Fine all day with no wind. Got up at 6:00 and prepared breakfast. Found water in my drink bottle was frozen like sorbet.
AJ the hunter has left after 7:00. When being about to leave at 8:00, found my boots and socks kept inside the hut were hard-frozen like rocks and was not able to put on... my goodness! Reluctantly put boots and socks in a plastic bag, and went back to my sleeping bag with them. Took me sometime to defrost those frozen stuff by my body heat, and eventually left the hut at 11:00. An unusual freezing weather as May still went on.
In the Takitimu Mountains ahead, track went over a pass higher than 1,000m in dangerous snow conditions at the moment, so walked down to the road as planned yesterday. Walked on the frost formed into 5cm ice needles on the ground that I've never seen before. Arrived at the carpark at 13:00.
When walking on unsealed Dunrobin Road, a pick-up trucks with sheep dogs on the deck stopped one after another, asking me "Do you wanna ride?". Explained I was walking through the NZ and respectfully turned down the kind offers. The third person stopped was Charlie, a son of a local farm family and said to me "Camping outside is cold. Do you want to stay at my place tonight?" Sounded his house located in the area where I would get to by sunset. Accepted his kind offer pleasantly, and exchanged phone numbers.
After he has left, kept walking an unsealed road and then a State Highway from 16:00. Arrived at Etalvale Station at 18:00 in the darkness. Charlie came to pick me up by his truck near the farm entrance. He got some frozen sausages, made of beef he has grown, defrosted for me and went out for a local rugby club dinner. Cooked and had the sausages for dinner. Totally made myself at home. Charlie came home at 22:00 and had a good chat about ourselves for an hour. A day feeling warmth and friendliness of the Southland people. Went to bed at 23:30. Walked 7 hours, 29km.
ハンターのAJは7:00過ぎに出掛けて行き、自分も8:00頃出発しようとしたら、室内に干して置いた靴と靴下がカチカチに凍結している。無理に靴を履こうとしても、まるで石のようでどうしても履けず。仕方なく寝袋を取り出して、ビニール袋に入れた靴と靴下を抱いて入り体温で溶かす。おかげで出発が11:00になってしまった。まだ5月とはとても思えない寒さが続いている。
タキティム山脈はこの先1000mを超える山越えの部分があり、雪の状態が危険なため、昨日決めた通り車道を目指す。高さ5cm以上と、見たことがないほど大きく成長した霜柱を踏みしめ、駐車場に13:00頃到着。
未舗装のダンロビン道路を歩いていると、それぞれ荷台に牧羊犬を乗せた車が2台、相次いで停まり「乗っていかないか？」と声を掛けてくれた。NZを徒歩縦断中であることを説明して丁重に断る。その後3人目に声を掛けてくれたのが、地元牧場主の息子チャーリーで「テント泊は寒いから、うちに泊まっていけば？」と言ってくれた。聞けば、ちょうど自分の歩くペースで日没頃に到着できそうな場所に、自宅があるらしい。願ってもない申し出に喜んで受け、電話番号を交換して別れた。
その後は黙々と途中から舗装道路、16:00頃からは国道を歩き続け、すっかり真っ暗になった18:00頃、彼のイータルヴェール高原牧場に到着。丁度心配して様子を見に出てきた彼に出迎えられ一緒に家へ入った。彼は地元ラグビークラブの夕食会に出席するとかで、またすぐに出かけてしまい、自分は彼が解凍しておいてくれた「自宅で育てた牛肉」のソーセージを調理して夕食。すっかり寛ぐ。彼は22:00頃帰宅し、それから1時間ほどお互いの身の上話に花が咲き23:30に就寝。サウスランド地方の人々の気さくさと温かさを実感した日となった。本日の歩行7時間、29km。
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