Epic Post on the Banks Peninsula Track

'Twas the Walk of the Banks Peninsula Track 

‘Twas the night before leaving, when all through the flat

I ran around packing, I need this! I need that!

My backpack was stuffed and stood by the door

It couldn’t have possibly fit anymore.

Next stop Akaroa! the bus driver said

While visions of hiking danced in my head

And me in my boots, and I in my pack

I felt ready for the Banks Peninsula Track.

I was dropped at Onuku Tramper Hut where there arose such a clatter,

I sprang through the gate to see what was the matter.

Away to the hut I flew like a flash

Tore open the door and drew back the sash.

Where I came upon fellow hikers whooping with glee

At the picturesque hut they were sharing with me

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

The beautiful cabin, making their whooping clear.

I made me some pasta with red sauce and cheese

Then off to bed quick as you please

Tomorrow was a climb to the top of the hill! To the top of the stick!

Dash away! Dash away! Dash away quick!

When I awoke the next morning I glanced at the sky,

Clouds were gathering where I was planning to fly

But with my raincoat in one hand and a bag on my back

Rain wouldn’t dampen my time on the track.

Well it blustered all day whilst I walked through the jungle

Over slippery rocks my ankles did bungle.

To pass the time without views I started this poem

Thinking at least if no pictures, I’ll have something to show ‘em.

Finally, though, I reached my next hut

Where what did I find, but wine poured and cheese cut

There were six older Kiwis, one was named Kyle,

They had booze and food, clearly travelling in style.

Their eyes how they twinkled! Their dimples how merry!

Their cheeks were like roses, their noses like cherries!

Their droll little mouths were drawn up a bow,

But there were no beards, and there was no snow.

They offered me to join in their happy hour

Where our cheeks became redder and no one was sour

They teased Kyle about Auckland where the JAFAs live

But he didn’t mind, he had many laughs to give.

Monday morning I left them, I needed to get back to town,

Catch my bus back to Christchurch, so I had to get down

From the tips of the hills that made up the Banks

It was sunny that morning and I gave many thanks.

It was a day of fast hiking and beautiful views

Lots of ups and down, maybe more than I’d choose

At times I wanted to lay a finger aside my nose

So easy as an elevator up the steep tails I rose.

I made it back to Akaroa in plenty of time

And with ice cream in one hand, I considered my climb

It was gorgeous and lonely and freeing and scrappy

My first solo adventure made me feel so happy.

The shuttle arrived and gave a loud whistle

And away we flew like the down of a thistle.

But I thought to myself ere we drove out of sight,

“Thank you, dear Banks Track, great days and cozy nights!”

There you have it, my poem from the Track. It is definitely not up to the caliber of my aunt Laura who both loves hiking and is extremely good molding well-known poems to her own uses (“It doesn’t scan! It doesn’t scan!). But what can I say, I made this up as I walked for a little entertainment because I fairly quickly got through thinking my big amazing life altering thoughts that I’d planned on having on this trip. Although I may not have found out the meaning of the universe on the Banks Peninsula Track, it was still an excellent experience for me to have. Since I have never hiked alone before, I appreciated the very well marked trails and the well stocked, cozy huts I stayed in. Usually, they allow four two-day hikers and twelve four-day hikers to leave per day (the two-day and four-day go the same distance, just in different amounts of time). Somehow, I decided to so this on a slow weekend so I was the only two-day hiker, meaning I had all the two-day huts to myself! No sharing for me! Ha. Ha. So this will be a post very full of pictures, and many embarrassing ones because having pictures of only landscape is BORING. Thus, I have some attempts at taking pictures of myself with the landscape.

This was my view out of the bus window as we came into Akaroa. It took us a while to get down the road because it was all hairpin turns. Kind of like the one from Santiago up to the ski mountains for those of you who know that scary road.

Akaroa Harbor out of a window from a cafe where I enjoyed a cookie before setting out on the Banks Track.

Signs like this make me feel special that I am a Registered Track Walker and it is ONLY for me. This was the first white sign of many I would see along the Track.

The Banks Peninsula Track shuttle picked me and other hikers up from the old post office in Akaroa at 5:45, dropping us here. Yup, this is a hut used for "camping" and "roughing it" in the great outdoors. I think I'm perfecting the talent of doing difficult things easily.

Throughout the whole trip, I kept thinking to myself, how did I get here? What steps brought me to such a gorgeous spot?

This is what you see when you walked into the hut. Kitchen on the right, doors to bunk rooms ahead and on the left. And a refrigerator for your convenience. "For your convenience" was definitely a theme of the trip. There were fridges, blanket, mid-trail bathrooms, candle, hot showers, all for your convenience.

I took the bottom bunk. No fighting for beds with no one else in the cabin.

First attempt at a selfie. You can see the reflection of the camera in my sunglasses.

Sunset over the hills and the harbor.

Dinner my first night. Lit the candle for you, pops.

Good Morning! I got up at seven to be out of there around eight to have plenty of time for my hiking.

I was headed up into that fog.

The annoying thing about pictures is that you can't tell how steep the trail was and so the "Oh my gosh, you're so strong/wonderful/a hero for getting up that vertical trail!"comments can't happen. Oh well, you'll just have to trust me, it was freakin' STEEP.

I turned around as I climbed up the first hill took this picture of Robinson's Bay. And the weather I was getting into. 

Hello fog. 

At the top of the first steep part, where I learned I was not, in fact, in shape.

Paradise looks like...

Sheep!

On the first night, we were given a booklet outlining our trail and various points of interest that were explained in another part of the booklet. It was extremely helpful and informative. My got pretty much destroyed on my first day walking. But I point out where I am on the map so you get some idea where I am on the trail, and sometimes where a view is supposed to be.

Like here on the Ridge Walk. It seemed like there should be an amazing view here, so I took a picture of the spot.

I walked a little farther to the point where it actually said "VIEW", so I took a picture of that view too.

I imagine there is water somewhere out there. And maybe a dragon.

B.P. Track, that's me!

I climbed over many fences during the walk because the Banks Peninsula Track is a privately owned by several families in the area, so I was walking across their reserves and their private farm land. This picture shows another "for your convenience" example. There were always helpful steps and a pole to hang onto to get over the fence.

Creepy dead tree

You can't see it in the picture, but my hair is soaked from the cloud I walked around in all morning that had attached itself to the top of the trail.

Highest point of the trail! Place with the best views!

Annnddd here's the view. I know it sounds like I'm complaining a lot about the fog, but I actually like it. I find it oddly comforting because it reminds me of Rockport, ME (one of my two favorite places in the world) and all the fog on the harbor. Not only does it obstruct views, but it also muffles sound, which gave me a strong impression of being totally alone in my own world on the trail.

Halfway to my lunch spot! If I was doing the Track in four days, Flea Bay would be the next place I would stop for the night.

For about 1km I walked down this road making sure not to miss the turn off at Mortlock's Mistake. I realized hiking alone I was a much more alert, cautious hiker because if I wasn't carefully looking for the sign, no one else was there to catch my mistake. I also was very aware that if I hurt myself, it would be a very long wait before I got some help. This was the first time I've ever really considered these things when hiking because I've only ever trekked with a large group where I was definitely a follower.

The Helps family is one of the families that maintains the Track

Here is where I am on the track. In the lower right of the map, there is a small back house, and that was the Flea Bay hut where I was going to have my lunch break.

I walked over many small bridges like this one and they always had wire fencing in the wood to prevent slipping, as always for your convenience

I was walking along the trail in the open where sparse trees dotted the hills, then suddenly BOOM! I was in a jungle, where it promptly started pissing rain and continued for the rest of the day.

BIG TREE. It would have taken about nine of me to reach all the way around the base.

Waterfalls were everywhere.

This is the most southern Nikau Palm!

I talked to the farmer who owns this land and I told him I really liked his pretty black sheep. He growled back that they were his wife's special pets and if it were his choice grumble grumble grumble.

Streams like this were also everywhere. Thus, lots of bridges.

The reason they think it's called Flea Bay is because it's so remote, even a flea could get lost here.

Flea Bay

"Dolphin Watch" I unfortunately saw no dolphins.

The water is the same color as in the Caribbean.

Some friends I met on the trail.

This island used to be connected to the mainland, but the ocean slowly eroded the rock. Water and time can mold anything.

My trail zig zagging up the hillside

Snack time! and fun with the self timer!

Odd shack built into the rock. One wall of the shack is literally the rock. In the upper left above the hut you can see the loo.

Children, look away! Me using the loo.

Had to because look at the view!

Aaannnddd another loo on the side of the trail.

Yup, you get to see it again. Me in the loo.

Because it was a loo with a view.

Intense preditor resistant fence that wrapped around the nesting area for the endangered sooty shearwater/titi/mutton bird colony. It wraps all the way down to the very edge of the cliffs, which made me wonder how they possibly put it up.

This is the coastline I along which I walked.

Almost at the end of my walk for the day.

Stoney Bay

Penguin box. These small boxes where everywhere along the Track, but I have no idea how the penguins actually fit into them.

Small path, steep drop, beautiful swimming beach.

When I first saw this bush I thought it had flowers on it, but then I realized it was just leaves on the tips of the branches that turned fiery red. They almost glowed.

This is the part in the Disney movie where you see the sunny path and the dark, creepy, evil tree path and you yell, "The sunny path! Take the sunny path!" But they never listen and go through the scary forest anyway.

Some more friends I made on the trail.

Stoney Bay from the beach. The water here is about the temperature of Martha's Vineyard in the summer. So not bitingly cold, but not really a soaking temp either.

Stoney Bay two-day walkers hut. Also the site of one of my happiest happy hours I ever been to.

Inside my hut, wood stove, bunks, scary stove you had to light with a match. The stove sometimes didn't light with the match but the gas would be on and I just knew the next attempt would create a minor poof of flame up my arm. It never hurt, but I jumped a mile every time.

This hut had no electricity like the last one, so that's why I'm cooking dinner looking like a champion in my head lamp. The reason I had sausages was because there was a mini "shop" where sausages, steak, yogurt, veggies, cheese, beer, wine, fruit was all available. Much of it was from the farm where we were staying.

Another candle light dinner, but this was was out of necessity. 

Monday morning, my knee was killing me and my hips were bruised, and I was all grumpy, but then I reminded myself 1. I'm in NZ, 2. I'm experiencing the best possible first solo camping adventure, 3. It was freaking beautiful, even when raining, 4. You had sausages last night. BUCK UP.

And I was rewarded.

The I couldn't get the blowhole blowing on camera, but I liked the white foam against the black rock.

This grass that was everywhere on the hills. It reminded me of blond hair.

OH MY GOD THAT ROCK WALL IS SO COOL. Water is the best carver.

Bright red cliffs were everywhere. It's red because of minerals in the ash from the volcano that the Banks Peninsula used to be.

This is just crazy, read the sign.

To keep my mind off my knee, I had to put in my iPod, but sometimes epic songs would play and I thought it was funny. Here, the Circle of Life came on.

Theme of the Track: Follow the white markers and you'll be ok.

Wiiinnnddyyyy

When settlers, both Maori and European (British and French), first came to the Banks Peninsula, they cleared most of the forest with fires and the land is still recovering. This picture shows a good contrast of the brown versus the green.

Otanerito Bay

I heard barking behind me as I walked down to this farm. So I looked around and a herd of sheep were running right at me. I scooted out of the way and enjoyed watching the dogs and farmer easily round up all the sheep.

As I walked past them, the ALL turned and stared at me. It's a very odd feeling having about 80 sheep watch you.

Look! Sunny!

The walk through this reserve was mostly in the forest, which was interesting because I looked around me and realized I didn't recognize most of the trees or bushes. It was extremely steep, and for those of you who have been there, it was like climbing the green carpeted stairs in my grandma's Rockport house for about two hours. Good for the glutes.

On the Hinewai Reserve where I was much of Monday it is possible to drink water right out of the streams. Of course I had to try it because it's so rare.

Yeah made it to the top! I am sweat-ay!

Look! Akaroa Harbor

Some kind ladies decided I needed a full picture of myself for my mother. As you can see, I'm rocking the all black ninja look.

Last trail back to the beginning.

Last lunch. I like Peanut butter, you like peanut butter, chocolate peanut butter too.

The trail ended, but still had to get back to the center of Akaroa to catch my bus back to Christchurch, so the road and I spent some quality time together. But look at this view, not a bad place to walk, even if it was on a road.

When I got back to Christchurch I was completely exhausted and I still had another bus ride back to the University, so I treated myself to a nice dinner.

Fancy pants nutella cheesecake dessert. I was so happy.

And so ends the adventure on the Banks Peninsula Track. It was a wonderful experience for me to hike, eat, and sleep all by myself. I wish I had some huge epiphany to share with you but I don't. I really enjoyed the time to recharge and realize that I can be completely independent. Also I learned that hiking alone is great because I could stop every five seconds to take pictures, sing very loudly and badly, make all the decisions, and not feel bad about any of it. That said, when I got to particularly spectacular views, or ate a peanut butter and banana sandwich that tasted so good because I was on the trail, I wished I had someone who was there to exclaim at our luck to be enjoying it all. So don't worry, you will still be invited along on my adventures (read: to Antigua and beyond) because I'd love to share  them with you.