Nicols Hut to Old Church
25.6 miles
Mile 991.6
From my tent I enjoyed an epic sunrise as I slurped down my cold brew.
By 6:30 AM I was on my way up the ridge line heading towards the summit.
Less than an hour later I arrived at the summit to find my three friends already there soaking in the views. They’d left the hut before dawn to catch the sunrise from the summit.
We continued on down the mountain together, chatting as we went.
When we reached Waitewaewae Hut we relaxed for a bit, before I said farewell to carry on alone.
I continued through the forest for a few more hours until reaching a river where I stopped to take a dip.
From there I passed over a bridge and through a car park to join the Pukeatua Track.
After a steep ascent the trail carried on along a ridge line for a couple hours before leading me out to a old logging road.
I followed the logging road to a paved road that ultimately brought me to a my destination for the night, an old church that had been converted into a hostel.
Cheers!