April 2-7: We joined our New Zealand friends, Kay and Ben, and walked the Milford Track with Ultimate Hikes guides. This meant we walked the track, carried day packs and water, stayed at the Ultimate Hikes Huts, and enjoyed the company of 36 others besides the four of us. The track is 53.5 km and we walked four days up the Clinton River Valley, over the McKinnon Pass, down the Arthur River Valley to Milford Sound. Three miles from the Milford Sound we crossed the swing bridge at the Giant Steps waterfall. There we had lunch, but when we continued on our way, Karen's knee hyperextended and so we joined a very small group of walkers - those who have "almost finished the track and did not see the Milford Sound." So, on a beautiful blue sky day, we had an amazing helicopter ride back to Te Anau. :( But, silver lining the helicopter ride, and pizza in a hotel in Te Anau while watching Wallace & Grommet, then Charlie & the Chocolate Factory (Gene Wilder).
April 20-23: Caroline and Richard traveled with us to the West Coast. Mark and Richard biked The Old Ghost Road while Caroline and Karen did the shuttle. The OGR is an old gold miners' road revamped as a biking and tramping track. It connects Lyell (Upper Buller Gorge) to the mighty Mokihinui River. At the beginning of the track in Lyell is an old miners' cemetery - see pictures. Beautiful single track, vistas, elevation changes challenged them as they took three days to traverse the OGR. While Mark and Richard, Caroline and Karen drove over to Hector and checked in to The Old Slaughterhouse. They explored Karmea, a hamlet at the end of a highway with the Tasman Sea to the west and Kahuranghi National Park to the east. Limestone arch formations are a special feature of the area.They walked to the Oparara Arch, which spans the Oparara River, and the Moria Gate Arch. Mark and Richard successfully completed The Old Ghost Road and joined Caroline and Karen at The Old Slaughterhouse. We had been there before and loved going back. Click for more info on The Old Slaughterhouse.