From Kiwi Lodge Hut to Cameron Hut
Hiking time: 08:00a.m.-06:00p.m.
Daily/Total distance: 32km /411.5km (152 hitched/skipped)
Steps: 46220
Weather: cloudy in the morning sunny from noon onwards

This morning I woke up at 7am. Last night was quite nice and warm to sleep outside in. It wasn’t too hot for there to be much condensation inside my tent. As there were still great numbers of sandflies between the tent and the fly I grabbed all my things and fled into the hut to pack. Inside were already quite a few others getting ready. With only my tent left outside I went outside again to pack it up. Then I started packing up my pack while eating a waffle for breakfast. I had wanted to make some porridge as well but couldn’t be bothered right then. So I stuffed it into the side of my pack and then headed off at 8am.

It was cloudy in the morning, so wearing my leggings didn’t feel too hot like the longjohns did the previous day. The track first went through forest and uphill to reach Kiwi Saddle.

From Kiwi Saddle it continued along the big Lake Sumner. I got a good view of the lake at the end of it.

After following along and downhill next to the lake the track went out onto open fields. These were cattle fields with prickly bushes on them.

The field was quite big and I didn’t really see the markers I was supposed to follow. I could see others ahead of me though and there was a swingbridge on the other side. So I made my way towards the swingbridge, knowing I will be going over it. Just before reaching the bridge I finally found markers again. As the bridge only allows for one person at a time I had to wait a bit as the 5 before me were only halfway done going over. So I stood there talking with the last person from them until they also went and I had to wait alone for my turn.

Immediately after the bridge the markers weren’t clear if the track went left or right. As the Hurunui Hut was visible on the right, people first went there. By the time I had crossed the bridge though they came back in the other direction. Seems we have to go left and up over the hill. At least they found that out before me:)

At 1pm I reached Hurunui Hut. I stopped to have some lunch and also filter some water as my bladder was empty and i only had the 800ml bottle left. My lunch consisted of a Snickers bar as well as my porridge from breakfast. Then I also ate some rice crackers with cheese. I finally continued on at 1:45pm.

After the hut the track was mostly on flat ground and easy to walk on. There was some mud and some small stream crossings. An hour after the hut lies a natural hot spring. I didn’t go in though as my legs are still itching and I would rather fancy a sit in the cold stream than the hot pools for them. So I bypassed them.

Stopping now wasn’t a good idea because as soon as I stopped I was swarmed by sandflies. I put on some 2B sandfly repellent as well as some sunblock but they were nevertheless very annoying. At one point after the spring the track continued to a cliff that had eroded off. Another hiker and me then found a way around it further up. There wouldn’t have been another option otherwise. Halfway towards the next hut I decided to stop going into the forest and instead walked on the grassy plains next to the river. This involved walking to the river a couple of times but it was easier that licking my way through the forest.

Reaching Hurunui #3 hut at 4:55pm I signed the hut book and then made the decision to continue for an hour longer to get to the next hut as I was still fit and itching to go on. There is a storm warning hitting New Zealand 3 days later, and every bit I get done now means I am closer to the exit at Arthur’s Pass.

Continuing on wasn’t so hard either. There was one interesting bit though. After all those very nice swing bridges over the last sections, there was now am emergency 3 wire Bridge to cross. This was a first for me. I made sure to have a good gold onto the sides and also paid attention that every step was safe before shifting my weight.

By 6pm I arrived at Cameron Hut. There were already a couple and a girl there in their tents. The hut itself looks pretty run down and not really welcoming to sleep in. I didn’t want to sleep inside anyways. I was planning on camping, I’m only by the hut to have the use of the toilet. I set up my tent and then made my long way towards the river to get water and clean myself of the sunblock. Back at the tent I started filtering the water and hung my clothes out to dry a bit in the evening sun.

The place I pitched my tent in is a field of the grass that gave me the rash before. I could feel myself reacting to it while cooking dinner.

As the water source is so far away I didn’t want to cook anything that required a low of cleaning afterwards. So I decided to make the backcountry meal I got for free in a hiker box before tonight. Pasta Bolognese.

I sat in my tent to eat, killing a bunch of sandflies in the process while I waited for the food to be done. The pasta was nice. Something different to the cheesy pasta one can usually find at the supermarket. Though it didn’t taste to differently from the 5min cups we have at home.

Afterwards I sorted my stuff for the night and the next day in a grad explosion inside my tent.

Then I got ready for bed and went for sleep at 9:30pm. There was even more tapping on my tent tonight. Using my flashlight I found the biggest collection of sandflies under my tent fly.