21 February 2007

The "Excuse Me" Trail

page 5

The track is heading quite seriously downhill now. For the very first time I have slight discomfort in my toes, though it disappears as soon as my boots are off. Miranda, a little later, has rather more bruising, which takes a day or so to abate, and generates a certain amount of panic.

And down and down

I'm still seeing flowers and plants that are quite new to me, and quite beautiful when I take a really close look.

This one's a Pratia but whether it's a native or not I don't know.

And another one

As we get lower still, the moss tends to take over and the ground cover becomes sparser and less luxuriant.

Then it's lush growth again, and a mat of that little spiky-flowered creeper we saw earlier.

The bush is opening right up now, with a scrubby Hoheria and crown fern being the predominant species.

And here we are.

I head up into the hut and grab a couple of adjoining bunks for Miranda and me, and lean my gear on another two for Carol and Mike.

After a brew, I head out to grab a photo of the Hoheria (houhere) flowers

and there's quite a beautiful koromiko flower as well.

Lake Howden is even nicer than photos I've seen of it. there's a bench that you can sit on and just look and I do just that for a while.

Then it's feet up until I hear the others. It's been a good day.

Later as we are digesting our dinner and thinking about an early night, we are summoned to the main room of the hut for housekeeping instructions from the warden. She does not have a five star badge, or a stetson or cowboy boots - she has a pronounced Southland accent and it's burrrrning and dirrrrty - but she tells us that this is a peaceful hut and it sounds just like John Wayne would have done it. Some things just improve your day and I head back up to bed for a peaceful night in a peaceful hut. This is the only DoC hut I've been in that bosts electric light - between 8 and 10 pm, but I'm asdleep before it gets switched on.