Waiau Pass, Te Araroa

I had a pleasant 6mi (10km) walk beside Lake Rotoiti, part of it on a narrow boardwalk that protects the vegetation. Before long, the trail widened in the forest with occasional sneak peeks of the lake. The trees were beautifully tall and thin, with the blue sky contrasting the green canopies.

Travers River, which feeds into Lake Rotoiti, became my companion as I hiked through the deep Travers Valley. East of the river was Saint Arnaud Range, marking the boundary of Nelson Lakes National Park. The range is covered in beech forest at the lower elevation, while the peaks are snow-capped. West of the river is Travers Range, with Mount Travers as the highest peak at 7670ft (2338m).

At the end of the valley, I had a 980ft (300m) climb up to Travers Saddle and descended into Sabine Valley next to Sabine River. Following the river in a narrower valley, with Franklin Ridge on one side and Mahanga Range on the other, I reached Waiau Pass, the second-highest point on Te Araroa.

The hike up to the pass was strenuous. The track was rough and rocky, with steep descents in some places. Adding to the challenge was climbing up the side of scree slopes in an exposed and windy environment. Yet, the beauty of this track was seeing the stunning sapphire blue Rotopohueroa/Lake Constance surrounded by rocky mountains and jagged cliffs. Lying in a post-glacial basin, the lake is 1.2mi (2km) long and nearly half a mile (700m) wide. At an elevation of 4390ft (1340m), it is the largest alpine lake in NZ.

However, once at the top of the pass, I realised I had the same challenge climbing down. Rocky terrain, more scree, and a desolate mountainous appearance. I knew it would be tough on the knees and had to be careful not to twist an ankle, but I forged on slowly, one step at a time until I reached the bottom and found myself in another valley.