Forgot to mention that I lost my Laotian sunnies in the Sound yesterday. Slipped off my head, and straight to the bottom. Pissed off with myself. Head down early to the terminal, hoping to see the Stray gang. The Juicy desk girl tells me I can get on an earlier bus, which sounds like a flan to me. Stray bus appears - Dutch couple, Michelle, Lena, Jen and Áine, Leanne, Inge, and Rachel.
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| Last picture of the sunnies, with Skirts |
The bus journey back to Queenstown is a contemplative one. They sky is the most perfect shade of blue here. Am I falling in love with this place? For the first time on my travels, I ponder the possibilities of never going home, in a serious manner. Could I do it? NZ seems like such a beautiful place. The people I've met in the past two weeks are among the friendliest and most genuine of anyone over the past six months.
We drive through farmlands from Te Anau to Q'town. Gazing out the window, I am struck with guild that I am only passing through. Why is Milford Sound so privileged? This area is populated by people who are ignored and neglected by tourists like me. I am not travelling here. I should be making my own way - by bike or car. Occasionally being forced to throw myself on the mercy of strangers - for mechanical assistance, or just some milk.
But I am already in debt. Flights, trains, accommodation. AIB helped pay for this, and dues must be paid. I truly doubt that I could find a job here that would come with enough of a salary to suffice But maybe I could return in the future. Before I am 30. And therefore old. :P
***
Got back to Black Sheep around 7.30pm yesterday eve. Back in room 12. There is an Australian girl, Hannah, freshly arrived in Q'town from Auckland. She's worked on Waiheke Island for the last two years, and has eleven days to see the south island before her return to Australia. We establish a quick little bond, and I invite for her a drink. I'm meeting Sascha later on, plan is to share a shisha. Quick dinner of tortellini, and go.
Get to the World Bar, share some jugs of ale. Sascha is busy half-heartedly fending off a drunk but friendly Australian, whom she obviously already knows. Hannah and I talk for most of the night - about family, religion, tea, NZ and Australia. Heidi appears around midnight and there is some half-assed dancing. Myself and Hannah resume our chatting, and call it a night around 1am. I have to catch the bus at 9am the next morning. Say bye to Heidi and Sascha's friends. We pass Sascha and her drunken Aussie by the Gardens on the way home. I'm out like a light instantly, only to be woken by a roommate because I am snoring. oops! Sleep on my front instead.
***
Up early, porridge, check out. Said bye to Hannah, gave her my email address. Hop on the Stray bus - HP is driving, and I recognise German Heidi, Esther and Corney. HP makes everyone stand up and say their name and favourite thing in NZ. Loads of people mention the Tongariro crossing, so I'm very glad I made sure it would be on my itinerary. I also pick up some Irish lilts, at least four of them on the bus, all girls. Lot more guys overall though.
Toilet stop, lunch stop, supermarket stop. At one point, HP reads us the story of Shrek, a Merino sheep who ran away and hid for six years. When found, his wool coat was massive, and he became an NZ celebrity.
Driving was erratic due to strong winds. I took the time to painfully write some overdue emails. I'm only with this bus for one night, so not particularly concerned with making lots of new friends. The landscape outside is spectacular - bluish-grey glacial rivers, sweeping rocky mountains.
We arrive at our hostel, I'm in a room with Irish Ríona, Dutch Martin, and Becky. HP drives us the short distance to where the Hooker Valley walks start. Dramatic is the best term to describe the mountains topped by glaciers, the river spray being whipped up by the insanely strong wind. The front of the hostel was ripped off in October by 180kmph winds. Today they're not so strong, but enough to knock me off balance, and force me to struggle. I walk with Heidi. We cross a couple of wooden suspension bridges, swaying gently despite the strong wind, rocking as we walk across.
There's a small hut about halfway along the trail for shelter, and even two toilets. We take a small break, then back out into the gale. We start to pass people coming back the other way, giving us snippets of information - warnings and hope! We round a corner, and Hooker Lake opens up before us. It's full of large chunks of ice, presumably fallen from the the heights above. They are twisted and eroded in various ways, so that the lake resembles a junkyard of ice, a graveyard of icebergs, dying glaciers.
The wind buffets us on the way back too, calm one moment, stormy the next. Meet two other hikers in the shelter, they tell us that the weather was clear as anything the day before - not a cloud in the sky, and perfect views of Aoraki/Mt Cook. Today the tip is completely obscured by mist and cloud, and it's only getting worse.
Back to the hostel for dinner, shower, quiet pint.
***
Rahotu in Piopiotahi - Mitre Peak in Milford Sound, in Māori
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