Dusky track

>Would you walk this track only with a good pair of trekking sandals? I think this is a case of 'if you need to ask someone else the question, the answer is a definite NO' Maybe there are people tough enough to do this, you'd need a lot of prior experience in similar conditions to toughen up and know if it would work. Of course the old time Maori did everything in sandals made of cabbage tree leaves so you can't say it's impossible. I've walked up to the Welcome Flats in sandals, but I can't imagine doing the Dusky like this. You're talking tree roots covered in mud, holes between them with sharp rocks and roots all concealed by mud and muddy water, bogs you have no idea how deep they are, you're likely to go into a bog up to your ankles head first and need to be dragged out by your companion. Track markers are usually at eye level on the trees, right? You'll be looking at a section of track covered by water and realise there are some track markers ahead of you only just above water level, then beyond there are no track markers visible... Honora does a lot of tramping in sandals I believe, and has also walked the Dusky I am sure? Great experience though, I was walking out down the Spey about two in the morning, had my toes stomped on by a big kiwi. We were both jumping up and down and flapping and swearing at each other before running off in opposite directions.

Yeah...you are probably right guys... you could cut your toes easily with stones and roots...

This was the first experience with tramping that I ever had - in a high school I hated, with a bunch of utter w*nkers from that school. I was the poor kid and had $20 warehouse sneakers and a crappy little sleeping bag as I recall. But it was still an awesome trip, in a very isolated and special part of the country. Recommended

I've done the NW and southern circuits in sandals which is probably as bad as the Dusky. But these days the boots are so light, I don't do many trips in sandals though they still have their place on trips where it's going to be very hot (for me). I wear socks and have not had problems with cut feet though a while back, I tripped on a sharp root and ripped a toenail. That root is no more...

How were the river crossings in depth? Did anyone need to wait really long for the rain to subside enough? I plan on checking out the trap this Christmas.

If it hasn’t been raining in 24 hours the crossings are fine, the bigger ones are all bridged with 3 wire bridges. Of coarse, this is southern Fiordland where that means little. I got stuck at Loch Maree for an extra night due to flooding. The water was chest deep at the aluminium ladder up to the bridge at the peak. There were entries in the hut book of the water passing though the bridge! Here’s the bridge.... https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcRuPwRcI1xhRP8M8OJU-rOVw85WRabXCieQV7Vj_0IUBOJEE8C-