Day 1: Oban to Port William

9 December 2019

The Original Plan: Oban to Bungaree
The New Plan: Oban to Port William
Steps: 33,476
Floors Climbed: 116
Distance: 24.9km
Tantrums: 1

This morning this was me:

Does it fit? Not quite. OK fine...one T-shirt per 3 days (4 discarded)…I don’t need “spare” mashed potato or rice, I’ll survive if I run out. Discarded. Does it all fit? NO!

Attached tent, thermos, teapot and water bottle to outside of pack with carabiners. OK now? FML no!

Unpacked, repacked and attached day pack to hiking pack to hang on front of self. Fill with light things. Please tell me it fits now??? YES! I mean I can barely stand but it's a start...

Trying to get the day pack to flop down on front was a tricky mission. According to one South Sea Hotel guest it was deemed photo worthy, so he could describe their breakfast cabaret show outside the window to his friends back home. Thank you very much, yes I do birthday parties.

Looking like a Nordic vagabond with my trekking poles, I sallied forth fuelled by some words I won’t repeat here. After approximately forever, I arrived at Lee Bay to start the walk. Oh yes. The “4 hours” starts there not Oban. So I’ve done none of the walk yet. Brillo!

Morning tea with the two elderly Japanese ladies who overtook me with their light packs and their Japanese way of packing things. I left and of course they overtook me again a few minutes later. Sayonara.

I had to admit I had made a mistake in my planning; I was not going to make it to Port William Hut for lunch and have time to get to Bungaree Hut. The pack was too heavy and I was too unpractised with carrying it. I decided I’d stop at Port William and see if there was a spare bed, cancel my side trip to Mt Anglem/Hananui and spend one night at Christmas Village instead of two. Sorted. I really hope it’s cloudy that day so I don’t feel I missed out on the view!

The slog from Maori Beach is lengthy and hilly, the view to the hut from said beach looks to be a smooth walk so it was a bit of a shock to the expectations! Steps and hills galore! I also thought it was muddy LMAO....you'll laugh later.

I made it to Port William and met the collection of people who had passed me on the way, after several rest stops (those fluffy mossy tree stumps are lovely to sit on and also support the pack without taking it off). It was a very picturesque wee spot, set back from the beach with sweeping views back towards Maori Beach and a lovely day to boot.

The hut warden, Tom, counted the tickets and sure enough they had four spare beds so I didn’t have to bust out the tent. Buying at the hut is double the price online but it was worth it. It's a clever disincentive so they don't have people just turning up, she's a long walk back if you can't get a bed and don't have a tent.

One lady, doing the 3-day Rakiura Track, sat on her bed watching with fascination as I pulled things out.
"What's that for?"
"Oh how clever!"
"Oh I never though of bringing one of those."
"You're very brave."
"Why do you need your own first aid kit?"
I felt like a baboon foraging for food with David Attenborough hanging from a tree analysing its every move. Go away Dave, I'm hangry and foraging here.

I brought a variety of foodstuffs with me, not wanting to rely on the land as I'm a hopelessly impatient fisherman and doubt I could shoot an animal. I prefer them alive or in meat form.

Breakfast was scrambled egg with milk powder and freeze-dried bacon bits, with a banana on the side. I don't recommend bananas for hiking as they ripen quickly so I started mashing them in with the instant pudding for dessert to use them up! Eggs travel OK in a carton but wrap it with clothing to add extra protection.

Lunch each day was tuna, Ryvita crackers with an apple and a Snickers bar.

Dinner was either a Back Country freeze dried meal or a Go Native 24-hour Meal Pack with a side of Surprise peas. Dessert was instant pudding because I totally deserved a treat. "Serves two" indeed...no it didn't!

Earl Grey tea was all the rage, kept piping hot in my thermos.

I'm going to elaborate here. For long hikes like this one the freeze-dried is the way to go, the Go Natives were delicious and easy (as in "drop sachet into hot water for 10 mins" easy) but with the water content they add up to a bit of weight so I ate them first. Also either option is pretty expensive added up, I got ideas from other hikers who brought lentils, rice and flour with spices to make things with which are cheaper and go a long way.

For my snacks I had a bunch of zip-lock bags with scroggin or prunes and some rice crackers with a small wheel of cheese. Some days I forgot to eat snacks, you'd think I'd be hungrier than normal so I was surprised to find how little food I really needed when I was focused on other things like mud and not dying.

Anyway, where were we? Ah yes, Port William.

Had two cans of Speight’s after giving the rest away to grateful cohabitants. 3.3kg gone! It was not worth the extra weight for sake of a beer at the end of each day. From here on I was "that guy who gave all his beer away". It's a small island...

Stayed up to 10:15pm to watch for Kiwi, they provide squares of red cellophane to give torches red light which doesn’t bother the birds if you see them. I didn’t see any though, still 10 days to go so here’s hoping!

Day 1 done. One down. I got this. I can do 10 more of these. I tucked my optimistic little self into bed.

The start of the track, looks
innocent enough...

Maori Beach

Love how the stick figures don't
have massive packs on!

Ah a well-maintained track. I grew to
appreciate this luxury!

Dinner of champions!

UP NEXT: Port William to Bungaree