New Zealand (South Island)

After a few days in Sydney, it was back to the airport for a two-week trek through New Zealand. Most tourists venture from North Island to South, ending among the more dramatic landscapes, but we reversed the order. Campervans are a popular choice, but we opted for a rental car, allowing us the freedom to spread out and socialize at a series of hostels.

3/4-3/11

QUEENSTOWN (DAYS 4-5)
Lexi and Sarah stayed in Sydney an extra two days to visit Blue Mountains National Park, while Anna and I anxiously jumped ahead to NZ. The three-hour flight from Sydney to Queenstown on Sunday evening prompted another two-hour time change. Soaring over the mountainous terrain of the South Island was incredible; excitement shot through my entire body as we cruised in. Queenstown sits on the shores of Lake Wakatipu, set against the outstanding Southern Alps. Renowned for adventure sports, it’s also a base for exploring the region’s vineyards and historic mining towns. On the 10-minute bus ride from the airport, I stared out the window, transfixed by the gleaming sun dropping over the mountains.

   

I met Anna at (our soon to be favorite) Adventure Q2 Hostel, where she had kindly cooked a pasta dinner for us. I was drained, but rallied to join some new hostel friends at a nearby bar.

After a much needed sleep-in on Monday, Anna and I were eager to stretch our legs. The Ben Lomond Track had excellent reviews, which I casually suggested as we took our time getting ready. We set out from the Tiki Trail, which switchbacked through Douglas fir to the top of the Skyline Gondola on Bob's Peak. The mountain range and skifield of The Remarkables is a sight to behold.

The warm, late morning sunshine paired nicely with comfortable temperatures in the low 60s.

Climbing to the Ben Lomond Saddle, the scenery shifted to alpine grasses and shrubs, as Anna and I realized that we had underestimated the demands of this day hike. Still, we weren't about to turn around as expansive views continued to unfold.

The trail became steeper and rougher as it approached the summit. We powered through, kept company by mountain goats and riding a high from the epic vistas surrounding us. The jagged mountain peaks were strongly reminiscent of The Lord of the Rings, a movie trilogy filmed entirely in NZ.  Is this real life?

Ben Lomond summit: 5,735'

 

At 5,735', we might as well have been on top of the world. The 360-degree panorama included Mts. Earnslaw and Aspiring.

The adrenaline did not wear off, but the wind picked up and clouds rolled in, encouraging us to backtrack to the trailhead. 

We completed the nine-mile trek (4,718' gain) in six hours. Afterwards, we feasted on a large pot of rice and beans at the hostel. Most memorable hike of the trip!

Strong winds canceled our skydiving trip on Tuesday morning. Anna and I were disappointed, but attempted to keep our spirits up with alternate ideas. With a few hours to kill before fetching Lexi and Sarah at the airport, we decided to pick up our rental car and drive 45 minutes to Glenorchy (adjusting quickly to driving on the left!).



Located on the northern end of Lake Wakatipu, this frontier town is surrounded by magnificent mountains, pristine lakes and rivers, and ancient beech forests. At the edge of Mt. Aspiring and Fiordland National Parks, the area is a gateway to several multi-day hikes, including the Routeburn Track (one of NZ's Great Walks).





 



Anna and I enjoyed our time on the Glenorchy Walkway. The boardwalk path crosses wetlands with ample bird-watching opportunities and views of Mt. Earnslaw and the surrounding ranges.






















That afternoon, we were reunited with our friends as we embarked on the four-hour drive to Milford Sound. This scenic drive is filled with overwhelming natural beauty at every turn. We camped at The Milford Sound Lodge, sharing a delicious quinoa salad before bed.






















FIORDLAND NATIONAL PARK (DAYS 6-7)
We kicked off Wednesday with a wet, three-hour hike on the outskirts of Milford Sound. Lake Marian Track is a four-mile, remote tramping trail that leads to an alpine lake in a beautiful hanging valley.

  

Across the swing bridge is a spectacular series of waterfalls. From the falls, the path becomes steep and muddy on the ascent to the lake.

 

Lake Marian was formed by glacial action and is enclosed by mountains with stunning reflections if the weather is calm. Unfortunately, the rainy morning, laden with heavy fog, impeded the full experience.

Driving into Milford Sound afterwards was like entering the lush alien world of Pandora from the fantasy film Avatar; a truly jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring landscape that compared to nothing I had seen before. 

Milford Sound lies deep within Fiordland National Park, with its mystical combination of mountain peaks, ink-dark waters and impressive forest-clad cliffs. Fiordland is a vast, extreme wilderness that was declared a World Heritage Area in 1986. Mountains, rock, ice, lakes, forests and grasslands collide with untouched beauty. Some of the best examples of animals and plants that were once found on the ancient super-continent of Gondwana still exist here.

 

Lying close to a fault where two plates of Earth’s crust meet, the area has been folded, faulted, uplifted and submerged many times. Over the last two million years, glaciers have at times covered the area, gouging into the rock and creating U-shaped valleys, most of which are now lakes or fiords. Fourteen fiords extend from Milford Sound in the north to Preservation Inlet in the south.

Much of Fiordland’s forest clings to steep faces of hard rock that is covered by a thin layer of rich, peaty humus and moss. Ferns throughout the forest are lush and varied. Above the 3,280' bushline, snow tussocks dominate with daisies, buttercups and herbs.

Rain falls in Fiordland more than 200 days a year, creating thousands of waterfalls that cascade from sheer-sided mountains. The alpine areas are often covered in snow or ice during winter/spring; avalanches can and do occur any time of year. Fine weather yields unspoiled views, but the real Fiordland experience wouldn’t be complete without a little rain!

 



 

Our visit, of course, had plenty of rain. We were looking forward to kayaking in the sound, but our tour was canceled due to strong, windy currents. Improvising on the fly, we booked into a nature boat cruise, which was superb. It was a wet ride with temperatures in the 50s, and windy enough to lose my favorite CO hat.

 



The highlight of the tour was a stop at the floating underwater observatory. A large viewing room 30' below sea level showcases colorful sea life in their natural environment. Heavy rainfall creates a permanent freshwater layer above the sea water within the fiords. This band is calm, clear and relatively warm, home to sponges, the world’s largest population of black coral, and a variety of fish. Larger marine life living in the fiords include bottlenose dolphins, fur seals, and little blue penguins. Very lucky visitors can see whales around the coast.

 

We spent the night in Knobs Flat, an hour outside of Milford Sound. We were happy to dry off and do laundry here. And the stars...

We took our time driving out of Fiordland on Thursday, stopping in Te Anau and spending a rainy evening in Queenstown (Nomads Queenstown Hostel) before heading north.

WANAKA (DAY 8)
Wanaka is an hour north of Queenstown. We got an early start on Friday to tackle the popular day hike to Roy's Peak.



It is a steep climb to the summit (4,029' gain) from Lake Wanaka through farmland, alpine meadows and grasslands.

 

It was chilly up top, but we waited patiently for the morning clouds to pass.

 

The summit (5,177') shows off a 360-degree display of Lake Wanaka with its islands/bays, the mighty snow-capped mountains of the Southern Alps (including Mt. Aspiring), the Matukituki Valley, and even the Hawkdun Range in Otago.

 



The sun finally started to break through as we began a slow descent and considered the plausible reasons behind the breathtaking scenery. After all, the Colorado Rockies are one of the most scenic areas of North America; what makes NZ so different? The answer to that is likely manifold. I suspect that the landscape's unique and varied color palette, however, has something to do with it, as well as the small population. With only four million people living in NZ, the running joke is that the country has more sheep than people. NZ, then, is relatively empty; summit views include only natural beauty vs. human development.











We completed the 10-mile trek in six hours, calves aching, but rivaling Ben Lomond for best hike of the trip.

We were excited to spend the night just 2.5 miles outside of central Wanaka at Oasis Yurt Lodge, an environmental-conscious alternative accommodation.

Exhausted but not wanting to miss out on the gorgeous afternoon, we borrowed bikes from our host and cruised into downtown. A lively resort town buzzing with a carefree spirit, Wanaka’s picture-perfect location and easy access to the Southern Alps' Mt. Aspiring National Park makes it the ideal base for outdoor adventure. The group collectively experienced good vibes from Wanaka.

 

After refueling, we basked in the sun and 60-degree weather by the lake.

The lone tree of Lake Wanaka is one of the most photographed trees in the country.



  


MT. COOK NATIONAL PARK (DAYS 9-10)
Driving another 2.5 hours north, State Highway 80 leads to Mt. Cook Village, situated beside Lake Pukaki.

Mt. Cook (Aoraki) National Park contains some of the most sought after wilderness in the southern hemisphere. The rugged land of ice and rock has 19 peaks over 10,000' including NZ's highest mountain at 12,218'--Mt. Cook. It is alpine in the purest sense, with towering peaks, glaciers and permanent snow fields, all set under a star-studded sky. Far from city lights, the park contains the world's largest dark sky reserve.

We arrived late Saturday morning, but didn't waste any time slipping into our hiking boots. Hooker Valley Track is a mostly flat, six-mile (three-hour) walk along the Hooker River, crossing three suspension bridges between majestic peaks. The first bridge looks out over Mueller Lake. 

 

From the second swing bridge, the vegetation shifts to open grasses and a wider valley floor. 

The weather that weekend was consistently in the 40s/50s, but the midday sun felt much warmer.

The trail ends at the iceberg-speckled Hooker Lake, which is nestled at the base of Mt. Cook and the Southern Alps. 

  





We returned on the same path, with more views down valley and across to the Sealy Range.






















A mix of wildflowers can be seen along the way, including the Mt. Cook buttercup. Endangered kea, the only alpine parrot in the world and one of the most intelligent birds, can sometimes be heard along the trail.



  

Tasman Valley runs parallel to Hooker Valley on the other side of the Mt. Cook range. A quick, 30-minute ascent via several short staircases leads to a rocky outcrop and the Tasman Glacier Lookout.

Nearly 17 miles long, Tasman Glacier is the longest in NZ. While it slowly carves the valley sides, it provides a landing spot for ski planes and helicopters. Icebergs are commonly seen on the lake.





We spent a comfortable night at the YHA Aoraki Mt. Cook hostel, making tasty tacos for dinner. March 9th marked my second anniversary of Survivor's Day--a traumatic ski accident that forever altered my knee and the course of my life... and what a fine place to reflect on and celebrate my progress!

Confusion abounded when we woke up on Sunday because Daylight Savings Time had begun overnight in the U.S. (apparently NZ DST was to end in April)--so our clocks were mysteriously an hour off. Still, neither the time nor the clouds impeded our desire to squeeze in another hike. Red Tarns Track is a steep and mainly stepped, 2.5-mile out and back. It begins by crossing the bridge over Black Birch Stream and then climbs straight up the valley wall on the lower slopes of Mt. Sebastopol.

The vegetation changes from the valley floor to a panoramic viewpoint of the valleys below, the village and Mt. Cook.

The tarns are named for the red pond weed that grows in them.

 

At the suggestion of the hostel receptionist--and under the guidance of fellow hikers--we continued to climb higher on an unmarked goat path, which yielded surreal vistas of the park. It was another scene that could have been taken straight from LOTR. 

Mt. Cook was another home run.

Once we reluctantly came down from our high, we bid a fond farewell to Mt. Cook and drove an hour east to Lake Tekapo. The small town faces north across the remarkable turquoise lake towards the Southern Alps. Lake Tekapo gets its intense milky-turquoise color from the fine rock flour (ground by glaciers) that is suspended in the water.





Purple lupins apparently add another dimension of color to the Mackenzie Basin from late spring to early summer.






















Situated on the shores of Lake Tekapo, The Church of the Good Shepherd was built to the glory of God and as a memorial to the pioneers of the Mackenzie Country.

We lodged at Tailor Made Tekapo Backpackers, which is set apart by its rescued farm animals, including two spoiled sheep named Milky and Goatie!

Stargazing opportunities abound at Mt. John Observatory and local outdoor hot pools, but a cloudy night encouraged us to retire early to our dorm room. It was the first night of the trip that our beds were not bunked or connected in some way; Anna joked that we should push our twin beds together.

PICTON (DAY 11)

In an effort to keep to our timeline, Monday carried the lofty ambition of driving through the top half of the South Island. With more time, we agreed that we would have traveled over Arthur's Pass along the rugged west coast, with its wild rivers, rainforests and glaciers, ultimately ending in the wilderness reserve of Abel Tasman National Park. Alternatively, however, we drove seven hours along the east coast, stopping briefly in Christchurch--just a few days before the March 15th terrorist attack on two mosques; my heart goes out to the victims and their families. We subsequently lunched in the marine town of Kaikoura, where the mountains meet the sea.



Our final destination was Picton, a picturesque port town at the heart of the Marlborough Sounds. It serves as the South Island base for the ferry service that links the main islands of NZ. Temperatures in the comfortable 60s.

The four of us prepared a quick, rice and veggie dinner at Atlantis Backpackers, which closed the first chapter of our NZ journey.