NZ: a taste

I really can't put into words how much I enjoyed my trip to New Zealand.

First, it was unlike any trip I've ever taken - I've never done so much preparation before traveling.  New Zealand's popularity, and the restrictions they put on some of their hiking trails mean that advance reservations are required, by as much as six months for the most well known walks.  As a result, Matthew and I had booked every hike, every night's lodging, and nearly every leg of transportation well before we ever stepped foot on the plane. While that seemed on the one hand limiting, preventing unplanned side trips, it was, in fact, freeing.  Once we arrived, very little had to be sorted out, and we could focus on, well, enjoying ourselves.  Anyway, a 3 week trip wouldn't have allowed for too many stray adventures - due to our carefully researched and meticulously crafted advanced plans, we were already packing as much into those three weeks as they could hold.

Second, we spent an enormous fraction of the trip outside, simply enjoying nature, and enjoying it very simply.  New Zealand is renowned for its natural beauty, and we wanted that to be the star of the trip.  So instead of planning stops in each of NZ's distinct and quirky towns, instead of planning adrenaline pumping outings involving ropes and swings and parachutes, we choose to walk through NZ, exploring hikes that highlighted NZ's particular beauty and immense diversity, 5 of them in fact, in 5 distinct areas of the country.

Third, that fact that so much or our trip was spent walking in the woods was immensely meditative.  The physical exertion coupled with the quiet and contemplative setting was immensely refreshing.  We walked over a hundred miles, sometimes sharing trails with others, and often alone.  It was everything that I hoped for, and was rejuvenating in a way that I think I needed more than I ever realized.

So below are a few (okay, a bit more than a few) photos from my trip.  I had trouble culling the collection...  As usual, this website has managed to leech out some of the color from the photos, but I think they still convey NZ's rich beauty.  (And for the suckers, I have plenty of more I'd be happy to share with you in person....)

Opening salvo: three days in the Whiranaki rain forest, known for its towering podocarps, lingering from the age of the dinosaurs.  Very beautiful, very green, and yes, rather moist.

Every shade of green, while waiting to hitch a ride, outside of Whirinaki.

After the north island we flew to Queenstown on the south, where we rented a car and drove up the wild and beautiful, and sparesely populated, west coast, to the Franz Josef (immediately below) and Fox (below Franz Josef) Glaciers flowing down from the Southern Alps.

Climbing the ice, aided by ropes, crampons, and steps cut into some steep sections by the guides.

Hard to capture scale on the glacier, but the people in the bottom right of this photo might give a sense.  (Also in the photo above of Franz Josef, its about 10km from the bottom of the photo to the top of the shadow stretching over the ice.

Climbing out of an ice tunnel (very wet and cold).  Fortunately, the day was rather warm (low 70's) which was a bit counter-intuitive surrounded by so much ice.  That our guide was wearing shorts, however, had less to do with the temperature, and more to do with the kiwi belief that tramping should always be done in shorts and gaiters.

The Southern Alps, reflected on a lagoon off the Tasman Sea.

It wouldn't be NZ without a lot of sheep...  Although, sheep farming is now declining, after a peak of about 75million sheep in the 80s, there are now only 25-30 million, and cattle are becoming more common in the landscape.  Despite the decline, NZ keeps the distinction of most sheep per capita.

I had to laugh, when reviewing my photos, at having taken so many shot of trees, and waterfalls.

Dramatic skies over Lake Wanaka

The Routeburn Track is a stunning alpine crossing, rising out of Mount Aspiring National Park, crossing over Harris Saddle, and down into Fiordland National Park.  After climbing in the rain on day one, serenaded by freshly sprung waterfalls on every side, we spent the night fog bound at Routeburn Halls Hut.  In the morning, we climbed out of the clouds into the brilliant alpine sun.

First view of Harris Saddle (the V-notch), our path over the Darren Mountains.

Looking back down the valley, and the stream twisting away from the outflow of Lake Harris.

Lake Harris

We dropped our packs at the saddle, and climbed one of the adjacent peaks.  Though windy and cold, the views between the clouds were stunning, all the way down the valleys on either side, and all the way out to the sea in the west.

Though treeless, the alpine flora was incredibly diverse and very beautiful.

Coming down the other side, with jewel toned Lake Mackenzie.

Our very own Fanghorn forest.

Silver beeches, with striking white moss accentuating their twisting upper branches, topped by shocks of green.

Getting pretty good at the self portraits, on top of Key Summit, a flat mountain topped by an scrub marsh; last day on Routeburn.

After Routeburn, we took the bus to Te Anau, and had one night to shower, launder, and restock supplies, before heading out the next day to begin Milford Track.  Often called 'the most beautiful walk in the world' it traverses NZ's stunning fiordland, in the southwest of the south island - narrow glacier carved valleys opening to the Tasman Sea, and one of the wettest parts of NZ, receiving as much as 8 meters of rain per year.

Rather soggy after a morning of walking in the rain - said to be the best way to experience Fiordland, as rain makes every mountain face a waterfall, resulting in a stunning walk up the valley with cascading water pouring down on both sides.  The rapid influx of water also often results in trail flooding, alas, as we had to trudge through two feet of water for several long stretches.  I think the trade off was worth it, but Matthew did not exactly agree.

Climbing out of the fog in Clinton Valley, towards McKinnon pass.

Looking down towards the river we had just climbed up from, a significant amount of switchbacks later.

Crossing one of many 'swing' bridges on the trail.

Fairy tail or hiking trail?

Again, difficulties capturing scale diminish the impressiveness, but at over 500m, this is NZ's highest waterfall.

The end of our last hike in NZ

Only hike I've ever been on that had to be accessed by boat at both ends.  It traverses the mountains between Milford Sound (open to the Tasman Sea) and Lake Te Anau in the center of the south island.  The Track was first scouted as a proposed route to bring goods over the mountains from cargo ships on the sound to the Lake, to supply the south island interior.

Sunrise view from our hotel room in Queenstown.

Maori totem with abalone eyes.