Motatapu Valley to Queenstown

“Yesterday has forgotten us.
Tomorrow hasn’t met us yet.
But today is waiting for us and could just be our greatest friend.”
Atticus

Day 96 to 99

Day 96 – Wanaka to Fern Burn Hut ; 24 km
Day 97 – Fern Burn Hut to Roses Hut ; 16 km
Day 98 – Roses Hut to Arrowtown ; 22 km
Day 99 – Arrowtown to Queenstown ; 29 km

Total hiked: 2696 km

With almost 100 days of trotting under my belt you’d think I would have learnt by now that I don’t like walking in the midday-afternoon heat… yet there we were trotting, sweating and struggling around Lake Wanaka.

After leaving town with bellies full of coffee and scone, N.D and I headed towards the Motatapu Valley Track near Glendhu Bay, though we didn’t actually start on the trail till 17:30. Instead, as the heat got the better of us we relaxed, read and swam in Lake Wanaka mid trot to see out the afternoon heat. After only just re-starting we found a brewery at the bike park and stopped for a further refreshment. It’s mandatory to stop if you see a cold beer right?. 😉

Fern Burn Hut in the distance and my top notch dance moves 😉

Early evening trotting through Motatapu Valley proved to be gorgeous and we made it to Fern Burn Hut just before sunset.

The next day started in thick fog and with a hill. Many many hills in fact were climbed that day. 😦 Whether I was struggling to get up the hill or my knees were protesting on the descent, the day was long and arduous. To be honest I was kind of over it. Tired, dirty and feeling constantly uncomfortable in one way or another I was looking forward to our pre-arranged break in Queenstown. But trying to not let this get the best of me and wanting to enjoy Te Araroa for everything it throws at you I focused on things to look forward to (lunch, always lunch) and carried on trotting. By days end my mood had lifted, mucho snacks had been consumed and I was happy to be on trail at Roses Hut for the night. 🙂

The struggle was real!

When you trot with someone 24/7 it’s quite common to share emotions, good, bad, ugly, han-gry, you name it. If you’re not thinking them internally then the other person is getting the brunt of them aloud. Whilst I had struggled the day before with not wanting to be trotting on our last day in the Motatapu Valley N.D awoke with similar feelings, now I was trying to be the uplifting one. Sadly sugary treats don’t distract him the same as me. 😛

After a morning ascent of Roses Saddle, a high river track diversion through gorse bush and spiky plants, a sandfly invested lunch stop in Macetown and a long dirt road walk to Arrowtown we were both very glad when we could rest, put our feet up and N.D got a cold beer!

The trot from Arrowtown to Queenstown proved a stark contrast to our previous day’s experience. Gone was the hills, long grass and lack of civilisation replaced with well signed or paved trails, pristinely manicured lawns and people! We felt very out of place as we passed through Millbrook Estate, only once loosing the trail and having to clamber over the golf course. 😛 Continuing along the trail to Lake Hayes, over the historic Shotover Bridge and towards Frankton we had made it to Queenstown.