers. At Amberly Beach village I met two ladies chatting outside. Frances provided me with a 2lt milk bottle of water. While she was inside filling it her friend Fion told me her own interesting story.

A few years ago she was running on Summit Road in Christchurch and she remembers thinking that she should run downhill as fast as possible. The next thing she remembers is waking from a coma 11 months later. She had to learn to talk and walk again. She hails from Northern Ireland and has quite a strong accent but her speech therapist was from Canada, so for awhile she spoke with a Canadian accent. 

I followed a formed track and then the beach to the end of Amberly Beach.
From here on I would be heading cross country. A steep climb through a pine forest and then uphill on grass forestry roads with my large pack had me huffing and puffing.Then it was downhill following farm roads and tracks to Mckingtosh's Bay where I camped for the night. 17km walked for the day.

Sunday was a hard day, only managed 15km but it was up and down across sheep country avoiding gullies all day.  I filled my water bottle from a stream but then found my sterilising pen was not working. When I finally made camp after a 10hour day I boiled the stream water. I had been rationing water all day taking just a few sips but now used half a litre to make a cup of tea. This meant I did not then have enough to boil dinner with so made do with corn thins, salami and cheese. What a night that was. I had selected a sheltered spot on a headland amongst pine trees for a camp site. About 7pm the wind got up and I could see a storm approaching out at sea. Thunder and lightening, rain and high winds continued for a few hours. I got little sleep that night as not only did the wind flap the tent but a flock of sheep milled around bleating all night! At one stage I also heard a large branch cracking and crashing to the ground. One good thing  was that I managed to collect about half litre of rainwater in my pots overnight.


By morning the wind had died down and I was away at 7.30am just as it started to rain again. Found a farm track which led to the road to Motunau Beach where I arrived 1hour and 20 minutes later.  I found the camping ground which has no facilities other than a toilet and spent two days there waiting for the weather to improve. Experimenting with my Sterilising Pen I discovered that I had used it wrong the day before and it was in fact still working. I scrounged some old newspapers and magazines from some locals and spent two boring days reading and doing crosswords. I was running short of fresh fruit and vege and unsure when I would next find a shop. Auke & Christine  two German ladies, who are travelling in a van with Christines 5 year old son Ole, stayed one night. They provided me with lots of supplies and refused any payment. (The kindness of strangers!) Despite being in NZ for several weeks the only English words Ole can say is "Octopus" and "bluebottle"!

I was glad to depart Motunau Beach on a fine Wednesday morning. This turned out to be a big day of 29km, all along country roads. I only spoke to 2 people all day. The first I had seen go into a paddock and call a horse by name and had tractor parts in his car. When I said "your obviously a local" his response was "nah". I then said I was wondering if you could tell me about the road ahead, his response was the same "nah"!!

The second person I spoke to was a really nice man but he had a speech impediment  and I could hardly understand a word he said! I camped in a wooded area alongside the road.

By contrast the next day, the first person I spoke to talked non stop. Paul Davies came out of a farm gateway to ask who I was and what I was about.
A nice guy, he spoke for an hour and quarter mostly about how intrusive local and central government are! He gave me permission to walk across his land and gave me a ride about 4km back up the road so that I could complete
a walk along the beach. His wife Pattie used to be a herd tester and knew people that I know. Arrived at the Huranui camping ground which is in a pleasant spot but once again no shower or kitchen.

Friday 16th was a short walking day of just 8km. I was looking forward to doing the Robinson Point Walkway. The path is overgrown and hard to find in places. When I got to the other end I found a sign saying the track was only being maintained to half way, but I had not noticed any difference! I took to the road from Manuka Bay and walked the final 3km to Gore Bay. Booked into the camping ground and introduced myself to the manager Kerry. As this was the first day of the Canterbury anniversary weekend, the camp was very busy. After setting my tent up I had my first shower for a week! Wonderful!

As Kerry was going into Cheviot I got a ride in with him and bought some supplies. On the way back Kerry diverted past the old Robinson Estate, a vast estate planted in trees. Back at camp Kerry loaned me a deck chair and a clothes line. There is another camp just down the road from where I was staying and I walked down that night to check out a music festival. I had a great night listening to blues/rock, some of the best music I've heard in ages.

While there I met a lady called Totana who it turned out does massage for a living. When she heard about my walk she offered me a complementary massage the following day. This was too good an offer to miss. In a a couple of months Totana is due to massage an Australian who will be running the length of NZ and wanted to practise on me. On Saturday morning I arrived for my one hour session and an hour and a half later I emerged feeling very relaxed. Totana and her husband Neil live in Christchurch and also have an old Austin house bus. Neil is in a wheelchair after a motorbike accident 35 years ago.

Totana also arranged for one of the musicians to take my pack into Cheviot. I walked the 8km to Chevoit along a sealed road and booked into the Camping Ground. Rain was forecast so stayed in a cabin there for two nights.

On Monday 19th Di the owner of the camp offered to take my pack onto Parnassus and drop it at the petrol station. I walked up 2km of back roads where wild roses had been allowed to climb up the shelterbelts. This was really pleasant to walk alongside. Reached Parnassus on SH1 about 10.30am and collected my pack. Unfortunately my stick Pak n Save had not been dropped off. This has been with me since Stewart Island and is a treasured possession.

I continued on up SH1 to Hawkswood for 8km to The Staging Post. When I arrived I discovered it was closed.  As there was nowhere else to officially camp close by I enquired further. Mike told me they were closed as his wife   
was in hospital but happily allowed me to stay and opened up the facilities. As I was the only one there, rather than set up my tent I slept in the games room. Mike left a message with Di re the stick. I was surprised when Di turned up later with Pak n Save. She had driven 21km in each direction to reunite me and my mate. The kindness of strangers! Mike also phoned a couple of local landowners and arranged for me to walk over their land the next day. He also arranged for his cousin Heather to take my pack part way.

On Tuesday it was another 10km up SH1before turning off towards Claverly about 6km down a country road, picking up my pack en route. At the end of the road I followed a track alongside the railway until the railway disappeared into a tunnel. I then walked over farmland. At this point things went wrong. It started to rain, I couldn't find a safe way to get back down to the railway and ended up following a farm track that jinked and twisted for several kilometres up hill and down dale. I eventually come back out onto SH1 and walked towards Goose Bay. The first camp ground I came to required registration at the main camp 1.5km further north. I'd already walked 30km that day and was muttering under my breath when Mark who was staying there came to my rescue. He offered to drive me up to the main camp and I stayed there the night. As it was still raining I had hoped to get a cabin but there were none available. Rather than set my tent up in the rain I slept (or didn't) in the BBQ area. Unfortunately the BBQ area had lights that came on at dusk and stayed on all night. There was piped music in the showers which I could also hear and SH1 and the train track both ran alongside the camp. I could hear trucks and trains and music most of the night.

That brings me to yesterday. I left the main camp at 8am and walked the 1.5 kms back to where I got the ride from the day before then walked back to  the main camp again. The first 10km were all up SH1 including some very narrow winding places with many trucks. There are also two places where there are road tunnels. The first was alongside a short rail tunnel and luckily enough the Coastal Pacific train went through while I was contemplating the tunnel. As it is only single track I knew there would not be another train so walked through the rail tunnel. At the second tunnel I could see the road for some way back so waiting until there was no traffic I ran through. I also came across a dead truck and trailer lying on its side, freight spilled out and men wearing hi vis vests standing around. The final 6km I was pleased to be walking on the beach again even though it was soft shingle and hard going.

I am booked in here for 3 nights and Whale Watch Kaikoura are sponsoring me by providing a free trip whale watching tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to that. Hope you've all managed to read this far and not given up with boredom!

Finally thanks to Kirsty at Bivouac in Hamilton who provided me with a complimentary Buff and a silver treated T shirt. The T shirt is to see if it helps reduce my back being covered in perspiration on warm days. Feedback for you Kirsty is that yes indeed it reduces the perspiration markedly. I do feel that it needs a collar as the first time I wore it I got a sunburnt neck (despite wearing the Buff in the pirate configuration!). I'm really liking it though. I'm using the Buff all the time too.  Also the new Earth, Sea, Sky raincoat I purchased has been brilliant.

Akaroa to Christchurch

580m above Akaroa on Purple Peak Track

Sunrise at Hickory Bay

Le Bons Bay. The road is typical of those I walked on Banks Peninsula.

Mailbox Decanter Bay.

At Diamond (great name) Harbour looking across to Lyttleton.

Strange rock formation Governors Bay. 

Earthquake damage at Redcliffs. Shipping containers have been place to protect the road form rock falls. 

Kites aplenty at New Brighton

My intended 3 day stay in Akaroa turned into 6 days due to rain.
The time was mostly spent reading and recovering from a cold. Finally left Akaroa on Wednesday 10th October. The next week developed into a routine of walking uphill for the first half of the day and downhill for the second half, mostly walking on roads. I camped each night, at a bay, either at a designated site or near a toilet block. I averaged about 15km a day.

The first day I walked to Hickory Bay. I had contacted a couple of local landowners, through my PGG Wrightson, contacts and gained permission to walk across their land. I had forgotten to ask if I could camp at Hickory Bay but did not think this would be a problem. On arrival I found "Strictly No Camping" signs prominently displayed. The only person around was a young German Wwoofter  who phoned the owner on my behalf and I thought I had permission to camp. However about 7am the owner arrived on his motorbike and was concerned to find me camping. Although he was supportive of what I am doing he didn't want to set a precedent and asked that I be packed up at first light.

I reached Le Bons Bay on the Thursday and once again there were no camping signs but locals Bruce and Jenny advised where I could camp and refilled my water bottles. They also tried to contact a local farmer to get permission for me to cross his land the following day but there was no reply.

I stayed the Friday and Saturday night at Okains Bay Camping Ground. Luckily there is a small local shop where I was able to buy supplies, the owners also gave me a couple of books to read.
The heavy rain and wind forecast on the Saturday arrived at lunch time and I stayed in the camp kitchen reading until the weather eased off about 11.30pm. Once I got back to my tent I found it not only intact but still dry inside.

On Sunday morning I phoned 3 farmers to get permission to cross their land on Monday. The first 2 agreed readily enough but the 3rd was a manager and he declined as the American owner did not want people walking across his land. Sunday night was spent at Little Akoloa. There was a designated camping area near a toilet block. The custodian lived 400m up the road so I walked up the road to pay my $5 fee. Des showed me around his idyllic garden , vegetable plots, a stream running through the garden and his exotic birds flying freely about. Sadly Des's wife had passed away just 2 weeks previously.

On Monday I walked past Decanter Bay towards Menzies Bay and a car stopped. The driver was my PGG Wrightson contact Stewart Uren and he was driving to meet one of the landowners, Hamish Menzies who I had previously gained permission from to cross his land. Further up the road I met up again with Stewart and also with Hamish who gave me good directions for later in the day. I also arranged with Stewart to take my pack on to my destination of Pigeon Bay. It was great to be finally walking without the pack again. Walked up a valley to Starvation Gully Road then walked down the road. In fact in places the word road is too complimentary. Steep metal track  is  a better description. It was so steep in places that I had to walk very carefully for fear of slipping on the loose gravel. While descending this track a car stopped and asked if I wanted a lift (of course I declined) the driver was the wife of the other landowner who had given me permission to cross his land. I collected my pack from the Hall where Stewart had left it and set up at the Pigeon Bay camping grounds. Although there are about 20 caravans permanently installed on site I was the only person staying that night. Oh the loneliness of the long distance walker!!

On Tuesday I reached Port Levy and set up near a toilet block. Later I had 2 sets of visitors. Vesta and Lesley stopped to talk and on learning of my walk and the route I am taking offered their lawn to set up my tent when I reached New Brighton. Ben and his young family also stopped to talk and Ben gave me information about my route for the next couple of days. It was from Ben that I learnt about a ferry from Diamond Harbour to Lyttleton.

On Wednesday I walked to Diamond Harbour. I had decided overnight that rather than stay in Diamond Harbour I would catch the ferry to Lyttleton, book into a backpackers and use that as a base for the next few days. This had the advantage that I would be able to have my first shower for a few days. Catching the ferry was the easy part. On arrival in Lyttleton I found that due to the earthquakes there was no longer a backpackers in the town. In fact the only place to stay was a B&B at $160 a night. Alternatively I could walk another 3 km and camp beside a toilet which had a cold shower. A local who was at the i-site where I received this news also offered that I could use her shower the following morning. I was also informed that all roads and walking tracks out of Lyttleton were closed due to earthquake damage. The only exceptions were the Lyttleton Tunnel or a detour of many kms through Dyers Pass. Feeling hot, cranky and being fixated on a soft bed and a hot shower that night I finally decided that I would take a bus through the tunnel into Christchurch and book into a backpackers there. Before heading for the bus stop I stopped at the local wholefoods shop for a pie. The lady who served me saw my pack and asked where I was travelling too. Tracey then took in upon herself to find me accommodation in Lyttleton. The first two people she phoned were not home but then she spoke to regular customer Leith who was enthusiastic that I use her vacant earthquake damaged house in Heathcote just through the tunnel. Leith now lives in Lyttleton and walked home to get her car and then drove me through the tunnel to her Heathcote house. The back of the house has dropped but the front of the house is fully livable, the gas, power and water are all still connected AND the shower works! I stayed in Leiths house for 4 nights using it as a base.

On Thursday I caught the bus back through the tunnel and then the ferry to Diamond Harbour. The ferry operator had asked me about my walk the day before and this time declined to take a fare from me. I then walked the 25km back to Lyttleton via the coast. Rain threatened all day but apart from a couple of brief light showers there was no rain. Most of the walking was on the road but there were 3 coastal paths of about 9km in total. Fish and chips for dinner then the bus back through the tunnel.

The following day  walked to the Heathcote side of the tunnel and then walked down Bridle Path Rd and then along the coast through Redcliffs and on to Sumner. I then walked back to the house, a total of about 18km for the day.There is  much evidence of earthquake damage in Heathcote, Redcliffs and Sumner. While walking through Redcliffs I bought a pie and took it down to the seafront and sat at a BBQ type table to eat. Half a dozen seagulls gathered waiting for me to share. One was bolder than the others and stood on the table eyeing my pie. I asked him if he was fearless. A couple of minutes later he proved that he was, as I looked away at the scenery he sneaked up and actually took a bite of my pie! I was amazed at his nerve.

Saturday 20th October was my final days walking for 10 days or so. Walked 8km of road then 2km of supposedly closed (due to earthquake damage) track, although there were other people walking on it. The final 6km was up a hard sand beach to New Brighton Pier. Being in a city there was lots of activity on the beach, walkers, runners, dog walkers etc. At New Brigton there was also a kite festival as well as blowcarts and sand yachts. A band was playing, there were market stalls and everybody was having a good time.

On Sunday I packed up and took my pack to Karla & Troys where I was invited to join their family BBQ lunch. After lunch I exchanged my pack for the bag I had left there 6 weeks ago after our train trip form Hamilton. I then caught a bus to the Jailhouse backpackers and bright and early on Monday morning I flew back to Hamilton for a 10 day break. I will restart the walk about 3rd November from where I left off at New Brighton.

This blog recently hit a small milestone with 5,000 pageviews being reached. Its nice to know that people are following my little adventure. 88 of you have signed up as followers and quite a few others are also viewing the blog. I am aware that some people experience problems when trying to join up as a follower and also sending comments but I encourage as many of you as possible to do both.

Here I am Banks Peninsula

Looking back towards Birdling Flat and Kaitorete Spit.

Looking towards Akaroa form Bossu Rd.

Have been on Banks Peninsula for 3 days and have only seen the Bank of New Zealand so far!

I left Ian Robertsons Gallery in Birdlings Flat on Tuesday morning and crossed the causeway across Lake Forsyth. It was a slow and steady climb most of the morning up Bossu Rd. This is a remote metal road and  I saw a total of 3 cars all day until just before I camped. Had great panoramic vistas most of the day looking back along the coast and then later out over Akaroa. Camped alongside the road, having walked about 14km, on the only flat piece of ground I could find. About 5pm the wind started to blow and blew all night. I got very little sleep as the sound of the tent flapping in the breeze kept me awake.

On Wednesday it was too windy for my stove so I had cheese and crackers for breakfast. I set off again at 7.30am, initially uphill, along Bossu Rd and then finally downhill. I didn't see anyone until 10.30am when I stopped to speak to a couple of young shepherds and they took my pack about 1km down the road to some sheep yards. Finally reached the coast at Wainui and set up my tent in a reserve with a toilet block on the water front after another 14km day.

It started raining about 5.30am on Thursday but had stopped by 6.45am when I got up. Got away about 8.30am and walked on roads again all day.  Saw much more traffic today. After a couple of hours I reached State Highway 75 the main road from Christchurch to Akaroa.Apart from a couple of diversions down side roads I walked most of the way alongside the main road. Arrived in Akaroa about 3.30pm after a 21km day. I booked into the comparative luxury of a backpackers for 3 nights and shouted myself a pub meal. Yesterday I had a lazy day mostly sitting and reading and will be doing the same again today.

Tomorrow I leave and head for Hickory Bay and Le Bons Bay the following day.

Have tried to upload photos to this blog but I am using a PC in the Akaroa Library and the system wont allow me to add photos.

09/10/12
Update to the above. I am still in Akaroa waiting for the weather to improve and hope to get away tomorrow. It has been raining on and off for the past few days with cloud (and snow) down to low levels. I have been holed in a backpackers reading and resting.

Banks Peninsula - Nearly

Grant gave me a ride in his jet boat across the Rakaia River 

Whitebaiters at Rakaia River mouth

I named this seal pup Jack. He swam alongside me and twice came ashore and showed no fear of my presence.

Banks Peninsula is so close I could almost reach out and touch it.  Have a few things to report about happenings on my way here.

At Hakatere my stay for two nights was made so enjoyable by the camp caretaker Carol and her husband Neil. Carol greeted me with a gift of eggs when I first arrived, invited me in to for a shower and to watch TV on both evenings I was there. Arranged a ride into Ashburton with neighbour Graham. Baked a batch of cookies the night before I left for me to take with me. On the morning I left she provided me two large frozen steaks and 9 hard boiled eggs to take with me. She also arranged a jet boat ride across the Rakaia River and phoned the local postie to deliver a copy of the Ashburton Guardian on my last morning. What a great helpful couple they were.

When the postie delivered the paper I found that I took up half the front page! Icy has posted a link in the comments section of my previous post for those of you who would like to view it.

Finally left Hakatere on Thursday 27th & trudged 4km up beach to Wakanui Beach. Spoke to a homeless man living in a car and then local crib owner Tony whose family has owned most of the half dozen cribs at one time or another. Three of them have burned down over the years for various reasons. Tony topped up my water bottle and I was on my way again. The only thing of note for the rest of the day was one seal. About 2.30pm it started to spit and then gradually became a light rain. By 4pm I'd had enough and found a good spot to set up my tent. Somehow I have lost my spork and so dinner, the two steaks, was eaten with my fingers. The following day Friday I was away again by 7.30am and was relieved to find a few hard sand patches to relieve the feet from walking on pebbles.Was still finding the pack heavy and walking for 20 minutes and resting for 10 minutes. Saw a couple of dolphins feeding amongst the breakers. Arrived at Rakaia South Huts about 2.30pm having walked 29km over 2 days. Didn't see anyone to talk to from before lunch on Thursday until after 5pm on Friday. I did see other people about the settlement but they all avoided making eye contact. Perhaps it was because I had wet clothing etc strewn around drying in the sun! They had a hobo in town!

On Saturday I only travelled about 3km north but crossed the major obstacle of the Rakaia River. As I mentioned earlier Carol had arranged a Jet Boat ride across the River Mouth. The arrangement I had with Graham who lives in the Rakaia North settlement was that he would put the word around and if anyone say me they would come across and get me. As I could see no one I phoned Graham and he said he would come and get me and would take about 20 minutes. After hanging up a boat appeared from the north side of the river and Grant collected me in his jet boat and took me 2km upstream to the boat ramp. Graham arrived just as we did so he didn't need to launch his boat. I dropped my large pack off and Grant then took me back the 2km to the north side of the river mouth and I walked back from there. I counted 23 people whitebaiting and was told that the day before had been a good day with catches of 9lb, 6lb and 5lb etc. Stayed that night at the Rakaia Huts camping ground. The camp is kept very clean and tidy by Mel and has a small kitchen and good showers.

Was away at 8.20am on Saturday morning. I had intended to only do 10km that day but the walking was so good I ended up doing 22km! I topped up my water bottle from an outside tap at the Taumata Marae then walked across the closed outlet of Lake Ellesmere and along the Kaitorete Spit.  Twice  I was able to get my pack taken on for short distances, no more than 1km in total, by young men in cars. Called into a farm house to fill up water bottles but nobody home and no outside tap so pushed on and found a sheltered spot under a large pine tree.

Our clocks went forward for daylight saving on Saturday night so I was up at 7am on Sunday and away at 8.45am. I walked along the beach all day. After about 2 hours I noticed a baby seal swimming parallel with the beach in the direction I was going. I slowed down and we kept pace with each other. After about 5 minutes it came ashore and sat scratching itself  totally unconcerned about me. After a few minutes it went back into the sea and resumed swimming and I followed again. I eventually stopped for a break and it disappeared up the coast. A little later I caught up with it again and it once again came ashore. As I was sitting talking to it a 4wd motorbike came along the beach and the driver stopped for a chat. Ian Robertson is a local fisherman and artist and also runs the local art gallery. Ian invited me to sleep on the couch in his gallery that night. After 8 or 9 nights in the tent this was really appreciated. Ian carried on along the beach to fish, the seal remained sunbathing and I resumed walking. A couple of hours later Ian returned from his fishing and took my pack on with him.

Had a great night sleep on Ian's couch and this morning I caught a ride into Christchurch which Ian had arranged with Doug the local courier driver. I was able to get replacement cooking gas, spork and a new pair of bootlaces. Also visited the supermarket and posted  maps and brochures home. I am staying here at Ian's gallery in Birdlings Flat for a second night. Tomorrow and for the next few days I will be walking on roads across Banks Peninsula. This will be a total change of scenery for me as there will be numerous hills to climb.

Ashburton - Wet Feet

I haven't got long on this PC so will keep this short. I am now at Hakatere on the coast out from Ashburton.

When I started this walk I had no support crew but by the time I'm finished I will have had thousands! I have been blown away by the helpfulness of people I have met. Cups of tea, rides to start of walks, camp fees waived, meals given, use of showers etc.

Before leaving Timaru I was interviewed by the Courier a local give away paper and that article should be published this Thursday.  Left Timaru on Wednesday 19th Sept via Hectors Coastal Path for a short way then clambered around rocks below a large factory (Abatoir?) and then past some Whitebaiters. Not close enough to talk to. Then walked beside Washdyke Lagoon and up the beach for the rest of the day. At the Opihi River I was lucky enough to get a boat ride over the river by a whitebaiter. I then had to wade up to my knees over a tidal lagoon to get to Milford Huts, a collection of Whitebaiters huts and caravans. I camped there the night after walking about 15km for the day.

Next morning when I recrossed the lagoon it was above my waist and I completely forgot that I had my phone in my jacket pocket. Result was one useless phone. I was very annoyed with myself as I do have a wet bag but didn't use it. Later in morning I crossed the Orari river and had to walk half a km upstream to find a suitable place to cross. Most of the day it was a hard slog up the beach over pebbles. Your feet sink in at each step and you loose momentum. I was walking 20minutes with a 10 minute break. I have struggled with the heavy pack. This was another 15 km day and I arrived at the Rangitata South Motor Camp. There was no sign of life so I set my tent up. A couple of hours later the manager Collin and his wife Margaret arrived back from town. Collin unlocked the kitchen, laundry and the ladies loo and showers as the men's is being repainted. Collins comment was that I was the only one staying but if I did meet a lady in the shower "then the best of luck to you". Collin waived payment in view of my walking and even gave me coins to operate the showers.

The following day, Friday, I got a ride into Ashburton with Denise, a neighbour of the camp. I replaced my phone and bought a few supplies. Prior to going into town I took a walk up river and identified a place about 4km upstream to cross the following day. I had heard mixed opinions as if it was crossable or not. I marked the spot and returned tot he camp.

On Saturday morning Collin & Margaret had a couple of long term camp users arriving to set their caravans up for the season. It is customary for Collin to cook them breakfast on the first morning and I was invited to join them. Bacon, sausage, mushroom & eggs replaced my usual porridge. I declined the offer of rum though as I needed a clear head for crossing the river.

I didn't leave until about 11am and while I found the general area I had crossed the day before I couldn't find my markers. I did however find an even better place to cross. Once over the river I climbed a bank and walked over farmland to the Rangitata North Motor Camp. I only walked about 8km for the day and was only about 2km north of the previous camp. This a great camp with large tree hedges dividing the camp and giving great shelter. I spent the afternoon laying in the sun reading. The manager of the camp Ron also refused payment.

On Sunday it was another hard slog up the beach to just past the Hind River where I camped under a couple of large pine trees. On the way I met Rene & Karena who were parked beside the beach with their caravan. They provided me with a welcome cuppa and a muffin. Later I also stopped to speak with Martin a local farmer who had brought his two sons to the beach for a picnic. Thes were the only people I spoke to for 2 days.

Yesterday I left my campsite about 8.15am and arrived at Hakatere about 2pm after walking up the beach and then about half a km up the Ashburton River. There is only a toilet at this location but the camp caretaker Carol more than makes up for the lack of facilities. On arrival she gave me 4 eggs from her hens. allowed me to use her shower and invited me in to watch TV and organised a my ride into Ashburton today. Neil her husband works at a local cattle lot. I didn't even know we had those in NZ.

Was interviewed by The Ashburton Guadian, a local daily paper, yesterday but nothing in todays paper.

No photos this time as I've forgotten to bring the cord to connect to PC. Apart form a number of lone seals there has not been much else of note to report on of recent days.
Not sure what I will do tomorrow as it is due to rain.

Looking back towards Timaru

I was given a ride across the Opihi River in a whitbaiters boat. Whitbaiters line the opposite bank.

Paddock gate near Hakatere. The farmer used to have Buffalo.

Tent set up at Hakatere with the Ashburton River in the background.

Trains & Boats & Feet

We added these glasses to this statue of Gandhi outside the Wellington Railway Station. I think they suit him!

Christchurch Cathedral. It is to be demolished due to earthquake damage.



Snowing at Arthurs Pass.



One Street which has survived the earthquake and is to be reopened by Xmas.

This is the point I left the walk in April and my restart point.

Charissa & I left Hamilton on 6th Sept on the Northern Explorer train, this replaces the Overlander, and has new carriages with large windows.Spent two days in windy Wellington and on 8th we took the ferry to Picton, South Island. When we left our hotel in Wellington the wind was so strong that I found it difficult to make headway against the wind and was nearly blown backwards despite having my backpack on and carrying a large bag. Despite this the crossing was not too bad, although we did strike one rough spot which had numerous people reaching (pun intended) for the sick bag!  On arrival in Picton we transferred to the Coastal Pacific train which took us to Christchurch. The train route took us past numerous places where I will be walking. Stayed in a backpackers which is the old Addington Jail. So we spent the night in a cell!

The following day we were up early to catch the Tranz Alpine to Greymouth. This was the most scenic train trip of all and well worth doing. We passed numerous snow covered mountains and it was snowing at Arthurs Pass where we were able to get off the train for 5 minutes. On arrival in Greymouth we walked to our accommodation the Duke Backpackers where we were upgraded to an en suit room Our host made us feel really welcome. I went for a short walk but it started to rain and while I had a raincoat my jeans were saturated in no time at all. The next day we caught the Tranz Alpine back to Christchurch where we stayed at the Jailhouse Backpackers again.

While in Christchurch we did a bus tour of the red zone where most of the buildings are being demolished due to the earthquake. It was interesting to see but also sad to see. We spent the last day at the Antarctica Centre before I farewelled Charissa who flew back to Hamilton.

I spent two more days in Christchurch staying with ex work colleagues Karla and Troy. A huge thanks to Neville and his staff at MAP WORLD in Christchurch who have provided me with 50% off maps. As I have found the 1:50,000 series the most helpful I was greedy and purchased 50 of those. These will last me to north of Auckland.

On Friday 14th Sept I left Christchurch on an LIC truck and was dropped at Raikaia from where I hitchhiked to Timaru. Since then I have been staying at the Wanderer Backpacker and instead of paying I am doing cleaning duties. I had intended to start walking on Saturday but due to the weather I didn't start until the next day. After doing my cleaning chores I hitchhiked to Hooks Beach and the point where I finished up in April. As luck would have it there was a couple in their van and so I able to get a photo taken as I restarted my journey north. They also gave me advise regarding the what I would see further up the beach.These were the only people I saw until I had nearly finished walking for the day. 

A good walk up the beach saw lost of terns and numerous nests although no eggs yet. Also saw a baby seal which took off into the surf at my approach. Was annoyed with myself that I had left my map behind and this resulted in me walking past my destination of St Andrews to Pareora, another 4 km up the road. Total distance walked on beach was 19km with another 7km walked getting to and fro.

The following day it took me 1.5 hours to get a ride back to Pareora so it was noon before I started walking. After an hour of walking I spoke to Paul who was sitting in his car having lunch and he gave me directions to a track leading to a lighthouse further up the coast. When I later found the track it was initially through gorse and at one stage I tripped on a root and fell flat on my face, luckily avoiding the gorse. Just before I got to the lighthouse the wind started to blow strongly. It was blowing so strongly that I had difficulty putting my jersey on because it was flapping around so much I needed two hands to hold onto it. I had the same problem putting my wet weather gear on. When I did finally get it all on it started to rain. I walked in the rain on the beach  for awhile then found Hectors Coastal Track which took me into Timaru in light rain and heavy wind at my back. I walked to the harbour entrance but when I turned to return the way I had come the wind was in my face and each drop stung like hail. Walked about 25km but only 16 km of it up the coast.

My walk has now officially reached Timaru. I am having a rest day today and tomorrow will head for the Rangitata river and the camping ground near the beach. This will be my first time back in my tent.

Thanks to those of you who have placed comments on this blog and welcome to the four new followers since I last signed in. Recently Charissa designed business cards for me and I have been handing these out to anyone who seems remotely interested in what I am doing.

I am not sure when I will next get the opportunity to post another blog so don't panic if it's a couple of weeks before I get to  computer.