8-12 November 2007

From the Psychotic to the Sublime

The Lake Waikaremoana Track

Day 5, Page 3: Waiharuru to Hopuruahine Landing

Here's closer look at the fence and you can see how it might discourage any intrepid pest. Or tramper for that matter.

We make our way down a somewhat variable track, with the orange triangles reassuring us we are heading in the right direction.

and back onto regular highway again.

It's quite variable cover along here. One minute you're in light airy yellow green light, and, next, shadow is pushing at you from all around.

Actually, sometimes a bit of both.

You can get an idea of the intensity of the daylight where it makes its way through to a trackside fern, rendering it almost translucent, and casting a sharp-edged shadow beneath.

Speaking of ferns, there's a few big ones through here.

and of course, the usual understorey.

Where the track has been cut into a steep bank and the ferns have moved back in following, I nearly always slow down for the simple beauty of it all.

Over to the right the fence makes its way down a steep bit. I take my hat off to the builders, as I do from time to time along all of these tracks where the energy and caring and thoughtfulness of DoC and their volunteer maintenance groups comes through. (If you're at all interested, visit the DoC website and fossick around a little, or subscribe to their newsletter, "What's Up DOC". They frequently advertise details of forthcoming track maintenance expeditions. They typically provide transport and shelter and sometimes food for volunteer teams on weeding or reclamation programmes. It's a popular "holiday" for quite a number of people.

We pass a turnoff to Tapuaenui campsite

Good grief. I'm actually not too far off the DOC estimated time. I must be getting a little fitter than I was a week back.

WE potter on through open pasture/scrub for a little

then back toward the lake again. We've done a kind of dogleg around the campsite I think.

Right out beside the lake is a log that is so designed for sitting and gazing at the water that I do just that for a bit. I'm only missing pipe and tobacco to be right in the middle of one of Rex Fairburns beach idylls.

Isn't that just lovely!

Onwards. Whanganui hut is calling.