Part of the fun of this trip is getting to the start of the walk, some 54km from Wanaka and mostly on a gravel road. There are at least 4 fords to cross and after heavy rain the road can be come impassable for a time and is also subject to occasional washouts.
Trusty BQ negotiating the fords on the Rasberry Creek road.
Carolina's Mum inspecting the facilities at Rasberry Creek.
There were no such problems on the day that we were there though, but we did start early with the forecast for late rain. From the Raspberry Creek car park it is a short stroll along the West Branch of the Matukituki to the swingbridge which gives access to the Rob Roy stream. Just beyond the swing bridge the path climbs a short steep slope to give excellent views further up the West Branch.
The swingbridge over the West Branch of the Matukituki River.
The view from the swingbridge.
Looking up the West Matuktuki from above the swingbridge.
The track then sidles in, fairly high above the river for most of the way, before eventually dropping back down to it just before the bush line. There were a couple of sections of track which had been destroyed by slides and these areas required some care to negotiate safely.
The Rob Roy Stream.
Beyond the bush line the valley opens out a lot and it isn't far from here to the end of the track. We stopped at this great viewpoint for morning tea and watched the ice calving off of the glaciers far above us and listening to the kea flying over us. Eventually it started to get a little chilly as the cloud rolled in and we returned by the same route.
Wind blown water off of Rob Roy Peak.
The Rob Roy Glacier.
Heading back to Rasberry Creek.
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