Monday 8 January – Another hot sunny day! I set out from Lock Stream Hut around 9am.

The first 4km of track to the Taramakau swingbridge alternated between beautiful forest and rocky river bed.

It was a bit of a climb after the bridge through forest to Harpers Pass at 962m altitude. I reached the pass around 12.45pm and continued another hour to Harpers Bivy for a leisurely lunch.

I was super slow after my hour long lunch break. I reached Cameron Hut around 5pm and decided to stay there rather than continue a further 2 km to Hurunui 3 Hut.