Rob Roy Glacier Hike

Kristie Entry:

Chad and I left Queenstown almost immediately after starting our trip. Good weather took us north to Wanaka - an upscale lakeside mountain town. We would spend a few days here. On the first day, we bypassed the town itself, and entered Mount Aspiring National Park for Rob Roy Glacier, a fairly popular day tramp. The hike started out in a valley of rolling hills with a lovely river running through it and mountains thrusting upwards on either side. At the end of the river stood Mount Aspiring in all its glacial glory. Un. Real. It seemed almost too perfect a scene for the beginning of a hike. As soon as we crossed the suspension bridge, the landscape changed from rolling hills to sub-tropical jungle. We gained elevation quickly, and there were plenty of people on the trail (typical Saturday crowds, I'm sure). We made it to the top, where there were info panels and an overlook of an impressive waterfall and several other "smaller" falls spewing from the tops of the cliffs. At the western end of the overlook was Rob Roy Peak, which gave way to Rob Roy Glacier. Chad and I marveled at the site briefly, then decided to continue on toward the glacier on a path that was far less traveled than the one that brought us to this point. There were very few people beyond the overlook, and soon Chad and I found ourselves bush whacking in the NZ wilderness without a soul in site. This is one of the things I love about outings with Chad. He is never limited to the viewpoints. We make our own adventure. Chad is our master route finder, and I am the keeper of our memories (i.e., photographer). We clung to the mountain side, scrambling from cairn to cairn. Losing the trail, finding another, losing it again. This is life - no single path, but many to the end. We finally found ourselves at a point where we could no longer continue - it was pure scree with a drop that would wipe us out. We admired the scene, took a picture, and turned around. It was breathtaking and so much fun! And I found myself grateful with every step I took that New Zealand doesn't have deadly snakes hiding in the grass when I couldn't see my next step, or bears skirting the hills. It really is a very friendly place. They have quite a few birds. Hopefully, I can capture a few on our trip. We returned back to our van, and headed back to Wanaka. We found a little holiday park and showered and slept hard. It was a full day where we kicked our own assess. I loved every step.

Chad in the Southern Alps. Rob Roy Glacier Hike, New Zealand