Day 107. Rain. February 17, 2016.

44.5 km
Rose’s Hut km 2635  to Frankton Motor Camp km 2679.5

I awoke to rain at 4:30. I had checked the weather from the top of the last climb yesterday. Heavy rain is on the way for a bunch of days. So staying an extra day or 2 at this hut wouldn’t help much. The next town is Queenstown and all beds have been booked for weeks. (High season and Chinese New Year) Usually running to town is a great option for bad weather but it won’t help much this time.

Anyway the timing of the rain worked out pretty well today. It was light rain when I left.

Leo and I stayed together all day… well, he would walk faster and then take a break until I caught up to him.

See Leo?

The sun even came out for awhile.

The trail goes to Macetown, population zero. It used to be a gold mining town and has some old buildings. The trail notes say that the easiest and quickest way is to walk in the river. We did that since there hadn’t been enough rain to increase the glow.

We climbed up to the top of Big Hill and could see Arrowtown below in the distance. Then the rain started and all views were gone.  It was an hour and a half in the rain downhill to Arrowtown. Arrowtown was full of wet tourists walking around in the rain. Every bed was booked and nothing in that town is affordable anyway. Our only options seemed to be stealth camping somewhere or going 23 more kilometers to Frankton. I called the Motor Camp there and they had 2 tentsites left. More importantly they had hot showers and an indoor kitchen and lounge to hang out in. So that’s where we went.

Leo doesn’t have the same need to walk every step so he hitched. I walked and thought that maybe my idea is silly. For some reason I think that when I say I am walking Te Araroa, I should walk it. But I still make up my own rules. I didn’t stick to the TA official winding path but instead walked the shortest route.  I was very wet when I got there and the hot shower was divine. Leo and I went across the street to the pub for dinner. I ate it all.