Day 38 Queenstown to Mt Cook National Park

Day 38 Queenstown to Mt Cook National Park

Another lovely breakfast overlooking the lake and we packed up for the drive to Mt Cook National Park.  We had a great view of Mt Cook from the West Coast, but today we are approaching from the southeast….where the base camp for the climb to the summit is located.

Instead of lupins, the road out of Queenstown is lined with flax, ‘Pampas’ grass, yellow-flowering gorse and the white flowers of menuca….which bees use to make the special honey that sells for £25 a jar…We crossed the Shotover River – where the Queenstown jetboats go – and drove up to the world’s first ever bungy.  One member of our group did this bungy yesterday….way too scary for me – and he said he had a headache all day from bouncing upside down.  We watched one petrified young lady make the jump – she did not look like she wanted to do it, forgot to dive head first and was yanked upside down, screaming the whole time…..no, thanks….

We drove through the Gibston Valley wine region – if I’d been driving, we would have shopped at the very inviting ‘Winery and Cheesery’, though perhaps it was a bit early… There were also cherry orchards, sheep and cattle ranches….It is impossible to name all the different shades of green….but as we then began to follow the Kawarau Gorge, the vegetation became scrub and we entered the historic goldmining area….Again, if I’d been driving, I would have stopped to look at the buildings and equipment, including a ‘flying fox’ just abandoned when the gold ran out.

We passed through Cromwell with its huge fruit sculpture – and ‘Wooing Tree’ where the goldminers would take their women to propose – and the tiny newtown of Tarras – built as a temporary town when the Lake Dunstan hydroelectric scheme was built. (The old town is at the bottom of the lake.) and now a major centre for merino wool…particularly the Icebreaker brand of clothing.

We drove over the Lindis Pass and had a quick stop in Omarama….unfortunately missing the rodeo, which took place yesterday…..We passed another lake formed by a hydroelectric scheme that has been designed as a competition rowing lake.  (This is why New Zealand rowers win so many medals…) and finally stopped for lunch at a garden café in Twizels. 

After lunch, we drove the last bit to Mt Cook National Park and began with an hour-long hike up to the Blue Tarns (They are actually green…) with floating icebergs at a glacier terminal.  We then did another hike – this one 3 hours - up the Hooker Valley….The walk was much more gentle than our recent walks except that the wind was about 40mph, blowing us off the track, and there were three high suspension bridges over the river on the way to the terminal lake and another glacier.  This was one of my favourite walks of the trip….much less ‘up’ and some great views…another rare plant for our collection, too – the Mt Cook lily only grows in this one valley…it has leaves like lily pads and a daisy-like flower.

A much-needed shower in our alpine lodge hotel and off we went to dinner at Sir Edmund Hillary’s favourite mountaineering bar and restaurant.  The décor was historical mountaineer…(I’m sure my dad had skis like those…) but the food was good…and there were views of Mt Cook and surrounding peaks out the double story floor to ceiling window.

With all that walking and a good meal, we collapsed into bed and fell almost immediately to sleep.

 

Day 37 Queenstown

Day 37 Queenstown

Having gone to bed early and exhausted yesterday, we were up at 8 and ready to go….of course it was the one day on this section of the trip that we didn’t need to get up at all! Anyway, we had a lovely breakfast overlooking the lake with the mountains in the background and then found a walking trail through the forest into town….  We went first to the Kiwi Birdlife Park – arriving just in time for the kiwi feeding and talk at 10…perfect timing to see the curious little creatures – actually a bit bigger than we thought…and almost mammal-like with whiskers, bone marrow and furry-looking feathers.  We also saw the various kinds of native parakeets, ducks and – with some persistence – the wekas.  The other star of the park is a reptile….the tuatara - - a 200 million year old species – possibly the only remaining reptile from the time of the dinosaurs and that lives to be 200 years old…very cool….  There was an excellent ‘conservation’ show and explanation of the breeding and release programmes undertaken by the trust that runs the park.  It wasn’t inexpensive but they receive no government funding and profit is put into further conservation…so it is well worth the entrance fee.  They made the point that one of the best things that tourists could do to help endangered species was to buy possum-fur products….to encourage the trapping of possums, introduced from Australia, deadly for all native land-based species and running rampant through both North and South Islands.

We walked from the park down into the town, exploring a few of the touristy streets (a queue for ‘Fergburgers’, sales in the mountain sport shops, ever more effusive advertisements for bungee jumping, skydiving, 4x4 safaris and dozens of other ways to maim or kill yourself and all at a stupidly high price)….got a coffee at a café in the Queenstown mall and sat in the shade near the lakeside beach watching the gondolas and paragliders behind us and jetboats, pedalos, sailboats, swimmers (oooh..cold!) and steamboat enjoying the lake.  We strolled along the harbourside and found the underwater observatory where the trout, salmon, diving ducks and New Zealand long-finned eel obligingly put on a show for us.

We had a late lunch/early dinner at Hell Pizza….Rob had a ‘lust’ pizza and I had ‘Purgatory’ - - not sure what the psychology of that might be… and then climbed the forest path back to the hotel.  Our plans for the evening include repacking, reading, chilling - - and ordering room service if necessary!

Day 36 Milford Sound to Queenstown

Day 36 Milford Sound to Queenstown

Another exhausting day….We awoke at 6:30 for our onboard breakfast and then joined our fellow passengers on deck for a cruise out of Milford Sound onto the rolling Tasman Sea. The ship’s nature guide regaled us with stories of explorers (Captain Cook sailed right by the entrance to Milford Sound twice without ever noticing it…), Maoris (There is a legend that the biting sandflies – the only creatures to spoil the absolute perfection of the place were sent by the gods to ensure that people didn’t stand and stare but moved on with their work…), geology and wildlife.  We saw seabirds such as shearwaters and black-backed gulls and a large group of New Zealand fur seals – the young males – playing and sunning themselves on the rocks.  The young males are kicked out of the colony and stay in the relative safety of Milford Sound until maturity, when they return to the colony to fight for their place in the hierarchy.  We saw one seal climb several metres straight up a slippery vertical rock – and another tiny pup try and try again to climb up a much smaller crag….very cute, poor thing….still a bit of growing to do…..

We cruised back up the sound…fewer waterfalls today, but patches of blue sky between the misty peaks…under the waterfall again and smoothly into dock where Nicole was waiting for us to drive us back up the Milford Highway.

We passed the ‘Chasm’ waterfall again and drove through thick fog to the Homer Tunnel. Once through the tunnel, the sky suddenly cleared to brilliant sunshine – and we photographed many of the same places of yesterday, now sparkling in the sun.  We stopped again at Macpherson Glacier….and then at Falls Creek – where Nicole decided to jump off the falls….”It has to be done,” she said – we were a tad worried for her as we do need her for the rest of the trip…but she had done it many times as a child and was quite determined.  Several other buses stopped to view the falls, so she had something of an audience as she jumped in, swam to the side and safely climbed out….It was a bit colder than she remembered though…she said it knocked the breath out of her……

We stopped at ‘The Divide’ to make the trek to Key Summit - - - a 3 hour walk including a climb of 300 metres for fantastic views….another of the more challenging walks of the trip…and then took the hour-long nature walk at the summit, stopping for lunch halfway around.  We saw a beautiful moss garden – and a rare Kaka bird…and ran into another Adventure South group at the top to compare notes…..

The rest of the drive to Queenstown – through Te Anau, Mossburn, Garston and Kingston passed uneventfully….though the sun streaming through the windows made it much hotter and seem much longer than the trip out yesterday…..

Nicole gave us a ‘turkey tour’ of the very busy town…..so much civilisation after the wilderness of the last few days….and took us to our accommodation for the next two nights.  It’s quite a ways out of town….we were told a 15 minute walk….but I think at least double that and halfway up a mountain (thank goodness there’s a shuttle bus).  Tomorrow is a free day in Queenstown to sample some of the touristy delights…..it is supposed to be our chance to bungy jump, go whitewater rafting, try river surfing or sky diving….but I think we are going to have a rest day instead…This trip has been a bit full on….and I have more than a little laundry to do!

Day 35 Wanaka to Milford Sound

Day 35 Wanaka to Milford Sound

We breakfasted at the Cherry May café and set off on what was billed as a ‘driving day’ with a short, but challenging walk – but the heavy rain meant that Nicole changed the ‘short’ walk into a number of ‘short, short’ easy walks – leaving the more challenging one for tomorrow when predictions are for better weather. Nicole – and every Kiwi we met today – told us how lucky we were that it was raining…..  We eventually found out why….as we reached the Milford Highway and Homer tunnel, temporary waterfalls sprang into life, cascading hundreds of metres in thin ribbons of white threaded through the mountain vegetation.  It was equally spectacular in the fjord itself….

Our drive from Wanaka was filled with notable sights….colourful lupins (planted by colonists and later by tourists) along the roadsides and rivers, the beginning of a tent city at the location of the famous ‘Rhythm and Alps’ music festival which begins in a few days, the famous, historical Cardrona pub from the Speight beer adverts, cyclists fighting the rain and hills on their way to or from Queenstown, Arrowtown (a historical and touristy goldmining town), the Remarkables Mountains, filmed as the fiery mountains (Ered Lithiue) in Lord of the Rings (every time I think we’ve finished the LotR tour, another film set pops up….apparently there were 350 of them….), Garston (NZ’s most inland village) and the Kingston Flyer.(a working steam train – just for tourists, of course).

We actually stopped in Mossburn – the deer capital of NZ.  Red deer and wapiti were gifted to NZ by Theodore Roosevelt in the early 1900s for hunting but – as with most introduced species – became a pest…and in the 1960s it was decided to farm them.  So….a number of well-paid, brave (and foolhardy????) ‘cowboys’ jumped off the  skids of helicopters onto the backs of stags and wrestled them to the ground, capturing them to be transported to stations around Mossburn.  This story caused much hilarity on our bus as we imagined the meeting where it was decided that this was a good idea…. (Eventually it was decided that dropping nets might be a bit less risky..) 

Our lunch stop was at Te Anau, the gateway to ‘Fiordland’. There were some lovely cafes and shops and a beautiful lakeside.  We didn’t have time to do the cruise to the famous glow-worm caves…our intimate adventure at Punaikai will have to suffice for that….

Back on the bus, we passed Charteris station in Te Anau Downs – a huge station, made up of the parcels of land given to WW1 vets on their return from war after the vets gave up trying to farm land so far from everything with no roads….then   followed the Eglington River (world famous for fly-fishing, apparently) for a couple of hours, then stopped at Knob’s Flat for the ‘last flush toilets until Milford’ and to find out about the wildlife in the national park.  The pekapeka bat is New Zealand’s only native land-based mammal – and this is one of the only places they are likely to be seen….but only at night – so we’re not likely to see them here either.                   

We took the Lake Gunn walk in the rain….120 different types of moss, 3 types of beech, very unusual burls or galls and a plant called ‘stinkwood’ that certainly lived up to its name…..The lake was named for a farmer that had to walk his cows to market eight days from his station, along this lake with his dog Fergus….and who drowned with his dog one time when there was a flash flood…..The bodies were apparently found this time….but still another tragic story.

 We drove across ‘the Divide’ so back to the West Coast….along a section of road with 40 avalanche chutes….quite often closed in winter – no surprise… to a beautiful series of waterfalls, first at Falls Creek and then  beneath the huge MacPherson glacier, just before the Homer Tunnel.  We got out in the rain to photograph the beautiful scene and were rewarded by the additional sight of 2 cheeky kea birds, raising their green outer wings to show off the brilliant red/orange underneath.

The Homer Tunnel took 10 years to build – spread over 18years because the build was interrupted by WW2.  It was dug through 1.2km of solid granite – even dynamite explosions only moved it forward 30 cm at a time…. It is now the location of a naked race on every April 1^st….our guide, Nicole, came second last year…..

We then drove down to the edge of Milford Sound….arriving at 4:10 with boarding time for our cruise at 4:20….Nicole is a master of timing…..even fully clothed…..

We boarded the Milford Wanderer for our overnight cruise and were immediately served a delicious potato and leek soup.  I am not generally a great fan of cruises….there isn’t a lot to do so they stuff you with food and drink, but this was better than most…  We cruised the fjord, looking at the temporary waterfalls, impressive mountain walls and went under Stirling falls – the largest of the permanent falls.  We then got into a tender for a guided nature cruise closer to shore. There was also an option to jump from the boat and go for a swim…..but that was just too cold.

It is a particularly interesting bit of coastline because the tannin-filled freshwater from the high mountains forms a layer on top of the salty seawater…..fooling deepsea life into thinking it belongs.  It is one of the few places on earth where black coral grows at a level where it can be seen.  There is an underwater observatory in the sound….but it was closed by the time we got there….

Anyway, a lovely dinner and pleasant evening, moored beneath Mitre Mountain – so named because the summit resembles a bishop’s hat….and a good night’s sleep, gently rocking in the sheltered cove…..

Day 34 Wanaka

Day 34 Wanaka

Whilst you were all sleeping off Christmas and planning what to but in the Boxing Day sales, we were up for breakfast by 8 (a lie-in for us…to give poor Nicole time to make us breakfast as the hotel doesn’t supply it…) and off for a fantastic jet boat ride up the braided channels of the Matukituki river into Mt Aspiring National Park.  We saw the hanging glaciers of Mount Avalanche, a white heron, a paradise duck (without her partner….Apparently they mate for life and if the female dies, the male stays alone…if the male dies, though, the female looks for a new mate…..Nicole says the one we saw is probably a ‘hussy’…) and we went beneath yet another lord of the rings set – this time we passed by Amon Sul – or the watchtower of weathertop – Rob loved it – he can be such a nerd!- anyway then we took a 50 minute walk through beautiful beech forest in the national park….but the highlight was the boat itself….amazingly smooth ride over rapids and in only 6 inches of water over a rocky bed at a very good speed. Of course, our ‘captain’ James spun it a few times and we got wet…..but nevertheless, it was great….Rob said that he wants one of those for next Christmas!

After the boat ride and forest walk, a couple of the group returned to town….not willing to tackle what is reputedly the second toughest trek on our tour.  Rob and I were each hoping the other would back out but we chickened out of chickening out so on we went.  It was a beautiful day – mid 20s and sunny – unlike when we tackled the Tongariro Alpine Crossing – so we actually enjoyed most of the walk…. We circled Diamond Lake and then climbed to a viewpoint over the lake….but that was just the start.  We zigzagged back and forth over rocky crags, trudged up grassy goat tracks and clambered around boulders until nearly two hours later, ‘glowing’ profusely and out of breath, we reached the summit of Rocky Mountain – for a spectacular  view over the Matukitiki river valley – where we had been boating in the morning – and Lake Wanaka with its islands and surrounding glacial peaks. One of the islands (sorry, I’ve forgotten its name) has a lake on it….so there is a lake on an island in a lake on an island…..Nicole spent many summers in this area as a child – she and her family would take their boat to that island and climb up to the lake.  We decided to pass on that experience as we still had about 5 kilometres to go just to get back to the bus….

We removed our boots with relief and had a much-needed shower. Rob collapsed on the bed while I went out to buy some food for dinner in.  We ate in front of Masterchef, packed up for tomorrow’s adventures and fell into bed exhausted at not long after 9:00…… 

Day 33 Fox Glacier and the Haast Pass

Day 33 Fox Glacier and the Haast Pass

Christmas morning….We mustered (common Kiwi-speak) at seven for a pre-breakfast walk around Lake Matheson, the ‘reflecting’ lake, for spectacular views of Mt Cook before any tour buses arrived…It was a lovely walk with gentle undulations along a forested path with viewpoints at regular intervals.  In Maori, Mt Cook’s name means ‘Cloud Piercer’ and that is exactly what she was doing today….We returned to our hotel for breakfast and to wave off Alex, the one member of our group who decided to risk the helicopter ride over the glaciers. (As Rob says, “I don’t like cable cars….and a helicopter is just a cable car without the cables……”) After breakfast, we hiked up to the terminal of Fox glacier.  It is lovely and blue….just as a glacier should be….but retreating every year and not likely to last much more than another 20 years. Nicole, our guide, showed us where the terminal had been last year…at least two hundred metres further down the valley.  The path is changed annually to take tourists as close as is safe….there have been a number of tragedies involving those who have tried to go even closer….  Alex joined us as we climbed back down, reporting magical scenes from above….she does have some lovely photos….

We then loaded up the bus – Nicole in her light-up Santa hat and my Christmas tree swinging in the windscreen - and followed route 6 south again, stopping at the lovely beach at Bruce Bay for lunch, the viewing area at Knight’s Point  (Before the road was built in the 1960s, this is where cattle destined for the local stations swam ashore…), Thunder Creek Falls (28 metres into a crystal clear stream, where we filled our water bottles) and Haast Gates rapids – before finally navigating the pass itself and hearing more scare stories of people maimed and killed…..Rob has informed Nicole that she really needs to learn some stories that don’t end “..and the bodies were never found…”.

Back on what is known as the ‘East Coast’ we passed glacial lakes, sheep and deer stations and tiny tourist towns as we wended our way to Wanaka – where we will stay for two nights.  Nearly everything in the town was closed for Christmas Day, so Nicole cooked us a traditional New Zealand Christmas meal….really sweet of her…and very good, too….turkey, stuffing, Maori sweet potatoes, salads and the ‘must-have’ dessert…Pavlova with fresh fruit.  It was a fun evening…completed with Secret Santa presents and sparkling wine….Also a lie-in tomorrow – breakfast isn’t until 8:00!

Day 32 Hokitika, Lake Mapounka and Franz Josef

Day 32 Hokitika, Lake Mapounka and Franz Josef

It was Christmas Eve – though it was difficult to tell here….We drove south through Greytown, the largest town in the area and across a shared rail and road bridge….Now this didn’t sound odd until we realised that the railway runs down the middle of the single track road right across the bridge – sharing the same space as the cars – not next to it, right along with it…..and we think level crossings are dangerous!  Just before the bride was also the strangest mailbox I’ve ever seen…it was made from a microwave oven….whatever…

It was quite a beautiful drive, the Southern Alps to our left, winding roads crossing rivers pastel blue with glacial ‘flower’ and chalky river beaches.  We went through Ross – the gold mining centre - and stopped for morning coffee at Hokitika – the greenstone centre, exploring the various shops and galleries.

We drove on, then, past the lagoon at Okarito – a wetlands conservation area – and the Kotuku (white heron) sanctuary to the edge of Lake Mapounka. It was a perfect day – 22 degrees and bright sunshine….we could see the Franz Josef glacier in the distance. We ate our lunch on the dock and then 3 of us went on a guided kayak tour around the lake

and into a creek that ran into the Kiwi reserve.  Kiwis are nocturnal, so there was no chance of seeing them…..but we did see a magnificent white heron….obviously an escapee from the sanctuary we had passed….  We also tried a bit of ‘bush tucker’ – a very peppery leaf that the Maori use as a seasoning in hangi cooking.  Our guide, Mike, was a Canadian….he wore a Santa hat and played the Michael Buble Christmas album in his van….so a little bit Christmassy…..

Kayaking here was a little different…..We wore ‘splash aprons’ for a start….so didn’t even get wet….and the kayaks have rudders that are worked with pedals.  Rob and I went in a 2-man kayak so he had to steer….not an easy task….and we had to work as a team, paddling at the same pace on the same sides.  Once we got the hang of it all, we did really well and 3 hours passed in a flash.  I have a feeling our arms will be aching tomorrow…

We met up with the rest of the group (who had hiked to a viewpoint to see the Franz Josef glacier) in Franz Josef town.  We had a coffee and explored the shops a bit more….Nicole had bought a Santa hat to match the other guides, so she drove us to our Christmas Eve lodgings beneath Fox Glacier with the beginnings of some Christmas cheer. Rob began whistling Christmas carols that didn’t go down as well…hopefully he can restrain himself slightly tomorrow on our Christmas day glacier hikes!  

Day 31 Motueka to Punakaiki via the Buller River Gorge

We packed up the minibus and drove nearly 2 hours along winding roads to Murchison – one of the main adventure tourism towns….population 490 – 2 cafes, a supermarket, a secondhand shop, a post office, a museum and what seemed a hundred adventure sports companies for rafting, kayaking, horseback riding, helicopters, sky diving….you name it!  We just had coffee as our adventures were still another two hour drive away on the ‘West Coast’.  We followed the impressive Buller River through its gorge, winding again on the narrow highway 6.

We arrived in Punakaiki just after high tide in the Tasman Bay and went straight to Pancake Rocks to see if the waves were gushing through the various blowholes in the strange limestone formations….Unfortunately for us, the Tasman Sea was very calm today – well, for the Tasman Sea, so the effect was a bit subdued though the rock formations themselves were quite spectacular.  We had lunch at the headland and then drove a short distance to the start of the Porari River track.  We walked the path for 3 ½ kilometres as it climbed alongside the river – through beautiful forest and between boulders  - and then reversed our journey to avoid having to walk along the road.  I couldn’t resist climbing down from the path to feel the water…it was warmer than where we swam yesterday!

We then took the short Truman track down to a lovely beach with a waterfall and more of the pancake-like limestone enclosing it on three sides.  I found some green pebbles that sure look like the world famous ‘greenstone’ to me….but Nicole told me that they are just quartz with nickel or copper inclusions…that’s disappointing – but they are still pretty – and very green…..

We checked into our hotel – another lovely one, right on the beach with sea views….and ate together in the hotel restaurant overlooking a beach with yet more of those pancake rocks framing it and then met up again at 9pm to visit the glowworm cave.

Only 4 of us – plus Nicole, of course, went to the cave. We watched the sun set over the Tasman Sea and then, torches in hand, clambered into the cave… It was a little muddy, of course…and we felt a bit crazy as we stood with our eyes adjusting to the dark staring at the ceiling….but then, one by one, little fairy lights became visible and then brighter…in strings and clusters….very cool, indeed. We returned to the hotel an hour later – off to bed, ready for another full-on day tomorrow….           

Day 30 Abel Tasman National Park

Day 30 Abel Tasman National Park

Today was a fantastic day – a stunning example of why we do these tours, reaching places that you wouldn’t know about or do on your own….

We drove the 20 minutes from Motueka to Marahau – the start of the stunning coastal walk around Abel Tasman National Park.  We followed the well-maintained path through forests and along cliffs and beaches for around 11km to Anchorage – a lovely cove, and like all of the park, only accessible on foot or by boat.  Along the way, Nicole pointed out various birds and plants…most notably the ‘honeydew’, a sweet liquid produced by insects that live in the black bark of beech trees.

 We had a short swim in the turquoise sea at Anchor Bay….it was very ‘fresh’….but not too bad once you were in….

After a picnic lunch on the beach…with unbelievably delicious blueberry and custard muffins for dessert, we were collected by a catamaran that sailed us for several hours around some of the nearby islands and coves….where New Zealand seals and cormorants sunned on the rocks – and sea kayakers were the only other people – 

dropping us off back at Marahau for the 20 minute drive back to our lovely hotel for a spa, dinner and a film...

Day 29 Wellington to Nelson and Motueka

Day 29 Wellington to Nelson and Motueka

An early start to catch the ferry from Wellington to South Island…..3 ½ hours hugging the coastline then crossing the Cook Strait – notoriously rough, but in the huge ferry….almost a cruise liner with cinemas, bars, lounges and an atrium…..very smooth.  We arrived in the tiny port town of Picton at noon.  There has been talk of moving the ferry port to Nelson, a much bigger town…..but if they do, I fear Picton would just close up and die.

We lunched in Picton and then drove on winding coastal mountain roads to Nelson. As it was Sunday, many of the galleries and shops were closed, but we did manage to get a new camera (mine could not cope with all the wet weather over the past 3 days) and a couple of little presents for our ‘secret Santa’ on Christmas day.  We didn’t make it to the cathedral but heard that there was a competition there for a Christmas tree made out of the most creative and original materials…..apparently the one made out of barbecue foods was particularly spectacular.  It is still very odd to us to equate Christmas with barbecues and summer holidays….now that the weather is at last  warm and sunny, Christmas carols seem to us very out of place…

We also stopped at the Wearable Arts Museum outside Nelson – where they display dresses made of 3 steel bands or butterfly wings and brassieres made out of opossum heads….very odd indeed…but interesting.

More winding mountain roads brought us to our home for the next 2 nights in Motueka – at the gateway to Abel Tasman National Park. Our motel here was advertised as ‘basic’, but is in fact superb – balcony, full kitchen, enormous TV and sound system, spa baths, gardens, DVDs for hire…..no swimming pool, but the beach is only a short walk away.  It’s also nice to stay in the same place for a couple of nights….if only to do a bit of the laundry!

    

Day 28 Whakapapa to Wellington and Weta Cave

Day 28 Whakapapa to Wellington and Weta Cave

Today began as a bit of a travel day. We followed the ‘Desert Road’ south, getting fantastic views of Mount Doom and the Tongariro Alpine Crossing that we had trekked yesterday, then watched as the landscape changed to green rolling hills split by rocky gorges – one of which was used in The Lord of the Rings…..I’m beginning to sense a theme here! We stopped at a few small towns along the way, most notably: Taihape (Gumboots capital of the world…) for a delicious cake and coffee…and Bulls (“No udder place is like it” – the pharmacy is ‘indespensibull’, the town hall is ‘sociabull’, the café is ‘delectabull’ and the police station is ‘constabull’….). We passed Waikanae and the beautiful beaches of the ‘Hibiscus Coast’ where many north islanders retire – and viewed the nature reserve of Kapiti Island just offshore. We then drove into the attractive capital city of Wellington.

Wellington is on a major fault line – and I was quite surprised to see so many homes and businesses clinging to hillsides, just waiting for the next earthquake.  The first two things we saw were: 1) Victoria Park – where yet another scene of Lord of the Rings was filmed (the bit where Frodo and friends were hiding under the tree roots from the ringwraith) and 2) the Beehive which is the new government building that looks exactly as it sounds…..

We checked into our harbourside hotel and split off depending upon what we wanted to do with our one afternoon in the city.  Rob and I decided to begin with the Weta Cave and workshop. Our guides drove us out to the suburb where the workshop is located – and we then said goodbye to Clark who leaves us here – now Nicole is on her own.  We explored the Weta mini-museum and shop, where there was a book signing for one of the ‘behind the scenes’ books and then saw a film about the history of the workshop and company…We decided to take the workshop tour as well….guns and prawns from the film District 9, Prince Caspian’s castle, make up, weapons and armour from Lord of the Rings, huge models of the 3 trolls from The Hobbit, the Green Goblin from Spiderman 2 and characters from Tin Tin and Avatar….as well as the equipment and materials that created them….3D printers and CNC cutters, plasticine and computers….and two artists at work.  We also saw some of the models for the new Thunderbirds series – not out until February…so no photos allowed! It was all very cool – and Rob was a very happy boy! 

We returned to the city centre by taxi….the driver showed us a few other sights - - including a roundabout with the city’s main cricket ground in the middle of it. We spent the next two hours at the stunning Te Papa museum…..particularly memorable were the hologram play describing the Maori discovery of the island, the full Maori maure, the earthquake simulation, the biome gardens walk and the NZ Air exhibition that included a demonstration of virtual reality headsets being tested for future inflight entertainment.

When the museum closed, at 6, we walked down to the harbour and then along Courtney – lined with bars, restaurants and cinemas (including the one where all Peter Jackson’s films are premiered..) and had dinner at a ‘retro bar’ and bistro – very good it was, too – before heading to the hotel and bed…..an early start tomorrow for the ferry ride to South Island, known as ‘the mainland’ because it is approximately 4 rugby pitches larger in area than North Island.

Day 27 Whakapapa and the Tongariro Alpine Crossing

Day 27 Whakapapa and the Tongariro Alpine Crossing

The village where we’re staying is called Whakapapa…..in Maori, ‘Wh’ is pronounced like an English ‘F’ – so it caused some hilarity and I think I might just call it Mordor….

The main activity for today – and it did take most of the day – was to trek the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, “the best one-day walk in New Zealand” – that crosses a field of active volcanoes.  There was an eruption not long ago that reshaped the crater rim, so it has become even more challenging than it used to be.  It was quite a day….one of the more strenuous walks we have ever done – particularly given the 38kph winds, rain and fog.  We climbed past Soda Springs to South Crater, and crossed the moon-like basin.  It was quite eerie when you couldn’t see any trekkers in front or behind. We then climbed up to Red Crater (1886m)….at one point grasping on to metal chains to pull ourselves up the near vertical rocks, the wind trying its best to blow us off the edge.  The thick fog meant that we missed the spectacular views of ‘Mount Doom’ on the ascent….We were ever so lucky that having descended the steep scree slope at the far side of Red Crater (Imagine that you were skiing and lost your skis….it was like walking down a narrow powdery slope in ski boots – with several hundred metre drops on either side…) to the Emerald Lakes for lunch, the fog lifted for the spectacular views on the way across the saddle and down.  The area is still active. One path was bordered by geothermally heated rocks and vents – and you could see the steam rising from other craters along the saddle. There were signs that told you if you were entering a particularly dangerous bit….”Do not remain in this area.  If you hear a noise from up the mountain, do not enter this area.” They only needed to add…”If it does erupt, you won’t even have time to pray…..”  Even so, there was still snow on some of the less active slopes on the southern face.  We had to walk across one patch – not quite glacier trekking, but close.

Anyway, a quite amazing day – the walk ended with 5km through a beautiful forest….and when we returned to our hotel, the cloud finally lifted enough for a spectacular view of Mount Doom (Mt Ngauruhoe).

Day 26 Rotorua to Mount Doom and the Plains of Gorgoroth

Day 26 Rotorua to Mount Doom and the Plains of Gorgoroth

We began this morning with a short walk through Jurassic Park….well the Whakarewarewa  redwood forest where it was filmed….

This is turning into a bit of a film set tour – but more of that later…. We then visited the Rotorua museum in what was the Victorian bath house.  It is an excellent museum of Maori culture and the history of the area – including the devastating eruption of 1886 as well as its settlement around the thermal springs.  We then made our way past Lake Taupo to Tongarira National Park for our big trek tomorrow.  We stopped at number of interesting and beautiful sights along the way – bubbling volcanic mud pools,

the Wai-O-Tapu ‘Thermal Wonderland’ with volcanic pools of a range of colours from blue and purple (manganese oxide) through pink (iron oxide) to fluorescent yellowish – green (so much sulfur that you would have sworn in was dyed…),

Taupo town and lakeside (where I picked up a brilliant piece of pumice….much better than the one I have been using for those lessons) and Huka Falls.  Our young guide Nicole is a whitewater kayaking expert….she is planning to kayak those rapids and falls on her next holiday….rather her than me…..  From there we entered Lord of the Rings land….I’ll let Rob explain….                                                                                    

We didn’t really intend on doing this  - well, I looked at it when we were first looking at holidays in this part of the world - but in the end a tour of middle earth wasn’t Patti’s cup of tea so we settled for New Zealand instead. However, Peter Jackson certainly wasn’t shy when it came to filming his own country and labelling it up as various locations in Tolkien’s made up world so in the end it seems relatively impossible to travel New Zealand without it becoming a tour of Middle Earth. So right now we have found ourselves at the foot of Mount Doom where we are supposed to spend a couple of nights and tomorrow we walk over the plains of Gorgoroth after passing over Emyn Muil and through the woods of Ithilien and later we will scale the sides of Mount Doom – well… weather permitting. After going to Hobbiton, this is certainly turning into an unintentional retracing of the steps of Sam and Frodo – if only we had a magic ring!

Seriously though without even trying we are visiting many of the places used by Jackson to stage his films and in a way it is quite cool – well I think so – but I am a bit of a Lord of the Rings nerd. I am not sure Patti quite appreciates it as much.

The weather is rain – rain, mist and cold – so we can’t actually see the mountain – but it is supposed to clear up tomorrow and our room in the Skotel looks straight across at the mountain – so we should have some fine views in the morning. The hotel is a Scandanavian style ski lodge – all wood and chalet style. Very cool. It is – of course – in the middle of nowhere so we have to eat with the others as there is just no other option – not that I mind eating with the other guys in the group but I am not sure the others feel the same – mostly because it is something they must do and they are the kind of group who hate doing what they must do..

Day 25 Auckland to Rotorua

Day 25 Auckland to Rotorua

After breakfast we packed up the minivan and said farewell to Auckland….The rain followed us down North Island and caught up with us at our reststop just south of Hobbiton at Tirau - a village that is working on becoming the ‘corrugated iron capital’ of the world.  There were strange sculptures of corrugated iron…a dog, a sheep and a half –finished owl.  

We had a coffee and bought sandwiches for lunch then carried on for another hour to Rotorua.  Rob and I were glad that we had done the tour to Hobbiton as we had learned a lot about the area through which we passed – our lovely Exodus guides were much less chatty than Dion…

The rain was quite heavy by the time we reached Rotorua….we drove through the town but ate our lunch in the minivan overlooking a lovely lake.  

We braved the downpour to walk the 5km around the lake….the trip  notes and guides called it ‘Green Lake’ – but I’m sure the signposts said Blue Lake – whatever…It was a lovely walk despite the rain and we learned about some of the indigenous plants – such as the soft and hard ferns, the leaf that feels like 3-ply toilet paper and can be used as writing paper, NZ stinging nettles and a tall grass that is very similar to Pampas grass and used as a broom.

Now that we were all wet, we decided to go for another short walk through a small Maori village with its traditional features – and the first Anglican Church in New Zealand.  It looked a bit Disneyesque….but is apparently a working Maori community….just well-kept for tourists.  We also walked around the village’s thermal pools before dripping all over the minivan on the short ride to our hotel.  We dried off and warmed up – then set out for our feast and entertainment at a Maori ceremonial ground – called a Marae – in Te Pui.

It was still pouring so the traditional welcome ceremony was held inside the meeting house – we then saw an excellent show of Maori traditional songs, dances and games. I got to try out the ‘Poi’ dance and Rob had a go at the Hakka.  

The meal was excellent – ‘hangi’- cooked meats and fish with a range of interesting salads, vegetables and desserts.  Our Maori host explained the traditions and foods – and we finished with a tour of the geyser fields, reportedly the only active geysers in the southern hemisphere. With all the rain (that had thankfully stopped for the tour), the geysers – particularly the huge Pohutu geyser – put on quite a show.  I was careful not to take too many photos – remembering my dad’s endeavours when we visited Old Faithful in Yellowstone….3 rolls of film later – it’s still a family joke! 

We strolled through the geyser fields with a hot chocolate in hand and then sat on the ‘hot rocks’ to listen to our host’s explanation of the geysers’ place in Maori mythology.  Several of our group then went to the thermal spa – but given my skin’s reaction the last 2 times it was exposed to sulphurous water, I passed and settled for a hot bubble bath instead!  

Days 23 and 24 Auckland – and Rangitoto Island

Days 23 and 24 Auckland – and Rangitoto Island

We met up with our new tour group at 6pm. There are only 7 of us….a nice number, actually – all from the British Isles and all of whom are experienced travellers within a decade or so of our age…so, hopefully, a good group.  We have 2 guides for the North Island section – an experienced guide and a young girl leading her first Exodus tour. She has led many other tours on South Island, though, so Clark – the older guide – leaves us at Wellington. We had the usual pre-tour briefing and then went out to dinner at a lovely harbourside restaurant to get to know each other a bit….

The weather in Auckland is cooler and windier than usual for this time of year….so instead of the beach island, we took the ferry to Rangitoto to climb the volcano and explore the lava tubes. Auckland is located on a volcano field – at least 43 dormant volcanoes lie beneath and around the city. Rangitoto is an island created 600 years ago by the most recent eruption.  It is linked by a causeway to one of the oldest islands, Motutapu, where Clark once lived….

Rangitoto is a great case study for how flora and fauna colonise a newly created volcanic area.  The lower slopes are Pohutakawa forest – the largest in New Zealand – and home to many strange ferns – such as the translucent ‘kidney fern’ that doesn’t look like a fern at all – as well as the trees and grasses of an emerging rainforest.  The upper slopes where the soil is compacted ash, have menuca trees – from which the nectar for the famous honey comes and silver ferns – the national plant of NZ.  We climbed the rocky path to the summit and stopped at the various viewpoints to see the crater and magnificent view over Auckland harbour. On the way we saw a rare Saddleback bird and the much more common Tui with its white bow tie markings.  The New Zealanders have finally eradicated from the island the imported rats that had destroyed the native bird population; it is clear that the birds are now returning……

We scrabbled down a rock-strewn path to a cave where several lava tubes met.  Clark and Nicole, the young guide, had brought a camping stove and supplies to make tea to go with our packed lunches – a lovely thought – and after lunch, several of us climbed through one of the lava tubes….Amazing! I had wanted to do that ever since we went to the lava field in the Galapagos Islands…and here was my chance!  We had to crawl through the first couple of metres but then the tube opened to above head height – with tree roots hanging down and the drip, drip, drip of mineral-laden water that had percolated through the soil and rock.  We had to climb upwards to get out of the tube…and we were surprised how far up the cone we had gone…it took a good few minutes to walk back to our luncheon cave….

We then walked the several kilometres back to the island’s harbour and some of us continued across the narrow causeway to Motutapu Island.  Motutapu is completely different – long inhabited and cultivated, it was a major military installation in World War II.  I couldn’t resist going down to the beach to feel the water - - it was just about the same temperature as Southold Bay in summer….too cold for a cloudy day – but delightfully refreshing if it’s hot and sunny.

We returned to the mainland by ferry at 4:30 and had the rest of the afternoon  and evening free.  Rob and I wandered the city for a bit of shopping - then had a quick dinner and returned to the hotel for an early night. My, we’re getting old……  

Days 22 and 23 Carins, Sydney, Auckland and Hobbiton

Days 22 and 23 Carins, Sydney, Auckland and Hobbiton

We were at the Cairns airport with plenty of time to spare before our 9am flight – despite not getting up until nearly 7…(That’s the way to run an airport…okay, it’s very small…)

Less than 3 hours to Sydney where we had a bit of a layover…not that long as it turned out because getting from the domestic terminal to the international terminal turned out to be a little of a mission - - and cost £5.80 each, cutting down the coffee money we had held back for the day! Not even JFK and Heathrow charge to go between terminals!  We weren’t the only ones surprised….we saw a succession of tourists try to board the terminal link transport only to be sent back to purchase a ticket, some looking quite panicked.

The flight from Sydney to Auckland only took another 3 hours – but with all the time changes during the day, we didn’t arrive in Auckland until 11:30pm….after all public transport had finished.  There isn’t much public transport in Auckland, anyway….apparently the city ripped out all of it’s tramlines in the 1980s because they wanted to be a ‘modern city like Los Angeles’. Great….apparently there are 1.5 million people (over 30% of the total population of the country) in Auckland and 1 million cars.  The only way to get into the city, therefore, was a VIP taxi that cost $90….whoa, what a welcome. If we had travelled from the UK with the rest of our tour group, the airport transfer would have been included….we didn’t realise at the time what a perk that was….

Checking in to our hotel at that time of the evening was a breeze….and we had a note telling us that we would be collected at 6:45 for our visit to Hobbiton.  One of the reasons Rob wanted to visit NZ was to see Hobbiton – and it isn’t on our tour, so I had made our own arrangements….but it did mean only about 4 hours’ sleep…..

We left seeing the sights of Auckland (Skytower – the tallest building in the southern hemisphere – and its ‘bungee’ jumpers, Skycity shopping, the historical harbour area and ‘One Tree Hill’ until the afternoon and boarded our ‘Hobbiton Express’ tour bus right on time.  Our guide, Dion, gave us a really good introduction to NZ in his running commentary for the 2 ½ hour drive.  Hobbiton, itself, was much more interesting than I had expected….Peter Jackson is quite a perfectionist and it really looks as though the Hobbits have just gone out for the day. 

Jackson had used aerial photography to search for just the right spot – a sheep farm near the horse-racing and rowing centre of Cambridge and small town of Matamata. The owner of the farm was first luke warm….they had interrupted his viewing of a rugby match to ask if they could visit….but now runs one section of the farm as a tourist attraction.  The set for ‘The Lord of the Rings’ film was temporary, but so many people came to see it when it had only partly been dismantled that the farm owner’s stipulation for allowing ‘The Hobbit’ was that the set should be properly built….to last 50 years.  The NZ army was offered for assistance, building the roads and bridges, hollowing out hobbit holes and using the soil to form the field from swampland around ‘Party Tree’.  They were also cast as Orcs. Jackson actually had the oak tree at Bag End made….steel, styrofoam and plaster trunk and branches…with 200,000 plastic leaves held on with wire…   

Later, after the farmer had received dozens of requests for use of Hobbiton as wedding and party venue, he had a replica of the Green Dragon Inn built on the edge of the lake, just where it belongs – and commissioned a local brewery to make a special ale, cider and ginger beer.

We walked the paths of Hobbiton and took photographs at many of the sights of key events from the films, then had a drink in the Green Dragon and lunch in a marquee in the garden.  

After the obligatory visit to the gift shop, we clambered back aboard the bus for the drive back to Auckland – only stopping to try Hokey Pokey ice cream….a NZ variety that is vanilla with chips of butterscotch….very nice indeed!

We spent a bit of time this afternoon seeing the city and then went down to meet up with our tour group for the next 3 weeks……            

Day 21 Cairns

Day 21 Cairns

We decided to spend today – our last in Cairns and penultimate in Australia – actually seeing what the town has to offer.  There are, in fact, quite a few interesting and free things to do…many child-friendly….This would actually be a great place for a family holiday.  The esplanade that goes all along the sea front for several kilometres has gardens, sculptures, playgrounds, picnic and barbecue areas all along it. There are both cycle and walking paths, exercise stations with free daily classes (that Aussie obsession with public exercise again…), viewing platforms and information displays where you could watch the crabs and birds in the mud and sand flats – some also with binoculars to watch the sailboats and yachts leave the harbour for nearby islands, large shade trees with colourful blooms, beach volleyball and skateboarding facilities and a swimming lagoon…..all with plenty of well-tended toilets and well-placed drinking fountains. 

We spent about an hour strolling along…I even tried out one of the exercise stations – not quite sure what that ‘flexi-wheel’ was supposed to do……then walked through a small craft market into the town centre.  We visited a couple of art galleries – as much for the air conditioning as the art, though there were some interesting exhibits….one by two young contemporary artists that combined film taken by drones with performance was particularly good… and a shopping arcade where we stopped for a coffee – a very nice coffee…the Australians do enjoy their coffee (Rob said to add that they all draw elaborate ferns in the milky froth) – and it is usually very good.

We then walked to the other end of town – to another art gallery, housed in old, unused water tanks, and the botanic gardens where we had an excellent lunch in the café.  The Lonely Planet guide had recommended the Wild Bean Café there, but we found that the café of the botanic gardens was better value for money and in a much better setting.

We walked back to our hotel via the rainforest boardwalk – with displays explaining the plants in the different areas - and a river walk.  

All in all around 10 kilometres walking today…in temperatures in the mid 30s C. It was with some relief that we reached the hotel with its swimming pool, air conditioning and showers!

We have greatly enjoyed our time in Australia….it is difficult to choose one or two highlights….the stromatolites, dolphins and dugongs in Western Australia? The history and food in Sydney and Tasmania? The wildlife and treks at Uluru and King’s Canyon? The village of Kuranda and Great Barrier Reef outside Cairns?  The friendly people we have met along the way?  It seems scarcely possible that our holiday is nearly half over….New Zealand, here we come! 

Day 20 Port Douglas and the Great Barrier Reef

Day 20 Port Douglas and the Great Barrier Reef

Another amazing day…. We were collected by coach and drove an hour north to the tourist town of Port Douglas where we boarded our Quicksilver boat for the 90 minute cruise through a bay of the Coral Sea to the outer reef.  Specifically, we visited  Agincourt 3 Reef – where a pontoon is permanently moored – and where, only 500 metres away, the continental shelf ends and the sea floor drops to several thousand metres.  To keep us entertained on the way, there were refreshments, talks by the guides and fantastic scenery as we passed first the Low Isles and then Snapper Island before reaching the reef area where the sea was streaked with varying shades of turquoise.

We had booked a snorkelling experience with a marine biologist guide to get the most out of our time at the reef…and once squeezed into our lycra suits, masks and fins, we plunged off the dive platform and spent over an hour exploring this underwater world.  Our guide, it turned out, was English – from London…She had studied marine biology in Liverpool of all places, but she came out to Cairns on a holiday and….Well, it’s that same old story again….

The snorkelling was quite spectacular. We saw at least 5 different types of coral – some bright blue from the algae it attracted - a giant clam – that dutifully closed when touched by our guide-, a ‘cleaning station’ under some plate coral - where tiny fish ate the parasites from large groupers-, damsel fish, butterfly fish, young barracudas, strange blue worms – and several ‘Nemo’ clown fish living in anemone.  We learned about each of the fish we saw….’Finding Nemo’ has a few inaccuracies, it seems. Apparently, there is always just one female in a group – and if she dies, the largest male changes sex into a female….so, when Nemo’s mum was eaten, his dad should have become his mum….oh, never mind – it was Disney…and a cute story…

We also learned about a kind of coral – mushroom coral – that produces sunscreen of above SPF 50, some fish that change colour chameleon-like to match their surroundings – and when the lead fish changes, the whole school changes to match. (The school we saw was blue, though there was a rogue yellow/orange one in there – the marine biologist thought it must be from a different group and got lost!)  One of the most amazing fish, though, was a very territorial sandy-coloured fish that actually ‘farmed’ algae on the seabed.  Our guide found a broken bit of coral and placed it on the fish’s ‘farm’ of algae and the fish darted straight for the coral, picked it up and moved it off the algae, to be sure that the algae got enough sunlight. Quite amazing!

After our swim, we had a wonderful buffet lunch and then went out in the semi-submersible submarine that ventures further towards the edge of the continental shelf – where the white-tipped sharks and sea turtles tend to swim.  One of each appeared on cue….this company clearly has the marine life well-trained…  It was fun, but not nearly as satisfying as the snorkelling and I’m not sure I’d try it if I were very claustrophobic…..  The pontoon also has an underwater observatory – we did go and have a look – but it was clearly intended for people who didn’t want to get their feet wet and the view was mostly of snorkellers getting in and our of the water….

Afternoon coffee and tea was served as we set off for the return journey - - and as well as the view, there was a DVD of creatures of the Great Barrier Reef to entertain us.  It was hard to keep our eyes open on the coach back via Trinity Beach Resort….We’ll sleep well again tonight…

Days 18 and 19 Cairns and Kuranda

Days 18 and 19 Cairns and Kuranda

Yesterday was a travel day – the lovely people at our Alice Springs hotel let us stay in the room well after check-out time, nice and cool, until we had to leave for the airport for our afternoon Quantas flight to Cairns.  Alice Springs airport is tiny – an hour and a half is plenty to check in, go through security, have a coffee, browse in the shops and still get bored waiting to board….

We flew over spectacular desert landscape and then hills becoming gradually more and more green until we reached the tropical rainforest just near the coast and Cairns.  The change in the temperature was not very dramatic – but the humidity and coastal air was quite a change that hit us as soon as we deplaned.

We grabbed a taxi to the hotel – the driver was Welsh…he came for a holiday 40 years ago and then settled here. (This is becoming a very familiar story!)

We checked in to our lovely studio flat – home for the next few days – booked today’s adventure and then sat on the patio listening to the evening birds and insects until time for bed.

We were up early and collected at 7:20 to transfer to the station for the historic  Kuranda Scenic Railway ride, up into the rainforest through tunnels and across ravines to the tiny (and very touristy) village of Kuranda.  

We visited the Koala Gardens, photographing the koalas, crocodiles, lizards, potaroo (yes, really), snakes and turtles – and feeding the kangaroos and cute swamp wallabies.  We got an all day pass so that we could return later on when the wombats awoke for their feed – and it was well worth returning!

We walked the 5km river and jungle paths, visited the fossil and gem museum, ate the famous Australian meat pies and macadamia nut ice cream (now THAT was delicious…).  We saw a very unusual iridescent mineral called labradorite in the museum and then Rob pestered the gem dealers until they found him a piece to buy…..

We wandered the various markets selling kangaroo skin hats, aboriginal art, weird souvenirs and general tat – and offering digeridoo lessons, tarot readings and a wide range of very strange healing therapies…The stalls all seemed to be manned by aging hippies…it was that kind of place…

There was also a plane wreck.....well, a wrecked plane....that had been used as a set for some movie I'd never heard of...

For our return to Cairns, we took the Skyrail gondolas – never Rob’s favourite thing – but quite spectacular, gliding above the rainforest trees.  You could pay extra for a ‘Diamond View’ gondola with a window in the floor – but neither of us thought that was a good idea….Rob said they would have to pay HIM to ride in such a thing.  

We got out at the 2 stations for walks through the rainforest – once at Barron Falls and once at Red Peak where a ranger talked us through some of the plants and animals…the cassowary bird was particularly interesting…They roam freely in the rainforest and are responsible for spreading the seeds for many of the rainforest trees.  They are endangered, though, and it is believed that many of the rainforest trees could disappear without them.  This bit of rainforest is a World Heritage Site – protected because it has been established as the most ancient rainforest in the world.  It is not very large – only 0.2% of Australia’s land mass – and seems to be shrinking due to climate change – though all human clearance has been stopped.

We returned to our flat, tired after a very interesting day…..showered and collapsed into bed…The Great Barrier Reef awaits tomorrow.

Days 16 and 17 Alice Springs

Days 16 and 17 Alice Springs

I had planned in 2 days after our trek as ‘rest and laundry’ days – but, of course, we only really took 1….We get bored VERY quickly…..

We didn’t get up until nearly 9am on Monday – quite a lie-in given how early we went to bed – had a leisurely breakfast, went for a swim, read a book, caught up our emails, did the laundry in the hotel’s facilities (a bit strange….the proprietor insisted I hang the clothes out in the desert sun instead of using the dryer, so I did…with a chicken wandering around the yard, watching my every move…)walked into town for dinner….and went to bed again…..

I haven’t really described Alice Springs.  It is a very odd place, indeed.  We got the first clue on the bus from the airport – early 70s music on the radio – and the architecture of the buildings as we went along also having that mid-twentieth century America vibe.  The main part of the town is a little sad….apparently the population is 30% white and 70% aboriginal, but few of the aboriginal people speak English – and few are employed.  Many just sit in groups along the side of the road or in green spaces, watching the world go by.  It is quite sad – their way of life has disappeared, leaving them behind – and most aren’t given the skills to participate in today’s world.  They have amazing knowledge of the local area - - they are a huge, underutilised resource to bring tourism and prosperity….but without schools for them to attend and without an effort on their part to learn English, their vast knowledge is being ignored and will eventually be lost.  A few of the English-speaking guides are trying to learn one of the aboriginal languages…but there are over 500 different languages, very local to each area – and completely unintelligible to even other aboriginal groups. It is a tricky problem.

On Tuesday we were up, breakfasted and waiting for a taxi by 8 to go to the Alice Springs Desert Park – a wildlife park not far out of town….we’d have walked if it hadn’t already been over 30 degrees C with a baking sun.

The park was a pleasant surprise, given the 1970s delapidation of the town – and we were glad that we had gone by taxi instead of a tour so that we could stay as long as we wanted and see the many demonstrations and exhibits.  We had talks by the rangers on dingoes, birds of prey, kangaroos and aboriginal foods and medicines.  

The birds show was quite special in that the birds swooped in and out of the amphitheatre on cue….you could see close up what is usually a speck in the sky high overhead.  The kangaroo talk was also fascinating…and it was amazing to be able to see a joey just poking out of its mother’s pouch.  I had no idea that female kangaroos give birth to tiny embryos that they can then ‘keep on ice’ to develop only when there is enough food around to ensure its survival.  

The talk on aboriginal foods and medicines was led by an aboriginal guide who explained about the different seeds, roots and leaves – and also about the various tools used and the division of labour between men and women.  I do wish we had had all that knowledge before our trek – so a bit of advice….do the desert park first – and allow at least 4 hours….

The nocturnal animal house was also incredible: bilbies, bandicoots, snakes and a host of other curious creatures hopping about, tricked that it was nighttime in the cool, darkness of the sleek, modern building. 

The park does a terrific job of placing areas of shade, drinking fountains, toilets and air conditioned buildings at intervals that make a visit pleasant even as the temperature climbs to 40 degrees +.  We finished our visit with a film in the centre’s cinema and caught a taxi back to the hotel.  Lots of packing to be done….we’re off again tomorrow!

Day 15 King’s Canyon to Alice Springs

Day 15 King’s Canyon to Alice Springs

We were up at 4 again to begin the hike around the rim of King’s Canyon just before dawn.  We climbed the rocky path and steps, over 300m to the rim – quite strenuous and certainly not something to be attempted later in the day – and watched the sun rise over the opposite side of the canyon. 

We hiked 3 kilometres along the rim – learning about the geological formations, fossils, plants and animals we passed and stopping to take photographs….of the drop, of the different rock structures – and at the V-gap made famous in the film “Priscilla – Queen of the Desert”.  

We took the steps down into the “Garden of Eden” – a near rainforest on the canyon floor, full of birds, frogs and many other amazing creatures…..one of the trees – the cycad - is reportedly 500 years old – a very odd sort of tree…it has separate plants for the male and female.  It grows and sheds just one leaf each year….and, according to Brook, the male is only mature after age 300.

Brook was amazed at the amount of water in King’s Creek and the waterfall that is sacred to the Luritja aboriginal people (It is the “Men’s Place”.)  He said that the waterfall is usually at most a trickle – but it gushed into the pool, so deep that that signed requesting tourists not to swim was completely submerged.  We rested by the pool, drinking plenty of water and eating the biscuits Brook had brought. 

From the pool, we climbed the steep steps to the eastern rim and walked the 3 km back towards the canyon opening.  At one point we could see where the sandstone had slid away – a white scar in the otherwise iron red cliff face.  In another section, Brook warned us to walk away from the cliff edge and showed us the fault line where another section is preparing to fall away.  Some young tourists without a guide were very near the edge at this point….Rob and Kelsey (a young English girl in our group) shouted at them to move away from the edge - - but they made rude gestures back, the ‘immortality’ of youth…..  Only 4 weeks ago one young tourist who did not obey her guide fell to her death at our final stop at Kestral Falls - - only 1 km to go - - and we carefully paid attention to our guide’s instructions as we turned onto the last section: a downhill rocky path, narrow at the top but widening out to the bottom…

It was a spectacular walk – I would definitely say the highlight of this section of our trip – 2 slight problems….first was the heat - - By the end of the walk we were all on the edge of heat exhaustion despite the early hour, 2 litres of water we had drunk, hats and sun cream.  The second was the lack of toilets of any kind…can you imagine having a coffee and 2 litres of water but then no toilets for 4 hours???? Kelsey and I got very used to finding convenient bushes!

We returned to our camp where Cindy had prepared our final lunch together - - lunch at 10:30 am??? – and we set off on the 6 hour drive back to Alice Springs, stopping only 3 times….

Our first stop was at a roadstop with a very friendly cow and a café with excellent iced milk ‘milk shakes’ that supports local aboriginal children to attend school to improve their life chances.  The second was at the hat tree…..we had a group photograph, but I don’t think anyone actually left his/her hat – or shoe – or sock…. And the third was at Mt Ebeneezer roadhouse where there is a good display of aboriginal art for sale.

We said farewell to our travel companions as each was dropped off at the appropriate hotel or hostel and, when it was our turn to be dropped off, checked back in to our Alice Springs hotel and collected the luggage that we had stored.  All thoughts of swims, walks, fine dining were long in the past….we showered, ate a picnic in the room and fell into bed exhausted…..