October marked the end of the New Zealand season, filled with parties, pack-downs, pack-ups and of course, a road trip or two.
Fern Burn Hut
The month began at Fern Burn Hut, waking up to rain on the tin roof and clouds settled in the valley. It was going to be a wet hike back to the warmth of the car! After cheerfully bidding farewell to the hut, Ben, Tessa, and I started our march to the first obstacle: a small creek. With an overconfident leap, my foot missed the tussock and rolled with a pop. Ouch.
No time to panic – there was a warm car waiting for me! So I recalled the wise advice a homeless man with a half-melted face had once given me: “Drugs, my boy! Drugs!” I quickly stuffed my mouth with ibuprofen and Oreos to counter the pain and shock. Now all I needed to do was push through it, keeping my eye on the prize.
That cheerful march turned into a worrisome hobble up, down, and around the slippery wet trail. When we finally got home, I was able to inspect the full damage to my foot. Thankfully, it was just a mild bruise and swelling, though it still hurts. Maybe I should see a physio.
Doubtful Sound
Our first road trip this month was to Doubtful Sound in Fiordland National Park; however, the tour started in the town of Manapouri, three hours southwest of Wanaka. A ferry takes you across the lake within the national park, docking at a hydroelectric station. From there, you board a bus that takes you over the range and down into the sound. With navigation restricted to designated park vehicles, traffic impact is greatly reduced, making the park safer, cleaner, and wilder for its inhabitants. Denali National Park in Alaska is famous for restricting the majority of its roads to park buses, a practice that’s now being implemented worldwide. Once you arrive at the Sound, you board another ferry, which sails toward the coast and back.
Doubtful Sound is about twice as long as Milford Sound and has several arms that stretch out to create fascinating inlets and islands. Like the weekend before, it was wet. Rain is a good thing for the Sound, as it creates layered clouds and hundreds of slender waterfalls that weave their way down sheer cliffs. This makes for a very dramatic landscape that takes you out of your own world, whether to the land of the Vikings, the alien Pandora, or Jurassic Park.
Farewell to the Season
It was pack-down time at the rental shop where I worked this winter. All the gear and shelving needed to be packed away into storage sheds to make way for the summer expansions. It was three long days of: fill the van, drive the van, empty the van (God life’s relentless).
To end the season on a positive note, the staff party was jam-packed with go-karting, mini-golf and an overnight hut trip to Mutterers’ Hut at Snow Farm. The rolling white landscape around last month’s Kirtle Burn Hut now had large splashes of earth and tussock peeking through the melting snow. The sunset was still as impressive, and we partied the night away dressed in retro attire but with our minds focused on the future. A great farewell to the season.
Daddy Dunners
What do you do when you find yourself unemployed and half your bank account gone from the sport you hold dear? Another road trip, of course! Dunedin has long been on the bucket list, as it’s Sante’s university stomping ground, but it has no snow, no sound, and no creek to leap across and sprain your ankle (which still hurts, by the way). That’s why we left it till last, Sante – we had better things to do.
The hilly city of “Daddy Dunners” rises out of the Pacific Ocean and wraps itself around a harbour. Within it lie winding streets, beautiful cafés and the Speight’s beer factory. Sante played tour guide for Ben, Tessa, and I, showing us all the best spots. We went to THE STREET – it was very steep. The beach was beautiful but the water frigid, and finally, we toured her beloved university, with Church Street being the highlight. The student accommodation was an exquisite mix of National Lampoon’s Animal House and Housos’s Sunnyvale.
Later that night, we met up with Sante’s friends, had dinner, and went clubbing. Ah, university days…
Planes, Busses and Automobiles
The final days in Wanaka were spent house-cleaning and packing for our simultaneous move-out. My bags were filled to the brim (and I came to the country light!). The journey back home was long and logistical – from plane to bus to car – but eventually, I made it back to Berridale, NSW.
Re-entry into Australian life was tough. I missed Wanaka, and to make matters worse, I was struck down by a stomach bug on my second day. I’ve got a lot of organising to do in the next two weeks: visas, catching up with friends and home commitments. It looks like I won’t be able to laze around as much as I’d expected…
Until then, take care,
Rory
P.S. I finally went to the physio the other day. The guy said stop complaining, it’s healing– just draw the alphabet with your foot.