Saturday 28th March: Overcast and Misty until 3pm then sunny: Morning 10°C, Afternoon 13°C
Clinton Hut to Mintaro: 17k: 8.30am to 2.30pm: 6hrs
Accommodation: Mintaro Hut
Cold wet start along Clinton River
Tumbling waterfalls
McKinnon pass ahead
Beautiful Clinton River
McKinnon Pass ahead through mist
Tame robin hops near Jan's foot
Tumbling waterfalls
More waterfalls
Wet end to the day at Mintaro Hut
Highlight of the day was the rain. Yes, the rain. It brought with it a myriad of waterfalls tumbling into the Clinton Valley which made for spectacular though a cold and wet walk into Mintaro hut.
At 6.45am, it's still dark and it's been raining all last night. Ross the warden comes into the Bunk House to make sure we're all up as there's still a severe weather warning that’s been delayed, but we should get an early start to be into Mintaro before it hits later in the day. A quick pack and then over to the kitchen to put on a pot of tea, which we drink while cooking our creamy porridge with powdered milk. The porridge is hot and delicious. Good thing all the huts have gas stoves.
It's raining as we leave at 8.30am in full rain gear - rain jacket, rain pants and poncho. It's only drizzle for the first few hours through the dense forest as the track winds along the Clinton River. A toilet stop appears in the middle of the bush. It's too soon to visit yet, so we continue on the Hirere Falls Shelter - the guided walkers lunch stop, but there's a small shelter out the back with bench seats where we sit drinking water and eating nuts and an apple. Oh for a Jet Boiled coffee – next time.
Further along, the track opens out to prairie like country, and we see a myriad of waterfalls tumbling from the steep mountain sides all round into the valley. Quite amazing. It's still raining when we pass another tin shed called the Prairie Hut, where several other walkers are having lunch, but it's only 12pm - a bit too soon for lunch. Another 30 minutes on and we're at the Bus Stop – not really a bus stop just another shelter with bench seats that looks like a bus stop. We're the only ones there as we eat our lunch of boiled eggs that we cooked in Te Anau the previous day, camembert cheese, lettuce and mayonnaise.
On again across several avalanche rock falls from several years ago and more waterfalls before we soon come to a sign that says "First view of McKinnon Pass - all we see is a misty gap in the mountains ahead. Past more creeks and dense jungle. We're both getting achy necks and shoulders. We pass the 12mile (20.9k) post and think it's not far now. But it's still another 1k to the hut all uphill over slippery stones.
We arrive at Minatro at 3.30pm, cold and wet. The rain gear from other hikers is hanging outside, and inside there's already racks ofwet clothes hanging on lines above the fire. As usual, we head upstairs and grab two bunks at the end of the dorm near a window, and both low down. A quick change into dry clothes before heading downstairs to the kitchen for a hot milky tea by the fire, chatting to Lynn and tim from Maine USA. Dinner is more left over steak, potato, peas, tomatoes, ham with another third of our Syrah wine. Tome, the young warden gives us a 10min lecture then off to bed where I stack my socks with a hand warmer. It's a cold wet night