Auckland - US

Tonight will be my last night in New Zealand, so this will also be my last entry. I fly tomorrow to Los Angeles, spend a night there, and then fly home on Friday. It's been an important thing for me to write here, and I suspect this might be the best souvenir I bring home. It's also been a pleasure to hear from people who have read bits and pieces, or all, of what I've written, and I hope that it's been an interesting read most of the time.

Perhaps Auckland isn't the best place to end a trip in New Zealand, because, for me, it is nothing like the rest of the country (and many Kiwis don't even like to acknowledge that it's part of the country!). I've exhausted the activities here in the city that are of interest to me, so I more or less walked around aimlessly today, wandering through the university in the city center and through the parks and main promenades. The mood at the hostel this time of year is lacking in excitement; most people are staying a night or two in Auckland just to wait for a flight home now that the tourist season is coming to a close. Also, it's a bit underwhelming to shoot the breeze outside as I'm now surrounded by cars and city streets rather than towering mountains. I have lots of time tomorrow, but the owner of the hostel here wanted to charge me 10$ to hold my bag past check-out time tomorrow, so I may wander over to the airport well before my flight and read to pass the time.

Of course I don't think my last entry should be a complete rant as I've really enjoyed my stay here, so I'll attempt to wrap things up here and try not to be sappy about it. I wish I could write that one thing that I learned from throwing myself onto an island for three months where I didn't know a single person and had few plans. One certainly learns common sense and self-reliance in a way that is impossible when friends or family are a shout away. But the real learnings I suppose are best kept to myself, as when one travels alone he learns most about himself and clarifies, refines, and (most importantly, I think) expands the inner dialogue that we all have.

I suffered from loneliness on very few occasions and to a much lesser extent towards the end of the trip. I found the times I felt most lonely were precipitated by struggle, usually physical. Simply, I needed someone to complain to! This, I think, was the greatest aspect of solo travel. With no one offering a sympathetic ear, I had no choice but to be self-reliant, and eventually the urge to complain went away altogether. When I had no one to speak to but myself, I realized that I didn't want to hear about the troubles I thought I was having after all, and they ceased to be worries.

For those who have read most of the blog, I thought it might be interesting to rate some of my best and hardest moments to wrap things up. The hardest moment - and this has stuck in my mind for the entire trip - was a particular hour I spent walking around Mt. Taranaki in the rain through a section of trail that was full of ditches but completely overgrown with sharp flax to the point of the track being invisible. Compounded with the fact that I wouldn't see anyone the entire day, falling over and over again while being scraped by the flax became almost too much to handle. To choose a best moment or day seems much more difficult, but it was certainly when I was tramping when things became simple, people became their friendliest, and the land had a magical feel about it. I made far closer friends on the trail than in any city or hostel. Okay, that was a cop-out.

This, then, is the end. A bit sad, but fulfilling like the end of a good book. And I have a feeling that, once caught, the travel bug is hard to get rid of. I'm looking forward to seeing family and friends very soon, so please prepare some juicy gossip.

(As the kiwis would say)
Sweet as, bro,
-Brian

Auckland

I had a slow morning in Nelson waiting around for my flight to Auckland and arrived here in Auckland around 5:00pm. The flight was short and hassle-free; security at the airport in Nelson is literally non-existent, and they didn't even look at my carry-on bag. It made for a very fast airport check-in! There wasn't too much to see on the flight because we mostly flew across the sea, but I did see my old enemy Mt. Taranaki, and it's no surprise that it was shrouded in clouds despite it being a sunny day everywhere else. The very tip of the peak did poke through the clouds, however, which was very cool looking.

I went to the hostel I stayed at months ago in Auckland expecting to be able to set up my tent in the front yard, but they ended up being completely full. They sent me down the street to where I am now and I was able to get a spot here. The owner is Indian, and in proper Indian style, I'm crammed into a small square of sloped grass not even big enough for my tent that's under hanging clothes. I'm just praying that it doesn't rain, because it's really not set up properly. It will do; it's a funny sight at least.

-Brian

Nelson

Breakfast at Upper Travers

Drying socks on the banks of Lake Rotoroa

On the final meters of the ascent to the Travers Saddle, with Mt. Travers emerging on the skyline (if you look closely you can see a flag marking the summit of the saddle)

On the edge of Lake Rotoiti - a view from this morning, and a fitting goodbye

The fantastic turquoise blue waters of Blue Lake, tucked away high in the mountains

Awakening mountains in the Travers valley

Typical result of missteps in a very boggy part of New Zealand with thigh deep mud

Wintery weather from Angelus Hut, prior to descending, although the photo hardly does justice to it

Simon, the former warden descending from Angelus

I left Nelson Lakes early this morning and caught a short shuttle ride to Nelson and here I'll catch a flight to Auckland tomorrow. I arrived in the hostel here around noon and was greeted by an extremely friendly older man who showed me around. This is by far the best hostel I've been to and it's a shame that I will only have one night here. It's situated in a house and is much more personal than some of the bigger city hostels. It's great with free internet, herbs in the backyard to use, and plenty of musical instruments. There are also plenty of books and great music recordings; this, I think, is what a hostel ought to be. I'm looking forward to a fun and relaxing evening here before I set off.

-Brian

St. Arnaud

My last journey away from civilization here in New Zealand was a fitting one - it was a great adventure and challenging. Today I spent much of the morning taking in the breathtaking calmness of Lake Rotoiti from a jetty just outside of Lakehead Hut. It was a good time for reflection and a great end to a very long (100km+) tramp. As I walked out into town this morning I was struck with the finality of it all; the trip is ending and now I start my journey home. The moment when you appreciate things the most is when they're about to end.

Today I'm going to binge on food and relax in my campsite by the lake - I lost a bit of weight on this one which I need to get back! This computer unfortunately won't let me upload photos, so the description of the walk that follows will have to suffice until tomorrow. I'll let you imagine what it was like, then fill in the images tomorrow when I get to Nelson.

-Brian

March 10 - Angelus Hut
It's 8:00 PM and sleet is being pelted against the walls of the hut fiercely. I'm at 2000 meters here at the hut and the elements are strong. Tomorrow afternoon they're forecasting winds of up to 120 kph, so I'm going to try to get off the ridge early, or spend another night here. [The heavy winds ended up coming through mostly during the night]. I'm expecting snow here tomorrow morning as the freezing level was supposed to drop to 1100 m tonight; it will be nice to see some since I missed out on winter this year.

The day started calmly enough with a nice view of the lake right from the campsite, but the weather deteoriated quickly and I walked through heavy rain most of the day (although fortunately it stopped briefly when I climbed above the bushline).

In a decidedly ill-fated move I changed my route at lunch when the weather was still okay. To avoid doing the other alpine saddle that I will need to do later in the week during heavy wind (this is all based on the forecast), I took a steep, direct path up to this hut and reversed the loop I'm taking [indeed the weather was great for the second climb]. Shortly after starting the 1000m ascent to Angelus hut the rain started falling heavily. The track I took was very difficult and in retrospect I wish I hadn't taken it because I think it was a bit too dangerous today - the hut warden here at Angelus attempted to descend on the route and turned back because of the weather. As the track rose out of the bush it became super steep and covered with loose scree that made for very slow going. Unfortunately, the prospect of turning around seemed worse than pushing on and I eventually made it, earlier than expected.

It was good company at the hut tonight, as everyone seemed to have a difficult day, even on the other routes.

March 11 - Sabine Hut
The wind howled hard against the side of the hut last night and this morning I looked outside to see that a good amount of snow had fallen - it was a beautiful sight, especially from the warmth of the shelter.

I think the weather made people a bit mad last night, and one woman woke everyone up because she couldn't find her overtrousers, insinuating that someone had moved them. As people objected to her looking through their packs, her husband intervened, "Hey now, there's a woman here who is missing her overtrousers!" as if she intended to sleep with them.

This morning I got an early start to beat the wind and took a more sheltered route down the mountain that cost me another 5 hours of walking making for a long day. Still, descending through the snow was beautiful and fun as well. I walked part the way with a former warden at Angelus Hut and we had lunch together. After some afternoon rain, things cleared up here at Sabine Hut and the view of Lake Rotoroa right from the windows of the hut is spectacular. I'm sharing the hut with a very nice French guy and the two crazy people from last night (the man didn't even recognize me from last night).

March 12 - Blue Lake Hut
The crazy people made quite a lot of noice again last night, this time by snoring. I was awoken at 4 in the morning by the most disgusting sounding snore I've ever heard. Permit me to be crude just once when I say the man sounded as if he was breathing through his butt. Fortunately, they didn't make it as far as this hut tonight.

I walked about 20 km today, but the weather was pleasant so it was a fantastic day. I decided to come to this hut for the night to look around, even though it will add another 14km to the circuit. The approach to Blue Lake followed a beautiful gorge ravished by avalanches and sidled along a very fast river full of rapids.

The company in the hut tonight was excellent; just two Kiwis and an Australian, and we all played Spades tonight. It's great to talk to locals for a change, and the Kiwis always seem to take interesting and challenging routes that often follow unmarked paths. I suppose they tire of tourists on the more popular tracks.

March 13 - Upper Travers Hut
I got an early start this morning so that I would have plenty of time to cross the Travers saddle. It was a massive climb, but, with excellent weather, very much enjoyable. There was one section that climbed 600m over 3 km! It was tough work, but the views were spectacular, especially of the decidedly evil-looking Mt. Travers. I had a very pleasant late lunch on top and then came down 500m to this hut.

Once again there was good company in the hut with two very friendly Australians and a French girl arriving shortly after me. We all had a great night chatting around the fire. The hut is situated just above the bushline and has outstanding views. It's incredible to stay here; it feels as though I ought to be paying hundreds of dollars for a spot this nice.

March 14 - Lakehead Hut
I had a late start this morning so that I could enjoy the awesome view of the valley from Upper Travers over a cup of coffee (or a "cuppa" as they would say here). After saying goodbye to my new friends, I started off and took the day very slow, enjoying the perfect weather. At lunch, I met another French guy and we talked for 2 hours or so. I arrived here at five and took a very refreshing wash in the lake (I'm back at the southern end of Lake Rotoiti), then chatted over dinner with a Dutch couple and another American. It was a great day and I'm looking forward to an easy three hour day tomorrow and a big celebratory feast.

Greymouth

The very moody Tasman Sea and various things that it has washed up on shore

The brewery tour was interesting and I met some nice people from Ireland there. I thought the beers were mediocre though.

This morning I walked out the northern end of the city and walked along the sea for a while. It was cloudy and the sea seemed angry and rough as usual. It's incredible the things that it's washed up on shore (underwear, for example). Things were especially mysterious there this morning because I was the only one out there. It's difficult at first, but I think it's possible to grow to appreciate the clouds.

That took much of the day and afterwards I went grocery shopping for the next week. I got a nice T-bone steak for dinner tonight; it was very cheap at 8$NZ (~4US) for a nice sized cut. Tomorrow I head off to St. Arnaud, the small township in Nelson Lakes National Park. I'll camp there for a night and then start a 6 day tramp around the lakes. It's possible that there won't be internet access, so this might be the last entry for a week.

-Brian

Greymouth

Inside the hostel here, "Global Backpackers"
Flooded river in Fox Glacier

The glacier itself

Greymouth seems to have a reputation among travelers here as the most boring town to visit in New Zealand, so I decided to spend 2 nights just to see what was so boring about it. The main reason for stopping here is to get food and do laundry before heading over to Nelson Lakes. I suppose there isn't too much here, but enough to keep me occupied. Tonight I'm going to a Monteith's brewery tour, a local brew here that I think is alright. The hostel here is also great and has some cool things like free kayaks, bikes, and piano and guitar.

-Brian

Fox Glacier

The Makarora valley at the outset of the tramp to Gillespie Pass
The ascent up to Gillespie Pass (this is the actual angle of the climb)

View from Gillespie Pass on the top of the mountains, though it was difficult to photograph

Relaxing in the Siberia Valley

Simon and Matthew crossing the Wilkin

View of Mount Tasman and Mount Cook (left to right) from 6km outside Fox Glacier, about 7pm, 3 hours before the rain

Aftermath

My first night here on the wet - er, west - coast gave me a true taste of the weather here in the far west. The people at the hostel here said that between 120 and 200 mm of rain fell in the area last night. That's approximately 5-8 inches! I wasn't able to get a room here last night because they were booked, so I had to set up my tent and by this morning there was a river running through it. I didn't get much sleep either as the wind was strong and I kept accidentally turning over and landing my butt in one of the big puddles that surrounded me. I'm beginning to wonder about how the waterproofing on the tent is holding up, but I also suspect that no tent could have fully withstood that much rain. Everything is soaked and I took down the tent in the rain this morning so that I could start drying it inside. Fortunately I was able to put my clothes inside my pack liner so they kept dry. The rain is forecasted to continue for the next few days, but the heaviest falls were supposed to be last night (lucky me). The worst of it is that I discovered they indeed had rooms last night because of some cancellations in the evening. The people at the hostel were nice enough to put my sleeping bag in the dryer though :)

I've more or less given up on the idea of walking over to the glacier today and think instead I'll sit inside and read and watch my things dry out. I have a room for tonight, but at this point it doesn't matter too much!

The amount of rain that fell was actually a bit surprising because at 7pm last night the sky seemed to be clearing and it was a very pleasant evening. I walked 6k to Lake Matheson which is supposed to show reflections of Mount Cook, New Zealand's highest peak, but there was a bit too much breeze to see anything. I did, however, get some very nice views of the mountain a bit later as the clouds around the peak cleared. I met a nice older couple from the North Island there and we chatted a bit. They said they were really catching up with the times because they had just bought a microwave! The man also used to play clarinet and saxophone in a big band, and said they used to call the clarinet the licorice stick :)

-Brian

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