We woke up to lots of wind and pouring rain, but by the time we made breakfast and re-packed our bags, the rain had stopped. We took off in some low-hanging clouds, but we were so grateful that it wasn't raining!
By the time we had walked 45 minutes, the clouds were already lifting and we could look back and see the Routeburn Falls hut where we had stayed.
As we continued to climb to the Harris Saddle (the pass between two mountains) the weather continued to clear and we had wonderful conditions for the rest of the day. We decided we must be charmed as this was definitely NOT the forecast!
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Delicious tuna on rye crisp for lunch!
The hike definitely has some "exposure" - portions where the trail dropped of very steeply. At a couple of "exposed" sections, there was a cable anchored to the rock wall you could hang onto as you climbed.
The last 1.5 hours on the second day, we descended the mountain through a forest with amazing ferns, moss, and similar plants. We felt like we were walking through a fairy garden - it had a magical feeling!
At last, we reached the McKenzie Lake hut - a welcome sight after a long day's hike and the punishing switchbacks down the mountain.
After grabbing our bunks - this time four in a row :-) - we sat outside by the lake to take in the views.
Then we made dinner and heard an interesting talk by the ranger on a conservation project to save the native birds that is underway across New Zealand. After dinner and the talk, we went to bed - the second night was much colder, and we slept with most of our warm clothes on including our hats!
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