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Published: January 25th 2007
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Hello again to our audience out there. We are now only a few days off finishing our trip and as such feel both happy and sad to be heading home. Having had six months off has been fantastic but it'll be a bump back down to earth once work recommences in a little under two weeks. (my heart bleeds I hear you saying!)
Anyway, continuing on from above we left lovely Wanaka and headed south through Queenstown where we spent a few hours shopping for more kit for the impending Kepler walk and to sample some of its hospitality. We'd booked to stay in the isolated Glenorchy Kinloch lodge which took nearly two hours to drive to. Glenorchy is supposed to be beautiful but we didn't see that much as it drizzled most of the night. The lodge itself had a real feel of isolation but had its fair share of those blasted sandflies to keep you indoors for most of the evening. (never mind trying to iradicate possums and stoats, the bloody sandflies need ethnically cleansing in our view!)
The place is surely fantastic but would have been nicer with better weather and a longer stay. The Routeburn
The Kawarau River
The site of the first bungy jump in NZ and used as the River Anduin in The Lord of the Rings track passes nearby and would have made for some nice walking in hindsite. The following day we retraced our tracks south back to Queenstown and on to Lake Manapouri where we joined the Real Journey company for an overnight trip to Doubtful sound aboard the Fjordland Navigator. Doubtful sound is 3 times longer and 10 times bigger than the busy Milford sound and with significantly less tourists was the one for us. Boarding at around midday we were first ferried out to the nearby underground powerstation then shuttled over a pass to the waiting boat. 70 people boarded with us which was a little touristy but the next 24 hours were excellent. Cruising the sound in relative luxury, seeing both seals and dolphins (another emotional moment for Kate!) were just a few highlights of the cruise. The crew were great and seemed to love what they do despite doing the same day-in day-out. After a good nights sleep we awoke to a hearty breakfast and more dolphins, this time swimming alongside the boat much to everyones delight.
Alas we were soon back in civilisation but not for long as we commenced the 4 day Kepler mountain track run by
Queenstown
Lake Wakatipu, The Remarkable mountains and the steam ship Earnslaw coming into post the DOC. (dept of conservation) Having filled our bags with all that was needed to survive (and more) we climbed up to Luxmore hut on the first day to great views then spent the next day ridge walking around the fjordlands to breathtaking scenery, made all the better by completey blue skys. The second night was spent down in Irisburn valley in the hut of the same name, including the usual batch of munching sandflies.
The third day took us back towards Lake Manapouri and the fourth along the Waiau river, also used as River Anduin out of the lord of the rings. For a fan of the trilogy this made the last days walking all the more enjoyable! We tramped into Te Anau having thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and met some great people along the way.
From Manapouri we headed back to Queenstown for some well earned blister healing and whilst there ate, drank, spa'd, jet-boated and mark did a spot of rafting down the shotover river. Falling in at the worst rapid (aptly named Jaws!) made for a near-death experience but we all came out unscathed and none the worse for it. Suitably adrenalined up we drove
Doubtful sound in the distance
We spent 2 days on a cruise of the less visited Doubtful sound, names so by Capt Cook, as he would have doubtfully got back out if he sailed his ship into it. Somehow it stuck. up to Mt Cook national park via a great Merino sheepfarm hostel called Buscot farm where we met Tony and Alice (the orphaned lamb!) Reared by the retired farmer for the pasted 3 months following her mothers death she and the resident jack Russell make for an unusual pair! Lady luck was once again looking down on us as we arrived in Mt Cook. There was not a single cloud in the sky and the mount was there plain to see in all its glory. Some people go to Mt Cook and never see the mountain so we felt suitably priviledged. We walked up the Hooker valley to see the same-named glacier, complete with floating mini-icebergs in its lake. Melting from top to bottom, rather than end up makes it an "ugly" glacier as all you can see are rocks lying on top of its mass but the imposing mountains around it make up for that.
We were going to climb up to the Mueller hut but with ongoing blisters problems decided not to and headed over towards Christchurch for the last part of our journey. An unscheduled stop in the Banks Peninsula near Akaroa made for a lovely
isolated nights stay in one of the best hostels so far (double dutch BBH). We spent a few hours sampling the local seafood before heading to ChCh where we now are!
Wow, and thats almost it. Two days seeing the sites and we begin our nightmare journey back home. With 4 flights and 20 hours waiting in airports to get there, we're obviously not that thrilled about going home. However we both can't wait to step over the doorsill of 34 South Parade and back to our lovely house! Becky, get the fire on, we'll be home before you know it!
Hope all well, lots of love from Kate and Mark.
Pickys to follow as can't connect anything to this computer. Man, things were easier in Asia! Tara for now.
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anna
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hey guys - i can't wait to have you back in this country now. Have really missed you and really looking forward to seeing you. The whole of your trip has sounded fantastic and i look forward to seeing the phots safe trip back - all love, anna x