slogging the Dusky Track in New Zealand

Adventurous Jenni and Nick are on an around-the-world trip with stops for some of the best hikes on Earth.

I asked Jenni which was the “best” so far. Instead she let me know which was most “challenging”:

The “epic”, and one we always refer back to as to judge how difficult a trek has been, has got to be the Dusky Track in NZ, a tough 8 days. In fact all the treks we did in NZ were great (Rees Dart, Banks, part of the Copland, Routeburn, Tongario Circuit …

Jenni on Day 1 of the Dusky Track

Fiordland in New Zealand (like Southwest Tasmania and coastal west Patagonia) is fearsome. Rainy, windy, cold and boggy. And buggy. Did I mention the deadly sandflies?

I was too “chicken” to try any of the more daunting, remote trails in Fiordland when I was there.

Happily, Nick and Jenni were able to complete the entire tramp:

So that was Dusky Track. Damn hard work – you had to concentrate on every step (we reackon we took about 250,000 over the 9 days and 84km) – up and over slippery tree roots, slippery mossy rocks, through mud, bog and rivers, across three wire walkwires to the end all for two good views – the rest was spent in the forest.

I made it, with a lot of help, and my limits were certainly tested.

Would I do it again – no – but Iâ€™m glad Iâ€™ve done it and Iâ€™ve learnt that I prefer the hard slog up the mountain and then spending time high rather than in the forest.

We were so lucky with the weather, it would have been 100 times worse in the rain and the mud would have been dreadful.

Dusky track for me = mud, blood, sweat and quite a few tears.

Dusky Track trip report – Jenni