The Haast Pass Lookout Track is a short 1.5km blast from the summit turn-out (562m) to a sub-alpine lookout, some 120m above. The track is something of a secret, beginning behind the stone monument separating Otago and Westland on State Highway 6. It’s well-graded, though, with no steps. Creeping up through beech forest, the track passes mossy banks that resemble a green carpet and cuts through rock outcrops overcome with moss. It’s outrageously beautiful. Only on the last few 100 metres or so does the track break into a clearing. Across the valley, the alpine tops of Mount Aspiring National…