Day 40 - Methven to Comyns hut

I said my goodbyes to the friendly owners at my BBH hostel, walked over to a coffee shop for a flat white to go, and jumped in a truck with Darren, the campground owner who was giving me a lift to the trial head today.

It was an hour drive to the trailhead from Methven, and by 10am I was back on my trail. The day started with a slow climb through farmland surrounded by grassy, rocky mountains. I followed a four wheel drive track that wound its way to the top of a saddle. I could see heavy clouds and rain in the mountains across the Rakaia river - where I had come from the day before last - and the heavy wind made me think it might be coming my way. I continued up the four wheel drive track until not a tree was in sight. Golden grass and rocks made up around 90% of the landscape. Think of Rohan from Lord of the Rings, and you might know what I'm talking about.

As I carried on down the track I was surprised by 5 dogs who ran up to me with waging tails and playful energy. Soon after a hunter on his fourwheeler, with a shotgun slung over his back pulled up. It was then that I saw the gutted pig that was tied to the back of his quad. He was as friendly as ever, and I had all sorts of questions about his hunt. He told that he shot 3 pigs, and was going to head back and pick the rest up after he dropped this one off. Suddenly, his attention was quickly focused on his dogs, who's attention was focused on the hills in the distance. He said "they smell something" and like wildfire the dogs took off. I asked "what do you think they're after" and he replied "the only thing they're taught to hunt. Pigs. "

I eagerly waited with the hunter for his dogs to return, but after five or ten minutes of waiting he decided he needed to go check it out. Part of me wanted to jump on the back with the stuck pig and see what the dogs had found, but Instead I carried on. I laughed at how Kiwi the situation was as I continued on toward A-frame hut. Gotta love New Zealanders.

I reached A-frame hut not long after my chat with the hunter. It was a simple hut, and cozy. A part of me wanted to spend the night here, but It was only noon and it would be smartest to make distance with good weather.

After two more hours of easy hiking I reached Comyns hut. It was only 2pm, and I knew I had more kilometers in me, but if I continued that would mean I would be camping. The winds had picked up at this point and I could feel the coldness already creeping into the evening. So with my sickness still in effect I decided to stop here, and spend the night.

A few hours later, Dylan and a guy named Bryan showed up. Bryan was a South bound hiker who told me he's hardly seen anyone on the trail. He seemed pretty excited to have two companions for the evening, and the night turned out to be pretty fun. Bryan informed us that their was rain due for Friday, which meant that if we wanted to cross the Rangitata River we would have to reach the river two days from now, instead of my planned three. I'll sleep on it, but tomorrow and the next might be big days of walking.