Kepler Track, Day Three - Night 100

I left the Iris Burn hut around 7:30, with the sun

shining beautifully on the mountain high above the valley. Today’s walk was primarily flat, following the Iris Burn River the entire way down to its mouth in at Lake Manapouri. Along the way I passed the Big Slip, an area where a massive landslide reshaped the valley back in 1984. On and on I walked until I came to the Motorua Hut along the shores of Lake Manapouri. For those who were doing the 4-day walk option this would be accommodation for the night; for

The Deep Forest

those of us passing through to the Rainbow Reach endpoint it made for a great lunch stop. I arrived around 11, ate a quick lunch and took an hour long nap on the perfectly deserted beach. Refreshed, I knocked out the final 90 minutes to the huge suspension bridge with renewed vigor. The shuttle bus wasn’t due until 3 so I laid in the shade, took my boots off and enjoyed another gorgeous blue sky day in the Southland.

The Motarua Beach

Getting back to town I was exhausted and decided to dine out for a change. Nearly all of my meals this month have been either home cooked or, when on the trail, freeze dried, backcountry kits (the remainder have been take out kebabs or sandwiches). I was trying to think of the last time I had eaten at a sit-down restaurant, I believe it was December 14th, nearly five weeks ago. Desperately craving Chinese I was relieved to find three such restaurants in town. Two of then didn’t open for 30 minutes, so the choice was dictated solely by my overwhelming hunger. I spent a bit of time reorganizing and catching up on life and fell to sleep well before sunset (10pm).

Total Distance Covered: 22.2 km (13.98 miles)

The End

What I Learned Today: There is no such thing as good Chinese food in New Zealand, even at a place where the menus were in Chinese first and English second and was filled with Chinese patrons. Disappointing…how I crave P.F. Chang’s, Panda Express, or even some Safeway General Tso’s Chicken.

written by

exumenius on January 18, 2008 from Te Anau, New Zealand

from the travel blog: Kiwis and Kangaroos

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