3RY Update Part:

2

Date:

31st January ‘19

Day:

9

Title:

Trail Bullies

KM Mark Start:

2806

Start Location:

Telford Burn Tent Site

KM Mark Finish:

2785

Finish Location:

Aparima Hut (via lower wairaki hut)

Actual KM today:

26

Weather:

Warm all day, super freaky windy on the tops! Blows me off balance. Sheltered and dead still in the trees.

General:

You might think wearing all black makes you look stealth. To a mosquito you look like a chump and they’ll harass you till you break – Trail Bullies.

Pushed through to Aparima Hut instead of stopping at Lower Wairaki. 100 % Focussed on getting Te Anau now, so I can sort my shoes and feet out. Nice forest walk today, up and down an absolute bucket load of beech forest gullies and ridges. The colours of the foliage, lichens and mosses and various types of fungi still catch my eye. Would like to know what type of bird I see a lot of here is. A little bird smaller than a fan tail, sounds similar to a fantail, some green individuals and the others black’n’white but they have almost no tail, pointy narrow beak.

NB: Have since found out they are Rifleman and Tomtits, although there is some debate re: the Tomtits and the size of what I saw vs. what they are supposed to be.

Insane views from the tops of the ranges above Takatimu Forest, extend back to Stewart Island and Colac Bay.

Stayed in a rad wee hunting hut I stumbled across, with a cosy as fire and a memorial for a deer culler that must’ve frequented the hut or passed away there.

Body/Health:

Exhausted but pumped about getting some new kicks.

Outlook:

Positive – Enjoyed the challenge today. Still want to get the feet fixed.

Tune of the Day:

Long Live the Chief – Jidenna•The Chief

Day 9 Images: