That was lucky with the water last night because there didn’t appear to be much around along the route today, just traipsing down farm roads and forestry tracks for the most part.

Again I was lucky with the camping with tonight’s spot, I kinda picked a place on the map where there could conceivably be water, there was, and even a flat spot to pitch the tent, if you don’t mind camping in close proximity to the farm road. I’m not sure what others do around here however, maybe they carry a bulk water. I’ve taken to carrying just the litre, usually there’s no need when tramping in New Zealand, water is one of the things that there is usually an excess.

Some great silver beech forest, almost pure, up north where I’m more familiar with the botany it is always the poor cousin to red beech or mountain beech, down here is no competition.

Another orchid with a distinctive blue flower, the rest of the day, pine forests or farmland and less to excite.

The only notable aspect of the day was losing the track and doing a cross country of my own devising for about 5km, eventually getting back on track, only to lose it, and my map, in some very long grass, nipple high, few have traversed the southern section of TA this early in the season and bashed down an obvious path.

Tomorrow there will be more farmland to cross, on a pretty good road, but after that it’s the Takitimus and I’ll be back in the forest for a few days.

Forest and hills.

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