<p class="ql-block">Grand Traverse Guided Walk</p><p class="ql-block">Greenstone and Routeburn Tracks</p><p class="ql-block">New Zealand <span style="color:rgb(57, 181, 74);">Day2</span></p><p class="ql-block"><br></p><p class="ql-block"><span style="color:rgb(57, 181, 74);">Today is Friday, January 10, 2025, </span>the second day of the six-day Greenstone and Routeburn Track hiking adventure. I woke up early and went out to capture videos of the stunning scenery on my phone while the others were still sleeping. We spent the night at Steele Creek Lodge, where we slept like logs, which are surrounded and quietly nestled at the bottom of <span style="font-size:18px;">the tranquillity of </span>a vast valley<span style="font-size:18px;"> and the </span>majestic mountains.</p> <p class="ql-block"><br></p><p class="ql-block">The generator turns off at 10:00 PM and turns back on at 7:00 AM. At 7:30 AM, we get electricity and start making and packing our lunch, with cooked breakfast served at 8:30 AM. Our guides prepared porridge, bacon, spaghetti, baked beans, eggs, yogurt, fruit, orange juice, milk, coffee and tea for us.</p><p class="ql-block">Today, my backpack felt much lighter because Scott and Fred offered to carry some of my gear. </p><p class="ql-block">I mentioned at the dining table last night that my backpack was heavy, and my words hadn’t even faded when Scott said, "I can carry some of your stuff!" Fred chimed in, "I can do it too!" </p><p class="ql-block">It was a spontaneous act of kindness, and I ran out of words to express how beautiful their gesture was!</p><p class="ql-block">❤️🤔🤔❤️❤️🤔🤔❤️🤔🤔❤️❤️🤔❤️🤔🤔❤️❤️🤔🤔❤️</p> <p class="ql-block">Our departure time is 9：30 am.</p><p class="ql-block">Goodbye my dear Steele Creek Lodge.</p> <p class="ql-block">We crossed a one-person bridge over Steele Creek, which can hold only one person at a time.</p> <p class="ql-block"><br></p><p class="ql-block">We continued to climb up and down through the Greenstone Valley to Lake McKellar Lodge. We crossed the historic rockfall section, where no one knows how many years ago the mountain crashed down. It looks like it was significantly affected by an earthquake or caused by heavy rainfall.</p> <p class="ql-block">This was our lunch break hut and Leindsy was making tea and coffee for everyone.</p> <p class="ql-block"><br></p><p class="ql-block">We crossed the open grassland, feeling blessed with a sunny day and dry grass. All of us lay down on the soft, cushiony ground. If it had been a rainy day, we would have found ourselves in muddy puddles and swampy bogs.</p> <p class="ql-block"><br></p><p class="ql-block">We encountered a section with large tree roots. It was my first time experiencing this type of surface. Nik told me that New Zealand's mountains have more stones, and the tree roots don’t go deep into the soil; instead, they stay near the surface. Additionally, with heavy stones, it's easy for them to fall, and you can see many fallen trees around.</p> <p class="ql-block">This is Scott and Wei, and Wei is fortunate to have as many photos as she can with Scott.</p><p class="ql-block"><br></p><p class="ql-block">Today, we safely completed a 12 km climbing track and arrived at Lake Mckellar Lodge at 3：30 PM, and we will stay at this Lodge for 2 nights.</p><p class="ql-block">❤️🤔🤔❤️❤️🤔🤔❤️🤔🤔❤️❤️🤔❤️🤔🤔❤️❤️🤔🤔❤️</p> <p class="ql-block"><br></p><p class="ql-block">Our three guides do everything for us: they monitor our progress, guide us, share their knowledge, and cook our meals, including breakfast and a three-course dinner. They also handle the washing and provide first aid for any injuries.</p> <p class="ql-block">We were waiting for our dinner after showering.</p> <p class="ql-block">On the second day, we had our dinner in Lake Mckellar Lodge.</p> <p class="ql-block">Western people know how to make very testy pumpkin soup, I'm telling you!</p> <p class="ql-block">This was the main meal for dinner, followed by sweets. After dinner, we chatted for a few minutes and I headed for the sake because my joints were sore, I took 2 Panadol and went straight to bed and called it a day.</p> <p class="ql-block">❤️🤔🤔❤️❤️🤔🤔❤️🤔🤔❤️❤️🤔❤️🤔🤔❤️❤️🤔🤔❤️</p>