1878 - 1893 Mid-Wairoa Hut
Sore knees. So much downhill. And downhill has definitely been the mantra of the day. We have probably come down around a 1000m over the course of the day.
After leaving Rintoul Hut we climbed a small amount to Purple Top before starting a long descent to Tarn Hut, a nice little hut near a small lake (I take it that it dries out in summer). It was a nice place to stop for lunch and charge the phones with Silvans solar panel.
After that we continued our descent to Mid-Wairoa Hut which, although slightly shabby, has a certain charm to it. There is a little path that leads down to the river. Too cold for me to swim but I managed to have a quick wash.
I can't say I like going downhill, especially for extended periods of time. My knees get sore and occasionally I slip over (Twice today.). Luckily tomorrow is mostly uphill although it does seem to have multiple river crossings. My other nemesis.....
Hindsight
- Downhill is harder for me than uphill.
- Tarn Hut is nicer than Mid-Wairoa Hut but Mid-Wairoa Hut has better water.
- If you need to bail then there is a road about 10kms downstream from the hut.
Mid-Wairoa Hut Map
