along the tops
Day 2
Garmin day 2 | 19.25km, 6 hours 15 minutes activity, 4 hours 40 minutes moving
For the others, day 2 started with getting up early and watching the sunrise from Okaka Lodge. I instead slept in given my late night expeditions, and shamelessly stole their photos. I am told it was well worth it.
After breakfast, our walk began, heading along the tops. Amazing views abounded in every direction, with Luncheon Rock a highlight of the trip. Given it was the start of April, it was fun to hear the stags roaring up and down the valleys!
Eventually we made it onto flatter ground and started walking on the main DOC South Coast Track. The viaducts were pretty cool to look, and having read Viaducts Against the Sky (the story of Port Craig) at Okaka Lodge the previous night it was really cool to see the work they had put in with that contextual background. Things like how the path (originally cleared and benched for logging operations) was both more expensive and more poorly placed than other places, the prohibitive costs of the tramway set up and viaducts etc. became more apparent. Also interesting on the way is the information boards about the South Island Landless Natives Act, which was an interesting but sad look into our colonial past.
Finally, we hit the tram lines. Oh god. They go on forever and a day. But all was forgiven turning up at the lush Port Craig hut (showers! real pillows! couches!) and I was STOKED to tuck in to my dinner of Tuatapere bangers and mash. Something incredible about that.
