Freshwater River– North Arm, 11.3 km

Monday, February 18: Very cold overnight, some cloud in the morning clearing to sun

GPS Tour

North Arm across the mudflats

It was so cold that the temperature must have gotten below what was allowed for the sleeping bag, so I had to put on the jumper to continue sleeping.

The HK alarm went off first, but no movement from the couple; then the German one went off so I decided it was time for breakfast. Not much left over except for coffee so I had a double shot. Then getting everything packed and ready to go. The HK couple were the first to be ready for their water taxi, and meanwhile Martin and I had taken apart the S-bend in the common room to try to remove the obstruction that was blocking water flowing down the pipe. Dismantled, emptied, but no change in the nett result, except for a bit of leakage.

When the taxi for the HK couple arrived it first docked on the left bank to disgorge a DoC camp maintenance team and all their stuff for at least a week. Pretty soon they had not only unloaded their stuff but were away at work mowing the grass with zappers. I left at around 9:30, as the last. The German couples had left before me to await their taxi.

The first part of today’s track is pretty much on the level, although the mud is arguably at its worst. The track over Thomson Ridge is short and sweet, with a couple of boardwalks along the way. The longest part is manoeuvring around the countless headlands around the North Arm, after the footbridge. A bit of mud here as well. Managed to fall on my face once, on my bum once, and slid into the mud a couple of times. Nett injuries: sprained left wrist, bruised knees and left shin.

Rata blossom along the track

By now the day was coming along pretty fine, and for the most part the track was dust dry. Just before what I had identified as the last headland, I spotted a chap (Lucas from Salzburg) and gave him a shout, but he couldn’t see me. In any case I knew I was very close, and did not regret not having stopped for lunch along the way.

Pretty soon I was in the hut, sought out the bunk furthest from the common room, and started on washing the boots and getting into some clean leggings. A woman from Hamburg, Susann arrived, and Lucas returned from his walk along the beach. Together we had lunch, with Susann donating me a jar of Vegemite (who could say no?) and Lucas giving me tomatoes, capsicum, fresh bread, hummus spread to supplement my dry rations. Then the washing needed its turn. And with the sun shining so brightly I set up a washing line on the deck on the north side of the hut and hung my stuff up.

The hut has been extended within the last four years. In particular the common room is twice as large as it once was, and there is no entry to it from the east; instead there are doors on the north and south sides, and the deck where my washing was hanging is extensive and has an unhindered view of the sea. Yolanda, a Dutchwoman has now arrived, and we are still seeing if some Germans will make it from Big Bungaree.