Blogs from Wanaka, South Island, New Zealand, Oceania - page 11

Awake at 6.20am wide awake, called my mum and dad to tell them our news, and report back after the race. Also called my sister, too. We then pottered about a bit before the Post race awards ceremony, which was at 10.30am. Limped along there and afterwards I asked Felix, the chairman of the Challenge organization if he was going to the volunteers party so he could pass on my personal thanks to those who hung around so late to help me finish, and he said i’d be welcome to do so myself, please come along! Went to a café met up with everyone in there, Mark had to fly back today to be home for work on Monday. Came back home for a sleep and then headed into town for the volunteers party. I was ... read more

We left Te Anau and headed north towards Queenstown arriving quite early as it was not too far and the roads were fairly quiet. As we approached the town, stunning Lake Wakatipu and the surrounding mountains came into view as we skirted the edge of the huge lake. The aptly named Remarkables and the Eyre Mountains form a breathtaking backdrop to this town which has become a popular tourist destination particularly for those seeking ‘adventures’ which has seen the town grow quite rapidly compared to other towns. We planned to stay in much smaller Arrowtown nearby as we had been recommended a campsite on the edge of the town by someone we had met in Oamaru. Arrowtown is just like being in a living museum, the feeling of being transported back to another time is instant ... read more

Day dawned cloudy but not as bad as predicted so optimism levels quite good. Breakfast on the front, stop at shop for more muesli bars (well, oaty slices, but close enough - forgot to tell you that one of the farmers I met on the Dart leg of the Cascade Saddle produces something like 85% of New Zealand oats, so now I quite like the idea that I probably know where the oats come from whenever I eat muesli / oat bars). And then I drive down to the road end. The road is fun - lots of dirt track and lots of fords as well as the odd bull to coax out of the way. Unfortunately, the cloud is also building. Rain comes and goes, some quite heavy which I don't mind really but the ... read more

Rise early trying not to wake the German couple who decided to sleep in the main room despite the fact that I had the bunk room to myself. Need to get out early in the hope of completing the punishing ascent before it gets too hot (it's another clear day and the sun is bright). The challenge for the day: 1. Climb a Munro (nearly 4000ft ascent) with a 20kg pack on, reaching the Pylon (4 hours?) 2. Cross a wee glacial valley, fording a creek that may or may not mean wet feet, depending on how the day's melt is doing to reach the top of the Cascade Saddle and look down on 1000ft of sheer rock (1 hour?) 3. Hike down a massive glacial valley (the Dart valley), skirting the Dart glacier itself - ... read more

Just posting this so I can add a map to it.... read more