The final two days of a 67km five day hike through the stunning Lewis Pass National Reserve. The penultimate day was the longest, taking 6 hours to walk about 17km though a mixture of open valley and attractive bush, while steady rain encouraged a good pace to finish the following day at Boyle Village. Leaving Anne Hut at dawn there was an incredible sunrise, filling the sky with colour.

It was another hazy day, the prefect temperature for hiking in the open.

Despite the dry of early autumn there was still mud around, this section was the worse of the hike. In winter or spring I can see this being a very muddy and boggy track to walk, though it would be wonderfully scenic with snow on the surrounding hills.

There was a beautiful patch of lichen or moss.

The hike followed the Boyle River.

Stopping for some food there was an inquisitive native Tomtit.

The track headed into bush and uphill over the 1,136m Anne Saddle.

An enjoyably flowing section followed downhill though wonderful bush, with large patches of moss.

Before returning back to the open valley and some sunshine.

It was a relief to reach the old but attractive Rokeby Hut, which was the perfect spot for lunch.

After which there was only about an hour left to walk to reach Boyle Flat Hut, a nice place to spend the night, particularly sitting on the window seats. It would be less enjoyable if visited in January or early February when large numbers of Te Araroa walkers come through, with over 30 people staying in the 14 bunk hut on multiple occasions.

There was no water at the hut, the tank had been dry for several weeks due to a lack of rain, but less than 50m away was a lovely creek. This was the ideal spot to fill up on water, and have a quick wash, a refreshing if freezing experience!

The next day saw the start of an atmospheric river system, which brought torrential rain to the upper South Island for the next three days. Thankfully the rain was steady but hadn’t been going long enough to cause any issues getting out. I’d spoken to someone who had hiked the St James Walkway six months before, and they spent an extra unplanned day (without spare food) on the track due to heavy rain and impassable creek crossings.

It was atmospherically gloomy heading out from Boyle Flat Hut.

This was the easiest day of the hike, with the track mostly downhill and graded in places to Great Walk quality, though less so in others.

Most of it was spent in the bush, which provided good shelter from the rain, but there were a few open sections offering misty views.

There were a few colourful mushrooms along the way.

It was a relief to reach Boyle Village (which isn’t really a village) and Boyle Outdoor Education Centre, who had transferred our car from Lewis Pass. They do cheese laden pizzas which tasted amazing after five days of hydrated meals.