part: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21
map of the journeyI left for Stewart Island the next day, booked my tickets for the huts in Oban and experienced rain, hail, strong wind and sunshine that afternoon on my way to Port Williams Hut. That hut was serviced by a warden, Tom, about 75 years old, from England, who calls himself a dinosaur. If dinosaurs got extinct by cold climate on earth, Tom is doing everything to create a habitat for dinosaurs in his hut. The fire burning in that hut is very hot...
Rain the next day and a walk through the forest for 5 hours to North Arm Hut, where we had to take care of a fire for ourselfes because, Maggie, the young marine archeologist did some work on the track and left for Oban in the afternoon by boat.
The last day is a stroll along the coast and more forest and you may see a lot of birds that are not spotted easily anywhere else.
The ride across Foveaux Street can be very rough on the ferry.
Back in Invercargill we waited for the delivery from Christchurch next morning and after a great relief that we ordered the right dropout for my bike, the job was done within 15min.
Along the coast to Riverton, oldest settlement in Southland (about 175 years old) and to Tuatapere and after a short look to the old suspension bridge in Clifdon to Te Anau.
2pm in Te Anau and within one hour I had tickets for two campsites on Kepler Track, a place for my bike, a shuttle bus back from the car park for the day after tomorrow, food for the track and all my luggage repacked. The weather was fine for the two days and I walked via Luxmore Hut to Iris Burn and the next day in the Iris Valley to Lake Manapouri and along the river connecting Te Anau and Manapouri.
Nice views from the top to the mountains and across the lakes, it would have been appreciated if the sky was a bit more clear.
The next days probably to Milford Sound and Hollyford Valley.
part: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21