Understanding Tramping is
Ha ha, thought you'd got rid of me, well 'fraid not, although this is the last message from QT that i'll be doing as i'm leaving tommorow (plaintive sob). Have spent the past week tramping over the routeburn, cruising on Milford and partying in QT. The Routeburn is an ancient (well old) path (route) following a stream (burn) from one side of a bunch of mountains to another. Spent a day getting my gear togeather, ie pots, pans, freeze dried food (yum) alot of chocolate (yum (without irony)) and far too many apples (why? they are HEAVY!) and wet weather stuff. The forecast was for rain and unseasonably cold weather - so perfect timing for a Harrison..... Setting out from Glenorchy in the poring rain on friday morning with a heavy pack and a mountain range in front of me that i would presently be climbing it struck me that maybe this wasn't my finest idea. Well, i was wrong, the walk was spectacular. The first day was spent winding through beach forest, and up the valley side to hut perching on stilts at 1000m. Just to clarify for you pedants out there - No, the stilts where only about 4m high the other 996m comprised mountain.... The forest was full of a multitude of gushing streams that had to be crossed by way of ropebridges that make the millenium bridge seem set in stone. On the 2nd day it was an early start to beat the worst of the weather so fired off a couple of photos and head up the mountain. Climbing to 1200m ish I reached the snow line and a mountain lake hemmed in on all sides by snow capped peaks. Then the decent began along precipitous mountain side. With rain growing heavier and being taunted by mountain parrots, we were glad to spy our hut nestling in a valley below my lake Mckenzie, set in forest on all sides. On the 3rd day the weather was glorious, blue skies and more amazing scenery - i think the photos do more justice to it than my words + running out of time b4 internet place closes....Amazingly we also had a good day for Milford sound. Doing a boat trip in the morning (the best time apparently) we had a great view of the fjord. During the cruise we were joined by a pod(?) of dolphins so yours truly (in an attempt to bring the real story to his readers) hung over the side of the boat taking pictures from about 1m away. That evening I was back in Queenstown. Since then I have been hangin out with Fi mostly, out on the town, jet boating and out walking/driving the area.
posted by justplainnigel @ 2:20 PM
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