NINA HUT: A LITTLE HUT WHERE I DIDN´T SLEEP

…because when I arrived the pretty wooden house was already crowded with a bunch of kids who came there to re-bait traps along the track. I was lucky that uncle Kuba went with us this time and carried my tent.

Nina hut stands about 2-hour drive plus another 3 hour walk from Christchurch. The track goes along a nice river of the same name through a beautiful bush, some parts are super easy, but others are muddy, crossed by tricky slipper roots and rocks. There are also two bridges and many streams and little rivers to get across.

At first I was walking and even running heaps but then I ran out of steam and went to have a nap in my comfy backpack. I got up just in time for lunch while curious robin was hopping around in the hope of me dropping my bread (I made sure it happened). I wanted to pet it but it was too shy. The rest of the journey I spent counting the numerous wooden boxes with eggs hidden in them. Then 5 minutes from the hut I met a group of little people and I finally found out what they are for: killing mean stoats that eat New Zealand birds. Now I know that the boxes are traps, the eggs are bait and also that we don´t touch them.

So the hut was full but it didn´t matter because we had our tent and I really like it. Once we put it up and had some rest we decided to undertake a bit of a descent and go for a dip in the river. Not only it was freezing but there were so many horrible sandflies that soon we had to begin our fast retreat. Back at the hut we collected some wood and started a fire which was very nice because once the sun set it got pretty cold. Soon the clear sky was full of bright starts and at night Sheepy and I heard a kiwi calling its mates.

8 kilometres is 8 kilometres and jumping across roots, rocks, muddy puddles and streams is pretty tiring so time to time I climbed up mum´s backpack and once she got enough uncle Kuba put me on his shoulders. Sitting up high I could see everything including tiny riflemen, funny round birds with no tails, the smallest birds in New Zealand, jumping from branch to branch, chirping happily all over the place.

I don´t know how comfortable your bunk beds are, little Nina hut, but I definitely know much more about NZ nature now.

Your Annie