Day 1: (Saturday 11/03/06) John B met us at Queenstown airport and we headed to the bus depot via the Queenstown Lodge (where we left our civilised clothing). To get to the Rees, our bus went to Glenorchy at the head of Lake Wakatipu where another bus took us to Muddy Creek carpark. From there one follows a 4 wheel drive track up the valley with the hills rapidly becoming mountains on either side.

The valley floor become very swampy in places, but the worse sections have dry track if one wishes to climb up the eastern slopes a little.

The Otago Tramping Mountaineering Club 25 Mile Hut is sited on a grassy shelf and is not visible from the valley floor so Ian & Co went right past to the river. Permission from the Club was easy to obtain but the mice hadn't bothered to ask. Very rustic, and had it been a DoC hut, it would have been removed after Cave Creek. Out came the roll-up or inflatable mattresses! All food was hung on hooks away from the mice.

The rock chimney, the open toilet and the grand chasm just beyond all made for a memorable hut. Despite heavy rain in the night, we remained dry, so hopefully no-one decides to demolish it!