Routeburn Track - Jan 8-10

Bus left 6am to a real bus for a four hour drive to the divide and the start of the track. Beautiful drive south, west then back north as there are no roads. Lots of streams, lakes and mountains everywhere. Onto the 12km (+3km side hike into the clouds at key summit) hike to lake mackenzie hut. Guides all looking forward to rain so the waterfalls are bigger, me not as much. Trail feels tropical (ferns, moss, flowers, birds) and Alpine (views through the trees of snow covered mountains) simultaneously. Many stream and waterfall crossings, including 600' earland falls. Feels like the misty mountains and land of the lost combined. Solid infrastructure (bridges), well marked/surfaced trail and great full service hut at the end. Good day, little wet.

Huge thunderstorms and downpours overnight, but woke to clouds breaking up, exposing mountains and "pumping" waterfalls everywhere. Maybe the guides have got the right idea. Up out of the bush, wet ferns sparkling in the sun, spent most of the day on top of the world surrounded by snow covered peaks. Unbelievable. Walked - on the left - up above the hollyford valley to the hut at harris saddle for lunch, then a side tour to conical hill (not a hill- straight up to snowfields at 1500m, snowed here last week) with views to the tasman sea. Then down to Routeburn falls lodge. A good walk, maybe best ever hiking day of my life. Forecast for tomorrow is 250mm of rain over 36 hours. Do the math. Getting out of the bush just in time. 

Poured rain overnight with no let up. Aint so bad???? Walked down along the Routeburn river gorge, river raging with class V+ rapids drizzled most of the walk. Waterfalls everywhere and several ankle deep crossings. Off the track around 12.30 for the shorter ride back to Queenstown, stopped along the way at a pub. Laundry, chilling before the bike adventure.