Tramping (Hiking) in New Zealand #21: TraversTrav-Sabine Circuit Day4

Travers-Sabine Circuit Day4 (freedom camp near West Sabine hut to freedom camp between Sabine and Speargrass hut)

Type: A part of loop of 80 km (49 miles)

Time Spent: 8 hours

Day2 Distance: 19.2 km (12 miles)

Elevation change: + 143 m (approximately + 468 feet) 

After possum night, we started tamping. 

What a color

First wow moment of the day was chasm's blue. What a color!

Then we kept walking along the river. Some point there was no marks for the track. We had heard that some sections of tracks were washed out due to heavy rain, so it was necessary to do bush walk. Luckily walking in the deep bush was not long. Soon we came to an open area. We took a lunch break after a bush walk. 

We rest well and thinking about packing up and start walking again, a New Zealand solo female backpacker came to us and asked what route we took for the wash out portion. Actually she had passed us before bush walk section. She looked a typical New Zealander, because she had shorts with gators, and had an old model of backpack. 

We answered that we went through bush. She said she went down to the creek and came to the open area. Considering her speed and skill, probably the route she took was tough.
She said, "Oh I should have gone to the bush. The route I took was a little doggy. "
Mr.N said, "Well anyway you are here!"
We laughed and she went ahead. 

Then we reached at Lake Rotoroa. Mr.N, as usual, jumped into the lake. My plan was to sit down at the lake and relax. However, I immediately got surrounded by 300 sandflies, and got 3 bites in a second. I ran inside the hut. 300 is not an exaggeration. It was insane. 3 bites were so itchy. Even right now I am writing this made my arm itch. I just scratched. 

Lake Rotoroa

After Lake Rotoroa was uphill. According to the map, there would be some flat space on the way, so we headed for there to have a freedom camp. On the way of uphill, the solo female New Zealand tramper passed us again. She was fast on the uphill. I love those brave New Zealand trampers. I wondered how long she had intended to go. 

It was hard to find a great spot to have freedom camp, but finally we found a nice spot and had a blast with dinner and snack.