9.-11.12.2017: Multi-day hike on the Routeburn Track

The 3-day hike along the Routeburn Track, one of the most popular of the 9 Great Walks, was supposed to be a highlight of our New Zealand trip, something I had been looking forward to for a long time. Dozens of postcard-worthy scenes surround the hiker on their 32 km trek through two national parks in New Zealand.

When the time finally came, we couldn't wait for it to be over. The reason for that was the persistent rain. Of course, I understand that you can't have good weather all the time and some tracks still retain their beauty even in bad weather, while others are only worthwhile in clear conditions - including parts of the Routeburn. Because when visibility is poor, all that remains is a nice bushwalk, like many others you can find in New Zealand, and an alpine pass crossing where you are exposed to the wind and weather. We paid 500 NZD for the huts, which were only equipped with the bare essentials, and the transfer. For that price, we would like to see something, especially when we can't even hope for comfort in the huts, for which we paid twice as much per person as for a cozy double room in a hostel.

I know, my introduction is anything but an advertisement, and I hope to be able to report much more positively from New Zealand after this blog entry. Ready for the probably most depressed article of all time...?

DAY 1

We didn't get a wink of sleep the night before our multi-day hike. It was raining heavily the whole time, accompanied by thunder and lightning. The sound of the water pouring down in buckets was so loud that it penetrated my earplugs and was classified as noise pollution. I looked at the clock twice and, exhausted, we were awakened at 5:00 a.m. by the alarm. We packed up the rest of our stuff and hoisted our backpacks. We parked our car at the Department of Conservation (DOC) Visitor Centre. At 7:00 a.m., the shuttle bus picked us up, picked up some Milford Sound visitors, and off we went. Breakfast was served during the ride, and at 8:30 a.m., we reached 'The Divide' car park in pouring rain.

While Eric's mood reached its lowest point right from the start, I still had hope for improvement, which I soon gave up. Since our visit two days ago, small streams have turned into rivers and quiet waterfalls have turned into raging torrents. It's a good thing we already did the popular side trip to Key Summit. So we hike until we reach the Howden Hut, where we have a snack and a drink.

It keeps raining until late morning. The ground is flooded, so I refrain from taking off my backpack and rummaging through it, except for two exceptions. My phone, resting in my rain jacket, is constantly fogged up, so I only take it out for the really beautiful waterfalls - otherwise, apart from the mossy forest that the track leads through, you can't see much of the surroundings anyway.

The 174m high Earland Falls, the largest along the track and therefore a highlight, have turned into a monstrous force of nature due to the heavy rain. We have to climb up the steep, slippery alternative route, as the official trail has been washed out. A man and his children still chose the fair-weather track and got soaking wet. I just want to catch a glimpse of the waterfall, but all I get is the spray and the roar of the water hitting me from the path. But I should have saved my "just look" for another time. The water hits my face hard, making it impossible for me to keep my eyes open. Within 20 seconds, even my rain gear reaches its limit, and the water runs into my shoes from above. Great! And I don't even take a photo home with me.

A few minutes later, the dense cloud cover reveals another glimpse of the waterfalls from a safe distance, but before I can dig out my phone, the moment is already over. We only catch brief glimpses of the surrounding mountain panorama through the rapidly moving, low-hanging clouds.

Then finally, our accommodation for tonight comes into view. With its spacious, glassed-in common room, it looks very inviting - we are positively surprised. Unfortunately, it turns out to be the lodge for guided hiking tours only - our hut is a few minutes walk away. Not exactly thrilling...

We barely make it in time to the Lake Mackenzie Hut and secure one of the 'better' beds in the 25-person room; minutes later, it starts pouring again. Everyone who arrives after us is soaking wet, as if they had walked straight through the Earland Falls.

Eric and I first crawl under a spread-out sleeping bag to warm up. When the rain pauses for 10 minutes, I take the opportunity for a refreshing bath in the lake because there are no showers here, just like there is no electricity or hot tap water. The temptation to actually swim is too great, but at least I scrub myself down to my belly and back, and then shivering, I take the towel that my friend, who waited for me on the shore and filmed my excursion, has ready for me.

In the evening, the ranger entertains us with stories of how poorly or adventurously some hikers completed the track. For example, one girl hiked in a bikini, another in jogging clothes that got longer and longer in the pouring rain, equipped with nothing more than two Pak'n'Save bags filled with useless items, and another even barefoot. The latter had to be rescued by helicopter and spent 10 days in the hospital. Unfortunately, the ranger also mentioned that the weather had been consistently nice with temperatures between 24 and 29 degrees for the past 4 weeks. That certainly improves morale a lot. It doesn't help either that nature urgently needs the rain after the long dry spell. Although I usually strictly oppose the manipulation of weather with the help of silver iodide, here I would have been a 100% supporter for once. After dinner and a warming cup of tea, we end the day and crawl into our sleeping bags.

DAY 2

When the alarm goes off, our motivation to get up is zero because we hear the rain pounding heavily against the window. It doesn't matter what time we start, the forecast is consistently bad. After we gloomily finish our breakfast and put on our damp rain gear, we set off. Considering that the Routeburn is a Great Walk and the third one I'm completing in its entirety, we think it is surprisingly poorly maintained. The path is almost entirely made up of an uneven stone bed, which becomes a slippery slide in wet conditions, and our tired feet stumble over the protruding edges again and again. Eric's occasional swearing is the only thing my ears hear besides the rain.

We are 5 hours away from the Routeburn Falls Hut, and soon we leave the protective forest and cross the Emily Pass. It keeps getting uphill; at first, we have a view of Lake Mackenzie to our left, then we practically only see clouds, some small mountain lakes, the valley below us, and the lower to middle part of the mountains. Here and there, we hear the calls of Keas, native mountain parrots of New Zealand, and we even catch a glimpse of them twice. At the Harris Shelter, we take a short lunch break to warm up because the cold wind has turned our hands into icicles. But with each break, we also start to cool down very quickly, so Eric urges me to continue.

From here, it goes downhill, and it noticeably gets warmer. But the best part is that the bad weather front is stuck at the top of the pass - you can't imagine how happy we are when it finally stops raining and even the sun comes out. We see the snow-covered mountain peaks, and the joy of hiking suddenly returns, making us forget about our aching backs. We quickly start cooking in our rain gear and attach them to the outside of our backpacks to dry. Finally, the camera is put to use; in two hours, I take more photos than in the last 1.5 days. In high spirits, we reach the Routeburn Falls and our hut for tonight. While Eric disappears into the bathroom for his daily wash, I look for a suitable entry point into the river. I find it behind the helicopter landing pad. You can't swim here, the flow is too strong, but it's enough for a dip in the shallow area near the shore. Quickly slipping into my bikini, I jump into the ice-cold water. Brrrr. In the evening, we have macaroni with tomato sauce, and then it's time for the usual storytelling session with the ranger in the warm common room.

DAY 3

If the rain wasn't the first thing we heard after waking up today, we would be really looking forward to our last day of hiking. But as it is, we are just glad that only 9 km separate us from the endpoint and our shuttle bus. Today, the Routeburn Track leads through the forest again, across some suspension bridges, with the turquoise Route Burn River present all the time. And just when the backpack starts to uncomfortably cut into my shoulder and before I can get whiny about it, it's done. We reach the shelter and thus the goal. The obligatory smiling photo at the Routeburn Track sign follows.

While we wait for the bus, we eat our lunch and have to deal with sandflies for the first time since setting off two days ago. Exhausted, we finally sink into the seats of the minibus, which takes us to Queenstown first, from where we continue to Te Anau. The road from Glenorchy to Queenstown is picturesque, but unfortunately, it is also winding, so I can't really enjoy it due to the fast driving style of our driver and struggle with travel sickness instead.

In Queenstown, we have an hour to spare before we are picked up by the shuttle bus and use it for a little stroll through the town. We don't have to hurry to see as much of the city as possible because we will be back here tomorrow. The first thing we do in our hostel in Te Anau is take a shower. We have been looking forward to that the whole time. For dinner, we just have canned soup - none of us feel like cooking anymore, especially since it is already late. Ahead of us is a wonderfully relaxing and snorer-free night in a double room on a comfortable mattress. Good night, everyone!