New Zealand (III)

Richard W. Frank

New Zealand (III)

Three French Hens, Two Turtle Doves, ........

Few places on this earth have such a powerful inertia as Christchurch, New Zealand. Those of you with ASA whom have gone through this little oasis where time and money loose all meaning know what I am talking about. This lethargy and pleasure of the spirit along with the westerly winds and heat make it difficult to focus on typing, so indulge me if you will in a spirit of generosity that Hallmark and Kmart bottle so efficiently.

After spending the last month incommunicado on the myriad trails of Fiordland, it is hard to adjust to having finished all the trails I dreamed about during the winter. Having freed myself from the expensive, exciting, and luxurious grasp of Queenstown, I booked it down to the gateway of Fiordland, Te Anau where the day tourist is it's raison d'etre. I put myself on the waiting list for the Milford Track-the most famous track in NZ, often touted as the ""most beautiful track in New Zealand""-with lots of hope and little chance. People book in July for the entire next year. I made a point to go visit the charming ladies at the Department of Conservation at least twice a day to make myself new friends and increase my standing on the waitlist. Two blokes in my dorm room were due to set out on Nov 28th, and I watched them pack with envy.

At 11am on the 28th as was reading by the fire, the owner of the hostile, a solidly built, flaming red-headed, wrinkled and smiling woman wattled into the room waving a message in the air like a flag saying that I had to be on the boat at 1pm. I broke all records getting packed, buying food, and running down to the DOC like a Sherpa on crack.

The next four days lived up to my most extravagant bucolic dreams. In an area renown for its profuse rain, we only had a half day's swim down the track. I felt as if I had stepped into a brochure. My boots guided me down the track as my eyes were on Nature's grandeur (I know it is corny but the only way to convey an iota of what it was like). The day that we swam down the track, I left early and made it up to the alpine pass to catch the views before all hell broke loose. The last day to Milford sound approached religious significance.

Back in Te Anau I did the Kepler, Caples, Greenstone, and finished with the Queen of Tracks-the Routeburn. Every day was a revelation; and every kilometer floated by, seemingly without effort. It was with regret and a feeling of accomplishment that I returned to Queenstown.

I bipped over to Dunedin for awhile to bask in the college-town life of cafes, clubs, and long days doing nothing much: haunting the used book stores, wandering in botanical gardens, and visiting every factory tour I could. The big disappointment was the closing of Cadbury's tour. I walked up the white factory walls and smelled the coco goodness oozing out of the bricks. I was able to visit the world's southernmost whisky distillery (free tastings— hheeeehheeee) and the Speight's Brewery (pull your own pints heeeheeeee!!!).

Stopped by Mt Cook on the way up to Christchurch and did some tramping in a wind tunnel of a valley up to Hooker Hut and to Mueller Hut. Was only able to view the peak for several minutes of clarity.

Now I find myself in Christchurch's Pleasure Island for awhile. I have to return to my travel agent to pick up my tickets to and around Aussie. I do not want to rush over to the desert heat in the middle of summer, but am itching to move beyond the South Island of NZ. It has been brilliant over the last weeks, but Asia is calling although the dry season does not start really until May. I should get a job in the first world here while I can, but I am remarkably unmotivated. I find myself wishing that there was a last minute opening down on the ice just to disappear for awhile and save a little more before heading out (I have become a greedy bastard).

I have no idea where I shall spend the holidays, so may I wish you all Happy Holidays and the happiest of New Years, yadda yadda yadda.

Until next....

Rich

Onwards to Australia (I)

Back to New Zealand (II)

Back to World Trip #1

Wading ashore at the start of the fabled Milford Track