Studys Hut - Wānaka - Christchurch

Efter en blæsende nat og ingen mus, der rendte over soveposen,i hvert fald ikke, hvad jeg bemærkede pakkede jeg mine ting sammen og tog afsted mod næste hytte, hvor Svea havde skrevet, at hun ventede.

Jeg ventede lidt med at tage afsted, indtil vinden havde lagt sig en smule, men efter et par kilometer kom jeg rundt på den anden side af bjerget, og vinden var stærk! Jeg tog derfor vanter og min anden jakke på, men formåede ikke at få den under regnjakken, da det blæste for meget. Jeg håbede, at jeg kunne nå at ankomme til den næste hytte, inden det begyndte at regne, hvorefter det gik ned mod Lake Hāwea. Det nåede jeg ikke. Jeg kom heller ikke over det højeste punkt på Brest Hill Track, da det blæste for meget, men gik neden om toppen, så jeg sparede mig selv for at flyve væk.

Svea og jeg fulgtes ned mod Lake Hāwea, hvor vi kom ned på en grusvej. Efter få hundrede meter fik vi et lift ind mod byen Wānaka med et ældre ægtepar og deres hund, Ted.

I Wānaka mødtes vi med hollænderen, vi havde set de seneste dage, samt to vandrere, som hun havde mødt på turen, men som bor i Wānaka og i øjeblikket holder pause fra trailen.

Jeg skulle dagen efter finde en måde at komme til Christchurch på for at besøge far, inden han flyver mod det kolde nord, da hans tre ugers rejse var kommet til enden. Alle busbilletter var dog udsolgt, men jeg fandt en ledig plads på bussen fra Queenstown, som holdt ved en café 40 minutter fra Wānaka, hvor jeg kunne stige på. Det eneste problem var dog at komme helt derud. Jeg fik dog overtalt den ene vandrer fra Wānaka til at køre mig derud om morgenen for en kop kaffe og en brownie! Derefter ventede der en otte timers bustur i regnvejr mod Christchurch.

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After a windy night and no mice running across my sleeping bag at least not that I noticed - I packed up my things and set off towards the next hut, where Svea had written that she was waiting.

I waited a bit before leaving until the wind had eased slightly, but after a couple of kilometres I rounded the other side of the mountain, and the wind was strong! I therefore put on my gloves and my second jacket, but I couldn’t manage to get it on underneath my rain jacket because of the wind. I hoped I would be able to reach the next hut before it started raining, after which the trail descended towards Lake Hāwea. I didn’t make it. I also didn’t cross the highest point on the Brest Hill Track, as the wind was too strong, but instead went around below the summit, saving myself from being blown away.

Svea and I walked together down towards Lake Hāwea, where we reached a gravel road. After a few hundred metres, we got a lift into the town of Wānaka with an elderly couple and their dog, Ted.

In Wānaka, we met up with the Dutch hiker we had seen over the past few days, as well as two hikers she had met along the way, who live in Wānaka and are currently taking a break from the trail.

The following day, I had to find a way to get to Christchurch to visit my dad before he flew back to the cold north, as his three-week trip had come to an end. All bus tickets were sold out, but I found an available seat on a bus from Queenstown that stopped at a café 40 minutes from Wānaka, where I could get on. The only problem was getting there in the first place. However, I managed to persuade one of the hikers from Wānaka to drive me there in the morning in exchange for a cup of coffee and a brownie! After that, an eight-hour bus ride in rainy weather towards Christchurch awaited.Læs mere