Our destination for this weekend's travels was Te Anau. It is the doorstep of the Fiordlands National Park and the location where the Kepler Track (a Great Walk managed by the Department of Conservation) begins. The above picture of the setting sun was taken near our the Henry Creek campsite (our resting spot for the first night) on the shores of Lake Te Anau.
Thankfully, this was not my shelter for the evening. It was erected on our campsite by either the previous tenants or some active possums.
Ryan poses with this incredibly large (and heavy) log that he tried to pick up.
In need of some big eats before the big day on the trail, I decided to order lamb shanks for dinner. I definitely needed something tasty since I'd be surviving on granola bars and tangelo marmalade & peanut butter sandwiches (definitely a winning combination) for the next couple days.
After a night's rest, we set off on the Kepler Track, "blessed" with a light, constant shower and breezy winds. Here I am, bright orange poncho and all, overlooking Lake Te Anau after passing the "Control Gates" which marks the beginning of the Kepler Track.
It never ceases to amaze me how wickedly beautiful and fun these trails are in New Zealand. While there's a certain familiar character common to each trail, they have their own unique charm.
The Kepler Track followed the coast very closely all the way up to Brod Bay where we stopped very briefly to catch a breath. I tested out the "panoramic" feature of my cameraphone and was very impressed with the results. The above is a view across Lake Te Anau from Brod Bay. While the track had been relatively flat most of the way so far, we were about to begin the 1000m climb from Brod Bay to the Mount Luxmore Hut.
I finally got a picture of "koru!" That's the Maori term for baby fern fronds which are not only cool looking, but also a common design element in Maori art.
After snaking our way upwards for a good long while, we reached the Limestone Bluffs where we paused for a moment to grab a snack and take a photo. We were making excellent progress!
A while afterwards, we cracked the treeline and were exposed to cloudy mists and a snowy, alpine landscape.
After a trudge through some snow & mud, we arrived at the Mount Luxmore Hut!
Looking down from the hut (through the thick cloud cover) you can see part of South Fiord which extends towards Lake Te Anau. Beautiful, beautiful sights!
Inside the hut, it wasn't quite as warm as I would've liked. There was a weak little cast iron fireplace that didn't help much and, as you can see from the photo, snow could get inside through the upstairs door just in front of the bunkrooms & washroom. Brrr...
Our late afternoon and early evening adventures took us to the Luxmore Caves just 10 minutes away from the hut. Rumor had it that the caves go on for beyond 200m and there are glowworms at the end...
There were some really tight spaces and unusual rock formations in the cave that made the exploring fascinating and just a bit spooky.
You can see that the first cave chamber is quite spacious and Ryan is resting only about halfway down. Going into the cave was a pretty slow process whereas getting out took about half as long.
Here's a pic of me in front of some cool looking stalagtites.
The end of the trail was marked somewhat disappointingly by a sign saying you can't go any farther. No glowworms, but it was a great experience and loads of fun!
The night wasn't too pleasant for me since I wasn't well prepared for the cold weather. My toes were pretty frosty and it's safe to say I didn't sleep very well. When I finally awoke in the morning, I was pleased to discover that much of the clouds had rolled on by and revealed a beautiful view of the surroundings. This is another panoramic shot from the Hut down towards the South Fiord as it stretches into Lake Te Anau. New Zealand is damn gorgeous.
Here's a shot of a fair amount of cloud rolling through and beyond the South Fiord (just moments before/after the previous shot). The Maoris didn't call New Zealand Aotearoa (Land of the Long White Cloud) for nothing!
Icicles greeted us along the beginning of the trail as we headed back down the hill and back to the car. It was a reminder of the previous night's cold weather and an indicator of the current, much more pleasant, conditions.
The clouds cleared just enough to offer a great view down to the South Fiord again. You can see some islands in this shot!
A fallen tree that I remembered from the previous day's hike.
A view, through the trees, of Lake Te Anau and the town of Te Anau.
Another picture of taken at Brod Bay. The scenery is the same but the weather differences are striking. Sunshine & blue skies are such beautiful things.
Here we all are after a wonderful hike on the Kepler Track. We didn't do the whole thing but we did a good chunk of it! L->R: Ryan, Stuart, Me, Jon & Ben.
A view across Lake Te Anau of the area through which we had just hiked. The peak of Mount Luxmore is partially obscured by the larger of the 2 green peaks. We covered quite a bit of distance & elevation in our short time on the track!
Finally, here's a pic of a Street sign in Te Anau near the bakery/coffee shop where we picked up snacks just before leaving.
I hope you all enjoyed the pics. With classes finishing up this week, I have 3 finals to "look forward" to in the coming weeks and, finally, a schedule that allows me to devote quality time to each exam. There probably won't be any big trips over the next few weeks but I would assume we've still got a lot of sights to see in and around Dunedin town. Then it's back to the North Island and home sweet Auckland. Stay tuned and, until next time, take care!
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1 comment:
actually reading your blogs makes me want to go to new zealand for student exchange when i finally get to college. this weekend a team from auckland came to the xc meet, so that was cool. good luck on your finals!
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