We opened our eyes at around 7:15 am and rolled our of bed to peak out the windows at a little low puffy clouds but mostly brilliant blue sky! We had purchased some muesli cereal and fresh fruit for breakfast. Most of the motels we have stayed in have a small kitchenette built in with a hot plate, fridge and simple utensils so it makes sense to have the first meal of the day in the room. By the time we had done the final packing of the backpacks it was time to checkout of the room, park the car in the storage area and walk about 250 meters to the Department of Conservation (DOC) center where we were to meet the bus carrying the other trampers. We arrived to find to Jos and Ana waiting for the bus as well. They are dairy farmers originally from Holland who immigrated to NZ and were now living on the North Island and were eagerly anticipating the tramp as well. Right on schedule the bus pulled into the DOC center and we introduced ourselves while the leaders went in to pick up the permits for the backcountry huts we were to be staying in over the next 3 nights. We boarded the bus for the 30-minute trip from Te Anau to Te Anau Downs where we met the ferryboat that would take our group of 39 trampers who are considered independent walkers along with about 40 trampers in the guided walker group. The guided walkers do not have to carry any of food, sleeping bags our other gear only their clothing. The rest is supplied by the company that organizes the tramp for them and provided guides and fully staffed huts with full sized beds with linen and provided meals both in the huts and along the trail during the day. For this pleasure they pay about $1700 each for 3 nights and 4 days on the track. By comparison we paid approximately $575 each. I think the sense of accomplishment is higher with the independent trampers as you quickly feel part of a group working together and share in all the responsibilities from carrying the gear and food to assisting in the preparation of meals. The Ferry ride from Te Anau Downs to the dock at the mouth of the Clinton river takes about 1hour 15 minutes with a few side trips close to several islands for the skipper of the boat to describe historical facts and geological points of interest along the way. The clouds had lowered a little in the sky but the views were spectacular as we approached the end of the lake and saw the dock where we were to land. As the boat pulled into shore we carried all the backpacks ashore quickly assembled and started the 5-kilometer hike to our first overnight stay at Clinton Hut. The trail was wide enough for two people and smoothed gravel that entered immediately into native beech bush with ferns and moss growing in a thick tangled landscape. The bush was so thick you could not see any of the surrounding mountains until we entered a clearing and saw the guided walkers huts. It was now about 4 pm and we crossed the clearing and quickly came across the swing bridge crossing the Clinton River. It states that it will support 5 people at a time however the determining factor is how much they swing with more than one person crossing. If you make the mistake of walking in rhythm you very quickly loose your balance as the bridge start oscillating and it is almost impossible to maintain your balance with an 18-kilogram backpack on. The surrounding vistas were hard to put into words. The water was so clear it almost looked transparent and as the clouds had cleared off the blue sky was the perfect backdrop for the mountains that surrounded us. We walked parallel to the river for another 30 minutes and reached our destination for the first night “Clinton Hut”. The huts consist of the separate private quarters for the hut DOC ranger and the kitchen facility then the 2 sleeping huts each holding 20 people in bunk bed style. We quickly selected our bed locations and delivered the food parcels we had carried to the first kitchen crew who immediately started cooking dinner and the first pot of boiling water for tea and coffee. There is always a pot of water boiling whenever we stop along the trail or in the huts so that you can always have a cuppa tea. The first night meal was pasta, mashed potatoes peas and fresh ham slices with pudding for desert. And of course great tasting tea with water pulled directly from the river. It started to rain shortly after our arrival and the rain became heavier as the evening wore on. Ranger Pete came into the hut at about 7:30 pm to tell us all the ways we could be killed or maimed on the trail or in the huts. He had a quiet sense of humour that came through clearly and explained that if it kept raining this hard overnight we might have to delay starting a bit in the morning as the trail was prone to flooding ahead of us in sections. Now to those of us in Ontario we think of a heavy rainstorm dropping 50 millimeters of water here they talk in terns of a ½ meter falling in 24 hours. The mountains around us hold back almost no water as there is little soil and the terrain is so steep that you instantly get the most beautiful waterfalls forming all around you cascading hundred of meters in height. After dinner and the ranger speech we all had to stand up and tell everyone who we were and a little about ourselves as an icebreaker. While not overly tired we retired early as the only power is supplied by solar cells on the roof and the lights turn off automatically at 10 pm.
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