Walking Home?

☆ Day 25 Update ☆

       Writing to you from above the clouds in Aoraki National Park at the Sefton Bivouac. Last night we climbed up about halfway to the hut to get a good head start in the morning since the hut only fits 4 people. It's a tiny one! We managed to fit 5 out of 10 who camped up there. It was our coldest night yet but everyone camped without a tent under the stars because there are Kea (alpine parrots) notorious for destroying tents with their beaks. Among the 10 were 5 TA hikers, a professional photographer from Germany and a couple from Ireland and England here for a 6 month vacation. 

The climb got progressively steeper and more exposed as we neared the hut. Both sides of the trail dipped off into oblivion beneath the clouds so we didn't have to see how far we'd fall if we took a wrong step. I felt great this morning and really enjoyed the climb. It helped we were fueled by coffee and energy balls made from scratch with oats, PB, dates, nuts, seeds, chocolate chips, honey and protein powder! Now we are relaxing in the midst of big mountains and waiting for the suns warmth. If you ever make it to New Zealand I hope you make it up here! Just look at that glacier! We climbed up to the highest point we could safely and the view was incredible.

Aoraki is not on the TA path but was so close we decided to skip some road walking and spend a few days here instead. 

         We have had a wonderful couple weeks of hiking through Mavora Lakes and the Motatapu Track. The views only improve the further we climb north. We stopped in Queenstown for the weekend and enjoyed the restful days waiting out some rainy weather. Rumors are that snow is falling in the mountains soon so there is some concern we will have to cut our hike short. Looking at maps and weather we have some backup plans to skip around large river crossings and road walks in order to see the highlights. I have been a purist (hiking every effing mile) on other trails, but we have jointly decided that is not our goal. Every day we hike it gets colder and closer to winter so we want to make the most of our time exploring the beautiful Te Waipounamu, the Māori name for the South Island which translates to "the waters of Greenstone."

         A highlight of the Mavora Lakes to Greenstone section was a magical swimming hole we stumbled upon during our second day. Both of us were hot and decided to cool down below a waterfall in deep clear blue water under a canopy of trees. We spent every night of this section in a hut! There is a wide variety of different huts in New Zealand mostly built and maintained by DOC (New Zealand's Department of Conservation). Kiwi Burn hut is an 8-bunk hut with a beautiful view, a kitchen and a wood burning stove. We made a fire in an attempt to warm up and dry off our wet shoes. We weren't thinking about the huts when we packed a double sleeping bag. Luckily this section had some double wide bunks at Boundary and Greenstone hut so we only had to smoosh on a twin bunk our first night. 

        Queenstown to Wānaka section included some big climbs over Big Hill, Rose's Pass on Knuckle Peak and Jack Hall's saddle. Our first day in we started out early and hiked up Big Hill. At the top we enjoyed a mocha in my French press, with some drinking chocolate we scored in the free bin at the hostel. Kind of extra to carry but it was sure worth it. We waved and flashed our butt cheeks at a helicopter as it flew overhead and continued hiking down to Macetown. There we saw some historic repaired stone shelters of a mining village and a gold mining digger. Our afternoon was spent hiking upstream the river. It was pleasantly warm and our feet were out of the water enough on the river bank to keep from freezing. We crossed the river at least 30 times before we started hiking straight through about 3 kilometers back to where the trail connects. Wet feet have become a new normal for us. Our next day we had to climb over 3 passes with 1500 meters of climbing and 1500 descending. It was hot and difficult but our spirits were high and the views were rewarding. We were greeted at the Fern Burn hut by a TA SOBO who we met our first night on trail. She was coming back to hike a section she has skipped earlier. Our final day of the Motatapu was a casual stroll compared to the day before. We made it to the end of the trail before noon and took a dip in the river before making our way to town. This is the life! 

       While we are fully immersed in the trail life, we are also applying for jobs and looking for housing in the Queenstown/Wānaka area so it was cool to walk through our prospective new home away from home! Both ski patrol jobs and housing are super competitive here so we are setting expectations low. I may have a race crew job offer from Corronet Peak so there is something!! The next few sections have more logistics to find transportation and the weather is fast approaching.There have already been many special moments of our trail journey and hope to share more as we find the time. Thanks for reading!