tramping new zealand

A great sleep on the soft grass that lasted until 6 am, but I was in no hurry to leave.

It was only about 90 minutes back to the car, and I didn’t want to try getting out up Skippers Road until the evening, when there would be fewer cars. About 7 30 pm sounded right, so I had the whole day to fill.

I had plenty of mucking around early, trying to get my tent dry from all the condensation, despite a lack of frost to worry about.

I went in search of water and found a trickle that would suffice for coffee before my gas canister ran out. Not enough gas for porridge, though. I should have swapped the gas bottles before embarking.

So, I didn’t get away until around 11 am.

I enjoyed the return more than the previous evening, probably as I was well-rested rather than at the end of a long day.

My plan was to do a day walk to Green Gate Hut, which meant just a few hundred metres drive to the start of the track. I still managed to muck around and take my time. I had seven hours to fill, and despite a steep climb to Green Gate Saddle, it was only a 1.5-hour one-way trip.

I sat outside the hut in the sun and enjoyed the summer. I went the long way back, taking advantage of the numerous switchbacks for the mountain bikers to ease the strain on my knees.

I’m not sure if sitting in my car for an hour late in the afternoon helped with my getting out of Skippers, but as it turned out, most of the stress was in anticipation.

Okay, there was the 12 minutes it took to drive back up the perilous road.

I kept the revs high to maintain the car’s momentum.

I only met one four-wheel-drive, and it was at a relatively convenient spot where I could squeeze past after he backed up the hill about 10 m.

There was still plenty of light, and I picked up some of the world’s most expensive fuel and groceries in Queenstown before getting through the traffic congestion and up to Moke Lake for three nights.