Days 147-157: Queenstown to Bluff.

A few days being well looked after by friends in Queenstown it was off to the start of the greenstone track which had only reopened the previous week after storm damage. The views of the mountains around Qtown were amazing, and the tracks in the area are extremely well maintained. Initially the trail follows the Greenstone River to the Greenstone Hut and camping area before switching to the Mavora Walkway leading down to the scenic wonderland of the Mavora Lakes with its network of huts and camping areas. From the lakes the trail followed the Mararoa River towards Te Anau a little town most walkers divert to to resupply before heading through two wild and muddy forests coming out at Colac Bay. Instead of walking the forests I turned left instead of right. Deciding to avoid the mud and influx hunters by walking the roads and a couple of small hitchikes (easier said than done this area is devoid of traffic) through to the bay and therefore finish with the long beach walk around to Bluff. The Coastal tracks from Colac bay through Riverton then onto Invercargill and Bluff were a great ending to the trail, it was good to be away from the tourist trails and mixing with real people something that had been missing since the North Island. I had been beginning to wonder if Tui’s existed south of Nelson lakes and was pleasantly surprised to be woken by them in Riverton before spotting Wood Pigeons on the powerlines something I had never seen before. It was a great feeling to finish the journey in Bluff amongst a hoard of cyclists and a few walkers I had met along the way. Time now to Rest, Recover and Plan the next Adventure.