Monday, April 12, 2010
Picked up early by Buckley Transport, heading from Queenstown to the Divide, which is back halfway down the Milford Road. It started raining as soon as we got to the Divide. An hour up the track Heather turned around because she didn’t bring her inhaler. Nicole and I kept going, and turned off the track for a 1 hour side trip to the Key Summit Alpine Nature Walk. It was very windy and rainy so we didn’t see a whole lot. We got to Howden Hut completely soaked and took a break.
Sheep blocking the road on the way to the Divide
Alpine Walk
Fog everywhere
After only 2 hours of walking
The sign said 3 hours to McKenzie Hut from there. It took us 4, and we arrived after dark. The rain was constant and fairly heavy, and we walked through several waterfalls flooding the trail. At Earland Falls, there was so much water you couldn’t even tell the trail was supposed to go past the falls, all we could see was the detour path that involved a little bit of rock climbing. At one point I was admiring the scenery and didn't notice I had been standing ankle-deep in a river. We were completely soaked (and had been for quite awhile) when we got to McKenzie Hut, and the ranger said Fjordland hadn’t yet gotten nearly as much rain as was forecasted.
Standing in a waterfall, which has taken over the trail
Stunning scenery when the fog occasionally cleared a bit
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Of course it rained all night and the morning forecast was lots more rain, and snow if we continued on the track. The ranger said the conditions were okay to leave the hut, but only if we weren’t traveling alone. We hardly had any dry clothes left, so we cancelled our tickets for the Routeburn Falls Hut and headed back to the Divide. On the way back there was twice as much water as before. At one part the path was flooded pretty deep and fast moving right in front of a bridge over a waterfall, and back at Earland Falls the flood detour had turned into a waterfall itself we had to climb up. We got back to Howden Hut after 3 hours, and it took an hour from there to the Divide.
Leaving McKenzie Hut
On the 3:15 shuttle there were exactly enough spots for everyone, and I had exactly $160 in cash (it was $154 for the two of us). Just like the rain started when we got to the Divide, the rain stopped when we went back down the Milford Road. At Te Anau they said we would normally transfer onto a bus at 5 pm, but it was running late since the Milford Track had flooded. The 8 of us heading to Queenstown went to The Moose restaurant to eat and share photos while we waited. We got to the hostel in Queenstown around 8 or 9 pm. The insides of both my cameras were fogged for a bit and they had been pretty wet the whole trip, but they survived.
Example of a very small waterfall over the trail, we passed through hundreds
Overall it was actually a really fun, but really wet trip. And I would do it again if I had the chance. What I really learned is that there is no such thing as water resistant, water proof, or quick dry in Fjordland. Even after putting everything in the hostel dryers, it still took a few days for it to all dry. But even after drying, everything in my pack still smelled bad until I got to wash it all back at Nexus.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
We went exploring and shopping around town, then walked to the gondola and went down the luge at the top twice. Heather scheduled her bungy jump and we went out to do more exploring later.
Queenstown
Jade Pendants (these are everywhere in NZ)
Top of the gondola over Queenstown
Overlooking Queenstown
Nicole, Heather, and I
Luge
Us on the Luge
Thursday, April 15, 2010
At 4 am the fire alarm went off. I guess it was bound to happen sometime over break since we would be missing out on our weekly Nexus alarms. The person at the desk the next morning said someone had pulled the alarm and he was arrested.
4 am Fire Alarm
Picked up the new car and drove out to Arrowtown. It was a newer car but we got an old car price for it since the company needed someone to get it to Christchurch. We had cheese scones and tea at a café in Arrowtown, then went out to the Kawarau Bridge Bungy. Its 43 meters high (141 ft), and the first bungy jump in the world. Heather was the second person to jump of the day, and she loved it.
Kawarau bridge
Heather Jumping (the pro photo she bought)
Heather has conquered the K bridge bungy
I saw a bookmark in the gift shop of a place called Skippers Canyon, so we put it in the GPS and went up to the beginning of the road and took photos. Had lunch in the hostel, then went to the Kiwi Birdlife Park. They had a presentation about the native animals (and had 3 very cute rats trained to run across the stage as examples of introduced predators). In the Kea enclosure we ran into two girls who just had their travel gnome stolen by the bird. The Keas tend to steal anything they can get from the tourists. Went to the Kiwi Bird feeding then back to town. Had dinner at Fergburger, the (very) popular backpackers restaurant of Queenstown.
Kiwi Birdlife Park
Kiwi and egg
Kea and stolen gnome
Fergburger
Friday, April 16, 2010
We went out to Glenorchy so Nicole could do the Ride of the Rings. Heather and I waited around in Glenorchy. Took lots of photos and ate at a café there.
One lane bridge, these are all over the South Island
Me taking photos of horses
Dart Stables horses in Glenorchy
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Headed out early to the opening day of the Arrowtown Autumn Festival. Looked at all the vintage cars (there were around 75), and checked out all the craft booths. Did a little gold panning and shopping, then walked around the river to admire the fall colors. We stayed for half of the parade before we had to leave for Christchurch. The drive took 5 hours, had dinner at a Chinese restaurant and spent the night at Base Backpackers.
Arrowtown Autumn Festival
Old cars
Old As!
Gold panning
Walk by the river
Cars at the parade
Parade
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Got up early and turned in the car, then went to the airport and flew back to Wellington. Spent the rest of the day putting photos on the computer. Grand total: 3,190 photos! Thats an average of 245 a day.
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