Tag: Mountains

Hiking in paradise

One of the nice things of sleeping in a bunk bed is that you can jump out of it when the alarm goes. That’s what I do again this morning and when I look outside I see that it’s a bright day. I decide that I won’t work today, but enjoy the nice weather and will go for a hike. After I’ve taken a shower, had breakfast and updated the blog, I go to the grocery store to get food to make a lunch package for during the hike.

Road to Glanorchy
Old road sign
Kiwi lunch
Road in Glenorchy
Isengard
Road to Routeburn track
Welcome to Glenorchy
Me at Glanorchy
Driving

A bit fed up I drive back to the hostel. I’ve probably mentioned it before, but New Zealand is really expensive, especially on the South Island. Gas and groceries cost a lot more than back home. I don’t like to think too much about money, but here you have no choice. Back at the hostel I meet with the friend I had planned to hike with, but he injured himself last night with going out, so I go alone.

Routeburn track
Swing bridge at Roadburn Track
Routeburn track 5
Nice van
Routeburn track 1
Routeburn track 4
Routeburn track 6
Routeburn track 7
Meeting Aussies while Hiking

I want to go to Glenorchy, to a place they call Paradise. It’s a beautiful drive next to the lake and mountains to get there. After about an hour I arrive. The weather is perfect, blue sky with a few clouds. I make myself a lunch as my Kiwi friend Chelsea taught me: buns with cheese, salad and fresh chicken and an apple cider. Especially outdoors, surrounded with mountains, it tastes very good. Then I drive a bit further to Routeburn Track. A multi-day hiking route of which I plan to do the first part. It starts with a path going uphill, more challenging than the hike of a couple of days ago. Already close to the start I meet a friendly couple from Australia. It’s nice to hear their accent, reminds me of some Australian friends back home. We talk while we hike and spend the rest of the day together. We take many pictures and hiking together is actually a lot easier. I think that’s my favorite part of traveling alone, you’ll meet so many nice people along your way. The hike is beautiful, following a river and passing many swing bridges and waterfalls. We also meet a really friendly couple from America and hang out with them for a while at the first hut at the half of our hike where we rest.

Meeting an American with a cool shirt
Routeburn track 9
Routeburn track 2
Routeburn track 8
Routeburn track 10
Routeburn track 11

After a couple of hours hiking, at the end of the afternoon we’re back at the cars and say goodbye. I drive back to Queenstown, but suddenly start feeling sick. A headache and feeling queasy. I drive quickly back to the hostel and go straight to bed. It was a great day, but all I want to do now is sleep and rest for a while.

Mt. Cook

This morning I wake up happy, realising that I don’t hear any rain on the roof. I open the curtains and see that the sky is brighter than yesterday. It is still a bit cloudy, but already much better than the days before. I can actually see the mountains around the lake now and I’m very happy. I get the dressed quickly and go outside to take some pictures. Every minute the sky gets brighter and the view prettier. After a couple of grey and rainy days I’m so thankful that it’s finally beautiful better today. You just appreciate it much more after having missed it for a while.

Blue skies
Sitting by the lake
Swing Bridge in Hooker Valley
Lake with mountains
Road to Mt. Cook
Me at Swing bridge 2
Reading by the water side
Hiking Hooker Valley
Hiking path in the mounains

I have breakfast at the lake side and then decide to stay there for a while and read a book next to the water. It’s very peaceful and the view is amazing. Then I drive to Mt. Cook which is only about an hour from where I am staying. Although the sky is still cloudy, around Mount Cook there’s only blue sky. I arrive around midday at Hooker Valley and set out to take a hike of three hours. I hike often faster than most people do, so I’m aiming for two hours. The hike is beautiful and I take a lot of pictures. In a little over an hour I arrive at a large mountain lake which is the destination of the hike. I take a break and sit on a rock next to the water and enjoy the amazing view. The lake is surrounded by mountain peaks and it’s very quiet up there.

Hiking path to Mt. Cook 2
Hiking path to Mt. Cook
Finished a hike
Me in the alps
Mountain lake with ice
Rohan - Twizel
Me at Swing bridge
Me at Mountain lake
Sunset at camping place

Then I start the way back. Instead of following the path I take a more adventurous route over the rocks next to the river. It’s a bit scary, but also exciting. After about half an hour of jumping and climbing from rock to rock, I’m back at the hiking path. I still have a lot of energy so I decide to run back. Some people are laughing and putting their thumbs up, I feel amazing by running through the mountains. In just a little over two hours I arrive back at the parking place where I need to rest for a moment. I plan on not driving too much today, but can’t find an affordable and nice camping place nearby, so I drive for another hour or two. Just before sunset I park at a camping in a nature area. It’s beautiful, but after running today I could actually use a shower, I think I’ll go a to a bit more luxurious camping place with hot showers tomorrow, but this is also part of the adventure of course. I’m thankful that today at one of the the highlights of the trip, Mt. Cook, the weather was perfect and that it was such a good day.

Arthur’s Pass

As the other days I wake up around 6.30 when it’s starting to get light. I’m very happy with the day rhytm I’m in now. Waking up when it gets light and getting ready to go to bed when it gets dark. It gives me the feeling that I get most out of the days. The cafe by the camping is still closed so early in the morning, so I decide to start driving and get a cup of coffee somewhere else.

I drive to Westport, a small harbor town and have a walk at the beach. Then I drive a little further to Cape Foulwind where I take a hike next to the ocean. The weather is gray again and I’m not quite sure what I think of that. On one hand it would be better for pictures and hiking if it was bright weather and on the other hands does this gray weather also suit the New Zealand nature. The ocean is pretty wild and the waves are high, I can imagine why surfers come to this area. Though with this weather, no one is out there. After quite a walk I get back to the car and drive further to Greymouth. I can imagine why they call it gray as there are many clouds here again. Fortunately there is also a coffee place and I take some time to write my blog. Also here is where I can make the choice between following the coast or going inland again via Arthur’s pass. I’m not sure yet and take a look at the list of places I want to visit and write them all down on a map I brought with me.

Berlins Cafe
Me at Cape Foulwind
Waterfall by Arhurs Pass
Cape Foulwind
Driving to Arthurs Pass
Me by waterfall
Cape Foulwind 2
Arthurs Pass
arhurs-pass

After about half an hour of searching on Google Maps and writing down all the places I’m left with a map full of locations to visit. The other day I was wondering if I hadn’t traveled too fast so far, but now I can see my timing is good. There is so much left to see and I’m glad that I’m already at the South Island. I hope the weather will get better in the coming days, because I’m heading to some really beautiful places.

I’m glad I chose to go inland through Arthur’s pass. It’s a beautiful ride through the mountains. The nice thing is that you drive really close to the mountains so you can see them very good, they’re right next to you. Many of them are covered with snow. At Arthur’s pass village I stop and take a hike to a big waterfall. I expect it to be cold up here in the mountains, so I cloth myself in some layers: a shirt, a vest and a jacket. But already after ten minutes hiking I find out that it’s way too warm and in the end I’m only keeping the shirt on. I’m blown away by the quality of Marino wool, that just one shirt can keep you so warm. The waterfall is pretty and it’s a nice walk there.

When I’m back at the car I drive to a camping place not far from Arthur’s pass. It’s a field surrounded by mountains, very beautiful. I see another car from the same rental company, another Spaceship as they are called. When I walk to the cooking area, there are two girls from Canada having dinner and drinking beers. I join them and make some food for myself. We talk all night and watch a movie on my iPad and then head to our spaceships. That’s the nice thing of traveling alone, it’s much easier to meet new people. Tomorrow I’ll continue my journey through the mountains.

Golden beaches

This morning I wake up with a phone call from a client and I’m glad I’m still nearby Nelson. I have breakfast and drive back to the Starbucks where I work for a while. I plan on staying in this area one more day before I continue traveling further again.

Breakfast in nature
The Smokehouse
Mapua bay
View when I wake up
Fish and chips
Me at golden beach

After finishing some work I go back to the outdoor store where I was yesterday and get some gloves and another warm shirt. For a moment I feel a bit bad about spending so much money on clothes, but then again I know it can get very cold here in the mountains and it’s quite necessary to have warm clothes. I decide to continue my journey and follow the coast for a while. In the Lonely Planet I read about a good fish and chips restaurant and I drive there for a lunch break. It’s a beautiful bright day and I can eat the fish and chips outside, very nice. Then I walk at one of the beaches and I understand why the book calls them golden beaches, they’re very beautiful indeed.

Golden beach
Lookout point
Me on a roadtrip
Abel Tasman park
Driving by the mountains
Staying at Berlins Cafe

Instead of following the coast as I planned, I decide to head South. I pass the Abel Tasman park, since I don’t feel for a hike of three to five days. The road south is very beautiful as the mountains get bigger and bigger. I keep driving until the sun disappears behind the mountains and find a camping called Berlins cafe. There is a small bar with a fireplace and a leather couch and comfortable chairs. I’m the only guest and the camping owner is a very friendly man who gives me a warm welcome. I enjoy a cold beer with him and then sit by the fireplace with a book. After a long day of driving, this is a perfect place to stop and stay for the night.

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