Favorite Hike: Rob Roy Glacier

We went on many walks while in New Zealand.  Some were short jaunts off the road, boardwalk paths well trod by many visiting feet, others were a bit off the beaten path, and some were true hikes, taking us into wilderness and/or pushing us physically.  Sometimes all five of us were keen and "up for it" , other times my mantra to the kids was simply "just think of it as exercise" if they were particularly grumpy about walking. Regardless, the walks we did were a highlight of our time in New Zealand.  

A completely beguiling aspect of New Zealand is that amazing wilderness can be found with very little effort or time commitment.  Views that might take a full day of hard hiking in the Pacific Northwest of the USA can be seen just off the road, and breathtaking vistas the reward for only a few hours of walking.  There were no walks that we did that were total duds.  They all had their pluses, but a few stand out as truly memorable, and the jewel of them all is the Rob Roy Glacier walk.  

I had read about this walk in our trekking guide and thought that it sounded perfect for our family.  The effort was moderate, but it would challenge us, taking us on a 10km hike into and up the Rob Roy Valley, with beautiful views as the reward.  We planned to do the walk while in the Wanaka area, as it was an hour drive from the town.  Everyone knew the walk was on the “agenda”. (I say that loosely as we rarely have an agenda, but we do have a loose list of what we want to do/so in an area).  Unfortunately, we had a night and morning of rain that looked like it was going to derail our plans.  We needed to keep moving south so it was a do it today or skip it scenario.  We thought we were on track to skip it due to the rain and I was really disappointed.  Then the skies started to clear and Leo and I looked at each other and said “lets go for it.”   This change in plans was not welcomed with open arms by the kids.  They were not “up for it.”  They were in fact pretty unhappy with the prospect of a big hike in place of hanging out at Puzzling World (we did eventually make it there as well, and more about that stop in the post “time with friends”).  So, yet again, there was the mom-kids showdown about a hike.  This time I threw my weight around and threw down the mom gauntlet.  We were going.  No ifs, ands or buts, and I didn’t want to hear any complaints.  In fact, I was downright mad about the whiny attitudes.  I am happy to report that 1) the kids rose to the occasion and did turn around their attitude and 2) it was TOTALLY worth throwing a mom fit to go on this hike.

This walk is in Mount Aspiring National Park.  The hiking guides warn that the drive itself can be challenging as there are no less than 9 river fords.  That had me a bit nervous given that we had just had 24 hours of rain, but luckily the crossings were not much more than splashes and added to the sense of adventure.  The drive took us to Raspberry Creek parking lot (what a great name) and from there we headed out across an open plain, with the river raging on one side of us and cows grazing on the other.   

Looking up and into the valley beyond we were immediately rewarded with beautiful views and hints of what was to come.  However, there was one looming obstacle.  A high, narrow and long swing bridge over the impressive West Matukituki river. 

From the other side of the river (yes, we all did it!) the climb starts, zigzagging up through forests and along slides, over fallen trees, tracking along the Roy River's path. The walk got our blood pumping, but luckily there were frequent glimpses of mountains peaks and crashing rivers to keep us committed to continuing up the trail.  

The payoff at the top was incredible. Truly spectacular.  We were surrounded by a semi circle of mountains that housed the huge Rob Roy hanging glacier which was melting into dozens of waterfalls that braided themselves into a few thundering waterfalls, which eventually emptied into the rolling river that cut through the valley.  It was hard to take in the majesty of what we were seeing.   Leo and I have done many wonderful hikes in our lives and have been to extraordinary wilderness, but this spot was one of the most awe inspiring. Looking at the pictures later I realize they just do not capture the beauty of the spot, however they do give an inkling of what we experienced.

The walk down was no less beguiling with new views from the returning vantage point.  This walk was a highlight of our trip and one we put on the “recommend” list for anyone visiting the area.