“On a Mish” #429 Dog Friendly (Part Two). Boyd Creek Tops Track. Snowdon Forest / Countess Range. 19.1.2025. It is so awesome how having a dog with you can motivate you to go further than you would if you walked somewhere by yourself. The enthusiasm they have about getting out and about can be infectious, and it can force your legs to keep going towards your goal. I live in Te Anau with is an incredibly scenic spot on the edge of Fiordland National Park, and while the place is very pleasing to the eye, it doesn’t provide many dog friendly options beyond the reaches of the town itself. Well at least that’s what I thought until I discovered the dog friendly paradise of the Boyd Creek Area…
Until I found a good rhythm, I was being dragged up the track by Georgie. This wasn’t a problem as it was a way to keep advancing forward. Just as a got into a good system of step, step, rest, repeat, the track got steeper, and the real work began. The hot weather and high humidity was doing everything it could to make the mish unpleasant, but I wasn’t bothered as I was enjoying the walk in the wilderness, and had a goal to get to.
At one point I could really feel my hip, so I took a big break and regathered my thoughts. As I chilled my companion anxiously awaited my next step with tail going left to right at speed and a grin of gladness. Having a keen buddy by your side is a real boost of motivation and I am so glad I have found (or rediscovered) a dog friendly hiking trail that has a good mix of forest and hills. Even before the halfway point I was thinking about coming back armed with my tent.
In places the track reared up and some uphill hiking was required. This is where my forward momentum slowed, and Georgie took over as if I was a sleigh and she a reindeer. I really think this was the only way I made it up to the clearing which was a glorious sight to see. Even though I was only halfway up the track and the clouds were blocking any views of the tops it was still awesome to get to where I set my sights on. At my highpoint I needed a long rest to regather myself and prepare for a whole lotta downhill!
In some cases, the uphill is the easy part, and that was certainly true when it came to getting back to my car from the clearing on the Boyd Creek Track. I had to let Georgie off the led or she would have dragged me along the ground. There was no way I could keep up with her and I could tell she was over my super slow speed anyway.
Eventually we both got back to the lower reaches of the track, one party member looking a lot better than the other. I had travelled much further than first anticipated and got to a place where I didn’t think I could. I was quietly stoked underneath the pain I was feeling in my hip and back, and Georgie was high I life and the love of a good mish.
After letting everything settle down, we loaded into the car and began the quick trip back to town. I was blown away by how epic Boyd Creek is, and the fact that it is a dog friendly location means Georgie and I will be back many times in the future. In fact, it would only be a few days later that we would be back, but this time I would have my camping gear and we wouldn’t be leaving the area until the sun came up the next day…
