Another slightly restless night, possibly we were overcompensating too much for the cold - a hot water bottle, silk sleeping liners, a duvet and an extra eiderdown was a bit too much!

We opened the door to be greeted by a cheeky Kea, a big green parrot, staring us straight in the face. They have a reputation for kleptomania. Thankfully, it didn't make off with any of our walking boots or other possessions! We made it to the lounge and were quite at home with the routine of making our sandwiches, having a good breakfast and getting out the door. After a lot of concern about the weather last night, we were all incredulous that the sky was blue, and there were no rain clouds in sight. Moon said he'd spoken to his "brother" (sun) to make it this way!

It was amazing that in a group of 33 it was often like we were the only ones on the trek. It was nice to meet up and pass others on the track though, a good opportunity to have a little rest.

Today was reportedly the hardest day, and they weren't joking. We were going over McKinnon's Pass, so would have to climb up then back down again. Luckily, there was a lot of natural beauty to behold which helped distract us from the task somewhat.

Moon was at the top of the pass with a hot cup-a-soup ready for us which was very welcome. The views were astounding up there though, especially over "12 second drop". It was then a short walk to a more sheltered hut for lunch and another hot drink before tackling the 'emergency' route back down the hill.

The emergency route was being used because of the risk of avalanches on the main track, and although it cut a mile off the distance, it was very tough going, especially on the knees, with big drops to negotiate - especially punishing with big packs on as well. After the emergency track, things got a bit easier and flatter as we came back into beech forest, and eventually made it to Quintin Lodge, where we were greeted with high fives from Moon and the chance to take our packs off and have a quick sit down. We'd been warned not to take our boots off though, as there was another highly recommended small walk to take from the lodge to Sutherland falls. Agonising as it was, we walked the extra hour and a half there and back, and it was well worth it to see them - the highest falls in NZ, at about 540 metres.
After that, yet another very welcome shower, a dinner of ribeye steak with a bottle of wine as reward, overlooking the old airstrip dotted with grazing wekas, and huge mountains in the background. Once again, an early night in preparation for the final day's walk to Sandfly Point.