Freejan

SANDFLIES!! You whwn something is in your life all the time and it affects you but because it has been there all the time you don’t mention it? Well bloody sandflies need mentioning. Since Abel Tasman I have been bitten and the bites, despite treatment, carry on itching for weeks. I would heartily recommend the white pencil shaped After Bite from Aldi. It reduces the swelling amazingly. I have Paw Paw cream too which Caroline introduced me to in Aus which seems to help the itching. Fascinating stuff eh?!
Ok then onwards and upwards! Went to Doubtful Sound for the day yesterday – was an epic journey! A bus picked me up at 9.30am and drove us to Manapouri Lake (35 mins), then we got on our boat across the lake for 45 mins, then got a bus over Wilmott pass (35 mins) and then the big boat for 3 hours on Doubtful Sound. It was fine as we approached the Sound and the driver told us about the flora and fauna on the mountain side at either side of the pass. The mosses were amazing. The bus stopped on the hill going down to the Sound for our first view of it. Oooh! Big, exciting, remote and beautiful – even in the sun as we had been told it was better in the rain – which is fortunate as it rains 200 days a year or 2/3 days. It was bigger and quieter than Milford but part of this was due to the boat having a quieter engine. The weather gave in and the mist and rain came down. Looked quite mysterious as if something amazing would come out of the mist. The hills/mountains had softer edges so looked quite ethereal. Bit gobsmacking really. I met a french girl travelling on her own called Clautilda. So many young people are giving up work and going travelling. She has a job in Paris but saved up her holidays so that she could travel. So many different people you meet! Talking of which i met Carol a member of staff in the school where i was deputy head. Amazingly small world! Back by 6.30 I was dropped off feeling quite tired but happy!

We left beautiful Wanaka at 7 am ! Still dark. We did see a beautiful sunrise though before falling back to sleep on the bus. We stopped off first at Puzzleworld – I didn’t want to be puzzled so drank tea with a Swiss girl called Veve (not sure of spelling) and a german guy called Yoris who happens to be staying in the same hostel as me in Te Anau now. Our new driver was Lego a rather blokey kind of woman in her football shirt and crop trousers with peak cap. Full of life as all the drivers seem to be driving a bus called Dennis who had not been behaving the day before. We set off down the Kawarau gorge after calling at Mrs Jones’s Fruit Shop for fresh supplies and more fresh fruit ice-cream. Someone has to do it! We passed Lake Dunston which had been created by flooding a town called Cromwell to supply a hydro station for power. The landscape became more mountainous with lovely fast flowing rivers – reminded me of Wales. We stopped at the AJ Hackett bungy jump centre – the first one to be opened in 1980s. We watched a film about Hackett’s mad escapades all over the world and then went to watch some from our bus jump ( mad lot!).
And off we went! For a while….. Then, Dennis disgraced himself by breaking down! So, we had to wait around an hour for Pickle to come and get us and take us into Queenstown. Instead of 2.30 it was 4.45pm. Queenstown was bustling and the hostel huge. I wanted a bottom bunk and ended up in a 6 bed dorm with 2 girls and 3 boys – but- we had an ensuite bathroom. I was leaving at 7am so was ok. I have to mention the bride walking down the street being photographed. Was she a model? There didn’t seem to be a groom! Also, a free to join in dance workout on some grass by the lake – looked real fun but i resisted!
We left Queenstown at 7, yes 7am! On our way to Gunns Camp via Milford Sound. Our driver called Wee man was indeed a wee man. He was very enthusiastic about waterfalls. There were plenty of them as we gradually moved further into Fiordland National Park. The NP is 6million acres – bigger than Yellowstone Park. It was all created by glaciers and so, as our driver pointed out Milford Sound should be a fiord. Rivers create Sounds apparently. You learn something every day – said she who had been married to a geographer! We went through the Homer tunnel that was cut out by hand. Gunns Camp where we were to stay was where the men and their families lived while it was being made. Many men paid with their life. As Wee man played ‘Don’t go chasing waterfalls’ we arrived at Milford Sound. It was pouring with rain. We set off down a very atmospheric fiord. Waterfalls to the left of us, waterfalls to the right as we went down this channel with high rocky hills/mountains at either side. Several of the waterfalls were over 500m tall – higher than Niagra. I got quite wet when the ship/boat went very close to one of them! A lovely patient man persisted trying to take my photo! It was quite a sight even in the rain and i am looking forward even more to going on Doubtful Sound tomorrow. It rains 280/365 days on Milford Sound so i hope i have good weather tomorrow!
I am now ensconced in the Te Anau YHA hostel for 3 nights. Great to stop again. Signing off as bed time! Oh, yes, I went to see a Fiordland film here today, all filmed from an helicopter over all the seasons – spectacular! Only lasted 30 mins and i was gripped.
Night! X

The bus was late leaving. Our new driver 'Lego' was 'awesome' driving a bus called Dennis - not the usual Stray bus and had been in difficulties the day before. We set off - supposed to be in Queenstown by ... [Continue reading this entry]

This will be brief because i have spent a lot of just sitting drinking New Zealand champagne at lunchtime ( only 2 small bottles!), eating my fish and chips, reading and going to the cinema - The Paradiso - a ... [Continue reading this entry]

Ok so no problem with bank. Onwards and upwards! We were now into single track bridges country and a competition was set up by driver to see who got the nearest to the correct number - adding that there ... [Continue reading this entry]

The time in Franz Joseph was spent mostly trying to get an email connection to Stray Travel who keep sending me the wrong itinery! I got on the bus Sun morning only to be told by Happy, our driver, ... [Continue reading this entry]