Te Puia

Well, we survived our first tramp! It was about an hour and half drive outside of Napier, through lots of country side, back roads, and a slightly treacherous final road up to the parking lot (it was very narrow and very high up a steep ledge). We parked, got our packs all set up, and headed out! The trail is considered a "Great Walk" and while there were many walking parts, there were also steep parts too! It was definitely a workout and a good thing that we worked out at the gym for two weeks before we left! Helped us get in shape. The steep parts got you to the tops of hills and mountains that offered spectacular views. Here's a look at one of those towards the beginning of the trail:

It took us about 3 hours of tramping to get to the hut site--though in the hot sun it felt like a long time! It's a good thing we wore our sunscreen because the sun is definitely strong! When we finally arrived at the hut it was quite busy. Monday was a national holiday so most people got a nice 3-day weekend--so even on a Sunday it was quite a popular place to be! There were about 15 other people, though the hut slept 26 so we didn't have trouble grabbing a spot. It was set up so there were 2 large bunk beds so to speak on each side--each with a long mattress enough to sleep 6 people. In the middle was a counter with two burners, a sink, and some tables--very basic. But, the outside provided a nice view:

After putting down our stuff we made our way to the hot springs! It was a 45 min. walk from the hut, but nothing too strenuous and it was so relaxing once you got there! The water poured down into a PVC pipe and then flowed into two fiber glass tubs. You could move the pipe to allow more water in and out--the more it flowed, the hotter the water!

Scattered all around the spring were pumice rocks. Many people had carved faces into them, as they were very malleable, and placed them around the rocks surrounding the pools. Of course John had to exercise his artistic talents and carved up a few to add to the collection! He did a skull:

He also carved a small rock in the shape of a crest with our initials on it and '10, as well as a full on face in which he found other rocks to decorate it and give it color!

After spending a good amount of time at the hot springs (it beat taking a cold bath in the river!) we ventured back to the hut to have some dinner and get some rest! Compared to some of the other experienced trampers there, we were a tad unprepared as we forgot some important items that would have been very useful: toilet paper (though we did manage with what we had!), matches or a lighter, our own pot to cook in, band-aids, and bug spray. This last one would have been very beneficial to me, as the one thing that put a damper on the trip was the tiny black flies that were everywhere and they bit! They were also like mosquitoes because they itched afterwards and boy did I get eaten alive! I now itch all over my legs and feet. Of course, they didn't touch John. But we still made do, as it was PB&J for the next two days! Luckily, we had that nice meal the night before we left. The only other damper on the trip was that night, as there were a lot of people in the hut, and thus, some snorers. Unfortunately for us, the one person who snored the loudest and the most decided to sleep right next to John and I! It was a bit of a struggle to get to sleep. Though he left early the next morning--as did everyone else. 

For most of the second day, John and I had the place to ourselves. We spent most of the day relaxing, reading, doing crossword puzzles, and of course making a trip to the hot springs! One guy from Finland stopped by during the day, but only for a bit before heading on down the river in a bright green child's inner tube! It was quite amusing to watch. When we returned from the hot springs that evening, we had two hunters join us--they were very nice, one was very quiet, and neither of them snored!

Here is a little video I took of us during the second day:

We got better sleep that night and arose early the next morning to head back out. We left at around 8:30 and due to the early morning, plus the cloudy weather, the hike was much cooler than the one going in. This made it seem to go by faster and made it seem much less strenuous since we didn't have the sun beating down on us. We made it back to the car park in good time before heading back to Napier.


We definitely had a nice time and it was a good learning experience as it wasn't too difficult a tramp and there were enough facilities to accommodate for our lack of preparation. However, we are happy to be back in civilization with a warm bed, pillow, hot showers, and free internet! Tomorrow we head to the Pick NZ office in Hastings to try and line up some work so wish us luck!