Stewart Island- Rakiura

Very long account of our Xmas tramp. Read it all or just bits of it. Pics coming soon!

Day 1
We got the ferry over in the late morning and explored Oban for a bit before making our way over to Golden Bay where we'd set a date with Ian who would take us to Fred's Camp in his water taxi. we had the 10 bunk hut to ourselves that night, got some mussels in the afternoon and went fishing and exploring, got the fire going and made a cosy start to our visit.

Day 2 – First day of tramping. Fred's Camp to Rakeahua hut.
DoC estimate- 5 hours
Our walking time- 6 hrs
Distance- 12 km

Easy enough most of the way but the infamous Stewart Island mud and the heavy packs made it hard, especially towards the end. I was getting so tired towards the end (this tramping lark took some time getting used to) so the hut was a welcome sight and had a little potbelly which we lit to make it warm and snuggly. We were sharing the hut with an English guy who'd come from the other direction and he told us that the next leg was incredible challenging so I was a bit apprehensive when I went to bed...

Day 3 Rakeahua to Doughboy Bay Hut
DoC estimate time-7-8 hours
Our walking time- 7 hrs 10 min
Distance- 16 km

Such hard going at times but it made a difference that we were mentally prepared for it! Lots of ups and downs and a few steep bits but it was so rewarding stepping on to the beach after that grueling climb down. The view for the top had been amazing as it was a beautiful day. Felt really proud that we'd finished it and I didn't once think that I couldn't do it! Sharing the hut with four rough looking kiwi men in their 50's that soon turned out to be softer than butter on a hot day; all herbal tea, honey and kiwi spotting which we were welcome to join in on. Saw our first kiwi in the wild out on the beach, in the dark, busy little kiwi finding food in the sand. So cool!

Day 4- julafton- Rest day

We had planned to be sitting on the beach and swimming on our rest day but the weather had other plans for us. We went for a short walk in the morning but I was so exhausted i crashed and burned (unlike Harland who just went sliding down a slippery slope on his arse). The rest of the day consisted of keeping the fire going to dry out socks.

Day 5- Xmas Day- Doughboy By to Mason Bay Hut

DoC est time- 7hrs
Our walking time- 6 hrs
Distance- 18 km
This was really quite an easy day, partly because we were so mentally ready for it. There was a steep bit at the beginning which we blasted and before long we were at the beach. Then there was one and a half hour of walking on the beach against the wind which soon got very boring and felt never ending. There was a kiwi couple and a canadian girl as well as the Bubblegum Parade from Doughboy in the hut that night. We went kiwi spotting and saw one rummaging around the bushes. We made a crazy decision to do a double header the next day so we decided to get up early

Day 6 Mason Bay to Sawdust bay Campground

Had the best start to the day. A kiwi was out on the lawn in front of the hut was having its breakfast just as we were having ours. I watched it for ages. We decided to break this epic day in to smaller bits:

Leg 1 Mason Bay to Freshwater Hut
DoC est time- 3-4 hrs
Our time- 2.45
Distance- 15.5 km
The walk started off through old farmland where people from Shetland had come to farm but eventually gave up because of the rough conditions on the island (people from Shetland thought it was too rough, blimey!). The rest of the walk through the swamp was flat and rather boring and we decided to march at 500 mph. Got to Freshwater and had some soup and crackers just as it had started raining.

Leg 2 Freshwater to North Arm Hut
DoC est- 6-7 hrs
Our walking time- 6
Distance- 11 km
this bit would have been easy with fresh legs but I was struggling a bit. Luckily the rain subsided but it was still very muddy (again: Stewart island mud, ankle deep at best and that's after a dry week) at times especially up on Thompson ridge. Once we joined on to the Rakiura track (which is a so called Great Walk, which basically means it is easier and expensive) it got easy peasy, boardwalks all the way almost. My quad muscle was very sore after a hard day of stepping up and down steep muddy climbs. We finally got to the hut and had our dinner, talked to some very nice people and then moved on once our feet had dried out.

Leg 3 North Arm Hut to Sawdust Bay campsite
DoC est time- 1.30
My limping time- 1.10
Distance 2.5 km
I was tired and sore but we got there after having been on the go for about 13 hours. Felt good. When we were lying in the tent the last night (freezing our backsides off) I started thinking about going back to the mainland and I felt a sting of sadness.

Day 7

Walked the final 12 km back in to Oban got our well deserved fish and chips (LITERALLY the best fish and chips in the world, KAI KART, I mean it, blue cod straight off the local fishermen's boat in to the fryer, world famous for a reason). We had done it. 84.5 kilometres in 5 days of walking. Felt so proud. And smelly, well, what do you expect, we'd more or less been in the same clothes and not had a shower for nearly a week. We spent a few hours in Oban before getting on the ferry, relaxing in the sun and filling our tummies.

I was genuinely so, so sad that it was over. I couldn't have kept going due to being tired and sore but I didn't want it to end. It was such an amazing experience, one I'll never forget, we got to see so many remote, stunning places, places you can't drive to. (just the fact that we walked to the southernmost place we've ever been is something else. I don't know if it is tramping I've fallen in love with or if it is the place but I really didn't want it to be over. If my leg hadn't been buggered I would have probably chucked Harland over my shoulder and run back in to the bush again...