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We woke up just before 7 a.m. and set off on a tramp immediately. The weather was much better this morning - a bit frosty but the sun was out and we had a great view of the mountains. We crossed the river several times, but didn't get our feet wet, as we were able to step from stone to stone. We climbed down into the gorge. It was beautiful. There were ladders in several places, and we needed to climb across wet rocks. As Stan so politely put it, this hike "pushed my comfort zone". We climbed a waterfall and stood on the top. It really was a great tramp, and turned out to be one of my favorites, perhaps because it did push my comfort zone so much. We then saw another waterfall, and needed to climb through a rather tight spot to get there. I was hesitant, but the guys helped me and convinced me to do it.
When we got back to the hut, everyone else from our side had gone. We brought the table and bench outside for breakfast. Stan and Craig had leftover beans (slightly burnt) and I had porridge. We got our gear together. In the other side of the hut were 4 kids who live nearby in Ashburton and had done this hike by themselves. The oldest looked to be about 14. There were two boys and two girls. They were quite polite and nice to talk to. It was nice to see kids taking the initiative to hike, cook their meals, etc. We headed off via the "goat track" which afforded great views of the mountains and the rolling hills (this section of countryside looked very much like Rohan in "The Two Towers"). We heard bellbirds and actually saw some. We reached the car park at 2 p.m. The kids were there waiting for their ride. We loaded up the van, washed our boots in the river, and hit the road. We stopped at a little store to pay our hut fees ($5 each). I got a hokey pokey ice cream and Craig and Stan got cookies and cream. The kids from the hut were at the ice cream place as well, and we waved to them. Then we drove to Stan and Shona's farm compound in Springston. We arrived there at 4 p.m. on the button. Their property is gorgeous. They grow lots of organic fruits and vegetables. We sorted our gear and Stan and Shona were kind enough to let us use their showers and change into some clean clothes. Stan put on a Paul Ubana Jones CD. He and Shona cooked the two whole salmon along with potatoes and kumara. We had chips and dip for starters. Shona had made a gorgeous salad topped with nasturtiums and other flowers. The nasturtiums tasted peppery. The salad was almost too pretty to eat. Dinner was fantastic. Shona looked at some of our pictures. Before we knew it was 8 p.m. We called Linda and Bill to tell them that we would be on our way. They very kindly offered to pick us up, but we told them Stan would drop us off after dessert. We had ice cream, kahlua, and organic peaches for dessert. At 9 Stan drove us back to Linda and Bill's. We arrived there around 9:30. We introduced Stan to Linda and Bill, and then we said goodbye to Stan. We would miss him. It was sad. But we soon felt better as a result of the nice "homecoming" we received at Linda and Bill's. Linda's daughter Debbie and her husband Kahn were in from Brisbane after a vacation to Rarotonga, and they were all interested to hear about our adventures. Time flew and it was 11:30 before we knew it. Big day of traveling tomorrow, so we went to bed. Come to find out, that hadn't been the end of Stan's adventure. The trailer blew a tire on his way home that night! How lucky for him that it happened so close to home! |
 Howden Falls  Mount Somers Track  Breakfast at Mount Somers Hut 
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