Hard Yacker

If you don't understand the title, get your handy Kiwi phrase books out, or just keep reading and it will become apparent. As promised, I have been off on a five day tramp taking the Abel Tasman Coastal Track on my way out and the Abel Tasman Inland Track on my way back to make a loop walk. Just to give you some idea, each of these walks is classified as 3 to 5 days, therefore you would have to say, 6 to 10 days total, but I stuck to my plan of 5 days.
From the moment I put my pack on my back, it was obvious that it was not going to be an easy amble. Clothes for 5 days for all weathers, food for 5 days, cooking gear, tent, sleeping bag and all of the rest of the stuff you might just need all adds up to quite a lot of weight on your back. The first couple of days were pretty easy going really. The Coastal Track is very well used and is more like a path than a track. The scenery is beautiful, in what I would imagine to be a kind of carribean way. Golden sandy beaches, gently lapped by bright turquoise waters. The sun shone all day and the only discomfort was aching feet from pounding the rock hard path for about 6 hours a day. I camped out by the beach for those first two nights, in campsites which had drinking water and all kinds of luxuries!
On the third day I would be finishing the Coastal Track and heading onto the Inland Track. At this point I will repeat for you what I wrote in my notebook at the end of the day, since it sums up the day pretty well!
"Left Totaranui at about 9:15, eschewing the short cut to the inland track, instead I went via Wharewharangi. Got there about 12:20 and left at 1:20 after having food and boiling some water (to purify it). Crossed Gibbs Hill and rested and ate at Pigeon Saddle, left there at 4:30. On the way to Awapoto Hut (the first hut on the inland track) my feet started to hurt really badly, water was running low and my thighs were cramping. With the sun going down behind the hills, it was starting to get dark in the bush already and I started to worry. Although I knew the hut couldn't be too far now, every step hurt and with about 100ml of water left, I couldn't drink too much. I guessed that the hut must be at the top of the hills (since it's the only helicopter access). I kept struggling upwards, following the track past lots of false peaks. Eventually I called out, to see if there was anyone at a hut nearby, no answer. I decided to go on until only a couple of mouthfulls of water were left and then I would dump my pack on the track and walk on without it. Just as this was about to become necessary, I saw the sign for the hut, which was only five minutes away."
This is a part of what I wrote, but gives you a flavour! As is turns out, the Inland Track is very, very hard work. The following day I was trapped at the next hut, literally soaked to the skin, while a fierce storm raged all afternoon and into the evening. On day five, my last day, I put my wet clothes back on and headed off for a seven hour trip through a wet and slippery forest, trudging up and down hill through water still cascading down the hill sides.
I should point out that I did not see a single person from the moment I started the inland track until the last point of shelter, about 2 hours from the end of the track. The last person to go through the huts on the track had passed through 5 days before me.
So there you have it. Mission accomplished, but not without a few scares and alot of effort.
Would I do it again? Not in a hurry.
Did I learn anything? Amongst other things, I learned that there is more than one definition of remote. Although I was not far from "civilisation" the only way in or out for me was the track. If I had been injured, it probably would have been days before anyone found me. An interesting thought!
So, anyone fancy a quick stroll . . . .