Milford Sound is really quite an amazing place. Incredibly remote, beautiful sights, lots of German and Japanese tourists.. what else could you ask for?
I woke up early, had yet another amazing shower (I would not usually be mentioning my showers, but after you don't shower for 4 days.. and sweat a lot.. the first couple showers you have are incredible. If Shakespeare walked the Milford Track he would likely write a sonnet or two about his first shower afterwards.. or maybe a poem? or a tragedy? or whatever the hell Shakespeare wrote.. either way, my two showers in Milford Sound were AMAZING)
I had a scenic cruise booked for 1pm so I made my way towards the cafe (which is close to the dock), and ate a GIANT lunch.. Seriously.. that was just way too much food.. I was hungry, but I could not devour the amount of food that was put in front of me by the cute Spanish girl who thought I was way younger than I am.. What? I am getting a bit off track here, sorry, I am still a bit out of it after all that walking.
The scenic cruise was great. There were WAY TOO MANY Japanese tourists on the boat with me, and after a penguin was spotted (just ONE penguin) on the shore they all went apeshit.. and one of them had GIANT binoculars.. seriously, those things must have been at least half a metre in length. And here I am getting off track again. The boat takes you to the Tasman sea (across which are a bunch of Australians or something), and back. It takes about an hour and 40 minutes, passes by Mitre peak (highest peak in the area), a couple waterfalls, a couple seals, and a bunch of other cool stuff. I took a LOT of pictures.
After the cruise I took a walk on the lakeside trail - I think that's what it was called anyway. It takes you from the harbour to the airport, and passes by a lot of great spots from which you can take pictures of Milford Sound and Mitre peak. So I did! I wish I could show them to you now. Later!
Ok, I'm getting a bit incoherent here, so I will depart you for now. Tomorrow (Thursday the 2nd of dec.) I am taking an early bus to the Divide (through the Homer tunnel), to the start of the Routeburn Track. On december 4th another bus picks me up at the end of the track and takes me to Queenstown (look at the map I posted way back if you want to get a better idea of what I'm talking about here)
The Routeburn track is quite different from the Milford Track. While the Milford Track takes you through a valley (aside from the 1 alpine pass), the Routeburn track is a steady climb on day 1, and then a day and a half or so of hiking ON mountains, as opposed to beside them. It's about 33km long, and its lowest elevation is about 500m - the highest being 1255m (Harris Saddle). Most people also do this track the opposite direction of what I'm doing - so I can forget having cool hiking buddies this time around.. It should be a totally different experience from the Milford Track, but one likely equally amazing in scenery and adventure.
I will write again from Queenstown, on December 4th or 5th!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
The Milford Track
Alright, so I just bought 20MB of internet usage here at the Milford Sound Lodge.. That's right - they charge by the amount of data you transfer instead of charging by time.. which is good news for me and you, cause I've got a couple hours to kill.. meaning I can sit here and type away until it's time to go get a beer and a burger at the pub down the road.
The Milford Track might or might not be the "finest walk in the world", but it is spectacular and quite an amazing experience! 55km in length, it is walked from the Glade Wharf, over 4 days, to Sandfly point, through Fiordland National Park - a World Heritage area. This is New Zealand's most popular hike, so it has to be booked months in advance. It is also heavily regulated, so you *have to* spend your first night at Clinton hut, your second night at Mintaro hut, and your third night at Dumpling hut. There is only room for 40 people at each of the huts, which basically means that the people that get off the boat with you at Glade Wharf are the same 39 people you are going to be walking with for the next 4 days, the same 39 people who are going to be sharing the huts with you, and the same 39 people who finish the walk with you on day 4.
The huts are very simple - there is a kitchen, dorm rooms with bunk beds, a bathroom, and a private area for the ranger. Each dorm room has anywhere between 4-10 bunk beds, so you can expect to not get much sleep - due to snoring.. and very squeaky mattresses.. which we all sleep on - in our sleeping bags. The kitchen is basically just a couple sinks, stoves, and benches. The bathrooms are co-ed - and are not lit. This isn't an issue though, as the sun goes up really early here this time of year, and goes down fairly late (we're pretty far south). If you have to use the bathroom in the middle of the night, you bring a flashlight with you. Oh yeah, there are also NO showers.
There are also 3 fancy lodges on the track for up to 50 hikers who opted to do a "guided hike" as opposed to hiking independently. Their gear is provided for, as well as their food, they have a guide who walks with them and points out this and that, and they probably sleep in comfortable beds in private rooms. They probably look down on us the same way we look down on them ;) For some reason 90%+ of them are usually Japanese.. They also pay $1,300+ for all of this, while we paid $50 per hut, plus about $150 for transportation to the track and to Milford Sound at the end (20 minute boat ride from Sandfly Point)
On the issue of food - we had to bring our own. I bought magical pouches that turn into wonderful dinners once you add hot water. You basically need one of those per hut - even though the packet quite clearly states that it has "2 servings". This lead to me not having enough food.. sort of. I had to bring enough food for 2 hikes (Milford and Routeburn), and bought 4 of the pouches (5 huts = 5 dinners, plus 3 emergency rations). Turns out I should have bought at least 5. You also need something for breakfast - and Uncle Toby comes to the rescue here with amazing porridge pouches, which a lot of us ended up buying. On top of all that you also need lunch, which is basically the food you're going to eat each time you stop for a break on the hike. I brought a decently sized salami sausage, a couple mini smoked sausages (saved those for the Routeburn!), a bit of cheddar cheese (saved, too), 2 bars of chocolate (half of the big one survived), 2 pouches of dried fruit (good for hiking), a bunch of roasted almonds, and 3 soup pouches. You might think that's a lot of food, but I had to bring enough for 7 days of hiking.. plus emergency rations. All of that is HEAVY.. it really adds to the weight. Maybe it's a psychological effect, I'm not sure, but my backpack felt lighter after each meal.
On to the actual hike. The first day is fairly simple. I woke up at 7:30am at Te Anau, got my backpack sorted out, ate a quick breakfast, and made my way to the DOC (dept. of conservation) office, where the bus was going to pick us up. I picked up my hut tickets, asked about the weather for the next couple days, and bought a hiking stick made by some local Maori dude. It has served me well so far! The bus ride to Te Anau Downs was pretty short, a half an hour maybe.. From there we got on a boat, and half an hour later were at Glade Wharf - the beginning of the Milford Track!
Day 1
Like I said, the first day is very short. It is only 5km to Clinton hut from Glade Wharf, so you get to the hut fairly quick (an hour and a half?). The day was very nice though, so I took my time. The Milford Track is located in a place that's supposed to be "one of the wettest on the planet", and here I was in shorts and a tshirt. I obviously took my time. At this point on the track you are basically walking through a jungle, at the bottom of a valley (carved out by glaciers), with high mountains on either side. There wasn't much to look at for the first 45 minutes or so. Every once in a while a mountain or two would peek out through the trees and you got a glimpse of the beautiful scenery you were walking through. The vegetation was also something I wasn't used to (the place seemed a bit alien at first) - another reason I took my time, there was lots of stuff to look at.
There was a 15 minute side trip to a wetland area about a half an hour before Clinton hut, which I read about, and which was recommended, so I checked it out.. and WOW.. I came out onto a clearing, with amazing views of the mountains on all sides.. it was breathtaking. The marsh looked a bit odd, maybe a bit alien, and really added to the scenery. I wish I could show you guys pictures! It will have to wait :/
I arrived at Clinton hut at around 2:30pm. At that point in time I did not understand why the hut was built where it was.. what were we supposed to do for the next 8 or so hours? Why couldn't the hut have been built further down the track? The next day's walk covered 16.5km - going uphill, so it didn't seem to make sense at the time.. but in hindsight, that first day achieved several things: it introduced me to walking around with a big 17kg backpack on my back... I didn't quite get used to that feeling that first day, but it gave me time to adjust the straps and gave me an idea of what to expect. It also gave everyone time to meet their new hiking buddies - the people they were going to be hiking with for the next couple days. Who was I hiking with, anyway? There were 6 Czechs, at least 5 Canadians, 1 American, 6+ Germans, 4 Kiwis, 4 Aussies, and 2 Spaniards. That doesn't quite add up to 40, but I did not talk to everyone.
At 5pm we met Peter the ranger. He was hilarious.. and knew his stuff. He took us on a VERY informative nature hike, which lasted about a half an hour. I learned a lot about the history of the place (how it was carved by glaciers, the Maori aspect of it, European, etc.) and even more about the different forms of life found in the area. At 8pm Peter the ranger had us gather in the kitchen/dining area and gave us a half an hour long speech about this and that, mostly what to expect on our next day, the weather forecast, more about the flora and fauna, and a LOT of jokes. He also claimed that his last name was Jackson, but I really don't know if to believe that or not.
This Day 1 thing is getting pretty long, but I have time!.. and I have to mention this. I met a couple from Australia, who were just way too nice. Hearing that I might not have enough food for both hikes, they gave me most of the mashed potatoes they were eating that day.. (the magical just-add-water kind).. Sure, they said they were full, but I think they are just really really nice.. or probably both. On days 2 3 and 4 they also gave me a Lamb n Mashed Potatoes meal, and yet another pouch of mashed potatoes.. oh, and powdered milk, a soup, and trail mix. The mashed potatoes were actually pretty good, considering that they came in a pouch. So..Tristan and Kirst, thanks a lot! I'll miss you guys.
I also met a German woman who came from.. ESENS.. which is very weird, because Esens is the closest town to the village we lived in 20+ years ago after we left Poland. It's an obscure town, in an obscure part of Germany, so we were both kind of amazed that we both lived in the same area.. I was naming off other villages in the area, and her eyes were lighting up each time.. Utarp! Schweindorf! Westerholt! Ahh, the memories..
Day 2
Did I forget to mention the sand flies? They SUCK. They are everywhere on the Milford Track, and they bite everyone.. everywhere.. even if you use bug spray. I have a lot of bites all over my hands and legs. Peter Jackson told us tha the Maori name for the buggers translates to "keep moving", which might very well be true.. (but probably isn't)
On day two of the hike you walk for 16.5km over less and less jungly landscape, slowly making your way from an elevation of 200m to 600m. The brochure claims that this takes 6 hours, but that is a bunch of crap. I woke up at 6:15am (due to the sun coming up, other people in the hut waking up and making lots of noise, etc.), had breakfast (thank you uncle Toby!), and left the Clinton Hut at 8:20am or so. It was a bit cooler than the previous day, and the surrounding mountains had suspicious looking clouds around them, so I put on my merino wool base layer stuff, with polyester stuff on the outside.. which was a bit of a mistake, as a couple hours after I left it got VERY nice. The sun came out, the clouds were gone, and.. well, I couldn't really believe it.. This was supposed to be "one of the wettest parts of the planet".. 200+ days of rain a year!
I REALLY enjoyed day two - the sights of the surrounding mountains were just amazing. We were still walking in that valley (carved out by glaciers) I described earlier, making our way up (slowly but surely) in preparation for the crazyness of day 3 - an alpine pass. I enjoyed the hike, but for the last 2 hours or so my body started really complaining. The slope was getting steeper and steeper, and I was taking a lot of breaks. At one point I put my pack on some moss, whipped out some snacks, and lied down beside my pack for 10-15 minutes while I munched on some nuts and dried fruit. I believe there is a video of this event.. I'll have to post it later.
In any case, I arrived at Mintaro hut at 3:40pm or so.. and it was STILL really nice. The sun was shining, it was beautiful, etc. According to the brochure everyone got before the trek began, if it ever IS that nice on day two and you get to Mintaro hut early enough, it makes sense to make your way up to the MacKinnon Pass (which you walk up to on day 3 - Mintaro Hut is just at the base) That's because the weather in the area is very unpredictable.. and it tends to rain a LOT.. So if the weather is nice, get the hell up there, because the view is spectacular, and if it's cloudy the next day, you won't see a thing. My back was hurting though.. and my feet were complaining.. I didn't go. Charlie and a bunch of the others did and returned several hours later with tales of awesomeness. I was too tired to care ;) I hung out with Tristan and Kirsty, ate dinner (beef curry and soup!) and read some of my book (Winds of Dune). Went to bed early again, bit worried about the next morning's alpine pass.
Day 3
Day three began at roughly the same time as day two. When the sun comes up (6:30ish?) everyone starts waking up (there are no blinds on the windows) and you are pretty much forced to wake up. By the time you finally get out of your sleeping bag, eat breakfast (thank you uncle toby!), do your morning stuff, re-pack your backpack, and get everything ready for the day ahead, it ends up being around 8 or 8:30, and 8:30am is a good time to leave because that's when the hut ranger posts the weather forecast for the day on the blackboard in the dining area. Day 3 was supposed to bring light rain coming in from the west (where we were headed) at some point, which was then supposed to turn into really annoying rain. :(
Naturally I was not expecting a very pleasant day and wanted to get up to the pass (brochure estimate - 2 hours) as soon as possible... before the rainclouds.. so that I could get *some* decent pictures of the sights. Mintaro hut is situated at around 600 metres while MacKinnon pass is at 1069m, so it's not an incredibly crazy climb, but I HATE going up, so I wasn't looking forward to it. I was told by the ranger that the climb down was much worse than the climb up, but I just did not listen to her.. More on the dreadful climb down later...
Somehow I was able to get up to the pass in an hour and 45 minutes. It could have something to do with my awesome new expedition style watch (thanks Mom! thanks Dad!), which has a nifty 'altitude' button. I was pressing that thing way too much.. but it kept me motivated. By the time I got up to the pass, it got REALLY windy.. and cold. I put on my jacket, merino wool hat, and gloves.. and took a lot of pictures, because it was really not that bad. It was actually pretty awesome! Almost NO clouds.. maybe some in the distance. I had lunch in the MacKinnon pass hut, took some more pictures, and started the descent.
Now, the brochure claims that the hike from Mintaro hut to Dumpling hut (14km) should take 6-7 hours. As I was making my descent, I knew that I still had at least 4-5 hours of hiking ahead of me.. and most of it was downhill. At first I didn't think that it would be so bad, but soon enough all the downhill walking took its toll on my legs. On one hand I wanted to get to the hut before the rain reached me (I had all my waterproof gear near the top of my pack and ready, but still), but no the other I couldn't exactly speed up.. I was slowing down and taking a lot of breaks. The descent was pretty spectacular sight-wise, though. There were a lot of picture opportunities.
Eventually I made it to a place I totally forgot about.. Quintin public shelter (right by the fancy lodge that all the Japanese hikers stay at), a place where you leave your backpack and make a 1.5 hour long side-hike to the highest waterfall in New Zealand - Sutherland Falls. CRAP! I did not have much energy left and I really wanted to make it to Dumpling hut before the rain got to me! But.. I also wanted to see the falls! I went inside the shelter and found it PACKED with backpacks and several of my independent hiker friends. There was very little room to move around.. and.. a big container with hot water.. and tea pouches.. and sugar! NICE! I sat down, got out my cup, and made myself a nice hot cup of tea. It was delicious. It seemed to give me the motivation required to walk to the falls.. so I did! I got there in a half an hour - 15 minutes earlier than the estimated time. The hike was worth it - the falls are spectacular.. I hung around for 5 minutes and made my way back to the shelter, where I had another cup of tea... Then I grabbed my backpack and powered ahead to Dumpling hut, which was supposed to be an hour away. I got there in just under an hour.. changed into dry clothes (I sweat a LOT), tended to my blisters (good thing I brought that blister kit!), made some soup, read a bit, then had some lamb and veggies from a magical pouch (that I got from Tristan and Kirsty). Boy were they annoyed when there was a surprise mashed potato pouch inside ;) I didn't sleep well that night at all - my room had 2 snorers and a stupid bitch right above me who moved around WAY TOO MUCH.. that mattress is sooo squeaky.. seriously. I hope you're reading this. I'm glad I didn't get your name, cause you suck.
Day 4
The thing about day 4 is that you have to make it to Sandfly point by 2pm or 3:15pm, depending on which boat you booked. Most people had booked the 2pm boat, because of a connecting bus ride to Queenstown (or Te Anau) that they wouldn't have been able to catch otherwise. The hike for day 4 is 18km long - estimated by the brochure at 5.5 - 6 hours. We all of course knew by that point that the estimate was a bunch of crap. As such, people were waking up as early as 5:30am.. including me.. just because it was impossible not to wake up when everybody else was.
I took my time though, and ended up leaving the hut at 8:30am. Oh yeah, did I mention that it was raining? The first rain on the Milford Track! Quite amazing that it took until day 4, but there it was.. I put on my waterproof gear (or as Peter Jackson from day 1called it "what you THINK is your waterproof gear") and headed off towards Sandfly point. After 2 hours or so the rain stopped and I was able to take off my waterproof pants and jacket.. the result of walking in that stuff for 2 hours? LOTS of sweat.. which made its way into my boots.. Fortunately I had merino wool socks on, which are very good for that sort of thing.. but it wasn't really that pleasant either.
Once the rain clouds cleared up it actually got quite nice. THe sun was shining again, it was warm, and every once in a while I got nice views of the mountains around me. (We were back in a valley again, carved by glaciers, etc. Actually, aside from the MacKinnon pass, the entire Milford Track is in a valley) I arrived at Sandfly point at 2:45, a half an hour before the boat was to depart. Man.. did that ever feel good! It felt AMAZING. You know why it's called the Sandfly Point though? Yeah, lots of sand flies.. but I did not really care.
The boat took us to Milford Sound (8th wonder of the world, world heritage area, etc.), which took about 20 minutes. Milford Sound itself is a pretty small town, if you can call it that. There is a visitor centre, which is basically where all the boats dock. There is also a pub/cafe, an airport, and a lodge. That's it. Up until 1991 the only way to get to Milford sound was via the Milford Track, via boat, or via plane/helicopter. Then they built the Homer tunnel and a road to Te Anau. Hooray!
A free shuttle took me to the lodge, which I had a reservation at (for 2 nights). The lodge is basically part hostel, part hotel, part whatever. There is a kitchen, the town's only mini-store (with overpriced fanta and white chocolate and such), a laundry room, a drying room (for sweaty hiking gear) - VERY useful, a lounge, and hmm.. I think that's about it. It's a pretty cool place, really, and only a 20 minute walk or so from the pub (which is close to all the sights. plus it has beer!)
I got set up in my room, which was empty at the time.. but soon enough 3 German girls arrived and we got acquainted (yeah, there are a LOT of Germans here). I took a well deserved shower, threw some stuff into the drying room, and ran into a couple people from the hike! A couple from Montreal. We made plans to have dinner together @ the pub later on. We were joined by another couple from the hike - from the Czech republic. It was a pretty fun night, with lots of jokes, accents, and conversations about the Milford Track and New Zealand in general. The beer was very good by the way!
The Milford Track might or might not be the "finest walk in the world", but it is spectacular and quite an amazing experience! 55km in length, it is walked from the Glade Wharf, over 4 days, to Sandfly point, through Fiordland National Park - a World Heritage area. This is New Zealand's most popular hike, so it has to be booked months in advance. It is also heavily regulated, so you *have to* spend your first night at Clinton hut, your second night at Mintaro hut, and your third night at Dumpling hut. There is only room for 40 people at each of the huts, which basically means that the people that get off the boat with you at Glade Wharf are the same 39 people you are going to be walking with for the next 4 days, the same 39 people who are going to be sharing the huts with you, and the same 39 people who finish the walk with you on day 4.
The huts are very simple - there is a kitchen, dorm rooms with bunk beds, a bathroom, and a private area for the ranger. Each dorm room has anywhere between 4-10 bunk beds, so you can expect to not get much sleep - due to snoring.. and very squeaky mattresses.. which we all sleep on - in our sleeping bags. The kitchen is basically just a couple sinks, stoves, and benches. The bathrooms are co-ed - and are not lit. This isn't an issue though, as the sun goes up really early here this time of year, and goes down fairly late (we're pretty far south). If you have to use the bathroom in the middle of the night, you bring a flashlight with you. Oh yeah, there are also NO showers.
There are also 3 fancy lodges on the track for up to 50 hikers who opted to do a "guided hike" as opposed to hiking independently. Their gear is provided for, as well as their food, they have a guide who walks with them and points out this and that, and they probably sleep in comfortable beds in private rooms. They probably look down on us the same way we look down on them ;) For some reason 90%+ of them are usually Japanese.. They also pay $1,300+ for all of this, while we paid $50 per hut, plus about $150 for transportation to the track and to Milford Sound at the end (20 minute boat ride from Sandfly Point)
On the issue of food - we had to bring our own. I bought magical pouches that turn into wonderful dinners once you add hot water. You basically need one of those per hut - even though the packet quite clearly states that it has "2 servings". This lead to me not having enough food.. sort of. I had to bring enough food for 2 hikes (Milford and Routeburn), and bought 4 of the pouches (5 huts = 5 dinners, plus 3 emergency rations). Turns out I should have bought at least 5. You also need something for breakfast - and Uncle Toby comes to the rescue here with amazing porridge pouches, which a lot of us ended up buying. On top of all that you also need lunch, which is basically the food you're going to eat each time you stop for a break on the hike. I brought a decently sized salami sausage, a couple mini smoked sausages (saved those for the Routeburn!), a bit of cheddar cheese (saved, too), 2 bars of chocolate (half of the big one survived), 2 pouches of dried fruit (good for hiking), a bunch of roasted almonds, and 3 soup pouches. You might think that's a lot of food, but I had to bring enough for 7 days of hiking.. plus emergency rations. All of that is HEAVY.. it really adds to the weight. Maybe it's a psychological effect, I'm not sure, but my backpack felt lighter after each meal.
On to the actual hike. The first day is fairly simple. I woke up at 7:30am at Te Anau, got my backpack sorted out, ate a quick breakfast, and made my way to the DOC (dept. of conservation) office, where the bus was going to pick us up. I picked up my hut tickets, asked about the weather for the next couple days, and bought a hiking stick made by some local Maori dude. It has served me well so far! The bus ride to Te Anau Downs was pretty short, a half an hour maybe.. From there we got on a boat, and half an hour later were at Glade Wharf - the beginning of the Milford Track!
Day 1
Like I said, the first day is very short. It is only 5km to Clinton hut from Glade Wharf, so you get to the hut fairly quick (an hour and a half?). The day was very nice though, so I took my time. The Milford Track is located in a place that's supposed to be "one of the wettest on the planet", and here I was in shorts and a tshirt. I obviously took my time. At this point on the track you are basically walking through a jungle, at the bottom of a valley (carved out by glaciers), with high mountains on either side. There wasn't much to look at for the first 45 minutes or so. Every once in a while a mountain or two would peek out through the trees and you got a glimpse of the beautiful scenery you were walking through. The vegetation was also something I wasn't used to (the place seemed a bit alien at first) - another reason I took my time, there was lots of stuff to look at.
There was a 15 minute side trip to a wetland area about a half an hour before Clinton hut, which I read about, and which was recommended, so I checked it out.. and WOW.. I came out onto a clearing, with amazing views of the mountains on all sides.. it was breathtaking. The marsh looked a bit odd, maybe a bit alien, and really added to the scenery. I wish I could show you guys pictures! It will have to wait :/
I arrived at Clinton hut at around 2:30pm. At that point in time I did not understand why the hut was built where it was.. what were we supposed to do for the next 8 or so hours? Why couldn't the hut have been built further down the track? The next day's walk covered 16.5km - going uphill, so it didn't seem to make sense at the time.. but in hindsight, that first day achieved several things: it introduced me to walking around with a big 17kg backpack on my back... I didn't quite get used to that feeling that first day, but it gave me time to adjust the straps and gave me an idea of what to expect. It also gave everyone time to meet their new hiking buddies - the people they were going to be hiking with for the next couple days. Who was I hiking with, anyway? There were 6 Czechs, at least 5 Canadians, 1 American, 6+ Germans, 4 Kiwis, 4 Aussies, and 2 Spaniards. That doesn't quite add up to 40, but I did not talk to everyone.
At 5pm we met Peter the ranger. He was hilarious.. and knew his stuff. He took us on a VERY informative nature hike, which lasted about a half an hour. I learned a lot about the history of the place (how it was carved by glaciers, the Maori aspect of it, European, etc.) and even more about the different forms of life found in the area. At 8pm Peter the ranger had us gather in the kitchen/dining area and gave us a half an hour long speech about this and that, mostly what to expect on our next day, the weather forecast, more about the flora and fauna, and a LOT of jokes. He also claimed that his last name was Jackson, but I really don't know if to believe that or not.
This Day 1 thing is getting pretty long, but I have time!.. and I have to mention this. I met a couple from Australia, who were just way too nice. Hearing that I might not have enough food for both hikes, they gave me most of the mashed potatoes they were eating that day.. (the magical just-add-water kind).. Sure, they said they were full, but I think they are just really really nice.. or probably both. On days 2 3 and 4 they also gave me a Lamb n Mashed Potatoes meal, and yet another pouch of mashed potatoes.. oh, and powdered milk, a soup, and trail mix. The mashed potatoes were actually pretty good, considering that they came in a pouch. So..Tristan and Kirst, thanks a lot! I'll miss you guys.
I also met a German woman who came from.. ESENS.. which is very weird, because Esens is the closest town to the village we lived in 20+ years ago after we left Poland. It's an obscure town, in an obscure part of Germany, so we were both kind of amazed that we both lived in the same area.. I was naming off other villages in the area, and her eyes were lighting up each time.. Utarp! Schweindorf! Westerholt! Ahh, the memories..
Day 2
Did I forget to mention the sand flies? They SUCK. They are everywhere on the Milford Track, and they bite everyone.. everywhere.. even if you use bug spray. I have a lot of bites all over my hands and legs. Peter Jackson told us tha the Maori name for the buggers translates to "keep moving", which might very well be true.. (but probably isn't)
On day two of the hike you walk for 16.5km over less and less jungly landscape, slowly making your way from an elevation of 200m to 600m. The brochure claims that this takes 6 hours, but that is a bunch of crap. I woke up at 6:15am (due to the sun coming up, other people in the hut waking up and making lots of noise, etc.), had breakfast (thank you uncle Toby!), and left the Clinton Hut at 8:20am or so. It was a bit cooler than the previous day, and the surrounding mountains had suspicious looking clouds around them, so I put on my merino wool base layer stuff, with polyester stuff on the outside.. which was a bit of a mistake, as a couple hours after I left it got VERY nice. The sun came out, the clouds were gone, and.. well, I couldn't really believe it.. This was supposed to be "one of the wettest parts of the planet".. 200+ days of rain a year!
I REALLY enjoyed day two - the sights of the surrounding mountains were just amazing. We were still walking in that valley (carved out by glaciers) I described earlier, making our way up (slowly but surely) in preparation for the crazyness of day 3 - an alpine pass. I enjoyed the hike, but for the last 2 hours or so my body started really complaining. The slope was getting steeper and steeper, and I was taking a lot of breaks. At one point I put my pack on some moss, whipped out some snacks, and lied down beside my pack for 10-15 minutes while I munched on some nuts and dried fruit. I believe there is a video of this event.. I'll have to post it later.
In any case, I arrived at Mintaro hut at 3:40pm or so.. and it was STILL really nice. The sun was shining, it was beautiful, etc. According to the brochure everyone got before the trek began, if it ever IS that nice on day two and you get to Mintaro hut early enough, it makes sense to make your way up to the MacKinnon Pass (which you walk up to on day 3 - Mintaro Hut is just at the base) That's because the weather in the area is very unpredictable.. and it tends to rain a LOT.. So if the weather is nice, get the hell up there, because the view is spectacular, and if it's cloudy the next day, you won't see a thing. My back was hurting though.. and my feet were complaining.. I didn't go. Charlie and a bunch of the others did and returned several hours later with tales of awesomeness. I was too tired to care ;) I hung out with Tristan and Kirsty, ate dinner (beef curry and soup!) and read some of my book (Winds of Dune). Went to bed early again, bit worried about the next morning's alpine pass.
Day 3
Day three began at roughly the same time as day two. When the sun comes up (6:30ish?) everyone starts waking up (there are no blinds on the windows) and you are pretty much forced to wake up. By the time you finally get out of your sleeping bag, eat breakfast (thank you uncle toby!), do your morning stuff, re-pack your backpack, and get everything ready for the day ahead, it ends up being around 8 or 8:30, and 8:30am is a good time to leave because that's when the hut ranger posts the weather forecast for the day on the blackboard in the dining area. Day 3 was supposed to bring light rain coming in from the west (where we were headed) at some point, which was then supposed to turn into really annoying rain. :(
Naturally I was not expecting a very pleasant day and wanted to get up to the pass (brochure estimate - 2 hours) as soon as possible... before the rainclouds.. so that I could get *some* decent pictures of the sights. Mintaro hut is situated at around 600 metres while MacKinnon pass is at 1069m, so it's not an incredibly crazy climb, but I HATE going up, so I wasn't looking forward to it. I was told by the ranger that the climb down was much worse than the climb up, but I just did not listen to her.. More on the dreadful climb down later...
Somehow I was able to get up to the pass in an hour and 45 minutes. It could have something to do with my awesome new expedition style watch (thanks Mom! thanks Dad!), which has a nifty 'altitude' button. I was pressing that thing way too much.. but it kept me motivated. By the time I got up to the pass, it got REALLY windy.. and cold. I put on my jacket, merino wool hat, and gloves.. and took a lot of pictures, because it was really not that bad. It was actually pretty awesome! Almost NO clouds.. maybe some in the distance. I had lunch in the MacKinnon pass hut, took some more pictures, and started the descent.
Now, the brochure claims that the hike from Mintaro hut to Dumpling hut (14km) should take 6-7 hours. As I was making my descent, I knew that I still had at least 4-5 hours of hiking ahead of me.. and most of it was downhill. At first I didn't think that it would be so bad, but soon enough all the downhill walking took its toll on my legs. On one hand I wanted to get to the hut before the rain reached me (I had all my waterproof gear near the top of my pack and ready, but still), but no the other I couldn't exactly speed up.. I was slowing down and taking a lot of breaks. The descent was pretty spectacular sight-wise, though. There were a lot of picture opportunities.
Eventually I made it to a place I totally forgot about.. Quintin public shelter (right by the fancy lodge that all the Japanese hikers stay at), a place where you leave your backpack and make a 1.5 hour long side-hike to the highest waterfall in New Zealand - Sutherland Falls. CRAP! I did not have much energy left and I really wanted to make it to Dumpling hut before the rain got to me! But.. I also wanted to see the falls! I went inside the shelter and found it PACKED with backpacks and several of my independent hiker friends. There was very little room to move around.. and.. a big container with hot water.. and tea pouches.. and sugar! NICE! I sat down, got out my cup, and made myself a nice hot cup of tea. It was delicious. It seemed to give me the motivation required to walk to the falls.. so I did! I got there in a half an hour - 15 minutes earlier than the estimated time. The hike was worth it - the falls are spectacular.. I hung around for 5 minutes and made my way back to the shelter, where I had another cup of tea... Then I grabbed my backpack and powered ahead to Dumpling hut, which was supposed to be an hour away. I got there in just under an hour.. changed into dry clothes (I sweat a LOT), tended to my blisters (good thing I brought that blister kit!), made some soup, read a bit, then had some lamb and veggies from a magical pouch (that I got from Tristan and Kirsty). Boy were they annoyed when there was a surprise mashed potato pouch inside ;) I didn't sleep well that night at all - my room had 2 snorers and a stupid bitch right above me who moved around WAY TOO MUCH.. that mattress is sooo squeaky.. seriously. I hope you're reading this. I'm glad I didn't get your name, cause you suck.
Day 4
The thing about day 4 is that you have to make it to Sandfly point by 2pm or 3:15pm, depending on which boat you booked. Most people had booked the 2pm boat, because of a connecting bus ride to Queenstown (or Te Anau) that they wouldn't have been able to catch otherwise. The hike for day 4 is 18km long - estimated by the brochure at 5.5 - 6 hours. We all of course knew by that point that the estimate was a bunch of crap. As such, people were waking up as early as 5:30am.. including me.. just because it was impossible not to wake up when everybody else was.
I took my time though, and ended up leaving the hut at 8:30am. Oh yeah, did I mention that it was raining? The first rain on the Milford Track! Quite amazing that it took until day 4, but there it was.. I put on my waterproof gear (or as Peter Jackson from day 1called it "what you THINK is your waterproof gear") and headed off towards Sandfly point. After 2 hours or so the rain stopped and I was able to take off my waterproof pants and jacket.. the result of walking in that stuff for 2 hours? LOTS of sweat.. which made its way into my boots.. Fortunately I had merino wool socks on, which are very good for that sort of thing.. but it wasn't really that pleasant either.
Once the rain clouds cleared up it actually got quite nice. THe sun was shining again, it was warm, and every once in a while I got nice views of the mountains around me. (We were back in a valley again, carved by glaciers, etc. Actually, aside from the MacKinnon pass, the entire Milford Track is in a valley) I arrived at Sandfly point at 2:45, a half an hour before the boat was to depart. Man.. did that ever feel good! It felt AMAZING. You know why it's called the Sandfly Point though? Yeah, lots of sand flies.. but I did not really care.
The boat took us to Milford Sound (8th wonder of the world, world heritage area, etc.), which took about 20 minutes. Milford Sound itself is a pretty small town, if you can call it that. There is a visitor centre, which is basically where all the boats dock. There is also a pub/cafe, an airport, and a lodge. That's it. Up until 1991 the only way to get to Milford sound was via the Milford Track, via boat, or via plane/helicopter. Then they built the Homer tunnel and a road to Te Anau. Hooray!
A free shuttle took me to the lodge, which I had a reservation at (for 2 nights). The lodge is basically part hostel, part hotel, part whatever. There is a kitchen, the town's only mini-store (with overpriced fanta and white chocolate and such), a laundry room, a drying room (for sweaty hiking gear) - VERY useful, a lounge, and hmm.. I think that's about it. It's a pretty cool place, really, and only a 20 minute walk or so from the pub (which is close to all the sights. plus it has beer!)
I got set up in my room, which was empty at the time.. but soon enough 3 German girls arrived and we got acquainted (yeah, there are a LOT of Germans here). I took a well deserved shower, threw some stuff into the drying room, and ran into a couple people from the hike! A couple from Montreal. We made plans to have dinner together @ the pub later on. We were joined by another couple from the hike - from the Czech republic. It was a pretty fun night, with lots of jokes, accents, and conversations about the Milford Track and New Zealand in general. The beer was very good by the way!
More on Te Anau
I'm sitting in a cafe in Milford Sound, waiting for the lunch buffet to start, using a dial-up internet booth.. so yes, I've finished the Milford Track, and it was AMAZING, but I don't really have the time to get into that now.. or maybe I will, after lunch!
For now I'm going to write a bit more about Te Anau, which turned out to be a pretty cool place.. After I checked into my room and got set up, I took another walk around town. It's situated on a lake, beyond which Fiordland National Park begins. It's a pretty small town, if you can call it that, mostly there as an entry point to the park. Most of the buildings are situated right on the lake, along with a "downtown" with shops, cafes, a restaurant, hostels, hotels, etc.
It turns out that I was sharing my dorm hostel room with an American from Washington DC named Charlie - who was going to be walking the Milford Track too.. and the way the track is set up and controlled, the 39 people you start walking with is the 39 people you share the huts with along the way, and the same 39 people you finish the track with 4 days later. He did not have much experience in the way of the hike, so I took him on as my padawan. We spent some of that day re-packing our packs together, along with a British guy named.. something.. Peter, maybe. He was quite pleasant and shared stories of his travels through Asia, and tips for the upcoming hike (he was a seasoned hiker, or some such thing). The fourth guy staying in our room was another British chap - not nearly as pleasant as the other two.. quite annoying, actually.
Anyway, I had a whole day to kill, so I booked a trip to the local glow worm caves. You get on a boat, which takes you across the lake, to caves in which.. there are glow worms! You spend maybe 10-15 minutes walking into the cave, then get into another boat, which then takes you to a grotto with a bunch of the glow worms up on the walls. It was a pretty interesting experience. Along the way the rangers just can't shut up about the local history, fauna, flora, etc. which was actually pretty cool, no matter how I've worded this sentence.
After the glow worm cave experience, I walked along the lakefront until I reached the bird sanctuary, which contains local birds such as the Kea (a pretty damn smart, comical, and annoying animal). It's a small free zoo, pretty much. There's maybe 8-10 cages with various native birds, some of which I saw in the wild on the Milford Track.
Alright, so the lunch buffet seems to have opened up. I have a scenic cruise booked for about 2 hours from now, so I'm gonna leave you all in suspense while I eat and take in the sights. I *might* have time to write a bit about the Milford Track from the lodge (a hostel, pretty much), but who knows.. Tomorrow a bus picks me up at 9:30am and takes me to the Divide, where I begin a 32km hike through Fiordland National Park & Mount Aspiring National Park - The Routeburn Track!
For now I'm going to write a bit more about Te Anau, which turned out to be a pretty cool place.. After I checked into my room and got set up, I took another walk around town. It's situated on a lake, beyond which Fiordland National Park begins. It's a pretty small town, if you can call it that, mostly there as an entry point to the park. Most of the buildings are situated right on the lake, along with a "downtown" with shops, cafes, a restaurant, hostels, hotels, etc.
It turns out that I was sharing my dorm hostel room with an American from Washington DC named Charlie - who was going to be walking the Milford Track too.. and the way the track is set up and controlled, the 39 people you start walking with is the 39 people you share the huts with along the way, and the same 39 people you finish the track with 4 days later. He did not have much experience in the way of the hike, so I took him on as my padawan. We spent some of that day re-packing our packs together, along with a British guy named.. something.. Peter, maybe. He was quite pleasant and shared stories of his travels through Asia, and tips for the upcoming hike (he was a seasoned hiker, or some such thing). The fourth guy staying in our room was another British chap - not nearly as pleasant as the other two.. quite annoying, actually.
Anyway, I had a whole day to kill, so I booked a trip to the local glow worm caves. You get on a boat, which takes you across the lake, to caves in which.. there are glow worms! You spend maybe 10-15 minutes walking into the cave, then get into another boat, which then takes you to a grotto with a bunch of the glow worms up on the walls. It was a pretty interesting experience. Along the way the rangers just can't shut up about the local history, fauna, flora, etc. which was actually pretty cool, no matter how I've worded this sentence.
After the glow worm cave experience, I walked along the lakefront until I reached the bird sanctuary, which contains local birds such as the Kea (a pretty damn smart, comical, and annoying animal). It's a small free zoo, pretty much. There's maybe 8-10 cages with various native birds, some of which I saw in the wild on the Milford Track.
Alright, so the lunch buffet seems to have opened up. I have a scenic cruise booked for about 2 hours from now, so I'm gonna leave you all in suspense while I eat and take in the sights. I *might* have time to write a bit about the Milford Track from the lodge (a hostel, pretty much), but who knows.. Tomorrow a bus picks me up at 9:30am and takes me to the Divide, where I begin a 32km hike through Fiordland National Park & Mount Aspiring National Park - The Routeburn Track!
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Te Anau
I'm in Te Anau, the gateway to Fiordland National Park! I'm sitting in a hostel, waiting for my room to free up. I'm supposed to be sharing it with 2 people, so.. here's hoping for twins!
I didn't really get much sleep last night - I was up late reorganizing my backpack and trying to squeeze everything in there somehow.. and it worked! All of the food somehow fit in one pocket - I'm not quite sure how, but it's somehow all in there. If you're wondering what I'm going to be eating for the next week, it's backpacker friendly food pouch thingies that you add boiling water to.. and they magically turn into beef flavoured curry.. and spaghetti! I also have dried apricot and bluberries, a big bag of roasted almonds, 12 granola bars, a block of cheddar cheese, several small smoked sausages, a giant bar of chocolate, a smaller bar of chocolate, 3 soup pouches, 6 pouches of honey flavoured porridge for breakfast, and a 12 pack of fine Kiwi lager. ok.. just kidding about that last part.. but I really hope the Milford Lodge (where I will be staying in betewen the 2 hikes) has something on tap!
My bus picks me up at 9:30am tomorrow, which takes me to some sort of a boat, that takes me to the beginning of the track. I visited the DOC (department of conservation) office eariler and got all my tickets, so I'm all set! I think. It was supposed to be raining (as it often does round these parts), but according to the weather forecast it's going to be sunny for the next couple days! So.. who knows.. I might not even need any of this waterproof gear *knock on wood*
Humorous anecdote: The pen I brought from Canada really sucks.. so I went to buy one here in Te Anau.. I walked into a store and asked if they have any pens, and they guy started showing me pans.. for cooking. I told him that I wanted a pen for writing. "Oh", he said, "You are looking for a peen, not a pen". "Sure"
So now I have a pen - meaning some of you might get postcards. Talk to you again in a couple days
I didn't really get much sleep last night - I was up late reorganizing my backpack and trying to squeeze everything in there somehow.. and it worked! All of the food somehow fit in one pocket - I'm not quite sure how, but it's somehow all in there. If you're wondering what I'm going to be eating for the next week, it's backpacker friendly food pouch thingies that you add boiling water to.. and they magically turn into beef flavoured curry.. and spaghetti! I also have dried apricot and bluberries, a big bag of roasted almonds, 12 granola bars, a block of cheddar cheese, several small smoked sausages, a giant bar of chocolate, a smaller bar of chocolate, 3 soup pouches, 6 pouches of honey flavoured porridge for breakfast, and a 12 pack of fine Kiwi lager. ok.. just kidding about that last part.. but I really hope the Milford Lodge (where I will be staying in betewen the 2 hikes) has something on tap!
My bus picks me up at 9:30am tomorrow, which takes me to some sort of a boat, that takes me to the beginning of the track. I visited the DOC (department of conservation) office eariler and got all my tickets, so I'm all set! I think. It was supposed to be raining (as it often does round these parts), but according to the weather forecast it's going to be sunny for the next couple days! So.. who knows.. I might not even need any of this waterproof gear *knock on wood*
Humorous anecdote: The pen I brought from Canada really sucks.. so I went to buy one here in Te Anau.. I walked into a store and asked if they have any pens, and they guy started showing me pans.. for cooking. I told him that I wanted a pen for writing. "Oh", he said, "You are looking for a peen, not a pen". "Sure"
So now I have a pen - meaning some of you might get postcards. Talk to you again in a couple days
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
I made it!
Didn't somebody once say that you have to go through hell to get to paradise? I'm sure someone has.. My flight from Detroit to San Francisco took a bit longer than expected, landing only 50 minutes before my flight to Auckland was due to take off... Naturally I was anxious to make it to the other gate.. and I did - 20 minutes later I was waiting in line.. only to be told that they didn't have my bag yet, and that it might not make it through screening in time.. So I waited there, until 10 minutes or so before the plane was to take off.. still, no bag.. frustrated I got on, and went to my seat, wondering what I was going to do if my bag got stuck in San Fran.
Beside me was sitting an older guy, who turns out designs hard drives.. before I knew that though, and right after the plane took off, he put on a movie.. He leaned back, put on his headphones, and started watching.. Right away, I see tits. This is some sort of soft core porn, I thought! NICE! It was 'Chloe', some movie about a woman and her husband.. and all the people they were fucking. This went on for about 3 hours, I swear. Lots of tits and lots of fucking, and me sitting there playing Tetris, every once in a while peeking over to catch a glimplse of the debauchery on the other screen. The funniest part must have been when a butt naked couple was going at it hardcore - one of her legs was up in the air, head pressed against some piece of furniture, and .. well.. it's really hard to describe. but it was then that the stewardess came up and asked us if we want anything to drink.
Watching the pacific ocean from the plane was surreal. It was dark and the moon was out - illuminating the clouds, and the ocean. I got bits and pieces of sleep here and there, still thinking about my bag, but eventually I didn't really care. I was too tired. When we landed.. and i was standing there looking at all the other pieces of luggage making their way down.. I really didn't expect to see my bag there.. but then.. when I saw it.. I can't quite put into words how I felt (and I was sure it was my bag, it's pretty unique looking), but.. well.. yeah, I can't put this into words at all! Next paragraph
On the flight to Queenstown (and I was really really REALLY tired by then) I met two older ladies who gave me all sorts of advice on what to see.. We basically passed through all the landmarks I was going to see, backwards. The flight only took 2 and a half hours or so, and the landing was spectacular. You basically enter a valley - with moutnains all around.
And speaking of Queenstown, it is spectacular.. and so is my hotel room! Queenstown is apparently FULL of luxury hotels.. Mine is a 10 minute walk from fancy/trendy downtown.. and you can tell that it used to be able to charge a lot more, but now there are far more luxurious options downtown.. which is probably why I was able to get such a great deal.
I left all my stuff in my room and walked around town. The scenery is really breathtaking.. and the downtown area seemed a bit too trendy-looking at first, but I quickly got over that. It has some sort of aura that just makes it seem awesome, regardless. Maybe it's due to the people - who are just wonderful. I went to an information booth type place, to get some information on my upcoming walks, how to book transportation, where to buy hiking food, etc.. And the girl there was not only great, but also cute.. and also very helpful! She booked the transportation to and from the Routeburn track for me, a night at a hostel in Te Anau, and then 1night at a hostel here in Queenstown for when I return from my walks. So that's all done! And, she directed me to "the supermarket to go to, that has all the good hiking food and stuff", which was great. I'm still not sure how I'm going to fit it all in my backpack, but it has to be done.. tonight!
Tomorrow a bus picks me up at 6:50am and takes me to Te Anau, where I might be visiting glow worm caves.. a day after that - the 4 day Milford Track begins.
I walked around Queenstown today, got pizza at Winnie's (some of the best pizza I've ever had, seriously), hokey pokey ice cream, went up the Gondola and did the loop track there.. the views are PHENOMENAL.. just amazing. I wish I could post some pictures, but my time here is running out. I also walked around the Queenstown gardens, which I really liked. They kinda reminded me of the Lazienki park in Warsaw - except that you're surrounded by beautiful mountains.
I apologize for the grammar.. it can't be that great - I'm still really tired. I won't be able to update this for at least 10 days - unless the hostel in Te Anau has internet.. which it might.. or the Milford Sound lodge, where I'm spending 2 nights (in between the 2 walks) Either way, I'm having a blast. I will write more when I can
Beside me was sitting an older guy, who turns out designs hard drives.. before I knew that though, and right after the plane took off, he put on a movie.. He leaned back, put on his headphones, and started watching.. Right away, I see tits. This is some sort of soft core porn, I thought! NICE! It was 'Chloe', some movie about a woman and her husband.. and all the people they were fucking. This went on for about 3 hours, I swear. Lots of tits and lots of fucking, and me sitting there playing Tetris, every once in a while peeking over to catch a glimplse of the debauchery on the other screen. The funniest part must have been when a butt naked couple was going at it hardcore - one of her legs was up in the air, head pressed against some piece of furniture, and .. well.. it's really hard to describe. but it was then that the stewardess came up and asked us if we want anything to drink.
Watching the pacific ocean from the plane was surreal. It was dark and the moon was out - illuminating the clouds, and the ocean. I got bits and pieces of sleep here and there, still thinking about my bag, but eventually I didn't really care. I was too tired. When we landed.. and i was standing there looking at all the other pieces of luggage making their way down.. I really didn't expect to see my bag there.. but then.. when I saw it.. I can't quite put into words how I felt (and I was sure it was my bag, it's pretty unique looking), but.. well.. yeah, I can't put this into words at all! Next paragraph
On the flight to Queenstown (and I was really really REALLY tired by then) I met two older ladies who gave me all sorts of advice on what to see.. We basically passed through all the landmarks I was going to see, backwards. The flight only took 2 and a half hours or so, and the landing was spectacular. You basically enter a valley - with moutnains all around.
And speaking of Queenstown, it is spectacular.. and so is my hotel room! Queenstown is apparently FULL of luxury hotels.. Mine is a 10 minute walk from fancy/trendy downtown.. and you can tell that it used to be able to charge a lot more, but now there are far more luxurious options downtown.. which is probably why I was able to get such a great deal.
I left all my stuff in my room and walked around town. The scenery is really breathtaking.. and the downtown area seemed a bit too trendy-looking at first, but I quickly got over that. It has some sort of aura that just makes it seem awesome, regardless. Maybe it's due to the people - who are just wonderful. I went to an information booth type place, to get some information on my upcoming walks, how to book transportation, where to buy hiking food, etc.. And the girl there was not only great, but also cute.. and also very helpful! She booked the transportation to and from the Routeburn track for me, a night at a hostel in Te Anau, and then 1night at a hostel here in Queenstown for when I return from my walks. So that's all done! And, she directed me to "the supermarket to go to, that has all the good hiking food and stuff", which was great. I'm still not sure how I'm going to fit it all in my backpack, but it has to be done.. tonight!
Tomorrow a bus picks me up at 6:50am and takes me to Te Anau, where I might be visiting glow worm caves.. a day after that - the 4 day Milford Track begins.
I walked around Queenstown today, got pizza at Winnie's (some of the best pizza I've ever had, seriously), hokey pokey ice cream, went up the Gondola and did the loop track there.. the views are PHENOMENAL.. just amazing. I wish I could post some pictures, but my time here is running out. I also walked around the Queenstown gardens, which I really liked. They kinda reminded me of the Lazienki park in Warsaw - except that you're surrounded by beautiful mountains.
I apologize for the grammar.. it can't be that great - I'm still really tired. I won't be able to update this for at least 10 days - unless the hostel in Te Anau has internet.. which it might.. or the Milford Sound lodge, where I'm spending 2 nights (in between the 2 walks) Either way, I'm having a blast. I will write more when I can
Sunday, November 21, 2010
The Plan
My flight is tomorrow.. I still can't quite believe it! Here's a bit of a rundown of what's going to happen in the next couple days.. and weeks:
That's it from me for now.. I'm not sure when you'll hear from me next. zzzz
- My first flight leaves Detroit Monday at 4pm and arrives in San Fran 5 hours later (6:15pm local time)
- An hour and a half later I fly to Auckland, which is a 14 hour long flight. The plane lands Wednesday at 6am.
- Six hours later I fly to Queenstown (in the southern part of the country). I arrive at 2:30pm.
- I have 2 nights booked at the Kingsgate Terraces Hotel, a 10 minute walk from downtown Queenstown - the adventure capital of the world. I am going to use this time to rest, buy food for my hikes, and take care of a couple loose ends. (I still need to figure out transportation to and from the Routeburn Track). I also might go up the gondola, which seems to be something you just HAVE to do when you're in Queenstown.
- On Friday morning at 6am Naked Bus takes me on a 200km long journey to Te Anau, the gateway to Fiordland National Park. I spend a night there, and the next day a bus takes me to the reason why I'm in New Zealand in the first place.. THE MILFORD TRACK (Actually, the bus takes me to a boat, which is what takes me to the start of the track (kiwi for trail), but writing it like that makes it sound less dramatic)
The Milford Track is a 55km 4 day long hike, one of New Zealand's 9 Great Walks, sometimes dubbed "The finest walk in the world". It starts near Te Anau, and ends at Milford Sound, the 8th wonder of the world.. or so the Kiwis claim, anyway! The background image I'm using for this blog is of Milford Sound
Here's a map of the region so that you can follow along. Blue is bus, yellow is boat, and black is hike
The yellow part of route is the boat ride that takes me to the start of the track, which is coloured in black. The green huts you see on the track is where I'm going to be sleeping in dorm-style huts, with 39 or so other travellers... We're all walking the track in the same direction and on the same schedule (traffic on the track is very tightly controlled), so I should be able to make some friends in the 4 days that it takes to get to Milford Sound.
Beautiful Milford Sound.. where I will be spending 2 nights, mostly resting from the long walk.. taking in the scenery.. and taking a scenic cruise of the area. After that? A bus ride through the Homer Tunnel (the only way via car to Milford Sound) to what's known as 'The Divide'. From there I am going to be walking the 32km 3-day Routeburn Track, another Great Walk! and if all goes well, I will eventually end up back in Queenstown, on Saturday, the 4th of December ;)
And after that? I have a route planned, but I'm not sure how much time I'm going to need to recover from all the walking (with a giant backpack on my back). Basically I am going to be making my way north back to Auckland, which is on the northern part of the North Island, and where I'm flying back home from on December 22nd.
Here's a map of the plan.. which could change.
The blue lines are bus, red is rail, and yellow is boat/ferry. Like I said, some of this could change, but I am definitely going to be stopping by one or both of the glaciers (Fox & Franz Josef), taking the scenic train from Greymouth to Christchurch (the first red line), and hopefully stopping in Kaikoura for some Whale watching. On the north island my first definite stop is another great walk - the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. It's a day hike, about 18km in length, takes about 8 hours, and passes right by Mount Doom (from Lord of the Rings). It's supposed to be an incredible experience, so I don't want to miss it.
After that it's off the train and back onto buses - through Taupo and Rotorua, on my way back to Auckland. I really have no idea how much time I'm going to have, but I would like to stop in at least Rotorua if I can - to check out some geysers and other thermal thingies.
As you can see my plan is action packed, so.. expect it to change.
That's it from me for now.. I'm not sure when you'll hear from me next. zzzz
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
What the hell is Aoteoroa?
Aoteoroa is the Māori word for New Zealand, where I will be spending 5 weeks backpacking, tracking (kiwi for hiking), bungy jumping, sheep herding, and possibly hobbit hunting. I am going to make an attempt to update this blog with stories and pictures from my travels, but I can't really promise you guys much.. After all, the last thing I want to do while I'm down there is to be sitting in front of a computer! But having said that, I will do my best to keep this thing relatively up to date with a post and a picture or two every couple days.
Māori is the language spoken by the.. Māori, the indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand. It is one of the official languages of the country. The Māori arrived on the north island sometime before 1300 and play a large part in the cultural makeup of the country, so I thought it'd be fitting to name the blog after their word for New Zealand. I have learned a lot about the Māori while doing research for this trip, so you will probably hear about them again before this thing is over.
My flight leaves Detroit on Monday at 4pm. If you're bored, you can check out my travel plans and what gear I'm bringing with me, which should all be accessible via tabs near the top of the page. I'm not sure how much time I'll have to finish those pages before I leave, but have a look around.
Māori is the language spoken by the.. Māori, the indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand. It is one of the official languages of the country. The Māori arrived on the north island sometime before 1300 and play a large part in the cultural makeup of the country, so I thought it'd be fitting to name the blog after their word for New Zealand. I have learned a lot about the Māori while doing research for this trip, so you will probably hear about them again before this thing is over.
My flight leaves Detroit on Monday at 4pm. If you're bored, you can check out my travel plans and what gear I'm bringing with me, which should all be accessible via tabs near the top of the page. I'm not sure how much time I'll have to finish those pages before I leave, but have a look around.
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