Where in the world is Kat Kong?: Day 3 of Routeburn Track 3-day luxury guided walk

Trip Index

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(Credits: pictures in the Routeburn entries may include ones taken by Peter, Nate and Jen...thanks for sharing!)

Today was the last day of our Routeburn adventure.

a beautiful sunrise

morning wake-up call

We repeated the lunch-making and breakfast routine. This morning's hot entree was sausage, eggs, beans and hash browns.

today's snacks for lunch

porridge for those who asked for it last night

porridge toppings

Kaleb and Peter getting cereal

my version of a parfait

Michael doling out hot breakfast

English-style breakfast

It was about five hours (including lunch time) to the end of the track and easy walking, so Kaleb and I took our time. We explored the area around the lodge a bit before heading out. The public hut was nearby; accommodations consisted of bunk beds.

Routeburn Falls

the lodge's helicopter pad (a pile of gravel)

incredible valley view

the adjacent Routeburn Falls Hut (public)

The hike to our lunch spot was filled with incredible sights. The weather was perfect.

striking

a big mudslide wiped out part of the forest here

heading down into the valley

one of many swing bridges on the trail

maximum load 2 persons! Margaret walking across cautiously...

South Island robin

Routeburn Flats

pit stop at Routeburn Flats Hut (public)

the hut has a nice view

a sturdier bridge along the way

stopping for lunch

John and Margaret

chowing down

Melissa and Anne

Kaleb contemplating whether to jump in

After lunch, it was easy sailing to the end of the track at Routeburn Shelter.

approaching bridge over Routeburn Gorge

water falling into the gorge on one side

water on the other side

taking the following video...

9-second "sideways" clip of the other side of the gorge: (click here if you cannot see the preview below)

strolling through the forest

so sweet...hope to be like this decades from now

the last stretch

Routeburn Shelter straight ahead

we did it!

waiting for the bus to pick us up

we saw many birds but not the elusive yellowhead

The bus arrived and we headed towards the town of Glenorchy to celebrate our journey with a refreshing beverage (guests paid for themselves). We received "certificates of achievement" as well as a copy of the group photo we took in front of Lake Mackenzie. We also got a copy of email addresses that people chose to provide to keep in touch.

I'll trade you two sheep and a wood

look familiar? Lord of the Rings location

heading in for a drink

what to order?

connected again!

celebrating with some bubbly

Kaleb receiving his certificate

we completed the Routeburn Guided Walk

The ride from Glenorchy back to the Ultimate Hikes Centre in Queenstown was also picturesque.

After saying goodbye to our guides, we all agreed to meet up for happy hour at Pub on Wharf. Kaleb and I walked back to Blue Peaks Lodge, where we found our luggage was still there, nothing missing. We were assigned a different room than the previous visit, but it was still the same layout. Of course, we got a bottle of milk. :) I forgot to mention that when we were at the motel before the hike, we did a couple of loads of laundry as the Blue Peaks Lodge had a laundry room on the lower level. The washers and dryers required one token to run, purchased for $4 each at reception, but it was the best $16 spent to have clean clothes. The washers were hooked up with automatic laundry soap dispensers so I didn't have to break open the single-use boxes of Tide that I brought with me on the trip.

Kaleb and I cleaned up, then headed to the waterfront. Eventually everyone made it to the pub except John and Margaret.

The group had such a good time conversing that we decided to extend it to dinner. Bombay Palace was able to take our group of 13 quickly, so Indian food it was! We went with the "banquet dinner"; it was delicious.

papadum

assorted meats

assorted curries

yummy

thanks Jen for taking this group pic!

After dinner, we said our goodbyes. It turned out that Jen and Nate were going to be in Franz Josef Glacier village at the same time as us so we planned to meet in a couple of days.

In summary, hiking the Routeburn Track with Ultimate Hikes was a great experience. We could have stayed in the public huts and carried our own food, but it was much more enjoyable having everything taken care of, especially if it didn't totally break the bank. On the day that it rained, I really appreciated having the drying room and hot showers. If you're on a budget and can't swing the Ultimate Hike, I would recommend the public huts; comparing them to pitching a tent and building a fire, they're definitely a step above. Kaleb and I love to hike, and being in the middle of nowhere with stunning scenery and few people on the track (fewer than even on the Inca Trail) was a pleasure, with our own bedroom and three-course meals as icing on the cake! On our next visit to New Zealand, I'd like to do the Milford Track with Ultimate Hikes. Returning guests (within 5 years) get a 10% discount on their next hike.

Tomorrow, we hop into a rental car and head to Wanaka! Stay tuned...

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