Milford No Go

We awaken to strong wind and irregular rain fall, though the weather seems quite benign word reaches me that no one is allowed to leave the hut until the warden has given the clear.  The river is now at unsafe levels and the occupants in other two huts further along the Milford trek are unable to proceed.  

I venture out to the river to have a look and I am rattled by how much the water has risen, the river had completely changed character overnight.  

Back at the hut, the rain falls intermittently, one moment there is none and the next there is a furious downpour for a few minutes.  Of the 3 huts, the storm is least ferocious here because we are sheltered down in the narrow valley by the steep slopes.  The warden gives us hourly updates on the conditions at Mintaro hut situated halfway up the trail to Mackinnon Pass and for the Clinton river where we are.  They consider using the chopper to transport the trekkers between the huts but the winds are too strong at the higher elevations for this.  The river is also preventing the trekkers at Dumpling hut from completing the trek.  Dumpling hut is the last of the 3 huts on the Milford Trek.  By noon we are resigned to wait another day.

My mood is crushed by this, if I continue the trek having lost a day then I risk missing my return flight to Malaysia because of travel connections beginning the day after the end of the trek.  Throughout the day I oscillate between decisions to either risk hiring a rental car and driving in the early hours of the morning to Christchurch to make my 6am flight to Melbourne or hike back out to the start of the Milford Trek, emerging a day earlier and without completing it.  I curse the fates for this misfortune dashing the highlight of my trip to New Zealand, there is nothing to do except sit around fending off sandflies (how are these persistent buggers unaffected by the rain??).  Everyone's mood is somber, sitting around watching the rain fall on the deck.  

The warden organizes a nature trek to keep us occupied, I am impressed by his knowledge of the plant and wildlife.  

My back starts acting up so I return to my bunk and allow myself to slip into a funk.  According to the warden, the last time this happened was years ago and now it happens to me on this day!!  I could handle not completing the Camino last year but I can't let this one go for some reason.  The fact that it is happening again makes it extremely difficult to not take this personal now, my funk turns into a rage. By night I arrive at the decision to leave at the next opportunity, for to pursue the trek would jeopardize my flight arrangements, and I would not have the peace of mind on the trail. 

That night the rain falls with greater force.