It was time for another hike so yesterday (Saturday) I got up early and drove to the Potts River Bridge Car park, Mt Potts in the background

The very start of the track, it looks pristine but just to the right were a bunch of cows pissing and shitting in the river, so much for the New Zealand 100% pure bullshit, I don’t understand why farmers get away with this

A little further up the track and looking back, you can clearly see the cows, what you don’t see from this distance are the enormous piles of dung they left there in the Potts River, eventually polluting the Rangitata river

Mt Potts again, Potts River in the foreground

I am following the Mystery Lake Track, this is the look towards the East

Once again Mt Potts

View towards the Dogs Range where Mystery Lake is hidden somewhere

Most of the ground is frozen and lots of it is covered in these ice needles

Almost at Mystery Lake now, another look back to the direction I came from

Mystery Lake, not all that mysterious to be honest, the most mysterious about it is probably why it is called that way

I was hoping to filter some water and fill my empty water bottle but the entire lake is frozen

Stunning view though

I need a shave

Once again Mystery Lake and Mt Potts

Following the Mystery Lake Link Track, Mystery Lake now below me

On the Potts Hut Track now towards Boundary Creek Hut

At Boundary Creek Hut, I’m the only one there

You can even get here via road in a 4WD, I hope the next time somebody comes here with a car they will take all the rubbish out, there are many drums lying around, a number of them filled with rubbish, not how it’s supposed to be

It’s getting dark soon, maybe 20 more minutes

Enjoying a well deserved meal after about 6 hours of walking

This (Sunday) morning, shortly after sunrise, the moon still visible

8 bunks in this hut, it must have been really cold overnight as the water in my water bottle had frozen solid, my Cumulus sleeping bag kept me toasty warm though

I’m taking a different route back to the car today, at first I’m following the Paddle Hill Creek towards Dogs Hill, this is the view looking back only a few minutes after leaving the hut which is right behind the little hill in the foreground

Going due West now, following the Te Araroa Trail just north of Mt Guy

For a winter’s day the weather is truly awesome

Descending again with Lake Clearwater in sight

Just past the Western Link Track, on my way back to the car park, it’s getting cloudy and cooler

And I’m back at the car park, very glad I left some diet coke and chocolate in the car, om nom nom!

Little map of the track