Saturday, January 24, 2009
Off around the South Island!
After a night in Nelson, we re-packed the car and headed south, o meet up with Paul and Georgie and to have a few laffs, and a few adventures - proper Bo!
Paul is far left, looking... special as usual. Georgie (middle) appears to be imitating Paul, perhaps to make him feel more / less special. I'm on the left, trying to look like a modern Crocodile Dundee... I knowit doesn't work but hey!
I had better point out that I feature in a lot more pictures than my beautiful wife, because she is the organised one who stops to take pictures unlike me who caries as little as possible to avoid the risk of losing things - I will try to make ammends, promise!
Paul is far left, looking... special as usual. Georgie (middle) appears to be imitating Paul, perhaps to make him feel more / less special. I'm on the left, trying to look like a modern Crocodile Dundee... I knowit doesn't work but hey!
I had better point out that I feature in a lot more pictures than my beautiful wife, because she is the organised one who stops to take pictures unlike me who caries as little as possible to avoid the risk of losing things - I will try to make ammends, promise!
Geology innit?!
The south island is particularly special because of its geology - thousands of glaciers have carved much of the landscape, most have receeded leaving valleys and mountains with lakes and strange scars...
This is the Fox Glacier, it has retracted considerably over the past few hundred years, but has been growing on average, one metre a week since 1985!
This is the Fox Glacier, it has retracted considerably over the past few hundred years, but has been growing on average, one metre a week since 1985!
On the road!
We travlled by car a lot which was not the greenest method of transport, but hitching with the volume of gear B packed us with, we would never get a lift!
Travelling in this manner did enable us to see so much of the country so easily, stopping to laugh at red-knecks, fornicating sheep and landslides... the mass of rock sits upon what was our intended route to Queenstown!
The south island is greener and more rugged by far...
Travelling in this manner did enable us to see so much of the country so easily, stopping to laugh at red-knecks, fornicating sheep and landslides... the mass of rock sits upon what was our intended route to Queenstown!
The south island is greener and more rugged by far...
On our way south we stayed in a DOC (Depatment of Conservation) campsite. The DOC do amazing things over here, from protecting the massively threatened native species, to making huts, tracks, posters and facilities to enable us to enjoy what is left of the original NZ humans found 700 years ago.
B and I chose Nelson in the south island as our home for the next few years, as we are right next to many of the best national parks, and a few hours from the rest. The south island is the place to be, our travels over the summer confirmed this.
Cooking a lovely dinner - forunately there was a nice wind at this point, an hour later, we were forced to ensconce ourselves in our tents, away from the voracious sand flies who seem to eat more than me as a ratio of body weight, quite humbling!
Paul and Georgie enjoying a brew...
B and I chose Nelson in the south island as our home for the next few years, as we are right next to many of the best national parks, and a few hours from the rest. The south island is the place to be, our travels over the summer confirmed this.
Cooking a lovely dinner - forunately there was a nice wind at this point, an hour later, we were forced to ensconce ourselves in our tents, away from the voracious sand flies who seem to eat more than me as a ratio of body weight, quite humbling!
Paul and Georgie enjoying a brew...
Our big Tramp (hike) in Mount Aspirig National Park
After a night in Queenstown (karaoke seemed a great preparatory exercise at the time!), we drove out to the wilderness - on the fringe of the Milford Sounds - to begin our 5 day tramp in the wilderness of NZ! Over here, a trampis not a white-lightening swilling box-dwelling hobo, but an idyllic walk in the wild!
Bernie, Paul (teacher from my previous teaching job in London), Georgie (new wife and wannabe gangsta) and I all with our own body weight of food and camping gear - about to walk into the mountains behind!
Bernie, Paul (teacher from my previous teaching job in London), Georgie (new wife and wannabe gangsta) and I all with our own body weight of food and camping gear - about to walk into the mountains behind!
We did the Rees - Dart Track, which involved walking up the Rees river valley (behind us in pic), over a saddle, and down he Dart river valley. We also opted for a 2 nght stay in the second hut to explore the bush more deeply!
We found very few people also doing the track. Most people were non-Kiwi which is a bit dissapointing, we thought Kiwi's would be more adventurous than they are. The Kiwi dream seems to involve road rage whilst driving your V8 car towing a speed-boat full of piss (beer) and patties (burgers).
The walk was stunning. The following pictures do little justice, but thanks mostly to B's ever-ready camera, you have a small idea of the 5 days of real adventure the four of us shared together. Truly 'Happy Days!'
The first few days were the hardest!
Taking a well earned rest in splendid surroundings. We walked a brisk pace and carried all our own food, camping gear, clothes etc which was a good test of our fitness... learning from experience, we packed more food than necessary, including jars of jam and honey, tinned soup and so many packs of pasta... we carried and ate our own body weight at least!
And this is the middle of summer! Looking at snow whilst combatting sun-stroke is a bit weird!
And this is the middle of summer! Looking at snow whilst combatting sun-stroke is a bit weird!
More of our tramp...
Hut 2 - Dart Hut. We stayed here for 2 nights. Paul and Georgie did a long hike on day 3 to cascade saddle and an enormous glacier. B and I completed a different walk up a valley and into a boulder field by a smaller glacier. Days 2 and 3 were our only wash days - in the freezing glacial melt water!
Much of the walk B and I did was through dense bush like this without a noticeable footpath as few people ever walk it!
Much of the walk B and I did was through dense bush like this without a noticeable footpath as few people ever walk it!
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