A Week in Wanaka

Loving it here in Wanaka at the moment. It’s been really good staying put in the one spot for a bit you get a chance to get to know people a bit better, and I’ve been able to find some walking partners which makes a nice change. Been exploring the tracks around the lakes pretty thoroughly, wandering up and down both shores, along the lake Outlet Track by the Clutha River (a really pretty walk, the water was an amazing shade of clear green and there was a tiny bit of mist and frost around), I've been up Mt Iron a few times (which now seems more like a slight hill than a real mountain) and I try and make it down to the lake every afternoon for sunset because it almost never disappoints.



The highlight of the week, and definitely for the trip so far, was yesterday when I tackled the track to Roy’s Peak with Ian, another Aussie and some German guy we met along the way who's name I never thought to ask. It was one of the most exhausting but exhilarating things I’ve ever done – the top’s about 1550m high, and once you get to the top you can be sligging throgh knee-deep snow so it was a hell of a challenge. I did actually stop just short of the peak because after 3 hours walking without lunch I just couldn’t tackle the last few metres of really icy snow along the final ridge without some food, and by the time I'd eaten we had to start back down. I figured it was better than the alternatives, ie walking until I threw up, and t’s not like it was an actual mountain summit anyway, it just happened to be one of several high points along the ridge with some kind of marker on it to make it official, and I've always thought that's a little bit arbitrary. So I decided to declare the spot where I sat to have lunch Wayne’s Peak, and it was pretty special to have this spot all to myself to sit up there in complete silence, looking down on the other peaks below and know you’d made it there totally on your own steam. I know it’s the kind of view all the people at the ski fields get every day, but it’s not really much of an accomplishment if you drive and then take a lift up there. I mean, anybody can fall down a mountain, it’s getting up there that takes all the effort. Getting back down ain’t no picnic either come to think of it, although the snow does help as you can just point your leg in a general downwards direction and wait until you stop sinking.



It really was fantastic, although it's not something I'll make a habit of as there aren't too many places where it's safe to be tramping above the snowline like that, we're just lucky a fair bit of snow had melted in the last week and there was a pretty well-worn path to the top so we know we're not the only ones stupid enough to attempt it.

I was so excited I had really wanted to hop straight on the net when we got back and send some pics through, but the internet café I usually go to is up two flights of stairs and there was a good chance I would have collapsed, weeping, about halfway up if I attempted any stairs last night. It took us about 8 hours all up as the mountain itself is a 6km walk from town, and just about every part of me was sore by the time we got back. Even my mouth was aching when I was chewing my dinner last night, and I really can’t figure that one out. Even though I wasn’t sure if I’d ever walk anywhere ever again I’ve bounced back quite well today, although I’m still a bit creaky and it could be some time before I can face the prospect of cleaning my boots cause they are not pretty right now.



I’ll be staying here for at least another week though so I’m sure by then I’ll be able to move under my own power again.

From West Coast to Wanaka

As the title suggests I’ve made it to Wanaka, where I’ll be based for the next week or two. It’s a nice place, not as flashy or busy as Queenstown. The lake is really pretty and is always changing with the weather and the light. Haast was a bit of a washout, the weather was pretty rainy and gloomy most of the time I was there. Still went on a jet boat trip up the river one relatively clear afternoon which was good – got to take things in a bit better than you can from the road and jet boats are always fun. Battled my way up the road through some insane winds on the morning I left to visit the information centre, just so I could say I went somewhere. Turns out I was lucky to have stopped there though as the bad weather was due to fresh snowfalls in the mountains, which cleared in time for a spectacular trip across the Haast Pass, which has got to be one of the best drives in NZ if you have the weather for it.



Will be doing lots of the walks around the area while I’m here, maybe head out to an island on the lake one day and might head out to some of the surrounding valleys for some serious tramping if the weather holds up. We had a really light snowfall down in town here this morning, which is awfully considerate given as I was just saying last night that I’d really like it to snow down here while I’m staying. So today I’m just casually dropping hints about how it would be lovely to have some showers of money tomorrow. That’d be nice. Yep. Showers of money. Any denomination, I’m not fussy. Or failing that, a bit more snow would also be good.

It’s cold here – I think it’s somehow involved with the snow – and I’ve been making a few discoveries about travelling in winter which I’m sure will serve me well in my future travels. For instance, you can’t operate an iPod scrollwheel with gloves on. Not enough friction. So if it’s too loud, deal with it or turn it off. I still keep trying though in the vain hope I'll discover some trick to it. also, if you’re outside and you want to clear dust off your glasses, do NOT blow on them, as you will have to wait several minutes or, in extreme cases, until spring, before the resulting fog evaporates.

I'll be sure to share any further pearls of wisdom with you as I discover them.

Okay so he's really not that bad

Yep, I've had a bit of a change of heart after spending a few days in the company of Franz Josef, and I think we've reached an understanding. As long as we both stay on the aprropriate side of the safety ropes then neither of us will get hurt. I know I said some harsh things, but look at him, how can you stay mad at a terminal face like that?



My apologies for that shocking geography pun but I thought of it ages ago and couldn't resist. The weather since Friday has been absolutely perfect - so I've sent most of my days wander around glacier valleys and lakes, it's just been brilliant. I mean, everything up till then was nice, but dys like these are the reason I came here.

I've already moved on to Fox glacier, which is just as nice, and the valley's even more dramatic than Franz Josef. Also been for a wander out to Lake Matheson this morning, which is an incredibly pretty place. Probably due to my new understanding with Franz Josef my knee's now fine again, which is just as well because I've been covering around 10-15km each day lately. Although I was foolish enough to only wear my light boots out to Fox glacier and I'm still paying for that one. Never, ever again.

Moving down the coast again to Haast, which is pretty much smack bang in the middle of nowhere. There for two days (going on a jetboat trip up the river hopefully, then on to Wanaka for a while.

So, we meet again old foe

That's right, I've returned to Franz Josef, home of my arch-enemy, the glacier. But first, better bring you up to speed with how I got here - caught the Tranzalpine across from Christchurch last Monday. It was a great trip - my experience was probably a bit different to most people as I spent the majority of the trip in the open-air observation car. So while everyone else enjoyed a sedate, leisurely trip, mine was a noisy, windy, cold, smoky test of endurance. Luckily after a while you become sufficiently numb that the cold doesn't bother you too much anymore, so you just grimly hang on and watch the scenery rush by. It's all very nice inside but the windows are too shiny to take decent photos (mind you they don't turn out too great if your hands are shaking every time you take them out of your pockets), and you kind of miss out on a lot of the atmosphere (which is probably the point. Because IT'S COLD). I did venture back inside for a bit (well, they make you while they go through the longest tunnel anyway) and I was at least sensible enough to wait until my circulation had resumed before going back outside (you can tell because your head stops tingling).

Anyway, spent the next few days in Greymouth, which was basically cold and wet. Fortunately, it doesn't so much rain there as constantly drip, so as long as you're all Gore-Tex'd up, you usually donÕt even notice it. Was enough to deter me from much sightseeing though so apart from a bit of aimless wandering I hung around the hostel and caught up on some work.

Started on the Magic bus tour Thursday, travelling down the west coast through Hokitika where I had a quick wander down to the beach. I love the beaches here on the west coast. I just think it's great that you can walk along these wild, driftwood-strewn stretches of sand with the surf pounding on one side, while on your other side you have the snow-capped Alps. I tell that to just about everyone I meet but I still love it.



Afterwards we continued on down to Franz Josef, who, as I mentioned, I have some unpleasant history with. It's ironic but as soon as I arrived on the west coast my knee (the one which I hit on the glacier last time I was here, and which had hardly bothered me in a year) started aching again. I think it knew it was drawing near to the site of it's maiming. I'm not doing another glacier walk this time (oh no, not falling into that trap again) but I'll probably wander some of the trails around here, walk down the valley to the terminal face and throw rocks at it or something. As long as it doesn't look like it's advancing too quickly that is.

Another glacier's next on the list (still got one good knee left after all), so it'll be down to Fox on Sunday, then on to Haast. Must go now, it's snowing in the hills above the village so it's a wee bit chilly - been sitting still too long and can't feel my hands again.

Here in NZ

Yep, I’m finally underway, here in Christchurch at the moment. Beautiful weather so far, it’s colder than Brisbane (usually around 10 degrees, but it’s quite pleasant really. I tend to overdress actually and keep shedding layers. Haven’t been up to much yet – got in about 2 yesterday afternoon, by the time I got to the city and checked in it was almost dark here so I had a combined lunch/dinner (which would be what – linner? Dinch? Or I suppose here it would be lunner or dunch). Was pretty exhausted after lots of late nights so ended up crashing pretty early. Saw the art gallery and wandered in circles looking for some of the last minute things I didn’t remember or think to buy before I left.

Had a fantastic view of the mountains on the flight over so really looking forward to the train trip across the Alps on Monday.



Hostel’s in a good spot – my room directly overlooks the cathedral. Bit noisy outside tonight – the rugby’s on and apparently Kiwis are pretty keen on rugby, although you’d never guess. I’m making sure I wear my black jacket when I go out so they’ll think I’m on their side - there’s plenty of Aussies around in the Wallabies colours but they seem to move in packs for protection.

That's all the news for now, will write again once I get to Greymouth.