Feb. 29, 2024, Queenstown / Greenstone Car Park to Taipo Hut, 21,83 km, km 2385,83, ca. 7:45 hrs
There is no ferry across the lake from Queenstown, so we take the shuttle, leaving Queenstown at 8:00 am. The journey to the other side takes more than 2 hours. There is a stop at Glenorchy after about 45 km. Since the road is very curvy, the drive takes time.
In Glenorchy, we change shuttles. Two people on the shuttle are going to walk the Rees/Dart Track, which means a little detour to that trailhead. I don't mind; I sit comfortably in the car and watch the nice scenery.
We arrive sometime after 10:00 at the Greenstone Car Park and start walking just before 10:30. The first 12 kilometers we follow a well-known, well-used, and well-maintained trail. This is so nice for a change! The path is very wide, not just a few centimeters. There are almost no roots or rocks, no mud, no streams to ford. It is very relaxing to be able to just walk.
After 12 km, we reach Greenstone Hut, and from here, we follow another trail, eventually leading to Mavora Lakes.
The difference from the Greenstone Trail can be felt immediately. The way is very narrow, and soon there is a lot of mud to get through. Not very deep, but my Shoes and socks are completely soaked.
This trail has a lot of fallen trees. A lot. People complained about that in the trail notes because every few meters they had to climb over trees for many kilometers. We are lucky. Since on this trail there is pest control, the people who set up traps and put out poison need to have good access, so when we arrived on this section, the trees were cut, and we "only" had to deal with the mud, water, rocks, and roots...
A few kilometers before Taipo hut, the markers lead me out of the forest and into a tussock valley. The tussock is high in places, and the ground very swampy. Now I am just walking through swamp. I quickly give up finding dry spots. It is impossible.
I am glad when I reach the hut. There is already someone in there, so X had pitched his tent. I am too tired. I know I will have to do some thorough mud removal from shoes, socks, insoles, pants, take a bath in the nearby river, filter water, prepare food, and everything feels like so much that I feel I can't put up the tent as well today.
We end up being three people in the hut. A woman arrives, who started the trail with me on Nov. 5. She saved my water filter that day, that I had dropped at the beach. While I was walking back to find it, she came and gave it to me. I had not seen her since then.
I do all my chores and then climb up the bunks to my mattress in the hut, happy to lie down and fall asleep eventually.
Greenstone track to Greenstone Hut. First time I could walk on a nice path. Unbelievable. It felt like a dream!:
Section after Greenstone hut:
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