‘I think a weka would have taken it.’
The wise New Zealander was probably right about my spare cycling shorts. Drying on my back pannier, they must have fallen off. Noone found them. The New Zealand bird, famous for stealing clothes, now has a padded nest.
The sun poked through briefly this morning. It was wonderful being able to enjoy the beautiful scenery. The Heaphy Trail is a Great Trail of New Zealand, and hugs the coast, rising and falling over every creek and hill. A lot of pushing was involved.
Scotts Beach was a barren beach on a rugged coastline with beautiful rock boulders on the beach. It all felt very windswept and wild.
I reached the hut by 13:30 and was surprised not to be the first. The hut slowly filled. It was a nice afternoon and evening sharing stories, walking along the beach strewn with logs and a dead dolphin.
Tomorrow hay will be made while the sun is shining. The weather forecast for the following day is crap.
arctic-cycler.com 
Great write-up, great photos, as expected….
Looks great.
Very good looking photos! That heaphy trail looks mighty inviting. Too bad about all the rain down south.