Subject: December 25: Completion of an incomplete trip, then an unexpected surprise and new friends
Date Sent: Fri, January 1, 2010 5:25:20 PM
G'day,
The previous day (24th) we had driven up to a viewpoint called "The Chasm" and turned around and came back to Te Anau, deciding we'd go to Milford Sound today. It was more overcast today than yesterday in Te Anau, but we were going "rain or shine"! After a big breakfast at the hotel (Christmas day: did not take any chances with any restaurants being open -- a lesson learned from another trip), we set off for Milford Sound again, repeating the same road as yesterday.
It cleared up! The day was starting out very good -- all the clouds cleared and the mountains were visible in the southern half of the road north... But then it got overcast and rainy again. By the time we got to the Chasm, it was about the same weather as yesterday, but this time there was no turning around -- we continued onward to Milford Sound.
Milford Sound is home to Mitre Peak, among many other peaks, lakes and waterfalls! Beautiful all around, and like one of the skydivers said the previous morning, "the clouds are always there, and they make the mountains seem more majestic". We went on a short trail to the lakeshore and enjoyed the scenery for a little while -- taking advantage of the 20 minutes or so with no rain. After that was lunch in a cafeteria at the visitors center, then the drive back down to Te Anau... with one stop along the way.
The stop was "The Chasm" viewpoint, where there is a 15-minute trail to a waterfall. It was drizzling throughout and by this time I was starting to fall sick again, but we did it anyway -- and it was well worth it! The waterfall has created some very wierd-looking shapes in the rocks around it, and although we couldn't see the waterfall directly, the spot was pretty interesting...
Somewhere along all this, Priya got bit in the eye by some insect causing it to swell up later this evening...
All along this route from Te Anau to Milford Sound (among other places on the NZ South Island west coast) is a bird native to the New Zealand called the Kea -- because the sound it makes is "keeeeaa". It's related to the parrot, and very curious about human beings. We saw several of them at all the viewpoints, and as soon as we got in the car to start driving again, they would start running after us... yes running, not flying! Although it can fly -- and on those rare ocassions when it spreads it wings, there is a bright red spot visible under all the green. There are a lot of pictures of this bird taken over several days -- we could even approach it really close to take the picture and it didn't seem to be bothered one bit! Unfortunately they've gotten too used to human beings!
After seeing the Chasm waterfall we drove non-stop back to Te Anau and then (via Queenstown) to the town of Wanaka. From Queenstown to Wanaka there is a very scenic road that crosses the mountain range -- lot of views of the valleys below even though by this time Priya was almost blind in one eye!
I had booked rooms in a youth hostel in Wanaka, and we spent the rest of the evening chatting with 4 people in a balcony there while looking at the sunset over Lake Wanaka surrounded by mountains on all sides! I won't discuss the main subject of the conversation, but suffice to say that one of them made us an offer (or rather, she made Priya the offer) to go to Queenstown and try something "new"... the temptation was definitely there, but we had to get back to Christchurch the next evening for her flight back to India on the 27th! So.... that is something that is saved for the next trip! As for me, I was enjoying the conversation (and temptation) too much to be tempted myself! :)
The next day -- December 26th -- would be the longest driving day of the trip.
From Ishaan's camera:
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From Priya's camera:
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| Dec 24 | Contents | Dec 26 |