The Routeburn Track
Trip Start
May 14, 2010
1
58
60
Trip End
Apr 13, 2011
Glenorchy, South Island, New Zealand
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Day 1: We began in the foothills of the mountains, where our first camp was on a flat valley floor of grasses with a cold as ice river running through, Sue was booked into the lodge (where officially campers are not permitted!). The walk in was through silver beech forest where the floor was covered in mosses, lichen and ferns.
Day 2: This was the toughie, 8 hours of hiking, but the views paid off as we were now above the treeline and we were in an alpine environment, with glorious views out across mountain valley after mountain valley....with magnificent waterfalls (the highest was 174 metres) and a few more glaciers to thrown in for good measure! Camp was beside Lake McKenzie and we opted for dinner by the lake with the sun setting over the distant hills casting shadows of ghosts and goblins!
Day 3: Following the treeline we began our decent into the moss covered forests again, an enchanted day that promised to be over in 4 hours! We arrived at the carpark right on time and hit the road for Milford Sound. The van was magically delivered to the carpark by an unknown person on the internet!!! Trust!
