...I learn that the river I'm supposed to ford to start my trail in the Mt Aspiring National Park is high due to heavy rains so I opt for the swanky option of taking a helicopter to take me to the first hut
...the 25m scenic flight over glaciers, valleys, rainforests and lakes leaves me speechless - I don't have the best seat but it is still superb
...I leave my stuff at the hut and try to do a day hike to a nearby lake but the first big stream I meet seems too deep to cross without getting totally wet. It's foggy and rainy and cold so I call it quits and return to the hut after two hours.
.. It's on a first come first served basis so I'm happy that I arrive in the morning but apart from the warden, Nic, and an Australian couple camping nearby the hut is completely empty. No wonder, the weather is dreadful and forecast - even worse. It's an extremely beautiful valley but you really cannot see much right now.
...I talk to the Australians, who seem to be well traveled. Kelly and Mark have even been to Kraków, Zakopane and - to my joy - Gdańsk
...I decide I'll decide what to do tomorrow when tomorrow comes - I might go back to the next hut over the Gillespie pass if the weather improves but if it does not, I'll head back down and catch a boat to town in the valley.