- Round The World Trip Destination Wish #3: Great Walks in New Zealand
- Milford Track Booked For April 2015
- New Zealand, On The Road Again After a 2 Month Break
- 8 New Zealand Great Walks in 8 Weeks
- Preparing for The Great Walks and Waiting Out Cyclone Pam
- Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk Day 1: Onepoto to Panekire Hut
- Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk Day 2: Panekire Hut to Waiopaoa Hut
- Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk Day 3: Waiopaoa Hut to Marauiti Hut
- Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk Day 4: Marauiti Hut to Hopuruahine Landing
- Wairoa and Taupo, In Between Great Walks
- Tongariro Northern Circuit Day 1: Mangatepopo Hut to Oturere Hut
- Tongariro Northern Circuit Day 2: Oturere Hut to Waihohonu Hut
- Tongariro Northern Circuit Day 3: Waihohonu Hut to Whakapapa Village
- Wellington, Christchurch, Mount Cook, and Queenstown, In Between Great Walks
- Routeburn Track Day 1: Routeburn Shelter to Routeburn Falls Hut
- Routeburn Track Day 2: Routeburn Falls Hut to Lake Mackenzie Hut
- Routeburn Track Day 3: Lake Mackenzie Hut to The Divide
- Milford Track Day 1: Glade Wharf to Clinton Hut
- Milford Track Day 2: Clinton Hut to Mintaro Hut
- Milford Track Day 3: Mintaro Hut to Dumpling Hut
- Milford Track Day 4: Dumpling Hut to Sandfly Point
- Te Anau, In Between Great Walks
- Rakiura Track Day 1: Oban to Port William Hut
- Rakiura Track Day 2: Port William Hut to North Arm Hut
- Rakiura Track Day 3: North Arm Hut to Oban
- Stewart Island, In Between Great Walks
- Kepler Track Day 1: Te Anau to Luxmore Hut
- Kepler Track Day 2: Luxmore Hut to Iris Burn Hut
- Kepler Track Day 3: Iris Burn Hut to Moturau Hut
- Kepler Track Day 4: Moturau Hut to Te Anau
- A Return to Milford Sound
- Coastal Pacific Train, Hitchking, And Nelson, In Between Great Walks
- Abel Tasman Coast Track Day 1: Marahau to Anchorage
- Abel Tasman Coast Track Day 2: Anchorage to Bark Bay
- Abel Tasman Coast Track Day 3: Bark Bay to Awaroa
- Abel Tasman Coast Track Day 4: Awaroa to Whariwharangi
- Abel Tasman Coast Track Day 5: Whariwharangi to Totaranui via Gibbs Hill Track
- Heaphy Track Day 1: Brown Hut to Perry Saddle Hut
- Heaphy Track Day 2: Perry Saddle Hut to James Mackay Hut
- Heaphy Track Day 3: James Mackay Hut to Heaphy Hut
- Heaphy Track Day 4: Heaphy Hut to Kohaihai
- Riding The Tranzalpine Train in New Zealand
- In Review: 69 Days of Backpacking in New Zealand
Previous entry: Day 2 – Luxmore Hut to Iris Burn Hut
Part of the New Zealand Great Walks Journal
Journal entry for April 24, 2015
Distance Hiked: 16.2 km
I had another night of very good sleep, but once again I had some very strange dreams. Back home I would rarely remember or be aware of having dreams. Maybe it’d happen only once or twice a year. My guess is that it was a result of having bad sleeping habits (going to bed very late, only when I couldn’t keep my eyes open anymore). But while hiking in the wilderness there’s usually not much to do once the sun sets, and there’s also no reason to get up before the sun rises. As a result, I usually get a good 9-11 hours of sleep, and with that comes a lot of dreams, many of them very strange.
After breakfast I walked to Iris Burn Waterfall near Iris Burn Hut. I didn’t find it to be anything special.
After going back to the hut to finish packing, I was the last one to leave at 10am. Looking at the elevation profile, it was going to be a pretty flat day.
The first section is through forest before arriving at a clearing with very nice views of the surrounding mountains.
The rest of the day was once again through the forest. After two hours I arrived at Rocky Point Shelter, where I had lunch. The sandflies were in full force there.
From Rocky Point Shelter was another two hours to Moturau Hut. It felt somewhat monotonous until the last kilometer once I arrived at Shallow Bay, part of beautiful Lake Manapouri. With only a few steps from the sandy beach, this was, up to that point, one of the best locations for a hut that I’d seen while hiking in New Zealand.
There was a lot of time to kill after I arrived at the hut, so I sat by the lake to write on my journal. Inside the hut, I had long chats with Antti and two women from Australia.
This was a short and not very eventful day.
More info:
NZ Department of Conservation’s brochure and video for this walk.
Next entry: Day 4 – Moturau Hut to Te Anau
Part of the New Zealand Great Walks Journal
