Steve got a lead from a US fisherman that has been fishing in NZ for thirty years that the Whitcome has great trout fishing... so we set out on this tramp. Gordan from the hostel in Hokitika gave us a lift to the trail head. This area is not maintained by the Department of Conservation so the trail is missing in many places where the mountain has slipped. The book said that determination was needed to find the trail at times. This turned out to be the case.

This was the first river crossing of our hike along the Hokitika River and then up the Whitcome gorge. We met up with four other hikers that helped us get across. A crank on each end is used to hand crank the person in the bucket across the river. Look at the color of that water!

Our first day was only a two hour hike so we didn't have to get a super early start. Since this was listed as a difficult hike we only brought the bare essentials and left our other gear with Gordan at the hostel. This is the Rapid Creek hut where we stayed. It sleeps six. A spring out back bubbled out of the ground for delicious drinking water. We had the place to ourselves.

Steve raced out and got a fish right off. Hooray, some protein for dinner. I cut it up in little bite size pieces and made a trout/veggie stir fry over quinoa. The rest we had for breakfast.

some beautiful mosses on a rock.

After walking for hours up and over boulders the size of cars, the ligaments and muscles that go over my knees were screaming for relief! This was definitely a hard hike. At one creek side crossing I slipped on a rock, bashed both shins and the weight of my pack tried to hurl me in the water. It took all my strength to hold on and pull out of it. I had to sit holding my shins for awhile before going on. Many crossings were not worth finding a dry place to cross and we just plowed in shoes and all to have a better footing while crossing swift current.

big boulders and beautiful water everywhere

Frew Hut on the second day. We arrived in plenty of time for Steve to find the holes with big ones. He was gone the minute we arrived. My legs were killing me so I read and re cooperated from the hike.

The view from the hut.

Here is the fish Steve caught from the Frew Hut

Happy fisherman with his catch of the day.

Since my legs were stretched to their limit, I was thinking I could not go on and Steve came up with the great idea of paring down to the barest of bare essentials and putting them in his pack while leaving mine at the hut since we were coming back in two days. So we took just the sleeping bags, food for two days, stove and pans. That way I was able to continue but not have to carry a pack. That was just the solution cause I wouldn't have made it otherwise.

Steve spotted a fish in this hole the next day while we were hiking. He snuck down while I watched in order to give the thumbs up if the fish stayed in the hole. I enjoyed watching him cast his fly several times and see the fish come up and grab it. Fish On!

playing the fish

caught the fish

proper fish picture

can you find the trail?? We had a hard time too. Lots of boulder hopping and brush busting on this hike.

A view of the river from the forest part of the trail.

Price Flats- almost arrived at the last hut we were staying at.

taking a little break at Price Flats.

dinner on the bunk of Price Flats hut, another hut that sleeps six. Most of these huts have a rain gathering system from the roof so their is running water if the tank has water. Another hut to ourselves.

The next day we turned around and hikes out heading back to Frew Hut. Here's Steve taking a little break.

Another fish.

At the end of the hike we waited for our scheduled ride sitting on our packs. Here I'm being visited by a Weka looking for a hand out.

After this hike we rested for a day and then caught a bus going south. This is the Fox Glacier along the way. WE were ahead of schedule and the driver took us up there since we had time to kill.

The bus ride was beautiful and took us all the way to Queenstown (9 hour ride). This is the view out of our hostel window. Such a gorgeous setting for the town. I would like to have stayed and looked around town.

The view from town across part of the lake.

Next morning we were on another bus bright and early headed to a secret fishing hole that Steve heard about from the same guy that told him about the Whitcome River. This is a picture from the bus window. The same lake that Queenstown is on, only further south.

It was a rainy day, perfect for being in the bus.

We jumped off the bus at some obscure spot and the ladies we had been chatting with, I'm sure thought we were nuts. They wished me luck. This is our little campsite. Such gorgeous country!!

A spring creek with some awesome fishing. Steve was smiling from ear to ear.

A view in one direction from camp where I kept the fire going, read and fixed dinner(s). We stayed two nights. No fish pictures but the fishing was super. big monster browns!

We walked back up to the road where the bus had let us off and waited for the bus but must have been late cause we never saw it. Instead we thumbed and were picked up by a sweet German gal with her 10 month old baby. She was going to Te Anau, so we did too. More gorgeous countryside along the way and fun getting to hear someone else's story. Te Anau is the jumping off spot for three of the great walks and going to Milford Sound so it is a bit busy. Steve walked to the river while I updated the blog and we will be leaving tomorrow to go farther south. We are sharing our hostel space with two darling German girls that have just finished University and are touring NZ in a rental car. They are giving us a ride. We have to be in Christchurch by 4-23 to catch a plane to Auckland to leave for Australia on the 24th.