From the Psychotic to the Sublime

The Lake Waikaremoana Track

Day 4, Page 4: Marauiti to Waiharuru

The bank along here is steep. Repairs to the track are almost a matter of course.

The huge chainsawed cross sections of fallen trees are also a matter of course, and bigger and more frequent than anything I've seen on other tracks. This one's had time to grow itself an overcoat.

We head fairly sharply uphill

winding around the ends of ridges

and back down into small gullies

I think this is the small kiokio, Blechnum procerum.

The bush is light and airy just through here. It doesn't make a jot of difference to the track itself, but it often seems to me to be harder work when the bush is dense and impenetrable on either side of the track.

Another gully, and even without the footbridge at the turn, these are not quite as in your face as are the gullies on the first day of the St James.

There's a strong contrast, nevertheless, between the light in the bush and that out on the lake and it can be difficult getting the camera to justice to both.

This is quite a small uprooting. I'd need a wide angle lense to do justice to the biggies. You can see, though, how much of its immediate neighbourhood an uprooted tree disturbs.

It's slightly undulating for while along here.

and then, just ahead is some track damage. Left to myself, I'd have simply picked my way through, but it seems to be grounds for a scrambly detour. I'd have welcomed some of this solicitude several days back when it wasn't to be had. Hmmph! I'm still grumpy aren't I.