(2015/02/07) …the last nights, or better in the morning where, brrrrrrrrzzzzzz-freezing cold, like this morning again. To get a bit warmed up, i walked the short way down to the lake and had a awesome good morning. Again, in the distance, you could see some new snowfall on the mountains. Weird, Summer at days and Winter at night. My fuel tank of the car was on lower level and i wouldn’t make it to Milford Sounds, so i had to drive back to Te Anau for a fuel-stop and a check at the DOC centre for some informations about the Routeburn track, as some parts are doable as day hikes. The lady at the DOC (Departmen of Conversation) info centre was very helpful and she said that you can get to the Harrison Saddle as a day hike from both sides, but she recommended from The Divide its also very pretty to hike to the Key Summit, where you have are beautiful 360 degree perspective of the whole valley and todo the Harrison Saddle from the other side.
On the road to Milford Sounds there aren’t enough options to stop the car as you can have there so great lookouts of the nature. It wasn’t easy to drive and watch together, particularly if you are used, that your co-driver (sister) makes the cool pictures, taken from the driven car. A good advise was also to start to get on the road before 10am, but this wasn’t possible due to my fuel-stop, to get in front of all the upcoming tour busses which head to Milford Sounds and who stops on all good lookouts on the run. I think you know what a “mirror lake” is, that’s a pretty clear and quite lake, where everything around will be mirrored when there is a perfect sunny and day without wind. It was one of this days, where these mirror lakes should be perfect. Sunny day, no wind at all, beautiful mountains covered in snow, almost the best situation to get an postcard shot. Really? NO! Two ducks thought the same and where swimming in the mirror lakes and had their morning bath. DOH! I stopped there for about half an hour and got some pretty cool shots, when the ducks where somewhere in the bush. Of course they where just back in the lake as a tour bus stopped and all the asian tourists with they cameras went out for getting their pictures. It looked for me as when these two ducks really know what they are doing.
The road to the Homer Tunnel has a lots of curves and winds up through valleys to the tunnel. This day was the first day where it had again more then 20 degrees Celsius on the higher mountains. This caused that the fresh fallen snow started to melt and the water formed and increased a lot of waterfalls while heading up. Just a view meter below the snow level was the entrance of the Homer Tunnel which leads a view km down to Milford Sounds. This tunnel is controlled by traffic lights, which control that only one side can drive, because this tunnel is to narrow that two busses can pass each other in there. I was lucky to be the first in the queue. Not far after the exit, i arrived in the so advertised city. City? Village? No, just a few houses and accommodations. The only day hikes you could do there was only accessible by boat. Spending $50-100 for that? I thought no, i will spend this money somehow better, so i choose to drive back and do at this sunny and perfect day the Key Summit on the Routeburn track which was planed for tomorrow. It was really worth to drive the way back at about noon, the waterfalls which came down on the left and right sight of the road was really nice to watch. While waiting again in the queue to get the green signal (you have to wait about 1o minutes) i was really happy to hold my first snow of 2015 in the hand. Snow in Summer ;-). Coming out of the tunnel is always a pleasure, to be surprised by the nature which welcomes you on both sides.
Parked at the Divide, the track to Key Summit was noted as 1,5 hours hike. Prepared with a ice cold beer and some food, i entered the hiking Autobahn of Routeburn. Lots of hikers went down and up and i was really shocked how frequent this trail is used. It’s one the New Zealands Top Hikes, with some others like Milford Track, Kepler Track, Able Tasman Track and a view more. Autobahn! That wasn’t that what i really wanted and i thought about some other tracks, where you could hike a view hours on your self and be lucky to met some other hikers, or some more difficult tracks which are not that good prepared with gravel that you could ride with a quad up there. It didn’t took long, more in detail it was 50 minutes when i passed the junction to the first hut of this track. 40 Minutes instead of 1,5 hours? Okay, i was hiking with just my camelback but i was still surprised. After total of 60 minutes i reached Key Summit and enjoyed my still cold beer and the more beautiful 360 lookout. The view of the track is still amazing so i decided to do another day hike tomorrow from the Glenorchy side, to get a small impression what kind of views this Autobahn hike offers. Arrived at Te Anau to pickup some food for tonight i ran into a backpacker, which name i forgot, i met with Alexandra and Yasmin in the hostel in Dunedin and exchanged my experience about Milford Sounds and Routeburn. Back at the camp i checked the time and distance i need to get to Glenorchy and set my timer for 6.30am…