Heavy flooding in mid Canterbury had closed Wharfedale Track (our plan A), so we had to quickly plan an overnighter. We headed a couple of hours north to Lewis Pass in hopes of avoiding flooding. St James Walkway is a 66km trail so we opted to just do the Southernmost leg, to and from Boyle Flat Hut.

A big benefit of this section of trail is that the three major river crossings are bridged. It’s clear the waters were higher than usual.

A highlight of the hut were the new memory foam mattresses—a clear upgrade from the old ones—which made for a great night’s sleep.

Appendix: Fungi

Here are some neat fungi which we spotted beside the trail.