February 9, 2026
Today was the most challenging part of the hike since it involved a steep climb to MacKinnon Pass and then an even steeper drop downhill to Quintin Lodge. Fortunately the weather cooperated and it was a gorgeous day with sunny clear skies. Although this photo doesn't show it, the view out the window from our room at the Pompolona Lodge was lovely with mountains and waterfalls.
Before starting the hike for the day, I had a few moments to walk around the lodge and take some photos. The view from the deck was similar to the view from our room.
Close to the start of the hike was a bridge with a limit of 1 person at a time to cross. This alone forced us to spread out.
The first few miles were relatively easy with a gradual climb through mostly open terrain. Waterfalls continued to be everywhere.
Mintaro Hut was out last chance to use the bathroom and refill our water bottles before the big climb to MacKinnon Pass.
At this point Heinrich told me to go on ahead. He was more comfortable at a slower pace, and there was a deadline of 4:30 pm to reach the lodge in order to be able to take a side trip to the highest waterfall in New Zealand: Sutherland Falls.
So I went on at my own pace. The climb to the pass for me was slow but not too difficult. I went at a steady pace and made a few brief stops for photos and videos. The views were spectacular.
At MacKinnon Memorial I met up briefly with Graham who had been ahead of us, going at his own pace. This was the group lunch stop, and the guides offered hot and cold drinks. I stopped long enough to take photos and grabbed a drink, but I did not take a longer break for lunch. That 4:30 pm deadline was very much on my mind.
Past the memorial there was one more brief climb to MacKinnon Pass. And then finally I reached the top. It was a great feeling to be done with the climb!
Next it was a short downhill stretch to Pass Hut, where I again met up with Graham. Many in the group took another break here, but I kept going. At this point I actually was near the head of the group which had just started out from the hut.
Th downhill stretch got steeper. Then came the really hard part. The main section of the trail was closed due to some wash outs. It was bad enough that I heard from one of the guides that it was permanently closed for the season. Instead we had to follow an "emergency route" that was 2/3 of the way shorter than the main route, meaning it was even steeper. And boy was it tough. Not only was it steep, but there were big rocks to pick through most of the way, and some wooden boards had been wedged into sections of the trail to form pseudo steps. Several times I was afraid I was going to lose my balance, but thank goodness I had the hiking poles which kept me steady. It seemed forever to get down, but eventually the path rejoined the main trail.
The main trail continued the steep downhill with a series of steps and wooden staircases. It followed a rushing river (Anderson Cascades) which was quite beautiful.
The steep downhill ended near the Anderson Shelter, where I had a bathroom and water break. I then trudged on through the final stretch to Quintin Lodge, arriving at about 3:15 pm and well before the cutoff time to hike to Sutherland Falls.
The host showed me to my room, which once again had a lovely view. I captured it this time on camera.
I finally ate my sandwich in the room for a very late lunch. I left my pack in the room, grabbed my water bottle and camera, and set out for the hike to Sutherland Falls. As I was leaving the lodge, I met Graham who was just checking in. We would meet up later at the falls.
The hike to Sutherland Falls was 45 minutes each way and described by a guide as 15 minutes of flat, followed by 15 minutes of climbing, and then another 15 minutes of flat. It ended up taking me about 50 minutes to get there. The climbing stretch in the middle was a bit tough with steep steps cut into the trail and some rocky sections. The trail crossed 2 swinging bridges. The view of Sutherland Falls from the second swinging bridge was quite nice.
The trail went to the base of the falls. It was a great view: the falls were very powerful and the wind was blowing the spray everywhere.
Graham met me at the falls and we hiked back together to the lodge.
Heinrich retuned from his hike a few minutes after I arrived back at the lodge. He had a tough time on the Emergency Route section, but fortunately he was able to borrow a hiking pole from one of the guides, and that helped him a lot.
The evening at the lodge was the usual affair with drinks, snacks, and charcuterie board before the 3-course sit down dinner. The ribeye steak was very good.
