We awoke before dawn on Tuesday, planning to take a scenic flight over the Milford sound and five glaciers. Unfortunately when we made the final weather check call at 7am we were informed that the pilot called off flights for the day due to cloudy conditions over the mountains.
So, we called an audible and began a two hour drive up to Mount Aspiring National Park to hike the Rob Roy Track. From the get-go, we knew this was going to be a special day as even the drive over the crown range scenic highway offered some splendid views of the region.
Descending from the Crown Range we passed through Wanaka and started on a gravel road for the last 30 miles to the trailhead. This was an entertaining drive, featuring endless fields of farm animals (including deer!) from the Aspiring Station farming family that owns the land in the valley floor.
6-ish stream fords later we arrived at the trailhead and began the trek up into the mountains. After 1 mile of flat terrain alongside the large riverbed we turned up into the hills.
The winding, sometimes-steep trail meandered alongide a river up a canyon that put our familiar finger lakes gullies in upstate NY to shame. When we couldn’t see the river or mountains it felt like we had been transported back to the Pacific Northwest - green ferns and moss abounded.
After 3.5 miles (or I should say, 5km) and 1800 feet of elevation gain later we arrived at the upper viewpoint and were rewarded with a stunning look at the Rob Roy Glacier. A light drizzle didn’t stop us from enjoying some venison salami and aged cheddar cheese as we took in the view.
We headed back down as the sun was starting to come out and enjoyed some nice views of the opposite side of the valley.
As we descended we debated what a low-flying helicopter was doing flying up and down the valley with something hanging from a long cable. We reached the carpark and had our answer: It was transporting cement!
The drive back to Queenstown with a detour in Wanaka for a late lunch concluded this wonderful day. This is a special part of the world, I’m thrilled that we changed our plans and get to spend time here. On deck for tomorrow: Electric bikes!