THE MILFORD TRACK - DAYS 4/5 - QUINTIN LODGE TO MITRE PEAK LODGE

day forty: november 8, 2015: quintin lodge to mitre peak lodge

Another big day to end the hiking portion of our trek, 13 miles, but almost all slightly downhill and flat. It was still a lot of mileage to cover in one day. We woke up to rain, yup it was going to be another wet day. As we began to walk, we fully realized why the guides had told us that Milford needed to be experienced in wet weather. There were waterfalls EVERYWHERE! Many of those waterfalls only exist during rainfall. Many times, the track would open up into clearings and we would stand for a few minutes just looking around us with waterfalls cascading down around us in every direction.

Finally! We hit mile marker 33 on our 33.5 mile journey. Apparently enough people complained about the last "half" mile that the Department of Conservation remeasured the track and it's actually 33.9 miles, making the last "half mile" really closer to a full mile. 

So we made it! After taking a break with some hot drinks, we boarded a small boat to take us across the sound to the Mitre Peak Lodge. The lodge is located right near the water with amazing views just outside most of the rooms and the lounge. It was an awesome place to spend the last night. 

day forty-one: november 9, 2015: milford sound cruise

After breakfast, we were treated to a cruise on the Milford Sound. At first, the weather didn't seem to be in our favor as you couldn't see Mitre Peak and the area was filled with clouds and mist. Buuuut, as we got on the boat....the clouds went on their way and the Milford Sound showcased just how beautiful it is. We even spotted some whales and the world's rarest penguin, called the yellow crested penguin! I'll let the photos do the talking -- we really lucked out!

One of the best parts of doing the Milford Track was meeting great people. We met some people who I'm certain we will cross paths with again in the future.

After the cruise, we boarded our bus for a long five hour journey back to Queenstown. Thankfully, upon our return our new friends from Queenstown invited us over for a home cooked meal and drinks!

day forty-two: november 10, 2015: queenstown

Today we slept in a little bit and then went to meet a couple we met on the trek for coffee and tea. We talked about doing the Milford Track again in the future, but then settled on possibly trying to meet up and doing the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. Hopefully we'll be able to make that happen!

Other than that, we're trying to relax today and recover from all the walking. Tomorrow we fly to Auckland for a few nights before meeting Jonathan's parents in Fiji.

THE MILFORD TRACK - DAY 3 - POMPOLONA LODGE TO QUINTIN LODGE

day thirty-nine: november 7, 2015: pompolona lodge to quintin lodge

Today was the big day, up and over Mackinnon Pass. only nine miles today, but a significant elevation ascent and descent in the same day down to Quintin Lodge and then a short side walk to Sutherland Falls, the world's fifth highest waterfall at 1904 ft/580 m. 

Our day started off hiking up the Clinton Valley with incredible cliffs and waterfalls trickling down from the snowmelt above.

Before the major uphill zig-zags we walked thru some dense, lush forest. There was no shortage of green.

This was the big day for me, since I'm not very fond of uphill walking. The grade was about one meter elevation gain for every eight meters walked. It actually wasn't as bad as I thought. Phew!

As we got closer to the pass, we got closer to the clouds it began to drizzle. We put our rain jackets on and pulled out our pack covers over our bags.

Just before the highest point of the pass, we arrived at Mackinnon's Memorial constructed in 1912. Back in 1887, Quintin Mackinnon was employed by the Otago Survey Department to find a tourist route to the Milford Sound. After the discovery of the pass, Mackinnon spent time improving the track and offering to guide tourists from Te Anau to Milford Sound over the pass. He was also contracted to deliver the mail to Milford Sound. In November of 1892, he left from Te Anau for Milford and never arrived. The wreckage of his boat was found on the shores of Lake Te Anau but his body was never recovered.

Just on the over side of the memorial, we could see Quintin Lodge where we would be staying that night in the next valley.

Jonathan raced down from the pass to Quintin Lodge, making it down in 1.5 hours, while the suggested time is 2.75 - 3.5 hours to make the steep downhill walk. He did an 1.5 hour return trip to Sutherland Falls, the world's fifth highest waterfall at 1904 ft/580 m. When he arrived at the falls, he said they were incredible and an independent walker stripped down to his underwear and dove in. Eek! I can't imagine how cold the water was and he would've had to walk back to the lodge in the rain!

With the clouds moving in and out so slowly, sometimes it looked somewhat still. Jonathan took a time-lapse just outside the lodge to see the misty clouds moving about. So crazy to see the clouds moving so quickly!

MOUNT COOK/AORAKI, HOOKER VALLEY, LAKE PUKAKI AND TEKAPO AGAIN!

day thirty-four: november 2, 2015: hooker valley + lake tekapo

Oh yes, Aoraki Mt. Cook National Park for the third time this trip! Can you tell we like this place? We hiked the Hooker Valley Track again, hoping to see more icebergs in Hooker Valley Lake. It was a bit windier than when we did the hike the first time, but it was still beautiful and a good day for a hike. Much to our surprise, once we turned the corner to the lake, there was only one lonely iceberg in the lake. Again, it was different than the first time, but still beautiful!

We hung out around the Church of the Good Shepherd waiting for the sun to set and crossed our fingers that the southern lights would make an appearance. No luck. But, we did manage to get some great shots of the stars. 

Jonathan stayed up late hoping for a glimpse of the Southern Lights, but with no luck, but we were treated to an incredible sunrise the following morning.

day thirty-five: november 3, 2015: christchurch

We were pretty bummed we didn't get to see the Southern Lights, but we woke up to an amazing sunrise that made the trip down worth it!

We took our time and stopped for breakfast at Tekapo Village before making our way back to Christchurch. It was a nice drive and allowed us to take in the beautiful scenery one more time. 

day thirty-six: november 4, 2015: christchurch to queenstown

It was really sad to say goodbye to our camper today. It felt like we just picked it up yesterday! We caught a flight from Christchurch to Queenstown, where we'll start our multi-day hike on the Milford Track. 

GOLDEN BAY

day twenty-six: october 25, 2015: abel tasman north (anapai beach) + riwaka resurgence + waikoropupu springs + rawhiti cave

With the next two days forecasted to be sunny before another storm moved in, we wanted to make the most of our time. We woke up early and visited Riwaka Springs in the morning, which is actually more of a resurgence of the Riwaka River. Later in the afternoon we also visited Waikoropupu Springs, considered one of the largest freshwater springs in Australasia. The Maori consider these springs as sacred spots since freshwater brings with it life. 

After the visits to the springs we drove along another long, windy dirt road to get to the north end of the Abel Tasman track at Totoranui. We had read in our guidebook that far less people make it to that end of the Abel Tasman track. The guidebook was definitely right. We decided to do a short hike up a short headlands loop ending in Anapai Beach for a lunch break. To start the track, we had to cross an estuary. Thankfully, it was approaching low tide and we were able to cross with minimal stream jumping.

Later that afternoon, Jonathan squeezed in a hike to Rawhiti Cave, which was a short, but steep climb up a ravine. The cave was pretty impressive with some massive stalactites right at the entrance to the cave. In all, there must have been over a million stalactites visible from the small viewing platform just inside the immense cave.

Late in the afternoon we headed north to Puponga to a small freedom camp site right on the beach. We were treated to another great New Zealand sunset.

day twenty-seven: october 26, 2015: knuckle hill track + paturau beach + wharariki beach

We started the day off with a hike on the Knuckle Hill Track. In total, it was a 10km hike and of course, I wasn't too excited that the first 4km was slightly uphill and then the last 1km was a steeper ascent to the top. But...as with every hike, it was definitely worth it once we got to the top. There were panoramic views of the bay and surrounding areas. Not too long after we got to the top, another hiker arrived and we quickly found out she was another native Californian, Lee from Santa Barbara,  who lives in New Zealand part-time. We talked endlessly for about twenty minutes and then the wind picked up and we all headed back down. She told us that she was in the process of building a home nearby and invited us over for a cup of tea, while we were in the area. We took her up on the offer!

The next two stops we made were best at low-tide and they weren't quite near each other but we were able to make both of them! Our first stop was Paturau Beach, where we were able to walk to tide-pool shelves, varying limestone formations, mermaid pools, etc.

Then, we drove about an hour to Wharariki Beach, which promises seal pups playing in pools at low-tide. We had to walk through a bit of farmland, a little forest, and then sand dunes that opened up to the beach. We walked up to one of the rock formations and caught three seal pups, just playing and swimming around in their own private pool. It was pretty cool to just watch them, glide through the water with each other, solo...come up on the rock, then back into the water. I never really realized how graceful they were. I guess, I just think of those big seals at the pier, that just lay in the sun and bark a lot.

Leaving Wharariki Beach it was extremely windy. Usually high wind is pretty bothersome, especially when sand is involved. I hurried ahead to get out of the beach area amongst the trees, but Jonathan lingered behind. He said watching the wind whip thru the grass and along the sand was something he enjoyed.

Just past the sand, the trees, and eventually sheep, start. And then, suddenly, you're walking thru this almost storybook setting. Pretty amazing how the landscape can change so suddenly.

Last stop of the day, the northern-most point of the South Island, Cape Farewell.

On Lee's recommendation, we decided to stop by the Mussel Inn for dinner and a drink. The pub had an awesome vibe. Sorry, didn't take any photos, you'll just have to check it out yourself!

day twenty-eight: october 27, 2015: lee + nelson

We had a bit of a slow start this morning. Lee gave us some recommendations of what we could do before tea at her house. But instead, we decided to sleep in a bit, especially since it was a little gloomy out. 

We headed over to Lee's house at 10:30am for tea and we didn't end up leaving until 4:30pm! We were all really surprised at how much time flew and felt like there was still so much more to talk about. 

We headed over the hill, leaving the awesome Golden Bay in our rear view, toward Nelson. We had a bite to eat at a fancy Thai restaurant and took in a movie, Black Mass, before finding a carpark to sleep in for the night.

day twenty-nine: october 28, 2015: nelson

It's another rainy day here in New Zealand. So, I think you can guess where we are -- the public library in Nelson. :) Then we're off to Cable Bay and the Queen Charlotte Sound region.

DUNEDIN TO QUEENSTOWN VIA THE CATLINS AND MILFORD SOUND

day six: october 5, 2015: posting to the blog + doctor's point beach + tunnel beach

It was another windy/rocky night. :/

The next few places we wanted to visit were only going to be good at low tide, which was later in the day so we had some time to kill. I knew there was free wi-fi at the cafe near the Moeraki boulders so we headed down to get our first blog post up from the trip. Oof, it was super slow and after sitting there for almost 2 hours, the site re-loaded and didn't save any of the photos that uploaded in the 2 hours. Feeling defeated, we started to pack up our stuff and decided we would do it in the next major town, which we would hit that night. Just before we left, Jonathan saw a posting for free wi-fi at the local library and a past user said it was the "fastest" he had used on his journey through NZ, so we went for it.....and well, it took us just about another 2 hours to get the one post up. Ahh, I hope this isn't pre-empting every time we're going to want to post on this trip. Luckily, it was free and the view over Palmerston was a sight for sore eyes.

With low tide finally upon us, we headed down to Doctor's Point Beach to check out two sea caves, which were pretty awesome. The guidebook boasted sparkling sand and blue waters, but it was a little overcast so we didn't get to witness that...BUT the sea caves were pretty awesome.

Next, we headed over to Tunnel Beach. As we were making our way down, a kid said to me, "That was a realllly tough hike, I would think twice about doing it." His grandpa just kinda laughed and reassured me that it wasn't that bad. The whole time we were hiking down, I was just thinking to myself, "Sh*t, we're going to have to climb this back up!". This area got its name after a man named John Cargill in the 1870s commissioned a tunnel to be built to create access to the beach below by his daughters. The tunnel is still there and fully functional, pretty crazy. Although when you peer down the tunnel it makes you wonder if it goes down into a dungeon. It was awesome to explore the sandstone cliffs towering above the roaring water, pounding against the cliffs. We walked down the tunnel to find a little cove below, where the water couldn't reach at that time...pretty crazy to know that there are crazy waves, not too far away. The hike back up was a little intense but actually a lot quicker than I had imagined. :) So yes, the grandpa was right -- it wasn't that bad.

day seven: october 6, 2015: nugget point + purakaunui waterfalls + waipohatu loop walk

We woke up super early this morning to head over to the Nugget Point Lighthouse to watch the sunrise. I was a little bummed we had to get up so early, because it was the first night in a while that there was no wind, where we could sleep peacefully.

We drove about 1.5 hours away and walked over to Nugget Point Lighthouse. It gets its name from the rocky "nuggets" coming our of the sea just below. It's not often you get up to see the sunrise, so even though it was a lot of driving it was definitely worth seeing. Seeing the sunrise is probably something we should all do more often.

Next, we made a quick stop at Purakaunui Waterfalls and then on to hike Waipohatu Loop. Oof, another stressful hike...I guess in actuality, it wasn't that bad...but in the moment, I wanted to scream...I'm literally the worst. It was a beautiful hike through what almost felt jungle-like, but not as humid. It was nice that there weren't bugs to have to worry about too. While on the hike, we visited two waterfalls and then made our way back to the camper. Roundtrip, the hike was about 3 hours. It's pretty crazy that not too far away...the farm land continues and it would be so easy for someone to not know that was just below the bush. We ended up setting up camp perched up on a cliff with the ocean roaring down below. Pretty awesome campsite.

day eight: october 7, 2015: waipapa point + shipwreck + bluff + cosy nook

We made a few stops today as we headed to our next destination, Te Anau. We were, yet again, awakened by intensely strong winds shaking the campervan. We woke up pretty early and headed over to the Waipapa Point Lighthouse, which is the southernmost lighthouse on the South Island. It was a little windy out, but it was cool to see the wind against the waves and pushing them to shore. 

Next, we made a stop at the Greenpoint Ship Graveyard. There were a few visible boat wrecks from the path -- most from the Bluff oyster fleet that were left here to rot. 

We, then, made a quick stop in a small town called Bluff, known to be the oldest settlement in New Zealand.  It was the closest port to Australia, with immigrants from the UK and elsewhere making their first destination on this wharf. We enjoyed panoramic views from the top of Bluff Hill.

Before making it to Te Anau, we made a quick stop at Cosy Nook, which is a little community of ocean front cottages where local fishermen live/have lived. We parked here for lunch and got to experience the crazy "Roaring 40s" winds hit the waves into the rocks below. Just as we sat down for lunch in the van, it began raining. Perfect time to leave for Te Anau.

After our rain filled drive to Te Anau we decided to take it easy and catch a movie since it was raining. After the film let out, the sky had cleared and Jonathan went to get the camera and shot the night sky. Needless to say, it was a beautiful night.

day nine: october 8, 2015: fiordland national park + gertrude valley + milford sound

Today, we drove about two hours from Te Anau to the Milford Sound in Fiordland National Park. Most guidebooks say that it rivals the US' Grand Canyon and Yosemite -- but I guess we'll have to see about that!

Our first hike was through Gertrude Valley that would ultimately end in an icefield waterfall. The hike was relatively easy and flat -- my kind of hiking :). But it was pretty cool, because we would go from rock beds to almost a lush forest then back to rock beds...then a forest..then another rock scramble to the base of the waterfall. It was amazing to look around and see other mini waterfalls cascading down different parts of the mountains surrounding this valley. We got to enjoy hike with not a single person in sight, which was pretty awesome.

We then continued down the road, one of the most scenic in New Zealand, and made our way to the Milford sound. As we waited to drive thru the Homer Tunnel, some keas (mountain parrots) tried to make a feast of our bikes. The Homer Tunnel is a man-made .75 mile long tunnel linking the Milford Sound to Te Anau and Queenstown...going through the Darran mountain range. It was AMAZING to drive through, come out...and see the sheer face of the mountain behind us.

It was the perfect day at the Milford Sound as we were able to clearly see Mitre Peak -- named after the mitre headwear of Christian bishops. The mountain rises near vertically to 5,560 feet, just over a mile, from the water of the sound -- more technically, called a fjord. The Milford Sound was pretty, but I'm not entirely sure it rivals the Grand Canyon and Yosemite

Having a little bit of extra time on our hands, Jonathan decided to go for another hike to Key Summit. I was feeling a little bit under the weather so he went alone. The hike started with non stop switch backs up thru some old growth forests. On the way up, there were a few small waterfalls right next to the trail and constant water running down the moss and ferns along the trail. Once above the trees, the view opened up and from the top you could see three different valleys. The weather was perfect and barely any people hiking the trail. He was able to get some great shots of the trail up at the summit and the surrounding peaks.

This next pic is just a random lake on the drive back from Milford Sound.

day ten: october 9, 2015: te anau + glow worm caves

We decided to take it easy today and enjoy some down time in Te Anau. We rode our bikes around the lake and then booked a trip to the glow worm caves off Lake Te Anau. We took a 25 minute boat ride across the lake and then a guided tour through the glow worm caves. In order to protect the glow worms, we weren't allowed to take any photos, boo! But of course, Jonathan tried to be sneaky and take photos. No luck. Once in the cave, we got into a 14 person boat and our guide pulled on a chain in the pitch black to pull the boat through the cave. Since we were in complete darkness, it was pretty interesting how all of your other senses come into play and your awareness of what's around you changes. The sound of the water through the cave was amplified and so was the sound a wailing baby on our boat! Humph! Slowly, we started to see little dots of bluish green glowing throughout the cave. Supposedly, the brighter the light, the hungrier the glow worms are. It was pretty interesting to learn that in this part of its life cycle, its main priority is just to eat. It does this for something like 11 months before turning into a small fly. Once a fly, the male's only goal is to mate with as many females as possible before it dies. Since the adult flies have no mouth or stomach, they survive only as long as the energy they've built up and stored during their life as a glow worm. Then for a female, she basically gives birth to 150 glowworms and places them individually all over the cave before also dying. Technically glow worms aren't really worms, they're maggots, but I guess the term glow maggot doesn't have quite the same ring...

**So a bit of a side story -- this summer, while I was doing research for this trip, I came across a travel blog called GQ Trippin, which followed a Bay Area couple and their adventures on an around the world trip couple years ago. It was easy to see that they had an amazing trip, still continuing to find time to travel even though they're back at work, and all around an awesome couple. So, I reached outto them and luckily, they agreed to meet up with us for lunch. When they heard that we would be stopping in New Zealand, they immediately promised to introduce us to their friend Jay who lived in Queenstown. Coincidentally, with only exchanging a few messages on Facebook, we ran into Jay today in Te Anau as he and his partner were making their way back to Queeenstown from an overnight cruise in the Doubtful Sound. 

day eleven: october 10, 2015: kepler track + queenstown

Before making our way to Queenstown, we did a short hike on the Kepler Track, which normally is a 3-4 day hike. We started at Rainbow Reach and walked through a lush forest, over some swing/bridges to Shallow Bay of Lake Manapouri. Walking through the forest was really peaceful and serene - it was awesome to only hear the birds chirping in the distance.

We then made our way to the infamous, Queenstown, known to be the adventure capital of the world! Did you know that the world's first commercial bungy jump originated here?

We stayed at this awesome, quirky holiday park called Queenstown Holiday Park and Motels Creeksyde. It was in a perfect location tucked away above town, just a short walk to the town center.

We grabbed a quick bite to eat at Fergburger then met up with Jay and some of his friends to celebrate his birthday! There must have been 15+ people there and no one was from New Zealand -- they were all transplants from all over (Malaysia, Hawaii, Chile, Holland, England, Ireland, Washington DC, France, and the Philippines) who now call Queenstown home. It was really fun to be able to share our story and also hear about all their different jobs in town and what brought them to Queenstown. So happy to have made new friends, wish we were able to stay a little longer!'

day twelve: october 11, 2015: ben lomond summit

No extreme activities today -- although, today's hike sorta felt extreme to me. We opted to try and do the Ben Lomond Summit Hike. I think it's named after a mountain in Scotland also named Ben Lomond. We took the Skyline Gondola, which takes you to an awesome viewpoint high above Queenstown-- and started on the hike from there. Oof, another semi-demanding hike...but it was pretty cool to take in the surroundings and watch Queenstown get smaller and smaller below. Jonathan was a ninja and made it to the summit, while I waited for him just below the saddle taking in the beautiful views.

Both nights in town we were blessed with some great sunsets, hopefully the weather keeps up.

And we'll leave you with a little dude we found on the way home from dinner.

RAILAY BEACH

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CON DAO

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