Kepler Track

Hi everyone!

Well, I survived the Kepler track!  

The first day was a 5 hour hike up through mountain beech forest to the bushline (treeline), to the Luxmore hut.  These Department of Conservation huts sleep 60 and have running water, flush toilets and gas cookers!  Luxury!  The Kea were again present getting into mischief and attempting to take apart boots, cameras, and whatever else they could find.  What clowns!

The next day dawned sunny, lookng down on a sea of clouds.  I practiced yoga at sunrise on the helicopter landing pad.  Then a gruelling but beautiful 7 hour day across the alpine section of the track, including the summit of Mt. Luxmore.  We lucked out with the weather as the day before it had been fogged-in and impassible.  Apart from strong winds it was great.  My knees and blisters were not happy to carry my heavy pack (I must learn to pack lighter!), but an amazing day nonetheless.

Last full day was through beech forest again.... long but flat.  A nice swim in the lake that evening and a quiet night in the hut as many people chose to walk all the way out.  The next morning I rose early and walked for a couple hours and caught a shuttle bus back into town, eagerly anticipating a hot shower and real (read: non-dehydrated) food.  Spent all of yesterday afternoon crashed on a couch in the hostel watching "The Fellowship of the Ring" and pointing excitedly at locations I recognized.  Pathetic, but fun at the same time, and I'd promised myself during an especially tough section of track that I would do this upon returning, so I simply had to.

The Great Walks system here in New Zealand is interesting.  Though you travel through amazing wilderness, each day there are 60 or more people on each section of the track, and also at the huts.  It was very different to any overnight trips I had done at home for that reason.  I felt like I couldn't get the space I needed to be alone (odd, since there was so much space). For that same reason, though I hiked alone I knew everyone on the track after the first day, so it wasn't really like hiking alone.  In fact, to get a decent moment's solitude to pee was difficult.  People would see my pack by the track and start looking for me, and I'd have to yell out "it's okay, I'm just peeing!" Every 30 seconds or so.  This highlights a lot of the controversy within the Department of Conservation about limiting the numbers of people.  Necessary, but
the economic pull to bring in the dollars is also strong. Having said that, DOC does a great job, with many successful conservation projects under their belt.

All interesting experiences, to be sure!  I'm bidding Fiordland a fond farewell tomorrow (after visiting the glow-worm caves this afternoon) and heading to Dunedin.  Should be able to get some photos up while I'm there.  Hope you are all well and happy wherever you may be! 

All the best,

Kristi