We continued our way towards Mt. Cook along the edge of Lake Pukaki. A detour due to construction. About 3 miles into our walk we came across a couple we had been looking for. They are the owners of Zpacks.com, an ultra light hiking company (cuben fiber). We purchased a few items from them before heading out on this trip. It was nice to talk and exchange info about the trail ahead. Especially the canoe section on the North Island. The rest of the day was spent enjoying the mountain views. That is until we turned away from the lake decided to start looking for a place to sleep for the night. The gravel road we had been walking on had fences on both sides with a signs posting NZ Military Area. Orange flags were raised which means the area was active. We we getting desperate and decided to camp on the side of the road. Just then, a group of soldiers topped the hill and sat in defensive positions (outward facing circle). We decided to keep moving. At the bottom of the next hill was an old hut that had been used for protection while crossing this land. It was in bad shape, but gave us a flat spot to hide from the road. We pitched the tent around back and ate inside. A sign hung over the fireplace with instructions for an old morse code line to communicate between town and the local stations. Our extra distance today gives us more time in town tomorrow. A quick resupply and our regular hunt for meat pies.
Our new home
Mt. Cook
NZ Army zone
Camp for the night
Country Mouse and Shadow
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