I'm doing some catch up posts on past New Zealand trips and photo albums from before I started this EFTU blog in 2011. Some are the product of newly scanned slides from the 1997 to 2004 period before things went digital.
This one's from the digital age in October/November 2009 which was an earlier season trip compared to previous visits.Their late spring/early summer in the bottom half of South Island with snow avalanches closing the Great Walks tracks in Fiordland but no problems for me mainly choosing quieter spots (although I did spend a very pleasant couple of days at the half empty Queenstown YHA with it's fantastic lakeside location).
Here's a link to the photo album
I flew down to Invercargill via Auckland and then went by ferry to Stewart Island where I did the Southern Circuit. The mud lived up to it's reputation and made for slow going at times.Even the dry bits were wet.
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Fred's Camp Hut
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Rakeahura River "track"
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Doughboy Hut
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Freshwater Hut
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North Arm
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Halfmoon Bay (Oban)
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Returning to the mainland I rented a car on a very good $25NZ per day deal for the rest of the trip spent mainly in Southland,Otago,South Canterbury Coast and High Country.
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South Coast near Riverton
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Lake Marian
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Gunn's Camp, Hollyford
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Aparima Huts,Takitimu Mountains
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Dart River near Paradise
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Queenstown |
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Mount Aspiring Hut , West Matukituki Valley , rebuilt since my first visit here in 1997 over Cascade Saddle
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Liverpool Hut newly replacing the Bivvy but a cold place to stay as no stove or fire place
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West Matukituki River - my third time in the area,in from different ways
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Meg Hut on the Cardrona Cromwell Pack Track
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South Temple Hut and Valley,NW of Lake Ohau
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Yellow Eyed Penguin near Oamaru
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Catlins Coast and Sea Lions
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Rabbie Burns,Flagstaff Hill and Dunedin Botanic Gardens
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