Capels Trek, Routeburn Trek, Rees-Dart Trek

Translated by PROMT-Online-Translator

Country: New Zealand Tour / Mountain: Capels, Routeburn, Rees-Dart
Start: Glenorchy End: Glenorchy
Route: Glenorchy, Capels Trek, Milford Sound, Routeburn Trek, Rees-Dart Trek, Glenorchy
Distance:   Time: 8 days
Supply: self sufficient, tent, huts    
Difficulties:

Crossing of the dart river, carrying food for 8-10 days
Rating: On of the best trekking trips in NZ
 

Capels Trek:
Travelling with 2 daypacks: From Queenstown we went directly along a gigantic mountain lake to Glenorchy (with 925 metres ascents on 45 km anything but level). Glenorchy is the starting point for a 9-day trekking tour for us. First it should go during 2 days on the Caples trek. In the 3rd day we want to run from the Caples trek down to the Divide on Milford street around the last kilometres from there (presumably about 40 km) to hitchhike to the famous Milford Sound. The next morning we hitchhiked back to the Divide and went into the Routeburn during 3 days one of "Great Walks". Then from the Routeburn trek we want directly further go in the Rees Dart trek (incl. rivercrossing of the Dart) with 4 days the conclusion of our round tour should form. Because there are on the way no purchasing possibilities and we must camp on the Routeburn trek, one says in addition to our things still the whole camping equipment and cooking equipment as well as all food in our both small backpacks (30 l of volume) to pack. To believe hardly, however, we have created it what introduces admiring views in us on every hut once more (most have full 60 l of backpack for 3-4 days). May be that our backpacks were rather small, they were not, however, light!!!
 
Boardwalk: To protect especially sensitive areas in the mountains against the trekkers there are in New Zealand over and over again so-called Boardwalks. Also of the Caples trek was provided with a some hundred metre-long Boardwalk. There should be, by the way, some trekking tours where it goes for days nearly exclusively about Boardwalks.
 
Milford Sound: Milford sound is one of the most famous places of interest of New Zealand and everywhere it is highly recommended; so the disappointment is virtually already preprogrammed! Of Milford sound a gigantic fjord is in the really high mountain which fall directly into the sea . Virtually whenever high mountains fall directly into the sea are meant this of course also that the arriving clouds cannot here simply thus continue and must first of all rain of the water. No miracle if of Milford sound counts to the rainier areas in rainy New Zealand! Though we were not disappointed by Milford Sound, however, it was cloudy with partial some drizzle, and thus the mountain points everybody were covered in clouds. Nevertheless, in nice weather (which there should also be here) Milford sound is more great! Except a big boat terminal in one can book one of the countless boat tours and a lodge there is in Milford Sound, actually, nothing and thus we decided instead of to spend the night here to go rather, nevertheless, directly again to the mountains. We position ourselves again to the street and after not even 5 minutes the Australian couple goes past again which has taken us already with to Milford Sound, and picks up and once more. Then from the Devide we had to run only 1 1/4 hrs uphill, before we could creep away in our tent.
 
Keas: Keas are the only alp parrots of the world and live exclusively in the mountain world on New Zealands south island. Although they from the distance work very insignificantly they have very nice in plumage fluorescent red and green. Keas are shy by no means and, moreover, interested in all curiosities which they examine then also straight away with her sharp beak, or better said destroy it! Because of her habit nearly to destroy everything with their beaks Keas are called also "ill-behaved" by the New Zealander. Special specialities on the destruction list of the Keas are: Autowindshield wiper, window and door rubber in cars, backpacks, bicycle seats and all other things what either looks interesting oris unattended. On the way back from Milford Sound we briefly had to wait around by Homer Tunnel (one-way traffic) when a Kea came flying along. Though only he found another car more interesting, nevertheless, with a few amusing noises we woke his attention and already he came along. Only he still sat (we exactly observant and on any delicacy hoping) beside the car, however, as it nothing gave he has flown without further ado on the side mirror to be able to observe the passengers of the car more exactly.
 

Routeburn Trek:
Routeburn trek: He offers no miracle that the Routeburn trek belongs to the Great Walks, nevertheless, waterfalls, mountain lakes, alpines landscape and on nice days some marvellous views of the south alps and even up to the sea. How one can recognise easily we had lovely weather!!!!!!!!
 
Great Walk: The DOC has called his most popular travelling tours "Great Walks", and without further ado has quadrupled the hut prices and forbade to tents equally completely or limited on certain places. Thus it comes that one must book the Great walk tours before (in particular Milford sound walk already months before) around travellers together other with whole hosts through the mountains to make a pilgrimage. In the evening then everybody meets on the always fully booked-up huts with their 50 beds. The Great Walks are seen by many very critical, there here in comparison to the other tours in New Zealand the hut standard and the upgrade of the paths to an extremely high level have reached only to attract.even more tourists However, for all comfort (gas and toilets with flush) one must also accept that before the huts beside the usually usual flowers a few gas cylinders and coal bags lie.
 
Edelweiss: In the New Zealand alps there are massively edelweisses.
 
Weather forecast and Sandflies warning: Here nearly all huts have the status "Serviced hut" what means that they are looked after during the summer months by a hut warden who makes the necessary repair work on the ways. In addition, collecting the hut tickets or the control of the hut passs . Another service by the hut landlord is the daily updated weather forecast, as well as the warning before special dangers, e.g. from Keas or here from the dreaded Sandflies! (P.S.: Sandflies transfer no illnesses. This was meant here only as a joke)
 

Rees Dart Trek: 
A quiet little place and a river crossing: The most difficult part of our trekking tour was the crossing from the Routeburn trek into the Rees Dart trek. For just 42€ we could simply have signed on to us a Shuttelservice for the 30-km-long distance, however, neither our travel cash nor our travel style were compatible with it. Instead, we decided to go from the Routburn trek directly into the Dart trek. Even with optimum course (we create the quick stated times) and a trouble-free river crossing a day long 11 hours approached us. The first 5 hours up to the Rockburn hut were absolutely easy and we arrive here still ahead of our schedule. At this remote place we dedn´t expect to see anybodx, but as the hut is situated in the Dart, we hit on a guided Raftingtour with about 30 participants and 15 boats! So no idyllic rest. However, we properly had luck, because the team had finished just the lunch break and thus we got offered from the guides the left-over fancy cake . We could supply about 10 little pieces of fancy cakes thus to our scarcely calculated sweets (almost like Christmas). Finally, after a next hour which we have fought this time without marked way upstream through the bushes we reach the place to cross the Dart river recommended by the jet boat drivers (all employees DOC has refused to give us information over crossing places, because they meant the river would be too dangerous!) . The Dart formed here, nevertheless, several side arms and the first arms were absolutely trouble-free. Merely the last side arm was a little deeper (the water passed us again up to the hip) and also the current was rather strong (possibly football tallness stones started to roll away if we hit them), but meanwhile we had some experience in crossing of rivers, so that also this time everything ran easily. Now we had to follow only during 3.5 hours a well used path, until we arrived after 10.5-hour, finally, completely exhausted shortly after sunset on the Daleys Flat hut. From the supernice hut warden we have received there even immediately a pot of tea.
 
Rees-Dart-Trek: The Rees Dart trek is a 4-day trekking tour along the rivers Rees and Dart with a small pass crossing. The river valleys are wonderful and one can see almost constant ones the mountaintops with glaciers. Above all from the Rees pass one has a miraculous view at the Dart glacier. Also the huts are from the finest and in particular the Dart hut is still brandnew. Because we have come from the Routeburn we had to run the trek clockwise and therefore against the normal stream of hikers. Ordinarily further badly, however, the end of the trek still does lies 23 km from Glenorcy. However, from the last hut up to the parking bay in the Muddy Creek (in which also the shuttle coach holds) these are still scanty 6-hour term, and thus we want to walked in our last but one day still to shortly before the Muddy Creek to get the only coach of the day the next morning about 10:00 o'clock. Then, however, at last it came differently and thus we have walked on the same day still directly up to the Muddy Creek (this time we have met 9.5-hrs pure term), nevertheless, on the way another 2 Norwegians to us have offered us a lift in their car to Glenorchy. Thus we arrived instead of after planned 9-10 days (the 10th day was the reserve day) already after 8 wonderful sunny days (exception few cloudy hours in Milford Sound) again in Glenorchy. We have spent the night then on the camping site, nevertheless, the idea of a warm shower was too tempting.
 

I

BOOKLET

available for

DONATION!

50pages, 80 b/w photos, background infos, stories, ...

Just send your donation to our

Pay Pal account: nadinepuschkasch@yahoo.de

and email us your post address and we´ll send it to you.
 
 

Like to place your Ad here?

Just e-mail to:

martinlunz@yahoo.de
 
 

You liked our website and like to contribute?

Our Pay Pal account is: nadinepuschkasch@yahoo.de