We ended our trip to New Zealand with two of the country's classic "Great Walks" - the Routeburn (3 days) and Milford Sound (4 days) treks. These are well maintained tracks with refuges (mountain lodges) to stay in at night.
Being once again blessed by good weather, the scenery on each of these treks was outstanding and we also made lots of friends from all over the world.
Routeburn Track
We started the Routeburn at the Routeburn shelter, sent on our way by a flock of cheerful Keas. The path winds it's way up a valley to start with, ending the first day beside some lovely waterfalls. The second day was the best for us - after climbing steadily for a couple of hours, we took a side trip up to Conical Hill. Having sweated up the steep path through morning mist, our tired legs making us wonder if it was worth it, we came out of the cloud at the top to see the snowy peaks of the Mount Aspiring park directly in front of us, sticking through a sea of fluffy white cloud. WOW!!! We both had to do a little whoop whoop and a jump, it was such a beautiful moment. From there, the route heads over the saddle into the other valley, through mossy and ferny forest to another refuge by a lake, eventually finishing at a place called The Divide where you catch the bus to town.
Milford Track
The Milford Trek also had a special start, with an hour- long boat ride across a crystal clear lake to a sandfly bay, where a Weka (bit like a brown chicken) was pecking around in the undergrowth. The first day is a really easy day through green, lush forest, past water so clear you can see trout and eels swimming in it, over swing bridges to a lodge. The second day takes you up into a steep valley, where more birds such as the Rifleman (like a small wren) and Fantail (a small bird which does a sort of dance using its tail like a fan) keep you entertained. My favourite bird was the robin, as if you stand still, it will hop onto your boots to eat the sand flies. Many New Zealanders we met want to protect the birds from imported predators such as the stoat and the possum, which they hate with a passion. Traps and poison are laid and we saw lots of traps on this trail. The third day is the most strenuous as you climb out of one valley to a pass (fab views) before a long walk down, past waterfalls, to the final hut. The last day for us came with mist and rain, and this made the peaks seen from the boat trip at the end of the trek over the Milford Sound seem mysterious and magical.
