Ok, so we're safely back from our 3 day trek over the Routeburn track which starts in Fiordland National park and finishes in Mount Aspiring NP. We had three days of hot sunshine with storms either side of our trek. This meant that the waterfalls had been topped up but the ground was dry. The terrain is really tough going and consists of scrambling across, up and down huge boulders for most of the time. The 'steps' from one rock to the next are sometimes higher than is possible with little legs and it was necessary to jump or to climb on my knees with sheer drops of thousands of feet an inch or two away. Often the track is barely a shoe wide and the drops are terrifying. We certainly didn't lead the pack but were not the slowest, either. For us it wasn't about 'how quick', it was about savouring the breathtaking views and making sure we were safe. We did a guided walk which meant that there was a guide at the front and at the back of our little group. Some of the climbs/descents were at the very limit of our ability and strength but we dug in and achieved our dream. Standing on top of the Harris Saddle was such a great feeling! My pack was a bit too heavy for me and so, from the get go, Paul carried extra weight so that I could manage the climbs. We only took one set of clothes which we washed every night but having waterproof tops and bottoms as well as gaitors, extra warm layers, food/water for the day and sunscreen added up to a surprising amount of stuff! I'm writing this after a well deserved afternoon spent at a local winery and so please forgive any typos :)))

The story is best told in pictures and so I'll get on with that now..........