North West Circuit
Day 5: East Ruggedy - Hellfire Pass 14km 8hrs
- Hut nights: 7
- Solo hut nights: 6
- People in huts: 4
- Overall people: 6
- Kiwi: 1
Though I made much of my legendary expedition of Yankee River to East Ruggedy - a whole 18 kms of arduous country, my next three days would be distances of 14, 15, and 26.5 kms. The last distance a double-hutter which for 15 km's crosses the flat interior - thus much faster going. In the night my knees were aching, complaining that I was abusing them. Other than activating my PLB the only way out was another 60km of track. But having just completed an epic of Lord of the Rings proportions I felt confident about tackling the King Kong hikes ahead.
East Ruggedy Beach
In the morning I left my pack by the hut and retraced my steps along the dunes for a look at East Ruggedy Beach. The beach is complimented by the proximity of the Ruggedy Range and Rugged Islands. The steep sides and haphazard ridges of these mountains in miniature give them a sense of drama. They appear to be creations of an artist illustrating a book on mythical lands. Down on the golden brown flatness of the beach I looked out to the islands, a passing light shower between them and the mainland muted the scene and added to it's surreal quality.
In the dunes on the way back I found some bird prints in the sand that I took to be Kiwis. There were numerous accounts of sightings of our national icon throughout the hut log books, some even in broad daylight. This print was the closest I'd come to one. (on doing some research I believe this is an actual kiwi print)
West Ruggedy Beach
By the time I got back to my pack and headed for Hellfire it was already 9.30am and I was thinking of the limitations of daylight again. A pleasant half hour stroll took me to West Ruggedy Beach. Much more expansive that it's eastern neighbour, it was bathed in winter sun. I got a few images of the points of visual interest on the beach and wandered along enjoying the sure footing of the compacted sand. With the sound of the sea, the sunlight, and my mood carrying on from the day before I thrust my walking pole to the heavens and let out some rebel yells of pure enjoyment. The sort of yell that you cringe when fundamentalists make them affirming their own closeted view of the universe, but in my case it was entirely appropriate.
Waituna Bay
At the end of the beach I headed inland again. After an hour or two the track passed through a cleft in the Ruggedy Range from landward to seaward side, then wound down to Waituna Bay. Whilst I was still high up on the range I spied a large pillar of rock standing clear of the surrounding bush. The monolith stood well above the tree tops and was big enough on the top to clamber about, if only one could get up it. A narrow path lead up to it, standing at the front of it it looked high and un-surmountable. I went up and round the side of it to the back, it was not only lower but looked like I could climb it. The wisdom of climbing up a rock face without rope or ambulance crossed my mind, but I was in an island solo adventurer mind set now and felt a compelling urge to push the boundaries. Though hairy it was within my rock climbing capabilities, and with a bit of heaving and stretching I got up. On top it was blowing hard and highly vertigo inducing, I was way above the trees and several stories from the ground at the front side. I surveyed Waituna Bay and the range then carefully climbed down.
Glad to be conscious and in one piece I made my way to Waituna Bay - yet another coastal gem with it's own distinct personality. A curving beach-long pile of driftwood separated the rocky shoreline from the coastal grasses and shrubs. And again that crazy Ruggedy Range framing the scene. This section of the Range defined by rocky outcrops adorning the ridge, and at one point where the skyline dips a sharp pointed conical pyramid rises up. I snapped some sequential images to make a panorama of the scene.
The beach on Hellfire Ridge
The time had slipped to 3.30, the distance left on the map suggested arriving at the hut about five. What followed though could not be seen on the map. Not only did did the track go up and down and up again with monotonous repetition but it was infested with continuous mud-swamps that needed to be avoided by skirting along the edges or taking a bush detour. Physically after a long day this was tiring, but the anguish at seeing yet another stretch of deep mud taxed mind and physical resources. I entered a siege mentality, personifying the track into a foe to be outwitted, outlasted. It was taunting and challenging me, but damned if I would give in. Whole paragraphs of expletives were aimed at the sodden ground I was covering. Fuck you, you effing track. Grunts, growls, and the odd shout of frustration provided a soundtrack for this personal battle with the Hellfire Ridge. Yes, aptly named. As the light faded this last segment seemed to drag on interminably, implausibly long, surely I had missed the hut and was headed for a night of misery.
It was nearly six by the time I broke out at another lookout that made all the sweat and swearing seem trivial. Bizarrely I was in bush on a 200M (500ft) high ridge one second and then on top of a sand dune the next. A twenty metre wide shallow valley of white sand and dune grass afforded an unrestricted view of the island's interior to the east. I looked out from my ridge to the southern point of the Ruggedy Range, the Ruggedy Flats, and the ranges of the east coast. A look at the map (and the satellite) shows this strip of sand extends all the way down to Big Hellfire Beach.
The hut was only a couple of minutes away from the dune, the only hut at any altitude and I got this sorry looking shot of the view. I found another reserve of will for the rituals of fire, shower, and food. I was too exhausted that evening to do anything but lay back on a bench by the fire, eyes closed in semi-hibernation, gathering just enough energy to go to bed. What would this island throw at me tomorrow?
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