North West Circuit
Day 3: Christmas Village - Yankee River 12km 6hrs
- Hut nights: 7
- Solo hut nights: 6
- People in huts: 4
- Overall people: 6
- Kiwi: 1
I slept in, again. I blame the gentle lapping of the sea on the shore, again. The day started with a solid 4 and a bit hours of bush till I was deposited onto the small Lucky Beach. I hopped out on a rocky point and surveyed the beach with my lens. A passing shower and sandflies quickly put paid to this exercise. I hastily put belongings back in pack and headed off down the beach. Once I left the beach the track immediately became steep, muddy, and generally a son of a bitch. My six weeks of running in Wellington prior to this trip and the two tramps I'd just completed had conditioned me pretty well. I needed all of the fitness I had acquired over last couple of months on this low lying but rugged nugget of an island. I was impressed with the steady progress I made up that vertical part of track, not needing to stop and almost inviting fate by questioning the track if it had anything tougher to offer. After a good twenty minutes it had leveled a bit and the mud had been replaced by the compost and detritus of the forest floor. I stopped for a bite and a breather. It was then that I noticed that the waterproof bag attached to the outside of my pack was loose. Sudden panic: what had fallen out into the muddy yuk of that uphill exertion? More panic: top most of that bag was my digital camera. Huge relief: perched precariously on top of clothes sat the camera. Nothing had fallen out. I didn't make that mistake again. I took a portrait of myself and pack to remember that close call. The beach was Lucky after all.
It was mid afternoon and I continued through much of the same bush and terrain as the last couple of days. After an hour though a new experience revealed itself, the sun finally made an appearance. I made good use of it and rolled off some images of mossy banks and tall trees.
It was the end of the day and twilight by the time I reached the turn off to the hut. Neatly placed on the river and not far from the beach Yankee River Hut was empty of people but full of the evidence that plenty of boats come this way at other times of the year. There was loads of dry wood and plenty of room to spread my belongings out and put my feet up for another comfortable night.
I'd made it up the East Coast in three days. To do the whole track in eight days I needed to miss a couple of huts. Tomorrow I would traverse the north coast, pass Long Harry hut and end up at East Ruggedy beach on the west. It would be a big day and I'd be getting up and away before sunrise to give myself as much time as possible. I made sure everything was in place for a quick start in the morning and set my alarm to go off in the pre-dawn hour just before 7am. Considering the long days I'd had so far I wondered at what time and in what condition I'd be reaching East Ruggedy Hut tomorrow night. There would be no sleeping in tomorrow, I'd need the full extent of the 11 hours of available light.
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