Back to NZ

 The flight into Queenstown was spectacular. With clear skies and a bit of a delay until we were cleared to land the plane took us for a circuit around Mt Earnslaw. Up the Rees Valley, over Dart Glacier with views across to Mt Aspiring (Tititea) and Mt Cook (Aoraki) in the distance, then back down the Dart before heading down Lake Wakatipu, turning over the top of Cardrona and landing at Frankton. It doesn't get much better than this!

Hollyford Valley: Lake McKerrow on left, Lake Alabaster and Pyke River

on the right

Mt Earnslaw

Mt Aspiring (Tititea)

Mt Cook (Aoraki) in the distance

Lake Wanaka looking down the Motatapu Valley

Cardrona Skifield

Back in Wanaka I needed to charge the car battery and get a new WOF before heading out of town for more adventures. With the massive roof box full of toys I needed to purchase a towbar bike rack so I could bring my bike as well. Chores done, off I went to explore a few spots I'd passed by along the way.

A year ago I'd tried to cycle the Alps to Ocean Trail, intending to make it a loop beginning in Omarama, turning off at Kurow and cycling up the Hakataramea Valley and over the pass to Dog Box Corner then back into Tekapo. The cycle along Lakes Benmore and Aviemore was quite spectacular, but a few kms short of Kurow on my first day I'd dropped the bike on a corner and broken the derailleur hanger. I now carry a spare!

There's a small lake beside the road on the eastern side of Lake Aviemore, with a walking track beside it. I'd noticed it on my bike trip, so this time I took the packraft for a leisurely paddle up the small lake and stream. This is one of the main reasons I purchased a boat, to explore little waterways. It's not always about running whitewater.

I continued south to the east coast, staying at a DOC campsite for a couple of nights and visiting some of the small coastal villages off the main highway. These backwaters are picturesque, with lovely beaches, but not too far from one of my favourite coastal towns, Oamaru.

After returning to Wanaka for a few days I headed north. First stop a short bike ride in Lindis Pass to bag a hut before camping at Quailburn, one of my favourite campsites for its peacefulness beside a small stream, and lack of crowds.

The next day I took the bike for another short outing to bag yet another hut, then continued on to Peel Forest. The weather gods had aligned and it was looking like a perfect day for the ascent of Little Mt Peel.

I'd come here before to climb the mountain, but exhaustion had got the better of me. This time there were no such hiccups and I was at the trailhead at 9am for what would be a tough day. I'd decided to walk up the steep, muddy south ridge route, and return along the longer, mostly boardwalked, Deer Spur track.

Myself and two other hardy couples were the only ones foolish enough to take this approach. The walk to Emily Falls was through lovely forest, and then the real climb began. Steep and muddy, but the spectacular views made up for the tough going. Towards the top there were a couple of minor rock scrambles, not for those who don't like exposed routes, and then finally the shelter came into view.

After lunch it was a short scramble to the summit, and then the return journey along Deer Spur. All the other walkers, including a couple of school groups, had chosen this route for their ascent and were returning the same way. A young English traveller with her mother in tow were considering returning via the South Ridge, but after observing how unsteady her mother was on the short summit scramble, we managed to convince them not to tackle it and return the same way they had come. Later when I passed them on the descent I noticed the young lass was wearing jandals!!

My legs were feeling toasted by the time I got back to the car, and the next day I had a serious dose of DOMS. I'd gone to stay a couple of days with my friend Alex in Methven, so I took a day off and went for a soak in the local hot pools. The next day I went for a 4 hour return walk up a river valley to visit a completely dilapidated hut that is still a legitimate bag on the hutbagging website. It was a lovely valley to walk up, with some pretty gorges along the way.

Next it was off to Arthurs Pass to do a five day trip with the tramping club.

That's next!