Day 39 - Rest day Hamilton

I would have preferred to jump back on trail as I just had a rest day in Arthur's Pass, but since I arrived in Methven around 7pm it didn't give me much time to resupply and organize a lift around the Rakaia River.

I'd like to make note of a few things that would have helped me if I knew before arriving in Methven. There are 2 backpacker hostels and a campground here. The BBH backpackers that I stayed at was homely, and the owners really made sure we were happy and taken care of. It almost felt as though I was staying with a good friends parents. A great place to stay. The other backpackers, that calls themselves a YHA is run by a grumpy man, but he was driving walkers - for 20$ - to take them to the trial head. Problem was, he wasn't taking people all the way. Around 25km short of the trailhead he would dump people out of his car, and tell them to walk, adding a full day of walking to the section. The camp group on the other hand was run by two extremely friendly owners who were charging 20$ to take people to the trail head, and even told me that they would pick up people at lake coldridge for a small fee as well, if you called them in advance. They had really reasonable pricing at their campground and just all around very pro TA hikers. The other option out of Methven was to book a shuttle with the school bus leaving at 6am, and they too would take walkers to the trail head.

I ended up staying at the BBH hostel which was a great experience, and also booked a ride to the trailhead with the campground owners for 9am tomorrow. Best of both worlds.

I bought 8 days of food for this section, and was sad to see my pack as a heavy beast again. This is one of the last big sections on my trail, which I have also heard is a highlight.

Tomorrow Im aiming for Comyns hut, but I know I'll arrive fairly early so I might push on and camp further up the trail.