Looking Back

By missing the first day Liz and I had avoided any real climbs until today. Leaving Otanerito we headed away from the coast and up through Hinewai Reserve. A beautiful area of regenerating native bush full of birds, and fresh water springs - wonderful and pure to drink from and most refreshing.

We climbed, and climbed, and climbed. The booklet that they give you on the walk (it is your official track passport) says of a section of this walk, "Steep climb, No hurry", and by gosh they're right! I had been dreading that part as I am not too flash on the uphill stuff, but actually, by plodding away at it, it wasn't a bad as I had imagined it being.

We came out onto this plateau at about 550m looking back down on Otanerito where we had come from. I thought at this stage that we'd cracked the climbing - but I was wrong! We climbed another 40m (seriously steeply) to the saddle before we were looking down on Akaroa. Wow! Fantastic views!

But I've chosen the photo of Otanerito just because I like it.

Because of the climb you are facing on the last day of the walk the track owners offer a pack carry - which we, of course (being intelligent beings), took them up on. So we got to do the whole trek with day packs. Wonderful!

The walk back down into Akaroa was pretty hard on the feet and knees - while it took us 7km to make our way up the other side, the Akaroa side is a steep 3km down. Man I was pleased to see my car and sprawl all over it!

This has been a great experience - and less physically stressful than I had thought it would be - though I was straight into a spa bath as soon as I hit Christchurch!

A track seriously worth doing! Check it out.

Back blipped starting from:

White Flippered Penguin

Seal Cave

Sea Stack