Routeburn

I complete the routeburn trek traversing 32 km through Mount Aspiring National Park and Fiordland National Park .  My back holds up well but on the second day I encounter Ken on the trail and he is not faring so well because of indigestion.  He chooses to turn around.  

I delight in the open expanse and freedom in the hills.  Everything here is so pure and unspoiled it seems.  Through each day I don't encounter a single piece of trash on the immaculately maintained trail.  I admire the Kiwi's pride in their natural heritage.  I am also impressed by the variety of the terrain on the Routeburn trek, in a short 3 day romp one passes from lush temperate rainforest, crystal clear rivers, meadow flats, lakes, glacier hewn valleys, high alpine scenery and formidable rock pinnacles.  I see why this trek is so popular, I have never before encountered such dense variation on a trail. 

There are two overnight stays on the trail and I have booked huts to sleep in instead of camping.  In the huts I enjoy hearing the mixed foreign chatter from the disparate international groups.  I meet many young 20-something year olds Gai, Alisa, Ofer from Israel, lone Katerine from Germany, and Canadians surfer Dennis and girlfriend Kristen both from Toronto.  At the huts there is a warden/ranger from the Department of Conservation who is in charge of the area.  Each night, he/she briefs the guests about safety procedures, rules and educates us about the wildlife and features in the area of the park.

On the last day, April 24th, I spend a little time walking with Jonathan and his wife both in their late 50s and from Australia.  I manage to roll my left ankle stomping on the uneven ground with a pack on my back.  It is my fault for not heeding the previous wobbles all warnings to tie my laces up tighter on the descent, and knowing that I've a weaker ankle from bad injuries on the tennis court.  Luckily, I am almost to the end of the trail and the anti-inflammatory that I had been taking for my back stops the ankle from swelling.  At the end of the trail, we clean our boots and spray them for Didymo then sit and fend off sandflies as we wait for the bus to take us to the town called Te Anau. 

The bus ride from The Divide to Te Anau is about an hour long and the cushioned seats quickly lull my body into a slumber but I do not allow myself to sleep because of the spectacular terrain outside.   The beech forest along the road is not too dense and the light passing through the foliage seems both mysterious and ethereal.  The forest yields occasionally to open wild grassy flats perfectly dotted with toetoe, rolling expanses framed by mountains wedged against each other with dark valleys that beckon to be explored.  On the left side of the bus are hilly green pastures and the occasional farmhouse.  There is a delicate innocence to this place, a sort of gentle, peaceful wisdom and I feel myself brimming with love for this planet in a way I have not felt before. 

In Te Anau, we alight the bus around 430pm at the Department of Conservation office on the fringe of Lake Te Anau.  At the office I collect my tickets for the Milford Trek tomorrow and get directions to my hostel.  It is thankfully just around the office from the DOC office and upon my arrival I drop my backpack then walk 15 minutes into the heart of town to stuff my face with REAL food.  My ankle is hurting more now.  

At the end of my meal, I feel utterly relaxed and content.  I reach under the table and massage the ankle joint, rolling my foot gently.  There is a small pop and the ankle settles down back to normal after that.  It is dark by the time I return to the hostel to shower, do my laundry then Ascend and sleep.

reach out and drink