Hanmer Springs- the most wonderful town to do a resupply.
The town has pools that are fed by a natural hot springs and it’s the perfect place to recharge our sore bodies.
We also booked a couples massage to commemorate Valentine’s Day now that we are in town!
After 2 and a half days in town, the mountains are calling again, and it’s time to continue our journey. This next section follows the Hope River. While we do have some ups and downs, we don’t have any mountains to summit or big passes to climb and we are looking forward to following this beautiful river through the valley on what should be a slightly easier section.
21 February, 2026 (Day 29)
Mud. It only took 30 minutes for our newly cleaned socks and gators to get wet and covered in mud.
We had a fantastic hitchhike by an Italian man in the back of a camper van. And now we are walking through the valley following the Hope River with heavy packs loaded with 8 days worth of food. We plan to do this section in 7 days, but we are planning 1 extra day incase of rain since we have some river crossings that require good weather.
All of a sudden we find ourselves back in the middle of stunning mountains!
22 February, 2026 (Day 30)
Last night there was a huge wind storm. As Jeremy and I lie in bed awake- we decided we are better off to move our mats inside the little room on the side of the hut. Jeremy discovered that the door was unlocked last night and it’s a great escape from the wind!
When we woke up we made coffee and had a cookie to start off the morning.
Today felt slow and long, even though we only had 12 miles to go. Both of us are really feeling the weight of our packs. But we carry on, slow and steady.
Tonight we stayed in a cozy, spacious hut away from the reach of the sandflies. I’m so grateful for a good nights sleep and a delicious backpacker meal dinner.
23 February, 2026 (Day 31)
We woke up to the sunrising over the mountains just outside the hut.
This morning we are in for a reach treat! We arrive at some natural hot springs about 40 minutes into our day.
We are moving fast, faster than we planned. Around 1 PM we reach where we intended to stop for the night, but our bodies are still energized.
“Let’s keep going and we can just camp along the way if we get too tired!”
Well one problem… there is nowhere to pitch a tent along the way.
We are completely bushwhacking and following a rocky creek bed the entire time. We climb alongside the river and finally around 7:30 PM, we roll into camp.
Tonight we have an entire room in the hut to ourselves. We stretch out and enjoy the space after a long day.
Today we covered 18 miles over rugged terrain. It wasn’t a walk in the park, we’ll just say that, but it put us a day ahead of schedule!
We eat, stretch, brush our teeth, and filter water.
I also try to make my ‘yogurt’ for breakfast tomorrow.
You see… New Zealand has yogurt powder in most of their super markets. You are supposed to add boiling water and put it in a yogurt maker. Last night I used a peanut butter jar and added warm water. After leaving my yogurt concoction in the sleeping bag overnight, our body heat was enough to turn the powder into real yogurt!
So tonight I’m excited to experiment again! I decide to put boiling water in this time to see if the yogurt will get thicker by morning.
The result? A very sad, melted PB jar. Experiment fail 😟
24 February, 2026 (Day 32)
We woke up early to enjoy a cup of coffee on the porch, but we got chased inside by the swarming sandflies.
Our feet hurt from the long day before so we taped them up.
It is supposed to be flat according to the map. Maybe a bit of up and down, but nothing major.
As part of hiking a trail- you expect to see rocks, walk on rocks, and maybe sleep on rocks every now and again. But never have a had to step on so many rocks.
We followed the river down the valley for what felt like ages. Our feet- held together by tape- did alright but I was so excited to be done when we arrived at the Morrison Foot Bridge in the evening to pitch our tent.
The next bit of the track follows a narrow river bed up another pass and shouldn’t be attempted in rain.
So we decided to check the weather in the morning and make a final call whether to continue or not.
Before we went to bed Jeremy noticed some wild raspberries that were ripe so we picked a few for breakfast!!
25 February, 2026 (Day 33)
Trail has ups and downs. The last few days have felt down. I think we are overdue for an ‘up’ day.
I woke up and walked out the footbridge- hot coffee in hand. Sitting and watching the sun wake up the world around me. Birds calling their song. A smile on my face.
Today we are in for a real treat! It’s boulder scrambling and waterfalls and up, up, up – and it’s STUNNING
Only photos can show why my heart is soaring today!
We ended the day at Goat Pass hut and as the sun sets over the mountain, I’m happy and it’s been a fantastic day filled with fantastic views.
26 February, 2026 (Day 34)
Clouds and mist loom all around the mountains and the hut as we wake.
Sitting in the corner with our cups of coffee at 6:15, we tried to stay warm and dry as long as possible. Eventually we wondered out into the mist. It wasn’t raining bad and it wasn’t too cold so the day had a feeling of mystery and intrigue – not misery.
We meander beside the river heading down off the pass.
Lucky for us we made friends with some people at the hut last night and they have offered us a ride into Arther’s Pass.
By the time we arrive it’s raining buckets.
We wonder from the hostel to the Inn in town. There is no room for us anywhere.
Wet, tired, and frustrated we march into the visitors center and warm ourselves while we ask them if there is any other accommodation in town besides pitching a tent at the campground.
Why didn’t we just book ahead? Sometimes it’s impossible to know exactly how long a section will take until you’re right up at the end. The weather is a fickle thing and when it changes- it changes fast.
Once again, everything works out and the NZ Alpine Club has a lodge with hot showers. Jeremy and I scored the only private room with a double bed in the entire place!
After a burger, fish, chips, cider, and a hot showers- we feel refreshed and civil again!
Snuggled up in our cozy room with the rain coming down outside, we feel full of gratitude.
27 February, 2026 (Day 35)
Breakfast, coffee, a banana.
All things we had been craving!
As we finished up a delicious breakfast at the one of two cafes in town, we grabbed a coffee to go and sat at the chapel in Arthers Pass.
This chapel is magical. It carries a peace you can feel. For many generations it has been a meeting place for many types of people. The back wall is all windows and you can get a stunning view of a waterfall. Unless you go in the chapel, you really can’t see the falls from the road.
Before we head back to trail we wanted to take a slight detour to see the ‘Devil’s Punchbowl’ (ironic since we were just sitting in a church – I know!)
This hike is only supposed to take an hour out and back but we soar up without our packs in 13 minutes!
In the afternoon we hitched from Arthur’s Pass back to trail and we are just two hikers in a sea of Te Araroa travelers again.
28 February, 2026 (Day 36)
Today was beautiful! We re-lite the fire this morning and huddled around with coffee while reading the Bible.
We packed up and headed South, down the valley. Today we had about 15 miles of ground to cover, but most of it is flat and decent track although we have to cross the river (or the river crosses us) a bajillion times.
Tonight we pitch a tent at the Trustpower Campsite alongside some camper vans and trucks. It’s strange to be in civilization and see cars again after only 2 days in the wilderness. This is the easiest food carry so far!
For dinner we have a deluxe backpacker meal and a special treat we saved for our ‘Shabbat’ meal- another backpacker smoothie!
Tomorrow we are excited to reach the Powerhouse Lodge! Rumor has it they have waffles and ice cream!!!
One of the toughest parts about this hike is trying to get a reasonable amount of food in our bodies. We have both been losing a lot of weight and find it hard to keep our nutrition in check. When we finally get to town it seems we are craving all the things that aren’t good for us- ice cream, soda, beer. But we have been finding subtle ways to add veggies to our diet and I think it’s paying off!
1 March, 2026 (Day 37)
“Hey, welcome! Set your packs down- come on in! Have a cookie! Can I get you a soda?”, Andy from Powerhouse Lodge greeted us as we walked towards the door.
We have never experienced generosity like this on trail to date.
This place is incredible! With a sauna, outdoor baths, hot tube, and beautiful rooms – it’s a hikers dream!
“It’s all a Christian non-profit. We do what we do for you guys!”, explained Andy.
He showed us around and we met Allison in the kitchen, whipping up a batch of fresh cheese scones.
Every evening they also serve waffles with ice cream and 1/2 a kilo of chips to guests.
This place is a sanctuary of peace and we make ourselves at home, enjoying a cappuccino and scones.
They thought of everything! They offer us robes so we can wash all our clothes in one go. For through hikers washing all your clothes is -well- ‘challenging’ since typically you have to be wearing something while your putting your clothes in the wash! With only 2 outfits to choose from, this makes getting all your laundry done a chore.
2 March, 2026 (Day 38)
As we said goodbye to Powerhouse Lodge, I’ve never left a place feeling more rested.
We planned to hitch to Methven today, but after walking on the road and not seeing a single car for 20 minutes we became worried that we should have booked a shuttle.
Instead of letting worry take over we had fun holding hands, walking down the middle of the abandoned road, and mooing at the cows in the pasture nearby. (I know- we are still kids at heart!)
The first car that came by gave us a lift to the junction and as she dropped us off, a caravan pulled up and gave us a lift into town.
Talk about perfect timing!!!
We are spending days 39 and 40 in Methven relaxing and enjoying the ski town! Then it’s back to trail!
As always – thanks for being part of our adventure! ❤️
🏕️Stay tuned for more adventures to come!✈️
Leave a Reply