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