Te Anau and Milford Sound

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Hey Everyone,

Sorry it has been so long since I have written so I have decided to update 2 times because a lots has gone on since I last posted. Well since I last wrote I spent a few more days settling in a bit more. I registered for my classes, or papers as they are called here, which was actually pretty hard work as I had to get signed off on each of them separately and had to walk all over campus to get the signatures. Seeing as I had no idea where anything was this took a good while but am now enrolled in Mäori Studies, Health Policy and Politics, Intro to Marketing, and a neurobiology course about aging in the brain… and I know my way around campus a bit better. After getting all of that out of the way three girls from Colby (Anna, Alley, Yvonne), one other kid from Bowdoin (Greg), one of his flatmates Susannah, and Andrew (one of Yvonne’s friends from high school) and I all took off on a 3 day trip to Te Anau and Milford Sound. The trip was absolutely amazing.

We set off at about 1 pm and took a bus from downtown Dunedin to Te Anau passing by some amazing scenery. WE arrived in Te Anau checked into our lake front hostel and relaxed for the evening. The next morning we were out of the hostel by 6:30 am for our hike ( or tramp as the say here in New Zealand) around Lake Te Anau and up Mount Luxmore to the Luxmore Hut, which is the first hut on the Kepler Track (one of New Zealand’s Great Walks). At the Luxmore Hut we hiked to these really cool caves (on the recommendation of some other hikers) and did some impromptu spelunking, which was amazing. We hiked back down and were all VERY sore returning home approximately 12 hours and 20 + miles later. I also tweaked my Achilles so was in some added pain but the views were absolutely worth it.

The next day we were out at 6:30am again this time to be picked up by Eve our guide from Fiordland Outdoor Experience Kayak company. All of us piled into a van and set off to the Milford Sound. The drive was absolutely breathtaking. We could not have asked for a better day. After gearing up (let me tell you we looked pretty hott!) we set off in our double kayaks in the glass like water of Milford Sound. It was absolutely incredible. In the first 45 minutes we had kayaked literally into the middle of a pod of dolphins. They were popping up all around us. It was amazing. We kayaked around taking in the awe-inspiring scenery then stopped for lunch. After lunch the wind had picked up and we all got to test out our kayaking skills as we paddled hard up wind into some very choppy waves. We all got a break however when we attached a sail to the front and back people in the kayaks as we all rafted up and held onto one another and did some kayak sailing which was sooooo much fun! We ended with a nice leisurely paddle back to the boat launch. You would think that was enough for one day but the entire drive back we stopped every 15 minutes or so for another amazing photo opportunity and even had the chance to fill our water bottles up from the most crystal clear rivers I have ever seen.

We had a fun night out in Te Anau and headed back for a mid afternoon arrival to Dunedin! Quite an amazing trip!

Miss you and love you.
Read the next post for from then until now…if your interestedJ

Em

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Photos

More of Milford Sound
If you see the little splash in the distance that was a dolphin!

Comments

[Joni Fischer]

Hi Em!
Em it is so wonderful to hear about your adventures. Do you think you could figure out how to use sails with kayaking for ASA??? It sounded like so much fun! It looks like Nate is going to Florida for ASA for a month to try to get the program straightened out, or up and running, I'm not sure which. They had a great week down there, but the transition to a full time program is wrought with challenges! Also, MHC basketball just got into the NCAA Div 3 championships for the first time ever and are apparently playing at Bowdoin! Wish you were there (not really- you're right where you should be!). Lots of hugs, Joni