February 27 [Bron] – The weather forecast had warnings about rain and wind, but we’d popped into the DOC office on the way to the trail and they said the weather was no reason not to head out. Brent kindly dropped me off at the Control Gates car park and I was off on the 60km trail! I was walking by about 9am and the sign said 6 hours to the first hut. The first 5km was cruisy forest walking – flat and pleasant. The rain started near the end of this section. The next 9km or so was climbing the hill. After my recent training hikes it actually didn’t feel so bad going up the 955m elevation gain. Part way there were some interesting limestone cliffs and a rainbow (blue sky but still raining). Once hitting the ridge, wet from the rain, it was FREEZING in the wind. Some gusts blew me around but the hiking poles helped. Luckily the hut was only 1km or so from the forest edge.
Before 1pm I was at the hut (less than 4 hours later)! I certainly don’t consider myself fast so I’m not sure how they determine the sign times. Luxmore hut is probably the nicest I’ve seen so far – it even had flush toilets INSIDE. After a change to dry clothes, and a hot chocolate and peanutbutter wrap lunch, the rain stopped and it was time to explore the nearby Luxmore cave. It was interesting – but a bit sad as people have broken off many of the rock structures over the years.
This location is absolutely picturesque. The Kea agree and we were warned several times to not leave anything lying around outside as they will steal whatever they can get their beaks on.
Luxmore Hut 
Cheeky Kea
The hut warden led a nature walk at 5pm. There were many questions to the group about this and that. After being the only one to answer several geology ones correctly, I had to admit is wasn’t really a fair contest as I was a geologist in real-life. She gave us many interesting anecdotes about the wildlife. For example: The Kea figured out how to get the bait (chicken eggs) out of the stoat/rat traps by tipping them up. So they changed the design to have the holes on the side instead of on the end. No luck – the Kea then learnt to roll the traps and still get the eggs. So they staked down the traps with rebar. Not content to leave things alone, the Kea now bring the dead carcasses that the workers throw away when resetting the traps back to the trap – as if saying ‘this belongs over here, silly human’.
February 28 [Bron] – Good morning world! Not a bad scene for a morning coffee.
Sunrise at Luxmore 
Mountain Tarn
The warden warned us that the weather forecast had winds increasing to over 100km/h throughout the day, so we should leave for the next hut as early as possible. I was off hiking by about 7:30am as I like to follow instructions. And WHAT a hike. The Kepler was designed about 30 years ago as a hiking circuit (whereas most trails have a history as travel or trade routes). They certainly got it right – the walk is spectacular. The middle section traverses 3 linked ridges with breathtaking views in every direction.
There were many more Kea sightings – this bold bird was going in for a backpack peck even with me sitting right there!
Near the end of the ridges it was getting very windy. I had to tie my sunglasses onto my head with a spare shoelace. I didn’t get blown over (although there were instructions during the safety briefing that if you start to be blown over, go down on all fours and crawl – a legit thing that happens semi-regularly), but I needed to time my trips down the stair cases around wind gusts. Soon enough I was back in the woods on the other side for the decent to Iris Burn Hut.
Iris Burn Valley 
Boots hung with care to prevent Kea theft!
While this leg had taken closer to 6 hours, I was once again at the hut quite early at 1:30pm. This left lots of time check out the nearby waterfall and river (for a >40k step day). That evening we found out that people who started later or walked slower were faced with much stronger winds (over 100km/h) and had to do things like go down the stairs on their bums.
February 29 [Bron] – There was a man having his 10th birthday today in the hut! We all sang happy birthday for his 40th year. The walk today was mostly flat through beautiful forest along the river. I even spotted a rare Whio (blue billed duck) with a bit of searching. The warden had described how to spot them – they look exactly like grey rocks in the river when their heads are underwater. I was a bit too far away for a good picture – but here’s 2 of the rare ducks!
The forest was fantastic. After a speedy 4 hour walk I arrived at the last hut by Lake Manapouri. My heart sank when I realized I’d lost my sunglasses. Logic said they were about 7km back where I’d taken my pack off to get a snack. What to do…… that would be a loooong walk back and forth, if they were even still there. Luck was on my side and another hiker had found then on the trail and was oh so fortunately headed in the same direction. Reunited!
March 1 [Bron] – The hiking (or tramping as they call it here) community is full of great people. Spending 3 nights with the same group (give or take a few going in the opposide direction) was really fun. I met some excellent people and it was awesome to hear so many hiking and life stories. All too soon it was the last day. I had ~16km to hike through the forest back to the control gates where Brent would meet me. The warden had recommended a side trail to a little beach where you could see a lot of the trail route we’d just done in the distance.
The hike was more excellent forest with some enormous Podcarp tress, some peaceful wetland, and some river views. I had a good pace going and covered the 17km (with side trails) in 4 hours.
There is a race called the Kepler Challenge every year where people trail run the whole track. The course record is 4:37, held by an Australian man. While it took me 4 days to do the 60km, I think I probably enjoyed it a lot more than him.
February 27 [Brent] – Bronwen was off to adventure the mountain, and I headed for the coast. I chose to go to Dunedin to have a few city days. The drive was uneventful, and took about 3.5 hours. I enjoy driving. I enjoy listening to music. The two activities together are even better together. Why is it that I can’t remember what I have changed my Gmail password to, but I can remember all these song lyrics. I found a great radio station. The Sound. It is advertised as ‘The soundtrack of our lives.’
My trip to the coast crossed one mountain chain – low mountains and rolling hills – on a long and winding road. It feels like the Alberta Foothills. All of New Zealand is reminding me of Coastal BC, the Rockies, and the Foothills. The area is very agricultural. Most of the land is covered in mixed farms. Crops include pumpkin and kumara – and there was miles and miles of it. Sheep and cattle stations also blanket the countryside with a few wind turbines peppered in for good measure.
February 28 [Brent] – Our insurance company has finally come through with a list fo documents required to settle my health claim from Tasmania. I spent a few hours pulling all this detail together, and preparing a package to send it all away. I think it took less time to go to the hospital and receive treatment than to deal with AIG. Not happy. Seems to be just the typical insurance company trying to wear down and frustrate a subscriber to avoid having to pay out fees I am due to receive. Oh and the agents are Americans, masquerading as Canadians, which boils my blood too. They need an atlas. Imagine getting Tasmania and Tanzania mixed up. With all the documentation done, it’s time to find something to settle me down.
This ought to work…
The Otago Settler’s Museum. I had a very nice afternoon reading stories of the first families to settle in the Dunedin area. Each of the photos on the way had a matching entry on the computers in this gallery. Selecting the photo, you could get a short biography on the settlers, including the name of the ship that they arrived on with date, trades that the provided to the community and other short interesting historical tidbits. You could also do a reverse-search if you knew a family name, and had some other details. I thought that this was really well done.
The remainder of the museum was varied subjects. Railroading. Gold mining. Farming. Automobiles. Stone working. Māori history. Pop-culture through the decades. Dunedin and Otago’s influence on the world – it was the New Zealand hub of fashion design, and where Cadbury Chocolate was made for the Southern Hemisphere, until very recently.
Not far away from the museum was the train station. As it was a ‘double cruise ship day’, the place was really busy. Smartly, they use the railway to transport everyone in from the ships to city centre. Thousands of passengers get a ride on a classic old train to city centre and are left on the platform right next to the $115 per person rail excursion on Dunedin Railways. I didn’t go. The trip would have been nice, but it was too busy. I would also have preferred to travel up Taieri Gorge and get off, walk around and go back on a different train a few hours later. This would have cost me double – two tickets.
Instead I enjoyed the station surrounds, all the wall tiles are Royal Dalton and still original from the time of construction. The tiling of the walls in Dunedin’s New Zealand Government Railways station is reportedly the largest project taken on by Royal Dalton. The photo does not due it justice.
February 29 [Brent] – A bonus day, we only get once every four years! I’m going to make the most of it. First – I must find a rugby shirt. I have been wanting one to replace an All Blacks shirt from years ago. Mission accomplished! (photo from a later date)
I spent much of the day driving about the area, and exploring the seashores. The quest has been on to watch some wildlife. The only mainland colony of Royal Albatross are here in Dunedin. I went to a sanctuary to observe them, where I also found New Zealand Fur Seals. A pretty successful day. The Little Blue and Yellow-Eyed Penguins both managed to allude me. Some day soon – I hope.
March 1 [Brent] – Don’t be late. Don’t be late. I drove back to Te Anau to meet Bronwen.
I am still enjoying the tunes on the radio. What’s this? Another radio station I know all the song lyrics on? This station is called High School Hits. Should it concern me that know all these songs too – but can’t recall the login or password to my Canadian Tire account. Is this a unique problem I have?
Another uneventful drive. Spectacular scenery. Two flat whites. I pulled in 45 minutes before I was expected. Bronwen was there waiting for me.
Brent And Bron Abroad 