Dusky Trek, South Island, New Zealand (March 2007)

Are you sure you want to do the Dusky Trek? The warden in the Parks Office in Queenstown asked Casper and Anna for the third time? You could also do .........

Loch Maree; middle-right, route to Dusky Sound; middle-left, behind steep hill, route from Lake Hauroko.

Overview map and short description, after xxx

After

Decision

Casper and Anna were keen to do a special trek. Many treks around Queenstown are very touristic like the Kepler, Routeburn or Milford Sound, but Dusky is known to be a classic, not very busy and "for experienced trampers only". Only 500 persons a year do Dusky.

Still, the warden in the Queenstown Office did not really believe they could do it. After warning them several times that the trail is very muddy and steep while suggesting alternative touristic trips, she finally gave up. She still reminded them to get an emergency beacon or a mountain radio.

They rented the emergency beacon in a local outdoor store and dismissed carrying a mountain radio as being too heavy.

With some 200 days a year of rain or 8000 mm (Holland gets 800 mm), mostly in the summer, this could be a wet experience, enhanced by the muddy trails, numerous sand flies, stream crossings and the unstable wire bridges

Mud again ....

Another steep climb

Crossing one of many streams.

Wire Bridge.

The classic way of doing Dusky is to start at the head of Lake Hauroko. To get there you need to arrange a pick up at the town of Clifden. A minibus takes you go to the lake and a boat across the lake, weather permitted. On windy days the boat doesn't go.

First Day, to Halfway Hut

The first day to the Halfway hut, Casper and Anna quickly find out why they got the warning in the parks office. The trail is rough and runs through wet and muddy forest but the rain forest has some beautiful moss areas [1] .