The Dusky Track

And so to one of New Zealand's hardest and most remote tracks - the Dusky.  

On DAY ONE we took pubic transport across to Te Anau and from there were picked up early in the morning for the drive to Lake Haruko.

We had decided pretty much not to do\ the side trip to Supper Cove which meant 7 days rather than 9. We had a lot of food to pack as we needed extra in case of having to wait for streams to go down. There are 20 odd 3 wire bridges on the track but one of the very last had been swept away so we had to hope it didn't rain too much or we would have to wait it out. 70 odd km to cover.

The last section of gravel road was by four wheel drive towing a boat. 8 passengers for the Dusky Trail which sees a couple of hundred at most per season. It rained hard that morning but was clearing up as we arrived at Lake Haruko.

Some wonderful waterfalls to enjoy

And off we go, looking keen! The sandflies were out immediately. The other trampers stopped at Lake Haruko Hut for lunch but we pushed on.

Quickly into our first river crossing (although there was a wire bridge higher up we could have taken if the water had been deeper). So boots and feet wet pretty much straight away. Walking poles an absolute necessity.

Deep mud, slippery tree roots, climbing - we had it all on the first day.

Very glad to arrive at Halfway Hut. Most of the huts on the track are 12 bunks with stove and water from the roof. River nearby for a good wash. No hanging about though with all the biting sandflies.

Cosy inside with 4 bunks in the main room and 4 in each of 2 small rooms behind. The others gradually arrived so we were 7. One guy had stayed back at Lake Haruko Hut to be on his own.

DAY TWO

No rain again today. 

3 wire bridge. Some had an extra pair of safety wires along the sides.

Ben

Washout

Lake Roe Hut - this was the most common hut layout with 2 levels of bunks at the back. No insulation so cold at night. Not a lot of dry wood but we did have the stove going for a bit. Never enough heat to fully dry out those socks and boots. The first 5 minutes in the morning were the worst.

Cup of tea in the sun. Evidence of the some time knee deep mud!

Not a long walk today so had time to leave our packs and walk to Lake Roe itself. The swim was pretty brief as the water was freezing, but refreshing and cleansing.

Still some flowers out - dwarf gentian I believe

DAY THEE dawned mistily.

Spider on its web

Morning view over Lake Laffy from Lake Roe Hut. 4 of the others stayed here an extra night to do some walking in the area. One continued and caught us up during the day.

Shadowmen

Ben and view back south

Lake Horizon looking back towards Lake Roe area

This section from Lake Roe (Furkert Pass 864m) to the top of the descent to Loch Maree was beautiful and open. Also quite reminiscent of Scotland.

We were lucky enough to be joined by a pair of kea, the world's only alpine parrot. They are very intelligent and have been known to open rucksacks and peel the rubber from windscreens. This one probably doesn't see too many passersby. They have beautiful red plumage on the underside of their wings.

Waterside path

Mountain and valley views

Towards the coast - Dusky Sound

In general the track wads well marked with the ubquitous orange triangles. Now and again we had to search a bit but never really needed the GPS. It was useful for giving distances but hard to gauge times as the paths were slow going. However we were close to the given track times.

Dusky Sound and Loch Maree

Chains were in place to help on some of the tricky sections. Elsewhere downed trees provided some challenges. It was a hard, slippery and steep decent.

Ben crossing the 3 wire bridge at the Seaforth River near Loch Maree. At Loch Maree the guy who stayed at Lake Haruko caught us up so we were 4 for the night. Both the others planned to make the side trip to Supper Cove leaving Ben and I to continue north alone the next day.

DAY FOUR and still no daytime rain, though we did have some at night. This in an area where it rains 3 out of 4 days apparently with an annual average of 6.5 - 8 metres of rainfall.

Loch Maree Hut

 

Ben at Loch Maree. The loch was formed in 1826 when a landslide blocked the Seaforth River and drowned the beech trees whose trunks have been preserved in the cold water.

In the moss

Plenty of friendly South Island robins. This one found a few morsels on my rucksack.

Toilet at our next overnight stop, Kintail Hut. We had this place to ourselves. We did wonder if we would meet people heading south though most do the route northwards. 

Ben got the fire going and we warmed ourselves and our wet socks! No-one else in the hut.

DAY FIVE was a long climb out of the valley to Centre Pass. We met a Frenchman with his pack raft heading south. He planned to paddle down Lake Haruko and out on the river to the coast.

Tripod Hill and Gair Loch (plenty of Scottish names here too)

Also an assortment of flowers and shrubs above the treeline (mountain daisies?)

We crossed Centre Pass at 1051m. Ben took a 2 hour side trip to the summit of Mount Memphis at 1405m and I stopped for a rest. It was a long day with another hard descent. At Upper Spey Hut we lit the fire and were treated to a full moon. Again we had the place to ourselves.

DAY SIX dawned fresh and glorious and still no rain.

There was some lovely boardwalk near the hut but this didn't last long and we encountered some very deep and broad muddy sections as we followed the Spey River.

This section was where the walk wire was down. However with so little rain we could have crossed dry shod had our feet not been so wet already!

End of the track and still smiling...

From here we walked on the road to the West Arm Hut being passed by coach loads of tourists coming back from Doubtful Sound. No doubt gave the guides something to talk about... Another hut to ourselves. That night we watched the total eclipse of the moon.

DAY SEVEN - a short walk to the jetty.

At West Arm we caught the tourist boat across Lake Manapouri and back to civilisation. Then minibus and coach back to Queenstown to meet Wendy at the airport. 

Cup of tea on the boat. And still no rain...

Rakiura - Stewart Island

And so a return to Stewart Island which I visited back in 2010. More Scots connections with the main settlement being called Oban. A shipload of Shetland emigrants settled here but the fishing didn't work out for them. Apparently great white sharks ate the fish from the long lines they used.

It was a short flight in the 8 seater plane from Invercargill

Great views on approach

Breezy on the first day

The Rakiura Track is one of New Zealand's Great Walks so fairly well maintained. The huts were busy but spacious and the track mostly excellent apart from some very muddy sections in the middle (a real taste of the upcoming Dusky Track).

There had been a fair bit of rain but we were lucky and had dry weather for our 3 days on the island.

Morning view from the first hut at North Arm

View from the second hut at Port William where we saw dolphins. In the night I spotted a kiwi finally.

Fallow deer eating seaweed at Port William

Ben on Maori Beach

One of the old boilers left behind from the saw mill days.

Nearing the end of the track

Another beautiful beach

Sand patterns formed by a stream

Sculpture. According to legend, Maui pulled the island up to act as an anchor stone for his canoe.

Evidence of the Shetland connection in Oban. I also spoke to one of the hut wardens who is a Gilbertson descended from a Shetlander. And so back to Invercargill for a night and then on to Te Anau and the Dusky Track.

Invercargill

Returning from Australia I had a couple of days in Invercargill, right down near the bottom of the South Island. A town full of streets named after Scottish rivers like Esk, Dee, Eye, Ethan, Tweed etc. Also once the home of Burt Munro whose motor cycle speed record still stands and who was celebrated in the 2005 film The World's Fastest Indian with Anthony Hopkins.

More kiwi humour

There are some lovely old buildings and park areas.

St Mary's Basilica and Otepuni Creek & Gardens

Burt's motorcycle is still on display in a local shop. Another highlight was the Bill Richardson Transport World. His private collection now housed in this 2015 faux art deco building. It included a cinema showing the above mentioned film on a loop. As well as all forms of transport there was a Matchbox car collection, jukeboxes and a lego play room. Even the bathrooms were themed.

A rarity is this Dodge RX70 Airflow Texaco tanker truck from 1940. Apparently the only roadworthy Airflow truck in the world. 

Ben arrived to join me and we set off for Rakiura (Stewart Island) a short flight away across the Foveaux Strait. 

Australia 3

And so back on the mainland I spent a couple of days in Melbourne. A visit to cousins (second and second once removed!) for lunch and some wandering around the big city. Certainly a lot to see and do, plenty going on - especially on a Saturday night!

Street Sculptures

Old and new in Melbourne

Silhouette in the excellent Melbourne Museum First Peoples section.  Kwatkwat man Tommy Mcrae painted the original in the C19. He recorded early encounters with the Europeans. Here the ceremonial dancers turn to towards each other in anticipation as a ship approaches.

More old and new

Next I took the train from Southern Cross station up to Wangaratta. Time passed quickly chatting on a variety of topics to an English girl on her gap year and an older Australian gentleman. After the 2.5 hour journey I was met by my old friend Jackie. Probably hadn't seen each other for ten years. We worked together in France in 1987. Several days of good food and wine ensued.

Like a good tour guide Jackie took me out for the day. We did a couple of walks around Mount Buffalo. Below the view back towards Porepunkah where she lives. 

Bush fires have cleared the view around the Horn. Here looking towards the Cathedral and the Hump.  (No doubt they have far older names too).

Alpine everlasting

Bright is the local town and a popular tourist destination. Thriving place with lots of shops, cafes and a bookshop. I took a short walk along the Ovens River and learned a bit about the gold mining history of the area. After the initial hand workings and sluicings big machines were built to strip the land and sift out the remaining gold. As a result the soil is pretty thin.

Then it was back on the train for the 7 hour trip to Mossvale, just south of Sydney. Here I stayed with my mum's cousin Heather who was a wonderful hostess and tour guide. Managed quite a lot of wildlife spotting: echidna (spiny anteater), wombat, kangaroos, water dragon, huntsman spider, leeches and various birds including lyrebirds and black cockatoos.

View to the coast from the Drawing Table Rocks

Tiger leech that had latched on through my sock

Landscaping along the road and some drystone walling by Richard

Heather took me to Boderee National Park on the coast where we met this very unfazed kangaroo.

Murray's Beach where the water was actually warm

Huntsman Spider in the house, the size of my hand - we managed to catch it in a box and set it free.

And so my month in Australia was at an end. Heather and I finished with an evening of watching Billy and Molly: An Otter Love Story. Hopefully she will see some otters next time she is in Shetland! The it was back to Auckland and down to Invercargill for more kiwi adventures but fewer exotic animals.