As the cold and damp seeped into every aspect of my being and the rain permeated through my seemingly less than waterproof pack, I felt as if I'd made a terrible mistake. It seemed really unfair. It was supposed to be summer for god's sake! Actually I wasn't that surprised by the weather. I was in New Zealand, where the climate is best described as changeable. Yup, that sums it up. Changeable. I'd been spoilt rotten by the glorious weather over the preceding couple of months and had grown to expect nothing less than sublime sunshine. But I guess that you can't have everything you hope for.
I was walking New Zealand's nine designated Great Walks, and the Routeburn Track was the final challenge. I'd been tramping for almost three months and had covered almost 600 kilometres. The start of the trip in the hinterland of East Cape, on the North Island, seemed distant and unconnected to my immediate situation.
Throughout the early stages of the trip, the promise of big mountains and dramatic vistas in Fiordland had lured me on. Unfortunately these come at a price. Fiordland is one of the wettest places I've ever been. Somewhat amazingly, up to 7m of rain falls on Milford Sound every year.
Tramping is the best way to explore the country and the most intimate way of experiencing the diverse range of landscapes found in New Zealand. The Great Walks, New Zealand's premier walking tracks, traverse some of the most spectacular stretches of this part of the world. The routes capture different aspects of the country and offer a superb range of tramps for people of all levels of ability and experience. Among them there's tramping the eerie forests surrounding Lake Waikaremoana or forging across the lunar landscape of the Central Volcanic Plateau. Or if that doesn't appeal, there's canoeing down the legendary Whanganui River, the only Great Walk on water. Or you could meander along the golden sands of the Abel Tasman Coastal Track or follow the Heaphy Track in the footsteps of early Maori in search of greenstone. How about tracking kiwi and wallowing in mud on Stewart Island? Or you could always try exploring Fiordland, or tramping the Kepler Track, or the legendary Milford Track, not forgetting of course the Routeburn Track through some of the most stunning mountain scenery in New Zealand.
I had climbed mountain ranges, skirted fiords and crossed high alpine passes. My memory held a whole country as I dragged my heels, delaying the end of the trip until I eventually crossed the final giant swingbridge that spanned the Routeburn. I danced a crazy little circle and then subsided into silence, awash with emotions.
There is always something moving about exploring a wilderness in its natural state, relatively untouched and untainted by human activity. The only addition here, a footpath so narrow that your elbows graze the ferns and boughs of the forest as you walk along it. Tramping on these tracks, dwarfed by mountains and assailed by the elements is a humbling experience. Whichever track you choose to tackle, you are bound to be thrilled and amazed. Just be prepared for weather of all kinds and check the quality of your waterproof pack before leaving home.
There are a number of excellent books and maps produced on New Zealand. Along with practical guides from all of the usual suspects, there are more specific activity guides and several of attractive, illustrated books. Stanfords imports a number of titles to the UK, among the finest of these are those published in New Zealand by Craig Potton.
Classic Tramping in New Zealand is a picturesque examination of 12 of New Zealand's classic tramps - text and photographs in this oversize guide describe moderate three-day trips and tough multi-day expeditions. The book includes maps and route summaries that typify the essential New Zealand tramping experience and should open up areas of the country to further exploration. I can't recommend highly enough my Trailblazer guide - New Zealand: The Great Walks
Author: Alex Stewart
Date: 1 September 2003