Travelling Round

First morning in Christchurch looking for somewhere to buy breakfast before we pick up the hire car.

A friendly Kia outside the cafe in Arthurs Pass.

Impressive way to stop rocks and waterfalls from hitting your car. This was on the western side of Arthurs Pass.

Coming back up across Arthurs Pass from Otira.

Crossing the bridge on the way back into Christchurch.

Coming into Hanmer Springs.

On the way up to Lewis Pass from Hanmer Springs.

Crossing Lewis Pass on the way down.

The waterfall was on the way to Murchison and was the result of an earthquake.

Back tracked up to Murchison for a coffee and afternoon tea with David, Anne Marie and Duanne who were holidaying in NZ at the same time.

Part of the highway between Murchison and Westport.

Cape Foulwind, great weather for walking.

Punakaiki, Japaroa NP (pancake rocks)

Main street in Hokitika.

Heading up to the Fox Glacier.

Looking up the glacier Helen and Aileen.

Brian and Aileen on the way up.

Coming of the glacier.

Glacier Base.

Fox Glacier.

Heritaniwha Point

? on the way up towards Haast Pass in Mount Aspiring NP.

Gates of Haast

Lake Wanaka

St Bathans an the old gold mining town.

New Zealands steepest St Dunedin.

Dunedin rail station.

Old Rail Tunnel near Kaka Point.

Lunch at Cannibal Bay. No Sea Lions unfortunately.

McLean falls near Papatowai. Plenty of sandflies though.

Guess it gets a bit windy at Slope Point.

Slope Point, New Zealands southern most point, we couldn't walk around as the track was closed for lambing season.

Bluff, signpost to everywhere. Very nice little cafe to get out of the wind and enjoy the scenery.

Bluff, walked around the coast for a look.

On the road to Queenstown.

Checking out the rafting before we booked in.

On the way up to Glenorchy to do Jet Boating up the Dart River.

Getting close and personal with the rocks.

This mountain was used in the filming of K2 and the foreground was an area in the Narnia movies.

Heading down river towards Glenorchy.

Jet boating with Dart River Safari at Glenorchy.

Its all got to fit in somewhere.

Aileen and Brian at the Chairlift in Queenstown.

Helen and Laurie at the top of the chairlift in Queenstown.

Packed ready for the Milford Track. Leaving Queenstown tomorrow for Te Anau.

The accommodation in Te Aneau.

Lake Te Aneau looking towards Milford.

Painting of the Glow Worm Cave on Lake Te Aneau

Helen outside the glow worm cave entrance.

Waiting outside the DOC Office in Te Aneau just got told the track was open to pre booked independant walkers only 24th October 2007.

At the head of Lake Te Aneau the jetty was flooded had to take our boots off to walk ashore, quite cool.

Start of the Milford Track.

Brian, Aileen and Helen on the first day heading for Clinton Hut.

The first of many suspension bridges this one was near the Glade Hut for guided walkers.

One of the memorial markers on the track.

Clinton Huts, our cabin was behind Helen, meals hut to the right. 5km down.

Just going out to the helipad for a talk about the valley with the Ranger.

Looking up the Clinton Valley and Neale Burne Valley from the helipad at Clinton Hut.

View behind the huts at night.

Another night shot in the cold.

Helen on the way to Hirere Falls, due to Avalanche threats we had to walk as a group. Had an earthquake last night lasted around 3-4 seconds the ranger said it was a 4.5 rating.

Aileen and Brian enjoying the peacefulness.

Just had an avalanche behind us, sounds like thunder when it comes down.

Looking up the Clinton Valley from Hirere Falls. We had lunch here while waiting for the helicopter to take the first season walkers over Mc Kinnon Pass from Mintaro Hut as not enough accommodation to go forward if the can't fly over.

Lunch break at Hirere Falls guided walkers hut waiting for the news that we may have to walk back the 8km we had just done.

Second morning at Clinton hut after having to walk back from Hirere Falls, 8km up, 8km back, 8 km up again to wait until we see if they can clear the walkers again.

On the track again, finally allowed to go past Hirere falls they have started to helicopter the lead walkers over the pass.

First view of what the ranger called avalanche alley, we were going to walk up another 6 km than be helicoptered through the most dangerous section to Mintaro Hut. The ranger said they had .7 metre of snow about two weeks before we started the walk.

This is one of the avalanche path zones we had to walk through to get to the helicopter.

Look at the mountain on the left.

Now look at the same mountain and you can see the avalanche coming down the side.

These bridges are lifted in and out to prevent damage due to high river flows in winter. That is Mt Balloon in the distance in the centre.

Helicopter coming in to pick us up.

Just taken off.

View up the valley, the saddle is part of McKinnon Pass. The rangers considered it to dangerous to walk this section of the valley.

McKinnon Pass.

Waiting by the Clinton River for the helicopter to bring our bags (don't stand still sandflies are savage).

Here comes our packs.

Just got to get a bed when we get up to Mintaro Hut and sit down and relax for the afternoon.

This was the view we had all afternoon, avalanche after avalanche on the other side of the valley from the hut. We sat on the verandah and this show went on for about 3 hours until just after sunset. This is most likely why the rangers decided not to let us walk through this area in casa a big one came down.

Lake Mintaro.

Mt Balloon after dark with a full moon.

A poster in Mintaro Hut showing what is in front of us tomorrow.

On the way through an enchanting forest to the base of McKinnon Pass, we were told we had to be at the top by 12.30 or we would have to come back down and we didn't leave until after 8.30 as the rangers had to ensure the track was safe enough to walk. We were going to be the first group over the pass this season and the rangers had to mark the trail due to the depth of snow.

This section of the track was starting to get rough and uneven under foot.

First snow 9.45 am.

Crossing the first avalanche path.

The head of the Clinton Valley, this is suppose to be all waterfalls in a normal season. I reckon we got lucky to see it like this.

Still going up, snow is getting deeper.

Looking back at the trail.

The previous photo was taken from the same spot to show the elevation change.

Are we there yet. Mt Balloon in the background. So close but so far to go.

Helen and Laurie at Mc Kinnon Memorial. Still not at the top.

Aileen and Brian at Mc Kinnon Memorial.

Lake near Mc Kinnon memorial, Mt Balloon on the right.

12 second drop, Sutherland falls is just up the valley in the background (you can't see it till you get to the bottom though).

Aileen and Helen with the Arthur Valley we have to walk out tomorrow in the background.

The lake near Mc Kinnon Memorial this section of track had a vertical cliff face and was covered in ice.

Almost vertical drop of the side of the track don't slip.

Looking back towards the McKinnon Memorial. Ice on the track made the slide before more interesting.

The highest point of the Milford Track.

Helen at McKinnon Pass.

Laurie at McKinnons Pass.

Clinton Valley, with Mintaro Hut in the valley below. This was our start point this morning. 574 metres climb 975 metre decent to go.

Looking back at the head of the Clinton Valley on the way to the day shelter for lunch.

The day shelter hut is in mid picture, lunch stop before starting to head down.

Boiling the billy for lunch to make soup and coffee.

Clinton Valley from the Loo with a view.

Heading of on the way down.

Just after this Helen slipped and the girls she was walking with grabbed her pack to stop her slipping of the side of the mountain until some people caught up and helped her back up. In sections we were breaking through the snow and not stopping till we were up to our packs than we had to drag ourselves out.

The main track was closed and we had to take the emergency descent track. We didn't get out of the snow until 2.30pm.

Head of the valley, this is where we were suppose to go but the track was closed.

Under Mt Balloon Aileen and Brian heading down the emergency descent track.

Looking back at the 12 second drop.

One of the bridges to cross the creeks on the way down.

Rest stop.

Another suspension bridge.

This is the 12 second drop using telephoto lense.

Sutherland Falls, only way to get to these falls is to walk the Milford Track than take a 45 minute detour. Highest single drop falls in the southern hemisphere. You start feeling the spray around 100 metres out from the plunge pool.

Mt Balloon from near Sutherland Falls.

Sutherland falls from the main track on the way to Dumpling Hut around 5.30 pm still along way to go.

Next morning at Dumpling hut outside our room. We eventually arrived at 7.00pm the night before. Just getting ready to leave around 7.30 am 18.5km and the boat leaves at 3.15pm.

Crossing debris on an avalanche path, this was slippery and dangerous.

Finally worked out a safe way across the debris.

A suspension bridge over the Arthur River.

Can you think of a better place to have a cup of coffee.

This section of the track was blasted by the original builders of the Milford Track, not for the faint hearted.

A long way down of this wet and slippery section of track.

Not a lot of room with a pack on your back.

This looks difficult but was a pleasant walk on the last day, we set a deadline to reach a specific distance by lunch so we could relax for the last 3 hours walk to catch the boat at Sandfly Point.

Water filling point, any running water course on the uphill side of the track was good water.

Another obstacle possibly caused by the earthquake the other night.

Lunch stop was at the Giants Drop. We can relax and enjoy the last section of track.

The Arthur River looking back up the Arthur Valley.

The 33 mile marker (53.1 km), this is the last marker post on the track, before Sandfly Point.

Every bend another spectacular view.

Made it, Brian, Aileen, Helen and Laurie at Sandfly Point.

This is the room that you can wait for the boat to get away from the sandflies. (didn't work they were swarming)

Helen and Aileen on the boat getting ready to go to Milford Sound. Check out the face screens and gloves to try and keep the sandflies away.

The clay Cliffs on the way from Wanaka to Twizel.

Lake Tekapo, Church of the Good Shephard.

Mount Cook.

At Kaikoura, looking south from the lookout.

Seal colony at Kaikoura.

This was our flight from Picton to Wellington.

Flying over Queen Charlotte Sound.

Approaching Wellington airport.

Gravity Canyon, Brian and Laurie 180 metres down on the flying fox.

Going back up.

Huka Falls, little did we know our grandaughter Maddisson would be born in Brisbane tomorrow morning.

White Island out of Whakatane an active volcano.

Leaving White Island.

Te Paui in Rotorua.

Geyser at Te Paui in Rotorua.

This was a stream we were told about last time we came to Rotarua so we brought Aileen and Brian down for a swim. The water closest is a thermal spring, you can see a rock shelf on the left this was a cold stream, you could sit on this and have one leg freezing the other being cooked.

Volcano Valley, this was the Crater pool and has a PH of around 2.1 we were told and was close to overflow the level changes as this is an active geyser.

Down towards the lower end of Volcano Valley.

Sunset in Auckland last day before we go home.

Travelling Round

Stanthorpe, Sommerville Valley

Rangemoore Estate

The new car and van

Fiji 2006

New Zealand, North and South Island + Milford Track

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