20.03 Aviemore Dam
After a brief stop in Oamaru we drove further inland, stopped by the elephant rocks and enjoyed the great warm weather.
Spend two days at a lovely spot at some river in a beautiful autumnal sourrounding which is present here everywhere where there's water, everywhere else is plain country,
which makes it a beautiful contrast.
These days really felt like being on holiday again :) Warm days and everything colorful :-)

24.03 Rees-Dart Track
During the half day we spent in Queenstown we checked the track conditions and bought some food for the track, but freedom camping is not allowed in most of the area round here so we didn't come to the pleasure to experience Queenstown after dark sice we were already halfway on the way to Glenorchy.

The problem with the Rees-Dart track is that it looks pretty much like a circle but still has some 40km in between the track ends and the shuttle charges 35$ per person per ride (I don't have to mention that that is too much, do I?).
Plan was to drive to the carpark in Paradise and walk to the beginning of the track. The carpark in Paradise is easy to miss, as apparently is the 'village' itself(1 mansion and 3 barns would be more accurate), as two Australian guys proved who arrived at Chinaman's Bluff (where we wanted to end the track) shortly after us.
They've been low on fuel and we at the wrong end of the track. So we made a fuel for drop off deal and were with our backpacks in the rain at muddy creek around 1.30pm with good spirits (not the kind of spirit containing alcohol unfortunately) and one problem less to solve!
Poor rental car of the Aussies, those creeks looked worse than the ones on the way to Chinamans Bluff, but I won't complain :)
Muddy creek had a funny bright-lead-grey color but after jumping some stones we were underway! Rain, cloudy, impressive valley, marsh to walk through and 19km in total today. First mayor challenge was 25-mile creek, tourned around at the first attempt to cross because the current was too strong and looked for the owners of the car next to the signpost to 25mile hut. Got some advice and a former young tree as pole from three friendly hunters who nearly lost that car on their drive to here and got water inside the car.
Best of all is that the car was rented ("I wouldn't do that with my own car"), so if there's one thing not to do in NZ it is to rent cars!
Made the creek crossing at a broader and shallower part without any further problems and walked till we arrived in the hut with the last light at last. Nobody here, which was nice, though the absence of enough small wood to start the coal stove was bit nasty so after trying to lit the thing for an hour or so we went to sleep without a warming fire..

The end of the 2nd day still found us at shelter rock hut, as the rain didn't stop in the morning as the forecast said, the mountains were all white to a pretty low level and we had no idea if the Rees saddle would be too dangerous in these conditions. 8 Kiwis coming over the saddle, carriying snow on their backpacks told us to rather wait for the next day which we did. Apart from better weather we wouldn't be alone too.

It was a very good choice to stay the second night at the hut aswell. After being waked the first time by the group of Kiwis breakfasting at 5am with torches way before the sun rose, we stood up to a day with lovely blue sky and the sun rising behind the snow capped mountains. To the head of the valley and over a short but steep and slippy ascent up to the Rees Saddle from which we had astonishing views over three valleys.
The Rees valley where we just came from which still had color further down, the Snowy creek valley which was most impressive, all white, wide and beautiful and the valley towards the Dart Valley where we went on along with the Snowy creek below us.
It is hard to describe that view on the saddle, but I think it is the most beautiful thing I've seen so far here in NZ! Though it felt more like being in a different world.
Was a very nice day all in all and we had nice company with Tanguy and Tom & Kay, our group for the track.


The weatherforcast had changed from good to rain becoming heavy in the afternoon, but we left towards Cascade saddle nontheless to get at least views over the Dart Glacier. The two other french guys had seen the glacier in all white yesterday which he said was the first 'real' glacier he'd seen so far. One that 'didn't look like a carpark'. Well. Today it was partly muddy again and because of the weather not clearing over the saddle we didn't made the last hour up to the saddle but watched an avalanche over the dart glacier instead.
Vivi's mood was quite low today, she thought the valley looked like mordor and was happy to get back to the hut.

Day five, walking the Dart valley, through forest and over plains. Nice and sunny day, lovely views and even a few yellowheads to be seen :-)
Last day was similar, mostly even ground, magical how the fog lifted in the early hours of the walk.