The Overland Track – Day Four

We woke up to a clear but frosty morning at Pelion Hut! I dashed (as much as I dash in the morning anyway) out to take a few photos before getting packed up to start on todays walk.

Carefully treading the frosty boardwalks

Day four was our favourite day. We were to hike for 8.6km from Pelion to Kia Ora Hut. It took us about 4 hours or so, and was a really beautiful relaxed day.
The sun was out – although the mottled light through the trees made the photographer in me twitch…

Again, Rachel set off that little bit earlier than us, but it didn’t take too long for us to catch up with her today.

A quick side trip down to see a waterfall, which is where we found Rachel today.

As usual during the day, we passed through various landscapes – hard to get bored up here!

We made the mistake yesterday of pushing on far too long without a break. We decided to make it a new company policy to stop on the hour and take the packs off to stretch. This really made a big difference.

 

We got to the top of an ongoing upwards hike finally. It was kind of a saddle between two options of sidetrips up mountains. We took option C and continued straight down (DOWN being operative word here) to the hut.

We met a ranger at the platform who was trying to convince everyone to hike up ‘Doris’ I think the mountain was called. I wasn’t swayed.
Actually he was there waiting for some runners who hadn’t paid the Overland Track fee.
Yes – runners.
A number of people run the whole track in a day!! Sheer madness. Apparently about 50% of the runners try to avoid paying the extra $200 fee to hike this track. Sadly for them, when caught, the fine is $400.
The people in question had been seen leaving Ronnie Creek at 5am and given the option to turn back at the first hut.
Every year in February there is a race. The record time for the track is just over 7 hours!!!!
You would have to be insanely fit and agile to do this!

We put the packs on and (without running) headed down the other side for Kia Ora.

I like going down or across. I am good at it.

We were pretty much first in and found a nice snug little tent platform and made ourselves right at home

Jeff and I even went for a dip! And was the water bracing!! Wow

I got up to my waist, and dunked my head and hair in… but couldn’t quite come at totally submerging! There is a line between refreshing and snap-freezing. But it did feel good. My hair was feeling a bit feral.

Standing on the helipad checking out my options for a planned night photography session

Later that night after my star photos, I got back to the tent and had to shoo a determined possum who was trying to get into Jeff’s bag. I had put my pack in the hut as usual. Jeff then removed the pack after having to spank the possum on the bum to get it to move! (Signs around the place say to maintain a respectful distance and observe animals quietly haha)
But he left his boot full of used ziplocks that the possum got straight back into!!! Sigh… there is me running about in a t-shirt and thermal pants putting his boots in the hut only to come back to find the possum trying to eat its way through the soap bag!!
Having images of said possum running about the bush blowing bubbles out of its nose!
Once that was removed there was nothing more of interest and the rest of the night was nice and peaceful!

Cheers