Scenes from the Kepler Track...

I had the permits to hike the Kepler Great Walk outside of Te Anau, but I fell prey to the travelers dilemma-poor scheduling on my part. I ended up canceling the trip. Woe is me! That meant three less nights in overcrowded huts! I rallied quickly from this HUGE disappointment. 

So...I decided with my few spare days, to go and see what I missed out on. 

On day one, I went in from one side and went left. On day two, I started from the other side and went right. I did not meet myself in the middle. 

Day one was sort of uneventful with the exception of helping an injured hiker in distress. On my return, I noticed a woman limping as if she had undergone radical knee surgery ten minutes ago. 

"Are you OK?"

"I think I tore ligaments in my knee. It really hurts too." She was teary eyed when she said that.

"Look! I hate seeing people hurt. (That's the truth too!) I'll carry your backpack to the next hut and tell the ranger what's going on." 

She took a sip of water and some snacks and away I went with my new backpack. 

Three miles later, I dropped it off at the hut. I then informed the ranger of the situation.

I hope she's still not out there! 

On Day Two, I decided to get above tree line for the Kepler views. The weather was "fine." (That's Kiwi-speak for anytime there's no White Death, rain or winds that will blow your wife or child away. Kiwis are all about understatement.) 

Well, it was sort of fine, and here's a few photos.

My Milford Great Walk begins manana. The forecast is not fine...

Cheers!

Jeff

For a New Zealand change...

the Rain Gods looked the other way. 

The second most popular Great Walk in New Zealand is the Routeburn Track. It's lies in a region notorious for White Death and lots of Wet Stuff. (There was a blizzard a week before I arrived) The average yearly precipitation at the Mackenzie Hut is the height of an NBA basketball net. (Ten feet). That's taller than a Shaquille O'Neil amount of water. It's safe to say, sunshine and comforting temperatures are as rare as a saguaro cactus in these parts. In other words, not so much.

So what did I and other Happy Campers receive? Three whole days without a drip or drop! Sure, it was colder than the proverbial Witch's breast, but it was a dry cold. Ice coated the mosses, ferns and shallow puddles. Toe numbing frost blanketed the grasses and alpine flowers. The slightest of breezes made my fingers go numb. But it wasn't raining, and I was smiling. 

Sure, I had too-close-encounters with strangers invading my personal space in the huts. So what if a few snored, sneezed and coughed their germy way through the night! I experienced no rain and sunshine! 

Thank you Rain Gods for taking a summer vacation. Would you possibly accept a bribe to do the same on the Milford Track? 

From cool and cloudy, but not raining! Te Anua, NZ.

Cheers!

Jeff

The First Recorded White Guy...

to see New Zealand in 1642 was Dutch explorer Abel Tasman. 

Upon sighting land, he sent crewmen ashore from the good ship Zeehaen to gather fresh water. The local Maoris didn't exactly welcome them with milk and cookies. In fact, they  slaughtered four Gunga Din wannabes. Abel got retribution the following day by killing one local. Final Score: Maoris  4-Dutch 1. 

(My welcome to NZ was an ER visit worthy strain of cold virus, the worst summer in decades and today's speeding ticket. No complaints compared to Abel. 

http://jeffsambur.blogspot.co.nz/2017/01/the-coldest-winter-i-ever-spent.html )

Abel named the kill zone Murderers' Bay. Now it's been renamed the much more tourist brochure friendly Golden Bay. And near there is where I hiked for three nights and four days in Abel Tasman National Park. Luckily for me, I didn't encounter any unfriendly natives on this journey. However, I did encounter heaps and heaps of humans. They arrived by foot, kayak, sail boat, motorboat, motor vehicles, guided tours and even airplanes. If you have cash or a credit card, there's plenty of options. 

I didn't mind the intrusion of personal space except for the inclement weather day of rain and cold. Guided kayakers took over a tiny shelter in the campground I was staying at. One opinionated boat woman told me (in no uncertain terms) I would be far happier to move along to another shelter. I was getting the bums rush, after paying to be there. OW! 

Other than that, there were no close encounters of the nasty kind. 

It's a pretty place. See for yourself.

From the bright lights, big city of Omarama, NZ

Good night,

Jeff