14-20th FEB: Day 9 to 14: Takitimus & into Mavora Lakes Total 258km

First leg with FULL pack!

See I can take a picture of me! And proves the sun is shining too!

Spaniards - Awesome!

First Hut - Lower Wairaki Hut

 Finally heading into the hills & North! Yeah!

Waterloo Valley

Takitimu mountains - leaving them behind!

My Hennessey Hammock in action nr Mararoa River

Does look like a "full" pack in silhouette doesn't it!
I got smarter - but not til later!




















From the top of this "mountain" saw my last glimpse of the south coast.












Great hut & excellent bath in nearby creek in the sunshine but later on scared myself silly reading about Grizzly attacks in a Readers Digest I found in the hut. Dumb huh!










Crazy Hereford cattle & lots of river (well ripple) crossings. Super sunburn & the start of the blisters!
Friendly hunter blessed me with caramel slice & a venison pie - Yum.










Takitimus were an excellent challenge but nice for them to slip behind - feel like I'm really starting to make progress.











Long road slog to get to the Kiwiburn swing bridge & somewhere to camp. Wet boots & road equals BLISTERS! Oww!
Wet feet again the next day & another 20+km - not alot of fun so when a kindly boatie offered me a ride out - I jumped at the chance & got from Carey Hut (on Nth Mavora Lake) to my friend Susi's living room in Queenstown in 3 hrs (2 hitches) - Wow!