Ten days ago we backpacked into the Routeburn Track, a beautiful trail in the Mt Aspiring & Fjordlands area. The Routeburn is considered the little brother of the Milford Track, and it’s where everyone winds up who can’t get a Milford Track reservation (which we scored last October). The route is a three-day hike over the Southern Alps, and it’s spectacular. We actually didn’t do the whole trip, but instead hiked in for a night to meet up with some friends who were on their way out. We brought them wine and chocolate and they cooked us a cheesecake… which I spilled wine all over. Back country living at its finest! We picked a good time to go, too: our friends had been trudging through shin-deep floodwater on the trail thanks to a huge storm that smacked into the South Island. But the day we walked in, the storm cleared. Niiiiiicce. While on the track we also took a 30-km day hike up through the Harris Saddle, which on a sunny day should have afforded us views all the way to the coast. Couldn’t see the sea, but we could see the Remarkables peeking through the clouds. Pretty, what’s the word… remarkable!

Check out some of the pictures — and pay attention to our awesome campsite! Tenting sure beats the huts along NZ’s great walks. The huts are nice in a rain storm, I guess, but they’re hot, muggy and filled with people who snore. I spent a few nights in the kitchens along the Milford Track to escape the nighttime noises.

Also of note are the pictures of the little bird on my shoe and legs. Since native birds have no endemic predators, they’re pretty much fearless. As I was taking a rest, this little dude hopped up onto the top of my shoe and then proceeded to cruise around on my leg. I think it wanted to steal the fibers from my socks for a nest, and it plucked away at me for about 10 minutes! Who knows how long travelers will have such an experience, though; introduced animals are decimating the country’s native bird species.