Kel: We drove down through the Crown Range to Queenstown the next day. Again a stunning drive with the scenery changing to very baren desert like land. Amazing how quickly it changes and this was only an hours drive. We stopped to view Queenstown through the valley, had brown trout sandwiches and then bombed it down for our Milford Track pre track meeting.

No offence anyone, but when we got there it seemed to be a grey brigade, 4 ten year olds and us, and we were thinking what have we done? It is possible to do the 5 day trip on your own and stay in wee huts with no showers, you take your own food etc but we thought we'd treat ourselves you see. Anyway, we picked up raincoats, poles and rucksacks and headed off to our .... HOTEL!

We had to stay at one before and after the trip so they would look after our van (which wouldn't fit in the underground carpark - oops) and our luggage. We packed bags of about 10kg instead with the sexy essentials like thermals and insect repellent.

Then we hit the town for some (fried) bluff oysters and a bit of wine tasting before the big event.