Te Araroa Trail Blog 4: Two Thumb Track to Lake Ohau

Part 4 of my journey walking Te Araroa on Aotearoa New Zealand’s South Island. 

 

Day 24: The Day of Three Hitches

Christchurch to Crooked Spur Hut

After two delightful rest days in Christchurch, I was ready to head back to the trail. There was just one problem: I was very far away.

I had decided to skip the remaining (short) section of Arthur’s Pass and the section between the Rakaia and Rangitata rivers. These two rivers are impassable, so hikers must hitchhike over 300km to bypass them, which is both time-consuming and expensive. Ultimately, I chose to prioritize other parts of the trail.

Now, I had to find my way to the Two Thumb Track on the south side of the Rangitata. I booked an InterCity bus from Christchurch to Geraldine, then planned to meet up with a TA hiker shuttle from Geraldine to the trailhead.

Simple, right?

Wrong.

I dragged myself out of my hostel bed at 6am and trotted down to the bus stop for my 7:30am bus. I joined the queue of people and waited. And waited. And waited. The bus finally pulled up at 7:45am, and I went to board. “You’re not on the list,” the driver said. I showed her my ticket, and she replied, “Oh, that bus already left!”

Apparently, my bus was waiting 20 meters down the road. It was blue—different from the white and green InterCity buses I was used to—and had idled for 15 minutes waiting for me before ultimately departing.

“Crap!” I thought.

The helpful bus driver called her boss and got me booked on the 8:35am bus. But with this delay, I was going to miss my TA shuttle at the other end. I anxiously chewed on an energy bar as I waited.

When I eventually arrived in Geraldine, it was nearly noon, and the TA shuttle was long gone. I grabbed a chicken sandwich at one of the two cafes in town. Then, I dug a piece of cardboard out of the trash and scrawled “Two Thumb Track” on it. I walked to the petrol station and stuck out my thumb.

Streams of cars passed me. Some drivers waved, others shrugged, and some adamantly avoided making eye contact with me. Eventually, a woman who was filling up her gas tank came over and asked where I was going. She was headed to Christchurch (where I had just come from), but offered to drive me 10 minutes down to the junction. I eagerly jumped in her car.

At the junction, I started walking while sticking out my thumb. There were no cars on this back road. After 30 minutes, the first car passed and—miraculously—picked me up. The driver took me another 20 minutes down the road. Then, I was back to walking.

I must have built up some good karma somewhere because I then got really lucky. Within 5 minutes, a third car pulled up and offered me a lift. The driver was going all the way to the Two Thumb Track trailhead (over 50km away!) to pick up her family. I was overjoyed with my good luck. The driver was incredibly nice, and we chatted about farming, tramping, community, and the general state of the world. She dropped me off right at the start of the TA around 3:30pm. I was so happy.

As I started my hike, the sun streamed through thin clouds, and the mountains jutted up dramatically on either side. I quickly approached a river and realized that I had to cross it over a dozen times. I clearly had not done my research and was completely taken by surprise. There were multiple times the river was above my knees, and once it was almost at my thighs. I was lucky that the temperature was moderate, but my toes still became numb at certain points.

After about 3 hours of zig-zagging across the river, I started the steep ascent to Crooked Spur Hut. I could see the trail meandering uphill at what seemed like an impossible gradient. This was a moment when I was grateful for my headphones. I popped them in, played some pump-up music, and hit the trail.

At the top, I saw another hiker crouching behind a boulder and staring at something. The thing started to move, and I realized what it was—a kea! Keas are the world’s only alpine parrot. They are extremely smart and have collaboration skills on par with monkeys. This juvenile kea was playing peek-a-boo with the hiker. When the kea saw me coming, it quickly ambled over to me, cocked its head, and let out a loud squawk. I was instantly in love!

That afternoon, I spent a relaxing few hours at Crooked Spur Hut chatting with other hikers and listening to the rowdy band of keas outside. The hut itself was older than most, but had a nice rustic feel to it. That evening, I fell asleep to the loud tap-tap of keas walking along the tin roof.

 

        

Day 25: The Day of Keas and Tahrs

Crooked Spur Hut to Royal Hut

I woke to a giant “clunk!” sound on the tin roof. It was the keas. Again.

Keas might be one of my favorite birds in New Zealand, but wow! They are LOUD! Around 4:30am, I swear two were having a wrestling match on the hut’s roof while six others stood around and cheered. It was impossible to sleep.

The other hikers at the hut all left early, but I decided to hang out longer. I had a short day ahead, and I wanted to spend more time with the keas. I plopped myself on the cliff’s edge and watched as 4 juveniles wreaked havoc on the hillside. They dug and clawed at everything: turning over rocks, breaking off branches, and leaving deep grooves in the dirt from their beaks and claws. This group of about eight keas were primarily young males, and they definitely gave off “teenager energy.” At one point, two walked over to me and cocked their heads mischievously. We had a staring contest for a good five minutes.

Eventually, I pulled myself away from the kea watching and started hiking again. I climbed up to Crooked Spur Saddle and then descended into a wide valley that definitely gave off Star Wars vibes. About an hour later, I saw a NOBO hiker in the distance. He abruptly stopped in the middle of the trail and remained motionless for a good 15 minutes. When I approached, he started making hand gestures. He was still too far away for me to really understand what he was doing, but I got the sense that I should be quiet.

I gingerly approached the NOBO hiker, taking care to make as little noise as possible. As I rounded a corner, I was immediately confronted by a group of six tahrs. Tahrs are a goat-like animal originally from the Himalayas that have taken up residence in some of New Zealand’s mountains. This group had two adults and four babies. The young ones couldn’t have been taller than my hip and looked so adorable with their large eyes and perked-up ears. I watched them for about 20 minutes before the NOBOer and I exchanged a few words and then continued on our separate ways.

Around midday, I took a break at a hut and sat by the river to read my book. It was hot and dry, and I found myself chugging a lot of water. Then, I continued on to Royal Hut, where I slept that night. I was happy to get a bottom bunk (a first for me!) on a brand-new mattress. That night, I heard the wind whipping around the hut’s thin walls.

 

Day 26: The Day of the TA High-Point

Royal Hut to Camp Stream-ish

Today, I was going to cross the highest point on the TA: Stag Saddle! It was about a 3-hour climb from Royal Hut and completely exposed. I attempted to start early but didn’t get going until 8:00am. As I walked, beads of sweat poured down my face and stung my eyes. I dumped a huge amount of electrolytes into my water bottle. It was so hot.

The top of the saddle was covered in small brown rocks. Thick clouds had settled in, and I squinted to get a view of Lake Tekapo. From the saddle, I crossed over to a ridgeline that is not officially part of the TA but is definitely a worthy alternate. I let out an audible “wow” as the clouds began to part and I saw my first glimpse of Mt Cook National Park. The snow-capped peaks were awe-inspiring, and I wanted to just stare forever.

The clouds were stubbornly blocking the best parts of the view, so I plopped myself down on a rock and waited. I was not going to leave that ridge without a solid look at the peaks. It took about 40 minutes before I got a solid view of the mountain range. I tried to burn the views into my memory.

From the ridge, I had a long, steady descent into Lake Tekapo. At one point, I took a wrong turn and ended up near the wrong hut. I walked sidelong through tussock to rejoin the ridge track and continued onward.

That afternoon, I passed Camp Stream Hut, which dates back to 1898! I wasn’t ready to stop for the day yet, but I peeked inside and smiled at the rustic bunks. The hut had a cozy vibe to it.

I then walked along the river for a few more hours before climbing up and down several hills on my way to Tekapo. Around 6:00pm, I found a nice flat spot of ground and pitched my tent. I read my book on the hilltop and watched the sun slowly sag towards the horizon. That evening, I watched the stars appear in the night sky one by one. The area around Lake Tekapo is one of the largest dark-sky reserves in the world, and I eagerly drank in views of the Milky Way.

 

Day 27: The Day (and Night) of Stargazing

Camp Stream-ish to Lake Tekapo 

The walk into Tekapo was easy and mostly downhill. I listened to an audiobook and daydreamed about all the food I’d enjoy in town. After a few hours, the trail met up with a paved road. Purists would walk about 15km into town from here.

But I am not a purist.

I waved at the first car that passed, and luckily, I got a ride. The driver lived nearby and gave me tips about where to stay in Lake Tekapo. She even delivered me directly to the Holiday Park in town!

It was too early to check into the Holiday Park, but I dropped my bag and went to grab breakfast. I had a huge plate of breakfast tacos and sipped on a flat white. Then, I window-shopped and picked up some snacks at the grocery store.

That afternoon, I checked into the Holiday Park and set up my tent in the TA hiker area. There were already eight other hikers there, and it felt like I was living in tent city. The views from the tenting area were beautiful, so I happily ate my snacks while looking at the lake.

After nightfall, I attended a stargazing show by street performer Billy the Bard. He taught us the Māori names for the moon and several planets. We sang out to the brightest stars as they appeared in the sky. Billy also shared stories—some cultural and some of his own invention—about the various landmarks around Tekapo.

In total, I saw three planets and two galaxies. Plus, thousands of stars. It was pure magic.

 

Day 28: The Day I Biked Instead of Hiked

Lake Tekapo to Twizel

The section of the TA between Lake Tekapo and Twizel follows the Alps to Ocean cycling route. It’s approximately 50km, hot and dry, and void of good camping spots. Many hikers opt to rent a bike, and I decided to follow the crowd.

I picked up my bike from the vendor around 9am and set off. It felt so strange to be moving on wheels without my pack! My heart raced for the first 20 minutes as I navigated the streets of Tekapo. Having been in a few bad bike accidents, I never fully regained my confidence on a bike. Thankfully, I soon exited the busy streets and entered a cyclist-only trail that followed a canal. There were a few other cyclists out that day, all wearing bright yellow vests so cars could see us.

The canal route was absolutely beautiful, and I stopped several times to admire the bright white peak of Mt Cook in the distance. As I rounded a corner toward Lake Pukaki, I gasped in awe. The lake was an enormous, vibrant blue! I felt as though I had stepped into another universe.

On the shores of Lake Pukaki, I had an even better surprise waiting for me. My NOBO friend was also biking that day, just in the opposite direction. We crossed paths near a picnic area and exchanged gleeful hugs. We ate lunch on the lakeshore, swapping stories about life on the trail. I had met this friend while volunteering at a community garden in Takaka, and it felt so good to see a familiar face.

Too soon, I had to hop back on my bike to make it to Twizel in time to retrieve my pack. The second half of the ride was a bit rushed as I pedaled through pine forests and open valleys. I arrived in Twizel just minutes before the deadline. I handed off my bike to the driver and picked up my pack. Sweat dotted my brow, but I was happy to have made it.

As if the day couldn’t get any better, I had another friend waiting for me! This friend, also from my community garden stint, was now working at a lavender farm outside of Twizel. She picked me up from town and took me to the farm for lavender ice cream. The sky was cloudless, and the sun was intense, making the ice cream taste especially good. We lounged in the chairs between the lavender rows and caught up on life. Later, we went to the river for a picnic dinner. My heart was happy and full. It was so good to be with friends.

 

Day 29 (Side Trip): The Day of Glaciers 

Twizel to Mt Cook National Park

I slept overnight at a free camping spot with my friend. She drove me to the lavender farm in the morning, and then I hitched another hour to Mt Cook National Park. The park is off the TA route, but it was too close to miss!

As I entered the park, I immediately felt my spirits lift. The towering mountains. The snow-capped peaks. The gushing waterfalls. I was in heaven.

I wandered around the visitor’s center for an hour, then had lunch of avocados and nuts. The day before, I had obsessively refreshed the booking page for Mueller Hut—the most famous alpine hut in Mt Cook—hoping for a cancellation. To my joy, I managed to snag a bunk in an otherwise sold-out hut, with one of the best views in all of New Zealand!

Around midday, I started the four-hour walk from the Visitor’s Center to Mueller Hut. As I ascended what felt like an endless staircase, I inwardly cursed myself for doing the hike during the hottest part of the day. My water supply got dangerously low, so I added electrolytes and sipped it sparingly.

When I got to the top… I was amazed!

The views.

The glaciers.

The ice-white peak of Mt Cook.

I was so, so, so happy.

I grabbed a bunk in the hut and went outside to the massive sun deck. The wraparound deck offered nearly 360-degree views of the park. The wind was sharp this high up on the mountain, so I put on my puffy jacket and sat down. I was determined to soak up as much time outside as possible. I read my book and breathed in the crisp alpine air. Every so often, I heard a huge CRASH come from Mueller Glacier. I looked up, startled, and saw mounds of snow falling down the cliffs. I suddenly understood why the original Mueller Hut—situated on the glacier instead of across from it—had been swept away by avalanches.

As the sun began to set, I climbed Mt Olliver, which is about 30 minutes uphill from the hut, to watch the sunset. It was super windy, so I nestled into some boulders and wrapped myself in my sleeping bag. The sun slowly moved across the sky, casting the clouds from white to dark orange to vibrant pink. Mist cascaded over the tops of the tallest mountains and crept along the avalanche paths. The top of Mt Cook glowed bright pink, washed in the light of sunset. I couldn’t help but smile.

 

Day 30 (Side Trip): The Day with Tourists

Mt Cook National Park to Lake Ohau 

Most people at Mueller Hut were up and out by 8:30am, but I was in no rush. I waited patiently as others had breakfast, packed up their bags, and donned their backpacks. By 9:00am, I was the only one left in the hut, and I couldn’t have asked for anything more.

I watched as three playful keas came to explore. They perched on the deck railing, ruffling their feathers and squawking. One even flew up onto the roof and tried to clip the radio wire with its beak.

Eventually, I knew my time at Mueller Hut was coming to an end. I took one last, long look at the glacier and put on my hiking shoes. The walk down to the valley was quick. I detoured to Kea Point to admire the glacier-fed lakes, then headed back to the visitor’s center.

My phone was dangerously low on charge, so I bought a sandwich at the visitor’s cafe and plugged in my electronics. I debated whether to stay in the park for another night at the 150+ site campsite. After sitting at the tourist cafe for two hours, though, I knew I was ready to leave. There were so many people! The constant chatter, picture-taking, and even the smell of perfume were overwhelming. I had to escape.

Around 3:00pm, I walked to the edge of the visitor’s area and hitched a ride to Twizel. I resupplied at the grocery store for the upcoming section from Lake Ohau to Wanaka. Then, I caught two more rides to Lake Ohau to rejoin the TA. I walked about 8km to a picnic table with a relatively flat spot for my tent.

I fell asleep to the soft patter of rain, relieved to have escaped the tourist frenzy.

 

Little did I know, the next section would be the most eventful yet! A huge river. A sketchy ridge. An SOS helicopter rescue. And about 50 river crossings. Stay tuned for my next post!