It was nice to have a day in which I could sleep in. The hike on Day 3 was mostly downhill and the total time was about six hours. So I wasn’t in too much of a rush to get going.
The walk was mostly through a thick forest. It was good to have some cover after being exposed for most of the previous day. Not that it was too hot or anything but I always prefer to walk in the shade if I can. The sun in New Zealand feels so strong because the ozone layer is much weaker here than at home. You can burn so easily here.
No interesting stories to report on Day 3 but my body was tired from the day before. It wasn’t that my legs would give out. It really came down to my back and my shoulder cramping up. Especially my shoulder. The day before I tweaked it a bit when trying to brace myself going down some steep rocks. So I took more breaks than I usually would.
But there were a lot of nice quiet spots to take a break. Waterfalls and little streams littered the landscape. The area gets so much rain throughout the year. And the water eventually has to come down the mountain and that is why all the waterfalls form.
About five hours in I started walking along Lake Manapouri and I knew the hut was close by. When I arrived I was greeted with an unexpected view of the lake and the mountains. It was so beautiful. I got my things organized and then I took a swim in the lake. It was cold but so satisfying after a few long days of hiking (and no shower). I sat on the beach, reading and meditating until the sandflies chased me back inside for dinner.
At each hut, there is a ranger and each night they have a talk with the people staying there about a relevant topic. Our ranger talked to us about the history of the lake and how in the 1950s and 1960s the lake was in danger of being compromised. A large power station was built and the company utilizing the electricity wanted to raise the water level by a significant amount to increase the energy output.
The problem was that raising the water past a certain point would destroy a large amount of the plant life that surrounded the lake. A local movement to protect the lake soon turned into a nationwide campaign. When the general election came this ecological issue was one of the major points of debate. Thankfully, the voters thought conservation was a good idea. And now people like me can enjoy this beautiful area today.
I purposefully stayed up late in the evening because I wanted to see the stars when night fell. The sky stays light until well after 10 o’clock because New Zealand is so far south. But when the night finally took over the sky the stars came out. And it was incredible. Sometimes you forget how many stars there really are in the sky. Especially if you live in a large city like New York.