Te Araroa 29/01/26

Day 130, Fern Burn Hut to Highland Creek Hut (2672)

Another beautiful morning, some clouds but blue sky as well.

Looking back to Fern Creek Hut 

Today's route was a steep climb up to Jack Halls Saddle at 1275 meters followed by an even steeper descent to the Highland Creek Hut.

Narrow path sidling round the hill

It was a strenuous climb but the path was relatively good with only a few overgrown bits. 

Steep hillside 

Lots of little lizards (gekos, skinks?) were out sunning themselves and scuttled away from my feet and I saw a hare. It looked like an ordinary brown hare, at home there would only be mountain (blue) hares at that height.

Wild man of the hills

More incredible views

Good views back to Lake Wānaka and even better ones down towards Highland Creek from the top.

Lovely path

I spoke to a couple of people climbing up from the south and they told me that the next section was very hard, which I suspected anyway, and although I probably had time to get to the next hut I had lunch at Highland Creek and decided to stay.

Hut in the distance 

I'm feeling old today anyway so an afternoon nap may be called for. My nap was disturbed by a young German girl who had walked in from Glendhu (rocket powered?) and decided to stay as well.

View from the hut 

Another good hut with a view.

Te Araroa 28/01/26

Day 129, Wānaka to Fern Burn Hut (2666)

It was a beautiful morning as I sat outside a café sipping coffee and watching Wānaka wake up.

Wānaka morning 

Wānaka Lake in the morning 

I really liked Wānaka, it was very touristy but it did have its own identity. Maybe the good weather helped as well.

Good cycle path 

The trail uses the path around the lakeshore which starts as a good cycle path but turns into more of a mountain bike trail by the time it reaches Glendhu Bay.

Red Admiral by the path

The track becomes more interesting 

Snow and glaciers in the distance 

It was a beautiful walk in the sunshine with the mountains all round and even better when the big snow and glacier clad ones appeared.

Willows by the lakeshore 

Looking back to the lake 

There is a big campsite at Glendhu Bay and nearly everyone appeared to have a speed boat. More importantly though there was a little coffee shop for a lunch stop.

Up by the burn

A gravel road then took me to the start of the Motatapu Track which climbed, sometimes very steeply, beside the Fern Burn.

No wet feet here

Across a bridge, for a change, and the track climbed even more steeply until reaching the Fern Burn Hut.

The path sidles round high above the burn

At one stage my pole slipped and I lost my balance and ended up on my back in vegetation beside the track like a cast ewe with my legs sticking up. I thought I would have to take the pack off to get upright again but I managed in the end.

Fern Burn Hut

Two people arrived at the hut and told me that Mike, who I met on the way up, broke his ankle after I met him and had to call for a helicopter rescue.

Outside the hut

Three people are sleeping outside on the balcony to watch the stars and there are five of us inside.

No stars to be seen and the possums drove two back inside!