Day 114 - Birchwood Station

Up and early, as early as I can these days. The days are getting shorter. Whereas on the north island I would wake up at 6am and start hiking around 7. Now sunrise isn’t until 7:20. 

The size of this mushroom. 

After a steep climb in the morning I went above the trees and the low lying clouds. My last time going above 1000m. Good views with the hills and mountains poking above the clouds. 

11am I descended into the valley bottom, and met a local dog. He was soaking wet, must’ve got caught in the river I recently crossed. Not sure what to do, but he seemed happy and continued walking around. 

Todays afternoon track was mostly on hilly pasture land. Except when I got lost in a vegetable field. 

I reached a farmstead after 40km where I was staying the night, Birchwood Station, which was a DOC hut styled building on a locals farm. Not much for accommodation in  this section, it’s here or stealth camping on someone’s farm. But it was a nice place, and the owners had beer. So all was good.