Mintaro Hut (with kea)

Some of forty fellow walkers enjoying the brighter weather.

We were really happy to arrive at the Mintaro hut so we could bask in the sunshine and dry out our wet gear.

But there was another reason to festoon the verandah with damp boots and rain parkas.

Mintaro is the highest of the hiking huts on the Milford so it comes with kea and special rules about dealing with those curious, pesky South Island parrots.

• Keep all doors closed -- kea will walk in and investigate/destroy anything that is not bolted down.  

• Hang your hiking boots -- kea will remove your laces and even demolish your boots if they have half a chance.

Of course what we all really wanted was to watch these delightful birds at their mischief!  But our hut warden, Manaa Ki, would have boiled us for breakfast if we dared disobey his orders!  He held us in thrall during his hut talk as he imitated a pleading kea and warned us not to succumb to its frisky charm.

This burly bloke, who surely came straight to hut wardenship from the NZ army, was also passionate about litter.  He stomped back and forth waving actual pieces of garbage that had been found around the hut or on the track and exhorted us to fess up.

Manaa (waving a piece of paper) : "Who will admit to dropping this receipt for two Back Country freeze dried channa masala dinners purchased in Queenstown at the New World grocery?  Is this another crime we can pin on Mr, Nobody?  Grrrrrrr.  I am so upset! I hate litter!!  What do you say?  Will you be sure to pack all your rubbish out -- every scrap?  Speak up!!

40 assorted, suitably cowed trampers:  Sure/OK/yeah/Oui/......

Manaa:  Sweet as!  (Kiwi slang for "cool')

We did see plenty of kea, by the way.  They swooped around in the trees that evening, and as we left on the long march up to the Mackinnon Pass in the morning, there were three of them on the hut roof -- busily trying to remove the nails.



Boots off and contemplating dinner....