The Routeburn Trek

Allright, so yesterday I came back from the 3-day, 32 kilometer Routeburn Trek! Now, I know what you all are thinking....didn't I learn my lesson after the fiasco on the Milford Trek. But this time there was no heli rescue, and I actually made it without a shower for those 3 days! The Routeburn Trek was absolutely magnificent, fabulous, awesome, and every other such adjective.

The first day of the trek was sunny and hot, with blue skies. And although the forecast called for rain on the second day (maybe) and the third day (definitely), it never rained on the trek! That was great because it really sucks tramping in pouring rain. The clouds started coming in the afternoon of the second day, and it was mostly cloudy on the third day, but it never did rain.

I started the trek at the Routeburn shelter, and finished at the Divide. Some people do it in the other direction. So my first day started at the shelter, past the Routeburn Flats Hut, and ended up at the Routeburn Falls Hut. The climb was steady, and the views were gorgeous. I had done the walk from the Routeburn shelter to the Flats Hut a few months ago when I was living in Queenstown. So I had seen that part of the hike before. But this time around the weather was much nicer than the first time I did that walk. Here are some pictures from the start of the trek at the shelter to the Falls Hut.












I arrived at the Falls Hut (the first night's hut) at about 2 p.m., and a bunch of us decided to go on and climb to the Harris saddle (at 1255 meters), which is the highest point of the Routeburn trek. We did this because the weather was great that day, and the next day's forecast was cloud and rain, so we were afraid we'd get no views from the saddle the following day. So we dropped our packs at the Falls Hut and on we went, for a 2 hour climb up to Harris saddle, and then another 1.5 hour walk downhill back to the Falls Hut. That day was a bit tiring, cuz I walked for over 7 hours that day. I'm a slow walker, so it took me about 4 hours from the shelter to the Falls Hut, and then another 3.5 hours return from the Falls Hut to the saddle (a very rocky track, kind of hard on the knees). And the next day, I did that climb from Falls Hut to Harris saddle all over again, so it was like deja vu the whole way! :) I realized, though, that I didn't have to climb to Harris saddle the day before because the weather was still beautiful on that second day and the views were still great. In fact, the pictures came out better from the second day's climb because they were taken in the morning. Here are some pictures from the Falls Hut to the Harris saddle.










From the Routeburn shelter to Harris saddle, the Routeburn track goes through Mount Aspiring National Park. After reaching Harris saddle, the track continues into Fiordland National Park. So after reaching Harris saddle sometime in the late morning, you could see the Fiordland side was alot more cloudy. The clouds started coming in that late morning/early afternoon. So on that second day, the section from Harris saddle to McKenzie Hut (the second night's hut) was a bit cloudy (as you can see from the pictures below), with bits of sunshine at times. The third picture below was taken just steps away from McKenzie Hut.







I was surprised how well I slept at the huts, considering there were 24 or so other people in the same room! I didn't wake up much in the middle of the night, although someone said there was some snoring going on and one girl even screamed in her sleep. I didn't hear any of it, which made me wonder if I was the one snoring and/or screaming in my sleep. :)

So on the third day, the forecast was rain, for sure. But it never rained, though it was cloudier than the day before. Most of the walk on the third day was through beech forest, which was very similar to parts of the Milford trek. The walk from McKenzie hut ended at the Divide, where I caught a bus back to Queenstown. The most exciting pictures I have from the third day are of waterfalls, which I'll share below.







Doesn't the Routeburn trek look just amazing?! It is!

Aoraki National Park

Last week, after leaving Christchurch, I drove south for about 4 hours to Aoraki National Park. It was very grand. The last hour of the drive was beautiful cuz you can see Aoraki (or Mount Cook, as the Europeans called it) from far away, and as you keep driving towards the town, you get closer and closer to the mountain. Aoraki stands almost 4,000 meters tall (that's over 12,000 feet!) The day I arrived, I hadn't planned on doing any walks until the next day. But when I arrived, the sun was out and the sky was clear. The forecast called for clouds and rain the following day. So the guy at the info center suggested I get out there on that day. So at about 3:30 in the afternoon, I set out on a 3 hour return walk along Hooker Valley. During the second half of the walk you get great views of Aoraki. Here are some pictures I took on my walk. The first two pictures show Aoraki clearly.











Besides the Hooker Valley walk, I didn't do much while I was there. Just relaxed and started preparing for the Routeburn trek. The town located in Aoraki National Park is pretty small. Or maybe it just seems small because the buildings look so tiny compared to the huge mountains surrounding the area. The hostel I was staying at looked like an ant next to the huge mountains. It was quite cool.

Full Circle

Well I arrived Queenstown this morning. I've come full circle (literally, I've travelled in a full circle around the South Island!) It's kind of strange being back here, especially because it's a reminder that I have to leave NZ soon.

Oh, so I didn't sell my car in Christchurch! I think my car just doesn't want to leave me, and so that's why I had no luck selling it. Heehee. I'm hoping to have more luck selling it in Queenstown. If not, my old flatmate Lee said he would sell it for me after I leave. All the skiiers flood Queenstown in May/June, and they all need cars. I tried selling it at the car fair in Christchurch last Sunday. Although I didn't sell the car, I did make a Maori friend named Shane, who was there looking for a 4WD. He was actually trying to help me sell my car, and he even offered one potential buyer a free oil change if he bought my car! That guy's offer was too low, so I didn't sell it to him. But then after the car fair Shane invited me and this other Austrian girl who sold her car over to his house for lunch, and we laughed alot over pizza, stir fry, and samosas.

I was also in Christchurch for St. Patrick's Day. Oh, what a night. It started off with me and Elizabeth sippin' on ciders at the hostel. Then these German boys joined in. And later Mark joined in as well. Later we all ended up going out, on a night when everyone and their mother was out. Elizabeth and Mark took off early, before I even realized they were gone, and left me with the German boys. I later found out why those 2 left on their own, without me! I don't think they know I know, but I know. Anyhow, I was begging the German boys to go back, but they wanted to keep partying, even though it was already 3 a.m. But they were like 22 years old, so they have a lot more stamina than I do. So I ended up walking back without them cuz I had to go to the car fair early the next morning and I just wanted some sleep. It was a fun night, though. We all had a good time.

Anyhow, this morning I left Aoraki/Mount Cook, where I spent 2 nights. It was fabulous. I did a 3-hour walk in Hooker Valley, where I got some awesome views of Aoraki (which stands about 4,000 meters tall!). Aoraki is the Maori name, and Mount Cook is the European name. I, of course, prefer the Maori name. I took some pictures, but I'll post them on the blog next week, after I get back from the Routeburn trek.

Oh yeah, so tomorrow morning I embark on the Routeburn trek. It's a 3-day trek. The weather looks like it'll be fine tomorrow, but there may be a few showers on Saturday and Sunday. It snowed on the Routeburn trek last week, so a few showers doesn't seem so bad. We'll see.

Two more weeks.....

I can't believe I only have 2 more weeks left here. I'm not ready to leave yet! I've gotten so accustomed to travelling, and being able to see so many beautiful places. I'm already thinking about my next prolonged travel adventure--INDIA 2008!

I'm in Christchurch right now, trying to sell my car. One guy told me he sold his car in 24 hours in Christchurch, and I heard of someone else who sold theirs in 3 hours. It's been 5 hours now since I've posted my car for sale, and no enquiries yet. Maybe that's a sign I should stay!

After selling the car, I'm planning to get a rental car and go down to Mount Cook, then Milford Sound (since I never actually got to see it, as I didn't complete the Milford Track), and I'm even contemplating doing the Routeburn Track (a 3-day, 32 kilometer hike in Fiordland and Mount Aspiring National Parks). There are some spaces left on the Routeburn for the end of March, and if the weather is nice, that might be a great way to end my NZ trip.

Arthur's Pass

After finishing the Banks Peninsula trek last week, I took the most beautiful drive in New Zealand--from the Banks Peninsula to Greymouth, through Arthur's Pass). Greymouth is just 30 minutes north of Hokitika (the site of the Wildfoods Festival, which is the topic of my previous blog). I had to share the following picture that I took on the road from the Banks Peninsula to Greymouth. It's a classic New Zealand picture, of hundreds of sheep crossing the road and holding up all traffic! It's such a chaotic scene--the dogs are barking to get the sheep moving faster, and the sheep are going in all kinds of directions with looks on their faces like they don't know what's going on. Poor sheep. :(



Anyhow, the day I drove through Arthur's Pass for the first time (on the way to Greymouth), the weather was gorgeous and the scenery was dramatic and amazing. I knew I'd be coming back to Arthur's Pass a few days later to spend some more time there, so I didn't stop to take many pictures, though I did take a few. After spending a few days in Greymouth and attending the Wildfoods Festival, I drove back through Arthur's Pass, and stayed for 2 nights. This time, it was pouring rain and the morning I left, it was actually snowing on the ground (!) because the town is at a high elevation. Here are a few pictures I took of Arthur's Pass my first time through, when the weather was nice.





On my second trip through there, even though it was raining alot, I managed to take a short hike up to the Devil's Punchbowl Waterfall during the few hours the rain let up a little and the sunshine came out for a minute. Here are some pictures from my trip to the waterfall, which is 130 meters high. The first picture is of the waterfall taken from far away, at the start of the walk. And the second picture is taken up close, after the 30 minute walk uphill to the waterfall.





And here are some more pictures I took in Arthur's Pass on that rainy day. Because of the weather, some of the pictures are a bit misty, which I think also looks pretty cool by giving the mountains a more dramatic look.

The Wildfoods Festival

Today I went to the Wildfoods Festival in Hokitika! It's an annual event that attracts about 17,000 people to Hokitika (that's alot of people for this little town!) Anyhow, it was alot of fun. "Wild" is the operative word here. Some of the fare being offered at the booths included: kangaroo, rabbit, venison, worms, grasshoppers, and possum. I didn't try any of the above listed items. Because (1) I'm veg these days, though I eat seafood, and (2) gross! I ended up eating (and drinking) quite a bit. My favorites were the raspberry cider and these veggie soy things. Now people do get a little wild at the Wildfoods Festival, even the vegetarians! The veggie soy things I had to eat were in a very crude shape (2 balls with a finger shape in between, if you get the picture). And when they serve it up, they put a little white sauce at the tip of the finger shape thing. Ha! I felt kinda weird eating this thing, but it was actually really good. Here's a picture of the sign on the booth where they served these soy bits. If you look close you can see 2 vegetables getting busy.



So you get the picture what this festival was like....

The Banks Peninsula Track

My most recent adventure was a 4-day trek on the Banks Peninsula track, which is on the east coast about 1 hour from Christchurch. It was a 35 kilometer private trek along the coast and through farmland, and this time I am proud to say there were no helicopters involved! Woo hoo! The weather was awesome all 4 days--sunny, hot, and no rain! This trek was especially nice because the huts along the way were beautiful, with comfy beds, flushing toilets, hot showers, and many other perks. And on the first and fourth days, they transported our packs since we had to climb from sea level to about 600 meters on both of those days. Though I was cursing myself on the second and third days for packing too much stuff! But anyhow, this was definitely a high-class trekking experience.

The first night's hut was at Onuku farm. The trek didn't actually start until the next morning. So that first night was a good rest before the trek started. The hut at Onuku was beautiful. The moon was nearly full that night, and I chose to sleep on a bunk bed just outside the hut on the porch, overlooking the Akaroa harbor. I woke up a few times during the night, and watched the moon change positions. It was quite cool. In the morning I woke up to the sounds of cows "mooooo-ing" and sheep "baaaaaa-ing." The first picture below shows where I slept that first night, and the second picture is one I took early in the morning when you could still see the moon.





The first day's walk was from Onuku farm to Flea Bay. There were only 9 people on the trek, so we all walked together for alot of the trek. Most of the walk on that first day was through farms. Nevertheless, there were lots of nice views and waterfalls. You could actually walk behind one of the waterfalls. Below, you can see a picture of me (barely) behind the waterfall.



And here is a picture of me on the first day trekking, upon reaching the highest point on the trek (at 699 meters).



At the end of the first day, we reached Flea Bay, and the next 2 days of hiking were to be all along the coast. Flea Bay was awesome. On the night we reached Flea Bay, the owner of the hut (all of the huts were privately owned by people living adjacent to the huts) let us watch her feeding this injured blue penguin that was brought to her so that she could care for it. All of the blue penguins are gone from the area at this time of year, but she had this one injured penguin to show us, since we were all so eager to see a penguin! It was the cutest thing. It must have been less than 1 foot tall. And it's the closest I've been to a penguin here in New Zealand, so I was really excited. Here's a picture of the penguin.



The next morning we woke up and went kayaking in Flea Bay. The owner of the hut had kayaks that she rents out, and she took us out on a guided tour of the bay. And we saw Hector's dolphins!!! Hector's dolphins are the world's smallest dolphins, and they are pretty rare in New Zealand. Yet there were a few dozen that came out to swim in the bay that morning alongside our kayaks. That was so much fun. The Hector's dolphins were not as hyper as the Dusky dolphins I saw in Kaikoura. The Hector's didn't really jump out of the water and do flips. They were just swimming along peacefully. I didn't get any pictures cuz I didn't bring my camera out into the water. But, I did take a boat tour in Le Bons Bay (also in the Banks Peninsula) just 2 days before, and I got a few shots of the Hector's dolphins from that boat trip. Here's a picture of 2 Hector's under water.



Well the trek didn't get any better than the night and morning in Flea Bay. Unfortunately, we couldn't stay in Flea Bay forever, and we had to trek on. So after kayaking with the dolphins, we went on and walked along the coast to Stony Bay. The sun was beaming, and there wasn't much shade on the trek that day, so it got pretty hot. But the views were gorgeous. And the following day, we walked from Stony Bay to Otanerito, also a very hot day. Here are a few pictures of the views from both of those days.











The hut at Stony Bay was very charming. I got to sleep in my own little cottage nestled in the trees, and the shower was set around a tree so you felt like you were showering outside. The hut at Stony Bay also had a cool swing and a "bath under the stars," which was basically an outdoor bathtub where you warm up the bath water with a fire.

On the last night, we slept at Otanerito Bay. I decided I wanted to sleep closer to the beach. So I asked the landowner for a tent and he hooked me up. So I got to sleep to the sound of ocean waves on that last night. Although I was sleeping on a hard ground as opposed to a soft, comfy bed, it was well worth it.

The final day's hike was nice. Alot of the walk was through beech forest, and I got to see some fantail birds and bellbirds up close. The bellbird makes the sweetest song, and I always hear it when trekking in New Zealand. But this is the first time I got to observe it up close.

So overall, I had a great time on the Banks Peninsula trek. I'm really a big fan of multi-day treks where you can have a shower and use flushing toilets!

Whale (and Dolphin) Watch

I'm in Kaikoura right now, which is on the eastern coast of the South Island, just about 2 hours north of Christchurch. I had an awesome time on my whale watch tour this morning. I've been eager to do this blog all day and share some of my pictures from that. But since the tour started at 6:15 a.m., and I had taken 2 motion sickness tablets (which make me very very sleepy), I thought I ought to take a nap first. Even after sleeping for the past few hours, as I sit here, I can still sort of feel the waves from the ocean, going up and down.

Anyhow, so just minutes after getting out onto the water, the first thing we saw was a few orcas (killer whales!). Now orcas are rare in NZ waters, but these orcas have been hanging out in the area for a few days now, so we were lucky to see them. One of the orcas jumped high out of the water and made a huge splash, just like a dolphin would. In fact, these orcas really just looked like giant dolphins. But they're much more vicious, of course, eating everything and anything. I tried to keep my fingers away from the ledge. :) I didn't get a picture of the orca jumping out of the water, because it all happened so fast and I thought it better to experience them through my own eyes rather than through the lens of my camera. The first picture below is the best picture I got of the orca. The second picture below (WHICH IS NOT MY OWN, but taken from the internet), shows you what the orca looks like.




(Legal disclaimer: Just so I don't get into any legal trouble with Wikipedia, this picture is not mine, and credit belongs to Wikipedia)

We then moved on to look for some sperm whales. It took some time, but eventually we spotted one at the surface. It was HUGE, and we only saw about 1/3 of its body at the surface. The whale was on the surface for a good 5 minutes or so, re-energizing for the long dive down. We saw spurts of water coming out of its blowhole several times. The first 3 pictures below are some good "blowhole" shots. The last picture was taken just as the whale slowly and gracefully dove back down into the water, saying good-bye.









Soon after, we spotted another whale at the surface, and below are some shots I got of our second whale.

At the very end of the tour, we got a huge treat! Dusky dolphins!!! They were so playful. There were heaps of them swimming and jumping around--I mean hundreds! I have never in my life seen so many dolphins altogether. I had a big smile on my face watching them. :) Here we go with the dolphin pictures....