I don't know whether I am a fan of these huts to sleep in alone. The log book mentions a large rat holed up in the fireplace. There are geckos running around and of course the bugs. As i tried to read the light of the kindle attracted little moths and where little moths are flying a gecko would hover. My tent with it's mesh keeps just about every bug out and when I close the fly then I am In my own little cocoon. But it rained. Considering 15 kilometres of the walk tomorrow as going to follow Wonaka Creek the sound of rain kept me awake.
I got out of bed to a steady patter of rain that sounded more impressive hitting the tin roof. The rain wasn't enough to warrant a full rain outfit, so I went with normal pants thermal shirt and rain jacket. I walked fairly consistently for the four hours it drizzled on me, so by about 11am I had covered 15 kilometres to the highway.
The creek winds through Wonaka Station. It felt funny walking past the homestead early in the morning. Didn't see anybody though. There were a few little items of interest but i was just pushing through as the creek wound its way around the high ground.
Then I hit the highway for the 6.6 kilometre walk into Hawker. I was 1.5 kilometres into that when I noticed my hat had fallen from the pack. I looked back up the Highway trying to picture where it might have happened and the most logical was when I climbed the fence onto the highway. So I decided to hide my pack beside the highway and return back to that point. Its funny that 1 kilometre back I suddenly stopped and remembered at one time stuffing my hat into another spot. Was that this morning? Should I go back to the pack? Is the hat worth it? People drive past a random man gazing at the fence with his back to the road. I decided Im now closer to the fence so continue on. 
Get back to the fence , no hat. Remember another pack adjustment just a little further up the gravel track. So on I go. Another 8 or 900 metres to where the track runs out. No hat. Now I am face with just scrub that I walked through. I walk down the track trying to see where I came out. Then walk a little into the scrub only to see its probably a cow track I am following not mine when I decide the hat may have to be left. I turn to the right and there's my hat. I danced, strangely to the tune of ,Its raining men picked up the hat and gave it a stern talking to, jammed it on my head then started the now 2 kilometre walk back to my pack. 
Got into Hawker about one and half hours later. Went and had a coffee then onto the Motel. Before I relax too far I like to get the chores out of the way. One was to wash the mud from my boots and gaiters. Then I go commando under my rain gear so I can wash all my clothes and my sleeping bag liner. The washers were 500 metres up the road, so I take my Kindle and sit and wait for it all to wash and dry. Then back for a shower and clean-up. Down the pub for the butter chicken which was as good as I remembered and a pint of Hahn. The pub crawl continues.
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