Hiking Boots For Water Shoes.....

Routeburn was our last hiked booked in the south part of the South Island of New Zealand, so the next few days in Te Anau were dedicated to figuring out what our next adventures were going to be. The only schedule that we had to keep in mind is that we were booked for the Able Tasman hike starting March 2, 2010. The Able Tasman is in the very north/west part of the south island. That gave us about 2 weeks to do what we wanted to do in the south part of the South Island.

Going through some withdrawl of not hiking, we decided to cushion the blow a bit by spoiling ourselves - well, that is what we told ourselves anyways *grin*. With a bit of research, we decided to book an overnight cruise in the Doubtful Sound. This included transportation from Te Anau to the dock at Manopouri, a hour and a half boat ride across Lake Manopouri (absolutely stunning lake) to the West Arm of Doubtful Sound, another 30 minute bus ride to Deep Cove where our boat was and of course the boat tour itself in the Doubtful Sound. Wow, and that was just the start of it. And to add a bit more of the "Kiwi Way" to this experience, Delia and I were not returning to Bob and Maxine's and had nowhere to store all our gear. Because it was not possible to take it all on the small boat, Mandy; the part owner of the tour company agreed to store it for us. She agreed to pick us up directly from Bob and Maxine's in her personal car (because she was going to be in the area) and when she picked us up, we just stuffed our gear in her car and that's where it stayed until we returned.........no worries mate! The thing that you have to keep in mind and put into perspective is that, these people are technically strangers to us and are running a business.......now, just think about it for a bit.....do you think that would happen in Toronto?????or any North American city??????or a tour company??????? - most likely not! If they do it at all, which most often they don't, you are usually made to feel that it is a big inconvenience and most certainly a big fee to compensate for time and space is necessary. Kiwi's just do things for people, with no hesitation, for no compensation, just because they can and they want to!

Mandy (the organizer, office manager, driver, communicator, etc) and Richard (the Skipper) are the "husband/wife" owners of this Doubtful Sound Cruise operation. They have 1 boat and it is equipped with 4 bedrooms with en suites and a bunkroom area where 6 adults share the bed space. Kitchen, dining area, upper and lower deck for viewing along with kayaks and fishing rods for play. Although the boat can handle 14 people, we were fortunate to just have 7; a couple from Texas, a couple from Switzerland and a young English bloke. Again, we had alot of fun and meshed well with the group. Mandy did not join us on the boat, but along with Richard, we also had Jason who was the First Mate, Chef and generally did everything else other than driving the boat. We loved Jason, he was so cute and a really hard worker!

In brief, once we were on the boat, Richard took us for a tour of Doubtful Sound. It was misty, but it kinda' fit the mood of the Sound - there are sheer cliffs and endless waterfalls - it is the way it should be seen really; that's what I thought, although Delia was hoping for sun. Jason gave us all a glass of champagne and snacks to start and 1 hour later we were served lunch as we continued through the Sound. We went from Deep Cove, all the way to the entrance of the Sound from the Sea, watching the views along the way. Close to the entrance there was a seal colony that we stopped to look at - I never get tired of looking at them; seals are very entertaining, or they can be if they are not lazying around *grin*! From there we headed back in and stopped to check the traps for crayfish (aka lobster) for dinner. Unfortunately, the traps were low in stock so Richard drove down a bit further and Jason put on his scuba gear and headed about 15m down to catch our dinner - hmmmm....pretty cool, I must say. It took about 20 minutes and Jason was back up with enough crayfish for the crew. He put the crayfish in fresh water for an hour or so; it is suppose to be a more humane way to cook crayfish. The freshwater in essence, puts the crayfish to sleep and then supposedly they don't feel the pain when put in the hot boiling water....you know, somehow, as I write, it still does not seem that humane........but is no different for any other animal that I eat....ah, I digress. At this point, we did 2 things, we fished for our dinner and we kayaked - both were fun, but I really enjoyed the kayaking. Kayaking was so peaceful - no sounds (no pun intended), the water was still and the views....ah, the views. I took lots of pictures, but I will be surprised it any will give the feeling that I had when I was kayaking around - complete and utter bliss! As we played, Jason worked on dinner and what a dinner it was. Crayfish was served first. I do not eat shellfish, so I can only speculate what it tasted like. But knowing that the crayfish was just caught, the table was silent once the crayfish was served and there was nothing left of the flesh; I think I can safely say, it was great! We had our fish (I am embarrassed, but I just can't remember the name of the fish - I know it was not Blue Cod as we only caught one of those and it was too small to keep), potatoes, veggies and of course New Zealand wine. We finished off with a variety of chocolate while we drank our wine and told stories. The night was peaceful - we were in the middle of Doubtful Sound, no one else around, in a boat - gorgeous. We did see some stars and then headed for bed. The next morning, we got up at our leisure, had breakfast and headed back to Deep Cove; followed the same steps back and headed to Te Anau. The trip was relaxing, fun and dare I say again, unbelievably gorgeous - I am beginning to believe that there is not a bad place in New Zealand!

Another Track.....Another Adventure

The days between our hikes were mainly for re-stocking our supplies for our next hike, re-focusing our attention on the next hike and of course to relax and enjoy the simple things in life like a nice hot shower and sleeping in a comfy bed.....ahhhhhh!!!! But even on our supposedly "off days", each day in New Zealand was an adventure. On and off the trails the views were stunning, the people were so incredibly nice and the food was outstanding; especially the greens, the fruits and their vegetables. There will definitely be some food ideas that I take home with me (beets on hamburgers......hmmmmm interesting and good). After we were showered and sorted, we met Kath (from the Milford hike) for a drink and dinner - it was fun and a great way to finish off the day.

Over the next 2 days, we shopped for food, re-packed and went to the DOC to pick up our park passes. Since we had such a good experience on the previous hikes with the hut stays, we tried to change our camping tickets for hut tickets. The Routeburn Track was only 3 days and 2 nights, but it was still last minute so were not sure of our chances. We were not able to stay at the Routeburn Falls hut as they were full, but there was room at the Routeburn Flats Hut and there was room in the MacKenzie Hut (well, with a bit of wrangling from the DOC staff on the QT - she was great). This was great and because we couldn't get into the Routeburn Falls Hut, this only meant that it was a short hike on the first day and a slightly longer hike on the second day - this was no problem at all. We were a bit disappointed as the Routeburn Falls Hut was prettier and we would probably have a better chance to meet people, but it really was no big deal and as we have definitely learned by now - everything happens for a reason and we have NEVER been disappointed!!!

The Routeburn Track was actually the furthest away from Te Anau, so having a shorter hike on day 1 was actually a good thing. We had to take 2 buses with about a 2 hour wait period in Queenstown. The drive was beautiful and as we got closer to the trailhead, the area progressively got more deserted - the fields got larger and civilization got less. It was a cool feeling. To keep it a little bit shorter, I will minimize (not eliminate) the scenery descriptions and leave that for the pictures, which unfortunately will not do it justice either, but you will just have to trust us on that one - or better yet, come see for yourselves!!! At the start of the track, it was just Delia and I and a father and son - so quiet - I just love NZ!!! The hike was short and pretty much flat the whole way, but I must warn you, New Zealand does not do "flat" well *grin* - the land of mountains - you are usually going up or you are going down! We made it to our hut and it was cute & definitely quiet, most people do not stay at this hut. The hut was beside a river, between two mountains on a very large, flat area; hence the name, Routeburn Flats Hut! There was one other couple; older, English couple, there, but that was it. We walked around, took some pictures and relaxed before dinner. At that point it was early afternoon. Not expecting any more people or action, I sat down and wrote in my journal of the days activities. I usually wait until the next day to write about our night, but just assumed that it would be dinner, sleep and up early to start on our long day to the second hut..........hmmmmmmm.......now, what fun would that be - *grin*??? As we were sitting in the hut, a guy (Glen); noticeably in distress and out of breath, swings open the hut door and asks where the Hut Ranger is.....it did not sound good, but we did not want to interfere unless otherwise asked; very difficult for Delia as you know. Anyways, Delia told him where the Hut Ranger was (an eccentric woman - another story, for another time) and sat in waiting in case anyone needed her help. It was awhile later, when the first guy returned back and this time there were 3 women (Liza, Rachel and Andrea) with him. Being a small area and no one else around, it was not inappropriate to ask what was happening. At this time, they did not know all the details, but proceeded to tells us what they knew. The guy and 3 women were actually a group of 6. Three couples from Auckland; friends travelling together. They had their own mix ups and travel stories just getting to the trailhead, which led to their latter start to the track. Anyways, about 45 minutes into their hike, they saw a man that had slipped from one of the swing bridges. He was about a 40 - 50 year old man, hiking on his own just for the day, attempting to get in the perfect position to take a picture, when he fell. Now, before you start to judge him - have you never tried to get into a slightly unsafe position to take an awesome shot? Personally, I think he was irresponsible and a bit of a jerk knowing the whole story, but I have to give him the benefit of the doubt as I don't know for sure what the details were, but with any activity or adventure you just have to follow the rules; basically, just try not to be an idiot. Most accidents occur when you go somewhere that you shouldn't be or do something that you shouldn't be doing - I think most people would agree with that. Ahhhh, but I digress. To continue the story, he fell about 30 feet onto the river's edge with a tree canopy over top and of course shallow and rocky. He was obviously injured badly (apparent by one half of his lower part of his leg moving independently from the other half; moving back and forth with the current of the river - yikes) and unable to get himself back up the ridge. The six of them stopped to help (and later another couple), but with those circumstances they were unable to get to him or up either. The only option was to have one person run back to get the Hut Ranger and the others stay behind for morale support. And this is exactly what happened. So to end, it was 6 hours later, 3 helicopters, 2 paramedics, 2 other rescuers, the Hut Ranger and 5 helpful bystanders (and did not hurt that 4 of them were big, strong men) later that got him up. The first helicopter was unable to get low enough with the tree canopy over the canyon. So the 2 rescuers climbed down the canyon (hooked up to safety ropes of course), put the man in the stretcher and then everyone pulled the stretcher up to an area where the helicopter could access him and then they winched him up. We later found once we were off the track that he had a compound fractured leg, broken arm and had a concussion, BUT he lived! He was so lucky! But because of his misfortune, we were able to meet the Kiwi couples (Glen and Liza, Rachel and Hamish, Andrea and Bret and the other couple; Andy and Nathalie). We got to know them well and hung out after that - they were incredibly funny and nice - But of course, they are Kiwi's - we wouldn't expect anything less!

The next day got back on the track early as we had a long day. The Routeburn Flats Hut was off the main track about 1 km. Once we got back to the main track, this is where we met 2 men. As we approached them, I saw that they had day packs on, I also know that they did not stay in the hut, so the only explanation is that they started that morning from the trailhead. The latest they could have left to get to that point was 5:30am and most likely they would have had to leave by 5am. Sure it was possible, but I was shocked. Anyways, we did talk and like all Kiwi's they started the conversation by teasing us - you know, just to get us to laugh! They told us that they were hiking the whole track in 1 day! Now, the Routeburn is only 33 km and I know people even run the track, but it is an alpine crossing and it isn't what I would refer to as an easy hike. And just to add salt to the wounds, one man was in his 60's and the other man was 82. I have to say that in New Zealand, people just "do". It doesn't matter if it takes you longer or if you have ailments - they just "do" - impressive! After seeing the people hiking in Tasmania of ALL ages and ALL shapes and sizes, I was pleasantly humbled! My ego got crushed a little, but it was a good thing - I got over it. But, if my ego got crushed in Tasmania, it was completely obliterated when I got to New Zealand. I was just so impressed with the variety of people that just got out there and did some pretty difficult hikes......I am just saying.....fitness is only a small portion of your abilities - anyone can pretty much do whatever they want to do - you just have to want to do it and you just do it to your own abilities; fast or slow, life is not a race!!!

The Routeburn Falls Hut was beautiful, but not so much for the hut (although the hut was nice too), but mainly because of the views - gorgeous falls and views of the mountains. We stayed for a bit to enjoy and then continued on; we had a long day ahead. Since we started our adventure, Delia and I have learned things about each other. I know after 18 years you would think you know everything, but there is always things to learn, you just have to listen and spending 24/7 with someone for 5 months, you have an opportunity to listen more! As we did our hikes, Delia did realize how important hiking was to me and although I had to learn that more is not always better, sometimes, it was important for me to do it. Maybe to see, maybe for exercise, maybe for the challenge; whatever it is, it is in my heart and sole. But Delia's knees, ankles and feet are not always able to tolerate the side trips; especially if they are up and down mountains. So, it was a matter of compromise and that is what we did on the Routeburn more than any other track. There were 2 side tracks that I wanted to do and they happen to be in spots where there was a shelter so Delia could have a comfortable place to stay to wait and socialize and both were within an 1 1/2 return - this was a reasonable compromise. The first side track was on Day 2; climbing Conical Hill. I wouldn't have been too disappointed if I didn't do it, but the weather was perfect and they say that you could see the Tasman sea and the mountains from the top. It was a little steep, but the views were gorgeous and so worth it. The great thing about it, is that Delia is so great at meeting people that she can always entertain herself. As I was coming down Conical Hill, but still fairly high up, I saw Delia sitting on the deck of the shelter beside two people and I heard was uncontrolled laughter.....ahhhh yes, Delia's specialty. I never did find out what she was saying to them, but all I know is Delia definitely has an art of making people laugh and feel good about themselves - that is a gift! And like I say, "A Happy Delia is a Happy Brenda"!

The track just kept getting better. The views, the serenity, the friendships - I could go on forever. The hut was beside a lake and when we arrived and got our things set up, we found our own spot on the lake and sent for a dip; refreshing, but chilly!!! We sat there on our own and just enjoyed the sun, the views and the quiet - it was a moment that I wanted to last forever.

That afternoon and night we socialized with the Kiwi's, joked, shared stories and just had a great time. We took our time in the morning as our bus did not arrive at the Divide until 3:15pm. I would rather spend more time on the track then waiting for the bus; even though the views from the Divide our gorgeous too - it is just the lack of civilization that I love! On the last day I did the side track up the Key Summit - not as impressive as Conical Hill, but still nice. We finished the hike and chatted with the Kiwi's before we had to leave.

Just to finish the Routeburn with a funny story - well, I think it is funny. "Tramping in New Zealand" by the Lonely Planet was a book that we used religiously. It had great details of the tramps and how to organize your travel. When I was reading the book, I found a really funny story and thought that I would use that story in my blog as by that time, most likely people would be tired of listening to my chatter, but then on the Routeburn, I found my own funny story to tell - sorry! If you want to read the Lonely Planet story - I will be happy to share it with you, but for now, you have to listen to mine!!! It has to do with chocolate and hiking. Here it goes. A friend of ours from home has a girl and twin boys. As most good mothers, she always tried to limit the TV/Movies that they watched and encouraged them to play more or read, etc. One time, the family decided to drive to Florida. Having 3 young children, the concept of having a DVD player in the van seemed pretty attractive - so they agreed they were going to use this to entertain the children on the long driving journey. So after the 3 kids finish their first movie, the mother looks back and says to them, "Okay, which movie would you like to watch next?" Well, all 3 children's eyes went big as saucers, not believing their ears and replied, "We get to watch another movie?" Well, I just thought that was priceless and it was when I was walking on Day 3 of the Routeburn that this story came into my mind. I love to train, but I also love to eat, so I ask Delia to help me out. If I get tempted by sweets (my weakness) or some other vice she helps me out, by reminding me that I probably should not have it. So, whenever I eat junk food, I always hear Delia in my ear (sometimes works, sometimes does not *grin*), but on the track, because we are working so hard and eating is a necessity, we can make our own trail mix and mine always includes m&m's or chocolate covered almonds. So as I was hiking and reaching into my "goodie bag" of chocolates, I was reminded of this story. I was like a 5 year old happy that they can watch another movie........"I get to eat more chocolate?"!!! It made me laugh anyways as I was huffing and puffing up the mountain!

As much as being clean feels good and sleeping in a bed is awesome, and the hiking is hard, there is nothing like hiking in the mountains - I just did not want it to end! I know that I keep saying that, but it is true - I just love it!

Milford Track

The Milford Track was equally beautiful as the Kepler Track, just very different. A bonus of the Milford track is that before you even get on the track you take a bus ride that goes through amazing scenery. From there you take a boat across the beautiful Lake Te Anau from Te Anau Downs to the Wharf to start the hike - stunning views. While we were on the bus we met a young English girl; Kath. She is also a teacher (just like Katie) who was travelling for 6 months - South America, Antarctica and of course New Zealand. Very nice girl who we socialize with along the way.



When we read the description of the Milford Track it indicated that if you don't like high costs, alot of regulation, alot of people or sandflies, then maybe this hike is not for you. But if you can put up with all of this, the hike "earns it's salt", it is so unbelievably beautiful. Because the focus of the trip was to hike and we were in New Zealand and the Milford Track is world renowned, we just had to do it. In fact, it was after doing the West Coast Trail on Vancouver Island that actually put hiking the Milford Track on our list of things to do in life as both are considered in the top 10 hikes in the world. Well, sorry to jump ahead to the end of the story, but hmmmmmm and after doing it, without question, I would highly recommend it, despite the negatives.

The thing you have to keep in mind, is that in NZ, "alot of people", is still no comparison to "alot of people" anywhere else; you just don't get the crowds in New Zealand. Delia and I rarely had to deal with crowds in NZ, we did not have to fight for track space on the trail and when you get to the hut, well, it is just plain fun to meet people and share a laugh or two. And, really, if you can't tolerate bugs, then hiking is probably not your "cup of tea" anyways. As for the high cost and regulation, unfortunately they are just facts of life - at least NZ really does care about their land and the money does go to preserve the land and not just to "pad" the government's pocket, which we all know can happen.

The Milford Track was 4 days and 3 nights, you had to hike from south to north, you had to stay in the huts (due to the terrain as well as to control the damage to the land) and you had to stay in the first hut which was only 5 km from the start of the track (all part of the regulation to control the flow of traffic and preserve the land). Staying at the first hut made the first day really short, but given that we had to take a bus and a boat first to even just to get to the start of the track, we arrived at the hut around the same time that we usually do; around 1 pm. There were more people than we were use to, but because of the type of transportation required to get to the start, it is unavoidable. But really, again, around 10 people - I think we can handle that. Plus we all got spread out pretty quickly. The first day was flat and in the forest. It may not have been as exciting as mountains, but I loved it. We walked over swing bridges, wide trails with all different types of tress (more later on that one) and enjoyed the sounds of the birds. *******Oh yeah, side track.......that is one thing that I forgot to mention.....bird life in NZ. I will talk more about the birds as I go along, but for now, an important bird especially in the south island and in the Fiordland National Park, are the Keas. They are a type of parrot and they are very, very cheeky!!! They have come so use to humans; especially hikers (and they are very strong for such small creatures), that they have become very creative at creating havoc for hikers. I mean if you leave food around, that is a no brainer, but that is the easy stuff. They are much more creative and fun then that! As an example, if you leave your hiking boots out, they will take laces out and/or they will take the whole boot, fly away and drop it off somewhere else; far away - good luck finding it. They will destroy a pack in minutes and even peck at your sleeping bag if it is outside. Funny story about that told by our Hut Ranger. As said earlier, NZ has the best hut system, with cooking, eating, sleeping and indoor washroom facilities available, but the one downfall is of course the hut sleeping.......the snoring, that is inevitable! So, at times, a certain individual with nasal issues may get kicked out or if they know they snore, just might be kind enough to leave on their own and sleep in the kitchen quarters. On one particular morning, this is exactly what happened to one fellow. It was a clear night, and the stars were amazing, so he decided instead of sleeping in the kitchen, he would take his sleeping bag outside and sleep under the stars. Normally, not such a bad idea, but as he was sleeping, the Keas were having a party at his expense. In the early morning, when the Ranger got up to do his rounds, he reached the porch of the hut, where there he found a pile of feathers, I mean, so many it resembled some sort of massacre. Not knowing that this camper decided to sleep under the stars, it took awhile for the Ranger to realize what happened. But as he got closer to the carnage. He came upon more feathers and then some pieces of material and then more feathers. As he walked closer, he finally could make out the Keas pecking away at something. Taking even a closer look, he could see that it was actually a person in a sleeping bag.....or something that resembled a sleeping bag at that point. Unbelievably, the man was still sleeping!!! The Ranger was in hysterics! No wonder he was banned from the sleeping quarters!!! Although the Ranger was having too much fun watching, he let his compassionate side win and he proceeded to wake the man up. Too funny!!! Keas can be pests, but like I always say, it is always as a result of human interference - unfortunately, me included. They are beautiful birds and I kinda' think they are funny! One more Kea story for now and then I will let it go. It was on this same track; on the Milford Track. After we received the chat from the Ranger with warnings of Keas, that night, everyone put everything inside and made sure all the doors were shut tightly - we actually did what we were told - surprise, surprise! Anyways, in the morning as we were making breakfast, through the window, we saw 3 Keas on the picnic table on the porch of the kitchen hut. They were looking at us, dancing around on the table and chirping like crazy (hmmmmmm....sounds like one of our parties from home.....hee hee hee....they were just much cuter that's all -*grin*). It took us awhile, but we figured it out. The Keas were actually mad at us. They were ticked off as there was nothing left out for them to destroy or hide. After a few minutes of squawking, one of them started pulling at the nails in the picnic table and then another one picked up a rock and started to bat it around to the others on the table, at which time the other 2 joined in. It was so entertaining - they are cheeky and smart!!!

Okay, now where was I....oh yeah, Clinton Hut. Our first night on the Milford Track. On every track in the Fiordland National Park, there is a Hut Ranger at each hut. They are there to maintain a section of the trail as well as to ensure safety for the hikers. After dinner, the Ranger would give a safety speech, but most often then not; being Kiwi and loving to tell stories, they would give a bit of history and/or information about the track, area, wildlife, etc., and this time was no different, in fact, it was my favourite. Peter Jackson (no, not that Peter Jackson, but his name really was Peter Jackson), was our Hut Ranger for the Clinton Hut. He was very funny, but also very knowledgeable. In the early afternoon, he took us around and described and showed us several different types of ferns, trees and birds - alot of information and very interesting. As an option, he agreed to take whoever was interested, to go see glow worms later on at 10pm. As tired as I was and I was tired, it was a no brainer, I was going to go. So at 10pm we all met in the front. Peter took us through the woods - with absolutely NO lights at all - no torches, nothing. Peter insisted on that as the light would affect the nightlife. As we walked along, we could barely see the path (wonder if Peter did an appropriate "risk management assessment" on this tour *grin*), but we just followed one behind the other. Once we got down into a small cave area we looked around and there they were, millions of glow worms. They just look like fireflies, but as we stood there, Peter described their behaviour; how they eat, their lifecycle, etc. which made it way more then looking at lights - it became like watching real life - cool! After we finished with the glow worms, Peter again offered more. He agreed to take us all to the helicopter pad to look at the stars. I apologize if I am going on and on, but you just don't get theses opportunities that often in life - pure darkness and pure silence - in the middle of the mountains, so far away from city life and light. It is a feeling that I think everyone should do at least once, but more it preferred!!! Anyways, we walked back to the helicopter pad, all laid down on our backs. Peter just stood there for 10 to 15 minutes and we just looked - I can't tell you how cool that was - a feeling that I did not want to end. After the 15 minutes, Peter then started to point out and tell stories of the constellations. It was extra special as this was the southern hemisphere sky - different then our northern hemisphere sky. They have the southern cross and we do not (NB: This is what is on the Australian and the NZ flag) and the Alpha ??? (2nd closest star to earth, next to the sun) - I can't remember the name - I will have to look it up - sorry! It was magical - lets just leave it at that! On Day 2 the trail went between the mountains. As we walked, the cliffs got higher and closer together. Some people don't enjoy this part as there is not an alpine crossing or there are no massive peaks, but I just loved it. It was a cool feeling and it was so quiet. The only thing with the cliffs getting higher and higher as we went along and the path getting more narrow - this meant that the weather is less predictable and can be volatile. For us, the clouds did roll in, but we got to the hut before it rained - others not so lucky, but we were able to get a fire started to get the hut warm and the Ranger put up a rack to dry clothes. Although Deli and I did not meet another group like Kepler, this night was special in other ways. As I sat there playing cards, I looked around and realized that I was playing with people from England, Israel, New Zealand and Denmark......now that is awesome. I just love that part of travelling!!! Apparently, I made the Israeli girls laugh. They taught me a card game and couldn't quite pronounce it correctly, so when I yelled it out, they laughed so hard they cried - the change in phonetics made it sound like something to do with orgasm - I was embarrassed, but it was all in good fun. After that they always wanted me to play cards - I guess that is one way to always get invited - ha! Day 3 of the Milford is the day that you need perfect weather. This is the day that you go over the MacKinnon Pass. It is so dependent on weather that it could mean good views, bad views or not being able to go at all. You hike up to the top and walk through the pass and if the weather is good you will see mountains all around you, if the weather is cloudy you won't see a thing and if the winds are too high or dangerous weather in other ways, then you could be blown off. So as you can imagine, every finger and toe was crossed and I did a little "voodoo" to make sure we had good weather. Unfortunately, there was one other issue. The Department of Conservation (DOC) does have to maintain the track and even though they try to do everything in the winter, at times things to be done asap. There is a hut at the top of the MacKinnon Pass and it needed replacing. They were working on it and on this particular day, they were bringing in the pre-fabricated pieces for the new hut by helicopter. This meant that there had to be a DOC person on either side of where the helicopter was coming in and we had to go at a specific time. Pooh, that meant that we could not get up early and miss the crowds; we would have to go with the gang. Oh well, it could be worse. As it turned out, it wasn't so bad. When I woke up, the skies were clear.....YES, my voodoo worked again. We could not leave until 8am, so we got up, enjoyed a relaxed breakfast, packed and waited until the Ranger told us when we could go. She wanted us to get to the top at the same time so her instructions were, if you are fast, wait, if you are slow go 30 minutes before. Since the day was nice, I said to Delia that we will go in the middle and wait at the top - I would rather wait up top and enjoy the views then in the hut. We agreed so we headed out. No one was with us. As we walked and climbed, unfortunately the weather was turning for the worse. The clouds were rolling in. By the time we got to the top, it was all clouded in and no views - boo hoo! We had to wait for the Ranger to give us the okay to cross to the other side of where the DOC staff were doing work, so I decided to walk around and see if I could get some pictures by the edge. The clouds were started to break a bit and I would get a glimpse once in awhile, but not enough to get a picture. I waited as long as I could, but then I got the 'ole wave from the Ranger to say we had to get going. Darn it, I was so disappointed. I walked back over, grabbed by knapsack and started to walk - admittedly sulking. As I walked, it was about 2 minutes later, when I looked up and the skies cleared - no joke, I could see everything and to the left was this amazing snow capped peak - stunning. I was smiling so hard my face hurt. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face. When we made it to the hut, the helicopter was coming in, so we had to wait. Delia was not impressed, but I thought it was kind of neat. We stayed for about 10 minutes - the helicopter was in and out pretty darn fast. From this point, we traversed the mountain and then headed down to the next hut. We did not hike to Sutherland Falls, but we did see them from the trail. We reached the hut and enjoyed a swim (or dip, rather) all by ourselves as no one had arrived yet. It is so peaceful, I can't describe it. We had one more day to go and as usual, I just don't want it to end. There was one unfortunate event that happened. I won't go into alot of detail, but there was a family (Grandfather; 80's, sister of Grandfather; 80's, daughter of Grandfather, Granddaughter and Granddaughter's husband) all doing the track. The Grandfather had done the track before when he was younger and wanted to do it again. I have to say when I first saw him on Day 1 walking with a cane, I was wondering if he could do it or not. I won't go into too much detail, but he did have to be helicoptered out as he just could not safely make it out. Our whole group was concerned and were willing to help where we could. The Grandfather and Grandfather's sister were helicoptered out, but the rest continued on. It was for the better. We socialized more that night and enjoyed the last day hiking. Again, it was not in the mountains, but we saw waterfalls and the forest was so sweet. At the end of the track we took another boat right into Milford Sound and saw Mitre Peak (the famous peak in Milford Sound). It was a sweet boat ride home. As we left the boat and got on the bus to take us back to Bob and Maxines' in Te Anau. I thought in my head, okay, I have seen everything, I can just close my eyes and wake up when we are there. But of course we are in New Zealand, so that does not happen. On our way home the views were different then what we saw on the hike and they were gorgeous!!! We drove through the tunnel built right through the mountain - very, very cool. As we got closer to town, Te Anau, a place that I call home, a place that I was amazed by when we first arrived, now made me a bit sad, as it just reminded me that it was an end of another amazing hike - I just want them to last forever!!! When the bus driver dropped us off at Bob and Maxine's (side of road), we climbed over the fence, walked through the field to our room. We had the same room as when we left and Maxine had it all ready for us. We dropped our stuff off, had a shower and then went for dinner. We caught up with Maxine later - seriously, it just felt like home! I could seriously get use to this!!! We are here for another 2 days, then we head off to the Routeburn Track. Man, life is good!

New Zealand - Long Version!!!

Okay, you asked for it!!! Decisions, decisions, decisions. When we were planning for our Around the World trip, because there is so much to see and do in this world, we had to decide what the purpose of our trip was going to be and where we wanted to go. Well, to some that may seem like a hard decision, but for us, that was not a problem.......hiking, and as much of it as we can do, was what we wanted to do. We wanted to experience the countries from walking and for New Zealand, there is just no other way to do it!!! Although we did want to plan some of our trip, we certainly wanted to leave time and space for the spontaneous. There were 4 main tramps that we wanted to do and had to be booked a year in advance. As I said before, not knowing much about NZ and/or the tramps, we just made a choice. For the 4 hikes that we wanted to do that required pre-booking, we did them from south to north, the decision making was as simple as that - who knew what else to do????? The only other factor, was that we knew that we wanted to maximize our "good weather" chances & that meant, doing the tramps earlier on in our trip. Everything else was left up to Mother Nature and luck......there was nothing else we could do.....and turns out, not a bad choice at all. Here is how it all went......the first part anyways........

February 8 to 11, 2010, Kepler Track, our first tramp in New Zealand. The bus picked us up at 8:30am to drop us off at the trail head. On our way we picked up a German family (parents and son) and a young German girl.......how did we know that so soon.....I had Delia with me, remember.....our little "Space Invader" - there were smiles and introductions before they even sat down *grin* - this is a good thing! The Kepler Track was actually the closest to Bob and Maxine's and to the town of Te Anau - you could actually walk there from town if you wanted to. The weather was a little overcast, but the Bus Driver assured us that we were in for a great day - I wasn't going to argue with him....you know me, I always take the positive side!!! Once we got dropped off at the start, we grabbed our bags and got ready to head out.....tightening a strap here, loosening a strap there, jiggling around the pack a bit and then it was "ready, setty goey"! When we were getting ready, the young girl that arrived with us in the bus, struck up a conversation. Even though she could have threw her pack on and ran down the trail, she took her time and would once in awhile look our way, pretend to adjust her pack and look our way again. I was watching her, but all I could think was....,"this young chicklet could not possibly want to hike with us old folks, could she...????". Although we did not figure it out right away, turns out that she really did - very cute! We started up the track and it didn't take long before we were enjoying the first views of the Kepler and the views of New Zealand's south island - the hiker's dream! We changed positions with the German girl throughout the first part of the hike until we started to climb the ridge. Part way up the hill, when Delia and I were gasping for air and took a short break, she stopped with us and we introduced ourselves - Katie was her name. A teacher travelling alone in NZ to improve her English skills - here English was pretty close to perfection in my ears. For the rest of the day, we hiked with Katie, sharing stories and having a laugh or two as we suffered up the mountain together. The first part of the Kepler track was actually fairly flat until you reach Brod Bay and from here you start to climb. It was here at Brod Bay that we did get our first real taste of the dreaded New Zealand Sand Flies. I compare them to our Canadian Black Flies. They are really sneaky, pesky little things......and particularly love ankles. When we were reading our Lonely Planet Book; Tramping in New Zealand, they had a part in there that advised hikers to, "buy the most powerful bug spray that you can legally buy"!!!! - funny, but true! I am not one to get bothered by mosquitoes or any biting bug for that matter, as they tend to leave me alone, but no one can escape sand flies - I slathered on the "bug juice" and tried not to scratch at night.....there was nothing else you could do. Sand flies were still not enough to keep me from enjoying the tramp. Besides, they really only get you when you stop - that's the ticket, just don't stop *grin*!!!

As we continued hiking there was another couple on the track. When we went past, the man was putting on bandages on the women's ankles that appeared to be a case of blisters. We gave our sympathy and continued on, but just before we got out of earshot, Delia; in the way that only she knows how, said, "but isn't it sweeter that he is putting the bandages on for you." They chuckled and she answers back, "Most definitely"!!! So from then on, it was Katie, Delia and I and this couple that were not all hiking together, but we were close. The track went up and up and up until we reached an opening, not that far off from the first hut. It was here that Delia met her match. As Delia, Katie and I approached the opening, gasping for air and just about to enjoy the views, a girl looked at us and said, "So, who's bloody idea was this anyways?" It was instant friendship - I could just feel it! We laughed and once we found out they were Kiwi's (father and 2 daughters), well, they had a place in our heart. We jabbed each other about being Kiwi and being Canadian, but it was all in good fun! That's it though, that is why I love New Zealand so much, not only the beauty of the land (which is outstanding), but the people...not that much unlike Canadians. They are kind, generous, fun, great story tellers and teasing for them is as natural as breathing........ahhhh........just like home!!!!

We finally reached Luxmore Hut in the early afternoon. This was our first nights stay. The weather was outstanding and the views were amazing. We sat outside on the deck of the hut and chatted to Margie and Paul (Aussie couple with the blisters), David, Jennifer and Karen (Kiwi family) and of course our "little kid", Kattie. We laughed, ate and took in all the views. The eight of us were fast friends - fabulous group.

So it was Jennifer that warmed Delia's heart by the little sarcastic remark when we met, but when Jennifer, Karen, David and Paul agreed to go up Mount Luxmore with me, I was in absolute heaven - friends that will hike the side trips with me - yeah!!! Although Delia loves to hike, going up and down mountains is not that forgiving on her knees, so for the most part, we do the hike (which, don't get me wrong, is beautiful and hard enough, but I just like to do it all), and not the side trips. So, when Katie and Margie had no interest to go either and were there to entertain Delia ("a happy Delia is a happy Brenda), AND I had company to go up Mount Luxmore, well, do I really need to say more.....New Zealand was already becoming more than I ever dreamed it could be =) So after we all returned back to the hut from our climb up Mount Luxmore, we ate and socialized more. We played cards (yes, Delia is becoming a whole new person with card playing - she is actually enjoying it) and Delia shared her Grand Marnier (just a small flask - we did have to carrying it in you know), which was a hit. This was our first NZ hut experience and I have to say, pretty darn good! They have cooking burners, tables, benches and bunks with mattresses to sleep on - I could get use to that. There is the small matter of "hut sleeping" (aka snoring), that is less than to be desired, but nothing that a pair of eye plugs can't handle!!! The great thing about the Kepler and hiking in New Zealand in general is that you meet fabulous people, but for the most part you are hiking on your own and then you all meet up at the hut to share stories of the day - the best of both worlds really - for us anyways. Day 2 of the Kepler was even more spectacular - the views of the fiords, lakes and the hike along the ridge (very cool), all stunning. As hard as the hike was, I just wanted each moment to last forever. I think that the physically hard part of the Kepler is that on day 1 you climb, day 2 you climb more and then on day 2 still you climb down everything that you climbed up on day 1 and day 2 - yikes!!! As I say, going up is aerobically hard and going down is biomechanically hard - still worth it. I hope that some of the pictures can do it justice, because it truly was beautiful - "take your breath away" beautiful!

The second night we stayed at Iris Burn - okay, funny story here. I have to bring you back to Toronto again (sorry about that). When we were planning our trip in Toronto, we decided that it would probably be better to camp then to stay in the huts - you know, more private, get down to nature kinda' thing, more adventurous, etc. Well, unfortunately we needed our lesson, because in New Zealand, the huts are not a bad way to go - first of all, you don't have to bring a tent, ground sheet or thermarest (aka lighter pack) and second, after meeting the gang and knowing how much fun it is, it was disappointing to camp - somewhat. For the Kepler we could not camp the first or last night, you had to stay in the huts (due to the terrain) - it was only the second night that you could camp, so this is how we booked it. When we reached the hut on day 2, this is when reality sunk in. When you camp you pay a fraction of the price of what you pay when you stay in the hut, so of course, if you camp, "hut privileges" are not extended. This became a joke in our group. Since the rest of the group were staying in the hut and we were camping, we missed out on the antics of the night......or so we thought. As we walked passed the hut towards the water, Katie, Jen and Karen were walking in the other direction towards the hut and this is when Katie proceeded to read us the riot act about campers and hutters, "Hey, don't go in the hut, don't touch the hut, don't look at the hut, keep going lonely little campers". We all burst out laughing. Katie is soft spoken and it was just priceless! Anyways, after dinner, Delia and I were sitting all by ourselves, all alone, outside our tent, enjoying the views, but sulking a bit when all our mates came to visit - whisky and cups in hand! We grabbed more stumps and circled around - Delia and I were so impressed. It is funny how you can meet people on a tramp as complete strangers and within 1 day you become close friends......hmmmmmmm........nice! They continued to tease us to make sure that we did not go near the hut, but mainly just shared more stories and laughed. When the hut ranger came by to collect our camp tickets, we jabbed back saying that the hutters were interlopers on our campsite and wasn't she going to do something about it - she was not as jovial and the joke was totally lost on her. But as with all good things, they come to an end. As Delia and I sat there and looked at the empty stumps where our friends sat, we smiled and thought just how lucky we are!!! The night after that was uneventful, but it was cosy, warm and well, no "hut snoring" to deal with...I guess there are some good things with camping! Got up early next day to pack (tent wet) and head out for day #3. It was a shorter day then the previous days, but still had some decents involved. I am a simple person, but one of my favourite moments on the hike was at the end of day 3 when we reached Lake Manopouri. Delia and I really enjoy hiking on our own, but with the bond that we made with the gang, you looked forward to seeing them at the hut to share stories. At the end of the hike, it was all in the woods up until the time you reached the hut; which was an open space overlooking Lake Manopouri. When we reached this opening to the woods, Jennifer was standing on the deck of the hut and gave a little wave and smile and I looked up and returned the wave and smile - simple, I know, but it touched my heart. It goes back to the friendships that develop in such a short period of time - it is purely based on circumstances and Delia and I are so lucky that way. Once settled into the hut (we regained our hut privileges *grin*), we went for a swim - a little chilly, but not too bad - refreshing and felt good after 3 days of no shower!!! After the dip, the group of 8 of us sat around the picnic table and chatted and had fun taking group photos........they are lucky they were not subjected to my pyramid shot - next time! We ate dinner played cards and headed for bed. We agreed that we would meet at the end and go for a beer in Te Anau at the Fat Duck. Woke up again to fabulous weather, had a nice relaxing hike out and as agreed, we all met at the end. As David, Jen and Karen had to head out, it really was a quick drink, but agreed to meet up again on the Friday at the same place for dinner; except for Katie as she would not be in town! I hate to sound like a broken record, but we really did get along so well and just had a riot! We were not abnoxious by any means, but we were not quiet either; we ended up closing the place - they had to kick us out - now that is fun! Delia and I were staying in Te Anau as we had 2 more hikes planned in the area, so when we went back to the Fat Duck a few days later, the owner asked where the rest of our group was. She couldn't believe that we were not all travelling together as friends and family and that we just met on the track, she was flabbergasted. Delia and I will enjoy each moment as they come, but after the Kepler Track, we wondered how anything could top or even match our time, the hike, views and the people were outstanding! When Delia and I left for our trip, our friends asked us what we were looking forward to the most. And even though the places and the views that we were going to see was important, the thing that I was looking forward to the most was meeting people. And I have to say, I feel that even more now. Meeting people, like our group on the Kepler, can mean the difference between awesome to downright breathtaking and unforgetable!!! Although we are not sure when our group will ever meet up all together again, we will keep in touch. In fact David, Jen and Karen insisted that when Delia and I got to Auckland, we would stay with them! We did not want to wish our trip away, but we were definitely looking forward to seeing them again. Next on our the agenda was the Milford Track - this is New Zealand's most world famous hike in the south island - most popular anyways. Not sure how it could possible match the Kepler, but we were willing to give it a shot. It was back to Bob & Maxine's for 2 nights of recovery and to re-stock for our next tramp!

New Zealand - The Short Version

AWESOME!!!

Planes, Buses and Hiking Boots.......

While still in Tasmania, we confirmed that we had a layover in Sydney. What we didn't realize until 2 days before we were leaving Tasmania was that the layover was actually a whole day in Sydney. Man, what are we going to do now.........! Aha! If you remember, on our Overland Track we made friends with Anne, Julie and Pauline. Anne and Julie live in Sydney and Pauline is about a 2 hour drive from Sydney. Well, it was worth a try - short notice, but maybe they will be free. I e-mailed Anne and Julie and they not only said that they would meet us for dinner, but they also insisted that we stayed at their place. It was a workday, but Anne said that she would come home at lunch to let us in and then we would see them after work hours - our layover in Sydney was set - friends are great - they make life so much sweeter!

As we were waiting for the plane in Hobart, I decided to go on the internet and instead of getting bored and looking over my shoulder, Delia decided to walk around the airport. Hobart airport is not big so it was easy to keep an eye on Delia, just to make sure that she would stay out of trouble - good luck on that one! At one point when I looked up from the screen to see where Delia was, I saw her talking to someone.......hmmmmm......no surprise there, but as I was thinking that he looked familiar........who is that......that almost looks like Mic...is that Mic????....Anyways, turns out that it was Mic - Mic and Annette; the ones that we met in Mole Creek and saw again in D'Angelos......they were on the same flight to Sydney heading home - it never ceases to amaze me - really, what are the chances! We chatted and when we arrived in the Sydney airport, we said our good-byes and exchanged our contact information. With this trip, our world just keeps getting smaller and smaller - cool!

We arrived in Sydney without incident and with a few questions here and there, we got to Anne and Julie's place with equal ease! Julie did come home at lunch, but being a Friday and having logged some additional hours at other times, her admin team agreed that they could manage without her for the afternoon - yeah! We socialized like we were longtime friends and just had a riot. Even though we thought it was a long shot, we called Pauline (from New Castle - 2 hour drive away from Sydney), to see if she could join us. Her son was in town for a visit, but he agreed to do some things on his own while Pauline came to visit. It was so great to see them all again - we just had a fantastic time - laugh, laugh, laugh - we will keep in touch! The next morning, Pauline took us to the airport and headed back home to her son. Delia and I are so fortunate. At times, you just keep wondering when your good fortune will end, but for now - we just keep enjoying the moment.

Leaving Sydney, we were heading for Te Anau, NZ in the South Island via Christchurch and Queenstown to start our tramps. A bit of an adventure, but not too bad I will explain. When we were in Toronto planning our trip, there were certain tramps in NZ that we definitely wanted to do and because the are so popular and they are regulated to protect the parks, we had to book them 1 year in advance. Not knowing the tracks or New Zealand much and having just a little knowledge from the books that we read, we were relying on a bit of guesswork and alot of luck - fortunately, it did all work out, but a bit of a whirlwind from landing to our first tramp.

We arrived in Christchurch at 2 pm on February 6th and we were starting our first tramp on February 8th - okay, 2 days to get there, get our food (bought most of it in Tasmania to prepare ourselves as we were tight for time for our first hike) and pack.....interesting - we can do this. While still in Toronto it was decided that we would stay in Christchurch for 1 night in a hostel and then take a flight from Christchurch to Queenstown, then take a bus from Queenstown to Te Anau where we booked accommodations at a backpackers (close to start of tramp) then to take a bus the next day (that we also booked) where we would start hiking our first tramp; the Kepler Track. We felt like Steve Martin and John Candy in the movie Trains, Planes and Automobiles. It was planned alright, but could we do it???!

To make this story complete, let me step back for a second. Even though we were really sad to leave Tasmania, New Zealand was our dream and really we considered it the "main" part of our journey - we were excited - I mean really excited. I wanted to go to NZ just as much, if not more than climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. Even though I have never been to NZ, I would have to say, a piece of my heart has always been there - waiting for me to come get it...I know corny, but NZ has always felt like my second home - really! I found it hard to contain myself on the plane and when we got closer and I looked out the window and I saw the mountains, it was confirmed that NZ really is heaven!!! We landed in Christchurch and always trying to conserve money to some extent (leaving more money for the fun stuff *grin*), we took a local bus to the hostel. By the map, the bus stop did not look so far away from the hostel, but with a big honking duffel bag, another gym bag and our little knapsacks, it was not a pretty sight. It was only 2 km away, but it was brutal, our shoulders were killing us, but we made it and it could have been worse - it was sunny and beautiful and we WERE in NZ - we could survive it, and we did! Once we got to the hostel, it was nice and the people were friendly and once we dropped the bags off, we were able to enjoy what Christchurch had to offer before we headed off the next day. Christchurch is very pretty - I liked it - small, fairly quiet or at least it seemed, and for a city it was nice - certainly felt safe. We headed back into town (much easier this time around), ate at a local restaurant and had a great meal with a few cocktails to compliment! We enjoyed our relaxed walk back to the hostel and got things ready for our flight to Queenstown. This time we got a taxi - okay get this - $18 for the taxi and $15 for the bus - unbelievable - oh well, live and learn! My shoulders were so happy that I didn't have to lug those bags around again! Once in Queenstown we did have to take a city connector bus to the bus that was going to take us from Queenstown to Te Anau, but this time, it really was just a short walk from each of the bus stops........thank goodness for small mercies! Queenstown is a very "hyper town". A city where alot of adrenaline junkies get their fix - bungee jumping, sky diving, etc., but it is surprisingly a very quaint and pretty town. The views are outstanding and the people are also nice. So far in NZ we have not been exposed to a BIG city. Both Christchurch and Queenstown were still fairly small in my books - a small town feel to both of them. The bus from Queenstown to Te Anau was soooooo beautiful - just a tip of the views that we were about to see, but still you can't take for granted any view - it was beautiful! On our way to Te Anau we had our first taste of the friendly and funny bus drivers. As we will find out later, New Zealanders are generous, fun, kind and are amazing story tellers - they love their country and always have some history and great things to say about it - this is refreshing to see!!! On our way to Te Anau we were trying to organize our steps in order to pick up our park passes at the DOC (Department of Conservation) office (right in town) and how we were going to get ourselves to our backpackers place (Bob and Maxine's) that is 2 km out of town. After chatting with the bus driver he said that he would drop us off at Bob and Maxine's - sweet. So the plan was that I would get off in town, go to the DOC, the bus driver would drop Delia off at our backpackers and then she would find her way back in town and meet me there for dinner. As it turned out, Bob and Maxine's was the last stop so after dropping the other passengers off, Allan; our Bus Driver agreed to come back around and pick me up at the DOC and take us both to Bob and Maxine's (NB: I think that Allan was quite happy to help us out as Allan was a bit older and when he stopped to let the others off, instead of Allan having to climb into the back to get the luggage, Delia insisted that she do it - so he was very grateful for that - she is so sweet).

Bob and Maxine's Backpackers was our home for the next 2 weeks; before and after our hikes and that is exactly what it felt like. Christchurch and Queenstown were small, but Te Anau was even smaller. The town was located on a lake (Lake Te Anau) and was smack in the middle of mountains - I think that is all I have to say. The town was "sweet as pie" - I loved it. Those of you that know how directionally challenged I am, you can appreciate how a small town would excite me *grin*! Like I said, Bob and Maxine's was located 2 km out of town on a large piece of land with the mountains as a backdrop. It was quiet, clean and the Bob and Maxine were fabulous hosts! When we first arrived, there was no one at the reception area - or at least what we could make out that most likely would be the reception area - it was just like going to someone's home with lots of rooms. We dropped our bags and walked around until we found Maxine. Maxine.....ah Maxine, she is caring, generous, genuinely interested in her guests and man, can she talk!!! She gave us the tour - kitchen, shared living space and our room. She showed us where the bikes and bike locks were that we were welcome to use at anytime - made it very handy to get to and from town. I wish that I could have taken a picture of us though - pretty darn funny.....we had different bikes and helmets each time....at times our knees were hitting our chests and other times we were sporting the 'ole "bum shift" cycling style.....we had to constantly fix our helmets from falling to the right, left, back and over our faces all while carrying our groceries - okay, if you can't picture it, you will have to trust me on this one - VERY FUNNY! And don't tell Delia I told you, but there was the colour pink involved too *grin*!!! Seriously, it was all perfect and to top it off, the transportation in NZ caters to hikers - we were picked up directly from Bob and Maxine's and taken to the trail heads and likewise on the way home. We were in NZ, we were settled in to our "home away from home" and we were starting our first New Zealand tramp tomorrow - could it get any better - we were stoked!!!