Next on my agenda was an overnight cruise through the famous Milford Sound. First though, I had to pick up my tickets for the next hike I was going to do. While I was in the Department of Conservation Office, I casually asked about the weather. The lady said there was already snow (!!!!), and recommended I bring lots of hot chocolate and chocolate bars. She didn’t need to tell me twice! I raced across the street to the grocery store and bought at least two pounds worth of chocolate products before catching the bus to the sound.
As the bus barreled towards the sound, the temperature began to drop. Then, right as it started hailing, the bus driver pointed to a group of mountains with dark swirling clouds surrounding it and announced that that was the location of the Routeburn track (the one I was doing the next day). The word that came to mind was a stronger version of “crap.”
Miraculously, by the time we got to the sound the weather had cleared and it was a gorgeous afternoon. The sound was amazing. Actually for those of you who care (AL), Milford Sound is actually a fiord, which is a sea flooded valley formed by glaciers. The English who colonized the area had never encountered a fiord before, so all of the fiords on the coast are called sounds. I was very excited because I got to see all sorts of glacial features like striations and hanging valleys. Also, within the first ten minutes of the ride we saw and entire pod of bottlenose dolphins. The boat took us around for a bit, then anchored in a cove, where we got to get off the boat and go kayaking as the sun set. It was so peaceful and soooo cold. Then, they fed us dinner and I got to fall asleep to the rocking of the boat. The next morning we saw more (!) dolphins, then puttered around for a while looking at waterfalls. Then, we docked and I was off to catch the bus to the start of the Routeburn!
Hollyford camp- a random tourist trap stop on the way to Milford Sound.
My vessel, the Milford Wanderer.
The sound/fiord.
Hanging valley anyone?
My sleeping quarters- all to myself!
Milford Sound in the morning
After all of my worrying, the weather on the Routeburn was PERFECT. Within the first 10 minutes of hiking I met another two Israelis who I hung out with for the rest of the hike. One of them had worked for a URJ camp in California last summer! Also, I met a reform Jewish woman from Melbourne who was really sweet who had also been a Jewish camp counselor in Australia. Basically, the Jews took over the Routeburn for two days. The scenery was some of the best I have ever seen. I ended up taking side trips to summit two peaks and it was completely worth it. Because I had to hike out early on the last day to catch a bus, I had signed up to stay at a smaller, less popular hut closer to the end of the hike. When I showed up that night, it was completely empty! Then, the park ranger, a guy in his 30s, showed up and asked me if I was the one person registered to camp there that night. So, it was just me and the park ranger. We had a really good night talking about the environment, and I got to share all my extra chocolate I had been lugging around. It was a great ending to a great trip!
At Key Summit.
Earland Falls.
Great view of the Hollyford Valley.
On Lake MacKenzie, where I spent my first night.
At the summit of Conical Hill.
View from the summit. You can almost make out Milford Sound!
I harrassed someone hiking the opposite way over the saddle to take my picture.
View from the saddle.
View of the Routeburn Valley where I spent the night.
I was so busy taking pictures of the valley that suddenly I found myself off the trail and practically on the roof of one of the huts (not the one I stayed at). It was quite a scramble.
Taking over my own personal hut.
Sunrise over Routeburn Flats
Afterwards, I caught the bus back to Queenstown, and it was a two-day traveling adventure to leave New Zealand and make it straight to my field trip on the Great Barrier Reef. Tough life, huh?
1 comment:
You're a stud.
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