Tramping

In New Zealand, the word "tramping" is used for "hiking".We've been doing quite a bit of tramping lately.....we just got off the Routeburn (pr. Rootburn) Track yesterday.It is typically a 2-night 3-day trek. We turned it into a 2-night 4-day trek. How is that possible? Well, the track runs from near Glenorchy (closest big town being Queenstown) through Mt. Aspiring National Park to near Te Anau Downs/Milford (closest "big" town being Te Anau) coming out through the Fiordland National Park. One can go from either direction and go as far as one likes. There are 4 huts along the way. We chose to start near Glenorchy since that's where we were. It was amazing! The trail started in beech forest and we discovered the birds to be very curious... all's you have to do is make a little whistle and they come towards you.Our favorite there was the "Rifleman" bird- a tiny green bird that could fit in your cupped hand. We passed over several swinging bridges- our favorite there was the one that swung back and forth (as opposed to up and down). The trail followed a turquoise blue river on the lower section, winding up to the hut. At the hut, we dropped our packs, ate lunch, and continued up past the falls....this was our most favorite part! Being late afternoon/early evening (it doesn't get dark til around 10 PM here!), we had the trail pretty much to ourselves....oh, except for the Asian couple passing from the other direction....he said "Konichi-wa" and when I replied, "Konichi-wa. Ginki deska?" he went on excitedly about something-everything of which I only caught "edelweiss". We bowed and Mary and I kept our eyes peeled for edelweiss (which we had first seen near Mt. Cook). The valley floor was open, expansive, and absolutely beautiful...... a few puffy clouds in the sky, snow gentian and tussocks and tarns, and lakes with snow-capped peaks all around. We got to Harris Saddle and chose to go straight up Conical Hill and the view was amazing from the top- we could see clear to the Tasman Sea! And, this is where we found edelweiss. Back down, a night in the hut, and out the next day. Showered in Glenorchy and went into Queenstown (sister-city to Aspen) for beer and pizza... okay, and french fries! Being full and tired, we slept in our van in a parking lot. So, then, we drove over to the other end of the track here in Fiordland- two reasons really...first off, transport by bus back to the beginning runs around $70-$100 per person and we needed to be here, anyway, as we head out on the Milford Track in 2 days....So, we did the other half of the track starting at the "Divide" and tramped up to Mackenzie Hut/Lake along with a side trip to Key Summit which is another great view and lovely setting with tarns. We found this side to be much the same beech forest UNTIL we got into the MOSS-EVERYWHERE! Okay, picture being underwater. like you're scuba diving and you see all the purple and green and orange and white corals and things poking up here and there from behind and the seaweed is swaying gently with the current. THIS is how the landscape looked! Minus the ocean. Really.Trees, rocks, everything covered with moss or fungi or lichen and a bazillion varieties of each. I'll show you pictures. We had lunch in a magical place called "The Orchard"....it's not really an orchard, just looks like one. Only, the ground is COVERED in ferns- big, bushy ferns. And, a grassy opening (where you might picture a unicorn standing). That reminds me, I forgot to tell you that on the other side we took another detour on the way out to explore the North Branch of the Routeburn River (only a few river crossings there) and it was very Frodoish.....ferns, tree roots, moss....
Okay, now is the time to share my gratitude to Ed Mumm and Matt Drexel....whose maps have loosely become our itinerary (along with tips from family and friends and fellow travellers...)Ed is a Kiwi friend of mine from Steamboat Springs to whom I brought a map of both islands and a bottle of wine one evening (and, his wife, Carla who KNEW we'd love Nelson) before we left. And, my co-worker, Matt, who lit up and just shone whenever he'd talk about NZ (pr:N Zed) and copied pages from his "Tramping in NZ" book and underlined and highlighted the best of his experiences here. (Hanging Ballroom, Mueller Hut, The Orchard to name a few) THANK YOU to ALL who have shared your insights, experiences, and support of our adventures!
Right now, it is POURING RAIN and I am tucked cozily into this internet booth at a very quiet and relaxing holiday park outside of Te Anau....Mary is reading in the van....today is a "Sunday-kind-of-day"....we slept in, washed everything we have (clothes, sheet, comforter cover, dishes, van). We had been tramping and "freedom camping"(primitive- maybe an outhouse) for the last week or more. Hopefully, this rain is going to let up a bit(actually, clear blue skies would be fine by me) before we go on the Milford Track (3 nights 4 days) ; although, we ARE in Fiordland- and that's what it does here they say. We have a huge curiosity about the Milford Track....it sounds horrible and yet people still do it. Pay to do it. Torrential rains, flooded trails, and sandflies....hmmm....Huge, beautiful waterfalls, misty mornings, "God-light" streaming through the clouds, moss, ferns.....we'll let you know....
Driving and tramping gives one ample opportunities to ponder....Things I've learned in New Zealand:Never use Tom's honeysuckle rose deodorant before going out tramping- it attracts the bees (and there are ample BIG bumblebees).An ablution block is the area that includes the showers, toilets, kitchen facilities, and laundry in a campground. A queue is a line. Always bring earplugs when sleeping in a hut.The Road to Paradise(an actual place near Glenorchy) is long... and bumpy. Always close your sink drain down tight in the campervan before travelling on a long and dusty gravel road. Our campervan also does river crossings. Those metal waterbottles (made in Switzerland) are great for keeping coconut rum cold in a backpack. Being in New Zealand, one can also feel as though you are in Costa Rica(Abel Tasman), Scotland(Dunedin), Ireland(The Catlins),England(Christchurch), France(Akaroa), Austria(Routeburn-Harris Saddle)... There are so many different ways to describe "green" here: Dark green, lime-green, dusty-green, dusky-green, shiny green, bluegreen, soft green, deadgreen, wetgreen...Same with rain: Mist, drizzle, downpour, sprinkle, sheets...the weather here in NZ is usually either "fine", "mainly fine", "nearly fine", "cloudy, clearing to fine"...And, of course, tramping thoughts and talk always turn to food...we could go on about this all day: Let me just start with the sticky date pudding. oh, my god...it's warm and soft and is served with "cream" (we'd call it whip cream) and ice cream. Oh, and the hokey pokey ice cream...I asked this lady (the kind anyone would want for a grandma) in a little corner store how I could describe it to my family and friends:"Well, when you have it in the ice cream, it's melty, a bit like toffee, no, butterscotch, well, neither really, but, it's got that rich flavor and, then, when it's covered in chocolate as a candy, I suppose it's a bit like a honeycomb, only tighter, a little crunchy; ya know, it's one of the first things one learns how to cook as a child....The chocolate: I literally took a photo of the chocolate aisle in a grocery store in Christchurch...now this was a super-store...A whole aisle a block long FULL of chocolate bars! Was "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" filmed here, too?
The one that has us stumped is: What were the Seven Dwarves mining?
We love you all TONS!
Holly and Mary