We piled into the car one Classic CrossBreeze team member less and drove deeper into the dramatic fiord land mountains to Te Anau. Te Anau is a very picturesque town in the shore of one of the largest glacial lakes in the world. We caused some trouble in the local supermarket picking up supplies for the hike and Joe and I shared another roast chicken.
We were up ludicrously early Tuesday morning to pack and catch out boat across the calm lake Te Anau in the drizzle to the start of the track. Already the steep green mountains with white snowy caps reflected in the clear fresh water was mesmerising.
We arrived at the jetty and after a short hour or so strole and a break at a sunny spot in a Rocky riverbank for lunch we arrived at the first hut.
Wednesday we set off fairly early for a walk that day that would lead us into the heart of the glacial gorge. The river and lakes got more clear and reflective as the mountains got increasingly majestic.
A sprightly, friendly robin came to say hello while we were taking in a view point. Coming right up close and considered sitting on joes shoulder for a moment.
We had lunch on an avalanche field today with striking views all around. I played with my catapult.
We arrived at the cabin just as the sun started hanging low in the sky, just enough time to play poo sticks on a bridge!
That evening we invited Richard, a solo hiker intending to stay on the track for eight weeks for photography; We also invited Jordan, a 15 year old traveling with his parents to play a blankety blank style game called 'Cards Against Humanity'. It was a lot of fun with some hilarious sentences being made.
The next morning we were woken by a flock of Kia, a giant parrot bird, frolicking outside the hut. Similar to the robin, they were very friendly. Hopping right up close to us and one very comically followed Jana to the water tank like playing grandmothers footsteps.
We set off for our third day through an eerie moss covered forest. We could have quite easily been in a fantasy Narnia style world.
After an hour we started our ascent up the mountain over the McKinnon pass. I carried Joe's and my own bag for the last quatre so he could go and take Jana's, as she had fallen behind.
The 360 degree views of the mountains and canyons were like nothing I have ever seen before. Staggering.
After a while of enjoying the breathtaking scenery we made our slow descent to the next hut.
Our final day was spent hiking through waterfall kingdom. We saw falls of all varieties, shapes and sizes. Many with the most startlingly vivid turquoise water that you would never have believed could exist unless you saw it yourself.
I also found out Jana had never seen Toy Story.
We contined along a carved path within a cliff face a while until we arrived at sandfly point where we got a boat across the milford sound and a bus back to our cozy beds in Te Anau.
Where Joe stole my camera....
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