Monday, December 31, 2007
Next Few Days
I am heading up to Lake Tekapu and Mt Cook from here. They are small places and I am not too sure how much Internet access I will have so don't worry if I don't post for awhile.
New Year's Eve Hike
Disgusted with the crowds and the mentality in Queenstown I went for a hike today. I went over the top of Ben Lomond Saddle. (This is the first part of the hike I did here last time.) Then I went over the saddle and down the backside. I had fantastic views of snow capped mountains. There didn't seem to be anyone else doing this part of the trail which was nice.
The trail descended through boggy station land. At times it was poorly marked and I had to back up because I had gotten off trail. Eventually it followed the Moke and Shotover Rivers to Arthur Point.
One interesting part was walking by the Canyon Swing. I had gone there with Emma when she did it. The trail was on the other side of the river and you could see the immense drop that the participants did before they started swinging. It was quite cool.
The trail ended and I walked down to the main road. There was a pub where I had a beer before returning to Queenstown and the madness.
Here are a few photos of the trail.
Right now Queenstown makes me think of that song "Stupid Girls" by Pink. You have to listen to the words to get what kind of girls she is talking about.
The trail descended through boggy station land. At times it was poorly marked and I had to back up because I had gotten off trail. Eventually it followed the Moke and Shotover Rivers to Arthur Point.
One interesting part was walking by the Canyon Swing. I had gone there with Emma when she did it. The trail was on the other side of the river and you could see the immense drop that the participants did before they started swinging. It was quite cool.
The trail ended and I walked down to the main road. There was a pub where I had a beer before returning to Queenstown and the madness.
Here are a few photos of the trail.
Right now Queenstown makes me think of that song "Stupid Girls" by Pink. You have to listen to the words to get what kind of girls she is talking about.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Fate
Three beers with Lori, Dustin and Larry after so much hiking must have gone to my head. I forgot to pay my bar tab at the Moose. I realised about two hours later. I rushed back and paid it (and got my credit card). On the way back to the backpacker the sky was amazing. I have put a few photos of it. Here is a photo of Lori, Dustin, Larry and I having a drink and the sunset photos. Unfortunately the photo of us in the bar is a bit blurry. I guess that is what happens when you ask someone drinking at a bar to take a picture of you.
Hail, Snow, Sleet and Finally a bit of Sun (The Kepler Track)
Check out the photos here (Sorry there are 34 photos)
Day 1 Te Anau to Luxmore Hut- 18km 750m Elevation Gain
I left for the Kepler Track on Boxing Day - Dec 26 the day after Christmas. On Christmas the weather had been rainy with the snow level descending to 1300m. Boxing Day was cloudy with the look of impending showers.
I left early and walked around the lake to Brod Bay which took me about 2 hours from the backpacker I was staying at. There I started the real climb up to Luxmore Hut. I walked up and up for around three hours. At one point a few trees had fallen over the track and I had to squeeze between them. I had to take off my pack to fit through. I managed to get mud all over my self in this endeavour. I continued walking upwards. When I cleared the tree line I had fantastic views of Lake Te Anau and the surrounding mountains.
Just as I caught sight of the hut I felt hail. This must have been an omen for the trip although it quickly abated. The hut was spectacularly poised with views of the nearby mountains and Lake Te Anau. I signed in and had a hot lunch of soup. The hut ranger told me that it had snowed the previous day at the hut (Christmas). As the weather was a bit iffy and was slated to rain the next day I decided to head up to the summit of Mt Luxmore. I wore my full rain gear and long underwear in case of rain/sleet/snow. I have to say I was a bit of a fashion statement (NOT).
It was cloudy on the way up and I was only catching intermittent views of the surrounding mountains. It took me a little over an hour to climb to the peak. Unfortunately most of the views were obscured by clouds. However, I was treated to a bit of snow. I waited a bit to see if it cleared up but no such luck.
I headed down and was treated to a hail storm on the way down. Back at the hut Larry, Lori and Dustin (friends from the Milford Track) had arrived. They had a bit of lunch and then Lori and Larry headed up to the summit. I listed to my iPod in my bunk thinking that they would be in for a bit of a wet trip. In fact, it did sleet on them and then let up right as they reached the summit and they were treated to 360 degree views. Boy were they lucky!
Down at the hut Dustin started a coal fire in the stove to heat up the hut. It was super cold in the hut especially in the bunkroom and the toilet where the stove did not heat. I shared my instant hummus with Lori and Dustin for dinner. (Dustin gave me a bunch of Cliff Bars which are a treat because you can't get them here).
After dinner Dustin, Lori and I headed off to the Luxmore Cave to explore. When we got there it was pretty wet and slippery. We had also heard tales of having to crawl because it was not very high. After Lori bit it, we turned back deciding an injury now was not worth it. Back at the hut a beautiful sunset was a happening so I was glad we got back to see it.
The ranger warned of poor conditions the next day that would deteriorate through out the day so we planned to leave early.
Day 2 Luxmore Hut to Iris Burn Hut- 14.6km 750m Elevation Gain 1000m Descent
I woke up to a beautiful rainbow and then Larry made us a fantastic breakfast of pancakes, peaches and syrup. It was a great beginning to the day. I headed off as soon as possible to try to beat the bad weather wearing my rain coat, rain pants and long underwear.
It was raining on me from the beginning and there was little visibility of the surrounding mountains. On a positive note I could easily see the trail which went up, up up. I was quite warm going up. Once I reached to ridge line the rain turned to sleet. It was blowing pretty hard. I descended for a bit and began to feel chilled. I began to question my decision to leave early (before the weather report). At the first emergency shelter I put on another layer and put a pair of socks on my hands. There were two small groups ahead of me and they went on so I decided to as well. The rain was steady but not heavy yet and (heavy rain was the forecast for later in the day).
Along the ridge I caught glimpses of the hanging glacial valleys, Lake Te Anau and Lake Manapouri. Mostly I saw sleet and cloud. At times the sleet was blowing horizontally. I had to brace myself to ensure that I wasn't blown off the ridge. Now I may sound a bit negative here but it was quite an experience. I had had so much good weather that I knew that this would happen eventually with the amount of rain this area experiences. For the first three hours or so I was okay with it. I was not very uncomfortable despite the fact that my pack grew heavier and heavier as it became water logged.
The turning point came when my Gortex boots no longer kept the water out and I was sloshing water at each step. At that point (after about hiking three hours on the ridge) I was ready for it to be over. Unfortunately I had another two hours or so to go. It was what can be classified as a character building experience. No really - I was in pretty good shape. I wasn't cold except for my face and in general I was pretty dry.
The descent to the hut was quite long. I must have been rushing a bit because I wiped out in a big way. I kind of felt like a turtle flipped over because I was lying on my back on top of my backpack. It was heavy and I had a hard time righting myself. To compound the situation one of my arms was stuck in the air held up by the hiking pole. I am lucky that I didn't dislocate my shoulder. Eventually I kind of levered myself up. (An alternative was to unclip my backpack). It was kind of funny despite the fact that I was wet and muddy.
Eventually I made it to the hut. The weather on the notice board said that the snow level had dropped to 1300m (we were above that at thimes while hiking) and that gale force winds were expected. Three people made it there before me. I wasn't there for more than 15 minutes when we were yelled at by the hut ranger for using a door that was sign posted as closed. They started a fire but were afraid to put much wood on it because of various notices put up about conserving wood. We did an assessment of what was wet and dry. In general, for me my outwear was wet and my shoes and socks and my backpack (not what was in it). I placed these by the anemic fire. Later, the ranger yelled at people for putting outerwear and boots by the fire. I wasn't there and my boots where thrown into the hall for me to find. My socks and boot insoles remained so wet that I could continuously wring water out of them. I would wring them out then check them later and would still be able to wring more water out.
Throughout the afternoon the rain increased to a heavy level. As people came in it became evident that many people were in bad shape. There were throughly soaked and their belongings including their sleeping bags were throughly soaked. They piled their gear on top of everyone else's so no ones dried. Lori realized this and she and her dad hung a line up between their bunks. I put a few things on their line. I sneaked my boots upstairs. I put my insoles on the stove flipping them like pancakes trying to dry them.
Day 3 Iris Burn Hut to Moturau Hut- 16.2 km slight descent
I woke up to a cloudy but rain-free day. I left early as usual. My first stop was a side trip to the Iris Burn waterfall. From there the walk was mainly downhill with a few ups. I walked through a glacial valley and along the Iris Burn river. Along the valley were a few waterfalls with the run off from the previous day.
At one point I came to a sign that said "Track closed" - nothing else. I thought "What do I do now?". The track was obviously closed because a bunch of trees had fallen over it. I noticed a few small orange arrows pointing up a very steep hill. I climbed up the hill clinging to wet and slippery tree roots for hand and foot holds. Eventually it became clear that this was a detour. I wish I had gotten a picture of this but once I was on my way up I didn't want to try to go down again.
Eventually the valley ended at Lake Manapouri and the track lead to the Moturau Hut on Lake Manapouri. It was warm and sunny. Most of the people on the Track went past this and walked out to Rainbow Reach (less than two hours more) where they could take a shuttle back to Te Anau. I stayed at the Hut. It gave me a chance to warm up and dry my remaining wet clothing (socks and insoles). The only downside were those pesky insects - (you know it SANDFLIES). I lathered up with DEET and made myself at home on a wooden platform where I listed to my iPod for the afternoon.
Later that evening Lori, Larry, Dustin and I walked out to Shallow Hut and explored the area around there. It was just before sunset and the lake looked quite beautiful.
Day 4 Moturau Hut to Te Anau- 19 km - generally flat
I got up early and hoofed it back to Te Anau so I could return my hiking pole to the rental agency, possibly do laundry (this didn't happen) and see the movie the Shadowlands (about Fiordland).
My first stop along the trail was at the Wetland viewing platform. There I saw a carnivorous plant called the Sundew. It is the friend of all because it eats insects such as sandflies. Yeah !!!
The rest of the walk was along the Waiau River and very pretty in spots. It was mostly flat or downhill and I was surprised how quickly I made it back to the Te Anau Control Gates which signify the beginning/end of the track.
From there I walked on the Lakeside trail back to Te Anau stopping at the wildlife park to see the Takahe - an endangered flightless bird.
Back in Te Anau I showered. Wow - that felt good. Then I ran my other errands but did not get the laundry done.
I met up with Lori, Larry and Dustin and saw the Shadowlands movie. It shows the fiords as filmed from a helicopter. I bought a copy and sent it home to Dad. Later we also met up for happy hours and dinner at the Moose. Maybe we will all hike together again in the future when I return to the US.
Lessons Learned
Day 1 Te Anau to Luxmore Hut- 18km 750m Elevation Gain
I left for the Kepler Track on Boxing Day - Dec 26 the day after Christmas. On Christmas the weather had been rainy with the snow level descending to 1300m. Boxing Day was cloudy with the look of impending showers.
I left early and walked around the lake to Brod Bay which took me about 2 hours from the backpacker I was staying at. There I started the real climb up to Luxmore Hut. I walked up and up for around three hours. At one point a few trees had fallen over the track and I had to squeeze between them. I had to take off my pack to fit through. I managed to get mud all over my self in this endeavour. I continued walking upwards. When I cleared the tree line I had fantastic views of Lake Te Anau and the surrounding mountains.
Just as I caught sight of the hut I felt hail. This must have been an omen for the trip although it quickly abated. The hut was spectacularly poised with views of the nearby mountains and Lake Te Anau. I signed in and had a hot lunch of soup. The hut ranger told me that it had snowed the previous day at the hut (Christmas). As the weather was a bit iffy and was slated to rain the next day I decided to head up to the summit of Mt Luxmore. I wore my full rain gear and long underwear in case of rain/sleet/snow. I have to say I was a bit of a fashion statement (NOT).
It was cloudy on the way up and I was only catching intermittent views of the surrounding mountains. It took me a little over an hour to climb to the peak. Unfortunately most of the views were obscured by clouds. However, I was treated to a bit of snow. I waited a bit to see if it cleared up but no such luck.
I headed down and was treated to a hail storm on the way down. Back at the hut Larry, Lori and Dustin (friends from the Milford Track) had arrived. They had a bit of lunch and then Lori and Larry headed up to the summit. I listed to my iPod in my bunk thinking that they would be in for a bit of a wet trip. In fact, it did sleet on them and then let up right as they reached the summit and they were treated to 360 degree views. Boy were they lucky!
Down at the hut Dustin started a coal fire in the stove to heat up the hut. It was super cold in the hut especially in the bunkroom and the toilet where the stove did not heat. I shared my instant hummus with Lori and Dustin for dinner. (Dustin gave me a bunch of Cliff Bars which are a treat because you can't get them here).
After dinner Dustin, Lori and I headed off to the Luxmore Cave to explore. When we got there it was pretty wet and slippery. We had also heard tales of having to crawl because it was not very high. After Lori bit it, we turned back deciding an injury now was not worth it. Back at the hut a beautiful sunset was a happening so I was glad we got back to see it.
The ranger warned of poor conditions the next day that would deteriorate through out the day so we planned to leave early.
Day 2 Luxmore Hut to Iris Burn Hut- 14.6km 750m Elevation Gain 1000m Descent
I woke up to a beautiful rainbow and then Larry made us a fantastic breakfast of pancakes, peaches and syrup. It was a great beginning to the day. I headed off as soon as possible to try to beat the bad weather wearing my rain coat, rain pants and long underwear.
It was raining on me from the beginning and there was little visibility of the surrounding mountains. On a positive note I could easily see the trail which went up, up up. I was quite warm going up. Once I reached to ridge line the rain turned to sleet. It was blowing pretty hard. I descended for a bit and began to feel chilled. I began to question my decision to leave early (before the weather report). At the first emergency shelter I put on another layer and put a pair of socks on my hands. There were two small groups ahead of me and they went on so I decided to as well. The rain was steady but not heavy yet and (heavy rain was the forecast for later in the day).
Along the ridge I caught glimpses of the hanging glacial valleys, Lake Te Anau and Lake Manapouri. Mostly I saw sleet and cloud. At times the sleet was blowing horizontally. I had to brace myself to ensure that I wasn't blown off the ridge. Now I may sound a bit negative here but it was quite an experience. I had had so much good weather that I knew that this would happen eventually with the amount of rain this area experiences. For the first three hours or so I was okay with it. I was not very uncomfortable despite the fact that my pack grew heavier and heavier as it became water logged.
The turning point came when my Gortex boots no longer kept the water out and I was sloshing water at each step. At that point (after about hiking three hours on the ridge) I was ready for it to be over. Unfortunately I had another two hours or so to go. It was what can be classified as a character building experience. No really - I was in pretty good shape. I wasn't cold except for my face and in general I was pretty dry.
The descent to the hut was quite long. I must have been rushing a bit because I wiped out in a big way. I kind of felt like a turtle flipped over because I was lying on my back on top of my backpack. It was heavy and I had a hard time righting myself. To compound the situation one of my arms was stuck in the air held up by the hiking pole. I am lucky that I didn't dislocate my shoulder. Eventually I kind of levered myself up. (An alternative was to unclip my backpack). It was kind of funny despite the fact that I was wet and muddy.
Eventually I made it to the hut. The weather on the notice board said that the snow level had dropped to 1300m (we were above that at thimes while hiking) and that gale force winds were expected. Three people made it there before me. I wasn't there for more than 15 minutes when we were yelled at by the hut ranger for using a door that was sign posted as closed. They started a fire but were afraid to put much wood on it because of various notices put up about conserving wood. We did an assessment of what was wet and dry. In general, for me my outwear was wet and my shoes and socks and my backpack (not what was in it). I placed these by the anemic fire. Later, the ranger yelled at people for putting outerwear and boots by the fire. I wasn't there and my boots where thrown into the hall for me to find. My socks and boot insoles remained so wet that I could continuously wring water out of them. I would wring them out then check them later and would still be able to wring more water out.
Throughout the afternoon the rain increased to a heavy level. As people came in it became evident that many people were in bad shape. There were throughly soaked and their belongings including their sleeping bags were throughly soaked. They piled their gear on top of everyone else's so no ones dried. Lori realized this and she and her dad hung a line up between their bunks. I put a few things on their line. I sneaked my boots upstairs. I put my insoles on the stove flipping them like pancakes trying to dry them.
Day 3 Iris Burn Hut to Moturau Hut- 16.2 km slight descent
I woke up to a cloudy but rain-free day. I left early as usual. My first stop was a side trip to the Iris Burn waterfall. From there the walk was mainly downhill with a few ups. I walked through a glacial valley and along the Iris Burn river. Along the valley were a few waterfalls with the run off from the previous day.
At one point I came to a sign that said "Track closed" - nothing else. I thought "What do I do now?". The track was obviously closed because a bunch of trees had fallen over it. I noticed a few small orange arrows pointing up a very steep hill. I climbed up the hill clinging to wet and slippery tree roots for hand and foot holds. Eventually it became clear that this was a detour. I wish I had gotten a picture of this but once I was on my way up I didn't want to try to go down again.
Eventually the valley ended at Lake Manapouri and the track lead to the Moturau Hut on Lake Manapouri. It was warm and sunny. Most of the people on the Track went past this and walked out to Rainbow Reach (less than two hours more) where they could take a shuttle back to Te Anau. I stayed at the Hut. It gave me a chance to warm up and dry my remaining wet clothing (socks and insoles). The only downside were those pesky insects - (you know it SANDFLIES). I lathered up with DEET and made myself at home on a wooden platform where I listed to my iPod for the afternoon.
Later that evening Lori, Larry, Dustin and I walked out to Shallow Hut and explored the area around there. It was just before sunset and the lake looked quite beautiful.
Day 4 Moturau Hut to Te Anau- 19 km - generally flat
I got up early and hoofed it back to Te Anau so I could return my hiking pole to the rental agency, possibly do laundry (this didn't happen) and see the movie the Shadowlands (about Fiordland).
My first stop along the trail was at the Wetland viewing platform. There I saw a carnivorous plant called the Sundew. It is the friend of all because it eats insects such as sandflies. Yeah !!!
The rest of the walk was along the Waiau River and very pretty in spots. It was mostly flat or downhill and I was surprised how quickly I made it back to the Te Anau Control Gates which signify the beginning/end of the track.
From there I walked on the Lakeside trail back to Te Anau stopping at the wildlife park to see the Takahe - an endangered flightless bird.
Back in Te Anau I showered. Wow - that felt good. Then I ran my other errands but did not get the laundry done.
I met up with Lori, Larry and Dustin and saw the Shadowlands movie. It shows the fiords as filmed from a helicopter. I bought a copy and sent it home to Dad. Later we also met up for happy hours and dinner at the Moose. Maybe we will all hike together again in the future when I return to the US.
Lessons Learned
- Gortex boots hold up only so long
- Backpacks soak up water in rain making them heavier. Backpack covers could be a useful addition to prevent this.
- Walking in the forest causes the forest floor to get into your boots (somehow). This causes foot irritation. Thinking about investing in gaiters.
- Extra socks are awesome - glad I had them
- Tevas are useful when you can't wear your boots in the huts - glad I had them
- Food trades on the trail are so fun
Monday, December 24, 2007
Merry Christmas Mom
The Milford Track ended at Milford Sound where Dad had asked me to put some of Mom's ashes. Despite the threat of sandflies I did put some of Mom's ashes in Milford Sound. Right after I put her ashes in the Sound a little duck called a scaup (I think) swam by. I would like to think that Mom will have some good bird watching from there. Photos of the spot can be seen here.
My Milford Track Story
I have to say that I have now replaced my most memorable and best experience in NZ. Previously it was the Tongariro Crossing. It is now the Milford Track. It was so incredible.
A selection of my photos are here.
Day 1
The journey started with a bus ride from the Department of Conservation (DOC) office to Te Anau Downs where we caught a boat across Lake Te Anau to Glade Wharf. It was a pretty crossing. On board the boat where independent walkers, such as myself, and guided walkers who pay lots of money but do not need to carry food or a sleeping bag.
Once across the lake I made sure that I got ahead of most of the walkers because I didn't want to be walking with a large group. I did see a few people (who I later hung out with) but generally I had the trail to myself. I walked along the Clinton River up to Clinton Hut. It was a very, very short day - only 2 miles or so with little elevation gain. Once at the hut the sandflies made an appearance. Later I read this description of them.
"Just as the soul rises to great ecstasies comtemplating the beatuies of nature you are suddenly brought back to sublunary things by the bite of darned pernicious, pernickety, perverse, sanguinary, persistent, persecuting, poisonous, insidious, insignificant, voracious, devils imp of a sandfly" D. A. Jolly 1895.
The Maori believed that their gods had put them there to ensure that no one stayed in one place for very long and destroyed the beauty of the fiordland.
Well let me tell you - it was hard to stay in one place for long.
I met a couple (Emma and Jamie) from Australia and we had a bite to eat together. Then I headed down to the rock pools in the nearby Clinton River. I warmed up on a large rock. Emma and Jaime came down later and took a very cool swim in the river. I guess it would be a bonus to clean yourself after the walk but I was not game. I chose the cold water sink to clean up.
Later we cooked up dinner on the gas burners in the cooking hut. It took me quite a while to get the hang of lighting it but in the end I got my water boiling. I ate a freeze dried meal which was edible but by no means a culinary delight. Later someone left the plastic on his pot while trying to use it to cook and started a small plastic fire. It was put out quickly but smelled very bad.
Despite the fact that it was an easy day, one guy was already talking about pulling the pin and heading back. He was there with his three sons and daughter. In the end his elder son carried both his and his father's packs and the dad went on.
That evening I met a few more of the walkers along the track including a group of Americans from Kansas/ Texas. It turns out that they are also walking the Kepler on the 26th as I am. That is a funny coincidence.
Day 2 - 16.5 km (not including hike up and back to Pass)
I woke up early on Day 2. I continued my bad luck with the gas burners. I somehow managed to choose the burner that the guy melted the plastic on the night before to boil water for breakfast. Eventually my water boiled and I ate oatmeal for breakfast.
I hadn't meant to leave so early but I was being eaten alive by mosquitos so I got my gear together in record time and got out of there. Day 2 consisted of walking through a the Clinton River valley. I was surrounded by huge mountain sides carved out by glaciers and striking waterfalls. I could see Mackinnon Pass that we would climb over along the track. It was a mostly flat walk with some elevation gain at the end. Despite the number of people on the Track (40 independent walkers and I don't know how many guided walkers), I only saw one person the entire day. It was fantastic.
I got to the Mintaro Hut around lunch time. Since the day was beautiful and the weather for the next day is always uncertain. We were advised to climb the pass to ensure we got the views. I left to climb the Pass after a lunch of noodles and instant veggie soup carrying only my camera and a bottle of water.
The climb up was quite beautiful with wild flowers. I walked through a falling rock zone (later I heard that a group of walkers heard a very large boulder fall - BOOM, BOOM, BOOM). On the way up I had views of Lake Minataro and Mt Elliot. The climb was a little over 2 miles up and the elevation gain was 560 meters. The footing was rocky and uneven. I kind of dreaded climbing it again the next day with a pack on.
Close to the top I stopped a memorial and was lucky enough to be given an air show by two kea (alpine parrots). It was great. The were flying above a huge drop off called the 12 second drop because it takes 12 seconds to fall from there to the bottom. I could see the guided walker accommodation for the next day at the very bottom.
I continued up to Mackinnon Pass (1154 m) and got some stunning views of nearby Mt Balloon and Mt Hart.
In my room I met a pair of Germans there with their Dad and Mom. They had had a long and tiring day because their dad is legally blind. I had no idea how they were going to make it over the Pass.
That night I was pretty tired and hit the sack as soon as possible but had time to win a quick game of spoons before I went to bed.. All gear had to be stored inside because the kea will steal anything they can get their beaks on. Boots could be hung on pegs outside off the ground. I kept mine inside just to be safe.
Day 3 - 14 km (not including hike up and back to Sutherland Falls)
The keas woke us up at 5am with their squawking. I guess they wanted us out and about so they could scavange stuff from us. I hit the trail early again.
It was cloudy in the morning which made the climb up to Mackinnon Pass cool. I was glad that went up the day before for photos. I kind of liked seeing it a different way. It made climbing twice a different experience each time. The hike up was no where near as bad as I thought it would be. I think I did it in about the same amount of time as the day before but I didn't stop to take any photos on the way up on Day 3. On Day 2 I took photos of the scenery and the wild flowers.
The descent was beautiful with many water falls but it was uneven and rocky. I wondered how the blind German was going to do it.
I did a side trip to Sutherland falls. It is the highest waterfall in NZ. It was quite beautiful. On the way back at Quinton Hut I met up with a bunch of the people that I hung out with in the evening. It was kind of cool to hang out and chat with them on the trail because generally my days had been pretty solitary. After a chat and a rest I continued down the Track and they went up to Sutherland Falls.
The range of when people made it to the Hut was huge. The blind guy didn't get in until after 8:00PM. His son said the day was "hell" but his dad fell only twice. He said that he had no idea of what Milford Track was like. His dad and mom had watched a video that showed people walking on a flat and easy track by a river. One woman had hurt her knee and didn't know if she could continue.
At the nightly ranger talk the ranger informed us that the weather report had changed. Heavy rain was now predicted for the night. Since there is a chance of flooding none of us could leave in the morning until we checked in with him. If the Track flooded we had a number of options. We might wait to leave until the water level dropped. We might spend another night at that hut (good that I had emergency food - some people had eaten theirs). We might be helicoptered over the flooded part of the Track. In addition we might be walking in some water up to our calves. Well that kind of through us into a spin but what is an outdoor adventure without a bit of adventure.
Day 4 - 18 km
Well it didn't rain at ALL in the night so we were good to go. I was up early again and so was everyone else. The slow ones had to get an early start to ensure they would catch the boat at the end of the Track.
It was a day filled with spectacular waterfalls. The color of the water flowing through them was simply amazing. At Mackay waterfalls there was a rock that had been eroded and then flipped over. It is called Bell Rock. Myself and another walker crawled in underneath and stood up. Apparently you can fit 12 Westerners in there to seek shelter during a storm (I think it would be pretty tight) or 22 Japanese.
The end of the Track is called Sandfly Point (guess why!). There was a shelter for us to wait for the boat to take us to Milford. There is a large sign with many pairs of boots that are in such bad shape they could not make it one more step - holes in soles, soles pealing off, etc.
I had super weather on this trip - only a little rain on the last day. I hope that we have as good of weather on the Kepler but I don't know if one person can be that lucky.
A selection of my photos are here.
Day 1
The journey started with a bus ride from the Department of Conservation (DOC) office to Te Anau Downs where we caught a boat across Lake Te Anau to Glade Wharf. It was a pretty crossing. On board the boat where independent walkers, such as myself, and guided walkers who pay lots of money but do not need to carry food or a sleeping bag.
Once across the lake I made sure that I got ahead of most of the walkers because I didn't want to be walking with a large group. I did see a few people (who I later hung out with) but generally I had the trail to myself. I walked along the Clinton River up to Clinton Hut. It was a very, very short day - only 2 miles or so with little elevation gain. Once at the hut the sandflies made an appearance. Later I read this description of them.
"Just as the soul rises to great ecstasies comtemplating the beatuies of nature you are suddenly brought back to sublunary things by the bite of darned pernicious, pernickety, perverse, sanguinary, persistent, persecuting, poisonous, insidious, insignificant, voracious, devils imp of a sandfly" D. A. Jolly 1895.
The Maori believed that their gods had put them there to ensure that no one stayed in one place for very long and destroyed the beauty of the fiordland.
Well let me tell you - it was hard to stay in one place for long.
I met a couple (Emma and Jamie) from Australia and we had a bite to eat together. Then I headed down to the rock pools in the nearby Clinton River. I warmed up on a large rock. Emma and Jaime came down later and took a very cool swim in the river. I guess it would be a bonus to clean yourself after the walk but I was not game. I chose the cold water sink to clean up.
Later we cooked up dinner on the gas burners in the cooking hut. It took me quite a while to get the hang of lighting it but in the end I got my water boiling. I ate a freeze dried meal which was edible but by no means a culinary delight. Later someone left the plastic on his pot while trying to use it to cook and started a small plastic fire. It was put out quickly but smelled very bad.
Despite the fact that it was an easy day, one guy was already talking about pulling the pin and heading back. He was there with his three sons and daughter. In the end his elder son carried both his and his father's packs and the dad went on.
That evening I met a few more of the walkers along the track including a group of Americans from Kansas/ Texas. It turns out that they are also walking the Kepler on the 26th as I am. That is a funny coincidence.
Day 2 - 16.5 km (not including hike up and back to Pass)
I woke up early on Day 2. I continued my bad luck with the gas burners. I somehow managed to choose the burner that the guy melted the plastic on the night before to boil water for breakfast. Eventually my water boiled and I ate oatmeal for breakfast.
I hadn't meant to leave so early but I was being eaten alive by mosquitos so I got my gear together in record time and got out of there. Day 2 consisted of walking through a the Clinton River valley. I was surrounded by huge mountain sides carved out by glaciers and striking waterfalls. I could see Mackinnon Pass that we would climb over along the track. It was a mostly flat walk with some elevation gain at the end. Despite the number of people on the Track (40 independent walkers and I don't know how many guided walkers), I only saw one person the entire day. It was fantastic.
I got to the Mintaro Hut around lunch time. Since the day was beautiful and the weather for the next day is always uncertain. We were advised to climb the pass to ensure we got the views. I left to climb the Pass after a lunch of noodles and instant veggie soup carrying only my camera and a bottle of water.
The climb up was quite beautiful with wild flowers. I walked through a falling rock zone (later I heard that a group of walkers heard a very large boulder fall - BOOM, BOOM, BOOM). On the way up I had views of Lake Minataro and Mt Elliot. The climb was a little over 2 miles up and the elevation gain was 560 meters. The footing was rocky and uneven. I kind of dreaded climbing it again the next day with a pack on.
Close to the top I stopped a memorial and was lucky enough to be given an air show by two kea (alpine parrots). It was great. The were flying above a huge drop off called the 12 second drop because it takes 12 seconds to fall from there to the bottom. I could see the guided walker accommodation for the next day at the very bottom.
I continued up to Mackinnon Pass (1154 m) and got some stunning views of nearby Mt Balloon and Mt Hart.
In my room I met a pair of Germans there with their Dad and Mom. They had had a long and tiring day because their dad is legally blind. I had no idea how they were going to make it over the Pass.
That night I was pretty tired and hit the sack as soon as possible but had time to win a quick game of spoons before I went to bed.. All gear had to be stored inside because the kea will steal anything they can get their beaks on. Boots could be hung on pegs outside off the ground. I kept mine inside just to be safe.
Day 3 - 14 km (not including hike up and back to Sutherland Falls)
The keas woke us up at 5am with their squawking. I guess they wanted us out and about so they could scavange stuff from us. I hit the trail early again.
It was cloudy in the morning which made the climb up to Mackinnon Pass cool. I was glad that went up the day before for photos. I kind of liked seeing it a different way. It made climbing twice a different experience each time. The hike up was no where near as bad as I thought it would be. I think I did it in about the same amount of time as the day before but I didn't stop to take any photos on the way up on Day 3. On Day 2 I took photos of the scenery and the wild flowers.
The descent was beautiful with many water falls but it was uneven and rocky. I wondered how the blind German was going to do it.
I did a side trip to Sutherland falls. It is the highest waterfall in NZ. It was quite beautiful. On the way back at Quinton Hut I met up with a bunch of the people that I hung out with in the evening. It was kind of cool to hang out and chat with them on the trail because generally my days had been pretty solitary. After a chat and a rest I continued down the Track and they went up to Sutherland Falls.
The range of when people made it to the Hut was huge. The blind guy didn't get in until after 8:00PM. His son said the day was "hell" but his dad fell only twice. He said that he had no idea of what Milford Track was like. His dad and mom had watched a video that showed people walking on a flat and easy track by a river. One woman had hurt her knee and didn't know if she could continue.
At the nightly ranger talk the ranger informed us that the weather report had changed. Heavy rain was now predicted for the night. Since there is a chance of flooding none of us could leave in the morning until we checked in with him. If the Track flooded we had a number of options. We might wait to leave until the water level dropped. We might spend another night at that hut (good that I had emergency food - some people had eaten theirs). We might be helicoptered over the flooded part of the Track. In addition we might be walking in some water up to our calves. Well that kind of through us into a spin but what is an outdoor adventure without a bit of adventure.
Day 4 - 18 km
Well it didn't rain at ALL in the night so we were good to go. I was up early again and so was everyone else. The slow ones had to get an early start to ensure they would catch the boat at the end of the Track.
It was a day filled with spectacular waterfalls. The color of the water flowing through them was simply amazing. At Mackay waterfalls there was a rock that had been eroded and then flipped over. It is called Bell Rock. Myself and another walker crawled in underneath and stood up. Apparently you can fit 12 Westerners in there to seek shelter during a storm (I think it would be pretty tight) or 22 Japanese.
The end of the Track is called Sandfly Point (guess why!). There was a shelter for us to wait for the boat to take us to Milford. There is a large sign with many pairs of boots that are in such bad shape they could not make it one more step - holes in soles, soles pealing off, etc.
I had super weather on this trip - only a little rain on the last day. I hope that we have as good of weather on the Kepler but I don't know if one person can be that lucky.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Mom
Mom and Dad and I were supposed to go to New Zealand and the trip was put off a number of times. Dad asked me to scatter some of Mom's ashes in Milford Sound. I will do that but I think that we would have gone to Doubtful Sound as well so I scattered some of her ashes in Doubtful Sound in the early morning stillness. I know that she would have loved New Zealand because of all the birds here. I took a couple photos of the area where I did this.
Doubtful Sound Tour
The journey to Doubtful Sound is itself quite beautiful. You travel across lake Manapouri and up Wilmont Pass. I happened to get an awesome day - blue skies and good temperatures. The rainfall in Lake Manapouri is 3 meters per year and in Doubtful Sound it is 5 meters per year so a clear day like we had was really rare.
The tour was an overnight tour with an option of kayaking or going out on the tender craft. I chose the kayak and kayaked along the massive granite walls and under waterfalls. It was really great.
Close to the entrance of the Tasman Sea we saw a rare Fiordland Crested Penguin on an island. Then a few of his friends swimming in the water. We were so lucky because it is the end of the chick raising season and most of the penguins have gone to sea. (No photo of this sorry - I would have needed a better zoom for you to be able to pick it out.) We were even luckier later during dinner when we came across what seemed like the entire Bottlenose Dolphin population having fun in the fiord. They were jumping into the air all around the boat. (I did get a couple of photos of them).
During the evening slide show I met some people from Burlington, VT and turns out we have a mutual friend. It is such a small world.
On day two there was almost no wind and the ride back was soo pretty.
Check out the photos here.
I head out to do the Milford Track in the AM and will not be in touch for several days. I will be back Dec 23 and should have internet access then.
The tour was an overnight tour with an option of kayaking or going out on the tender craft. I chose the kayak and kayaked along the massive granite walls and under waterfalls. It was really great.
Close to the entrance of the Tasman Sea we saw a rare Fiordland Crested Penguin on an island. Then a few of his friends swimming in the water. We were so lucky because it is the end of the chick raising season and most of the penguins have gone to sea. (No photo of this sorry - I would have needed a better zoom for you to be able to pick it out.) We were even luckier later during dinner when we came across what seemed like the entire Bottlenose Dolphin population having fun in the fiord. They were jumping into the air all around the boat. (I did get a couple of photos of them).
During the evening slide show I met some people from Burlington, VT and turns out we have a mutual friend. It is such a small world.
On day two there was almost no wind and the ride back was soo pretty.
Check out the photos here.
I head out to do the Milford Track in the AM and will not be in touch for several days. I will be back Dec 23 and should have internet access then.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Firming up the rest of my trip
I have had a few booking problems but everything is good now. My revised schedule is as follows:
Dec 18 Doubtful Sound Overnight Cruise
Dec 19 Te Anau
Dec 20-22 Milford Track
Dec 23 Return to Te Anau from Milford Track
Dec 24-Dec 25 Recover from Milford Track
Dec 26-Dec 28 Kepler Track
Dec 29 Return to Te Anau from Kepler Track
Dec 30 and Dec 31 Queenstown
Jan 1 Tekapu Lake ?? (not yet booked)
Jan 2 - 3 Mt Cook
Jan 4 Mueller Hut ?? (dependent on weather and Kris conditions)
Jan 5-7 Open
Jan 8-11 Banks Peninsula ?? (not yet booked)
Jan 12-15 Open
Dec 18 Doubtful Sound Overnight Cruise
Dec 19 Te Anau
Dec 20-22 Milford Track
Dec 23 Return to Te Anau from Milford Track
Dec 24-Dec 25 Recover from Milford Track
Dec 26-Dec 28 Kepler Track
Dec 29 Return to Te Anau from Kepler Track
Dec 30 and Dec 31 Queenstown
Jan 1 Tekapu Lake ?? (not yet booked)
Jan 2 - 3 Mt Cook
Jan 4 Mueller Hut ?? (dependent on weather and Kris conditions)
Jan 5-7 Open
Jan 8-11 Banks Peninsula ?? (not yet booked)
Jan 12-15 Open
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Crazy Weather
I did the big hike yesterday because the weather forecast today was kind of hot - in the 80s. I woke up to blue skies - the first I have seen in awhile. Then it poured rain.
I spent the morning buying a few things that I need for the Milford and Te Anau. I seem to keep losing my soap. I also bought a pot to boil water in. It is kind of a necessity if I want hot food and drink on the trail.
I did an easy walk in the afternoon - the Frankton Walkway. It was good because it rained on my twice (light to moderate) so my rain coat got a workout.
On the way back I stopped at a toilet and I thought that I had seen all the automatic things in a toilet - water, soap, paper towels. This one had a toilet paper dispenser. I took a photo of it so that you could also enjoy it.
Check it and a couple of other photos here.
I am off to Te Anau tomorrow.
I spent the morning buying a few things that I need for the Milford and Te Anau. I seem to keep losing my soap. I also bought a pot to boil water in. It is kind of a necessity if I want hot food and drink on the trail.
I did an easy walk in the afternoon - the Frankton Walkway. It was good because it rained on my twice (light to moderate) so my rain coat got a workout.
On the way back I stopped at a toilet and I thought that I had seen all the automatic things in a toilet - water, soap, paper towels. This one had a toilet paper dispenser. I took a photo of it so that you could also enjoy it.
Check it and a couple of other photos here.
I am off to Te Anau tomorrow.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Queenstown - Ben Lomond Hike
Feeling energetic I set off on a hike this morning. I decided to hike up to the Ben Lomond saddle or summit depending on how I felt when I got to the saddle.
The hike was uphill all the way but had great views of Lake Wakatipu which surrounds Queenstown. I had a snack on the way up in a bit of tree cover with paragliders circling over my head. It was pretty amazing. I have to say of all the adrenaline activities there are here that would be one that I could possibly consider because I think that you would have such great views for an extended period of time. All of the rest seem to be over far to quickly.
I hiked up farther and had lunch on a rock close to the saddle overlooking the Lake. It was decision time. Do I go for the summit or head back down? I still had energy but the trail up looked pretty steep. I decided to go for it and eventually made it to the top. In fact I did pass a few people on the way but a few also passed me. The views from the top were spectacular.
I cheated on the way down and took the Gondola the last section. They don't check tickets on the downward voyage so I did it for FREE which I always like.
The hike was 10 kms but I probably took off 2 or so when I took the Gondola down. Queenstown's elevation is 310m. The elevation at the summit is 1747m. I think you can do the math here to see that it was no walk in the park.
You can check out some of the photos here.
I had a great gelato after the hike. YUMMY!
The hike was uphill all the way but had great views of Lake Wakatipu which surrounds Queenstown. I had a snack on the way up in a bit of tree cover with paragliders circling over my head. It was pretty amazing. I have to say of all the adrenaline activities there are here that would be one that I could possibly consider because I think that you would have such great views for an extended period of time. All of the rest seem to be over far to quickly.
I hiked up farther and had lunch on a rock close to the saddle overlooking the Lake. It was decision time. Do I go for the summit or head back down? I still had energy but the trail up looked pretty steep. I decided to go for it and eventually made it to the top. In fact I did pass a few people on the way but a few also passed me. The views from the top were spectacular.
I cheated on the way down and took the Gondola the last section. They don't check tickets on the downward voyage so I did it for FREE which I always like.
The hike was 10 kms but I probably took off 2 or so when I took the Gondola down. Queenstown's elevation is 310m. The elevation at the summit is 1747m. I think you can do the math here to see that it was no walk in the park.
You can check out some of the photos here.
I had a great gelato after the hike. YUMMY!
Return to Queenstown
I took the bus back to Queenstown without problem. I have decided that I like Atomic Shuttles the best of the the bus companies that I have been using. Too bad they don't go to Te Anau. I will have to use a different service to get there.
I met up with Emma and watched her do the Canyon Swing, which is jumping off a platform and then swinging over a canyon. It was fun to watch her and the others jump.
When we returned to Queenstown we at dinner at Fergburger. I had a falafel burger with a chili sauce. It was quite good. We went out for a couple of drinks and bumped into another mutual friend Matilda and a couple of other girls. We listened to a few bands and had a few drinks [and tried to get an ice cream but it was closed at 11:30 - go figure] before calling it a night. Emma is heading up to Christchurch and then back to the North Island before heading out to South Africa so we said goodbye. Matilda is heading down to Te Anau which is the direction that I am headed so we might meet up for a hike there and/ or a beer.
Today I am going to finalize my travel plans for the next week or so. I am worried that the holiday season may make bookings tighter. Then I am going to hike up to the Ben Lomond Saddle and maybe peak if I feel really ambitious. I think that I will stay in Queenstown today and tomorrow and then head down to Te Anau.
I met up with Emma and watched her do the Canyon Swing, which is jumping off a platform and then swinging over a canyon. It was fun to watch her and the others jump.
When we returned to Queenstown we at dinner at Fergburger. I had a falafel burger with a chili sauce. It was quite good. We went out for a couple of drinks and bumped into another mutual friend Matilda and a couple of other girls. We listened to a few bands and had a few drinks [and tried to get an ice cream but it was closed at 11:30 - go figure] before calling it a night. Emma is heading up to Christchurch and then back to the North Island before heading out to South Africa so we said goodbye. Matilda is heading down to Te Anau which is the direction that I am headed so we might meet up for a hike there and/ or a beer.
Today I am going to finalize my travel plans for the next week or so. I am worried that the holiday season may make bookings tighter. Then I am going to hike up to the Ben Lomond Saddle and maybe peak if I feel really ambitious. I think that I will stay in Queenstown today and tomorrow and then head down to Te Anau.
Dunedin
I arrived in Dunedin at 7pm and made my way to Penny's Backpacker. Shortly after arriving I got a text from Emma to meet her and a friend for dinner. We had a nice meal at Etruscos and then headed out to the Otago Peninsula to see the Blue Penguins. It was pouring rain. The road was soooo curvy with an immediate drop off to the water and no guard rail. We were rushing because it was getting dark. It was a bit hair raising but we made it. It was dark when we got to the penguin area but we saw on before we even got out of the car. They were everywhere and they were loud. We viewed them as best as possible in the dark and pouring rain. No pictures were possible because the flash hurts their eyes.
The next day I decided to move backpackers to a place called Manor House and to stay another day to do the Back to Nature Tour. Manor House is a really great place to stay - awesome staff, good beds, good shower. It is an old home converted to a backpacker.
The Back to Nature Tour is also a great tour. It was very reasonably priced and lasted from 2:30pm to 9:30pm. Our tour guide was Chris from Scotland (but born in NZ). Dunedin was settled by the Scottish. We went to Lanarch Castle and viewed native flora. Then on to a tidal flat to view birdlife - including the variable oystercatcher [my friend from Abel Tasman], the Royal Spoonbill, swans, ducks, slilts, and plovers. Then we went to the Royal Albatross Center and checked out the nesting albatross. Following that we went to a beach to see the Yellow eyed penguin, NZ seals and NZ sea lions. The Yellow eyed penguins are endangered so it is a treat to see them. We were lucky enough to see one swim in from the water and limp up the beach to his home in the sand dunes. He had probably been bit by a barracuda. We saw several other penguins along the beach. We also saw a number of seals and sea lions.
I had a chance to wear my rain pants on the tour because it was quite windy and cold with a touch of rain. Shorts didn't cut it is as we sat quietly watching the wildlife.
There are a few photos of Queenstown (taken from the terrace at the Deco backpacker) and Dunedin here.
The next day I decided to move backpackers to a place called Manor House and to stay another day to do the Back to Nature Tour. Manor House is a really great place to stay - awesome staff, good beds, good shower. It is an old home converted to a backpacker.
The Back to Nature Tour is also a great tour. It was very reasonably priced and lasted from 2:30pm to 9:30pm. Our tour guide was Chris from Scotland (but born in NZ). Dunedin was settled by the Scottish. We went to Lanarch Castle and viewed native flora. Then on to a tidal flat to view birdlife - including the variable oystercatcher [my friend from Abel Tasman], the Royal Spoonbill, swans, ducks, slilts, and plovers. Then we went to the Royal Albatross Center and checked out the nesting albatross. Following that we went to a beach to see the Yellow eyed penguin, NZ seals and NZ sea lions. The Yellow eyed penguins are endangered so it is a treat to see them. We were lucky enough to see one swim in from the water and limp up the beach to his home in the sand dunes. He had probably been bit by a barracuda. We saw several other penguins along the beach. We also saw a number of seals and sea lions.
I had a chance to wear my rain pants on the tour because it was quite windy and cold with a touch of rain. Shorts didn't cut it is as we sat quietly watching the wildlife.
There are a few photos of Queenstown (taken from the terrace at the Deco backpacker) and Dunedin here.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Queenstown to Dunedin
I spent the morning doing a bit of shopping. I located a reasonably priced pot to cook in while on the Milford Track. I also got a few family Christmas presents. I can't say what I but I found the perfect gift for my Dad [who is hard to buy for].
I boarded the bus [on time] at 3pm to go to Dunedin. I met up with Emma there and we had dinner. Then we went on to see the penguins. It was pouring down rain and we had to drive out to the Otago Peninsula. The road boarders the bay with no guard rail and is very curvy. All of us were thinking what would we do if we went off the side of the road. Emma had been told that we should go at 10pm but it was quite dark by the time we got to the Penguin viewing place. We could see them but photos were not possible because they are sensitive to bright light. They were the small blue penguins. I going to try to see some more penguins today - maybe more blues and / or yellow eyed. There is also and albatross center here. If I see my fill of penguins, I will head up to Glenarchy with Emma otherwise I will stay on.
It is pouring rain but I don't think the penguins mind.
I am considering spending Christmas on Doubtful Sound.
I boarded the bus [on time] at 3pm to go to Dunedin. I met up with Emma there and we had dinner. Then we went on to see the penguins. It was pouring down rain and we had to drive out to the Otago Peninsula. The road boarders the bay with no guard rail and is very curvy. All of us were thinking what would we do if we went off the side of the road. Emma had been told that we should go at 10pm but it was quite dark by the time we got to the Penguin viewing place. We could see them but photos were not possible because they are sensitive to bright light. They were the small blue penguins. I going to try to see some more penguins today - maybe more blues and / or yellow eyed. There is also and albatross center here. If I see my fill of penguins, I will head up to Glenarchy with Emma otherwise I will stay on.
It is pouring rain but I don't think the penguins mind.
I am considering spending Christmas on Doubtful Sound.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Phone pays off
I got a call from the train people today on my one day old new cell/ mobile phone. I am going to get a refund of $139 (not as much as I would like but better than nothing).
I am heading down to Dunedin to see a few penguins and maybe an albatross. I am leaving the majority of my things in Queenstown. I am just taking my day pack and laptop bag. I will feel free as a bird unburdened by my heavy load. One girl said to me today that she has never seen anyone travel with as much stuff as I have. That did not make my day.
The bus leaves in an hour so I am off soon.
I am heading down to Dunedin to see a few penguins and maybe an albatross. I am leaving the majority of my things in Queenstown. I am just taking my day pack and laptop bag. I will feel free as a bird unburdened by my heavy load. One girl said to me today that she has never seen anyone travel with as much stuff as I have. That did not make my day.
The bus leaves in an hour so I am off soon.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Not a particularly good day
Today I waited for the bus and waited and waited and waited. Nine of us waited in the toilet block in light rain for the bus that never came.
The bus was supposed to leave at 2:35. We were to be there at least 15 minutes early. When it hadn't arrived by 3:00 one of us went into the information center [where I bought my ticket] to find out what was going on. The answer -- there was a rock slide in the Glacier area and the bus would be held up for an hour and a half or two hours. Not to bore you with the play by play but the entire afternoon consisted of us going in and asking the information center to call the bus company and the bus company saying the bus was held up by the slide. After waiting three hours I wanted a refund but no such luck. The bus finally came four hours late. At which point I called the backpacker in Queenstown to let them know I would be late. They said that they closed at 8pm. The bus driver refused to drop us at the backpacker and we knew that we would be there after it closed.
I had words with the bus driver and he almost threw me off the bus. Basically I told him that was fine with me if he would give me a refund. In the end he relented and drove us to the backpacker. It seems as though some people had it even worse. They had a longer wait and it was raining more on them. We only had drizzle.
Anyway, we got to the backpacker which has a fantastic view of the surrounding lake and mountains. I will get some photos tomorrow. I arranged my transport to Dunedin for tomorrow at 3pm. I should arrive at 7pm. I am hoping to meet up with Emma there who has a car. I am also hoping to see some albatross and some penguins. Then Emma plans to go to Glenarchy and do some walking so I will probably tag along. Finally return to Queenstown.
Then I took myself out to dinner. I had a great veggie pizza and some fantastic gelato for dessert. To top it off we have free wireless here at this backpacker.
On the upside - I am glad that I didn't do the Welcome Flat hike. Weather was one of the primary reasons I didn't do it. It hadn't rained in that area in awhile and the locals said that when it did rain that it was likely to cause problems because the ground was so dry that all the rain was likely to run off causing flooding. The hike write up mention that streams would be come impassable with heavy rain.
I think I emailed you all to let you know that I have a mobile / cell phone here. If you didn't get the email let me know and I will email you the number.
The bus was supposed to leave at 2:35. We were to be there at least 15 minutes early. When it hadn't arrived by 3:00 one of us went into the information center [where I bought my ticket] to find out what was going on. The answer -- there was a rock slide in the Glacier area and the bus would be held up for an hour and a half or two hours. Not to bore you with the play by play but the entire afternoon consisted of us going in and asking the information center to call the bus company and the bus company saying the bus was held up by the slide. After waiting three hours I wanted a refund but no such luck. The bus finally came four hours late. At which point I called the backpacker in Queenstown to let them know I would be late. They said that they closed at 8pm. The bus driver refused to drop us at the backpacker and we knew that we would be there after it closed.
I had words with the bus driver and he almost threw me off the bus. Basically I told him that was fine with me if he would give me a refund. In the end he relented and drove us to the backpacker. It seems as though some people had it even worse. They had a longer wait and it was raining more on them. We only had drizzle.
Anyway, we got to the backpacker which has a fantastic view of the surrounding lake and mountains. I will get some photos tomorrow. I arranged my transport to Dunedin for tomorrow at 3pm. I should arrive at 7pm. I am hoping to meet up with Emma there who has a car. I am also hoping to see some albatross and some penguins. Then Emma plans to go to Glenarchy and do some walking so I will probably tag along. Finally return to Queenstown.
Then I took myself out to dinner. I had a great veggie pizza and some fantastic gelato for dessert. To top it off we have free wireless here at this backpacker.
On the upside - I am glad that I didn't do the Welcome Flat hike. Weather was one of the primary reasons I didn't do it. It hadn't rained in that area in awhile and the locals said that when it did rain that it was likely to cause problems because the ground was so dry that all the rain was likely to run off causing flooding. The hike write up mention that streams would be come impassable with heavy rain.
I think I emailed you all to let you know that I have a mobile / cell phone here. If you didn't get the email let me know and I will email you the number.
Cinema Paradiso
Last night I went to Cinema Paradiso which is a Wanaka icon. The cinema serves food, beer, and wine. Inside are couches and other comfy chairs to sit on. There is also a car you can sit in to watch the movie. There is intermission so you can get more food and drink. I had a fresh baked choc chip cookie still warm from the oven. You might ask what movie I saw [or was it all about the cookies and beer?]. I saw Eastern Promises which is a movie about girls taken from former Soviet countries to work as prostitutes in London. It was a violent but good film.
It is raining again today. I am heading to Queenstown to meet up with Emma, a friend from the Queen Charlotte Track. We may go to Dunedin to see the penguins.
A Milford Track booking for Dec 14 opened up yesterday due to a cancellation. I went to book it this morning but someone else had already snapped it up. There was another opening on Dec 20 so I decided to book it. As I was booking it someone else was also trying. We beat them out so I am walking the Track Dec 20 - 23. Keep your fingures crossed for good weather!
It is raining again today. I am heading to Queenstown to meet up with Emma, a friend from the Queen Charlotte Track. We may go to Dunedin to see the penguins.
A Milford Track booking for Dec 14 opened up yesterday due to a cancellation. I went to book it this morning but someone else had already snapped it up. There was another opening on Dec 20 so I decided to book it. As I was booking it someone else was also trying. We beat them out so I am walking the Track Dec 20 - 23. Keep your fingures crossed for good weather!
Monday, December 10, 2007
Wanaka
The drive from Fox Glacier to Wanaka was really pretty. It goes through the Haast Pass and along the Haast River. This is a fairly new route for vehicles. It is only around 25 years old and for a long time was only gravel. Lucky for me today it is all paved. We stopped at a salmon farm and Thunderfalls along the way
It was hot, hot, hot when I arrived in Wanaka. I am staying at the Purple Cow which has very nice views of the surrounding mountains and the lake. I took a few photos which is good because today it is cloudy and you can't see the mountains. I waited until 6:30 and then did two of the walks along the lake.
Today I took a shuttle out to the base of Mt Roy and walked up the mountain. I was a little off in the height. I thought it was 578m but it was actually 1578m. I couldn't figure out why it seemed such a hard hike. (The start of the hike was at around 400m and was 11km in length so it was pretty steep). Today it was cloudy threatening rain. Lucky for me as the hike was really exposed and would have be impossible in yesterday's heat.
On the way up I dropped my water bottle. I was afraid it was going to go all the way down the mountain but it stopped pretty quickly in a pile of sheep poo. It was the kind of water bottle with a pull top that you drink out of. The top was what landed in the sheep poo. When I got home later, I decided to sterilize the top. I washed it and then decided to boil the top. I stepped away for a moment and when I got back the bottle was gone. Bad luck for whoever took it (stolen or accident. I picked up another water bottle for 99 cents so I didn't lose out.
I have to admit that I didn't hike all the way to the top of Mt Roy. I skipped the last tiny bit because it was along a very exposed ridge and it was super windy. I didn't feel the need to touch the antenna at the top. Besides I was walking the six kilometers from the base of the hike back to the backpacker because I was too cheap to pay for transport both ways. The really good news is that my asthma didn't really bother me at all on the hike.
Tomorrow I will either hike the base of the Rob Roy Glacier or head to Te Anau or maybe Queenstown.
Pictures are here.
It was hot, hot, hot when I arrived in Wanaka. I am staying at the Purple Cow which has very nice views of the surrounding mountains and the lake. I took a few photos which is good because today it is cloudy and you can't see the mountains. I waited until 6:30 and then did two of the walks along the lake.
Today I took a shuttle out to the base of Mt Roy and walked up the mountain. I was a little off in the height. I thought it was 578m but it was actually 1578m. I couldn't figure out why it seemed such a hard hike. (The start of the hike was at around 400m and was 11km in length so it was pretty steep). Today it was cloudy threatening rain. Lucky for me as the hike was really exposed and would have be impossible in yesterday's heat.
On the way up I dropped my water bottle. I was afraid it was going to go all the way down the mountain but it stopped pretty quickly in a pile of sheep poo. It was the kind of water bottle with a pull top that you drink out of. The top was what landed in the sheep poo. When I got home later, I decided to sterilize the top. I washed it and then decided to boil the top. I stepped away for a moment and when I got back the bottle was gone. Bad luck for whoever took it (stolen or accident. I picked up another water bottle for 99 cents so I didn't lose out.
I have to admit that I didn't hike all the way to the top of Mt Roy. I skipped the last tiny bit because it was along a very exposed ridge and it was super windy. I didn't feel the need to touch the antenna at the top. Besides I was walking the six kilometers from the base of the hike back to the backpacker because I was too cheap to pay for transport both ways. The really good news is that my asthma didn't really bother me at all on the hike.
Tomorrow I will either hike the base of the Rob Roy Glacier or head to Te Anau or maybe Queenstown.
Pictures are here.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Greymouth to Fox Glacier
I took at 7:30 AM bus to Fox Glacier. The scenery continued to be great on the way down the west coast. I arrived at Fox just before 11AM.
I went up on a helicopter hike onto the glacier at 3PM. The flight was amazing and scary and kind of nauseating. Once up there we put on mini crampons and walked around on the glacier and through ice caves. It was a really good experience but expensive.
When I got back to the hostel I rented a bike and rode out the Lake Matheson. There I did a walk aroud the lake and took a few photos of the mountains. There were views of Mt Tasman (site of Fox Glacier) and Mt Cook.
You can check out some of the photos here.
I have decided not to do the hike up to Welcome Flat hot springs due to transportation, weather and other little issues. I am off to Wanaka next.
I went up on a helicopter hike onto the glacier at 3PM. The flight was amazing and scary and kind of nauseating. Once up there we put on mini crampons and walked around on the glacier and through ice caves. It was a really good experience but expensive.
When I got back to the hostel I rented a bike and rode out the Lake Matheson. There I did a walk aroud the lake and took a few photos of the mountains. There were views of Mt Tasman (site of Fox Glacier) and Mt Cook.
You can check out some of the photos here.
I have decided not to do the hike up to Welcome Flat hot springs due to transportation, weather and other little issues. I am off to Wanaka next.
Travel Day
Today I travel to Greymouth from Marahau. My bus was scheduled to leave at 8:15AM. It was really a van. We then stopped in Moteuka. The driver said - we have to pick up a few people here so it may get a bit tight. However, math must not be a prerequisite for bus drivers or bus administration because there were more people than would fit in the van and the driver told two people to get off. One lady did. I think that she was transferred to another company's bus. The other guy refused to get off. He said he had booked his ticket three days ago. This caused the driver much aggravation. Eventually she called her office and said that she was leaving and not picking up another person that she was supposed to pick up. I was pretty glad that I got on the bus early so that I didn't encounter any of these issues.
I had a layover in Nelson. Two nice people agreed to watch my luggage for me as I ran down the street to pick up some groceries. I also stopped by a camping store intending on buying a couple of things but I almost had a heart attack over the prices so I didn't buy anything.
I also talked to the train ticket people who told me to call the Tranzscenic company for a refund. (Note: the Tranzscenic company told me to call these other people. Later I called Tranzscenic again and they told me to email the refunds office. I did this but as yet have had no reply.).
The bus trip up to Greymouth was really, really pretty. The Buller River is an amazing color - kind of emerald. I didn't get any pictures because the bus didn't stop. The West Coast was also pretty but looked very similar to the California west coast.
Not much to say about Greymouth. I had hoped to look for some Christmas/ birthday presents here but everything was closed when I got in. There was a really big grocery store so I picked up some more stuff and made myself dinner.
The backpacker was large and a bus load of people from the Magic Bus were there. At around 2am one of them must have gotten locked out and was yelling and banging on some door somewhere. A kind soul got up and helped him. (Not me). A good point about it was that it didn't have bunk beds.
I had a layover in Nelson. Two nice people agreed to watch my luggage for me as I ran down the street to pick up some groceries. I also stopped by a camping store intending on buying a couple of things but I almost had a heart attack over the prices so I didn't buy anything.
I also talked to the train ticket people who told me to call the Tranzscenic company for a refund. (Note: the Tranzscenic company told me to call these other people. Later I called Tranzscenic again and they told me to email the refunds office. I did this but as yet have had no reply.).
The bus trip up to Greymouth was really, really pretty. The Buller River is an amazing color - kind of emerald. I didn't get any pictures because the bus didn't stop. The West Coast was also pretty but looked very similar to the California west coast.
Not much to say about Greymouth. I had hoped to look for some Christmas/ birthday presents here but everything was closed when I got in. There was a really big grocery store so I picked up some more stuff and made myself dinner.
The backpacker was large and a bus load of people from the Magic Bus were there. At around 2am one of them must have gotten locked out and was yelling and banging on some door somewhere. A kind soul got up and helped him. (Not me). A good point about it was that it didn't have bunk beds.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Jet Lag or Idiocy
I called to make my train booking to go down to Christchurch. They said that it was expired. I said I had only done three out of seven days that it couldn't be expired. Somehow I missed the fact that the pass was good for seven consecutive days only. I booked this in Auckland the day after I arrived so I guess that somehow I missed this because
- I was sick
- I was jet lagged
- The seller didn't mention it
- All of the above
Abel Tasman
Abel Tasman Kayaking
I booked a full day kayaking trip to Tonga Marine Reserve. I was picked up at 8:15AM and taken to the Kayaking office. There we got our gear and had a briefing. Our guide's name was Vince and he was from Montreal. Three of our group met us at the beach because they stayed at the very nice (and expensive) Awaroa Lodge. We loaded up on a boat pulled by a tractor which towed us down the road to the water. There it pulled us down to the water and backed us up until we were deep enough to be launched. I have never seen anything quite like it. Our boat trip to the put in point at Onetahuti lasted about an hour. There I met my paddling partner- Mark - from California. Mark and his wife and 13 month old baby had hiked down from Totaranui to Awaroa Lodge the day before and then down to Onetahuti the kayak morning. They had originally wanted to to kayak with their 13 month old child but the kayak company wouldn't allow that. Imagine that - instead of remembering the 3 B's if you capsize [Boat, Blade and Breath] there would be 5 B's [Boat, Blade, Breath, Baby, Baby Breathing] (insert sarcasm). So on this day the wife hiked with the baby and the husband was my kayak partner. Unfortunately he brought no water. Later I found out that he had made the tidal crossing in two feet of water with his infant because they had not researched the tidal information. Well enough about him but I think you get the idea.
We kayaked up to Shag Harbour and then onto Tonga Island and saw heaps of New Zealand seals. Some of them swam by us and others were sun bathing on the rocks. An interesting fact about these seals is that they are sea lions. They were improperly named.
We kayaked down the coast the to Bark Bay for our water taxi ride home. There we left very late because my kayak partner's wife and child had not arrived. It turned out they were at the wrong place and eventually everything was sorted out and we got home [an hour late].
Hiking Abel Tasman Totaranui to Onetahuti
I bought a three day pass for the water taxi and I am going to walk most of the Abel Tasman Track but return each night to my backpacker (the Barn). The first section is Totaranui (the farthest north the water taxi goes) to Onetahuti.
The walk was so beautiful. The beaches and coastline were gorgeous. I had lunch at the best spot a bench on the hill with an incredible view. Check out the photo of it.
There is one tricky part where you need to cross an inlet at low tide. I hit it perfectly where the maximum water was an inch or two. (Unlike my kayak partner)
On my way to Onetahuti Beach I saw a really big oyster catcher. I went to take a photo of it. I think it was nesting because it flew at me. I was caught off guard and fell over backward. It must have been quite funny to see. Luckily I didn't get much sand in my camera.
At Onetahuti Beach I ran into Emma (one of my Queen Charlotte Track friends). We arranged to meet for a beer at the end of the day. It was a really, really good day. It turns out that Emma was chased by one of those Oyster Eaters as well.
Hiking Abel Tasman Onetahuti to Torrent Bay
On the way to my drop off at Onetahuti the water taxi driver did a pass by Tonga Island. There we saw a baby seal. It was so little that it didn't show up in my photo. There have been very few female seals around because they have been hiding out ready to give birth. This was one of the first baby seals of the season. What a really good start to the day it was!
The hike was mostly inland today with fewer views. I did see two smallish waterfalls. One was a side trip from the track called Cascade Falls.
Hiking Abel Tasman Torrent Bay to Marahau
This was the last day of my hiking. I did most of the Abel Tasman track. I only missed out on a bit at the top. If I come back, I will make sure an do that bit and visit Golden Bay. I added two side trips to the track today. I visited a rock pool called Cleopatra's Pool and did a hike out to Pitt Head for some really good views of Anchorage. The rest of the track back to Marahau was very pretty with lots of views of beaches. I could have spent more time here but having been here five days it is time to move on. I treated myself to a chocolate brownie with ice cream at the end of the Track. The water taxi tractor driver was there. I think he has seen enough of me.
A selection of my photo are here
I booked a full day kayaking trip to Tonga Marine Reserve. I was picked up at 8:15AM and taken to the Kayaking office. There we got our gear and had a briefing. Our guide's name was Vince and he was from Montreal. Three of our group met us at the beach because they stayed at the very nice (and expensive) Awaroa Lodge. We loaded up on a boat pulled by a tractor which towed us down the road to the water. There it pulled us down to the water and backed us up until we were deep enough to be launched. I have never seen anything quite like it. Our boat trip to the put in point at Onetahuti lasted about an hour. There I met my paddling partner- Mark - from California. Mark and his wife and 13 month old baby had hiked down from Totaranui to Awaroa Lodge the day before and then down to Onetahuti the kayak morning. They had originally wanted to to kayak with their 13 month old child but the kayak company wouldn't allow that. Imagine that - instead of remembering the 3 B's if you capsize [Boat, Blade and Breath] there would be 5 B's [Boat, Blade, Breath, Baby, Baby Breathing] (insert sarcasm). So on this day the wife hiked with the baby and the husband was my kayak partner. Unfortunately he brought no water. Later I found out that he had made the tidal crossing in two feet of water with his infant because they had not researched the tidal information. Well enough about him but I think you get the idea.
We kayaked up to Shag Harbour and then onto Tonga Island and saw heaps of New Zealand seals. Some of them swam by us and others were sun bathing on the rocks. An interesting fact about these seals is that they are sea lions. They were improperly named.
We kayaked down the coast the to Bark Bay for our water taxi ride home. There we left very late because my kayak partner's wife and child had not arrived. It turned out they were at the wrong place and eventually everything was sorted out and we got home [an hour late].
Hiking Abel Tasman Totaranui to Onetahuti
I bought a three day pass for the water taxi and I am going to walk most of the Abel Tasman Track but return each night to my backpacker (the Barn). The first section is Totaranui (the farthest north the water taxi goes) to Onetahuti.
The walk was so beautiful. The beaches and coastline were gorgeous. I had lunch at the best spot a bench on the hill with an incredible view. Check out the photo of it.
There is one tricky part where you need to cross an inlet at low tide. I hit it perfectly where the maximum water was an inch or two. (Unlike my kayak partner)
On my way to Onetahuti Beach I saw a really big oyster catcher. I went to take a photo of it. I think it was nesting because it flew at me. I was caught off guard and fell over backward. It must have been quite funny to see. Luckily I didn't get much sand in my camera.
At Onetahuti Beach I ran into Emma (one of my Queen Charlotte Track friends). We arranged to meet for a beer at the end of the day. It was a really, really good day. It turns out that Emma was chased by one of those Oyster Eaters as well.
Hiking Abel Tasman Onetahuti to Torrent Bay
On the way to my drop off at Onetahuti the water taxi driver did a pass by Tonga Island. There we saw a baby seal. It was so little that it didn't show up in my photo. There have been very few female seals around because they have been hiding out ready to give birth. This was one of the first baby seals of the season. What a really good start to the day it was!
The hike was mostly inland today with fewer views. I did see two smallish waterfalls. One was a side trip from the track called Cascade Falls.
Hiking Abel Tasman Torrent Bay to Marahau
This was the last day of my hiking. I did most of the Abel Tasman track. I only missed out on a bit at the top. If I come back, I will make sure an do that bit and visit Golden Bay. I added two side trips to the track today. I visited a rock pool called Cleopatra's Pool and did a hike out to Pitt Head for some really good views of Anchorage. The rest of the track back to Marahau was very pretty with lots of views of beaches. I could have spent more time here but having been here five days it is time to move on. I treated myself to a chocolate brownie with ice cream at the end of the Track. The water taxi tractor driver was there. I think he has seen enough of me.
A selection of my photo are here
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Pictures at last
Last night's post was really, really fast. I got a boat back from the track at 5pm and then took a 6pm bus to Nelson. I arrived there at 8pm. I quickly put up the blog post after I checked in and then hit the sack. Today I took a 6:45am bus (I had to walk 20 minutes to catch it as well) and arrived in Marahau this morning at 8:30am.
Much to my surprise there is wireless Internet here so I have uploaded some photos at
http://picasaweb.google.com/kris.olson.au/NationalParkToQueenCharlotteTrack?pli=1
I have many, many more.
Today I am organising my time here in the Abel Tasman area. I think I will do a kayak to see seals and lagoons tomorrow. Then walk bits an pieces of the Abel Tasman Track over the next several days. I am also doing laundry which really, really needed to be done. I think the shorts that I wore for the last four days could walk the Track by themselves next time.
I am staying at a very nice place called The Barn.
Much to my surprise there is wireless Internet here so I have uploaded some photos at
http://picasaweb.google.com/kris.olson.au/NationalParkToQueenCharlotteTrack?pli=1
I have many, many more.
Today I am organising my time here in the Abel Tasman area. I think I will do a kayak to see seals and lagoons tomorrow. Then walk bits an pieces of the Abel Tasman Track over the next several days. I am also doing laundry which really, really needed to be done. I think the shorts that I wore for the last four days could walk the Track by themselves next time.
I am staying at a very nice place called The Barn.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Queen Charlotte Track
Day 1:
Took a 9AM boat from Picton to Ship Cove (1 hr). Along the way they told us that a 66 year old Dutch guy got lost the day before and we should look out for him (I remember thinking I hope this isn't a bad omen). On the way I chatted with a guy from my backpacker also doing the track. He boasted about how quickly he did the Tongariro Crossing. When we got off the boat, I headed up the Track. He caught up to me and was walking with me. It was up, up, up. My asthma was bothering me. I was coughing and then I noticed he was smoking a cigarette. That didn't help. I was so glad when he said good bye and took off at a faster pace. The beginning of the Track was quite steep but the first day was short. I finished walking around 2pm. My bags were transferred to my backpacker for me so I only carried a day pack. However, they weren't there when I arrived so I walked up to a nearby waterfall. I missed a sign and almost went off the trail myself. I backed up when the trail seemed poor and realised that I missed a turn. The waterfall didn't have alot of water but it was quite pretty. It kind of shimmered.
When I got back to the backpacker, my bag had arrived. Soon I had two new roomates as well but they weren't particularly friendly. I did end up talking for awhile to a German girl who was only going to do the next section of the Track.
Day 2
I walked to Portage. It was an easy walk along the coast. It only took me around 3 hours so I beat my bag again. I stayed at a GREAT place called the Mahana Lodge. The owners were so nice and the place was so clean. The owner switched me into a twin room when he realised I was the only girl in a room of guys. Throughout the day more people showed up including the German girl from Day 1. A few brave souls went for a swim. I generally just chatted and read through the afternoon. We all had dinner and drinks together. The Mahana Lodge offers home cooked meals. I had a chick pea meal. There was also a meat option. It was a really good meal with really great company. After dinner the Lodge owner told us all about glow worms and showed up the glow worm grotto at the Lodge. He said the big difference between his and the ones in the caves was the price. (His were free).
Day 3
This was the longest and hardest day but the views were incredible. It was overcast and there was a bit of rain along the way but nothing too big. I did an extra hike up to a lookout that was a killer but well worth it. I ended up in a place called Portage. I had dinner with two of the people that I ate with the night before. We pieced together a meal from what we were carrying in our backpacks - soup mix (lentils, peas, barley, pasta, seasoning) , a carrot, green thai chili sauce - and what we could buy in the "shop" - a sweet potato, a can of tomatos, and brown rice. It turned out surprisingly well. We chased it down with a couple of beers.
Day 4
Another long and steep day but again the views were incredible. Again I did an extra hike up to the top of a hill and was rewarded with fantatic views. The only down side of the day was being bit by sandflies at the end of the Track. A very nice kiosk worker shared some insect repellent with me. I saw one unluckly lady who tripped and fell off the track. She came back with her arm in a cast.
I never found out what happened to the missing Dutch tourist despite asking around for the first few days. I am off to Abel Tasman now and do not expect to have Internet access while there (probably four days).
I have LOTS of pictures. I will upload them when I have wireless access. I am only in Nelson for 10 hours so I don't have time to track some down now. Hopefully I will find some when I leave here.
Took a 9AM boat from Picton to Ship Cove (1 hr). Along the way they told us that a 66 year old Dutch guy got lost the day before and we should look out for him (I remember thinking I hope this isn't a bad omen). On the way I chatted with a guy from my backpacker also doing the track. He boasted about how quickly he did the Tongariro Crossing. When we got off the boat, I headed up the Track. He caught up to me and was walking with me. It was up, up, up. My asthma was bothering me. I was coughing and then I noticed he was smoking a cigarette. That didn't help. I was so glad when he said good bye and took off at a faster pace. The beginning of the Track was quite steep but the first day was short. I finished walking around 2pm. My bags were transferred to my backpacker for me so I only carried a day pack. However, they weren't there when I arrived so I walked up to a nearby waterfall. I missed a sign and almost went off the trail myself. I backed up when the trail seemed poor and realised that I missed a turn. The waterfall didn't have alot of water but it was quite pretty. It kind of shimmered.
When I got back to the backpacker, my bag had arrived. Soon I had two new roomates as well but they weren't particularly friendly. I did end up talking for awhile to a German girl who was only going to do the next section of the Track.
Day 2
I walked to Portage. It was an easy walk along the coast. It only took me around 3 hours so I beat my bag again. I stayed at a GREAT place called the Mahana Lodge. The owners were so nice and the place was so clean. The owner switched me into a twin room when he realised I was the only girl in a room of guys. Throughout the day more people showed up including the German girl from Day 1. A few brave souls went for a swim. I generally just chatted and read through the afternoon. We all had dinner and drinks together. The Mahana Lodge offers home cooked meals. I had a chick pea meal. There was also a meat option. It was a really good meal with really great company. After dinner the Lodge owner told us all about glow worms and showed up the glow worm grotto at the Lodge. He said the big difference between his and the ones in the caves was the price. (His were free).
Day 3
This was the longest and hardest day but the views were incredible. It was overcast and there was a bit of rain along the way but nothing too big. I did an extra hike up to a lookout that was a killer but well worth it. I ended up in a place called Portage. I had dinner with two of the people that I ate with the night before. We pieced together a meal from what we were carrying in our backpacks - soup mix (lentils, peas, barley, pasta, seasoning) , a carrot, green thai chili sauce - and what we could buy in the "shop" - a sweet potato, a can of tomatos, and brown rice. It turned out surprisingly well. We chased it down with a couple of beers.
Day 4
Another long and steep day but again the views were incredible. Again I did an extra hike up to the top of a hill and was rewarded with fantatic views. The only down side of the day was being bit by sandflies at the end of the Track. A very nice kiosk worker shared some insect repellent with me. I saw one unluckly lady who tripped and fell off the track. She came back with her arm in a cast.
I never found out what happened to the missing Dutch tourist despite asking around for the first few days. I am off to Abel Tasman now and do not expect to have Internet access while there (probably four days).
I have LOTS of pictures. I will upload them when I have wireless access. I am only in Nelson for 10 hours so I don't have time to track some down now. Hopefully I will find some when I leave here.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Picton
I took the Overlander Train to Wellington without mishap. Once in Wellington I took a city bus to the Cambridge Hotel. This was not quite straight forward but there were a few others there with me to figure it out. The Cambridge Hotel is a historic hotel converted to a backpacker. It seemed nice but I wasn't there for long. I arrived at around 8pm and took a shuttle to the Interislander Ferry the next morning at 7am.
The Ferry was huge. It holds something like 900 people and has 10 levels. The crossing to the South Island took around 3 hrs. I sat on the top open air observation deck most of the time. It was a bit chilly but I had plenty of layers so I was fine. It was another blue sky day. The scenery once we entered the Queen Charlotte Sounds was so pretty. I have some pictures but I am not able to upload them here at the Internet Cafe. Some stupid rule about not connecting anything to their computers.
The backpacker that I am staying in here in Picton is called the Sequoia Lodge. It is really nice. My room has an attached bathroom. Everynight they serve a chocolate dessert with ice cream FREE.
I arranged the final details for the Queen Charlotte Track. A company is going to transport my bags each day to my night's lodging. I only have to walk the Track which is between 14 and 23 km each day with a day pack. I will walk the Track in four days ( three nights - Dec 28-30). When I get off the Track I am heading to Nelson (Dec 1) and then on to Marahau (Abel Tasman) (Dec 2) .
This morning I did a warm up hike here in Picton and will finish preparing for the track later today.
I am not sure what the Internet situation will be in the near future. I will post when I can.
Happy Birthday Erica and Austin !
The Ferry was huge. It holds something like 900 people and has 10 levels. The crossing to the South Island took around 3 hrs. I sat on the top open air observation deck most of the time. It was a bit chilly but I had plenty of layers so I was fine. It was another blue sky day. The scenery once we entered the Queen Charlotte Sounds was so pretty. I have some pictures but I am not able to upload them here at the Internet Cafe. Some stupid rule about not connecting anything to their computers.
The backpacker that I am staying in here in Picton is called the Sequoia Lodge. It is really nice. My room has an attached bathroom. Everynight they serve a chocolate dessert with ice cream FREE.
I arranged the final details for the Queen Charlotte Track. A company is going to transport my bags each day to my night's lodging. I only have to walk the Track which is between 14 and 23 km each day with a day pack. I will walk the Track in four days ( three nights - Dec 28-30). When I get off the Track I am heading to Nelson (Dec 1) and then on to Marahau (Abel Tasman) (Dec 2) .
This morning I did a warm up hike here in Picton and will finish preparing for the track later today.
I am not sure what the Internet situation will be in the near future. I will post when I can.
Happy Birthday Erica and Austin !
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Ramblings as I wait for the train
It has occurred to me that this asthma/ cold/ allergies things may have an advantage. Last night I was showing Barbara, a German chick, I met on the hike my photos. She was commenting on how bad the smell was on one part of the hike. I hardly smelled anything. I guess that is a bonus.
I also realized that I forgot to mention the funniest thing I saw on the hike. I man pulling a woman up the steepest part using a long white pole (not a hiking pole). This was at the beginning of the walk. I have no idea if she finished.
Last night I went out to dinner and had that good spinach pumpkin burger. Then I asked for desert. This was at 7:30pm or so on Saturday night. The waitress said "No dessert the kitchen is closed. We ran out of food. The food delivery didn't come today". That was kind of funny.
There was a beautiful sunset last night. Check it out here
This morning I woke up to a blue sky day. I went for a hike out to the Mount Taranaki Lookout. The view was pretty good. There were nice views of Mount Ruapehu on the way back.
I am just wasting time until the train comes.
I also realized that I forgot to mention the funniest thing I saw on the hike. I man pulling a woman up the steepest part using a long white pole (not a hiking pole). This was at the beginning of the walk. I have no idea if she finished.
Last night I went out to dinner and had that good spinach pumpkin burger. Then I asked for desert. This was at 7:30pm or so on Saturday night. The waitress said "No dessert the kitchen is closed. We ran out of food. The food delivery didn't come today". That was kind of funny.
There was a beautiful sunset last night. Check it out here
This morning I woke up to a blue sky day. I went for a hike out to the Mount Taranaki Lookout. The view was pretty good. There were nice views of Mount Ruapehu on the way back.
I am just wasting time until the train comes.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Tongariro Crossing
The weather report this AM was even better so I headed off at 6:15AM to do the Crossing. There was an option to start at 7:15 but since two girls in my room were doing the early bus so did I because I knew they would wake me anyway. The bus left a little late much to the disdain of a German guy. I was a bit worried that he and the late Brit were going to come to blows. I don't think the German guy knew or cared that the Brit and his 14 friends were the reason that there was a 6am bus. Normally there is only the 7:15.
The hike was simply amazing. The landscape was constantly changing. There was low alpine scrub, streams, waterfalls, sulfer springs, barren volcanic areas, and rainforest. The hike itself was challenging especially since I am suffering from asthma, cold and allergies. It was 18.5 km and gained something like 700m elevation. However, I took it slow and was generally fine. I met and chatted with several people along the way. However, it was not so crowded. I had several stretches where I was walking alone and didn't see others.
On one of the later (downhill) sections of the hike I came across a woman and a man. The woman was in obvious pain. I inquired about it to see if I could help. They said it was her knee. I offered her some Ibuprofe n but they said they had painkillers. I also offered some duct tape to strap it but they didn't want that either so I went on my way. Later at the Ketetahi Hut (the last major stop - approx 1.5 - 2hr from the end) I saw her being piggybacked down by another guy. Her boyfriend was looking for a hut warden/ ranger. There was none. I told him that there was cell phone reception there (the transport company had told me when I inquired about emergency situations). Long story short - he used his cell phone to have his girl friend evacuated off the mountain by helicopter. Interestingly enough he didn't go with her. He ended up on our bus back to get his campervan and meet her in Taupo at the hospital.
Photos from the day are at http://picasaweb.google.com/kris.olson.au/NationalParkAndTongariroCrossing
Tomorrow I leave for Wellington. I am planning on doing part of the Fisher Track before I go as my train is not until 1pm.
I may go for that pumpkin spinach burger again tonight.
The hike was simply amazing. The landscape was constantly changing. There was low alpine scrub, streams, waterfalls, sulfer springs, barren volcanic areas, and rainforest. The hike itself was challenging especially since I am suffering from asthma, cold and allergies. It was 18.5 km and gained something like 700m elevation. However, I took it slow and was generally fine. I met and chatted with several people along the way. However, it was not so crowded. I had several stretches where I was walking alone and didn't see others.
On one of the later (downhill) sections of the hike I came across a woman and a man. The woman was in obvious pain. I inquired about it to see if I could help. They said it was her knee. I offered her some Ibuprofe n but they said they had painkillers. I also offered some duct tape to strap it but they didn't want that either so I went on my way. Later at the Ketetahi Hut (the last major stop - approx 1.5 - 2hr from the end) I saw her being piggybacked down by another guy. Her boyfriend was looking for a hut warden/ ranger. There was none. I told him that there was cell phone reception there (the transport company had told me when I inquired about emergency situations). Long story short - he used his cell phone to have his girl friend evacuated off the mountain by helicopter. Interestingly enough he didn't go with her. He ended up on our bus back to get his campervan and meet her in Taupo at the hospital.
Photos from the day are at http://picasaweb.google.com/kris.olson.au/NationalParkAndTongariroCrossing
Tomorrow I leave for Wellington. I am planning on doing part of the Fisher Track before I go as my train is not until 1pm.
I may go for that pumpkin spinach burger again tonight.
The Overlander
I walked to the National Park Backpacker. It was only 800m (uphill) but carrying all my stuff was a strain. When I got to where I thought it was I couldn't find it. I only saw the YHA. Turns out that the YHA and the backpacker are one and the same. I have not seen that before. The surprises don't end there. When I was shown to my room, they took me to the climbing hall. There were several recessed doors in the climbing area.
We went into one of these and that is where my room was. Very strange ! However, the place has excellent views of Mt Ruapehu. and Mt. Ngauruhoe (Mt Doom). It was clear when I arrived and both were visible.
I checked the weather report to help me make a decision as to whether or not to attempt the Tongariro Crossing. The weather report had previously been poor. However, it improved. I decided to try the Crossing. (If the weather looked bad in the AM I could get a full refund.)
For dinner I found a place that severed a pumpkin (squash) and spinach burger. VERY NICE !!
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Day 3 - Rangitito Island
First excursion - Rangitito Island
I took a ferry out to Ranitito Island. It was quick trip - only 20 minutes. Once there I climbed to the top of the volcano. I think it was about 2 miles up. On the way I visited some lava caves. I brought my (weak) flash light and was able to walk through the caves. It was pretty cool and I only bumped my head a few times. They were much bigger than the caves in Vietnam and I could always see the light at the end of the tunnel. (ha, ha).
Views from the summit were nice. There was a very large group of school kids visiting at the same time as me. When I was walking around the crater, I noticed a boy all on his own. Later I saw a man and asked him if it was his son. He said no. So when I got back to the other side, I let the school know. Then I saved them from going down the wrong path. They were pretty happy they met me. A few minutes later a woman tells me she lost her son. It turns out that the boy I saw was hers not part of the school group. I told her where I last saw him and went on my way having done my good deeds for the day.
I traveled the road less travelled and went down a different way than I came up and walked the coastal track back. I have to say that this part of the day was not that appealing. It was hot because the black rock radiates the heat. I thought it would be a pretty coastal walk but it was really alot of walking over lava fields. I am glad I did it because it kind of gave me a feel for how I will feel hiking in terms of the ongoing coughing/ asthma. That is not great but bearable.
You can catch a couple photos from the day at http://picasaweb.google.com/kris.olson.au/RangititoIsland
Tomorrow I take the 7:30AM train south to the Tongariro National Park. I am not sure what my Internet access will be there. I will post again as soon as I can.
I took a ferry out to Ranitito Island. It was quick trip - only 20 minutes. Once there I climbed to the top of the volcano. I think it was about 2 miles up. On the way I visited some lava caves. I brought my (weak) flash light and was able to walk through the caves. It was pretty cool and I only bumped my head a few times. They were much bigger than the caves in Vietnam and I could always see the light at the end of the tunnel. (ha, ha).
Views from the summit were nice. There was a very large group of school kids visiting at the same time as me. When I was walking around the crater, I noticed a boy all on his own. Later I saw a man and asked him if it was his son. He said no. So when I got back to the other side, I let the school know. Then I saved them from going down the wrong path. They were pretty happy they met me. A few minutes later a woman tells me she lost her son. It turns out that the boy I saw was hers not part of the school group. I told her where I last saw him and went on my way having done my good deeds for the day.
I traveled the road less travelled and went down a different way than I came up and walked the coastal track back. I have to say that this part of the day was not that appealing. It was hot because the black rock radiates the heat. I thought it would be a pretty coastal walk but it was really alot of walking over lava fields. I am glad I did it because it kind of gave me a feel for how I will feel hiking in terms of the ongoing coughing/ asthma. That is not great but bearable.
You can catch a couple photos from the day at http://picasaweb.google.com/kris.olson.au/RangititoIsland
Tomorrow I take the 7:30AM train south to the Tongariro National Park. I am not sure what my Internet access will be there. I will post again as soon as I can.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Day 2
Well I went to bed early last night and had one of the most restful nights sleep. I guess the asthma is SLOWLY clearing up.
Today I walked into downtown Auckland (not far a mile or two), bought my train/ferry pass and made my bookings for the next week or so on the train ferry. I leave the day after tomorrow for National Park to hopefully do the Tongariro Crossing. The current weather forecast for there is
I will decide when I get there if I will do it depending on my asthma and the weather.
Today I also checked out the ferry to Rangitito Island. It is a volcanic island. I plan to head there tomorrow at 9:15am. The weather here today was good. I expect it will be a little hotter on the island as it tends to be warmer there. I plan to walk the summit and coast tracks. There should be a few photo op there.
After gathering all the information, I went to Foodtown and did a bit of shopping. From there I walked back up the hill to the backpackers where I am staying. I was glad to note that although there was some coughing. It was not too bad. I really think I am getting better. Yeah!!!
The rest of the day was spent confirming reservations, doing some hand laundry, visiting a French farmers market (overpriced) and resting.
That is all for now.
Today I walked into downtown Auckland (not far a mile or two), bought my train/ferry pass and made my bookings for the next week or so on the train ferry. I leave the day after tomorrow for National Park to hopefully do the Tongariro Crossing. The current weather forecast for there is
Cloudy periods and a few showers. Fresh westerlies.
Freezing level around 3000 metres.
I will decide when I get there if I will do it depending on my asthma and the weather.
Today I also checked out the ferry to Rangitito Island. It is a volcanic island. I plan to head there tomorrow at 9:15am. The weather here today was good. I expect it will be a little hotter on the island as it tends to be warmer there. I plan to walk the summit and coast tracks. There should be a few photo op there.
After gathering all the information, I went to Foodtown and did a bit of shopping. From there I walked back up the hill to the backpackers where I am staying. I was glad to note that although there was some coughing. It was not too bad. I really think I am getting better. Yeah!!!
The rest of the day was spent confirming reservations, doing some hand laundry, visiting a French farmers market (overpriced) and resting.
That is all for now.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Travel to NZ
My trip to New Zealand has started out very well indeed. There was an empty seat on the plane next to me on the longer flight (10 hr) so I had a bit of room to stretch out. Transit in Fiji took FOREVER but once it was my turn there were no issues.
I got a shuttle from the Auckland Airport to the City Garden Lodge where I am staying. The only hitch (which I knew before I arrived) was that the Lodge was closed from 1-4. I arrived around 2:30. I walked around the area to acquaint myself and tried to get used to looking right when crossing the road instead of left. I have to readjust.
I found a ANZ bank here. I have an ANZ account in Australia but they said that if I withdraw money at the ATM I have to pay the International banking withdrawl fee. That seems pretty stupid as I am sure that ANZ stands for Australia New Zealand. Then I went to a Vodaphone store to check out cell phones. You can get a pretty cheap unlocked one but the cost to make a call is 89 cents per minute. Of course, incoming calls are free. I am feeling pretty cheap at the moment so I am going to hold off on buying one until I feel that I have a need for one.
The City Garden Lodge seems quite nice. Tomorrow I am going to make my ongoing travel arrangements and look into going out to a volcanic island for the day on Thursday.
Coughing/ asthma continues to be a problem but has definitely improved over the last week.
Hopefully, the next post will be more interesting.
I got a shuttle from the Auckland Airport to the City Garden Lodge where I am staying. The only hitch (which I knew before I arrived) was that the Lodge was closed from 1-4. I arrived around 2:30. I walked around the area to acquaint myself and tried to get used to looking right when crossing the road instead of left. I have to readjust.
I found a ANZ bank here. I have an ANZ account in Australia but they said that if I withdraw money at the ATM I have to pay the International banking withdrawl fee. That seems pretty stupid as I am sure that ANZ stands for Australia New Zealand. Then I went to a Vodaphone store to check out cell phones. You can get a pretty cheap unlocked one but the cost to make a call is 89 cents per minute. Of course, incoming calls are free. I am feeling pretty cheap at the moment so I am going to hold off on buying one until I feel that I have a need for one.
The City Garden Lodge seems quite nice. Tomorrow I am going to make my ongoing travel arrangements and look into going out to a volcanic island for the day on Thursday.
Coughing/ asthma continues to be a problem but has definitely improved over the last week.
Hopefully, the next post will be more interesting.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
My new cubicle
This is a picture of my new cubicle at work. Note my backpack and walking shoes under the desk.
My cubicle is right in front of the bosses office. In fact, I believe when she looks out her door she can see exactly what is on my monitor.
Here it is again - My Cubicle - the song that brings it all home.
Monday, August 27, 2007
New Job Opp - New Decision?
Well after finally making some decisions for the next year what appears to be a good job opportunity as arisen at Rio Salado College. I am going to apply for it and see what happens.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Come Visit Western Australia
Hey Hey
I am likely returning to Australia for one year only. Take advantage of my final year there. You are more than welcome to come visit at any time. However, the best time for me to spend time with you is during the "School Holidays" [vacation]. I get three long breaks of during the year and some long weekends. You can check these days and times out here.
Visiting Western Australia
- Visit me in Geraldton . My place isn't a palace but it is only a few minute walk to the coast. Geraldton is famous for a few things - crayfish (a type of rock lobster - not crawdad), wind (wind surfing and kite surfing), and we have some pretty impressive diving at the Abrolhos Islands (the boat trip is not for those with a weak stomach). Check out these photos of the area.
- South of Geraldton is the Turquoise coast.
- The Bibbulmun Track is one of the world's great long distance walk trails, stretching nearly 1000kms from Kalamunda (Perth Hills) to Albany (South Coast) through the heart of the scenic South West of Western Australia http://www.bibbulmuntrack.org.au/
- Swim with Whale Sharks http://www.ningalooblue.com.au/
- Snorkel or dive the Ningaloo Reef
http://www.exmouthresort.com/gallery/area.html
http://www.exmouthresort.com/todo/snorkling.html - Swim with dolphins http://www.rockinghamwildencounters.com.au/
- Karijini National Park is the second largest national park in Western Australia and one of the most spectacular sights in the Pilbara. With breathtaking gorges, crystal clear rock pools, waterfalls, and stunning scenery, a visit to Karijini is a must.
- Rottnest Island http://www.rottnestisland.com/
- Valley of the Giants Treetop Walk
- Margaret River Wine Region
Tao of Pooh
I am currently reading (or I should say rereading) the Tao of Pooh. I feel I am a bit like Rabbit who is always thinking and analysing but never coming to the perfect conclusion.
I am working on the following two quotes (among others).
I am working on figuring out this "where I belong" thing. I can say that I think that I belong back in the US and that returning to Australia will only be temporary. I am going to get through the next year and do all the things that I need to do there both fun things and practical things.
List of TODOs in Oz:
"Rabbit's clever," said Pooh thoughtfully.
"Yes,"said Piglet, "Rabit's clever."
"And he has Brain."
"Yes," said Piglet, "Rabbit has Brain."
There was a long silence."
I suppose," said Pooh, "that that's why he never understands anything." [Tao of Pooh]
I am working on the following two quotes (among others).
When you discard arrogance, complexity, and a few other things that get in the way, sooner or later you will discover that simple, childlike, and mysterious secret known to those of the Uncarved Block: Life is Fun. [Tao of Pooh]
Everything has its own place and function. That applies to people, although many don't seem to realize it, stuck as they are in the wrong job, the wrong marriage, or the wrong house. When you know and respect your Inner Nature, you know where you belong. You also know where you don't belong. [Tao of Pooh]
I am working on figuring out this "where I belong" thing. I can say that I think that I belong back in the US and that returning to Australia will only be temporary. I am going to get through the next year and do all the things that I need to do there both fun things and practical things.
List of TODOs in Oz:
- swim with whale sharks
- connect house to deep sewerage (as opposed to septic)
- get rid of excess stuff
- ship back to US the important stuff
- walk part of the Bibbulmun Track
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