To the Arches

 January 4th continued.....

Lunch was had first, we had prepared cheese sandwiches the night before, a couple of bananas also went in the bag but remained untouched. I was glad of a rest, that cave tour had taken more out of me than I could ever have imagined. It was all that clambering over boulders, some really high, that made my knee ache and swell. No sticks were allowed on that tour, understandably, the eco-structure of the cave was much too important for me to destroy with the poles. Still after 15 minutes and another couple of Ibuprofen, I was raring to go.

So that loop Moria Arch and Mirror Arch walk This is what was said on the web

(1 hour 30 mins round trip 4.1 km): An easy-access easy-grade loop track linking these 2 attractions. Explore down under the Arch, then continue on over the top of Moria Gate and loop around the terrace to come back out at the carpark via Mirror Tarn.

Most of the way was downhill, the worst possible way for me. Give me uphill any day. Maybe we should have started from the other end. Anyway after what seemed like forever we arrived at the sign pointing to the Arch. OMG if Ian thought I was going down there, he could think again!

 

He left me at the top, said he would get photos, great except he seemed to be gone for ages, and I was beginning to worry. Back he eventually came shinning the torch to light his way.

This was the photo

Shame I didn't get to see this....or did I?

Continued with the walk and yet another sign pointing to the Moira Arch. Oh was this an easier route to take? But no, it showed the Arch from the other side, so I did get to see it after all.

By now both of us hoped to see that sign for the Mirror Tarn come up. Definitely flagging, pace had slowed and those down hills I got to dread. Then it started to rain! Typical, the mirror surface wouldn't be mirrorlike at all. As we finally arrived the rain stopped, no sun of course but at least we got to see the reflection.

Ian had taken a photo of the map at the start of the walk, still about another km to do, he reckoned! 

Back to the RAV 4 Ian dropped a bombshell. Shall we walk to the Oparara Arch too? Groan...another 2 km! I agreed and only because we had hired that 4X4 to specifically do the arches and therefore it would have been churlish of me to say no! But every part of me was now aching, including back and hips. I prayed there would be no down hills and thankfully most of the path was level with the occasional hill to get over. When we arrived, to say I was disappointed was an understatement. Oh, the arch was there but the only way to see it was to climb down a very steep, gravel/sandy path to the bottom. Ian offered, will he had to as he was the one wanting to see the arch! I worried though, it was very, very STEEP. One slip and how would I get him out?

 This is what he took

And this was mine climbing over the sign with a warning, do not go any further.

Not much difference!

By now we had been on the go for 7 hours and in total walked 12 km the equivalent of 7.5 miles. That journey back along that gravel road just had to have some video taken of it. I took it and Ian put together this short video from the total length of over 3 minutes.

Thankfully we had paid for another night at the Karamea Hotel, in their overnight parking area. Great place for $7 each with toilet and shower. Made good use of the hot shower water to ease those aches and pains too.

And wildlife