Whariwharangi – Totaranui (12.1 km)

Riverview Holiday Park, Riverview Rd, Murchison. $25 (+ $4 for a shower) for single standard cabin, required bedding

Saturday, March 2: Cloudy at first, increasing into the afternoon & then becoming fine

GPS Tour
Youtube Video

The first signs of dawn activity were at about 7:00, which was early enough. I got all the rest of my things together and was ready to go by 8:30. Robin and Shirley were off to their carpark and then to the Heaphy (70 L packs, they must have been carrying everything), and as Will & Kelly were going over Gibbs Hill, I asked them to keep an eye out for my tripod adapter. Then all set to work on their tracks.

Tasman Sentinel

I was taking the most direct route to Totaranui in the hope of meeting Will & Kelly there, seeing if they had found my lost equipment and then trying Skinner Point before the taxi came. Although I stopped at a number of places along the way for photos, there were to be no brackets today. Not stopping for much else I reached an intersection, but misinterpreted the map to mean that I was about to cross the estuary. Instead, a longer walk along said estuary ensued before I reached the crossing. Anyway, at about 9:45 the water was still way out and the ford was barely sole-deep.

I asked at the DoC whether anyone had handed anything in, but no success, then I decided to try for Skinner Point in the hope of being back before Will & Kelly could get on a boat. No sign of the adapter along the track (& beach) on the way to Skinner; am still at a loss as to how it disengaged itself and dropped off.

Back at DoC the water taxis were just leaving (or had just left) when Will & Kelly came charging along only to be disappointed at missing their first opportunity to get off the track. They had been unable to find anything either, and we sat down at a picnic table to have lunch together. Will rebooked all of our trips to 12:15, and at around 12:00 we were ready to go. A couple of minutes to sort out the passenger list then we were sorted onto the boats, tucked into life jackets and taxied out into the shipping lane.

A couple of photo ops along the way – memories of the places recently visited on foot. About the only thing that got me was the second last stop at Kaiteriteri (when I was expecting it to be Marahau), and then in Marahau the boat was hauled out of the water and onto a trailer for the rest of the road journey. I should have looked more carefully at the “beach” at Marahau, then I would have realised that a beach landing would have been impossible, and that there was no jetty.

Back in the land of roads and cars I did some simple repacking of the Flying Spaghetti Monster and headed for Motueka first for a short walk around (no camera shops) and then some shopping at countdown. Tried calling the HuHa Backpackers at Glenhope but only an answerphone available. Left a message and then headed down there. At the place no one was at home, and as it was getting late decided to try for Murchison instead and leave the Nelson Lakes for another time.

At the only non-syndicated place the cabin was rather cheap, although I was warned that there would be a party later. Showered for a total of $4 (was well worth it) and took off to town for my celebratory meal. Sort of regret not taking the mixed grill at the hotel on the left for $26; but the burger at the hotel opposite was well worth its $16.

Main tasks for tonight will include putting the pictures on the laptop and sorting out the brackets. This morning the card failed to load CHDK when in M mode; but after taking a snapshot in P mode and switching it back on again it reloaded CHDK. Will have to work out an expediency plan for this.