Lots of Queenstown Sunday Funday madness yesterday with live bands everywhere and some very intoxicated people. All good fun but nice to escape today. Lodged my bag at my Queenstown "home", and bus ride to sunny Wanaka. It's really quiet warm today but am hoping it cools down a bit over the next couple of days as climbing to the saddle in this heat would be quite gruelling. Anyway, have collected the required hut ticket for Aspiring hut so all set for the start of the trip tomorrow.... read more

I leave Te Anau behind after a last visit to my favourite coffee shop for breakfast. Bump into local deer farmer Roy who I'd shared a drink with last night - very nice chap. Spent the rest of last evening with a couple from the Isle of Wight (sorry Rob - they're invading) and a couple from Colorado. Interesting people who don't know each other but keep bumping into each other all over NZ. Then in the car and the long drive up to Queenstown. Take a detour up the Remarkables and take a couple of pics then down into town and check in to my second home at Pinewood. Being back in a town makes me feel a bit low so I jump in the car again and drive out to the road end past ... read more

Day 1 Awoke quite lazily, abluted and checked out - quick check of email before I leave. Then into town to complete some menial stationery-based tasks (well, I am on "holiday") and then to the Sandfly Cafe for an excellent breakfast (7.6 on the SEBI). Forgetting to pop into Mitre10 for duct tape (that reminds me - you're way out of date when it comes to kit updates - there are rips that need taping), I hit get on the Milford road again, heading for the Hollyford road this time (yesterday's Gertrude wander was directly off the Milford road). Anyway, I eventually reach the Hollyford road and immediately pull over to the wee side park at the beginning of the Lake Marian track. Dump the car having picked out the day pack, a bit of water ... read more

Typing from Te Anau again. Went to see a screening of Ata Whenua (Shadowland - local film made celebrating the awesomeness of Fiordland) again last night in the wee specially built cinema here. Still a wonderful experience - would happily go again but I probably won't this time around. Anyway, this morning I decided to drive to Milford Sound for breakfast and then head back for a scoot up to Gertrude Saddle (just this side of the bizzareness that is Homer Pass). Milford Sound is just as commercial and coach-ridden as always and just as sandfly-ridden as always but still one of the most beautiful sights if you can ignore the people. The worst version of bacon & eggs I have ever experienced (0.1 on the SEBI) but at least the coffee was good. I escaped ... read more

Well, I'm back in Queenstown having completed the Greenstone. But, dear reader, I am really struggling to find the energy to write what I must. All the practical, logistical, physical, and social sides of the tramp went as expected and much beauty was experienced. But there is so much wrong I find it hard to know where to begin. I have written so much during the past few days and thought through so much more that I haven't had a chance to write down and I fear my mind will forget. Let's hope I wrote down the important bits. I know you'll all be wondering what I'm on about and I will share it with you, I just need time and I know not where to get it from. I need to write so much more ... read more