It started raining as we got up in Wanaka. It didn't stop for a while. The walk we'd planned - from Fantail Falls to Brewster Hut - we abandoned due to a river crossing that may not be possible any more. We briefly considered, and even started, another walk but after half an hour we were both soaked and it was going to be seven more hours being wet do we drove over Haast Pass, admiring the low, heavy clouds and spectacular waterfalls that the rain was creating on the hillsides. At the DOC centre in Haast we spotted a hut about an hour north on the coast that should only require a two hour walk in to it. Blue River Hut, aka Blowfly Hut (for good reason) is a standard NZ back country hut. There's a cat iron wood burner and 8 bunks with mattresses. A couple of hours after we got there and got the fire going, a Belgian family arrived. Parents in their sixties, their son and his girlfriend about our age. They were due to fly out on two days and were worried that they might not get out as the rain was only getting heavier. On the way on there'd been several creek crossings, wetting our very and a major river, in flood, with a swing bridge a few metres above the raging torrent, at a point where it was about 30m wide. A sign on the bridge insisted out could only take one person at a time and the crossing was a little nerve-wracking. The Belgians went to check on it and came back to say it was OK so that's hold out till morning. I think they must have been closer to the windows because the flies feasted on them while we remained relatively untouched. Our walk back out was straightforward. Apologies for the lack of photos on the walk in and out- it was wet!

We continued our long drive up the west coast, stopping next at Hokitika for supplies and a photo on the beach. The weather had mostly cleared and the forecasts were good for the coming days. After a quick stop at Punakaiki to see the rocks and a more leisurely walk and pebble-collecting expedition on a beach just to the north, we found a place to camp on the coast just south of Charleston -a former gold-mining town (we found no gold). We had a perfect campfire and dinner on the beach, watching the stars come out. There are so many when there's such a lack of light pollution and Nicole remarked on how a couple of hundred years ago everyone, everywhere could look on a clear night and see so many stars. Funny to think how few people in the UK, Europe and other developed parts of the world barely ever see any. Then the sandflies started eating us with gusto and we went to bed.

Destination the following morning was Marahau but we started by driving to Westport for a coffee. A short drive to check out a nearby beach turned into a couple of hours sunbathing (the weather had well and truly turned) and a barefoot 5km run in the surf - Cathal's longest continuous run since being hit by a car in July. Another stop in Murchison for supplies and we got to Marahau in the late afternoon and to Old McDonald's campsite. We'd reached the north coast of the south island. Tent up, dinner eaten, in bed - tomorrow we had to be up early for kayaking. That and the fact that there were plenty more sandflies. We were staying to get pretty covered by bites.