The track is quite challenging, starting in the Buller gorge, highest point at 1280 m.) and ending near Seddonville, a few kilometers south of Karamea on the west coast.
The track traverses native bush and follows a old gold mining track, originally meant to connect the Buller gorge with Karamea. Unfortunately the road workers stranded on the very heard basalt rock and could not continue. Modern times (read dynamite) made it possible for an american mountain bike fan to finish the track and open it for bikers and trampers.
A peek through Heaven's door, a natural window showing the small town of Murchinson and the Nelson ranges.
The views were amazing. Here you can see the track cut out under the mountain tops.
At the end of the first day my services as a doctor were called for by an older man who had had a fall. I dressed his wounded elbow for him. The next morning he asked me if he could get another consultation. He told me the real reason he had fallen was a temporarily lost strength in his arm and leg. I grabbed his wrist and checked his heart rate: clearly atrial fibrillation. He had a TIA the day before and was at risk of getting a stroke. Had to disappoint the guy, he could not continue the walk and we called a heli to lift him to hospital.
Part of the group decided to climb to the highest point after we reached the next hut. Literally feels like standing on top of the world.
Somehow word got out that I snored. Not sure who the snitch was, but it resulted in me having a double bed all for myself. I only had to share the hut with Adrian, who apparently also snored. The others shared a hut with the 4 of them. Adrian was so kind to take the upper bed as his prostate was still functional.
The weather changed rapidly. Pretty nice the first 2 days, but after that we got rain.
Always good for the waterfalls though.
The main huts had great cooking facilities and even a hot shower, that is, if you were prepared to cook water first, lift a big pan with hot water into a barrel, and shower like Speedy Gonzales. I chose to just throw cold water over myself. Kept me fit and awake. The huts did not have light though, so we had to play our games and tell our jokes in the dark.
The weather took quite a few turns for the worst. The prediction was that we would be hit by a atmospheric river. Nienke could follow the weather on her apps at home. We just had to guess as we did not have reception. Luckily the brunt of the torrential rain came during the night. It is not easy trying to sleep when the rain is bucketing down on the corrugated iron roofs.
The rain did not stop the Walker brothers from having a bit of fun during one of the short brakes.
The Mōkihinui river changed into a wild and angry muddy monster.
And not only the river itself. All the little stream that normally just pass the path to gently end up in the river, were now big waterways. Normally you'd just jump over a small stream like that, now we had to wade through them. Our shoes were completely soaked. That, in combination with the new leather parts I had a shoemaker put in the back of my walking shoes, caused two 2 dollar coin big blisters, one of them quite deep. Of course the sport tape that I usually use to prevent them did not hold in this moist climate.
Nearing the end of the walk, even the cute little blue mushrooms could not really cheer us up anymore, although we did not try to eat or smoke them. We just wanted to finish it. Did you know that south island kilometers are much longer that elsewhere?
We all made it in the end. And as a reward we all got a normal double bed in a private room. We could have a hot nature shower with a view of the river. After that: a few beers to accompany a huge buffet. As I could not put shoes on anymore I was glad I brought my orange crocs.
Would I do it again? Absolutely.
My feet will heel and I am ready for Europe. Scotland, here we come!!!
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