Yes finally my rotator cuff was healed enough to carry both my 120ltr bergen & small day pack at the same time.

Off I went for a 19 day visit. The plane landed at around 2pm. Weather was overcast and I booked into a private suite at Nomads Backpackers for the first night.

I had no idea if my tent would still be there as last year I did not get up the mountain.

I was pleased to find it on the first day after a two hour climb – that first climb was tough. The next day I cheated & took the big bergen up via the gondola. I set up camp & remained in tent for the next 2 weeks straight.

I climbed a total of 20,000 feet in those 2 weeks. Maybe lost a kilo – and I lost a clear amount of belly fat so I am looking pretty fit. It was a substantial body composition improvement.

My diet was chocolate bars, trail mix, nuts & delicious roast mutton which the local supermarket sells super cheap – fully cooked whole legs of lamb.

I had a couple of salads & took most of my supplements including Ginseng.

I went on a cruise of Lake Wakatipu & had a road trip to Mt Cook.

In short it was totally beautiful and again my friends the little birds sang to me every evening & came home to roost in the tree above my tent. I was pleased to see the wild goat family is still there too.

Next trip I want to hike up the remarkables which will be tough & require a healed up shoulder. I also want to do a few days at Doubtful Sound.