We had a fairly relaxed morning, and set off from Punakaiki by 9:30 to head to Mount Arnaud where our group would split into two for different activities for the next couple of days. The drive up the west coast reminded me of the PCH; at times close to the ocean, at others, alongside a cliff with sheer bluffs. We turned eastward and then followed the Buller River through the pass with Victoria Forest Park to our south and Kahurangi National Park to the north. After a quick stop in Murchison, a town lost in time, we got to the entrance to Nelson Lakes National Park by 1PM, in time for the split.
Three of us are headed to several days of kayaking in the Sounds, while the other 7 (and our two guides), are backpacking into Nelson Lakes and spending the nights either in the huts along the route or in tents. They had to carry in all their gear and food, and it was meant to be a rigorous couple of days. The concept of sleeping with a couple dozen strangers in a hut with shared bathrooms and no showers after hiking 10 miles with a 40 lb pack didn’t appeal to me so here I sit in a lovely B&B right on Queen Charlotte Sound.
We had about an hour of an easy kayak late this afternoon, and will have a full day tomorrow and half the next, while we spend 2 nights in this really lovely Inn. I almost feel guilty, but not quite… I did pay for this adventure! We had a group dinner with some friends of the hosts and the kayak guides and watched as the sky turned red with the sunset. I’m looking forward to more of the warm weather in this part of the country, and a day on the water.
