WAITANGI DAY AT MT COOK

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06.02.09
The night spent attending Classical Sparks at Hagley Park got us a bit tired and waking up this morning has been a bit of a struggle. In two hours we are finally ready to go.
After two tries to pack everything in the car we realized we were probably overloaded for a weekend journey, only to find out later as usual, that we were still missing something!
Soon we’re heading south on the HS1 under a hot sun.
A first brief stop we had to make it at a Pack’n’Save to get some food we were meant to buy last night…which we obviously didn’t do. Linda got off and me and Mike decided to roast in the car. By the time we got well cooked, we could put us back on the way.
We crossed slowly the Canterbury Planes almost stuck in an endless queue moving out of Christchurch for this holiday weekend. It’s Waitangi Day, national holiday that commemorates the sign of the Treaty between Maori people and English in 1840.
The Bee Gees keep us awake on the road and slowly the traffic started to vanish. We drove along the longest bridge in the South Island spanning over the river Rakaia, that unfortunately looked more like an empty bed than a river.
I haven’t yet travelled much around New Zealand but I understand there’s quite an issue with the water disappearing from the rivers to feed farmers’ lands. Anyway, indeed I hardly saw any river flowing full of water.
At Geraldine we made a brief stop at Linda’s favourite toilets, and because the market, that was supposed to be a good attraction, looked more like a nanna’s one, we proceeded a bit further and stopped at a picnic area along the road to have some lunch.
We sat down under the sun, unwrapped the sandwiches that Linda had made in the morning, and devoured them at lightspeed! We took then our time to sip a cup of tea and have some fruit, but time was running and we were already quite late.
Mike replaced Linda at the steering wheel and I sat on the front to take some pictures on the way.
Mike put Semaphore’s cd on and we thought of our friends far away in London.
Half way toward the lakes we came across a police breath check where we stopped and Michael had the chance to show he can count up to five when he’s not drunk! Jokes apart, it was quite a good thing to see.
Once you get off the HS1 the landscape looks a lot more interesting. We caught a glimpse of Lake Tekapo and later of Lake Pukaki, but we’re too late to stop now, so we’ll do that on the way back.
Before reaching the mountains the landscape turns rapidly dry, and we’re surrounded by yellow and pink fields. It’s really beautiful.
The camping site that James and Meg had picked is probably the windiest spot in the whole area, but it’s really nice and quiet. Everyone is already there, we’re always last.
Beth and Ed are going crazy jumping on a trampoline, Meg, Tonya and Jude are busy putting up a tent.
Mike is immediately caught by the kids and ‘forced’ to get on the trampoline with them. I leave you to guess who was having more fun!
But first thing we should really put our tents on the ground, so in few minutes everyone is busy with that, including the kids that are helping us with hammer and pegs!
When we’ve finished nothing better than a tent could turn into a playground, so me and Beth hide inside almost suffocating in the heat! But no one has to find us! Luckily Mike and Ed came to rescue us at some stage and we decided this game was over.
From the camping ground the view on Mt Cook is really good even with the clouds hiding its top.
We all get ready for a walk up to see the Tasman Lake, the result of the melting of the Tasman Glacier.
We all drive to the feet of the mountains, and because the kids want to come with us it’s also time for some rock’n’roll and some questions game.
There’s quite a few people there, but when we finally reach the top of the path, we’re almost the only ones there.
The lake is long and white, dotted with few icebergs floating. From there you can see it all and Mt Cook is right in front of us. We enjoy some time there before walking down again, and find at the car park, a group of Japanese tourists that are leaving without even getting up to enjoy the view! Strange people…
When we’re back to the camping ground is time to get dinner ready, and there’s plenty of facilities for a good barbecue!
Our evening lasts until the light is out and when the sun disappears completely we all disappear as well inside our tents.

07.02.09

The night has been windy, very windy. We woke up a few times for the noise of the air blowing through the trees.
Later than expected, at 8.30 Beth and Ed arrived to visit us. Beth got changed back into her pyjamas to show it to uncle Mike. We had a bit of fight in the tent until granma came to join us and then we all went out for our breakfast. Even thou according to Beth we shouldn’t have our breakfast because adults don’t have it, there’s still a discussion going on to understand if me and Mike are adults or kids.
As the camp site is not crowded, we had the lounge almost all for us to have a cosy breakfast with a view.
We are really enjoying this weekend, no one is rushing and we take it easy. Kiwi style.
Everyone got ready, Michael went off to film Mt Cook and I soon joined him. James, Meg and the kids headed to the village, and Tonya and Jude went off for a bike ride.
When Mike has done with his filming, and after a bit of time wasted to look for his cell phone, we also went off to meet the family at the Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park Visitor Centre.
The visitor centre was actually very interesting, with amazing photographs on display and everything regarding the national park and its history.
At first Beth has been chasing me and Mike to take us out and play with the water pistol, but then we all spent quite some time learning about Mt Cook and its climbers.
Just outside the centre we set up a quick lunch in the picnic area, bathed by the sun and blown by the wind.
Tony and Jude also joined us after the morning spent biking. While the wind was taking away plates and cups, incredibly Beth fell asleep on Meg’s lap.
Me, Mike, Linda, James and Ed walked to the nearby Heritage to find out if there was anything interesting there. And definitely there was enough to spend other few hours. First we went to the Planetarium to find out about our solar system, the galaxy and the universe. It really was interesting and I guess especially for someone like me that is totally ignorant about those facts.
After that we put the glasses on and watched a 3D movie on Mt Cook that was really good. Finally we also got engaged into a documentary on Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man to climb the top of Mt Everest.
It was all very inspiring, including the stories of all the people that tried or managed to reach the top of Mt Cook.
We met James outside and decided to reach Meg, Ton, Jude and the kids at the Kea Point, one hour walk from the Heritage.
With the west side of Mt Cook in front of us we walked all the way. Half way we met Jude coming back with Ed and Beth to get the car and come closer.
At the Kea Point there was no sign of keas, but the view on the Mueller Glacier and lake was stunning. Meg and Ton had already been sitting there for a while, so all together we got back to the path. Again half way we met Jude with the kids, hiding in the bushes ready to jump out while we were passing.
Me, Mike and Linda walked all the way back to the Heritage to take our car while the others drove straight from the path.
At the camp ground everyone got busy to sort out dinner, which was indeed delicious.
Now we’re all sitting in a circle reading papers and relaxing. I also think I’m going to put down this notebook and get to my National Geographic.

08.02.09

It was all quiet this morning when we woke up. Even the kids.
We felt all slow and lazy trying to get ready to leave the camping site. We had a random breakfast, while someone was already packing. Everyone took his tent down and all the cars were packed. No trace of our stay was left behind.
We’ve been the last to leave the site, while the others were already on their way to the Hooker Valley. Just after few minutes on the road we felt the car slipping a bit on the side and then shaking on a flat tyre.
Very unfortunate, but a brand new tyre was sitting in the boot just under the mountain of stuff we had with us.
We unpacked the car quickly and in few minutes Mike had already changed the tyre. Soon we got back on the way and reached the car park at the Doc camp site. All the others were already on the walk, so we got on the path quickly and reached them on the viewpoint over the river Hooker running just below us. The wind was blowing incredibly strong while we posed all together for a couple of pictures, then down again on the path to reach the swing bridge over the river.
There we hesitated a bit because the wind was really strong and the kids weren’t exactly sure if they liked to cross it.
But soon we were all sitting on the other side of the river where we spent our time left before heading back and get towards our respective homes.
We said goodbye to everyone at the car park and left.
The journey home has been long and draining, with one stop at the historic church on Lake Tekapo and a lunch break along the road. We got back to Christchurch quite exhausted, and with the incredible heat here, now we can hardly make a move. But we’re really happy. It’s been really good to go away for a weekend.

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Photos

Rangitata riverbed
the river must have gone on holiday!

The Tasman Lake
or the melting of the Tasman Glacier

At the Kea Point
Mike, Jimmy, Meg and Tonya

Swing with the wind
in the Hooker Valley