The Routeburn Track is one of the shorter Great Walks but it still feels that days are long. With a broken boot, I walked for more than seven hours yesterday. At 32 kilometres in length, some people rush it and walk the track in only two days but what's the hurry? As I prepared my morning coffee and cut up a tangerine, I didn't want to walk in one boot again so I improvised with a couple pieces of string to tie the sole to my boot.
It was very cold as I set out this morning as the sun wasn't shining in the valley. It makes a huge difference without the sun. Today wouldn't be as long as yesterday but the hut ranger said it's still about a 4-hour walk to the Divide, on Milford Road. Muesli bars, snacks, and water I made handy along with my camera to capture these gorgeous vistas.
I was warned about a slip only about a half hour into today's walk, so I had to navigate carefully around it. Two hours into the walk today I caught sight of Earland Falls.
Several of the Great Walks have a spectacular waterfall. The Routeburn has Earland Falls, the Milford has Sutherland Falls, and the Kepler has Iris Burn Falls. I could feel the mist as I approached Earland Falls, and I couldn't walk further without getting up close and personal.
I didn't want to hang round too long; otherwise my camera would get wet. The colours of the Routeburn are something I'll never forget. Sore feet and all, I captured the essence of the Routeburn at Lake Howden.
It's a good thing I wasn't on the Routeburn about three years ago, as there was a massive slip at Lake Howden Hut (now slated for demolition) that caused a fallen tree to come crashing through in the middle of the night. One tramper had moved only minutes earlier. A couple of guys who stayed at Lake Mackenzie Hut last night are doing both the Routeburn and Greenstone Tracks on one journey, so their day would be even longer than mine. After one final uphill stretch, it was all downhill until I, broken boot and all, reached the Divide at 1 PM. It's always a great feeling when you complete a multiday walk.
A gorgeous and sunny day it was along the Milford Road, and it would be drama-free hitchhiking to Te Anau. Having completed the Routeburn, I've now completed four of the 10 Great Walks, and my goal of at least five is within reach as I plan to walk either Lake Waikaremoana or the Tongariro Northern Circuit in a few weeks. I've never done a long tramp or even been to a backcountry hut in the North Island! After my journey to the Chatham Islands in a couple of weeks, I'm absolutely ready for another Great Walk.
