Mount Cook & Hooker Valley

Having just come from the World's steepest street we decided it was time we pay a visit to New Zealand's highest peak. At 3,724 metres Mount Cook is no easy climb and a full expedition can take up to six days to complete. 

Unfortunately, with less than a week left in the country we didn't have six days spare to tackle it properly. However, we didn't want to miss it completely and so researched a walk we could manage in one day. The most suitable we found was through Hooker Valley which took us through the mountains and up to Hooker Lake. 

It was a beautiful scenic walk and completely silent but for the occasional rumble of a small avalanche high up in the mountains. When we arrived at the lake we were amazed to find that it was completely silver, rather than the intense blue we've become used to. On closer inspection we realised that what we originally thought to be rocks were in fact huge blocks of ice, sparkling as they reflected the sun's rays.

It was an amazing sight and we couldn't help wondering what else we'd have found had we had the time to continue up to Mount Cook itself. Although it's a shame we couldn't fit it in this trip, it's the perfect excuse to come back one day! 

Downtime in Dunedin

With all the activities we've been cramming in recently what with trekking up mountains, driving for hours each day and sleeping in a different town every other night, it was only a matter of time before our bodies called a time out. Mine gave up on me just as we got to Dunedin. 

Much to my disappointment I stayed behind whilst the others explored the town, checking out the museums and the world renowned Cadbury Land. You know you're ill when you can't get out of bed for chocolate! 

Our accommodation, which we'd found listed on the usual hostel site, was in reality more like a large deserted manor house and although it was quite cute during the day, it creeped the hell out of us at night. Needless to say I was pleased when the others arrived back before dark, particularly as they came bearing edible gifts.

The Cadbury treats obviously did the trick because I woke the next morning feeling a million times better. In fact, I was feeling so sprightly that when the girls announced their plan to visit the steepest street in the world I decided to join them. I hadn't planned to actually climb it but when we arrived I couldn't resist. 

Baldwin Street is approximately 350m long and has a maximum slope of 1.2.86. If, like me, you have no idea what that means (I can only quote the sign) just trust me that it's really, really steep. From the top we got a great look over Dunedin which was handy for me as I'd seen so little of the town. 

Whilst admiring the view we noticed that the same man had now passed us three times, repeatedly walking up the hill and then skipping to the bottom. He looked completely insane but at the same time it looked kind of fun so we gave it a go ourselves on the way down. At the steepest point our skips turned into an unintentional sprint as our little legs raced to keep up with gravity. Soon everyone around us was following suit and the insane skipping man looked very pleased with himself indeed. 

Surprises All Around, Queenstown & Milford Sound

Since being in New Zealand we've done an awful lot of walking so we were pleased to find that our hostel in Queenstown offered free bikes to all of its guests. We used these to explore the town which is most definitely a town, not the city I was expecting - it seems New Zealand cities are exceptionally hard to come by! Nevertheless, Queenstown is an amazingly pretty place with lots of quaint little bars and cafés which all looked so inviting. As well as the standardly incredible views along the lake front, our top discoveries were the Remarkable Sweet Shop, Patagonia Chocolate Cafe and the infamous Fergberger, all of which we returned to the following day.

In an attempt to work off the eight thousand or so calories then consumed we decided to trek up the Tiki Trail. It's a steep track and pretty much follows the line of the cable car but we thought the walk would do us good. At the top we rewarded ourselves with what little remarkable fudge we'd managed to save whilst looking out at the beautiful scenery. For an even better view dozens of people opted to paraglide, soaring overhead as we clambered down.

From Queenstown we drove a few hours West to Milford Lodge where we took the cruise around Milford Sound the next morning. It was listed as one of the 'Must Do's' in the South Island but in all honesty I found it a little disappointing. The boat took us through the narrow stretch of water between the sheer rock faces that make up this famous heritage site. Perhaps it was because it was a misty morning, or because we've just been spoilt by the equally as impressive (and completely free) views we drive through every day, but I struggled to find much enthusiasm for it. The best part for me was stopping to see the baby seals and the free BLT sandwich on board. 

Neither Queenstown nor Milford were quite what I'd imagined though the first exceeded expectations whereas the latter fell short. 

A Home Away from Home, Wanaka

In a beautiful town like Wanaka the last thing I imagined we'd be doing is going to the cinema. However, the particular cinema we found ourselves on our first evening was rather special. The screening room was no bigger than a large lounge and was filled with armchairs of all shapes and sizes. There was even the option of an open roof car to sit in but we slumped into a sofa and snuggled up to our popcorn. 

Half way through the film the screen blanked and the scent of warm cookies filled the room. It was time for the interval and time to stock up on treats! There was homemade ice cream, homemade cookies and homemade pizzas to order, ready to takeaway at the end of the film. It was all very intimate and felt less like a cinema experience and more like watching a movie at a wealthy friend's house who's Mum happened to be an unbelievable cook! 

This same intimacy was reflected elsewhere in Wanaka too. The town is very small with a population of five thousand people and it took just two days for us to feel at home in the area. The lake it's situated by (aptly named Lake Wanaka) is so stunning that it literally took our breath away each morning. 

On our final day we drove a short way to the Rocky Mountains and trekked right to the top until we could see both Lake Wanaka and Diamond Lake. It was a difficult climb but every bit worth it to see the picture perfect view from above. It was so flawless in fact, that we all agreed it felt like we were staring down at an oil painting. 

Wanaka was almost directly on our route to Queenstown from Fox Glacier and I'm really glad we stopped to check it out. My eyes and tastebuds will be forever grateful! 

Trotting Along Fox Glacier

If the North Island was another world, the South Island is a whole other universe.

It was late when our ferry docked at Picton harbour but we could just about make out the silhouettes of a mountain range not too far from the coast. The next morning in the sunshine we were amazed to find that the summits were covered in snow. How could it be warm enough to lie on the beach when there were snow topped mountains within sight? For me this just about sums up New Zealand in that there's absolutely everything here; something to please everyone and lots to please me! 

We spent one night in Nelson to break up the long journey down to Fox Glacier but were there for literally a matter of hours. As we saw so little of the small town my opinion is based entirely upon the hostel we stayed in and as the hostel served free homemade cookies on arrival, I've decided I like Nelson a lot. 

Fox Glacier, however, was even better. It's a tiny resort with a resident population of a few hundred people but it attracts a few thousand more each week because of the glaciers that sit just above it. We helped contribute to that statistic, all four of us embarking on a half day 'Fox Trot' tour on Fox Glacier. Kitted out in our hiking boots, crampons and poles (and about six layers of clothing!) we took to the glacier, hauling ourselves up the slippery staircase carved into the ice. It was another beautiful day and the glacier looked all the better for it as the outer layer of ice glistened in the sunshine like a sheet of sparkling diamonds. We stopped to observe various landmarks along the way such as caves and small water streams that have tunnelled their way through the ice. The views from the top were really impressive but we wished we could have gone on further to where the ice is cleaner, free from the rock stains found in the valley.

The trek was less physically demanding than we'd imagined so in the afternoon we took a long walk around Lake Matheson, one of the South Island's most beautiful lakes. At one particular spot when the water is still it reflects the perfect image of Mount Tasman and Mount Cook which makes for a rather incredible photograph. Once again we were left in awe of such an amazing natural beauty. 

Later that evening we walked again, this time to the forests nearby to our hostel. The sun had only just begun to set leaving us with enough daylight to explore the woodland properly. It was the weirdest and yet most wonderful forest I think I've ever seen, with obscurely angled plants and trees, and a thick layer of moss covering almost every inch. It reminded me very much of the set of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', a place where fairy folk dwell, too beautiful to be true. As daylight departed darkness fell, broken only by a scattering of spectacular blue lights shining through the shrubbery. With a head full of thoughts of Puck and Titania you'd forgive me for a moment for thinking these could indeed be fairies. If they were to exist anywhere in the world it would be here! However, this here was the work of extraordinary glow worms, decorating the darkness like stars in the night sky.

So far the South Island has lived up to the hype but there's a lot left to come. I can't wait to see what's in store for us next!

Who, What, Where, Wellington?

Here's a quick pop quiz for you: What's the capital city of New Zealand? 

My first guess would have been Auckland, then perhaps Queenstown or Christchurch but nowhere on my list would Wellington have appeared. I think I speak for most people when I say that it's one of those cities that's slipped our radars (Kiwis and Geographers aside.) Having now visited, I'm still not convinced it deserves capital city status but it's a wonderful place nevertheless. 

Luckily we had our very own tour guide whilst there; a boy we'd met in Thailand who was born and raised in Wellington. He took us along the sea front and on into town where we sussed out the best coffee shops and chocolate cafés. Back down by the harbour we found a number of quirky art exhibitions hosted in various sea containers. Each one was as strange as the next but helped give the area a little more character. All around the city in fact we repeatedly came across odd little art pieces. There were wire fences decorated with heart shaped tape and entire walls covered in graffitied murals. Obscure but interesting! 

Wellington was our most Southerly stop on the North Island and was where we caught our ferry from to transfer to the South Island. The boat journey itself was quite something as we sailed down the still waters of the Cook Strait with mountains either side of us, keeping an eye out for albatross and dolphins along the way. New Zealand has so far been so beautiful that we're struggling to believe what people say about the South being better but we're certainly looking forward to finding out! 

Tongariro Trekking: A Non-Hobbit's Tale

It was a misty morning as we started our trek through the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. With the marshlands on our left and Mount Doom on our right, I was beginning to feel like I'd been thrown into the final scene of The Lord of the Rings and it was bloody awesome! My inner geek peaked as the sun burnt through the clouds revealing Middle Earth's most feared volcano in all its glory. The sheer enormity was quite overwhelming and standing in its shadows, I've never felt so small; about the size of a hobbit in fact! 

Though we had no Ring of Power to worry about destroying, we did have our own quest of equal importance: making it to the Emerald Lakes in time for our lunch! And this was no easy task. The initially flat terrain soon right angled into a steep upwards climb, suitably named 'The Devil's Staircase', and once those phased out they were replaced with a dusty rubble which slid beneath us with every step. As we hauled ourselves higher the air became thinner, the wind colder and my flashbacks to Rinjani increasingly vivid.

Once we finally reached the top though we were rewarded with the most breathtaking views. Looking in both directions was like staring down upon two different realms with fierce red craters behind us and glistening green pools ahead; our very own diamonds in the rough. 

The agreed lunch spot was in sight but these little gems were further than they seemed and the pathway went downhill from there, not only literally but figuratively too. We slid and skid as far as we could before collapsing onto our bottoms and tobogganing down with about as much elegance as a herd of orcs. 

The Emerald Lakes were just incredible and we ate our picnic in absolute awe. I couldn't understand how something so beautiful had been kept so secret but the world suddenly seemed like a much better place. We'd have loved to have stayed there all day but still had four hours of walking left ahead of us. 

The next part of the trek was past another volcano, this one very much active and a constant threat. Our guide had told us to turn and run at the first sign of black clouds but having practically skiied down that last rubbly hill, we didn't fancy our chances at running anywhere! Luckily we caught it in a good mood though and it puffed only lightly as we hurried by.

The rest of the way back was completely bizarre as we covered just about every landscape imaginable. One minute we were enclosed in a blossoming forest and the next exposed in a baron terrain. Reflecting upon it is like watching a sequence in a film where different settings are used to represent a long journey. In our case, however, there was no camera trickery to help us along our way and we really did travel a long distance. At the highest point we reached 1,900km and walked a total of 19km in just over 6 hours. It was no Rinjani but we were suitably exhausted for our day's work and felt we deserved the feast prepared back at the hostel, large enough to feed a whole fellowship!