Aerial Recce of Abel Tasman Walk

I walked on board and let the aeroplane do the ascent and descent today.

The flight path from Queenstown to Auckland took us over the southern Alps, west of Aoraki-Mt Cook and north over Abel Tasman National Park.

A lovely day for seeing where I had been walking over the last ten days, for sightseeing and for a recce of the Abel Tasman National Park where we will be walking  in ten days.

Come, fly with me.

Like all tall things Ben Lomond is standing at the centre back.  

At the lower left One Mile Track leads up through the forest to the cleared Skyline gondola Station area. 

The trail to Ben Lomond Saddle continues through the forest, up, up, up and beyond.  

Below, Bobs Cove Bridle Walk and the Mt Crichton Walk begin at the distant lakeshore. The wing points the way.

 Cecil Peak and Half Way Bay station.

 To the Glaciers in Aoraki National park.

 and the south face of Aoraki - Mt Cook.

 Dick summited Aoraki - Mt Cook via the south face on 7 January 2000.
That day I flew over the summit in a helicopter which landed on the Fox Glacier.

 Abel Tasman national park, Tasman Bay, and  Nelson city in the distance. 

Far in the distance is Havelock and the sounds. I think of my childhood.

 The Abel Tasman Walk will take us around these coastal bays. It looks enticing from the air. 

It has been a real blessing to walk in lovely places in the Queenstown area this month. 

The Abel Tasman walk looks very inviting. 

I have heard so much about the beauty of this place.

I look forward to the walk and to the chance to meet people along the way.

Mt Crichton Walk - Sam Summers Hut

Another glorious day in paradise.

The walk to Sam Summers hut on the Mt Crichton Loop track is perfect for today. 

Most of the trail is in beech forest and shade. It was 30degC in Queenstown today.

The walk to the hut sidles around the Twelve Mile creek. 

The track beyond the hut is through beech forest and takes me to 625m above sea level.

Some gold mining history, big skycapes, and birdsong along the way.

Come, walk with me.

A couple on their way to search for gold.

I meet Freda who is named for Freda du Faur the first woman to summit Mt Cook.

 The evidence of gold mining is all around, as is the evidence of regeneration.
 'Nature reclaims but signs remain' says the DoC info panel.

 Once upon a time I would have been reluctant to enter this tunnel. Going into confined spaces or being painted into corners was not for me. I happily go through and explore. I want to know what is on the other side.

Closeby is Sam Summer's Hut. His sister still lives in Queenstown.

 Over the bridge and up the hill...

Around many corners. The clouds dance in the sky.

To the south the sky is clear and Lake Wakatipu and  Lake Dispute appear.

Lake Wakatipu is an intense turquoise today.

Work on the track has created rock faces that remind me of Rio Tranquillo in Patagonia.

 The sunbeam lights up this big grass along my way. A signpost that the end of the trail is near.

Ben Lomond Saddle

Are you feeling fit today?
We have 504m (1654') of 'up' today.

First let's hop onto the gondola - it starts at 9.00am.
I have my freshly minted annual pass in my hand.

Come, walk with me.

The early morning haze soon disappears as the morning warms up. 

Into the Lomond forest we go. 

So far, so good. I am on the right trail.

Watch the cloud formations as we walk. It must be a busy jet stream up there. 

Goats foraging.

A lovely cool beech forest.

Up, and up and up....

Thanks for the photo, Bos.
Some of us like our own company, but I also really enjoy the chance to talk with fellow walkers.
I met Bos from Holland on the trail.

 Ben Lomond beckons

From the Saddle I can see Skippers Canyon and the snow-capped Southern Alps in the distance.

 and to the south, The Remarkables, Lake Wakatipu and Cecil Peak.

 I begin to descend.

The track steeply wends its way downhill.
I recall that one of the people going up today said 'Sometimes you just have to back yourself'. So I remind myself that I got up here safely and can return safely.

A bit of divine help would be welcome, so...
I pray, 'Lord, keep my feet stable, please send me angels'

and, within moments Rebecca appears.  This is amazing.

Rebecca is no ordinary angel. She was working in Coldfoot  cafe/store when we were passing through in July, 2012 on our motorbike adventure. Coldfoot is a camp north of the Arctic Circle Alaska on the Dalton Highway. 

How about that?!

We encourage each other.

Thanks for this photo Rebecca

My feet feel lighter and steadier.
Habbakuk 3:19 The Lord gives me strength. He makes me sure-footed as a deer and keeps me safe on the mountains.

I look back to where I have been.

and to where I am going...

There are lots of diverging paths along the way. I make my own decisions about which way to go.

Like a lot of life choices the end point is the same even if the route is different.

Here is a welcome sign.

Anne and Colin from Australia have just walked the Milford Track and are off to do the Otago Rail Trail (with gel bike seats.  I must remember that tip). A few laughs on the trail today. 

The lake view accompanied by the rattle and roar of the luge carts.

These information panels tell me about the ice age (The Wakatipu Glacier), gold, a store keeper in Skippers who delivered his last mail and supplies when he was 86, and that Sir William Hamilton (Jet boat inventor) devised the rope tow that was built on Coronet Peak in 1947. This was the beginning of mountain skiing in New Zealand.

New Zealand has many creative minds past, present and future.

 Queenstown Hill with Coronet Peak in the distance.

Just step this way...