Caples - Greenstone Circuit

Day 4 - McKellar Hut to Key Summit and Return

All images © David Noble. No image can be used for any purpose without permission.

On this day - we did a very nice sidetrip to Key Summit  - just off the Routeburn Track. There was a bit of rain during the day - but it was quite fine when we where on he summit.



Above - dawn - is that fresh snow on the peaks?



Above - yes!



Above - we set off



Above - forest



Above - ferns



Above - an orchid?



Above - on the track



Above - forest



Above - at Lake McKellar



Above - at Lake McKellar - Rob



Above - at Lake McKellar - John and Chuin Nee



Above - at Lake McKellar



Above - at Lake McKellar



Above - at Lake McKellar



Above - at Lake McKellar



Above - Chuin Nee just past Lake McKellar



Above - Chuin Nee at Lake Howden



Above - forest



Above - Chuin Nee photographing - this time on the Routeburn Track



Above - forest



Above - View from near Key Summit - towards peaks above Lake McKenzie on the Routeburn Track



Above - on Key Summit



Above - tarn



Above - John - with  the Darrans behind



Above - Chuin Nee



Above - peaks of the Humbolt Mts



Above - peaks of the Humbolt Mts



Above - peaks of the Humbolt Mts



Above - the Darrans



Above - sundews



Above - tarns



Above - Chuin Nee



Above - Rob



Above - stunted bush



Above - enjoying the views



Above - sundew



Above - sundews

We then set off down the Routeburn Track towards the Divide - looking for kakas



Above - ferns



Above - looking for a kaka



Above - a kaka - they were pretty shy!



Above - forest



Above - forest



Above - a strange fungus



Above - ferns



Above - forest



Above - back at the hut. There were plenty of sandflies despite their being plenty of cobwebs

Back at the hut - we met two girls from Bavaria - that set off the hut's smoke alarm - when they tried to run their borrowed trangia stove with shellite. And also a "little green man" turned up - who was looking for Dan. An hour and half later - he turned up again - quite distressed, he had been wandering around outside in the rain without finding Dan. He wanted to use the hut radio (it was locked up - there was no hut warden) or to talk to our guide(!). We told him Dan was probably in the commercial hut - 150 metres up the river (where we had sent him the first time) He set off again - and I hope he found Dan this time. Another couple came in - quite wet from down the valley and tried to light the fire. They tried for about an hour with no success! A lot of people on the tracks seem to have no firelighting skills.

Continue to Day 5 - when we walk down the Greenstone Valley to Greenstone Hut


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