Well here I am again for yet another post. Much has happened in the last few days since I've been able to write. When I last left you I was sitting on the bus, waiting to finally arrive in Te Anau. (Tee-a-now) We entered the town a tad early (apparently all the bus driver's griping was for nothing)to a mild evening. We had arranged to stay at the YHA Hostel, which ended up being a blessed few blocks walk away.
The hostel was as many YHA hostels are - clean, bright and beautiful. We were booked into a 6 bunk dorm room, and like the rest of the facility, it was very nice. My only complaint was the washroom situation. This hostel is HUGE. It has over 36 rooms, many of which are dorms, which means there can easily be over 100 people staying in this place at once. For our floor, which had probably 10 rooms, there were two bathrooms. One male and one female. So for those of you who ever had to wait for your brother or sister who was "taking forever in the shower," you can stop complaining right now. Try wrestling your way into a spot for the shower at a place like this!
After a much needed rest at the YHA, we got up somewhat early to pack and plan for the Kepler Track walk. The morning was filled with glorious sunshine, and I was feeling eager to begin the journey. The walk began with a 4km walk from Te Anau, all the way to the lake control gates. (a small water dam) From there it was a short 3.5 km walk to our first campsite of the hike, Brod Bay. It was a beautiful little spot, with campsites situated all along a fine white sand beach. The sandflies left much to be desired however, and a local family ended up giving us their insect repellent. I was extremely grateful. Bedtime came early that night, as we had a long day awaiting us in the morning.
Once again, Mother Nature was at her finest, and the day bloomed warm and clear. Our hike began with 10km of steep switchbacks through the jungle. I originally donned light gloves and long pants for the start of the trek, but after about one km I was stopping to peel them off. Within a couple hours we found ourselves stopping along a magnificent set of towering limestone bluffs to grab a well deserved apple and "muesli bar." (Granola bar) Within another hour we broke free of the imposing trees and found ourselves out in the wonderous alpine. From here we could see the town of Te Anau, along with Lake Manapouri and various mountain ranges. Luxmore hut was another 45 mins beyond that, and it was a welcome sight for us when it finally popped up from behind a hill. To clarify, what the DOC calls "huts" is vastly misleading. I would say that "estate" is a better descriptor for these buildings. They come equipped with 4 indoor flush toilets, and a kitchen that would have Gordon Ramsey prancing like a school girl.
From the hut it was a 10 min sidetrip to visit Luxmore Cave, one of many in the area. It was a cold descent down into the massive black tunnel, and I have to admit, I was freaked out. I couldn't help but hum a tune from one of my favorite childhood horror shows called, "Are You Afraid of the Dark?" I most certainly was while trudging through the endless black with only a headlamp.
After a half hour detour into the caves, we emerged somewhat dreading our next leg of the trip. We weren't actually staying in Luxmore hut, which meant we now had to cross the saddle of the Luxmore Ridge and descend into the valley below before reaching our campsite. A daunting additional 14.6km was still awaiting us. It seemed that the Kepler Track was not going to show us any mercy, and we immediately started climbing. The rocky path twisted and turned up the side of Mt. Luxmore until we finally reached an emergency shelter known as "Forest Burn Shelter." Nestled in the crook of two mountains, it might have looked isolated and vulnerable, but to us it was a sign from heaven and a good spot to rest for a short spell. There was also a outhouse which I dubbed "pooper at the edge of the world," as it was literally perched on the brink of a cliff, held fast by two cables. It looked as if one solid kick (or an explosive bowel movement) would sent it careening over the edge at any moment.
Moving onwards from the shelter brought us to what is probably one of the most amazing sights of my life. We could see the path snakeing along the ridges for miles and miles, and even though I've never been to the Great Wall of China, it's much how I imagine this looked. The sun continued to burn down, and after another stop to rub in some sunscreen, we continued along the spectacular ridge. We finally began our descent off of the ridge, and proceeded to endure switchbacks that seem to last a lifetime. When Iris Burn Hut and campsite finally came into view amongst the jungle flora, I actually gasped with relief. It was the end to a very long but very rewarding day.We set us camp in a field, surrounded by towering mountains, looking up at the ridge we had just conquered. The sandflies once again swarmed us, eager for a warm drink, but the tent did its job in thwarting them. Exhausted and sore, sleep once again came early.
Saturday morning came somewhat cooler and overcast, which was a welcome relief to me, as I discovered I had a large sunburn. Great. Anyways, this portion of the hike was to be 16.2 km, which ended up taking us 3.5 hours. We trudged through the "Big Slip," which was a great landslide in 1984. Along that slip we encounted several curious Kea birds, the only non-tropical parrots in the world. They screeched and swooped among us, putting on a quite a show, and even landed right in front of me, waddling in my direction.
Early in the afternoon we reached Shallow Bay Hut and campsite, a little known spot for trampers and fishers. We were the first to arrive, and we rejoiced at the hut having a hearth and 6 bunks with mattresses. A duo of young men arrived about an hour later, and we discovered they were from Victoria. They informed us that a passing warden had recommended tenting at Shallow Bay, as the mosquitos inside the hut were known to be the devil incarnate. (I should have guessed this was the case seeing as how the walls were a virtual canvas of smeared insect blood and bodies.) We opted to try and outsmart the pesky insects by burning a fire all night, but the crackling wood only last so long. By the middle of the night I was huddled in my sweaty sleeping bag, desperately seeking refuge from the high pitched buzzing. Needless to say, at the first light of morning I was hastily packing my gear and vacating Shallow Bay.
It was still another 15.5km to the control gates, and the rain was lightly sprinkling down upon us. The time passed by quickly, with much conversation to distract us from the growing aches in our feet and muscles. Finally the dam came into view, and we rejoiced at our first walk completed. We still had yet another 4km walk into the edge of town however, and roughly 2 km beyond that to the YHA. An hour later we dragged weary, muddy bodies into the lobby of the hostel. We hadn't booked accomodation with them for that night however, as we had figured that due to its size we'd have no problem walking in. The conversation that followed went something like this:
Courtney with a big smile: "Hello! Do you have any space in the dorms tonight?"
YHA worker with a stoic face: "We don't have any space in the dorms left."
Courtney with a somewhat fading smile: "Ooook... how much are the private rooms?"
YHA worker with the same stoic face: "$100 dollars for a night."
Courtney turning around so the worker can't see the snarl curling her lips: (Under her breath) "Well @&#$ that's just perfect." (Turning back around with her fake smile again) "Ok well I'm just going to go think about it in the lobby for a moment."
YHA worker still with his annoyingly stoic face: "Alright."
Courtney now in hurt-someone-mode: "Let's get the hell out of here."
We ended up hobbling back to another hostel we had looked at online, "Lakeside Backpackers Hostel," part of the BBH (budget backpackers hostels) chain. It was a couple dollars more expensive, but am I ever glad I came here. This is my favorite hostel so far. The dorm we were assigned was the Hollyford Room, and it was spotless and wonderful, with only four bunks. Furthermore, it had it's own private bathroom and was situated right on the edge of the beautiful back garden. Needless to say, I've booked us in for another night.
So this day has consisted of catching up on emails and planning for the next leg of the trip. It's been a much needed day of recovery, and I fully intend on being fat and lazy for the remainder of this somewhat cloudy day.
Much love and hugs to all back home in Canuck Land.
Courtney
xoxox
PS - I can't post pictures on this blog as of yet but I will find a way. I will upload photos to Facebook sometime soon!
PPS - I am too lazy to check for grammatical and spelling errors right now!
New Zealand fact of the day: Smarties are called "Pebbles" here
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