The Great Walks

Queenstown is the high adrenaline sport capital of New Zealand – from bungee jumping, sky-diving, hang-gliding, or jet-packing. We did none of these things; we walked around, ate ice cream and watched other people pay lots of money to risk their lives. We also shopped for more warm clothing as a cold rainy weather system was predicted to come ashore while we planned to start our first Great Walk. (Great deal on wool sweaters at the Salvation Army).

There are ten officially designated Great Walks in New Zealand. These are the most popular hikes in the country and are well laid out and meticulously maintained trails with mountain huts spaced a day’s walk apart along the way. You must book huts and campsites months in advance to do an over-night trip.

Our first outing was to the Routeburn Track which is located just across the valley from the famous Milford Track. There is a whole system of buses to connect hikers to the various trailheads, so it is possible to easily coordinate a one-way hike. This worked great for the Routeburn because the two ends of the trail are located six hours apart by bus. For this hike we opted to carry our tent and not stay in the huts. The huts are convenient and you have less to carry, but you are forced to sleep in bunk rooms, sometimes with as many as 30 other dirty, smelly, and potentially snoring hikers.

We spent two nights on the track and the scenery, of course, was breath-taking. The first night we slept near a glacial lake perched high above the valley. The next day the weather started to deteriorate – misty and foggy with some light rain. This was unfortunate because most of the hike was above tree-line and normally would have offered outstanding views of the high Southern Alps. Despite the weather, it was a wonderful hike – totally surreal hiking in and out of the clouds. It’s cliché, but it really did seem like Middle Earth.

We had a few extra days between the Routeburn Track and our next hike, so we decided to squeeze in a boat trip through the Milford Sound. This is probably the most iconic feature in all of New Zealand, which of course makes it the most visited. Literally hundreds of tour buses make the excursion every day. We hesitated going, but considering we were so close, we had to see it. We chose the earliest and cheapest boat we could find, and actually that worked out great. Milford Sound is the third rainiest place on the planet… so we were not surprised to have it raining on the morning of our cruise. The view of the soaring cliffs and mountains was a bit cut off due to the low clouds, but with all the rain there were waterfalls everywhere. After seeing the sound, it is easy to understand why it is so popular and we were glad we made the effort to get there.

After that we went on our second Great Walk – this time to the Kepler Track. This is a relatively new route that was developed to disperse some of the hiking pressure off of the Milford and Routeburn tracks. Some hikers say the scenery is also more spectacular than either of the other tracks. It is very well laid out, actually in a loop that can be started and ended from the town of Te Anau. Again, it was a two night trip, but this time we reserved space in the huts, just to get the full New Zealand tramping experience.

The trail climbs to its first hut located just above tree line. From there you can look back to Te Anau and the huge lake it is situated next to. From the hut, it is a 90 minute hike to the top of Mt. Luxmore. The weather on our first day was perfect – sunny, warm, and calm, so we took advantage of it and climbed to the peak. The views were unbelievable. The next day the weather again started to cloud up, so we were glad we did the extra climb the day before. This second day will rank up there with the most outstanding hikes we have ever done. The trail follows a steep twisting ridge line for nearly the whole day, offering views in all directions the whole time. You end the hike by dropping back to another valley and following a river back to the lakes. The last day turned to showers, but it was appropriate for walking through this amazing temperate rainforest.

We wrapped up our South Island portion of the trip by driving the southern coastal route and then up the east coast back to Christchurch. Unfortunately, the weather stayed rainy and cold, greatly limiting the sight-seeing and putting a damper on our excitement for camping. We spent an evening waiting in a blind for the very rare Yellow-eyed Penguins to return to the beach after their day feeding at sea… they never showed up, but we did have wine and crackers while waiting, so it was okay. We also went to the only breeding colony located on a mainland for the Royal Albatross, which we did see.

Miraculously, Oma Tui survived the trip, although she did present us with a flat tire the day before we returned her….Yes, we had grown fond of her, but we can’t say we were sad to have her safely returned to her nest.

Next, we are off to the North Island, so stay tuned.

The Adventures of Oma Tui

We arrived safely in New Zealand about a week ago; flying from Melbourne to Christchurch, located on the east coast of the south island. Our plan for this part of the trip was to rent a camper van for three weeks to explore the south island. There were many options available on the internet, so being the thrifty travelers that we are, we reserved the smallest, most affordable van we could find. Well, they say you get what you pay for, and that definitely held true in this situation. We were a little concerned with the condition of the van and were not sure it was up to the trip, but after spending a week crossing mountain passes and rocky creek fords, we have grown rather fond of the old girl. So fond that we felt inspired to name her Oma Tui (Grandma Tui) – Tui is a beautiful melodic bird of New Zealand and the name of the rental company.

Here is our Ode to Oma Tui:

The Tui-Backpacker Sleeper Van company had prices that could not be beat,

“Oma Tui,” our van, was the oldest in the fleet.

She was the most “experienced” van on the road,

At 475,000 kilometers we were seriously concerned whether she could carry the load.

She had cataracts for sure,

As her cracked headlights cast barely a blur.

She had creaks in her joints and dents in her butt,

The doors squeaked and had to be slammed to stay shut.

Her get up and go and long since got up and went,

And her transmission was quite spent.

Even though the outside had gone to rust, she had a heart of gold,

If you could look past the worn upholstery, dust and mold.

After 20 years of transporting tourists and doing her best,

We hope that the Tui-Backpacker Sleeper Van Company will give her a well-deserved rest.

We spent a night in Christchurch and then headed to the mountains the next morning. Our first destination was Arthur’s Pass, several hours to the northwest. The narrow highway twists and turns as it climbs to the pass, putting Oma Tui to the test from day one. There are designated camping areas located throughout the country, several located along the road to the pass. They are not the most scenic campgrounds, but they are cheap compared to the private “holiday caravan parks”. We parked the van and explored the little settlement of Authur’s Pass and hiked to a beautiful waterfall. The weather was quite foggy and drizzly, but it added a sense of mystery to the dramatic mountain scenery.

The next day we took a long hike up the Bealey Spur Track. This was a lovey trail that climbs a long gradual ridge above the wide glacial valley. Even with the clouds the views were spectacular.

We then continued our journey over the other side of the pass and down to the west coast. We decided to put in two long driving days so that we would have time to do a backpack trip farther south in Mt. Aspiring National Park. We did take the time to stop to see the Franz Josef Glacier one afternoon. The trail was packed with tourist, but I guess that is to be expected. The 45 minute hike is the shortest route to get reasonable close to a glacier in the country. Due to the retreat of the glacier even ten years ago this used to be a 20 minute walk, but the ice continues to recede up the valley more and more each year.

We got up early one morning to hike to Lake Matheson to view Mt. Cook and Mt. Tasman perfectly reflected to the still morning water. This is one of the classic post card view spots.

We staged for our backpack in Wanaka and then drove the hour plus route over washboard gravel roads and across numerous creek fords (Go Oma Tui!) to get to the trailhead to Mt. Aspiring. We hiked for the first two hours through a gorgeous mountain valley pasture, past grazing sheep and cows. We soon reached the national park and arrived at the Mt. Aspiring Hut. We tented outside the hut and enjoyed one of the best campsite views we had ever had.

From the valley floor the only options for hiking onward is up, and I mean really up. The first afternoon we hiked a couple of hours up towards the Cascade Saddle, but turned around before reaching tree line because it was getting late. The trail was good practice for the next day’s destination, Liverpool Hut, located about 2000 feet above the valley. It is hard to really call this a trail. Much of the route is literally climbing hand over foot, clinging to roots the branches to haul yourself vertically up the mountain. After much effort we finally reached this remote hut, perched on a shelf just below a glacier. The weather was perfect and the sights of the surrounding peaks were justly rewarding. That being said, going up was the easy part, going down was nearly paralyzing, but somehow we managed it with the “one hiking pole, one hand on the mountain, crouching on your butt” hiking method. We were quite relived to return to our tent in the valley.

From that adventure we drove several hours south to Queenstown to clean up and prepare for our first “Great Walk” – the Routeburn Track. We will report on that when we return….

From the Sea to the Mountains

Mt. Stirling

The alternate title for this post would be “Driving on the Left”. We picked up our rental car in Melbourne and headed north for the mountains… very cautiously. As I’m sure you are aware, the convention in Australia is to drive on the left; this should be so simple, but how nerve-wracking it truly is. It’s like trying to learn to drive all over again. Even a week later I was still turning the windshield wipers on when I just wanted to signal a turn. We did eventually get used to it and managed not to kill ourselves or any Australian motorists.

Our destination for the past week was the “Australian Alps”, a modestly mountainous region a couple of hours drive to the northeast of Melbourne. While certainly not of Alps stature, the area does sprout up some respectable peaks – the highest being just under 6000 feet. It was a beautiful drive though winding back roads, quaint mountain villages, and farmstead wineries. It was a large area to explore, so we settled on three hikes along the “Great Alpine Road”, all within the Alpine National Park. 

Our first hike was to Mt. Stirling. We spent the night before the hike in Mansfield, a quiet tourist town at the base of Mt. Buller – which is actually a ski resort – who knew. It was a long winding road up the mountain just to get to the trailhead. In the summer this is a big destination for mountain biking, with a whole maze of bike trails, which totally confuse the casual hiker. We never did really find the trail we planned to hike, but we did manage to climb Mt. Stirling and enjoyed a picnic lunch on top whole taking in the views.

Mt. Buffalo National Park

 Late in the afternoon we continued on our way to Mount Buffalo National Park, the second oldest national park in the country, created in 1898. The park encompasses an unusual massif rising out on the edge of the main mountain chains. It was another long and winding climb to the top of the plateau where we camped at the public campground. We spent a full day exploring this beautiful park… hiking to a historical mountain hotel, the “Chateau”, climbing to the top of Mt. Dunn, and capping of the day with a sunset hike to the highest peak known as “The Horn”.

Mt. Dune

Sunest from the Horn

View from the Horn

The next day was a non-hiking day – it sort of felt like a day off. We spent a relaxing day walking around the lovely little town of Bright. We walked along the river, taking in the local gold mining history, and waiting out heavy downpours drinking coffee in the numerous cafes.

Our big hike for the week was up Mt. Feathertop along the razorback ridge – about a 22 km jaunt. This is one of the most popular hikes in the park, and for good reason. The Great Alpine Road climbs to a pass at Mt. Hotham, another ski resort, and the trail to Feathertop takes off from this high point. The trail follows the crest of the ridge all the way to the top of this second highest peak in Victoria state. There are definitely some ups and downs, but the vertical gains and losses are quite modest.

Our biggest challenge with this hike was the weather. It had rained the night before and the weather had not really cleared by morning. We set off in a dense fog with our full winter attire – down coats, wind jackets and pants, hats, and mittens. The wind was roaring and at times you could only see a few yards up the trail. Luckily the clouds eventually lifted and we were rewarded with some outstanding views in all directions. However, by the time we made it to the top the clouds lowered again and we ate lunch in the fog. About half way back the wind picked up like crazy and we literally struggled to walk upright. It was easily hurricane force winds. We were very thankful to make it back to the car with no mishaps.

After that ordeal we were ready to take it easy for a couple of days. We headed out of the mountains to the coastal lakes district, an area east of Melbourne that forms the largest inter-water way system in the country. We camped by one of the largest lakes and enjoyed the return of sunshine and warm temperatures. A highlight was a visit to Raymond Island to see the koalas. This is a small island, only about 100 yards from the mainland, but you still have to take a ferry to get there. On the island is a captive population to koalas – they are wild, but they can’t get off the island, so it is easy to find them and take pictures.

Oh yeah, we did see kangaroos too – the night before as they wandered into our campsite. Unfortunately they were a little too far away to get a decent picture….

And that was about it. Tonight we reorganize and repack for New Zealand in the morning. We will report again when we find a decent internet connection. Ciao.