A Dangerous Business

Date: 2nd February 2024

Start: Harper Village (km 2246.4)

End: Powerhouse Lodge, Lake Coleridge (km 2275.5)

Distance Travelled: 14.9 km walked + 14.2 km hitched (29.1 km total)

Total Distance Completed: 2113.2 km

Song Currently Stuck in Head: it was far too wet to be thinking about music

Fireplace at Powerhouse Lodge: roaring

I woke up feeling rather confused. Where’s the rain? It’s supposed to be raining right now and all I can hear is the sound of a handful of drops on my tent. I mean, I guess that’s a good thing, I can pack up whilst it’s dry.

And that’s exactly when the rain began, just as I had brought all my stuff inside the shelter, just as I was beginning to get my hopes up that maybe today would be dry. Yeah, keep dreaming. I did in fact keep dreaming, stalling for as long as possible for the first big shower to pass by. Maybe that would be it?

No, it wouldn’t. Ok, new strategy, minimise time in the rain at all costs. No breaks, walk as fast as possible, hitch if the opportunity arises. With that I settled in for a miserable day’s walk, the only solace I could take was in Andy Serkis being a simply amazing voice actor and that the road was flat. I quickly left the other behind which I felt a bit guilty about doing, but on a day like this with an easy road walk I knew I’d be ok by my own.

Hitching proved to be nigh on impossible. It took 30 minutes for a car to pass me in the right direction, a ute with no space inside. That’s kind of what I expected, it’s a very quiet road, the only users being the workers at the power station and sheep station back at Harper Village. Still, I kept on looking behind me regularly.

The road passed by several small lakes along the way. At Lake Selfe (not sure if it’s pronounced self or selfie) there was even a loo, presumably to service the anglers who stop by here. It didn’t serve much use to me, although I did briefly consider waiting out the rain in it. I pressed on, passing by some very pretty mountains that I couldn’t take any pictures of thanks to my pocketless rain pants and my desire to get out of said rain ASAP. You’ll just have to take my word for it, or walk it yourself.

3 hours into the walk and I was already over halfway to Lake Coderidge Village, now settled into the walk and enjoying the brief moments when the rain would ease off. But then, as I approached a cattle grid, I did a routine shoulder check and spotted a white SUV approaching. A chance! A very good chance, with the driver pulling over and letting my sodden body and pack into her car, taking me all the way to the village. Huzzah! Now for a sort walk up to the Powerhouse Lodge.

The lodge itself has been around for a while, playing host to groups of all sorts looking for somewhere to retreat to away from the bustle of the city. Noticing the constant flow of TA hikers coming past their place, caretakers Andy and Allison decided to make the lodge available to them during the main season, building a bunkroom out the back of the property for that purpose. Seeing my bedraggled self on her driveway, Allison invited me inside the main lodge, warmed by an equally inviting fireplace. Offering me a coffee and cookie, I got changed out of my wet clothes and sat down in the lounge next to Jonas, a fellow hiker from Germany. After the many long days and late finishes I’ve had recently, this was exactly what I needed; it’s 11:30 and I don’t need to do anymore hiking today.

Over the next few hours more of my trail brethren showed up. Destroyer and her friend Cat were the first to arrive, having left Harper Village before 5am like the crazy people they are. Melly, Matt, and Oli rocked up around 3pm. The rain has eased off in the hour before their arrival, but they were all still pretty wet. Once they got comfortable, we had a look around the property. Out the back, they had built New Zealand’s largest trail marker.

As the afternoon wore on, I put in an order for some hot chips (only $5 for a huge bowl of them) and relaxed by the fire, drying out my clothes as an added bonus. It’s not something I want to make a habit of (otherwise I’ll go nowhere on trail quickly and I do have a deadline I want to hit), but half days like these are some of the most enjoyable I’ve had. I really needed this rest. There’s nothing I need to be worried about, no rush to do stuff before bed, I can just be a potato for a bit.

My potatoing (look at me coining all these new words) was interrupted by the arrival of two hikers. They weren’t at Harper Village last night, they weren’t NOBO’s. Wait a minute, one of them is Anne. Yep, the same determined Frenchwoman who I’d last seen in Wellington had caught up with us again after walking all the way from Hamilton Hut, a classic Anne move; no breaks, no stopping, just walk. She didn’t stay long, as she went with Melly to Methven when Sean arrived to pick her up.

By the late arvo, rain had been replaced by a fine sky, so us three guys walked down to the river in the hopes of Matt getting his drone in the air. The path took us past the Lake Coleridge Power Station, built in 1914 to provide power to Christchurch. Water is pumped down from the Lake through turbines and is then released into the Rakaia. Sadly, the wind was still present and was too strong to launch the small craft so we walked back to the lodge for dinner.

Friends of Andy and Allison had arrived and taken up residence in the main room. I retreated to the bunkroom to cook but came back to the dining room to eat. I then learnt that Andy and some of his children had walked Te Araroa last season and the opening of this place to hikers was inspired by his experience on trail and what he wished he could’ve had when visiting other trail angels. So far I’ve been very pleased with the hospitality the two of them have provided us so far. They even had waffles and ice cream on the menu. Obviously I got some. Yes, it was supremely delicious. No, I can’t get any for you.

But now it was time to go to bed. The bunkroom was small with only 4 beds and an ensuite bathroom. Outside there’s a lounge/kitchen area, although the weather and especially the low temperature didn’t make it the nicest place to hangout. A hot shower was greatly appreciated as was the proper mattress I got for the night. Yet again these small luxuries tempted me to stay put for another night or two, but that’s not what I’m here for. There’s still plenty more country to see.