Mt Aspiring national Park-Fjordlands National Park......The Routeburn Track

Hiked about 120K in this section. Started in Wanaka shortly after a 15,000 ft jump above Lake Wanaka looking over Mt Inspiring NP and Fjordland NP. I ended the tramp just north of Te Anue where I then hitched in to, to prep for the 4 day Kelper trail,( another "great walk" of NZ. I was able to connect the Reese/Dart track to the famous Routeburn track,(one of the top ten trails of the world) they say......by fording the Dart river, which was highly inadvisable by the DOC workers. Super intense ford! Treking poles quivering and legs failing...but made it thru the grey/blue glacial melting riping river! The 4 day Routeburn track, I was able to hike in one day....which was great!

Wow.

Hitching 500K to Fjordland NP and Mt Inspiring NP

 Ya.

Thru the Richmond Range Alpine Track-headed into Nelson Lakes National Park

Ok ...so I took the fairy from Wellington to Picton on the South Island. hitched to Nelson...then to hope then hiked up a gravel road which was badly damaged by slides from the past two weeks of rain...to the start of the Richmond Range Alpine Track.....twas amazing! Being in a remote alpine mountain range...alone almost feeling like I owned the southern alps of New Zealand! Six days thru river crossings, high meak summits, including Mt Rintoul, Mt Ellis, and Purple Mtn and some narly 100K trail. The huts where great, and the weather was perfect.

          Heading into Nelson Lakes National Park after I pick up my 3rd pear of shoes...the $ is really starting to add up with these shoes that just cant make the cut. I have two large passes to hike over with 120K thru the park. I plan to carry 6 days of food with an extra day of food in case I can't get over Wairoa Pass(weather-freak snow storms can hit that pass in any givin summer day). Somehow I'm gonna try and fit in some fly fishing in on the Sabine River....the brown trout look amazing! Keep on tramping!(Tramping meaning hiking in the kiwi slang).

750K Hamilton

Arrived in Hamilton hardly able to hold my self up. Super fatigued and burning up from a high fever. Turned out it was the beginning symptoms of Giardia....shitty.....very shitty. The past week has been tough. The Te Araroa trail has been fairly non existent, poorly marked and  some of the worst trail I've seen, in some of the easiest looking country I could imagine hiking thru......thanks DOC. From the beginning at 90 mile beach thru the sub-jungle ridges and farmland of the north island of NZ the water sources have been super poor quality or just not there at all. You wouldn't think that of NZ or at least I didn't think that would be the case but when you go thru the day with no water then thru the night, then thru the next day you kinda go for whatever comes up....even if  its cow farm run off-gross. To top it off my hiking partner decided to walk......away from are thru hike because of a little disagreement about where to hitch on the side of the road right when my Giardia was starting to take control if you know what I mean..Fucking lame, I don't have any patience or time for shit like that anymore. Its a good thing he left anyway, anyone who is  going to walk away from something like this, that fast isn't worth being my friend.
                OK so ya......this whole blog, (what little it is) has seemed fairly negative and its kinda true. I mean we started in rain...that lasted for ten days straight. Started on a trail that seemed to be finished which is hardly the case, and lets face it, the north island is kinda lame for hiking. I mean the people are great, friendly and very helpful but I DO NO NEED TO HIKE ANOTHER 1000 MILES THRU FARM COUNTRY!...and my hiking partner left.....and as of right now it feels like somebody is stabbing me over and over again with one of those small Swiss army knifes in the stomach. But......this is what happens........when your living the dream......my friends......Ha!
                  I'm bouncing down to Wellington for New years, should be great fun, and I should be better by then. After that I;m taking a fairy over thru Cook Strait to the South Island, where I can fish, run, hike and live in the Huts as I please most importantly Ill be back in the mountains.

                                                                                                         Nick
             

Flowers!

650K

Made it to Auckland!.....where it all started 20 some days ago. Fly into Auckland, hitch three days up the coast, then hike back 650K.... Thought we may be walking into Auckland on Christmas but the 21st is great! The weather has improved and so has are moods. Next large city will be Hamilton.....with some flat rolling farm land ahead of us. Can't wait to get into the mountains and out of the jungle and coastal hills.

350K

Day ten.....made it to the east coast of the north island, (started on the west coast going south following 90 mile beach then cutting south east hitting the east coast several days ago). Threw up the white flag in the battle of the rain to stay in a hotel to dry out gear, escape the weather and to lift are spirits. The trail seems to be getting better the further south we travel, better maintained, more markers, and less over growth. However the road walking seems to becoming more frequent. I cant stop thinking or talking about when the time comes that we head on a ferry thru Cook Strait and make are way onto the South Island to tramp thru National Parks, Forest Parks that are filled with huts to stay in. Soon enough, till then safe travels, nick.