Day 26: Goat Pass Hut to Arthur's Pass.

11km, 3 hours + hitchhike

What makes you walk super fast? Knowing that there is food and beer, shower and clean clothes coming up that day.

After being woken up by a family of keas having a party on the hut roof and all of us waking up in a panic thinking they'd knicked our shoes and socks it was an early start to the day. We just had 10km to do, an easy day! On track at 7am I absolutely powered down and out of the valley. Making this a place that I know id love to come back and spend a few days staying at but there was a shower to be had!

We reached Greyneys carpark and it was now time to try hitch hike into Arthur's Pass.

Sadly Chris's toe hadn't got any better so he made the decision to hitch into Christchurch and see a doctor. Hate saying goodbyes when you've been walking with someone for well over a week. We had been chatting about there being a psychological reason that people who go through situations together end up bonding quickly and our Waiau pass Anne hut days and night did that.

So Chris on one side of the road trying to get a ride, Conny, Sam and I were on the other. Sam paying me out, and joking that he expects to get a minimum $100 out of the ride, having heard about our previous hitchhiking efforts. A car pulled over but only had room for 1 so Conny was off. after about 20minutes a young Dutch couple pulled over for Sam and I and so we got in the back of their juicy van. I blamed Sam for his appearance and smell as to why we didn't even get dropped at our destination and still had to walk 300m.

We had made it to the Arthurs Pass store but i was seriously conflicted do I want food first or a shower. I chose shower and so checked in to the Sanctuary, nothing was fast with Bill the owner. He had all the time in the world. I didn't it at that point and my patience was growing thing cause all I wanted was a hot shower! Finally after being showed around I was free to go so I quickly showered in what Bill describes as the best shower in the southern hemisphere (it's just in a glass outhouse but I will give him that it is pretty cool to shower under blue sky and sun.

Shampooed, soaped up and shaved I headed straight back to the Store and ate disgusting amounts. It was like an afternoon of reunions. I sat there for about 3 hours with Sam and just caught up with so many friends-hikers. In between eating burgers, milkshakes, juices, vanilla slices, multiple coffees. David even accused me of having 4 scoops of icecream but it was honestly just a double scoop!

I got to catch up again with all the guys I'd walked through the Richmond Ranges with here too as they all hitchhiked out at Morrison Bridge instead of doing Goat Pass, so we decided to all go out for dinnner once more together that evening.

Back at the Sanctuary, I got my bounce box I'd sent from Wellington - with resupply food, clothes and shoes. I'm so happy with my Altras that I have sent on my Salomons to Queenstown but having new socks, shirts and shorts in the box was the best thing ever! I've also been pretty good with the food Ive put in too. The perfect amount and variety - I'm not sick of anything yet except couscous which I've done away with!

Also at dinner was Anthony, a character I'd met at hope Kiwi hut. The banter between Ivan and him was hilarious and we even got out of him that he was on trail to find a wife but not before he told us that he once stayed with his girlfriend for 6 months just because her mum's brisket was so good and they had it every Friday. We couldn't believe it.

What we also couldnt believe was that the one restaurant in Arthur's pass told us that last drinks and food orders was to be 6:30pm. Luckily we had got there at 5:15pm. Once we were kicked out by them packing up all around us at 7pm we went back to the Sanctuary and all just sat around chatting and reflecting on the past week.

Ren x