TA Day 51

TA Day 51: Friday 7 February 2025

Mid Wairoa Hut - Mt Rintoul Hut

The first kilometer we did 400 m of elevation which took us one hour. But it was nice taking it slow in the morning.

Luckily the trail was in good condition and not too many wind fells, and sometimes we were even rewarded with some nice views. The forest was also really beautiful and cozy.

We walked down to Tarn Hut to refill our water bottles and have some lunch. All day today, we would have no other water sources than the tanks by the huts, and a lot of elevation, so we really needed to think about how we used our water.

After Tarn Hut we still had some 700 m of elevation so we had to continue. After rounding a mountain top called Bishops Cap and following the ridge to Purple Top, we were surprised that we could now see the ocean again! First time since Colac Bay, more than 40 days ago! Crazy.

It was incredibly beautiful and when we looked into the distance and compared to the map, we realised that we could see as far as 70 km! And Nelson far below us.

After Purple Top (which actually had purple rocks!) it was finally time to descend. It was long and slow, with some challenging parts here and there but we made it. Now we were really hungry so we made food and ate it while watching the sun set. Incredibly enough we could still see the ocean from here, which felt surreal.

Today's:

Distance: 14.06 km

Ascent: 1641 m

Descent: 778 m

Tent nights: 35/51

Weather: Sunny with some small clouds