We made it! Four days on the Kepler track.

I think all four of us particularly me found that our endurance was seriously tested. We did 80 KM (this included walking from our hostel to the Fiordland National Park visitor Center and then to the start of the track) in four days. A spectacular track that was purpose built and completed in 1988. We continued to keep a log of all the countries that fellow travellers came from. We learned that for those under the age of 30 you can get a year’s working permit so most of the fellow travellers were in that age group. In addition to the previous list we added Uruguay, Romania, Denmark, Spain, Bulgaria, China, Japan, Flemish Belgium, Walloon Belgium, Phillipines and Guernsey. From the USA - Oregon, California, New York, Virginia, Boston, Texas and Minnesota. If we add the countries and in addition the US States and two Canadian Provinces (BC and Quebec) it has come to 37 countries/states. There was time for a few in-depth conversations. There was a family of five from north of Sydney Australia (the mother a physiotherapist). An Economist who works for VW in Germany. Six Israeli women who had recently completed their two years of compulsory National Service. Many other brief conversations about the countries from where the fellow travellers came and their interests or employment.

Prior to starting the tramp we took a mini-bus to Te Anau and spent one night at another New Zealand YHA. Here we are at the start of the tramp:

Shaun, George, Michael and Hugh at the start of the Kepler Tramp