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Published: June 28th 2005
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Fiordland
Shallow Bay Mist Upon returning to reality all hell broke loose, the fantastic Audis transmission decided to die on me and I was stuck in the middle of no where. It was just what I needed, i just kept thinking why oh why do we bother with technology when all it does is just make you stress, give you a headache and then leave you with an empty wallet.
Anyhow, luckily I found a few Czechs and a German guy to help me push and tow the car away to Glenorchy, a tiny little town about 50km from Queenstown. The people there were very nice and sympathetic to my situation and gave me two nights free accomodation in a quaint little cabin. They were real characters and was a really nice alternative to the folks in Queenstown, most of the people are ex pats from all over the world with tales to tell and a few screws loose too.
After a few days of getting quotes and realising that owning an Audi in remote New Zealand is probably the worst decision anyone can make, I decided to bite the bullet and ditch the car. Yeh it was a loss,
Fiordland
Kepler Track Alpine Section but i guess it could have been a bigger one. Beware all fellow travellers, almost everyone I met in New Zealand with a car decided to break on them so be careful!
I got a ride to Te Anau, about 190km south of Queenstown and gateway to Milford Sound, probably the most visited and photographed fiord around. I really got put off with all the Grannies telling me how nice it is and i had the thirst for more hiking. This time kepler track, another 70km through alpine mountains and forest in the heart of Fiordland. I received several warnings that the weather was going to be terrible but I was on a mission so I went on into the abyss to see what will await me. The first day was a nice walk through beautiful forest and came upon a tiny hunters hut along a enormous lake with mountains in the background, and no one was around. It just blew my mind that such a lake could exist and was fresh and drinkable.
Nothing could prepare me for what was to come on the third day, a trechorus 1500m hike almost verically up the mountain,
Fiordland
Lake Te Anau Sunrise it was hard and when i reached the top I thought it was over, but think again. It was just the beginning, the next section was at least 4 hours of alpine summit crossing, and it was very cold, in fact there was snow and ice all around and a snow storm came through. It was harsh and I stayed in one of the emergency shelters for a few hours before pressing on. I lost feeling in my fingers and toes and my face went numb, I started dreaming about wonderful hot beaches and wondering why the hell I was up here. By the time I reached the final hut I feared my feet had become frostbitten, but alas placing them on some hot coals brought them back to life and the last couple of hours down to town was like a walk in the park.
After returning to town, indulgence was the main agenda. Lots and lots of junk food and beer were the only thoughts that sprang to mind and it was easy to realise how much we rely on these "necessities" and kinda put me off in a way well I tried to withold but
Fiordland
Kepler Track Waterfall it didnt last.
I thought that I had had enough of adventuring through the South Island. I had met alot of people along the hikes that became hiking junkies. They were out to conquer every track and every hike and it seemed as if they must of lost their minds. It was all too much, so I threw in the towel and hitched all the way back to Wanaka with much difficulty. In fact, it took several hours to get a ride out on Queenstown bridge, dozens of inscriptions had been made from fellow hitchers stating how evil the locals were and how many hours they had spent waiting. After a couple of hours a fellow traveler was the only one to pick me up, at least we look after each other. Upon getting back to Wanaka I rested and watched the sun pass over the mountains in the most peaceful of towns.
I met a really nice Maori guy there and he shared a few stories and he could not believe the way I was moving from place to place camping around and hiking through fiordland and he something that really stuck with me. "Why
Fiordland
Kepler Track Alpine Ice would you go and climb a mountain when there is no food up there." Its so true, why does a man do things that arent even for survival? And we call ourselves intelligent.
On the last night I awoke early due to the extreme cold and noticed the frost on the
tent I was completly fed up with the camping conditions I caught the first bus back to Christchurch and then a plane to Auckland on the North Island.
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Eva
non-member comment
kia ora!
dearest mark! you are so wonderful, i miss you so, but judging from your diaries you are having a good (but crazy!) time, which makes me happy! i will respond to your email asap! btw, your pics are absolutely fab!! keep 'em coming my dear! miss ya heaps, love ya loads! x eva