Our day off was spent searching for free wifi and returning 10lbs of food back to the grocery store. That's a lesson for us. No grocery shopping after hiking for 10 days. Most of what we purchased were cookies, couscous, and popcorn. Back in Twizel we forwarded a food box to Arthur's Pass because there was no grocery. With only 3 1/2 days to Arthur's Pass we will arrive with either 2 extra days of food, or full bellies from eating well.
After 2 1/2 hours and 3 hitches we made it to the other side of Rakia River near Lake Coleridge. We tried to shake our first day out blues, but couldn't. It's hard to explain, but having a day off messes everything up. We leave later than normal. Our packs weigh too much. Our feet hurt from being smashed into the gravel road that is the trail for the next 20 miles or so. The landscape was boring all day long. About a half mile from where we had planned to camp, a station worker (farm) stopped and offered us a ride to 5 miles down the trail to Harpers River. Without discussing it we both said "Yes!" The truck was a small single cab with a short flat bed in the back and a big cage with 3 sheep herding dogs. We threw our bags on the bed and jumped in. Right beside the freshly skinned Chamois (small deer) and a box of lamb bones for the dogs. We didn't care. Dust flew and our teeth jarred down the bumpy gravel road waving goodbye to our campsite and hello to the Harper River.
Our second camp spot.
Country Mouse and Shadow
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