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Back in the JungleWe wake to gray skies and the noise of rushing water. The Lewis has risen about a foot overnight. Outside it's still drizzling. Miranda orders up some decent walking weather and we head out towards the first bridge. The track down to the bridge is steep and in the circumstances slippery and I am glad I have my stick. Carol goes first, I follow and Miranda comes last. I weigh about 16 kg more than yesterday so I have to refine my weight transfer skills a little, and hang a little more weight off the top wires.
On to the Heaphy. Probably the defining moment of the trip for me.
Carol makes a splendid silhouette.
We are immediately in a different world. A giant tree greets us with huge spreading branches, and the intensity of the greens and browns travels up a notch or two.
Gosh that's big.
The track beneath our feet is soft with fallen leaves. Everything here seems to be growing at several times the rate of comparable areas in the Waitakeres. We are within metres of the Heaphy bank. but the luxuriance of the growth has created an almost twilight gloom. I still have in my head some stories of dangerous areas of exposed cliff face along this way but everything seems fine so far.
Miranda spots a Powelliphanta. they're big all right and come even bigger than this. Carnivorous, so I wouldn't go too close, Miranda.
The moss, is, if possible, more luxuriant than yesterday
We encounter a sign saying "Exposed areas of track. Please keep children by you at all times," or something similar. Nothing to alarm me though, and certainly nothing like the photo in the track notes at Saxon Hut. God that seems years ago. We have stayed fairly close to the Heaphy, but more or less just out of sight. We emerge to a view of a full and noisy river, and clearing skies. Miranda has worked the oracle once more.
We pass a fairly impressive overhanging rock.
By the time we reach the next viewpoint, and take a stroll out onto the river bed, it has cleared to a misty high cloud.
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