The friend from Brisbane, that will I had met while we both were performing an 8 week agreement at the Cooktown Medical center one winter, decided in order to come across to Brand new Zealand and hike the particular famous Routeburn Track, associated with course I couldn’t allow her do it by yourself.
There were had the great eight weeks with each other at Cooktown ‘Hash Home Harriers’ where we stepped into the Australian rose bush, following pieces of bathroom paper attached to trees and shrubs, ending up in the fellow Harrier’s yard, while he/she stumbled off in order to rescue a pot associated with Cooktown stew and appear back still jogging from it under his sweaty underarm.
We climbed Mt Prepare, the highest Mountain within the region which stored me climbing ‘Mt Cook’ at home which will be about 3300m higher compared to the Cooktown model. All of us hiked to isolated seashores, explored WW11 relics together the isolated coast range and enjoyed fun foods together.
We then prepared to walk the Routeburn track together and set up that Feb was your own best time for weather conditions, generally being settled with that time and cozy enough for an Foreign to handle, me getting a Kiwi I had been used to diverse environment conditions. Her daughter plus partner also decided in order to accompany her which had been great, the only little problem being that these types of three delightful people failed to eat anything that experienced been killed!!!!
Now right here was a challenge, I had been pretty excited about all of them visiting our lovely city and planned lots associated with sightseeing and fun locations to explore before our own 3 day 2 night time hike. I sat within the sun and devoured vegan recipe books, jotted own menus, trialled vegan dishes on my carnivore shoot anything with four legs husband. In truth even the poor aged shag that settled upon a jetty pole over the lake in front side of our home got connected as they allegedly took our fish. Wow — heavy stuff, it required a few years associated with convincing that the shags were more entitled in order to the fish than all of us.
Anyhow back to the particular Routeburn Track. Having strolled it many times within soaring temperatures, snow, sleet, rain, and high wind gusts, I launched into reserving beds, coach trips in order to and from the monitor, organising dehydrated as nicely as stocking my refrigerator with anything which has been grain, pasta, had the root system or pips.
After decking out the friends with suitable beanies, gloves and thermals which usually are simply not upon the list of exactly what you need to put on in Brisbane, departure day time arrived, up early plus boarded a bus in the direction of the ‘Divide’ (502m) upon the Milford Road, the particular start of the Routeburn Track walking West in order to East.
The weather prediction was grim and unfortunately it never reads incorrect, despite what the cynics say. Unfolding ourselves away of the bus all of us tugged our wet climate gear on and vanished into the thick beech forest on a gradually up hill climb in order to Key Summit 980m, with Key Summit the common rule of thumb can be to lounge around meant for hours drenched in 180degree mountains snapping off a lot more photos than you will need, associated with course we saw absolutely nothing. I didn’t even desire to describe what they will were missing as that will was like rubbing sodium into a wound.
Upon we trundled, stopping River Howden for lunch, plus also to kill the few million sand lures, 3 hours later we all arrived at Lake McKenzie Hut on the coast line of Lake McKenzie. The particular first time I actually arrived at this shelter was in the sixties, a brand new a single has since been constructed, although my memories through the old one stick around and are also probably grander compared to it had been, the particular lake was a scum of soap suds, genuine everyone went down in order to the lake washed their particular bodies, hair and clothing, and a fine filthy scum covered the entire mountain lake which provides a very small shop.
Since those intrepid times Fiordland National Park plus Mount Aspiring National Recreation area have been formed plus the Department of Preservation have management of the particular parks, plus customers are usually totally aware of the particular devastation of leaving that will trail of human particles behind.
We fortunately obtained a view of the particular lake and walked the little way around this, the next morning whenever we scrambled over the particular rocks and rubble, plus small waterfalls on the particular steep switch back monitor out of the area and onto the Hollyford Face, we did obtain glimpses of the area floor far below plus it was spectacular, along with clouds swirling around the particular Mountain peaks, photos had been snapped in-between buckets complete of rain falling.
The particular alpine flowers thriving with this environment and the mosses and ferns were still living and well. We injury our way around the particular Hollyford Face head 1st into the wind plus rain, as the protection on the top made an appearance so did our mood – a hot cup-a-soup with crackers and a few dried fruit and nut products which the chocolate experienced long been picked away – yum. We relaxed a bit, swapped tales with other trampers due to the fact they are called within New Zealand, whilst the particular young ones from the particular party strode off upward Conical Hill (1515m) for the elusive view over the particular Fiordland Mountains, I individually saw do not need extend personally having been there prior to in dry weather.
Away we hiked on the Harris Saddle (1255m) and injury out way around River Harris, which I required to admit looked such as a grey austere instead large puddle in the particular slate grey mountains. We have seen this River in it’s many moods, the one I such as most may be the sunny time where you can get a dragon fly buzz within the lake leaving the flies wake in the tracks. The smells associated with the sun warmed dropped fields and the incredibly hot water trickling over the particular rocks to the lake have got tempted us to go swimming in there strictly in order to cool off, but simply no Olympian strokes in these chilled waters.
The stones were pretty slippery presently so we carefully selected our way to Routeburn Falls, aptly named right after all the water that will trickles or gushes throughout the mountain sides and collects at the ‘Falls’ that will spill over the hillside before dropping into the particular lower Routeburn Valley. The particular Routeburn was named within the early 1880s getting the Route up the particular river and over the particular Mountains to the Western Coast Greenstone or pounamu deposits that were utilized by the Maori individuals for making weapons plus tools.
Routeburn Falls can be a favourite place upon a hot day exactly where Mt Cook Lilies stick towards the steep rugged sides from the drops and on a sunlit day it is the favourite spot to dive into the chilly seas and cool off rapidly. Although not tonight, a fast glimpse and back in order to the shelter from the particular 40 bed hut since snow flakes were beginning to fall – this particular got the Aussies actually excited.
The bunk area was pretty much complete so we found the spot by the doorway, as 20 sweaty body in a single lengthy room can be claustrophobic. And I have a good affinity using the door — first out if presently there is a fire — that’s me. The following morning the rain has been relentless with small clearances we glimpsed the hills around us with this particular summer dusting of snowfall, which looked pretty magnificent, more so if this didn’t are really February.
This was all down slope from here the woodland was lush and eco-friendly and the large beech trees sheltered us fairly from your pelting rain. The particular Routeburn was roaring lower the gorge pounding the particular huge rocks on the way out to the particular Dart valley far beneath. Three hours later we all reached the end associated with the track to the Routeburn side, the new refuge which has been lately built was obviously the welcoming sight.
We boarded a pre-arranged with the friend Pete, bus back again to Queenstown, Pete functions an best rated Time Walks and Heli Outdoor hikes business out of Queenstown, known for his comedies, humour and knowledge this individual uplifted our spirits plus certainly was a curve from the sodden clothing we were silently long-lasting.
Pete filled us within on his new winter season venture – ‘Snow Shoeing’ within the Mountains close to Queenstown, there had already been keen interest internationally plus bookings were each plus every so guess exactly what, we are arranged intended for a shot at that will, and fingers crossed for any bright sunny day.