Saturday 27th February: Overcast, cloudy with sunny patches and 15°C to 20°to 15°C
Moturau Hut to Iris Burn Hut: 16.2k slightly uphill: 6hrs
Rainbow to Rainbow Reach
Well graded track
Fast flowing Iris Burn
The tiny 7cm Rifle Bird
Tomorrow's walk is up there - really!!
Crossing the burn
Lunch perched on a hunk of moss
Misty walk across the Big Slip
It's overcast but the walk along the slightly uphill track beside the Iris Burn is one of the prettiest walks we've done - even better than the Milford track. Highlight was reaching the Rocky point Shelter in 2hrs 30 mins, well ahead of the designated 3hr signposted time.
By morning, he rain has almost cleared, but the lingering drizzle produces a beautiful rainbow, landing about Rainbow Reach where we were yesterday - named for obvious reasons. We're all up at 7am and soon eating porridge for breakfast. At 9.15am we're out the door and hiking up the well graded track following the Iris Burn up the valley. In 2hrs30mins, we arrive at the Rocky Point shelter to have a morning tea break of muesli bars etc.
Moving on, we meet trekkers who were hiking the high part of the Kepler through the storms the day before, coming towards us, with horror stories of gale force winds and lightning forks landing just metres away. We're hoping for better weather tomorrow! In one and a half hours, Graham spies a small area with several clumps of moss - perfect for lunch. We have rice crackers, butter, cheese and peanut paste, Donna and Milton have egg and tomatoes and Graham and Jenny have corn cooked the night before.
The track continues up through the most amazing forest and across a spartan area known as the Big Slip where an avalanche in 1984 wiped out much of the vegetation, then turns down at the last bit into a valley with the Iris Burn Hut in a field of tussock grass. We arrive at 3.15pm, and It only took us 6hrs. We get to choose good bunks before making a cup of tea. Donna myself and Ian decide to trek up to the waterfall, hoping to see the Blue Duck, renowned for living in fast torrents. But after a muddy hike of about 30 minutes each way to a thunderous waterfall, there's no blue duck. But we're convinced we did here one that was probably upset about our arrival and hooting to the others to POQ.
At 6pm. time for dinner - Back Country mince with veggies for us and also Graham and Jenny, and Donna and Milton have lentils and spices. All with the obligatory glass or two of wine. Beattie, a petit young Swiss lady is the ranger and she spares us the Phil lecture and gives us a short chat on hut safety and the weather tomorrow. GET GOING EARLY before the gales and heavy rain set in!
So we have an early night in readiness for an early start across the top of the Keplers to Luxmore Hut.
