Punakaiki: The Inland Pack Track 2

Day two down Dilemna Creek was spectacular. Again I had to navigate a path in and out of the water, as the river meandered through a precipitous limestone gorge. I was wearing boots now and not sandles (as i had the day before for crossing Fossil Creek), far better for walking in the water and not caring if they got wet.
Dilemna Creek passes through mountainous limestone bluffs, lined with palms and is a real beauty. I sang and ate dried apricots - my spirits were very high! At the foot of the creek it meets the Fox River and there is a cavern upstream called the Ballroom where many hikers camp out of the rain. I dropped my pack and swam across the Fox to investigate. It was close by but not as good as my camping spot so I was glad, the Ballroom was a little too dank and creepy. I returned to my pack and set off down the Fox. This part felt like the home stretch as it sidled the gorge on the left hand side. Waterfalls spattered and gurgled away and the forest was alive with cicadas and birds.
The track finished at State Highway 6 and i hitched a ride with no problems. I went directly to the Beach Hostel in Punakaiki where I had been staying; showered, ate and got into the hot spa pool to watch the sunset. Just the thing after such a long walk!