Fiordland

May 1 - 17

We arrived at Te Anu on a beautiful day; a rare event we discovered the next day. We stayed at a nice backpackers on Lake Manapouri. We took a short walk along the shoreline of the lake where Martha got to play the photo-artist with her camera.

Kepler Track
May 3-6, 2001
The next day we decided to go ahead and hike the Kepler trail. So we went out and "hired" equipment. We got a pack, rain gear, a stove and a "billy" (that's a pot for us non-Kiwis). This was a more "serious" hike for us because we had to bring everything with us (all our food, equipment to cook it, etc.). You also have to pack everything you bring in, back out...meaning any food wrappers, cans, trash, etc.. The Kepler trail is 67 km - 3 nights and 4 days. It's approximately a 6 hour hike each day.

The first day, we hiked up a mountain, through the clouds, and to the top of Mount Luxmore. There were spectacular views of the surrounding mountain tops, clouds, and lake Te Anau. We met another couple from Spain - Cesar and Emma and ended up doing most of the trail with them. Each night, we would stay in "huts" that had bunk beds...there was no hot water, no showers, and we had to use the "winter" toilets (outhouse). We did have plenty of ice-cold water (which you had to boil if you wanted to drink). For us suburban folk, this was a bit challenging...but the scenery and walk were worth it!

The second day, we awoke to a beautiful sunrise! We walked along the ridge line of the mountain most of the day. Lon brought an oiled cotton hat which he used on the trail...dressed all in black, and with that hat, he looked like a Sheriff (guess that makes me his deputy). We came across a Kea bird. Kea birds are very large parrots that live on the top of the mountains. It was strange to see such an exotic looking bird flying around in that environment. I bet it looks even stranger in winter time when they get snow!

We had a fantastic spot on top of the mountain for our lunch break. We then headed DOWN the mountain towards Lake Manapouri. This proved to be more difficult than the climb up! It was a very steep switch back trail leading to the lake...and my legs were shaking pretty bad towards the end. It's especially hard on the knees. I have to give Lon extra credit here...he carried a lot more weight than me.

When we finally made it to the hut, Lon ended up jumping in the lake. It was VERY cold...I decided to pass. That third night in the hut turned out to be a lot of fun. There was a group of 13 women that were hiking together and one of them had turned 50 that day...so there was a lot of singing, games, and quite a party atmosphere!

The fourth day, we hiked out along the lake, river, and marsh lands. When we finally made it to the Barnyard Backpackers, the caretaker knew immediately we had just finished the Kepler ( I think he could smell us approaching). We learned a lot on this tramp...what to bring (more food next time), what NOT to bring (forget the comb - we never used it), and how to bring it (forget about tubes and full bottles...portion stuff out into film containers).

So, we're hanging out in Te Anau now...doing tours, enjoying the scenery, and washing clothes. We are recovering from the hike and look forward to the next one!

Doubtful Sound
May 9, 2001

While "recovering" from the Kepler Track, we took a day trip and did some kayaking on Doubtful Sound. I never knew the difference between a sound and a fiord...but I found out. Doubtful Sound is not really a sound (which is made from the mouth of a river), it is actually a fiord (which is made when a glacier retreats and the sea comes in). We got up really early (before the sun) and met the tour in Manapouri. There were 9 of us on the tour. We took a motor boat across Lake Manapouri (approx. 45 min.), then we rode in the minivan across an isolated road (about 30 min.) to Doubtful Sound. We then took another motor boat (which carried all the kayaks) and motored out to the middle of Doubtful Sound. As we were motoring towards the middle, several pods of bottlenose dolphins came all around the boat and started playing in the waves that the boat made. It was a sunny day and the water was very glassy and clear. You could easily see the dolphins just below the surface of the water. Of course, I was jumping for joy like a little kid and taking picutre after picture of the dolphins .

It was such a beautiful day and the lake was so still, that it reflected the surrounding mountains. You just could NOT take a bad picture around here! As we kayaked around, we saw several blue penguins swimming. What a great day!!

region lodging $US / night rating notes
Fiordlands Possum Lodge $16.39 Great lake front view! Comfy.
Barnyard Backpackers $18.04 Private and quiet.

Milford Track
May 12 - 14, 2001
Wet! Wet! Wet ...and muddy! We felt up for another track and wanted to do the Milford before it got too cold and snowy. The Milford Track is 54 km and is the most "famous" hike in New Zealand. It has the reputation as New Zealand's greatest walk...and even through rain and mud, we could see why. There were TONS of waterfalls, beautiful creeks and streams, spectacular mountain views...and, it was easier than the Kepler Track (my knees appreciated that).

To begin the trail, we had to take a motor boat ride across Lake Te Anau...a fast-paced, ass-slamming, bumpy, ride from hell (thanks to the weirdo boat driver). There were 9 of us that did the trail together (2 guys and 1 girl from Ireland, a couple from Australia, and couple from New Zealand).

We spent the first day on the trail slogging through rain and mud for 7 hours. Our New Balance "waterproof" shoes were totally water-logged (with mud on the inside as well as the outside). Actually, everybody's shoes were the same...so I'll hold off sending my nasty e-mail to New Balance for the moment. Everything around us was clouded in rain and mist, so the track had a very eerie look to it...especially as we passed between a valley of granite walls with long, thin waterfalls.

That night, in the hut, we all tried to get warm and dry our things out by the fire. A big "upside" of the rain was that it provided us with drinking water (that's a GOOD THING). The two Irish guys (Gavin - a large, teddy bear and Smithey - very young and naive) were not prepared for hiking in the rain and cold. They did not bring a change of clothes...so, they stood around the fire naked with their sleeping bags wrapped around them like blankets. They suffered a very long and cold night. You can't say they weren't warned though...there were plenty of warning signs all around town and in the DOC offfice (Department of Conservation) about being well prepared for wet and cold weather...especially at this time of the year! Luckily, we never had to use our emergency radio.

The second day gave us much better weather...it was partly sunny, lots of clouds coming and going, and an occasional sprinkle of rain. We climbed up a mountain and had some beautiful "partial" views between clouds. The clouds moved with amazing speed. The climb down led us by beautiful valleys and mountain ranges. We lucked out again at the next hut because there was more rain water available to drink. We all survived another cold night (and Lon's stinky shoes).

The third day we woke up to find a sprinkling of snow on the mountain tops (the first snow of the season). It was a beautiful, sunny day...very clear and cold. We hiked out passing several picturesque waterfalls and streams. At the end of the trail was a sign post covered with beat up hiking shoes. For the grand finale, we kayaked across the Milford Sound to a minivan that was waiting to take us back to Te Anau!

region	lodging	$US / night	notes
WestCoast	Chateau Franz Josef Backpackers	$16.8	Eclectic, a little crowded
	Forest Park Cabin	$23.1	private, quiet and all amenities
	Punakaiki Beach Hostel	$18.04	on the beach