Makorora

I arrived in Makorora yesterday afternoon but didn't get a chance to write until this morning. I ended up spending only three days out (although I had planned four) and walked out because it was looking unlikely that they were going to be flying out yesterday or today because the winds have picked up a lot. I met Simon and Matthew, the two who I watched do the river crossing, on the second day and walked with them to a location further than that which I had originally planned. They were a lot of fun to walk with and yesterday we walked back to Makorora via the Wilken valley, which was mostly an unmarked track. Route-finding wasn't too difficult, especially because the river valley is clear and open in most parts, but we did have to work around the braided river which swings from bank to bank. By the time we reached the highway, we had done 6 river crossings, but they were all doable because the weather's been dry for the last three days and the river wasn't flowing very fast.

As we got within two hours of the highway I realized that I needed to get back by five to retrieve my belongings from the DOC office, so I hurried ahead of them and fortunately made it just in time. Since there isn't a marked route from where you ford the river back to the highway it was a bit of an adventure getting back. Farmland runs the length of the river and I had hoped to find a way through to the highway where I could hitch a ride back into Makorora (about 2 miles north of where I forded) but each time I thought I had found a way I was confronted with a 8 ft barbed wire fence halfway through and lots of confused sheep. I eventually made it back to the highway, but at this point I was only 5 minutes down the road from town.

When they finally made it in we treated ourselves to ice cream and other treats and then talked for a bit before the hit the road to head back down to Wanaka. Last night I met up with some guys bike-touring who had stopped to camp here and we had a drink here at the cafe.

The tramp over Gillespie Pass was incredible (and incredibly steep) and I'm not sure that any of my pictures can really show the 'on top of the world' feeling that you get when you stand there, seemingly as high as the snow-capped peaks that surround you from every direction. From the pass you descend into the Siberia valley which is equally beautiful, with long fields of grass framed by these same peaks, which have great names like Mt. Awful and Mt. Dreadful.

Today I leave around noon to continue north to Fox Glacier where I'll spend a night or two and possibly take a guided trip out onto the glacier if weather permits (which I don't think it will). They're predicting another four days of rain, but I'll work around it. I've caught a cold so it will be nice to have some rest days anyhow. The plan for the rest of the trip is to go from Fox to Greymouth where I'll stock up on food and then head west to Nelson Lakes where I'll do my final tramp. The tramp takes about a week and then I'll shoot up to Nelson. I've booked a flight from Nelson to Auckland on the 17th and then I'll have two days to kill in Auckland before coming home. Surprisingly, the flight from Nelson to Auckland was cheaper than taking the ferry and ground transport, and it also takes one hour instead of two days.

-Brian

March 2, Young Hut
After a very long sleep (I think on account of having a real bed), I set out late and walked 2km down the highway to the start of the track. Here I had to ford the Makorora; the crossing went fine, although the water was extremely cold and about up to my waist. From there it was a fairly challenging walk through the Young valley to the hut. The track was almost as difficult as the one around Taranaki (which I did in January), but the weather was good so it was no problem. I also think I've caught a minor cold, so I'm a bit slower than usual.

I was the first one to arrive at the hut, but about 12 people have shown up since. I'm really surprised to see so many people on this track, but I suppose they all wanted to come out while the weather was good. [It turns out that many of them paid 25$ to take a jet boat across the Makorora and avoid the crossing] There are a few crazies in this crowd, so I might try to skip the next hut tomorrow. One guy from Wales wouldn't stop going off about how great his first-aid kit was.

March 3, Kerin Forks Hut
Today I walked 10 hours, but the weather was glorious so it was a great day. The route to Gillespie Pass was nearly straight up, but the views at the top made it worth it. It was fun to be able to use the map and name peaks that were miles away but visible today. I had lunch at the top of the pass and then started a grueling 1000m descent that took me into the Siberia valley which, unlike the Young, was clear and covered in grass. The views here of Mt. Dreadful were outstanding.

I arrived at Sibera hut around 5 but it appeared crowded so I pushed on to Kerin Forks hut along with an Israeli guy that I met. We had to ford the Wilkin to get here, but I really like the hut. There are 9 of us here and everyone is a lot more friendly than the people that were at Young Hut. Tomorrow I will probably walk out because it looked unlikely that there will be a flight to catch in the next two days. [Later, I heard that things were a bit frantic at Siberia Hut as 25 people all tried to arrange transport out to avoid having to walk out the Wilkin Valley. One woman reportedly told the warden, "If I drown because of this, I'm blaming you," after hearing that there wouldn't be enough room on the back-flights for everyone. The following morning I was told that there was a mad dash to the airstrip and then, when it became apparent that no planes were coming, another mad dash down to the jet-boat pickup point.]

Makorora

I arrived into Makorora around noon today and the rain is starting to ease after a night of long heavy rain. Things seem to be falling into place to start hiking through the Wilkins and Young valleys tomorrow. The weather is good for the next 4 days so I seemed to have timed it perfectly. I walked a few kilometers up the road to check out the river crossing this afternoon and actually met up with two guys who were starting the track (one of whom I met a week ago on the Caples. I watched them do the river crossing and am confident that it won't be a problem (especially because I saw them do it during rain).

I'll do that tomorrow morning and then take 3 nights to hike. On the fourth day I should be able to take a plane out of the Wilkins valley back to Makorora. It's only 40$ NZ (~20 US) if you can catch a back-flight and apparently there are quite a few because it's very popular for people to fly into the valley, walk some, and then take a jet boat back into town. If I'm unable to catch a flight the warden at the hut should be able to arrange a jet boat pickup which would still be an exciting way to finish the tramp.

While walking back from the river I met up with a guy on the road who is section hiking the whole length of the South Island and we walked together for a few kilometers. He was a real interesting person from Nelson and we talked for a bit when we got back into town also. I might run into him in the next few days as he's taking a similar route but will be continuing to walk through the mountains instead of flying out.

Tonight I'm staying in a dorm bed at a very nice little resort in Makorora and I believe there's a dinner buffet with lamb tonight at the cafe/bar!

I'll be back on Thursday!

-Brian

Wanaka

On top of Mt. IronLake Wanaka and the peaks of Mt. Aspiring at sunset
My worst enemy

Last night i climbed one of the peaks just outside of town and got nice 360 degree views of the lake and mountains around Wanaka. I also met some people and we walked back down together. I didn't do much today other than run errands and read some. The bad weather is supposed to start soon, so I'm planning on going to a local cinema called Paradiso that has a good reputation here. Instead of standard seats there are sofas and they serve fresh-baked cookies during an intermission I'm told!

I attempted a nap this afternoon but as soon as I set my head down I could hear a motor starting up and then within ten minutes I had no chance of sleeping. For about 20 minutes, the guy pictured above was doing loops around my tent and didn't stop despite numerous dirty glances. Tomorrow I'm off for Makorora and the following day I'm going to hike around Gillespie Pass as long as the water level is low enough to cross the river out of town; fortunately I can just stay in town if it is too high.

-Brian

Wanaka

Today's swimming hole
I left Queenstown early this morning and arrived here in Wanaka about 90 minutes later. Wanaka, like Queenstown, is situated on one of the Southern Lakes, but, unlike its big brother, has a very relaxed feel and isn't very commercialized. I didn't do much today other than organize things for later in the trip and sort out details for a tramp in the Wilkens and Young valleys which I will start on Monday, weather permitting.

We're having a very warm summery day here, so I had a very nice swim in the very cold lake. I'm now in the heart of the Southern Alps and some of the taller peaks, which are still snow-capped, surround the lake in the distance. The campground where I'm staying isn't crowded at all (especially compared to Queenstown) and I've met a few really friendly people there. That's all for today - just relaxing!

-Brian

Queenstown

Typical scenery around the Greenstone valley
View from the McKellar Saddle, linking the Greenstone and Caples valleys

Swimming hole in the Caples Valley which I swam in (I was subsequently bitten to pieces by sandflies)

Interior of the Mid-Caples hut

Cattle blocking the trail (and looking a bit angry?) in the Greenstone valley

Magical scene on Lake McKellar in the morning

Queenstown continues to be a town of coincidences for me. As I was setting my tent up in the holiday park for a third time I saw a bus painted with the "Flying Kiwi" logo (this is the tour bus I took for a week at the start of my trip). Then, as I started to write this, I saw Drew, the tour bus driver I had sitting across from me in the internet cafe!

The trip through the Greenstone and Caples valleys was amazing and not too demanding physically (with the exception of yesterday, which was a 9 hour day). It's the romanticized pastoral landscape come to life, and sure enough, there were cows too (a few too many actually). Much of the land in the valleys is leasehold farming (which I believe means that it's publicly owned and leased out to private farmers - but I'm not sure).

I had a slow morning at the hut because I didn't need to catch the boat out until 2:00 pm but didn't mind spending the time there because the view was phenomenal. I had a very pleasant and short walk out today and walked part the way with some other people I met along the trail. Waiting at the dock were the two Americans - who I will mention further down - and we went back together. After I write this I'm going to meet them at Fergburger, a local favorite here in Queenstown, and, having had it, I approve of it (I feel that I am more than qualified to judge hamburgers as an American).

Another front is moving in now, just in time for the end of my last trip. I'm starting to head north tomorrow, the next stop being Wanaka just an hour or so north. I'll then do the same thing I've been doing - wait out the foul weather for a day or two and then start another tramp. I can't seem to get enough of the scenery in this part of the island.

-Brian

February 23 - Greenstone Hut

I had a great night of sleep last night and ate a big pancake breakfast at a cafe in Glenorchy before the hike today. The rain continued to fall lightly all day, but the scenery was still awesome. Some of the clearnings in the Greenstone valley looked especially cool with all the mist.

I took a boat to the trailhead, and, although it was not as exciting at the ferry across the Foveaux Strait, it was still a fun (and bumpy) ride.

I saw few people on the trail today and really enjoyed the walk that more or less followed the river up the valley. There are plenty of people here at the hut and they are all young and quite friendly. I particularly enjoyed talking to Travis and Michael, two brothers from Colorado who are here to fish the Greenstone. Tonight, most of us at the hut played a game called "Yannive," taught to us by an Israeli couple staying here. I will see some of the same people at the next hut tomorrow.

February 24 - McKellar Hut

The weather was finally good today and the walk was splendid and easy on my feet. The track traversed a good deal of lease-hold farmland and I had to do a bit of hopscotch to avoid landing my feet in one of the many piles of cow poo. I also had a few face-to-face encounters with the cows - they were looking at me menacingly but always fled frantically when I got close. This is a beautiful area and it's been a peaceful few days.

The hut is crowded (17 people) and the bunks are very close. It will be difficult sleeping, but I've met more awesome people here and enjoy that aspect of the huts. It's pretty much impossible to crawl in bed without waking everyone else, however.

February 25 - Mid-Caples Hut

Today was a long day, but the weather was fantastic and there were some great views from the McKellar Saddle. The highlight of the day was certainly seeing Lake McKellar this morning with a light fog hovering above it; it was nothing short of magical. It was a boggy walk from there to the saddle and incredibly steep on the approach to the saddle. From there I descended into the Caples valley which is much more rugged (and thus, less used) than the Greenstone valley. The views here at the hut are great and it's not crowded - just the two Israelis who have walked the same route as me and another American.

Glenorchy

It seems that Queenstown is the city of coincidental meetings; last night at the holiday park I was walking to my tent and I saw Paulo, the Swiss guy from Arthur's Pass (you can see his picture on an earlier entry)! After talking about where we'd been for the past three weeks, we went out for a beer and then caught a movie at the theater in town. He's a really funny person and it was a good night. It was nice to run into him because it can get a bit overwhelming in a big town like Queenstown if you don't know anyone. I'll have to spend one more night in Queenstown in about 4 days (it's just about unavoidable with the way that the transportation works here), so I'm curious to see who will be the next old acquaintance to show up.

The poor weather continues here, so I'm counting myself lucky that I made it off Stewart Island! Things are forecasted to improve tomorrow so I'm hitting the trail again for the next 4 days. I had planned to do a track called the Rees-Dart, but decided against it because it has a number of river and stream crossings and the water levels are very high now. Instead I'm doing another circuit trip out of Glenorchy that goes through the Greenstone and Caples valleys. I had picked the Rees-Dart because it was more challenging than what I've been doing, but this new option should be just as good; there's a really steep alpine crossing on the Caples side of the track. And, with no tricky water crossings, it seemed like the better choice.

Glenorchy is a very nice small town which I'm sure has great views of the surrounding mountains, but there isn't much to see today. So, three nights on the trail, and I'll be back in Queenstown on Thursday.

-Brian

Queenstown

A night time visitor at Stewart IslandStewart Island as it typically feels - reserved, untouched, a bit mysterious
Another wonderful beach campsite, Stewart Island on a sunny day, with the South Island barely visible on the horizon
How I was feeling on the ferry ride across the Foveaux Strait :)

I'm back in the commercial mecca of the South Island and things were a bit rough to start. I had a hell of a time getting my tent up in the gusty winds and strong rain this afternoon, and it blew away as I was trying to get it up! Fortunately I was able to run it down. There's a guy from Michigan in the site next to mine and he's touring around on a bike, so we were able to commiserate a bit about the weather. None of the hostels I rang had any beds, so I was forced to stay at the holiday park again, which is really a rip-off. It's 18$/person for a tiny little tent site; there was a person in front of me who wanted a tent site for 4 people and had to pay 72$!!! Then they want you to pay a dollar for a shower. I suppose it's still the cheapest option in town though. I improvised a few extra guy lines to make sure it doesn't blow away while I'm in town.

Speaking of foul weather, the ferry ride this morning across the strait was ... harrowing. Of the 25 or so people on the boat, 3 adults and 3 children lost their breakfast. At one point the crew was just transporting vomit, going from person to person. By the end of the hour trip, the cabin reeked of - well, you know. I actually fared much better this time - I think because I made sure to get a good breakfast. I tried to watch the horizon as they suggest, but found this difficult because the waves were pounding constantly against the windows of the cabin. I suppose it's difficult to describe what it was like, but I will say there were plenty of white-caps and they had temporarily postponed all the services later in the day. I got some good videos from it.

Having little to do here in Queenstown, I decided to get a haircut, and the woman who cut my hair was nothing short of appalled at what she was looking at. By the end she said, "You look like a totally different person, and, trust me, that's a good thing." The nerve. Then again, she also seemed surprised that I didn't use any "product" in my hair. That's the vibe here in Queenstown though, if that helps describe it. Stewart Island was so much more friendly. For example, I got a pizza last night at one of the local restaurants (I've now been to them all), and the guy who cooked the pizza actually came out to check on it and we talked for a few minutes. Tomorrow I'm escaping again to Glenorchy, which is only a few miles up the road. There I'll take another rest day or two and wait out this weather before doing another tramp in the Mt. Aspiring region (that's where the Routeburn is).

-Brian