Hurunui Day 1

Here we are heading off from the farm where we had stayed the previous night.Initially we followed the Dove River (a tributary of the Hurunui) upstream, with low cloud shrouding the hill tops.

There was celebration on reaching the first saddle

and relief at reaching the toilet stop.

This bridge crosses the Glencoe River. Apparently so named after the original run holder’s 6000 sheep had to be slaughtered after an outbreak of scab was discovered. The river ran red all the way to the Hurunui reminding the settlers of the MacDonald’s massacre at Glencoe in Scotland.

The track runs through a Douglas Fir plantation.

I didn’t enjoy this bit – calling it the Forest of Dank as nothing else lives in the dark, cold, wet and gloomy environment.

Luckily we soon burst forth onto the ridge and had lunch at the summit (750m)

From here we had a good view of the path down and the river we would follow up to Valley Hut.

After our six hour walk we were rewarded by two bottles of champagne in the hut (provided as our second treat).

Noreen soothed her aching feet in the ice cold stream.