From West Sabine Hut to Blue Lake Hut
Hiking time: 08:30a.m.-11:30a.m.
Daily/Total distance: 7km /286.5km (140 hitched/skipped)
Steps: 13140
Weather: fine but cold

I got up this morning at 7am again. I was ready to set off quite soon as a guy stepped up towards me and gave me a comment about my ankle taping. With my offhand comment that my ankle wasn’t my real problem as I had ongoing knee trouble, he took a closer look. Turns out he is an osteopath from Nelson on holiday right now. He noticed something with my fibula. Then he spent about 15 min pressing, massaging and moving my lower leg about. Maybe this will be the fix I have been looking for? I’ll have to see.

At 8:30am I set off for a short day today. I told myself that after the long previous day it would be good to have a short day to get some rest. This way I am not doing 3 long days in a row.

The track went uphill again through beech forest following the river up to its source, the blue lake.

There were more avalanche paths to be crossed again this time.

Today felt more strenuous than the first section of the previous day. It must be the many avalanche risk paths with the rock scrambling. There were also quite a fee parts where there were overtaken trees and the track was not quite clear anymore. Apparently there was a lot of storm damage in December and according to notes in the huts the last of it has only been removed by the end of January.

Once the sun got over the mountains and shone into the valley it started to become really hot. Especially as the avalanche paths are exposed and give little coverage.

At 11:30am I arrived at the hut to meet the hut warden setting off on a day hike. Being here so early I can make sure to get a bunk. She also noticed that I am looking tired. It is true, I can still feel the exhaustion from the previous day so it is good to stop here instead of attempting the next pass.

I sat for a while inside the hut. Once again sorting what food and which snacks I should eat when. I also had lunch while others from the previous hut arrived to also stay the night. Then I went on to the lake. Blue Lake is the clearest body of fresh water known to man. It has a visibility of between 70-80m. This is one of the reasons why it should not be touched. Any interactions with the water through washing, filling water bottles, taking underwater pictures etc can introduce unwanted particles and organisms into the lake. The other reason is that this lake is a sacred place for the Maori. Signage isn’t clear enough though and quite a few people also cannot read. The lake nevertheless was a breathtaking view. Such a blue colour. Now I have seen emerald Lakes on the Tongariro Northern circuit and a Blue Lake here.

While at the lake I also met the osteopath from this morning again. He is also staying at this hut as the hut warden is his daughter. She later joined us and told us that on the day of her arrival at the hut her and her boyfriend shot a deer and everyone in the hut for the last two nights had fresh venison. We missed out on it by one day. In her hut talk in the evening she also gave some more explanations about the lake and it’s purity. By this point quite a few hikers had turned up. Too many for the bunk beds so they all had to camp outside. There are about 20 TA hikers here. After not meeting any for the last 3 days they must have all started after the rain in St Arnaud and caught up with me today. Seeing this I do not think that I will get a bunk in the next 6 bunk hut. I went to bed at around 9:30pm for a long day ahead the next day.