On Thursday 3rd January, we woke up to pouring rain, which didn't look like it was going to ease up and which caused a few of us to abandon our 18km cycle ride down the Hollyford Valley to Te Ano. Luckily, it did and we set off on our cycle, but my thighs had stiffened up from the walk up to the Mueller Hut and it was a very hard slog. At one point there was very strong head winds but I am used to that from cycling to work along the Thames. One of the American women has been bragging on the whole trip how she spent a couple of weeks recently cycling 700 km round New Zealand (bla bla bla) and has bored us to tears but we were all so happy when she nearly came in at the back. I think she made the excuse that she wasn't used to a mountain bike (she only rides some lightweight road bike which Lance Armstrong uses) and she had also overdressed (she hadn't brought along her super duper lightweight goretex). A case of sour grapes I think!
After the cycle, we drove to the Divide, which is the start of the Routeburn track and is the lowest point on the South Island (about 450 metres). It takes 3 days to walk the whoel track towards Queensland and the Maoris have been using it for centuries. That area is known as Te Wakipounamu, the land of greenstone. We did the much shorter walk up to Key Summit, which only takes an hour and a half and gives you spectacular views over the valley. The valley was carved by a glacier 15,000 years ago, hence the deep valleys and towering mountains. Unfortunately we walked up when it was cloudy, so we had a view of not a lot!
The drive continued and we stopped to cycle 17km to Humbolt Falls, which is quite a spectacular waterfall (see photo). Onwards then through the Homer Tunnel, which comes out at the top of a spectacular alpine road which winds its way downhill to Milford Sound (apparently there is no petrol at Milford Sound so you need to fill up at the nearest town, Te Anau about 2 hours' drive away). The lush rain forest carpeting the lower slopes of the mountains gives way to the massively steep, glacier carved slopes and waterfalls of the Darren Range. We had our first glimpse of Milford Sound when we went to the local pub for dinner - again stunning views. One thing you can't escape from in Fiordland is the numerous sand flies, which are as bad as mosquitoes and make you feel as if you are at the bottom of the food chain!
After the cycle, we drove to the Divide, which is the start of the Routeburn track and is the lowest point on the South Island (about 450 metres). It takes 3 days to walk the whoel track towards Queensland and the Maoris have been using it for centuries. That area is known as Te Wakipounamu, the land of greenstone. We did the much shorter walk up to Key Summit, which only takes an hour and a half and gives you spectacular views over the valley. The valley was carved by a glacier 15,000 years ago, hence the deep valleys and towering mountains. Unfortunately we walked up when it was cloudy, so we had a view of not a lot!
The drive continued and we stopped to cycle 17km to Humbolt Falls, which is quite a spectacular waterfall (see photo). Onwards then through the Homer Tunnel, which comes out at the top of a spectacular alpine road which winds its way downhill to Milford Sound (apparently there is no petrol at Milford Sound so you need to fill up at the nearest town, Te Anau about 2 hours' drive away). The lush rain forest carpeting the lower slopes of the mountains gives way to the massively steep, glacier carved slopes and waterfalls of the Darren Range. We had our first glimpse of Milford Sound when we went to the local pub for dinner - again stunning views. One thing you can't escape from in Fiordland is the numerous sand flies, which are as bad as mosquitoes and make you feel as if you are at the bottom of the food chain!
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