On The Routeburn, Again, 2014

I guess we have spent more time on the Routeburn than on any of the other Great Walks: partly because our major traverse was in bad weather, and we keep going back to see what we missed. Anyhow, this day, out of Kinloch, we walked from the east-side portal up to the Flats Hut, a beautiful and not too demanding day-hike.

As I said, so many of the walks begin with a bridge...

Going along a river up a canyon...

More great pools and even beaches

Thus

Did I mention the waterfalls?

Mountains and glaciers?

We went only as far as the Flats Hut

Commons area

Dorm area; typically the huts will sleep a couple/three dozen
or more; reservations required...

Cooking area

There are four such huts on the Routeburn, all along typically
manicured Kiwi trails; well, the Routeburn gets a bit less
manicured at its higher elevations...

A beach

Purple Gondwanaland mushroom

And returning to the bridge

On The Greenstone Track

So after Wanaka we drove down through Queenstown and back up the elbow of Lake Wakatipa, through Glenorchy, and then beyond still to Kinloch, other side, where we spent three nights at the Kinloch Lodge. It is a nice base either for serious walking or merely for day hikes, as in our case. One walk we took was out on the Greenstone, not one of the "Great Walks," but pretty great nonetheless, we thought. "Greenstone" in that it was one of the Maori's routes to the greenstone, that is, the jade of the Fiordlands.

Kinloch Lodge

At the northern end of Lake Wakatipa

One of scores of beautiful pools on the Greenstone River

The Walks always seem to start with a bridge

The Caples, just before its confluence with the Greenstone;
clearest streams and rivers anywhere...

Along the Greenstone

Ditto

Ditto again

And again

Higher peaks around

Ditto

On the road back to Kinloch

Rob Roy Glacier, 2014

We did the Rob Roy Glacier tramp on a beautiful day, just as we did five years ago. Somehow, the trail seemed less demanding, but in 2009 we were carrying packs in preparation for our more substantial tramps on the Milford, the Routeburn, and the Kepler "Great Walks." I'd still rate the Rob Roy as one of the great day hikes.

As often happens, it starts with a bridge...

A river of glacial flour crashing down a deep, narrow canyon

Standard, beautifully manicured DOC trail; not a single piece of litter, nor a single
cigarette butt...

A favorite overhang

A favorite sign

Standard 1,000 foot New Zealand waterfall

A bit of Rob Roy Glacier

Detail; with a copter flying over

Subsidiary glaciers coming in at right angles

Even a panoramic view can hardly do it justice

Ditto

Us at Rob Roy

Road To Rob Roy

One of the best day-hikes we've ever done is to the Rob Roy Glacier in Mt. Aspiring National Park. And we were certain to do it again, as soon as the weather permitted. The trail-head is 55km from Wanaka, the last 30km over wash-board gravel road, with half a dozen fords. But the scenery is glorious throughout and gets even better as you get on the trail. The view of Rob Roy Glacier--next post--is world-class.

Along the gravel road

Ditto

Ditto

Ford upcoming

Typical, a foot deep; just don't stop to gawk!

The drive goes through a huge livestock-raising valley and
one of the treats that day was watching a bit of a cattle drive
up the road...here, one of the cows is just not taking it from
the ranch dogs...

The cow won that skirmish, but the dogs won the battle

Around Wanaka

We'd spent some time in Wanaka in 2009 and came to like the place very much. It's often characterized as a pint-sized Queenstown, not on steroids. Part of Wanaka's charm lies, however, in its not trying to be a Queenstown. Just a friendly little place, with all the amenities, in a killer setting and with access to much more. Our stay there was cut short to three days, and I didn't get hardly any shots of the town, but we'll be back through in a couple weeks, and I'll do better.

Lake Wanaka

With its backdrop of Mt. Aspiring and Mt. Aspiring National Park

Up closer

Wanaka is far more a family place than Queenstown; the Glendhu Holiday Park
lies some miles outside of town but can accommodate as many as 3,500 campers,
families and boaties mostly; it goes on for more than a kilometer of the huge
lake's shore; we spent one wet night there, in a cabin

Across the highway, a sea of sheep

Back in the campground

Tawana and Wes: didn't we borrow one like this from you
in c. 1969? 

Back in Wanaka town, at the huge athletic fields by the lake