Hiking the Abel Tasman and Heaphy Track NZ

Monday 20th June:  Weather 15°C to 17°C down to 10°C overcast then misty rain, then rain

Saxon Hut to James McKay Hut:  12k walk 

Accommodation: James McKay Hut

Highlight today was firstly seeing the coastline away in the distance before the misty rain set in and then meeting two car runners in the hut - amazing guys run 80k in a day to deliver a trampers car.

It was a long night - 11 hrs - most I’ve slept in one night since I don’t know when.  We’re awake at 7.30am, afraid to make too much noise in case we disturb our our other 4 trampers.  It’s not too cold outside visiting the only long drop toilet 10 metres away.  Breakfast of tea and muesli, and time to clean the hutbefore leaving at 9am.  More tussock grassland low scrubs with lines of duck boards indicative of the 4m of rain they usually get on the Heaphy track - but not this week, it’s reasonably dry.  In fact the heathy track is so wet that many people in earlier years have been washed away trying to cross flooded creeks - most of which are now bridged. 

At 10.30am, after only 6k, we spy a little piece of board on a ledge in the sun and stop for a coffee, leaving a note in the sand for our following trampers that this is a good spot for a break. On again through more tussock grass and scrub, with and occasional glimpse of teh sea in the distance.  By 12pm, we’re the first to reach the newly built James McKay Hut and grab the 2 best bulls in teh smallest dormitory of only 8 people - others had 12 in each.  Less chance of snorers.  A quick lunch of rice crackers and peanut paste with a cup of tea, before boiling some hot water for our standard splash/dash outside on the small patio area outside the toilets, before anyone else arrives.  

It’s not long before the misty rain rolls in and the glimpse of the sea and the mouth of teh Heaphy River way down below disappears. Time to light a fire with pine chps as kindle, before stacking on the coal brought in by helicopter.  Soon, a lone tramper arrives with a flimsy light back pack - but after chatting to him, he tells us he's teh car runner.  For a fee, he drives the car for a group of trampers from Brown’s Hut where they start the walk, to the Khaihai Shelter at the end of the Heaphy track, a 6 hr drive which he had done leaving at 2am in the morning. Then he runs back along the track towards Collingwood- a distance of 80km, in about 10 hrs - 8km per hr - and at the James McKay Hut he’s only hlf way.  He carries little food - too much to eat slows him down, he said.

Sitting near the fire in the dining room, we sip more tea and and watch the other trampers roll in.  It’s not long after before our 4 friends from Saxon Hut arrive.  And then the second car runner turns up about 3.30pm - with the same story and he has very little food as well.  But I was impressed that he had a Hagloffs rain jacket on - my favourite - made in Sweden and mine weights less than 200g.  

A lazy afternoon sitting by the fire watching the trampers arrive a bit wetter than us then dinner - same as same as - fried fresh veggies and dehydrated mince with red wine.