I Should Have Titled My Last Blog:

Whiz! Bang!  2010!  

First, I'll back up to December 30th at 3:49PM.  Remember that Irish pub I stopped at in Queenstown?  The Pogue Mahone?  Well, as I was walking in a quaint Te Anau neighborhood I came across a boat parked in a driveway named "Pogue Mahone."  Can someone help me out here?  Is this an expression?  A cult figure?  Literary hero? 

Anyways, I did leave Queenstown and made it to Te Anau.  Here's a journal entry (and by the way, from now on I'm putting all journal entries in italics to make it less confusing):

December 30th 4:58PM

Arrived in te Anau around 1PM from Queenstown.  It's a welcome change.  The views aren't as inspiring but are still gorgeous.  Even more appealing is the quiet and gentle nature of the town.

It's still touristy, but outside of the town center I was walking around a neighborhood of immaculate landscaped yards, children playing and houses that harkens back to the 50's (I believe they also used "harken" in the 50's {1850's?}).  It rather felt like I had traveled back in time and is the same way I felt about Hilo, HI.  

While in town I debated what to do with my extra day in Te Anau on January 4th when I get back from the Kepler track.  Hesistantly I signed up for a kayaking trip around Milford Sound.  It's been ages since I've been in a sea kayak and I had such a blast on the kayaking trip to Baja.  Both of these factors contributed to my decision to shell out $150 NZ for a guided trip. *sigh*  Just writing "guided" makes me feel weird.  I'm so much more fond of DIY.  But, honestly, when will I get a chance to sea kayak in Milford Sound again?

So I just returned from that very $150 guided kayak trip and I can honestly say I had fun.  I was disapointed that I had to kayak in a double and that we were only on the water for about 4 hours.  But it felt soooo great to paddle.  I need to find a way to get one of my own.  And of course Milford Sound is renowned for it's beauty.  Alpine peaks rise straight up from the sound and waterfalls are flowing wherever you look.  Okay, onto some more journal entries.

December 31st 1PM

I just arrived at Luxmore Hut on the Kepler track.  It was really a beautiful walk!  It began by countouring the level beech forested shores of Lake Te Anau.  After a few kms it started to climb up many, many, many dreaded switchbacks.  They were, however, not an obscene grade and in no time at all I was above the treeline and settled into Luxmore Hut.

I taken any pictures of the inside of a hut!  I must remember to.  Anyways...

It took me about 4 hours and 45 minutes to cover about 14km.  Pretty good time.  And I know I should be more concerned with enjoying myself than making good times but I couldn't help using the chronometer feature on my new watch.  And I am having fun dammit!

A few things I was thinking about while on the track: 1) I should have titled my last blog "Hostel Environment."  I may change it.  2)  There were 2 sets of day hikers and only 2 packs between them.  The guys were carrying the packs both times.  You better believe I would make my girlfriend carry her own pack (maybe this is why I'm single...)  3)  When Kiwi's say "Auckland" it sounds like "Oakland."  I was in the middle of a conversation before I realized this guy was from nowhere near California.

4:06PM

On the hut wall:

No meadows of brightly colored flowers here!

Most NZ flowers are white or yellow.  Native pollinators here are insects that pollinate many species of plants - they are generalist, not specialist pollinators that are usually drawn to bright colors.

January 1st 8:52PM

The New Year!  I celbrated it in style at Luxmore hut.  I sipped some whiskey and stayed up til midnight chatting w/ Jimmy from Ireland and Amy from England.  They moved to Auckland together to work and see the country.

Once midnight rolled around everyone who was still awake strolled up a hill to get a view of little Te Anau's New Year fireworks display.  It was difficult to see but nonetheless enjoyable.

The next morning I awoke to blustery conditions.  I was more than a little concerned that they would be too strong to continue.  A ways up the trail Jimmy and Amy caught up to me.  They had heard the weather forecast and it was grim.  Strong winds w/ gusts up to 120km and rain showers developing by 1PM (little did we know but the trail had been closed shortly after we left).

I joined forces with Jimmy and Amy (and they were very pleasant company) and we decided to at least give it a go.  The wind was certainly intimidating at times and potentially dangerous when we had to cross two saddles.  We were all consistently being blown off balance by the force of the gusts.

For Mom: At no time did it seem life threatening and I would have turned back at anypoint that I felt in danger.  That said, it did get my heart pumping occasionally.  

Anyway, we all continued together to the next and hut and found that most people had continued on from Luxmore hut and had braved the gales.  However, an Australian girl came down with a spot of hypothermia.  She had an Electronic Posistion Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) with her and signaled a helicopter to evacuate her.

I had very high doubts about the seriousness of her condition.  While passing her on the trail we exchanged a few remarks about the wind.  Jimmy then said "See you at the hut."  To which she replied: "Or in a helicopter."  Hypothermia my ass.  Earlier at Luxmore hut she had also been talking to a hut warden and had asked if there was an easier hike.  to which he replied: "This is an easy hike."  I suspect she was just uninterested in continuing the trail and found the idea of a helicopter ride much more appealing.  I really hope she got charged the full amount for the helicopter ride and I also hope she is found out as a fraud and is never allowed to hike in New Zealand again.  If this sounds harsh, it is only because I despise people who abuse emergency services.

An update:  She was the talk of the entire Kepler track.  Once I got back to Te Anau everyone asked about her since it was apparently in the paper.  That little snot.

Currently, I'm writing my notes for the day in a tent as I opted to camp instead of stay in a hut.  It's pouring rain, there's lightning and thunder, high winds and the sandflies are particularly bothersome.*  It would seem I made a poor choice.  But at least I won't have to hear snoring in the huts.

*Sandflies are the bane of New Zealand.  They are little black flies that swarm and bite and leave welts that resemble mosquito bites.  And they are everywhere!  Any time you want to stop and admire a view or take a dip in a lake, they are there.

January 3rd 6:48PM

It's been an uneventful couple of days compared to New Years Day.  Yesterday was a flat, 16km day that went smoothly.  The only thing I have to note is that the hut warden at Motarau Hut said every year there is a race on the Kepler track.  The record time for the entire 68km is around 4 and a half hours.  It took me four days to complete the Kepler.  What do you think about that?

As for today, it was a long soggy march of around 19km.  I left at 6AM because I was really aching to get back into town so I could have 1) a beer 2) a cheeseburger 3) a shower.

I succeded at meeting all 3 needs and have spent the rest of the day running errands.  I bought long underwear since I apparently forgot to pack the ones I had set aside.  I also bought a pair of socks because I didn't notice one pair I had brought had holes in them.  Then I bought groceries, a book, did laundry and now I'm getting pizza and and sipping a Speight's Old Dark.  It's been a nice afternoon.

Okay, so that's all the news for now.  Sorry, I don't have any pictures as of now.  My connection for my camera is in Queenstown at the hostel with some of my other stuff and I won't have access to the internet until.... (checking my notes).... January 11th!  From now until then I'll be doing the Milford and Routeburn tracks back to back.  Thanks for reading!