From Sky to Sea

This morning we were greeted with bright blue skies and not a cloud in sight. What a welcome change. It was even warm out. We had been tired from the long day before, so we slept in a little and joined our innkeeper for breakfast around 8 a.m. We launched into conversation with him and really enjoyed the back and forth - and ended up sitting, eating and chatting for about two hours. It was a no-hurry kind of morning. Between bites, we were ooohing and ahhhing at the view from the kitchen window of Mt. Cook and Mt. Tasman looming over us.

So, what to do with a blue sky day? With the mountain peaks completely visible? With warm sun beating down on us? Take a helicopter ride up the glacier, around the mountains and go play on a snowfield at 10,000 feet. Of course!

We had been debating this for the last few months. But had decided not to book ahead, for fear of cloudy conditions. So here we were facing an unbeatable day after almost a week of rain. And we decided to treat ourselves. The nice thing about it all, is that after our last-minute decision, innkeeper Dave just had to make a call to the company, and he had us booked to go at 11, only 45 mins from the time of the decision. And, the launch pad was about a stone's throw from our back deck. Like two giddy school children we raced to get ready and we walked two minutes down the road to meet up with our helicopter.

The experience was incredible. Once-in-a-lifetime kind of moment. We were in a Bell Helicopter - the small kind with big windows. And the two of us sat up front with the pilot, so we had full windows in front and beside us. In the backseat, a father and his young daughter joined us for the tour. Within minutes we were in the air and heading up the mountainside toward the Fox Glacier and the tallest mountains in New Zealand.

There is no way that I'll ever be able to relay this in written words. Bright blue skies, crisp white snow, mammoth glaciers and mountains - and the aqua blue Tasman Sea in the distance. It may be the smallest I've ever felt. We glided up the face of the glacier and flew right up next to the jagged, snowy Mt. Cook. We hovered right between the massive peaks and took exhilarating rollercoaster approaches over corniced ridges and rocky edges. When we were up there, it felt like the helicopter was just a tiny toy and we were on a magical movie set. Awe-inspiring. Every minute of it.

Then, we got to drop for a landing on a snowfield on top of the glacier. The glacier itself is 13 km and the snowfield at the top that feeds it has a diameter of 30 km. When you're up there, it's difficult to get a sense of scale, until you look way down below at the glacier and see tiny specks that are people trekking through the ice.

We climbed out of the helicopter into this fantastical winter world. It was a place that did not seem to belong to humans, but it was fun to stop and stay a little while, take in deep breaths of the fresh air, throw a few snowballs and just stand in awe of the natural world. I didn't want to leave when the pilot called us back to the helicopter.

And 30 mins later, we were roaring back down the face of the glacier, then back over the jungle, and rivers and down to the launch site.  And 45 mins later we were back in our hotel room, wondering how we could top that. The answer is, it's not possible. We are both glad we decided to take this adventure and the colors, the views and the overpowering feeling of nature will never leave me.

That adventure made us hungry and we headed into town for a quick lunch (at one of the four restaurants in Fox - we'll likely hit each one before we depart this place on Tuesday). And then what do you do after flying around a 12,000 foot peak in the morning? You spend the afternoon on a beautiful New Zealand beach of course. The complete opposite.

We drove down to Gillespe's Beach (about a 20 minute drive down a long windy, gravel road through the jungle) and emerged in the sunshine on a beautiful tropical beach. It was immense. Covered with beautiful stones - green, metallic, snowy white, smooth and perfectly round. I wanted to take them all home with me (Dave: Why is your bag so heavy, do you have rocks in it? Nicole: Why, yes. Yes I do.).

We spent a few hours relaxing on the beach. Listening to the surf through the stones, reading and climbing around the really interesting old driftwood. We plan to return tomorrow night for some sunset pictures.

After the beach, we headed back to our hotel. I decided to go for a 5-mile run - and for the first time on our vacation, it felt like summer had arrived. Phew, was that a hot run. I ran along a country road, with sheep, cows, and spectacular mountains as a backdrop. But the sun down here is hot, and I was exhausted by the end of the workout.

I got back in time to shower, change and join Dave and the other guests for wine, cheese and dinner here at the inn. We opted to have our innkeeper cook for us tonight and had a lovely time. Two other guests arrived while we were drinking wine and chatting. So two couples from the UK, the two of us, and innkeeper Dave ate, and drank and ate and drank and talked and laughed up a storm from 7 p.m. until midnight. It was a wonderful meal (I had blue cod fillets and Dave had beef fillet. And for dessert, a trio of ice creams. I'll never forget the plum and creme fraiche flavored one. Yum.).

Now we're off to bed. Dave is starting tomorrow at 5 a.m. for some sunrise photos and I plan to sleep until he gets back. Then off to hike up and up for some awesome views of Fox Glacier - and then hopefully back to the beach to end the day with an amazing sunset. Fingers crossed that summer sticks around.

Scenic Overload

I am two, very full, days behind on the blog because we spent last night on a boat. So this will be a busy recap of two days that I will never forget.

Rain or shine, I have come to the conclusion that New Zealand is the most beautiful place I’ve ever experienced. Mountain for mountain, it can’t compete with the great Rockies of Colorado. But if you take into account the myriad landscapes, rain forests, glaciers, turquoise lakes, green rolling hills, the towering fiords and the immense craggy peaks – I’m not sure if there is any place like this in the world. I’m on scenic overload right now because we experienced all of those places in the last 36 hours.

Day 1

Yesterday, we woke up to sunshine over Lake Te Anau. When the skies cleared we realized the drama that had been hiding from us over the last few days. We were completely encircled by white peaks in every direction you looked. Those floor-to-ceiling windows suddenly became that much more important. We caught the morning sunrise before breakfast when their skies were at their clearest – then we went out to enjoy some poached eggs on ciabatta bread with bacon and hollandaise sauce, with the bright sunshine and views to keep us company. Then after taking more photos, packing up and having a lovely farewell conversation with Russ and Joan, the inn keepers, we were on the road to Milford Sound by 10:30.

The morning sun revealed this view from our room over Lake Te Anau.

Our room was the furthest right at the end.

The plan for the day was to work our way along the 2-hour drive into Milford Sound, stop along the way for a hike and then make it to catch our boat by 4:30 to take our overnight cruise into the fiord. We were really lucky. Because of the severe rains, the road to Milford Sound had been closed for landslides over the two previous days. We had been holding our breath on whether or not we could get in to catch the boat. But the rain had finally stopped and the road was only closing at night, so we were safe to get to our destination.

This road is incredible. We learned a lot about how early New Zealanders built it in the 30s. The government wanted to open the fiord for tourism, so they literally put a road through mountainsides where no road should ever go. And to get to the fiord, they needed to build a one-lane tunnel through a massive granite mountain. It’s still sketchy, and there are still landslides on either side of it when it rains really hard (which is what closed the road this week). Otherwise, this road weaves through giant valleys and towering cliffs, rivers, waterfalls, meadows, sharp turns, snow, rain forest. It is impressive. And the closer we got to the start of the fiord itself, the more the clouds, mist and rain returned to us too.

Around noon we stopped for our hike. We planned to trek up to the top of Key Summit, which has amazing views of the local ranges and the entrance to Milford Sound. It’s about a 5-mile roundtrip hike – first half straight up, second half straight down. The first part was on switch backs in the rainforest. We went up and up and up through the giant trees. Not only was it misting again, but the trees are always wet and dripping. The higher we got, the more we were into the clouds. It took us about 45 minutes to reach the summit and the last 15 minutes were above the tree line. The clouds had encircled us, but as we moved and they moved we were able to catch faraway glimpses of mountain tops – some rolling and green with jungle, others rocky and blanketed with snow fields. The top was windy, wet and cold – but spectacular. There was a nature loop on the summit through alpine bogs with incredible 360 degree vistas. We huddled behind a rock and enjoyed another lunch with a view. Then we headed back down quickly and made it to the car in about 40 mins – with plenty of time to make the final 30-min drive to the boat.

Mt. Christina peaking out from the clouds from the top of Key Summit.

Views from the hike back down Key Summit.

The last stretch of the Milford Sound Road is definitely the most dramatic. You work your way through the inclined, one-lane, rustic tunnel and come out into a fantasy land on the other side. When you look back, you just see this massive sheer granite rock face that almost blocks out what sun there is behind the clouds. And in front, you work your way down a serpentine road through glacial cut valleys until you reach the entrance to the fiord.

When you arrive, the first view you see is the one that is used for the backdrop of this blog – Mitre Peak. Of course, we saw it then – but we were hurrying to the boat. And it was supposed to be more clear the next day, so we waited on taking a picture of our own. We failed the primary lesson we’ve learned in this country – if you see a shot, take it. Who knows if the clouds will let you do it later.

By the time we reached the boat, it was raining. But we soon learned that it pretty much always rains in Milford in the summer. Their last clear day in the fiord was sometime in early December. All of the pictures from the brochures were taken in the winter – and even those clear days are few and far between in that season. But no matter, the beauty of the fiords is in their drama. And we definitely experienced plenty of that.

We booked an overnight cruise with a company called Real Journeys. It was on a small sailing cruise ship with about 30 state rooms called the Milford Mariner. The boat was a good size, so it really absorbed those 60 passengers. For much of the time, it felt like we had the place to ourselves.

Boarding the Mariner.

We left the dock around 4:30 p.m., and after our safety presentation, we dropped our stuff off in our private cabin and headed up on deck. That evening we were going to cruise along the fiord for about an hour before mooring in a cove overnight. Of course, it was pouring with rain again, but that didn’t stop us. Dave and I were out on the bow with our rain gear (with only a handful of brave souls). We saw seals, maneuvered under a few waterfalls and took in the dramatic views.

Our cabin on the boat.

Checking out the waterfall from the front row.

After mooring in the cove for the evening, we had the option of kayaking. We were not going to let a little wind and rain stop us. About seven of us climbed into kayaks and set off exploring. I’m not going to lie – it was cold, I was soaked, the water was choppy from the wind and we were tired from the hike earlier that day – but it was still really fun. Dave and I went off exploring the cove on our own for about an hour. By the end of it, I was shivering and starving for dinner. We peeled out of our drenched clothes, warmed up and made it in time for the dinner bell at 7.

Considering we were on a boat in the middle of a fiord in New Zealand, dinner was lovely. We had assigned seats – and we were combined with two really great couples – who were our age and had all actually been out on the water in kayaks and a tender when we were. So we were all recovering and warming up together. One couple was from Sydney Australia. She was an engineer and he was a technical manager at a large global paint company. The other couple was currently living in Singapore, but she was German, he was Australian – and the met years ago when they were both living in Auckland, New Zealand. She is a school teacher and he is an international jet pilot for JetStar. The buffet dinner was delicious and plentiful – and we had a nice long evening chatting and sharing stories. After dinner, the boat staff gave a short, amusing and informative slide show about Milford Sound –and we learned a lot about weather conditions and how we were actually pretty lucky weather-wise with what had been dealt to us.  

By then it was about 9:30, and Dave and I bundled up and went out on the deck to take photos and watch the light fade away. Again, we were the only people out there. It was magical. After a long day we were exhausted, so we headed to bed by 10:30 and set our alarms for 4:30 a.m. When you’re on a boat in Milford Sound, you need to get up in time to watch the sunrise. Plus, breakfast was at 7 a.m. sharp.

Night views from the boat, looking at the companion ship moored with us in the cove.

Evening in Milford Sound.

Day 2

At 4:30 a.m., it was cloudy (of course) and still dark. So we snoozed until about 5:15. Dave bundled up and went outside with camera and tripod in tow. I joined him up on deck at 6 a.m. Again, we were the first people up and out there. Even with 60 people, we had the place to ourselves.

The morning mist, the quiet, the fresh snow on the peaks from overnight and the seals swimming nearby – all things I could easily wake up to every morning. It was so peaceful and sheltered – like waking up as part of a painting, not like anything in the real world.

Early morning in Milford Sound.

Early morning, the other boat leaving the cove ahead of us.

We rejoined our new friends for a large breakfast buffet and by 7:30, the boat was moving for part two of the tour of the fiord. It was cold, windy and cloudy – but at least it wasn’t raining. The mist still necessitated full winter gear and rain coats. Dave and I were up on the bow for the ride out to the end of the fiord. We saw more seals, towering peaks and waterfalls. And then we briefly headed out into the open water of the Tasman Sea – which was quite a rolling ride. Then we turned around to head back to port. We turned around right into strong winds and light rain. By then, I was tired of being wet and cold, so I went to our cabin and hid under the blankets for about 40 mins until we got back to the docks at 9 a.m.

Looking back into the fiord from the Tasman Sea.

Seals hanging out after their breakfast.

When we got back, we soon discovered that today Mitre Peak was completely covered in clouds. We still took some pictures – which are great. But the full uncovered peak will live only in our minds and other people’s photos for now.

Mitre peak is the mountain the middle with the blanket of clouds.

Then we hit the road. We had a seven-hour drive ahead of us, through some of the most dramatic landscapes on the South Island. Our plan for the day (even though we had already been up for almost 5 hours) was to drive, stop, take photos, drive, stop, take photos, eat, drive, stop take more photos. And that’s exactly what we did. The drive started with the two-hours heading out of Milford Sound and back through the tunnel to Te Anau.  There, the sun returned to us and we stopped and picked up some meat pies for lunch (yum). Then it was the two-hour drive back to Queenstown. And that was a nice surprise. When we drove that route out before, it was socked in and raining. Now it was blue skies in every direction and what a treat. The incredible landscape reminded us very much of our favorite spots in South West Colorado in the San Juans – green rolling farm fields with huge craggy white capped peaks lining the background.

Heading back on Milford Road, up toward the tunnel.

Englinton Valley on the road between Milford and Te Anau.

Along the road between Te Anau and Queenstown.

From Queenstown, we headed into new territory. The drive toward Wanaka and up in the direction of Mt. Aspiring National Park was breathtaking. Huge turquoise lakes and gorgeous mountain views were everywhere. Words can’t do it justice. Around every corner, our breath kept getting taken away.

Looking down at Lake Wanaka.

Then we were about two hours through Mt. Aspiring National Park. Massive rainforest mountains, with white peaks showing up now and then. Wide river valleys with blue glacial waters and waterfalls overhead – just about everywhere.

Thunder Creek Falls in Mt. Aspiring National Park.

The final hour of the drive was up the West coast toward Fox Glacier. Here, the landscape changed dramatically. The trees along the coast have a tropical, jungle feel. The river beds drain into the Tasman Sea and towering trees with high canopies line the shores and head up into the mountains. It was different than any landscape we had ever seen in person. And as we drove north, the Mt. Cook range came into sight with massive peaks surrounding Mt. Cook (the highest peak in the country) and working their way down to the ocean.

A few days before we had been on the Eastern slopes of Mt. Cook – and our viewing of the mountain was thwarted by clouds. Today, we were in luck. Here along the West coast, high above all of the other peaks, Mt. Cook and its sidekick Mt. Tasman, dominated the skyline with their brilliant white spires.

We pulled into the town of Fox Glacier around 8 p.m. and checked in here at our new homestay, Misty Peaks. Dave, our innkeeper, greeted us warmly with wine and friendly conversation in his kitchen. Because we are here for four nights, he upgraded up to the honeymoon suite. It’s like we have a wing of the house to ourselves. But the most important thing is that you step outside and right there, literally right there, Mt. Cook and Mt. Tasman are looming over you. I think I’m going to like it here for three more days of adventure.

We had a nice night chatting with the other guests from the UK and having dinner at the local ale house. On the way back, we happened to time it just right to the sun setting on Mt. Cook and Mt Tasman. The white peaks were turning pink. We drove down a back road to get a good view, but we couldn’t make it all the way to the best spot in time – the color was starting to fade. So we quickly pulled off the side of the road, hung out with the sheep and Dave caught a few dramatic photos of the twin mountains full of color. By now we have learned our lesson, take the pictures at that moment because who knows if Mt. Cook will make another appearance for us while we are here.

Mt. Tasman on the left and Mt. Cook on the right.

Kepler Track

The severe wet weather is still pummelling the Southland area. But we did our best not to let it get in the way of our exploring. One indoor day was enough, so today we decided to head out on the hike we had planned.

We started the morning with a nice breakfast, looking out over the cloudy lake - chatting with the innkeeper and playing with the resident cat. Soon after, we got on the road to head to the trailhead. There were two options, park the car on the side of the lake and hike three miles to the trailhead, or take a water taxi across the lake and start up the mountain from there. Once we found out it would cost close to $100 roundtrip for the both of us to take the water taxi, we couldn't imagine spending that when our legs could get us there for free. So we drove to the carpark and prepared for the hike.

With the extra three miles (6 roundtrip) added to the hike, we were now looking at a 17-mile trek ahead of us in the cool, wet, drizzly weather. Three miles to the start of the climb, then 5.5 miles up the mountain, then 8.5 back to the car. I was a little nervous, but this is exactly the type of thing I've been doing all of this running and training for.

The hike we had planned was the first stretch of the Kepler Track - one of the multi-day tramp hikes. We planned to hike up to the first hut - the Luxmore Hut, that overlooks the South Arm of Lake Te Anau. Our main concern was whether or not there would be anything to see at the top, given the fact that the clouds had the mountain covered. But we decided to take a chance to see.

Dave and I hammered it up the trail. Maybe it was because I was nervous - the trail guide said it would take us 5 hours to get to the hut (then 5 hours back). But I was determined to prove that estimate wrong. We barely stopped on the way there. And we made the hut in 3 hours!

The main lesson that we learned today is that the New Zealand Department of Conservation is very conservative when it comes to time estimates. The signs said that the return trip would take 10 hours. That's what we budgeted. Our guess is that they are taking into account larger groups, carrying heavy packs.

The first part was in wet, wet, rain forest. And it was up, and up and up. That took about 2.5 hours. Toward the top of that section, the trees began to be covered by a beautiful pale green moss. It was everywhere.

New Zealanders maintain beautiful trails, complete with bridges, stairs and complex drainage systems.

The incredible moss on the trees, near the top of the treeline.

Finally, we emerged above the tree line. And suddenly the climb up was totally worth it. We weren't quite above the clouds, more like at the same level. But there were plenty of high peaks that were showing themselves above the mist - and the clouds parted enough for us to get some incredible views of the lake down below. The last 20/30 mins to the hut was in this high tundra area which was absolutely stunning. Part of the way was on raised platforms so as not to disturb the fragile ecosystem. I definitely channeled my good friend Jon White, and did some running through the open tundra. There was no resisting the urge.

 

 

We turned one last corner and there was the Luxmore Hut. New Zealanders use the term "hut" loosely. It is more like a cabin. It has 55 bunks, flushing toilets, stainless steel tables and propane gas stoves. You have to have a permit in advance to stay there - and along this particular track, there are three. Someone lives there to manage it. You have to remove you boots to go inside to use the restroom. And according to the whiteboard outside, if you were staying the night, there was a mandatory safety discussion at 7:30 p.m.

The Luxmore Hut on the Kepler Track.

We sat on the deck outside to enjoy our lunch and the view. A few minutes later, another man arrived. He was our age, from Salzburg, and three weeks into his eight-week vacation in New Zealand. Really nice guy. We ate lunch together and compared notes on our travels. Soon after he departed, another hiker arrived. He was from Finland and staying at the hut that night as he began his three day journey. One of the best parts of these trips is meeting people from around the world. You basically already have the idea that if they are standing at the top of a mountain, in New Zealand, on a rainy day with you - that you already have a pretty good starting point for a friendship.

Lunch with a view.

The tundra.

After a 40-min break, we starting back down the mountain. Now that we knew that the hike was manageable, we stopped a lot more often to take photos of the trek. We were tired, but we made it back to the car in the same amount of time it took to get up there (actually shorter if you factor in the many photo stops).

For most of the day, it had been drizzling, but nothing bad. But of course, only 20 mins before we got back to the car, the skies opened up and it starting pouring. We spent the last mile of the 17-mile journey getting soaked through. At least it hadn't been raining like that all day.

We were home by 6 p.m., in time to shower, change and join our innkeepers and other guests in the living room for wine and snacks. Another one of my favorite parts of traveling...spending two hours with people who (up until the day before) were strangers and having wonderful conversation and learning about different cultures, worldviews and new travel ideas. The other couple staying at the B&B were there with their two sons - Ben and Jack (11 and 13). They are from Baltimore, but are currently living in Singapore for a few years to give their boys the experience of other cultures. They travel all of the time - and have always done so. They were telling us about taking their boys to Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, and other places.

Meanwhile, the inn keepers - Russ and Joan. Are native New Zealanders. They still own and operate the family farm, with cattle and sheep. His son and daughter-in-law operate the daily business. Meanwhile, Joan manages the homestay - and perhaps one of the loveliest places we've ever stayed. Russ is also on the city council of Te Anau. And in the winter, they shut the farm and the B&B down and travel the world. Last year, they spent a few weeks in Cuba followed by 28 days camping in Alaska. Not bad for a couple in their 70s. Again, these are the moments that make traveling so wonderful.

About 9 p.m. we headed down into town (in the still pouring rain) and had a lovely dinner at Redcliff Cafe and Bar. We shared breads with dips to start. Dave had porkbelly with scallops, and mascarpone smashed potatoes. I had lamb cutlet, lamb ribs and seminola cakes with grilled tomatoes.

We just rolled back in after a long day and are headed to bed. Tomorrow is a very full and active day. The weather is also supposed to finally clear up - fingers crossed for that. News reports are all about floods, washed out bridges and rock slides. We knew New Zealand was wet, but even the locals are calling this unusual. That's okay. We haven't let it slow us down yet!

(I didn't get to post this last night because the internet was down. But quick note. We woke up this morning to blue skies and sunshine. And wow, we can see the mountains from our room finally. They all got dumped on with snow last night. The top of Luxmore, where we were yesterday, is covered in white now.)

A Room with a (Cloudy) View

The rain finally overpowered the revelers in Queenstown last night. After the fireworks, the crowds began to thin and clusters of people began stumbling up the hills back to their houses, hotel rooms or cars - wherever they were sleeping. Within a few hours, the downpour got louder and the competing music died away. By the time we woke up this morning there was a steady roar of water and a thick blanket of clouds washing away the night and offering up a clean slate for 2013.

Weather reports are calling this an unusually severe storm. Heavy rain, strong winds are expected into tomorrow. Rivers, lakes and streams may flood. Roads are closing from rock slides and everyone is bundled up trying to figure out if there actually are "indoor" activities to do in the Southland of New Zealand.

We slept in to the sound of the rain and had a nice leisurely breakfast and chatted with other guests at the B&B from Australia and an American family (from CT) now living in Shanghi. By 10:30 we were packed up and ready to migrate to our next hotel in Te Anau. The trip would only take two hours - and we were not put off by the rain obscuring the views, because we know we have to drive back that way in a few days when sunshine is expected.

The weather prevented us from shaking off the sleep today. The drive seemed long, even with the espresso stop halfway. When we arrived in Te Anau, we stopped and had a nice lunch at the Olive Tree Cafe.

Te Anau is the outpost town for Milford Sound. It's small, slow and outdoorsy, with a tinge of touristy. It seems very peaceful after four days in Queenstown. Today, everyone was bundled in cafes and shops trying to stay dry.

After lunch we headed up to our gorgeous B&B. Prospect Lodge was one of the places I was really looking forward to on this trip - and it has exceeded expectations. It is about 5 minutes outside of town, and up a long country, gravel road on the top of a hillside overlooking Lake Te Anau, the mountains and the town. It's only two years old, but the couple who run it have been operating B&Bs for more than 20 years. Everything is modern, white, clean and glass. There are only two rooms - and we have the one on the end. Two of our walls are floor to ceiling windows overlooking the hills, snow-capped mountains, the lake and the town. We have our own deck with a table and chairs (that we'd definitely use if it wasn't pouring) and, it seems, the entire world to ourselves.

 

 

 

 

The common area includes a large farm table where we'll enjoy breakfast in the morning, couches, more floor to ceiling windows and indoor and outdoor fireplaces. And with only two rooms, the innkeeper has the ability to think about every little detail - including our complimentary bottle of red wine, the china tea cups and French press in the room, and the apricots and coconut chocolates that she left in a dish on the nightstand for when we came back from dinner.

 

 

As soon as we got here, we fell asleep for two hours. Surrounded by windows, listening to rain and wind fighting against the house. It felt decadent, but deserved. Then we awoke and called family to wish them a Happy New Year back home. A short time later, we headed down to town for dinner. And now we're back, reading and blogging and about to head to bed. It's so quiet here, it may be hard to sleep. I'm looking forward to being lulled away by the constant rain - and I'm hoping to wake up to less of it tomorrow. From what we hear, tomorrow will be on and off showers, but the sun will return to us by Thursday. We have a big hike planned for tomorrow - although it will be difficult to top the view from our beautiful room.

Watching a storm roll in across the mountains, from our room.