The concrete wave & a change of direction

The third day in Nelson finally brings all my dreams: up to 60 km/h wind, side-onshore and very stable. The waves are up to 1.5 metres high and sometimes just as close together. I’ve never been out in conditions like this before. Several times I take waves at the wrong angle at the wrong time and get a good wash. The rest is jumping, jumping, jumping.

After more than two hours on the water, the wind gets even stronger. I can hardly feel my knees any more, but I’m still having fun. Then I misjudge a big wave. I crash into it almost head-on and at high speed – just as it breaks. It feels like riding into a concrete wall. Shortly afterwards, I realise that my harness has snapped.

The next day I find a sailmaker who can mend the harness cheaply. I don’t miss anything. It rains non-stop for two days. The kids at the hostel behave pretty badly and drink like idiots. Susi does the Abel Tasman Trek with a friend, Kerstin rests and I work.

I need a change of direction. Travelling with the two girls was nice, but also too relaxed. For me, no challenge always means drifting off the right path and celebrating too much for no reason. I need reasons to celebrate again. I’m going to create them for myself over the next 10 days.

The plan: a drastic change of direction from comfort to long hikes. Almost 140km of trekking through the north-west corner of New Zealand’s South Island. Seeking challenges. Today I finalised my equipment and bought food for 10 days.

the Abel Tasman National Park, probably one of the most beautiful nature reserves in the world, begins 40 kilometres further on. I will do the 60km trek from Marahau along the coast to Pohara in three days. Then a day’s break at the northern end and on to Golden Bay to Collinwood, the end of the South Island.

From there comes the hard part. The Heaphy Trek is 82 kilometres through the absolute pampas. No houses, no roads and only a few huts without gas and electricity. We cross the northern foothills of the New Zealand Alps on an old Maori jade path to the west coast. The huts are almost completely empty at this time of year and I will encounter very few hikers.

I should arrive on the west coast on 29 December. After that I’ll take a break in Westport for a few days over New Year’s Eve. I’ll leave most of my luggage here in Nelson. I hope that a nice Austrian will collect my luggage. If not, I’ll have to cycle another 460 kilometres back.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas at home! Have a nice party, have reasons, enjoy the snow! Have a good start to the new year and honour your good intentions.