a great walk: lake waikaremoana
mon, 16 jan
there are 8 tracks in nz designated as "great walks" - the track around lake waikaremoana being one of them, although probably one of the least travelled. because of their popularity, reservations for huts and camping sites along great walks are often required well in advance, so i was surprised when i had no trouble booking in for the same day. i had planned to do a "strenuous" track in the nearby mountains but decided to do the "easy" great walk instead. hey, it must be designated that for a reason, right?
1040a - after a quick water taxi ride across the lake, i was at the start of the track. according to the track brochure, 5 hours climbing from the first hut, where i would be spending the night... if this is an easy track, i'd hate to see a strenuous. steeper than cape brett - often enough requiring hands and feet to pull myself up. roots everywhere, except where the moss-covered rocks dominate.
as i climb, the forest becomes denser. the occasional breaks in the bush reveal fantastic vistas of the lake and the surrounding mountains. but the forest is fascinating, too. big knotty trees with knarly branches growing out in every direction, all the way down to the floor. covered in gobs of moss and shiny lichens. cool and damp and fantastic fuel for the imagination at midday, but the kind of place that would spook me out of my wits after dusk...
later a kiwi tells me that the forest here is one of the last wholly native, and therefore one of the last places in new zealand where the fairy tale people still live. and i believe them...
i arrive at the hut about 2p. it was a tough climb, but hard to believe that i'm stopping for the day this early... i take a nap in the shade, read, visit with a few dayhikers... the hut sleeps 30-some but the only other resident for tonight arrives around 7p. i've just finished my dinner... we visit for awhile and then i retire early.
tues, 17 jan
what a difference a day makes! according to DOC, i had 8 hours of walking today, but i knew it would be less, so i got a purposely late start, trying to take it slow and stretch out the day. i made the first "4 hours" of crazy steep descent off the ridge to the lakeshore in just over 2 and reminded myself to SLOW DOWN. so i promptly stopped for a snack break on a rocky beach, and spent a little time just watching the wind on the lake surface...
less than an hour later, i came to a sidetrail up to a waterfall. never found the waterfall, but did find the perfect lunch spot. a few big down trees and boulders, extending out into the middle of the creek, but still shaded. sat on my little "island" for over an hour, snacking, reading, watching the water run by me...
less than an hour down the trail again, i met another couple just resuming the track after a swimming break. swimming? that sounds fantastic. a few steps off the trail and i was completely hidden. well except from a few boats, but they were pretty far... ahh, the simple joy of a cool swim and then lying in the sun to dry. it was 3p now and i hadn't made it far from the halfway mark, might be time to start covering some ground...
track was mostly along the lakeshore, through lots of towering ferns and some crazy trees with long green tendrils of mini pine needles...
and finally, about 5p, i arrived at the hut where i would be spending the night. along with a group of 10 on a teen youth group trip and two families. 20 people packed into a bunkhouse that slept 25. oh what a difference a day makes...
wed, 18 jan
up with the crowd, but i was fed and packed and off while they were still heating water for morning tea. only 5 hours of walking again today... all pretty mellow. at the last hut, 45 min from the end, i met two young germans... one was just finishing her 8th (of 8) great walk. got lots of good advice, talked gear for awhile... walked the last bit to the water taxi pickup together... their taxi arrived at 1p and i had another hour to kill until mine arrived at 2p. a nice ride across the lake, a little perspective on the terrain i had walked the last couple days, and it was farewell to lake waikaremoana...
there are 8 tracks in nz designated as "great walks" - the track around lake waikaremoana being one of them, although probably one of the least travelled. because of their popularity, reservations for huts and camping sites along great walks are often required well in advance, so i was surprised when i had no trouble booking in for the same day. i had planned to do a "strenuous" track in the nearby mountains but decided to do the "easy" great walk instead. hey, it must be designated that for a reason, right?
1040a - after a quick water taxi ride across the lake, i was at the start of the track. according to the track brochure, 5 hours climbing from the first hut, where i would be spending the night... if this is an easy track, i'd hate to see a strenuous. steeper than cape brett - often enough requiring hands and feet to pull myself up. roots everywhere, except where the moss-covered rocks dominate.
as i climb, the forest becomes denser. the occasional breaks in the bush reveal fantastic vistas of the lake and the surrounding mountains. but the forest is fascinating, too. big knotty trees with knarly branches growing out in every direction, all the way down to the floor. covered in gobs of moss and shiny lichens. cool and damp and fantastic fuel for the imagination at midday, but the kind of place that would spook me out of my wits after dusk...
later a kiwi tells me that the forest here is one of the last wholly native, and therefore one of the last places in new zealand where the fairy tale people still live. and i believe them...
i arrive at the hut about 2p. it was a tough climb, but hard to believe that i'm stopping for the day this early... i take a nap in the shade, read, visit with a few dayhikers... the hut sleeps 30-some but the only other resident for tonight arrives around 7p. i've just finished my dinner... we visit for awhile and then i retire early.
tues, 17 jan
what a difference a day makes! according to DOC, i had 8 hours of walking today, but i knew it would be less, so i got a purposely late start, trying to take it slow and stretch out the day. i made the first "4 hours" of crazy steep descent off the ridge to the lakeshore in just over 2 and reminded myself to SLOW DOWN. so i promptly stopped for a snack break on a rocky beach, and spent a little time just watching the wind on the lake surface...
less than an hour later, i came to a sidetrail up to a waterfall. never found the waterfall, but did find the perfect lunch spot. a few big down trees and boulders, extending out into the middle of the creek, but still shaded. sat on my little "island" for over an hour, snacking, reading, watching the water run by me...
less than an hour down the trail again, i met another couple just resuming the track after a swimming break. swimming? that sounds fantastic. a few steps off the trail and i was completely hidden. well except from a few boats, but they were pretty far... ahh, the simple joy of a cool swim and then lying in the sun to dry. it was 3p now and i hadn't made it far from the halfway mark, might be time to start covering some ground...
track was mostly along the lakeshore, through lots of towering ferns and some crazy trees with long green tendrils of mini pine needles...
and finally, about 5p, i arrived at the hut where i would be spending the night. along with a group of 10 on a teen youth group trip and two families. 20 people packed into a bunkhouse that slept 25. oh what a difference a day makes...
wed, 18 jan
up with the crowd, but i was fed and packed and off while they were still heating water for morning tea. only 5 hours of walking again today... all pretty mellow. at the last hut, 45 min from the end, i met two young germans... one was just finishing her 8th (of 8) great walk. got lots of good advice, talked gear for awhile... walked the last bit to the water taxi pickup together... their taxi arrived at 1p and i had another hour to kill until mine arrived at 2p. a nice ride across the lake, a little perspective on the terrain i had walked the last couple days, and it was farewell to lake waikaremoana...
posted by bethany @ 8:20 PM
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