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Published: April 14th 2007
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The end of the routeburn
A little stinkier, we reache the end of the trail Actually we went south...Last time I left you, Alison had just headed home. We decided to reflect on the trip so far and headed for the hills. To be exact, we did one of NZ great walks - the routeburn. It's a 3 day, 2 night hike which is only 33km itself, but has lots of side walks you can do to bulk this up if you feel the need. We only decided to do this on the sun night, so then arranged transport to and from the remote area and had to go buy rations for the next few days. It was getting late. It was dark outside and we didn't have anywhere to stay. The decision was made to pack up our bags that we'd have to lug over the 1500m mountain range, in the supermarkets car park. We looked a site, and to make matters worse, it was one of the posher supermarkets her in NZ and I don't think they appreciated the pants flying all over the place and general mess.
We packed. Now somewhere to stay...hmmmm. Tried to find a DOC campsite. We were going to stay in a hostel that night (so I
could have a shower), but seeing as we couldn't have one for the 3 days we were away, there didn't seem much point. After bumping over a gravel round for chuffing ages towards the rumoured site to camp in, we were forced to turn back to town because Angela required a bathroom. We slept in a lay-by and were joined by 2 others later that evening. It was quite a big lay-by overlooking a 45km long lake, and they decided to park up right next to us. Manners? We got our revenge by getting up at 6 to head towards the Routeburn.
It was a beautiful day with "a little weather over the mountains". This meant it rained - chucked it down, and we were glad to reach our hut in the hills, where we could physically watch clouds and air parcels rising over the treeline. It was meant to rain from then on, but we were so lucky, and that was the only time it did precipitate upon my shoulders. This was good because I didn't exactly have hiking boots - just the traniers I've owned for about 7 years, with holes in both toes. Someone even commented
We're a long way from home
We had some time to kill in Dunedin on how "well used" they looked as I scrambled down a precarious boulder - the cheek! Just because she had swanky, shiny feet. Anyways, I can't begin to describe the scenery, which has only made the rest of NZ look quite plain in comparison as it de-sensitised us for a while. On top of this, we made many a friend on route and the evenings proved just as much fun. Angela flip, flapped and flopped down the mountains due to her wee legs, and was covered in bruises as a result.
When we ended the walk, after 3 days and countless km, we had arranged transport to pick us up and take us to Milford Sounds - the most beautiful part of NZ apparantly. The bus came, and was full of tourists on a proper tour from Queenstown. Now bear in mind it'd now been a looooong time since the last shower (one was due that evening/next morning in our hostel), and we had to sit in close proximity to Americans. Mine was the most preened Yank I'd ever come across, with Prada glasses, and the bling-iest trackie bottoms known to woman kind. She didn't seem to notice the
I wish... oh wish I could be a tree
Looking more like the karate kid, Angela shows how this fossilised tree may have looked millions of years ago smell, and at one point even rested her head upon my shoulder! We were bundled on a cruise ship upon arrival to the sounds, where i drank 4 cups of complimentary tea - my first in 10 days! Good times. The scenery was pretty good too.
This cruise was not the last thing we were booked on for this surreal day. That evening another boat ride loomed at Te Aneu. Glowworms ahoy. This was proper caves where you got dragged through and had to duck for th number of worms in the caverns. It was like a honeycomb with a little blue light in every one on every inch of the vast cave. A wonderful spectacle. We were cream crackered though considering we'd walked the last leg of the trail, done 2 cruises and a tour. Bed time. On return to Queenstown, we were dying for a wee alcoholic beverage to soothe the aches and pains gathered during the last few days. It was Good Friday - alcohol cannot be served on Good Friday in this silly country, so we drove south.
Invercargill. I'd been told not to waste the petrol getting to this southerly city. It was
Our accomodation...
...complete with indoor swimming pool (not heated) the place where the 'World's Fastest Indian' was born, and later filmed. We slept on that beach only to be awoken by someone knocking on the window at god-knows am. Next morn, when starting reliable grey banger, it turned out they'd shoved something up it, and it started with a boom. What a way to wake up. We zoomed through the rest of the tour, encountering pingus, lighthouses and old friends who we met with for luncheon. Even managed a tour of the Cadbury's factory for Easter and met the Easter Bunny. Popped back into Ch.Ch to say goodbye to Lou and Ali who was moving into her new house before beasting it up to Picton to visit friends and get the ferry to the North side.
Arrived in Wellington, the capital of NZ. We ended up staying here for close to a week due to certain reasons, during this time doing the usual touristy things and meeting up with another couple of friends from home. The whole of Wotton has come to NZ this year it appears. We were staying in a proper hostel/campsite, which was pure dead minging for the record, and saw us have to abandon tent mid-way through the night due to winter descending instantly. I even saw one guy eat 6 boiled for potatoes one morning...crazy place. But now we are back on the road and due to our prelongued stay in welly have approx 13 days to do the rest of the island. Bring it on...
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