Routeburn Glenorchy side as a day hike

(2015/02/08) …waked by the bell. Hell! 6.30am? Really? NO! I’m traveling not working and i set it for about 7.30am. Pffft! It’s cold, i don’t wanna pack a wet tent in the trunk and enjoy another hour sleep in the tent. Packed all that stuff an hour later an i headed headed to Glenorch, passing Queenstown again. Sleeping an hour longer leaded to it, that i arrived at the start of Routeburn from this side at 11:20am. Armoured with my Camelback and some snacks i went on the trail. They sign at the beginning noticed and 4-6.5 hour (oneway) hike. I checked the weather report for the afternoon and evening and it was said that it would be getting more windy (20-30 km/h) and cloudy again. 8 hours return? It was already 11:30am, will i do that hike to the Saddle and back without any complications or weather change? As already did for the my hike  on Hawai’i to the Mauna Loa i did set an timer for return and to check the trail and it’s time based on the first destinations, Routeburn Flats Hut (1.5h)  and Routeburn Falls Hut (2.5h). I have to commit that this track is really beautiful but this isn’t really a difficult trail and made for the tons of tourists to get a bit of a feeling of hiking. The amount of huts and options to sleep with this short distance interval is really for the mass. The first hut i reached exactly at the time given on the sign at the start and i thought about the time/distance to get up to the Harrison Saddle. Lets to this step by step and see how far i will hike. The Falls Hut was reached about 2hours and i was now sure that i will not go back now and for sure a bit more up to find a nice spot for having my break with beer before getting down again. Not sure how far to go, because you always wanna go further, i choose a spot which was a bit covered from the wind (it was getting really windy getting nearer to the Saddle and i hadn’t my hoodie with me). Having the rest earlier, was the better option, while some more clouds where coming above the ridge. Looked forward where to sleep, have enough time for setting up the tent and get my dinner, it was worth getting down earlier. After this experience of the Routeburn an it’s 32km, you can really do this as an good day hike, if you start very early in the morning, with a small day equipment and an appointment for pickup which brings you back to your car. 2-4 days for this hike? Yeah, if you carry all your food, drinks and stuff for 4 days, than you have a really heavy backpack. On my way back to Arrowtown, i saw an recently happened accident, the car was blinking and beeping. Somebody was obviously in a rush and not able to drive on a gravel road. The car in front of me stopped, but the car was empty and they might had got an choice to got a car to the hospital or searching for help. Now i reminded me that my dog bite wasn’t that bad, and (sadly) i was happy that i found someone who had maybe an vacation in NZ which might be worse then mine. Saved a day on my way to the Mueller Hut, which i had already booked for the 11th-12th, i choose to stay two nights on the campground here and try my luck again with gold panning there…