That’s the word to describe our hike a couple days ago to Key Summit – about 40 km out of Te Anau.  Ann heard it was a great hike so despite a great deal of complaining from me, (we had just done a six hour hike the day before and a three hour hike the day before that) we set off in the morning after checking out of our barnyard hostel.

We had to get a shot of this sign on the way to the hike to show about where we are.

This hike is billed as a “three hour round trip”, but once you get to the top, there’s an additional one hour circle around the summit.  The most notable thing about this hike aside from the beauty and it being steep was it’s 360 degree views of the mountainside.  Also, they call this Key Summit because the mountain is the source of three watersheds leading to three oceans – the Tasman, the Pacific and the Southern Ocean.

Anyway, despite dragging myself out of the car, it only took a few minutes up the trail to realize this was going to be a truly special hike.  The beech trees lining the first half of the hike were draped in moss and their trunks and branches reached endlessly to the sky. The last third of the hike emerged to stunning views of snow capped mountains- the Southern Alps! I think when you look at the scenery you’ll agree.

We had a lovely lunch at the summit and soaked in the sunshine and a spectacular alpine vista.

Once you get here to the summit, the whole horizon is an “amphitheater” of alpine peaks for 360 degrees.

It just doesn't get much more beautiful than this.

(Sorry for the delay in this post, we took this trip a week ago but wanted to share the pictures along with the story. Additionally we have added pictures back to the “My Brain Hurts!” Blog. Enjoy!)

History has it that Captain Cook sailed this way in the late 1700’s, took one look at this spot (Doubtful Sound) in what is now known as Fiordland (note I’m using the Kiwi spelling) and said something to the effect of, “We’re not going in there because it’s doubtful we’ll be able to sail back out!”

He was probably right.  Fiordland consists of a series of narrow gorges coming in from the ocean with granite walls of 1000 vertical feet on each side.  Carved out over the millennia from glaciers, today they are covered with vegetation tenuously grasping the rock, but the mountainous sides of the fiords are no less imposing than I’m sure Captain Cook felt those several hundred years ago.

In contrast to Captain Cook’s voyage, Ann and I were able to take a lovely overnight cruise on a small trawler operated by Fiordland Expeditions.  The package included transportation from near our lodging in Te Anau, across the lake then on a bus down to the fiord where we boarded our boat for a 24 hour fiordland adventure.  (Fiordland is not accessible by road, the buses that transport guests were brought in on a barge).

Happy campers about to leave.

Our conveyance. It's a converted ferry and can hold up to 14 overnight guests, but for our trip - only six. Nice.

The boat was crewed by a captain (William-a Kiwi and very experienced skipper) and first mate (Nicholas – a young Frenchman) and had a total of six guests including Ann and myself. The other four were about our age and included a Norwegian, a Scot and two Brits.

The multi-national passenger group (did I mention it was also a bit cold?)

We had a blast!

And it rained a lot! But that meant tons of waterfalls!

It would be impossible to recount the whole trip, but in summary we fished (and caught) blue cod for our six-course dinner supplemented by the lobster that the captain dove for. What a feast!  We saw some amazing scenery including seeing fur seals and rare crested penguins and enjoyed great camaraderie that made for an amazingly fun two days.  We cruised the fiords, anchored for the night and even though it rained, had a lot of fun.

Heading out to the fiords.

That's a good sign!

We saw fur seals almost hunted to extinction but now making a comeback.

And Crested Penguins...

...quite possibly the highlight of the trip for Ann.

Fishing for dinner...

...and the skipper dove for lobster.

No shortage of lobster for dinner.

The views were amazing...

...waterfalls everywhere...

...and overnight while we slept it snowed...

These walls are so big it's hard to do them justice in a picture.

We're ready to go back!

No, it wasn’t what you think. No arguments here.

He said, “This is great fly fishing country”. She said, “Is that really fun? Standing in the water trying to catch fish?”

And so we went our separate ways today.

From Ann…guess what I did? I went hiking! There was a hiking park on the way back to the “perfect fishing stream” so I had Bob drop me off and come back for me in two and a half hours.
Surprise…a completely different hike from the …okay I have lost count but at least seven …other hikes we have done. Firstly this was in a park-like setting. Which means that after wandering around on the hiking tracks in the hills I could then wander through the arboretum and play on the playground while waiting for Bob’s return.

The more "wild" side of the trail.

This hike also featured manicured lawns that gave way to wide paths that looked like tractors had used them…which were only well-marked at the beginning. Although I did manage to find the high ridge with wonderful views of the rural farmland with rolling green pastures dotted with sheep, I was unable to find the longest track that was a complete loop. Does getting disoriented, due to lack of good signage (an absolute first for New Zealand), and circling several times while scaring a small heard of sheep count? At least I found my way back and had time to wander through the arboretum which offered a huge selection of trees. So beautiful.

But my best find was the zip line on the playground. Although I could not convince myself to jump out and on to the small circular seat without Bob to pick me up if I missed, I was able to play on it when Bob retuned to pick me up. Only New Zealand would have a zip line in a playground. I think Lonely Planet missed this jewel. Sweet as!

(From Bob)  So…we’re in a place marketed as “The world capital of brown trout fishing!”.  Yipes, how could I resist, especially after seeing the two GIANT browns that another American caught back in Te Anau.  They looked more like small salmon than trout.

My casting arm started quivering at the sight of this sign.

I’ve been dying to get onto New Zealand’s trout streams and I finally couldn’t stand it any longer.  I bought a basic fly fishing rig (rod, reel, waders, flies and some assorted stuff to make it all work) and was just waiting for the right spot.  This seemed to be it since there’s little else to do in Gore.  Well, if you’re got the fishing mania, nothing else compares.  (It’s a disease you know, like golf only possibly worse).

Anyway, Ann was gracious enough to “go it alone” for an afternoon, so after dropping her off, I headed out to a recommended stream.  Down a gravel road (all “good” fly fishing goes down a gravel road), literally in this sense heading over hill and dale.  Just the drive was an adventure!

Heading out cross country before hitting the gravel road.

Once well out in the country I found the promised land.  A nice little river, about 20 yards across.  OK, enough detail about that fishing stuff.

After a little while “finding” my technique after not fly fishing for a couple years, I finally was targeting some holes when I cast into a riffle behind a rock and WHAM! A trout hit the line!  I jerked the pole back to set the hook and the trout exploded upward in a cascade of foaming white water, valiantly thrashing from side to side in mid-air as he threw the took out of his mouth.

What?   Bummer!

Guess I didn’t set the hook well enough.  Oh well, that’s what being out of practice brings. They say “almost” doesn’t count, but that’s not true.  Almost catching that trout was so exciting I think I’ll go out and try again.

This was a different spot where Ann came and read a book on the bank, but you get the picture. Nice.

Anyway, I had a great time back on the stream and am looking forward to a couple more tries as we move north.  My goal?  To catch a Kiwi trout so I can really know I’ve fly-fished New Zealand.

New Zealand has so many hiking tracks it makes my head spin trying to decide which one to do. While aboard our overnight boat on Doubtful Sound I took advantage of the captain’s local knowledge and was given directions to his favorite hike in this area. Our instructions were hastily written on a napkin and remarkably we were able to find the specific area that Captain William suggested and were properly rewarded with yet another breathtaking hike.

Heading out...

Unlike the soft, muted world of the hobbits on the Kepler Track, the Hollyford Track ran alongside a loud, happy river that teased Bob all day. William assured Bob it was loaded with trout and Bob gazed longingly off of the fourteen bridges encountered along the trail, looking for them.

One of the suspension bridges.

Much of the walk was along the river...

There had been steady rain the night before and I was worried about mud but there was no reason to be concerned. The trails drain very quickly as this is all on granite. So no puddles but the rain had turned to snow and dusted the high peaks with a fresh layer of snow and left the trail much cooler than we had expected. So we put on every layer of warm clothes we had and beat the crowds to the trail. Well, not really crowds as there are so many choices to hike you don’t run in to very many people. I counted 25 people in a six hour hike.

The river was fed by several waterfalls, including two very large ones, including the hidden one that our lunch hut was named for. We lunched at the Hidden Falls Hut. New Zealand’s hut system provides solid huts for hikers to stay in overnight. We did not stay overnight but it was really fun to see what these look like outside of the brochures. The hut was large enough to sleep twenty-four adults and was very clean. The toilet off in the bushes however was home to a large number of giant black flies. Only one was in view as I unzipped my pants and prepared to take a seat. I opened the lid and more than a dozen additional monstrous black flies few at me! I almost tripped getting out of the door and away from the beasts! Oh well, how do you keep an alpine toilet fly-free?

The hut was situated in an open alpine valley surrounded by snowy peaks and full of yellow flowers. Lose the flies and you have perfection.

A modern hut.

Inside the hut...

View from the hut...

As we prepared to depart, another couple from San Francisco showed up on their way to the next hut. And then a delightful 70+ year old woman who worked for the Department of Conservation and was there to make sure all was in good shape, the wood-pile was full (yes, the hut even has a wood-burning stove), and the toilets were in good shape…look out gigantic flies – your days are numbered!

I Have Seen Where The Hobbits Live!

Everyone knows that New Zealand is the land of the hobbit. I was not sure. At least not until our recent hike.

We walked along a section of the Great Kepler Track. New Zealand is famous for their Great Walks and we are trying to hit some of them on our travels. Exhausted from our Doubtful Sound boat ride ( I think we were over stimulated!), we decided to head to our next hostel–the Barnyard Backpackers.

The outside of the Barnyard Backpackers hostel.

This hostel boasts of their deer farm and their remote location. Okay, I will bite! Especially after a particularly uncomfortable stay at the Te Anau Youth Hostel. Thankfully this one is delightful! One could say we are “back in the saddle”! Our current hostel has no Internet, good and bad. The main lodge has tables set facing the windows to enjoy the view and even a pool table up in a loft. And…a sweet girl from Orange County, California at the front desk. The world is small. Our room is half of a small cabin set lower on the hill overlooking the sheep, cows, horses and deer! Lots of open space.

The view out to the right of our cabin...

...and looking out to the left, we see...a domestic deer herd!

But no hobbits. The hobbits live across the valley in the forest. It is startling how different each one of our hikes has been. This portion of the Kepler Track boasts a forest carpeted with thick moss that winds underneath towering beech trees that let the sunlight gently filter in. No noisy rivers to ford, just birds filling the canopy with music. Perfect place for a hobbit to hide. If you look closely you can see their trails going off the main trail deeper into the woods. And the soft moss allows them to move around silently.

Most disturbing are the hobbit traps. Clearly they are traps. These holes are four feet deep and four feet in diameter. They are coated in the same soft moss that cover the walking path – obvious camouflage. I even saw one hole that had a branch over the top to entice the hobbits to use it as a footbridge. I am sure it would not support their weight. In another hole I saw one to the “bridges” leaning against the wall of the hole. Obviously an escape route. These hobbits are smart. Their hiding spots can be found inside the trees and under their roots if you look hard.

I would share some of my pictures of these hobbit habitats but as “luck” would have it…while deleting a few out of focus shots, mysteriously all of these hobbit-related pictures disappeared! Seriously! Obviously the work of the hobbits.

I am on alert for them now…especially when I noticed how unnaturally low to the ground the door knob in our cabin is. Perfect for hobbits. The good thing about identifying them is that they wander around barefoot and they have very furry feet. I am watching people’s feet!

Its Saturday here and we just got to Te Anau down in Fjordland (I.e. the sw corner of the South Island. We’ll stay the night and are going on the Doubtful Sound overnight boat tour tomorrow. They only take 14 passengers, so we’re hoping for a fun time to report on in a couple days.

See you then!

Overheard from a group of twenty-somethings at our hostel, “It is supposed to rain tomorrow….Puzzling World time!” Wait a minute! I already mentioned Puzzling World and was working on fitting it into our schedule but I was surprised to hear it was on their list too. I must be very hip!

The morning started off cloudy but suddenly the clouds began to clear and my plans were about to change. Bob decided he needed to investigate this small town that has more stores than ALL of the places we have been before but you know me…I had seen a bike trail nearby that was calling to me. So I rented a bike and headed up the coast of the Lake Wanaka. It is a lovely path that runs along side the lake allowing you to get quite wind blown until you reach the turn off to Clutha River.

Selfie!

Suddenly the path gets much smaller and hugs the cliffs and meanders happily along the river amongst the aspen trees. Ahhh..Heaven on earth! As the sky continued to clear I pushed onward enjoying the stunning views accompanied by the music of the river.

Through the trees...

...and along the river.

I turned around after an hour as I had promised Bob I would not be gone too long. And good thing I did because as I got out of the shower at the hostel the skies opened and a squall blowing tons of rain sideways came through. Perfect timing! Charisma mana!

Good thing I had such a beautiful relaxing ride because Puzzling World was work for the mind! There is a huge outdoor maze, which we passed on due to weather, an Illusion Room and a cafeteria-size room of mind-bending puzzles! The Illusion Room was incredibly well done. We will share pictures later. So amazing! Pun intended! I thought we would spend a half hour at the tables of games and boy was I wrong. Never give up! And so we spent two hours working puzzles! I loved it.

You have to keep your wits about you...

...because things are not what they seem!

Our fun-filled day ended with a happy surprise…our friends Bob and Linda from Bright Angel who have also been traveling the South Island were sitting in the living room of our hostel, having just arrived. So dinner with great company ended a terrific day!

We had a beautiful hike today up to the Rob Roy Glacier.  The road in had us fording five streams and we went over nine cattle guards – the steel guards on the road that keep cattle and sheep from escaping from their field.  Well, they almost worked.

Not your father's Ford. Look out for the stream!

We're used to the sheep being behind the fence. Not necessarily here.

So, we went to the Rob Roy Glacier today.  You can partly see why it was called the Rob Roy.  This spot has a strong resemblance to Scotland.  It’s so beautiful, yet still untouched. You drive something like 50 km on a dirt road through range/farmland with sheep, cows, wheat and such.  After an hour or so you finally get to the end of the road.  That’s the hint that it’s time to hike.  Then it’s about a 2 hour hike up to the glacier where the view is just breathtaking.  We even witnessed an avalanche!  We were eating lunch and heard an explosion!  Since the sky was clouding over the first thought was thunder, but a quick look up the valley and we could see where a part of the glacier broke off and was thundering down the mountain.  Very humbling.

The only problem is the glacier is so big and so grand, it’s almost impossible to capture on camera – but here’s the best we could do.

Starting our hike among the cows...

Glacier fed river...

Moss on the rocks on the hike in....

View of the glacier...

Close up of the glacier...

Ann of the mountains...

Glacier Waterfalls...

Alpine flower...

So…rain tonight.  We’re spending tomorrow (rain) walking around the town or Wanaka.  Then onward to TeAanu where we’ll stage for our Doubtful Sound boat trip scheduled for Sunday.  We planned it for clear weather but it looks like we might have some rain.  We’ll see.

(By Ann)

Today we hiked the Hooker Valley Trail at Mt. Cook. Wow!

But before we leave Twizel (The Fizzel) we need to share the one highlight of Twizel. The Salmon pizza at Shawty’s was absolutely the best pizza ever! Okay, enough on Twizel.  Don’t go there.

Today we got up close and personal with Mt. Cook. What a fabulous hike! Mt Cook is the tallest mountain in New Zealand. The star of the Southern Alps! We felt like we were in Switzerland on a warm day. It was such a treat!

Approaching the trail head in the morning.

I saw a sign outside a restaurant in Nelson that said, “Nothing we can write in chalk on this board can do justice to our food.” Well, nothing I can say can accurately describe our hike. Other than it took longer than we thought it would, but then I guess that gets back to this blog title…lots and lots of pictures were taken and that takes time! Thank God for digital cameras. There is no way we could have carried enough film!

As I hiked this glorious trail I tried to come up with the perfect adjective…glorific! Fantabulous! None of them do it justice so the pictures will have to do the trick!

Mt Cook in the background.

The valley on the way in.

We took so many shots it was hard to decide what to include. In this case, note the grey water-this time of the year the glacier is melting and sending heavy silt down stream.

More of the grey river, but a beauteous day!

One of the huts on the mountain.

The Mountaineer...

...and Bob.

We are now in Wanaka (rhymes with Hanukkah). It is lovely. We drove through a gorgeous mountain pass to get here. Wanaka has an airplane museum, Puzzleworld and aspens. I think we are going to like it here!

Today we continued our mountain travels.  We headed out of Geraldine to Lake Tekapo. There’s some beautiful country in between, although it was very cloudy most of the way. Fortunately there is a mountain range just north of Tekapo that magically (as you’ll see) blocked the clouds.  They tried all day to go over and in through the pass, but didn’t make it.  That left our day hiking at Tekapo and then heading to our ultimate destination at Twizel nothing but blue skies!

Some of the country we drove through.

We had a lovely hike up to the observatory at Tekapo. Yes, observatory. They put those on the top of really tall mountains. Ann is trying to kill me-it was three hours straight uphill-but with beautiful views of the lake.

Our lunch spot. Just stunning!

View from the summit.

One of the passes in the background. You can just see where the clouds are stacking up on the other side.

After our hike up (and down) the mountain, we continued on our way to Twizel (pronounced “Twyzel”, but it maybe should more accurately rhyme with “fizzle”-not too exciting a place).  Coming around a curve we suddenly saw Mt. Cook.  Grand!  It is a hugely majestic mountain and we’re looking forward to visiting and hiking there tomorrow.

Mt Cook in the distance at the far end of Lake Pukaki.

Ann getting acquainted with Mt. Cook (which in this picture is still 80 km in the distance).

So, tomorrow we drive to the base of Mt. Cook some 80 km away.  We’ll hope for another clear day.

A word on the town of Twizel for those who might follow in our footsteps.  It’s an OK place to stage for further adventure, i.e. Mt. Cook, but don’t expect much.  Our hostel (“High Country Lodge”) and the town in general rate about a “1” on a scale of 1-10 for charm. There is literally none here.  It’s a clean room, but more a barracks than a lodge.  Oh well, we’re been so lucky this far we really can’t complain.  Oops, we just did!    😉