🗓️ February 27, 2026

🏁 Kilomètres : 2751

This morning we left our host Hal and his wife Jane and headed to a café in the town center for breakfast. The previous day had been rainy, which suited our day off perfectly. Today the sky is cloudless, like a beautiful summer day.

Today we'll be doing a detour off the official Te Araroa trail. To do this, we have to hitchhike, and after waiting for about twenty minutes, a vehicle stops to give us a lift. Inside, five Taiwanese friends squeeze in by unfolding two extra seats in the trunk, so we're crouching in a rather uncomfortable position with our backpacks on our laps. They seem very excited to help us and ask us lots of questions. They're amusing with their astonished facial expressions at each of our answers and their retro clothing, a mix of traditional and modern. They insist on taking a selfie when they drop us off, which we find very cute.

We set off at midday towards Mount Earnslaw. The trail climbs the steep slopes of a forested valley. Numerous tree trunks litter the path, and with mud and countless roots to clamber over, our progress is slow.

After three to four hours of scrambling, we reach a flat area outside the forest where we can camp; many tents are already pitched. A river flows beside the camp, and majestically looms above us, Mount Earnslaw with its eternal snows and glacier. We will spend the night here and approach it tomorrow morning.

Despite the icy water from the melting snow, we take a quick dip and dry off on a large, flat rock while the sun still shines. As it dips behind the mountain, the temperature drops sharply, so we eat our diner and head back to our tents to warm up.

Yvan's idea to go off the beaten path and explore this area was excellent! Thank you, Yvan!

🗓️ February 28, 2026

🏁 Kilomètres : 2751

It's so cold this morning! I'd love to stay snuggled up in my sleeping bag, but since I need to pee, I have to leave my cocoon. And what a surprise it is to discover a layer of frost on my tent and the surrounding vegetation!

We leave our tents and belongings, taking only our lighter packs with water and snacks. We have a good hour's walk to reach the bottom of the grassy valley, which ends at a wall of rock and above it a glacier that seems to hang precariously. A magnificent waterfall cascades down in tiers from the glacier to the ground, where a river begins, winding its way through the valley, fed by countless other waterfalls that tumble down from many places. We feel tiny in the face of this giant of rock and ice, whose summit rises almost 2,000 meters higher than where we are. Immense!

We were approached by some unusual visitors: some Keas. These are the only mountain parrots in the world capable of living in the cold and snow; they are also the only known species of carnivorous parrot that occasionally feeds on carrion. Very curious, they come close to see if we would give them some food or to steal something to eat directly from our backpacks. Campers setting up camp nearby should be wary, as these birds are capable of tearing a tent to shreds.

We descend back to camp, and just before arriving, we see a helicopter land and take off again… it landed right next to our tents. The force of the helicopter's rotors caused them to collapse, creating a tear about fifteen centimeters wide in my tent fabric… Natalie is carrying a kind of special camping tape, which allows me to repair the hole, something that should do the trick until the end of the trail.

Once the repair is done, we descend back into the valley, have to climb over all the fallen tree trunks again, and hitchhike back to where we had stopped. A camper van picks up the three of us in the back, and we cover the last few kilometers sitting at the table.

We know how each day will begin, but we never know how it will end. I love this spontaneity!

🗓️ March 01st, 2026

🏁 Kilomètres : 2775

Today we begin a section called the Routeburn (the word "burn” is said to have a second meaning in Scots for "river/stream"). It's one of the most popular trails in New Zealand.

In excellent condition, it starts by following a small, bluish-tinged river flowing through a forest composed mainly of beech trees. Beech trees are the main trees growing in the south of New Zealand, with different varieties, including the silver beech, which is resistant to high humidity.

After two hours of scrambling up a gentle slope, the trail emerges from the tree line and passes by numerous waterfalls. It continues to climb, and at its highest point, it runs alongside Lake Harris with its magnificent peaks in the background. The views here are superb!

After passing the pass, we enter a new valley and follow the trail that runs along the slope to the left; If we turned right and continued along the valley, we would reach the fjords and the ocean. The scenery is spectacular; I understand the popularity of this trail. After a few hours, we arrive at Lake Mackenzie, surrounded by a remarkable forest. The late afternoon light filtering through the foliage and illuminating the mosses and lichens creates a unique atmosphere. The lake lies between the two sides of a basin, and its clear waters beckons us for a swim. We don’t hesitate and jump in, though we dont’t stay long because of the cold.

We learn that we cannot camp by this lake and still have two and a half hours to hike (knowing that it is already 5:30 p.m.) to reach Lake Howden. We don't usually hike such long days, but the scenery is so breathtaking today that none of us mind, and we all have a wonderful time!

🗓️ March 02, 2026

🏁 Kilomètres : 2775

We're off the trail again this morning. We'll reach a road an hour's walk away and hitchhike to the town of Te Anau.

There aren't many cars passing this morning, and the temperatures are very low, especially with the wind that blew all night and into the morning. In fact, it was the coldest night I've been since the start of the hike; even sleeping fully clothed, I couldn't really get warm. Waiting by the side of the road for a ride eventually left us completely frozen.

Luckily, a man is able to give Natalie and me a lift. Yvan, who was waiting a little further down the road, continued hitchhiking. An hour later, we are dropped off and set to warm up in a café in the town center. Yvan finally joined us… three hours later! Poor him, he had been left in the cold and wind for hours without anyone giving him a lift.

Our friend Hal, who used to work on New Zealand Fjord cruises, told us he'd managed to snag a free cruise for the three of us tomorrow at midday. The usual cost per person is €150! We are blown away and incredibly grateful!

We spent the rest of the day stocking up on supplies, doing laundry, and enjoying a nice hot shower… the usual!