Right, luckily it had no details to it! Leaving Kat's place I dove back into Abel Tasman park, took a boat ride past all the tourists and the fur seals(have I mentioned they aren't actually seals? They are sea lions) I digress, lovely coastal track they've got there, I hiked there two days and had a flushing toilet and toilet paper provided everytime! Amazing! I was spoiled. My next stop was Nelson Lakes National Park.
After two days of hitchhiking and 7 different drivers (longest ride was 1.3hrs, shortest was 2mins, not alltogether sure why some people stop) I finally arrived! Got a decent start by 11am that first day, a solid 7hrs on the trail, I felt awesome! (ok that's a lie I was horribly cranky cuz I skipped breakfast in order to get a ride) but once I ate I felt awesome!!
Day two was planned to take the brunt of the hike, if you check out the travers-Sabine loop trail there is a gorgeous mountain pass, the travers saddle, completed base to base from the east to west in one day. Ooooh my knees and my feet hurt, I may be exaggerating but I think it was a 1200m climb soo what is that 3k ft? I give it a 14er rating for you Coloradoans back home :)
http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-a
Day two was successful got to the bottom on the other side and crashed, I think I slept on a rescue heli pad, apparently there were no emergencies. (seriously though, who puts those along a hiking trail in an idyllic camping location?!)
The most astounding part of this trek was the rivers! There were waterfalls and river crossings and little lakes all over the place! I have never seen so many water bodies in one general area.
Unfortunately I had to cross each of them. Occasionally there would be a bridge but typically the bridges were for marshy areas not raging rivers, no you had to balance on rocks or wade through the rivers, they spared you from the mud. Stupid. Though I suppose it could be lightening mud or something that I don't know about.!? Thankfully I only slipped in one river crossing and the walking stick I decided to carry along like an old english person did me well!
Day three was an adventure!! I slept late and conversed with a couple from the north island that we should make a lazy day of it and stop at the next hut. They had a nice big fire place there and we could dry out our boots for the first time in three days! They took off and I carried on shortly thereafter. Now anyone that knows me well, knows that direction is not my forte. At all. Left from right is tricky enough and mountains always mean west to me (thanks to the view of the Rockies from Foco). I was in the middle of the mountains. I was screwed. So I left headed east, naturally, if I came down the mountain the day before east was the only option. (I was actually supposed to head north. For those of you that checked out the trail map)
I was so excited for that big fire and cozy hut that I hit the trail running (not really running, my pack was somewhere around forty lbs at this point). Long story short I hit the next hut after 3.5 hrs, I was shocked (it was supposed to take 5) then dismayed...I had gone south. It started to rain as I stepped up to the hut. Blue lake is a gorgeous little side track but completely out of the way and some of the worst river crossings I had done yet, and I had to backtrack. After thoroughly berating myself I settled down to have a nice night of solitude. There was no way anyone would follow me up there in the rain that was pouring down. So I had the luxury of a fire and a bath!!! It was lovely :) I just tried not to think of what the water level would be like going back the next day!
Day four was absolutely beautiful!!! And I made it down to where I had intended to go the previous day...and at that hut I met a cool groups from Nelson city that invited me to hike back out with them and they'd give me a ride into Nelson!! Score! They continued to include me in their pre-holiday activities, Christmas eve BBQ Christmas day beach fun, etc and I got to ride around in their shiny new corvette!! (they use buttons now to open doors, I had to ask how to exit the first time!) anyway, total success in the end :)
I do well in groups.
That being said, I left Nelson alone for another hike that goes in to a large overhang (they tried to call it a cave, but it's definitely not a cave). More river crossings. There were actually parts of the trail where you just walk along IN the river. My feet are so tired of being wet while hiking...but it's the kiwi way! I think that's why I see so many guys walking around in short shorts (like 1970/1980s basketball shorts) and gum boots.
I continued down the coast pitching my tent where no one could see me but I could see the ocean :) it was awesome! Though the further I go south the worse the sandflies seem to be (they look like fruit flies but they are worse than mosquitoes! They leave sores not just itchy spots, not sure why they are needed on this planet)
I hit Franz Joseph on new years eve and met a nice guy at a hostel that had a car and drove a handful of us around to seethe glaciers and do some hikes, lovely really. And a good thing!
New years day I wasn't really too keen on adventure, let alone movement, but I met a nice couple that run a hostel and offered me a room, dinner each night, and free laundry in exchange for 2hrs work each day cleaning at their hostel. I'm still here. Hahahaha! The rain started on he second and didn't stop until the fourth. Next thing we know the bridge to the north fell out due to a landslide (they call them slips here) and all the hiking trails were closed for two-three days. I've finally seen the tops of the mountains here though and the bridge was just opened up last night. Just in time for the next rain storm starting tomorrow. So I decided to skip hiking this area and jet down to Wanaka, which is the next city south of here but inland a bit. And perhaps do some camping out of there. I thought I was in summer here, I'd hate to see the spring showers if this is nice summer weather...
