Day 14: Math is Hard

October 24, 2019

Kilometers: 272.7-297.8

Russell Walkway Junction Hut to Helena Ridge Track Campsite 

We woke up this morning to realize that simple addition had done us in yet again. For the second resupply in a row we somehow purchased too few bars for breakfast. We have a few more days on this track and are down to two total bars after this morning. Luckily there is a small general store we pass tomorrow where we can hopefully buy some more. We’re not positive if they’ll be open though as New Zealand seems to run on a “we open and close when we feel like it” sorta system for most small stores and eateries. I’m not really sure what’s been going through our heads the last two resupplies. 

After a long day yesterday everyone was back on the trail by 8:30am. A four wheeler track took us out of the river valley with a pretty steady climb for about 5 kilometers. 

We came out onto a road where we would spend the next 13 kms. I don’t understand why everyone complains about road walking when its almost always this beautiful. 

We all eventually got to Helena Bay for lunch around 12:30. I think it’s safe to say this was the best lunch spot we’ve had yet. Our picnic table overlooked a huge bay filled with blue and green water. A few of us went for an afternoon swim in the ocean. 

Toby and Nicolas were pressed to walk another 23km today after lunch to the closest town. The rest of us were in no rush to push today after yesterday so we took our time at lunch. Not sure when we’ll see Nicolas and Toby again. The walk after lunch was both brutal and stunning. First we climbed up onto a ridge above the bay. 

Next we climbed up through a thick forest for a few kilometers. Some of the track was quite vertical with a couple scrambling sections involved. When we got to the top we were met by a 360 degree view. 

From there it was an easy 2kms across some farm land and bush to our campsite. Ethan and I listened to the Nats big seventh inning on the way. 

We ate pesto pasta with a pita for dinner. Before 7pm we were all in our tents recovering and getting ready for tomorrow. We realized that we have been taking mostly landscape pics and not many of ourselves actually camping, so we will try to do better at that. Here is one of the crew all making dinner though. 

Our group has dwindled to five at the moment. Vikki wasn’t a fan of how hard we went yesterday and decided to take it easy today, not opting to push to the campsite we made it to. That, in addition to Toby and Nicolas pushing further today, has left us with just Ethan, Charlie and Peter the Belgian brothers, Phillip from Switzerland and myself. It’s a super solid group of guys and I’m sure we’ll meet some more new hikers soon. 

Also, a quick injury update: the skin on my pinky toe is growing back slowly but steadily. Walking on it the last few days hasn’t seemed to make it worse. For Ethan, the swelling in his knee and ankle is almost completely gone. His somewhat swollen right Achilles is the only thing nagging at him currently. It would appear that our bodies have finally started to adjust to hiking 6-8 hours a day. 

-Alex