New Zealand Travel Log #7 - Dusky Track

Here I bring you my experience from the King of New Zealand treks. Seven days spent in rough wilderness with my friend @bluudz

31.1.2018

I just shut the door of the last hut on Dusky Track and thus, symbolically, the door behind ninety kilometers of rough walking in Fiordland's wilderness. And even though it looks like I write this after every trek, it is so: it was the most beautiful and the hardest of all treks I had the pleasure to walk in this country. No wonder - the appetite grows with every meal and that's why we chose a trek that would test our skills thoroughly.

The first day, after we got off the boat and walked a gravel road to access the starting point, we sunk into a dark and dense forest with flora overgrowing like Dali's imagination. The trees there are battling with all sorts of ferns and moss for each and every inch and in this natural labyrinth there is a barely visible path we were supposed to follow. This day showed us a new feature: the walk-wires. Simpler than swing-bridges, these constructions contain of three metal wires, one to walk on and two to hold. Using them requires certain amount of acrobatics and courage. In late afternoon we reached first of DOC huts and we shared it with and American tramper and a Kiwi dad walking with his thirteen years old daughter. Well, she has my respect, because Dusky is no easy walk.

We succeeded not to lose our track only until the morning of the second day. Not far away from the hut we walked into a marsh that soon led us astray. It took us half an hour to find the marks again. When we found them the path took us to a steep climb towards the first one of two mountain ridges we were supposed to cross over. We ascended above the tree line and reached the summit of Mt. Memphis, where we had a great opportunity to see the vast area of Fiordland from above. The summit, though, was elusive just as only the mountains can be: every time we thought we reached it, a higher top appeared from behind the horizon. From there we descended (or rather climbed down, because some parts of Dusky are more vertical, than horizontal) back into the depths of the woods and soon we made it to the next hut, our shelter for the night.

Third day we negotiated our way through a maze of roots and branches again. Deep in the relentless forest we copied a river on its true right bank all the way to Loch Maree Hut. Signature of this lake are trunks of long dead trees emerging from its waters. It was a very strange place showing us the eternal silent struggles of natural elements; where in the past was firm ground, the water reigns now. Inside the hut we were oppressed by sandflies and an inexhaustible mouse was waking us up from our sleep, but still we were glad for its comfort.

After leaving Loch Maree behind we continued to Supper Cove, which is a part of Dusky fjord, where from a beautifully situated hut we could observe sea water rushing into the fjord. We hoped to see the notorious shape of shark fins, for it is the sharks what makes this cove famous. But we weren't successful. Not even when @bluudz tried to lure them on a piece of salami that he used as a bait.

The next day we walked the same way back to Loch Maree. The part leading to Dusky fjord is a detour from main track. This stretch (despite it's longest of all day plans) is the most flat and that also means the most easy. The weather was in favour and because with every meal eaten our backpacks got lighter, we enjoyed the walk.

Yesterday there was an ascent awaiting us once again. For your imagination: we were bound to brave one thousand meters elevation in three kilometre long stretch. But despite litres of sweat spilled, we appreciated to walk over Pleasant Range, which really earns its name. According to me it was the most beautiful part of entire trek. We planned to stay for the night in Lake Roe Hut - the only hut on the trek built above the tree line, but we were surprised by a big group of trampers coming there from the other side, so we decided to carry on. In one of the days on the trek we had to skip a hut anyway to make it on time for a boat to take us away from this remote area and this felt like the right time to do it.

And finally today we made the last part. We sit in a hut on the banks of Hauroko Lake and we feel tired, but happy. Fiordland remains one of few places on the Earth that are left for nature with little evidence of human presence. During the week here we saw a stag, mountain goats, eels and many various birds. We were visitors in an ancient forest and it was a remarkably good host. In Fiordland - famous for its harsh weather - we had five sunny days and two with only a soft drizzle that was rather pleasant than not. Tomorrow we shall be picked up by a boat that comes here only twice a week and taken back to civilization. I can't wait to have a beer!