Queenstown to Greenstone

Queenstown was an exciting place for a break from hiking but I was happy to get back on the trail. Less shopping, more walking.

We finally got some rain. It’s hard to believe we’ve been hiking the Te Araroa down New Zealand’s South Island for two months and we’ve only gotten two days with a sprinkling of rain. This section proved to be a bit wetter with a full-on rainstorm blowing in.

We passed over a beautiful gorge that looked so inviting for a swim, despite flowing quickly due to the rain. I managed to find a way down for a quick bath. Nearly every day in New Zealand, I’ve managed to find a stream, river, or lake to wash up in. The water here is gloriously clear.

After enjoying a nice swim, I made it to the Greenstone Hut and the rain started to come down hard and heavy in big sweeping sheets. It’s so nice to be inside, warm and dry. A fellow tramper even started a fire and the hut got tropical hot in no time.

We walked over more tussock country with gentle peaks in the distance.

We’re still surrounded by mountainous land but the walking has really gotten much flatter. It’s quite nice and relaxing.

Some cows began to appear as we entered a wide valley. A few stared at me with suspicion. With the hard rain, the trail was quite soaked. I even lost the trail in the tussock grass and found myself knee deep in a marsh. Surprise! Luckily, it’s still warm out, so a little cold water is refreshing.

When we made it to North Mavora Lake, we realized that much of the remaining walking on this section is along gravel roads.

We decided to hitch hike to Te Anau and enjoy some more time in town and being tourists. I don’t mind walking through mushy ground and scrambling up roots & rocks but my feet really suffer on hard packed roads.

Let’s see what kind of fun we can get up to in Te Anau, the gateway to Fiordland National Park!

Next Post: Milford Sound