Tag Archives: Great Walks

39. Milford Track, Day 4

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Dumpling – Sandfly Point (22.1 km)
Steamers Beach (see March 6, 2013)
Wednesday, March 13: Some low cloud at first, clearing with dramatic cloud patches left behind. In Te Anau hot
GPS Tour
Youtube video
Mackay Falls, exposure bracket

Mackay Falls, exposure bracket

A few were up from 6:30 onwards, and Andrea & Kobi seemed to have difficulty getting up at their 6:45 target; but in any case I had enjoyed a restful night’s sleep and was pretty much ready to go. Only Franklin had started snoring once, but I woke him and got him to turn on his side; and the Belgian guy did snore very softly and it was over when he turned. The Israeli guys were impeccable. All in all we were about 95% snore-free which, for an impromptu revolt, was not bad. Continue reading →

36. Milford Track, Day 1

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Glade Wharf – Clinton Hut (7.1 km)
Sunday, March 10: Cloud at first, then mainly sunny apart from one cloudy period
GPS Tour
Youtube Video
Bridge over the River Clinton at Glade Lodge

Bridge over the River Clinton at Glade Lodge

Up at 7:30, which was cutting it fairly fine, especially after the cooked breakfast of baked beans from some abandoned food and fried eggs took about twice as long to prepare as it should have, due to the defective can opener. Continue reading →

35. Kepler Track Walk-On

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Kepler Track: Te Anau – snowline and back: 29.6 km
Steamers Beach
Saturday, March 9: Cloudy at first, clearing, with a weaker wind
GPS Tour
Youtube Video
Lake Te Anau redux. Tree on the right has taken a bit of a hit, and the perspective has changed a little, but eminently recognisable

Lake Te Anau redux. Tree on the right has taken a bit of a hit, and the perspective has changed a little, but eminently recognisable

Consulting the maps this morning revealed that the row to the Monument might take longer than expected, so I chose the Kepler Walk-On instead, meaning to go all the way from Te Anau as far as I could, but starting as early as possible, rather than at one in the afternoon. Went to the DoC, booked my transfers and picked up my tickets for the Milford Track tomorrow, and was ready to go by 10:00.

On the way to the control point I teamed up with a young Japanese nurse, Yoya, and got on well with her for the rest of the day. Continue reading →

Kiwi III, 2010

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Sunset at Sunset Beach, 2010 (bracket of 47 exposures)

Sunset at Sunset Beach, 2010 (bracket of 47 exposures)

On the success of Kiwi II, I decided that a trip in early spring (August – October) might be the next goal, at least to explore the North Island more fully. I wanted to go to White Island, Cape Reinga, and do the remaining NI Great Walks. Auckland never seems to be cold, and while it was a little wet… It also very much brought back the Augusts and Septembers of fallen-in-love. Continue reading →

Kiwi II, 2009

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Weka dietary education: Milford Track

The second journey in the late summer of 2009 started with my arrival in Auckland on Sunday, February 1. After picking up a small camper, a Toyota Lucinda, which was named “Juicy Lucy”, I visited my school friend Tom and his family, then it was by way of Kawhia to New Plymouth where I made my first attempt at climbing Egmont. A couple of nights at the old motorcamp in Stratford to discover the Forgotten World and make a second – still unsuccessful – attempt at Egmont from the south and then on to Wanganui and Waikanae to visit Don and Sally Matheson who were giving me their holiday house for a couple of days in March. Continue reading →

Green Light

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Fern

Koru – the fern leaf spiral

The go-ahead for the new adventure came late last week, after a couple of weeks of prelegal danse macabre. Anyhow, it’s there now, and the final preparations can begin in earnest.

For begun they have well before this time last year, when I was originally planning this trip. There have been plans and preparations, and prices to compare and check again. One of the most comprehensive questions covered was that of photography, although that was no longer a question of what camera to take, but rather how to deal with all of the eventualities that hacking the current set of three cameras has brought with it. Continue reading →