Pelorus River Track from Pelorus Bridge to Captain Creek Hut
Hiking time: 09:30a.m.-03:40p.m.
Daily/Total distance: 22.5km/131.5km (8/46 hitched)
Steps: 25438
Weather: sunny

I got up this morning just before 8am. Everyone except the Dutch family and the German couple had already left. The couple were staying an additional night. The family was just leaving as I got up. I had breakfast, packed my bag including my massive 20L food bag and set off towards the cafe. Here I filled up my water bottle with their treated water and put sunblock on. Then I set off at 09:30.

The track starts off on a paved road. I checked my navigation maps a few times to make sure I was on the right one as I did not see a single marker that the trail goes here. I got soon quite fed up with the road walk. The sun was blazing hot already and the road quite exposed. It also doesn’t feel to nice on your feet and knees.

After a few km the paved road went over into a gravel road. While on this track a car suddenly stopped next to me with an older couple inside. They offered me a lift to the trail head which I gladly accepted. Turns out that the couple own the property at the end of the road right next to the trailhead. So I luckily met the only people who would actually go all the way there. They told me about buying the property 55 years ago and actually building that road themselves. The council then recognised it as a road and now maintains it. While driving we overtook the Dutch family, the kiwi/Swiss couple as well as the two Swedish. None of them wanted to get a ride so I continued there on my own. I was really glad that they took me as there was actually still quite some road left to walk and it probably would have taken me another 2 hours.

We separated at the trailhead and I got going. This is now the first part of the TA that I will actually be in the backcountry. The QCT didn’t really count to me as it is a well maintained walking track.

Now I am walking on a small track right through the forest and bush. Towards my left continues the Pelorus River. It is really beautiful with its green colour. The track is really nice to walk on with some parts that are a little bit steeper. I can already feel the blister on my recently infected left pinky toe developing further. Such joy. There is not much I can do to prevent it. It is a pressure blister, so nothing from friction that I could prevent with tape. My toe just has to get tougher to withstand this abuse.

The track now also features swing bridges. I know quite a few people who would bail out at the thought of crossing these. I can sort of understand that a little bit as they feel quite rickety.

After 1.5h I reached the emerald pools. A nice picnic area where I also met the German girl just setting off. I grabbed my food and camera and went down towards the water, leaving my pack at the table. The pools were gorgeous.

AAs I was walking towards the water I managed to drop my leftover cheese from the QCT and had to leave it. So lunch was now Really sad consisting of crackers alone. This didn’t make me feel to happy and so I continued on. The next bit started out with an uphill section that had me catching my breath a few times. These sections are especially tough as I know that what comes up must come down again. After all that uphill to about 400m it continued going up and down with some sections that were quite steep and could only be passed by nearly sitting down while going down or stepping on stones at hip height.

All in all though the track wasn’t bad. I found it to be more fun than the QCT. While it is at times harder and tougher I still find tracks such as this one more enjoyable as it is not an everyday walking track.

At 03:40pm I arrived at Captain Creek hut. I was thinking I could even carry on to the next hut 4h away, but the hut here has the river right next to it and I am ready for a swim. I don’t know how much water can be found at the next hut.

Arriving at the hut I checked the inside and found it unbearably hot. So I went along and found a campspot outside. This was tough as the ground was quite hilly. I ended up pitching my tent right next to the kiwi lady as this was the only flat spot.

After setting everything up I grabbed my water bag as well as my towel and went towards the water for the swim. The water was bloody cold and it took me ages to get in, but me, the person who is always cold, got in and swam around. It was nice and refreshing to get the sweat and sunblock of my skin. The result wouldn’t have been the same with just a catwash.

After spending some time swimming around I got back out and put dry clothes on. I had to immediately cover myself in sandfly repellent as the beasts were out to get me already. I then spent some time sitting by the river reading and finishing off any snacks that I had left from the day.

Back at the campsite I also met the kiwi/Swiss couple and the Dutch family again. We were joined by a German guy going NOBO. As the evening went on we all sat together and talked with the German about the upcoming parts. As time passed the sandflies were getting more aggressive regardless of the repellent. I had my dinner of pasta Alfredo which was to runny again. The kiwi lady gave me some mashed potatoes to thicken it up which worked quite well. I will keep that in mind for the future. I also made some instant dessert for pudding afterwards. That didn’t turn out to well and I will probably not make it again. After finishing my dinner I quickly went for the washing up as well as brushing my teeth. The sandflies were getting to be too much for me and I ran for my tent and was not in a very social mood anymore at 8pm.

Even in my tent I had about 20 sandflies and I spent the first minutes inside swatting at them with my towel until they were all dead. Then I started sorting my food for the next day and packing everything else away. I had left my two doors from the fly open to get fresh air through. This has now resulted in the sandflies accumulating an mass in the space between my inner tent and the fly. They will eat me alive when I have to get out in the morning.

After that excitement I read some more. Through talking with some others I decided I would start getting up earlier and not be the last to leave anymore as this me and there will be people behind me who can help me should something happen to me. So for the first time I set myself an alarm as I went to bed at 10:30pm.