The Routeburn Trek is a 3-day hike in the Mt Aspiring & Fiordland National Parks. The hike is only 32km, but to get back from the end to your starting point is 350km by road. The Routeburn is classified as one of NZ's "Great Walks," and is well-serviced, including serviced huts in the mountains to sleep in.
Our first day was at a relaxed pace, with only three hours to get to the Routeburn Falls hut. This meant time for a relaxed lunch eating the roast lamb sandwiches I had made (yes, thats the entire roast dinner in a roll, potatoes and all, to the bemusement of fellow backpackers at the hostel)! Once we arrived at the Falls hut, we nabbed our bunk beds and settled down in the kitchen with the other hikers. The huts are great, very sociable and cooking facilities provided. Plus, there was a really helpful Park Ranger on hand should you need anything.
He presented the challenge for everyone to try and name the twenty out of twenty five languages on a welcome poster on the wall. We teamed up with a Kiwi couple, and after much deliberating over Swedish or Finnish, Thai or Malaysian, we managed about 13. Admittely this included an extra point for a comedy effort, as Vania had written "Corse" but he thought she'd put "Arse!" She is claiming she was right after all, as it was Corsican. It was pretty difficult, Tamal and Lithuanian weren't quite what we were thinking of. Anyway, it turns out that John (the Ranger) has never had to give up the chocolate prize as nobody ever gets enough right! As consolation he invited some of us back to his hut for some drinks which was great as he had the luxury of a stereo and a sofa and other comforts you don't expect up in the mountains.
The next day he was on the trail doing some work, so also gave us a bit of a guided tour too
which was good, as the signs on the trek aren't always that helpful! "Avalanche warning, no stopping until next safe area sign" (still got to walk 1km along the path though, oh good)!
Given the diversity of the Routeburn terrain on the way we got to see some great lakes, mountains, waterfalls and forests. You could't really ask for better scenery all in one hike:
After five hours hiking on the second day we arrived at the Lake MacKenzie hut, in time for a sunbathe and sleep by the lake. I dipped my toe in, it was unbelievably cold. That'd be the snowmelt I suppose..........couldn't tempt Vania in by pretending it wasn't that bad though. I think I have tried that one a few too many times by now!
We had another relaxing evening chatting with other hikers and cooking our freeze dried curry. Thanks for the tip Adam, they were surprisingly good!
When we left the MacKenzie hut on the last morning, a helicopter had arrived to drop some supplies for the hut plus some smug looking Helihikers! We waited to watch him carefully dropping off the food in the hut and then navigating back out of the mountains. Then three hours walking brought us to The Divide and end of the trek. To get back to Queenstown, we had to take a tour bus to Milford sound, then another four hour bus back via Te Anau. That's about as long as it took to hike the trail! Enough trekking for now I think. I'm off for a spa, if we can find one. Although its probably a bit too sedate an activity for Queenstown!
More soon,
Tom
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