Te Araroa – Day 48

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Bushcamp to Harper River Campground

29.6 miles

Mile 1371.3

From camp the trail followed a rocky river bed for about an hour until reaching Highway 73. I could of made a 3 mile detour to visit the small village of Arthur’s Pass, but I had plenty of food still, so decided against it.

After a 5 mile road walk I arrived at the Cass-Lagoon track. The trail led me up through forest to a scenic grassy ridge walk.

Eventually the trail plunged back down into the trees, winding its way to Harper River.

I spent the rest of the day making my way along the river valley.

Just before 8:00 PM I arrived at the Harper River Campground, where I found about ten other hikers chatting around the picnic table. I talked to them briefly, before setting up camp and passing out.

Cheers!

4 thoughts on “Te Araroa – Day 48”

  1. The south island looks a lot more interesting for thru-hiking than the north island. Some similarity to the PCT it seems. I’m enjoying the views.

    Thanks for sharing.

  2. Hey Austin, I stumbled upon this poem and thought of you. Some may think you enjoy days of leisurely strolls. Lost in scenic pics are elements of wind, rain, sleet, cold, snow, ice, sun, heat, bugs, vermin, rain, mud, swamps, aches, pains, thirst, hunger, etc. It’s all part of the experience and maybe unbeknownst to you, is building a reserve of iron grit. Enjoy good timber.

    Good Timber

    The tree that never had to fight
    For sun and sky and air and light,
    But stood out in the open plain
    And always got its share of rain,
    Never became a forest king
    But lived and died a scrubby thing.

    The man who never had to toil
    To gain and farm his patch of soil,
    Who never had to win his share
    Of sun and sky and light and air,
    Never became a manly man
    But lived and died as he began.

    Good timber does not grow with ease,
    The stronger wind, the stronger trees,
    The further sky, the greater length,
    The more the storm, the more the strength.
    By sun and cold, by rain and snow,
    In trees and men good timbers grow.

    Where thickest lies the forest growth
    We find the patriarchs of both.
    And they hold counsel with the stars
    Whose broken branches show the scars
    Of many winds and much of strife.
    This is the common law of life.

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