Probably the most unusual Christmas I have experienced – but none-the-less very good!
Ian, Pete and I walked the Keplar track in the fjordland area of the south island for 4 days over Christmas. The walk started off in the sun along the lakeside and quickly turned into a vertical (well not totally), but steep climb up the mountain side. To our first hut which overlooked a big jagged mountain – promptly feel asleep on the deck outside and woke up with chicken wire molded into me. The following day we climbed more and ended up walking in a snow storm, which was all a bit of a surprise but very pretty once the snow settled on the mountain tops. That night we positively had a feast of beef, dehydrated potato and fried up veg followed by chocolate brownie and custard which did feel a bit decadent given some people had brought their pot noodle equivalents. Boxing day was nice and sunny and Ian had a swim in lake manipouri – I was chicken and didn’t!
Then it bucketed for the next 2 days.
We spent 2 weeks altogether in the south island which mostly consisted of more hill walking including the very pleasant Rob Roy walk under a glacier, a trip out to a hydro power station in the middle of a mountain and also lots of eating especially ice cream!
Heres the coldest loo on the planet - on a cliff edge:
