Routeburn Track

Against all odds!

After the beautiful Doubtful Sounds excursion we headed to Queenstown, our base to meet the family and friends before and after the famous and challenging, at least for us, Routeburn Track.

We had originally booked an aparthotel for the night before to the start of the guided walk, the 18th January, but we arrived the night before from Te Anau so my feet could recover (maybe!) and we found a room in the same accommodation: Peppers Beacon Hotel. Well, it was a disappointment as they gave us a dark and very noisy room with not a very clean shower. Not what we expected too much for the money paid and the hotel category but it seems the hospitality struggles extends beyond Te Anau to almost every resort.

As they could not give us another room, a bottle of wine arrived as an apology. We appreciated it, but none of this was helping Johnny’s feet with blisters and the burn and pain. Will Johnny be ready for the walk? It looked unlikely.

Next day we needed to change to another apartment/room with 2 bedrooms in the same hotel, booked long ago, and we would be sharing this with family, while other cousins would be staying in other apartments. This was better but that was not important now as our focus was towards the family and the walk. By this time we had reached the conclusion that the Johnny’s blisters were too bad to do the hike. For confirmation we met with a representative of Ultimate Hikes, the organising company, who agreed it would be unwise to attempt the walk. This was an enormous disappointment as we had planned this trip for such a long time and it was the reason 12 family members had agreed to meet up and face the challenge. With great sadness we cancelled Johnny’s place on the walk. Once we had made the decision we now had to find somewhere for Johnny to stay for two nights while everyone else was walking. It was with a heavy heart that we found alternative accommodation and then left Leslie to attend the pre-track briefing where all the family were to rendezvous. Three cousins, two with partners, one niece, one wife of a cousin and her daughter, one third cousin and a family friend gathered and despite the excitement of seeing each other there was an air of disappointment but general agreement that it was the right decision to withdraw from the expedition. Ultimate Hikes provided the group with packs and walking poles for the hike and explained what everyone would need to pack along with the news that we would encounter rain and windchill of 5℃.

Somewhere in the midst of conversations about packing enough/ not packing too much to carry/ where are we eating/ how have you been since we last met/ I’m not sure I can walk that far etc, we concluded that we would need a doctor’s certificate for the insurance company to reclaim the considerable cost of the walk. So off Johnny went to see the walk-in doctor where he was met by Bridget, a nurse who also happened to be a guide for Ultimate Hikes as well. Because she asked the right questions and he was able to answer them she said “I can give you the certificate if you like but I think you can manage the walk”. So there you have it; all change… “Im going to walk the Routeburn tomorrow and I’d better get back to the hotel and pack”. The only additional items Johnny packed were an extra pair of trainers in case the boots became too uncomfortable and plenty of plasters! This turned out to be fortuitous.

To say there was a mood change within the group would be an understatement. Excitement mixed with a little apprehension overtook sadness. As we gathered for dinner in the Pub on Wharf the mood certainly shifted:

OMG, can we do this?

I think my pack is too heavy

I haven’t walked 12 kms on the flat let alone up a mountain!

I don’t think my raincoat is waterproof.

I’ve never done anything like this in my life

I hope you don’t snore, I don’t want to spend the night listening to other snorers

I have to pee at least three times a night

my knees aren’t good

my hips need replacing

my feet are blistered!

So what is the Routeburn and what was all the fuss about?

Essentially this is one of New Zealand’s great walks. It takes 3 days and is 32km in length. The highest point of this trek is 1,255 metres above sea level, well above the tree line amongst soaring mountain peaks, huge valleys, waterfalls and lakes. Despite being a very popular walk with a very well marked track the terrain is not always easy with rocky outcrops and scree slopes to be negotiated.

night everyone

see you in the morning

sleep well

Except no one slept well, no need for our 5:30 alarm: too many pre-walk nerves for a good night’s sleep. Who checks out of their hotel at this hour except flyby-nights, pimps and Routeburn Walkers! The reward was a magnificent sunrise over Lake Wakatipu in Queenstown. The two bakeries in town were open for breakfast orders but there were no gluten & dairy free options. The owner of one shop packed with bagels, wraps, croissants, rolls and loaves was so bemused by Leslie asking for 3 slices of ham in a paper bag that she gave it to him saying “this one’s on the house”.

Hugs and whoops awaited us as others in the group got the news that Johnny was, after all, going to do the walk and even more when Ultimate Hikes finally agreed to re-instate him in the hike. Would there be a lunch catering for Johnny’s dietary needs? What the hell … we’re on the bus and off to Te Anau; a two and a half hour journey. We stopped briefly to collect 3 more hikers and then for morning tea.

Morning Tea is a New Zealand institution; a sort of mid morning repast with scones, cakes and tea or coffee. With tummies sorted we were asked to stand in a semi circle and were introduced to our guides , Neco, Sylvia, Ben and Abby whose combined ages were less than Leslie’s. Each of the 39 walkers in the group then introduced themselves; a rather futile exercise as we were a gang of 12 and united we would walk! Back onto the bus for the final 30 minutes to the divide on the Milford Road. Here we claimed our packs and poles, given our packed lunches, yes there was a gluten/dairy-free one, and before we could change our minds the bus had departed and the only way was up!

There’s an optional 30 minute excursion to Key Summit

Lunch stop will be at the Earland Falls

Where?

Start walking and you’ll find it.

By this time it is 11am and the temperature is rising, about 25℃ already. We climbed through beautiful mossy forests of fern and beech, gently then much more steeply for an hour or more to 400 metres above sea level. After 2.5km we reached the Key Summit track, the additional excursion. We could leave our packs here whilst we took this extra 30 minute climb or simply carry on to our lunch stop. Leslie decided to carry on abandoning the excursion plan, knowing he had a limited resource in his tank and his heart rate was continually bumping over 140bpm but Johnny thought ” blisters or not, I’m doing it”. Wow was it worth it! The views over the Humbolt and Darran Mountains are stunning; and it was lovely to share this with Pam and Chitty from our group.

We met again at the lunch stop and after a quick bite we continued the walk under an intense sun. We were being successful despite some difficult rock areas and the heavy-for-us rucksacks 🤣 . It was great to have gentle conversations with Leslie’s niece Ruth as we walked between huffs and puffs. Other snippets of encouragement with fellow walkers snatched between breaths …

how you doing?

great job

you ok?

sweet

looking good

…all lies of course but they kept us going, as did the views and occasionally the sound of a light aircraft flying in the valley below us! Yes, we were feeling like we really were on top of the world.

One of the joys of being this far from civilisation is the total lack of communication with the outside world … except that somehow, miles above the valley floor, Leslie received a message on his watch to say Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had resigned. Even more surprising was the reaction of our fellow walkers.

12 kms from our drop off point we arrived at the beautiful Lake Mackenzie Lodge around 18:30 hours where we were welcomed by a member of staff and given instructions of how our stay will work plus some refreshments. Straight to our room, which we were sharing with cousins Wilma and Asem, still to arrive to the lodge. After a cool down and a very much needed hot shower and placing our washing in the super efficient drying room we headed to the restaurant area to enjoy a glass of wine or two 🍷. But it is worth mentioning that Johnny was walking down the ramp to the bar like a duck in flip flops 🤣.

Dinner at the lodge was served by our young guides and it was a great time to catch up with family’s experience; everyone had a different ‘take’ on the day but all were in good spirits despite their aches and pains and for some of us the terror that comes with newly discovered vertigo. Did we mention that in many places we walked on a ledge with a sheer drop hundreds of metres on one side and rugged mountain on the other, or in some places just walking on a ridge with drops on both sides? The Routeburn is not short on surprises which is why it feels like such an accomplishment as well as being hugely rewarding with it’s ever changing scenery.

An unexpected bonus of walking with a large group is the dinnertime conversations. However Leslie was not quite prepared for the interview, rather grilling , from an apprentice news hack from the US. Others were at the table but his laser like focus made us realise how little we like being in the limelight!

The Lodges are powered by generators which are switched off at 10pm. Sleeping in a room of four just isn’t an issue after such an amazing day. If anyone snored, no-one was awake to hear it; although the scramble out of a sleep sheet for a midnight wee was a new experience for us, more so the effort to get back into the cocoon in the dark without creating a disturbance.

The generators come on again at 7am and there is a strict routine of lunch making, followed by an excellent breakfast and everyone being ready for a group photo by 9am. To add to this was the need to make sure everything was packed ready for the rain promised later in the morning.

how many layers do you think we’ll need?

I’m keeping my rain gear on top

make sure you’ve got gloves and hats

remember, Be Bold, Start Cold

We need to pay credit to the whole Ultimate Hike Team for their care regarding the dietary needs of our group. We had gluten and dairy free; celiac and halal requirements amongst us which were all catered for without any additional fuss.

Earlier we mentioned how fortuitous it was that Johnny brought an extra pair of trainers. Willy (Wilma) had had to make a running repair on her boots. Whilst mountain trekking might be good for the soul, it had proved too much for her sole which was now held together with sticking plaster! Who was to know that Johnny’s trainers would be a perfect fit.

It was definitely a different temperature at the start of the second day but we were encouraged to wear lightweight clothing as the day included a heat inducing steep climb to the Harris Saddle. By now we were well above the tree line and half way up the rain arrived. It’s quite an experience changing into wet weather gear in driving rain and bone chilling winds on a mountain side pass. We learnt quite a lot from this ascent …

waterproof clothing doesn’t breathe and whilst it keep rain out it keeps sweat in

socks collect water from your raincoat and slowly fill your boots

waterproof boots retain water excellently

morning tea is a forego-able extra in poor weather on a mountain side!

Our lunchtime rendezvous point was on the summit of the Harris Saddle. This turned out to be a very steamy affair. Perched 1225m above sea level there was a very welcome A-frame shelter with hot tea and coffee and a loo! The steam was provided by the wet bedraggled walkers who squeezed into this small, overcrowded space creating their very own sauna. We were all equally wet and tired and hungry but everyone was smiling! We’d achieved something collectively and individually and our sodden clothes did not dampen our spirits. However there were fewer takers on the additional 1.5 hr challenging excursion to Conical Hill, none from our family.

Leaving the lunch venue we were accompanied by Daile, the supervisor of the guides who was doing an appraisal. It was fantastic to have her knowledge of vegetation and conservation on this part of the walk. Even better was the improvement in the weather and suddenly mighty mountains, gigantic glacial valleys and gushing waterfalls were ours to enjoy. There are times when the sheer magnitude of this landscape can move one to tears; there simply aren’t enough words to describe what you are part of, seeing, hearing, feeling.

We reached the Lodge at the magnificent Routeburn Falls at 15:30 having walked 11 kms in some very challenging weather but having been rewarded with natural beauty on an unbelievable scale. Plenty of time before dinner to wring out our packs, and clothes and head to the bar for a welcome drink. Throughout the walk the guides were there to ensure our safety but with minimal interference so that we each felt our own sense of achievement. There was always a guide at the head of the walkers and one at the end with two others passing back and forth, always counting and in contact with each other by radio telephone as and when it was necessary. There is also a strict protocol that walkers leave their pack on the track if they need to answer a call of nature so that the last guide knows to wait and ensure everyone is accounted for. So here we are, sitting in the warmth of the lodge with a wine each when we see the last of our group arrive at the Lodge. Suddenly there is a lot of scurrying guides looking at the beautiful but treacherous falls, back up the track and giving the air of controlled concern. Yes, we were three walkers short and of more concern was they were all from our family! Some 20 minutes later three smiley and happy skinny dippers arrived, oblivious to the commotion they had created but with a tale to tell their grandchildren.

The final day of this adventure was a relaxed “walk out” to Glenorchy. The downhill descent and the warm dry conditions meant there was plenty of opportunities to stop and enjoy the scenery. Lunch was by a very beautiful pool which invited lots of people to swim in, but strangely no one stayed in the water for long; melted ice is not much warmer than it’s solid form. And then suddenly, 9 km later we were at the bus stop ready for the journey back to Queenstown via the Glenorchy Hotel.

As we gathered in our hotel suite for a farewell meal, joined by Helen, Derek and Ross there was time to look back with laughter, swap photographs, congratulate each other on our achievement, return shoes to their rightful owners, and compare blisters. It was a brilliant time of family kinship. Would we do it again? Well of course we’d meet up, but next time can we make it a cruise, lifting nothing heavier than a gin and tonic?

Thank you Ruth McRae, Wilma and Asem Othman, Adie McRae, Col and Fiona Cassidy, Jane and Grace Church, Pam Robbie and Paulette Watson. You are the best!