She had a great time and danced the night away, returning well past midnight. I couldn’t go because the Phoenix had a home game. They drew 2 all continuing a resurgence which puts them just outside the top 6 finals zone. Next weekend they play in Christchurch so we are heading down there for the occasion.
The close up gives it away. (It’s just about dead centre above.)
This duck (New Zealand scaup or papango) was hurrying home for its supper. 
Tui love to feed on the flowers of the flax harakeke.
A bellbird (korimako).
The kaka are having a good breeding season. Here is one at it’s feeding station.
A couple of North Island robins (toutouwai) were very friendly and pecked around my feet after I scraped the vegetation off the ground and let me get close to photograph their acrobatics.
Noreen and Jenny also made these magnificent mince pies.
Jenny has been initiated in the art of making lemon meringue pie. I can report it was nearly as good as her mother makes.
Sam serenaded us with a post-prandial recital.
In other news, the garden is being very bountiful. These are strawberries that were planted last Christmas and have been slowly taking over their corner of the garden. Those are transplanted herbs in the pots behind.
The broad beans have been a success. We have had several feeds and the young pods are tender and sweet.
In front of the beans are a selection of salad greens plus some leeks.
The cauliflower in the box are starting to develop heads – the mizuna in the front have been prolific all through the winter but are close to the end of their run.
First the hut had to be cleaned.
Then off through more beech forest. (Poor old Ali had twisted her ankle and had to be transported out with the packs. Apparently that was quite an adventure in its own right!)
After a while the track opened up on gently rolling farmland.
We stopped for the final morning tea break
before running into this herd of cattle (spot the odd woman out!).
The final bridge across the Glencoe River
where we spotted nesting oystercatchers. I was surprised to see them so far from the sea.
A last look at the river
before approaching the farm from where we started.
They had some magnificent horses.
It was a fairly steep climb up to the first resting spot at Shingly Creek. (The early settlers obviously had more important things to do than come up with imaginative names for the geographical features.)
Part of the walk is along the line of the snow fence, erected in the 30s to stop the stock wandering up onto the higher areas and getting stuck in snow drifts. This is Aciphylla aurea - Prickly Spaniard – in front of the fence.
More sub-alpine plants, hebe and mountain daisy on a mossy base.
Looking north to the mountains around the Lewis Pass. 
Noreen at the summit of day 2 (725 metres) looking down the valley. 
The scenery and vegetation on this day was outstanding, the highlight of the trip as far as I was concerned.
The track wending its way through beech.
This is Blechnum discolour - Crown Fern. The number 31 indicates a reference to a guide detailing about 50 labelled plants that some kind person produced in 2007.
The last part of the day’s walk was through Wilderness Valley. This is a large area of the property that has been placed under covenant so the native bush is preserved and protected.
This is a close up of beech leaves which I am holding.
Nearly at the hut, following this small stream down the valley.
Initially we followed the Dove River (a tributary of the Hurunui) upstream, with low cloud shrouding the hill tops.
There was celebration on reaching the first saddle
and relief at reaching the toilet stop.
This bridge crosses the Glencoe River. Apparently so named after the original run holder’s 6000 sheep had to be slaughtered after an outbreak of scab was discovered. The river ran red all the way to the Hurunui reminding the settlers of the MacDonald’s massacre at Glencoe in Scotland. 
The track runs through a Douglas Fir plantation.
I didn’t enjoy this bit – calling it the Forest of Dank as nothing else lives in the dark, cold, wet and gloomy environment.
Luckily we soon burst forth onto the ridge and had lunch at the summit (750m)
From here we had a good view of the path down and the river we would follow up to Valley Hut.
After our six hour walk we were rewarded by two bottles of champagne in the hut (provided as our second treat).
Noreen soothed her aching feet in the ice cold stream.
