Empezamos camino hacia Queenstown, pero primero visitamos las "Blue Pools", piscinas que se formaban por el agua de Glaciares, por lo que tenían ese color turqueza (que lo dan los minerales del glaciar)... se veían preciosas, de postal... pero el agua heladisima, y obvio, si venia del glaciar. El Chiwawin, que es el mas valiente y osado del equipo, se lanzo 4 o 5 veces desde un puente hacia las pocitas de agua turqueza, yo ingrese pero por una playita que se formaba y me aventure en darme un chapuzon de agua de glaciar (para sacarme el agua salada de haber estado en la mañana con los delfines). Por favor hacer zoom en mi cara, en la foto donde salgo sumergiéndome en la blue pool... mi expresión lo dice todo.
And there we would go again, crossing the natural barrier of the Southern Alps. In good weather everything seems peaceful and majestic but when the weather gets bad the mountains become an inhospitable and treacherous place. Today keeping this road open is a constant battle against snow, rain, landslides and mud but the Maoris already used these crossing hundreds of years ago, looking for food, resources and of course the precious pounami or greenstone, then taking the rocks all the way back to the east coast for trade. Also the European surveyors and engineers mapping and constructing the passes deserve admiration with Maori guides walking them through the bush and mountains. Even the later construction engineers and teams who would work their way from coast to coast with picks and shovels during the Great Depression and in more modern days with dynamite and bulldozers but always challenged by the elements did a great job.
Los siguientes días estuvimos quedándonos en campings con lagos y vistas preciosas. En uno de ellos decidimos quedarnos como 4 días por lo tranquilo y relajante que era. Hicimos una pequeña caminata (para no perder la costumbre, según Johan) que nos llevaba a un HUT donde pasamos la noche acompañados por la lluvia y una chimenea de Leña que nos daba calor. El Camino para llegar a la cabaña era bastante empinado, más de una vez me cuestioné por qué tuvimos que subir la montaña si abajo en el camping estábamos tan a gusto... Pero aún así continue por el sendero pasando por partes bastante estrechas donde necesitabamos usar piernas y manos para poder mantenernos firmes sin deslizarnos.
Queenstown, Queenstown, Queenstown, is what we heard everywhere, a name which I had vaguely heard off before and which in my mind I associated with the bungee jumping and a luxurious 50s and 60s holiday resort. Not having done much research on the region it was thus Queenstown where we were heading for but then crossing the Haast pass the landscape and the weather turned magnificent, blue rivers, wide valleys, dry mountains, high snowcapped peaks and glaciers and we got to a place called Wanaka. We spent several days camping on the lakes around Wanaka enjoying the views, the water, the camping and the relaxing. After an overdose of relaxing I suggested Belen to make a short, easy walk and spend the night in a hut in the mountains. The easy walk turned into a nasty climb and tricky rock paths in the mountain, but we were rewarded with beautiful views onto Lake Hawea and a sample of what it would have been like living in New Zealand in 1890 in a bush camp. A very basic hut with one bunk, an open fire place and a table is where we spent the afternoon and the night before heading back for more relaxing on the water.
During the long weekend for Waitangi Day, the day a Treaty was signed between the British Crown and Maori Chiefs on land, protection, sovereignty, etc. but which was later a source of argument as Maori and English version would be or could be interpreted differently, we had a good insight on what some Kiwi leisure time is spent like...camping, boating, bbqing and fishing while sharing hunting stories with friends....I think I could get used to it :)
Cerca de Queenstown nos quedamos en un camping que quedaba dentro de una granja con ovejas y caballos. Johan que esta siempre curioseando se le ocurrió preguntar a la señora encargada del camping si es que en alguna época del año podrían necesitar gente para trabajar en la granja, y ella lo invita a participar esa misma tarde en el DIPPING de ovejas que iban a hacer junto con otros trabajadores y el dueño del campo.
Queenstown was a bit of a culture shock after camping, deserted beaches, the song of Tui birds and the sound of waves breaking. The small town, in a stunning setting at a turquoise lake and surrounded by mountains, made me remind mostly of La Roche en Ardennes because of the traffic jams in a crammed city center, too many tourists, all the shops and tours being offered and just too much people. A quick drive through, a Starbucks to get on the net and a new book were enough and we took the road towards Glenorchy along the lake for more glaciers, more blue water and more views. Finally, we ended up camping in another small lake close to Queenstown for again relaxing, water and good weather. The campsite, managed by the Department of Conservation was located on private property of the High Country Station Ben Lomond. The first afternoon was dominated by the sound of sheep and thus the second day I had a chat with the Camp Manager and found ourselves a short term internship in sheep farming. Belen, who was relaxing next to the lake was announced we were expected by 2 o'clock at the front of the site as the farmer would be passing with a quarter of the station's 8000 sheep. Tom, the farmer, was a 60 year old man with a face and skin that witnessed many years of cold winters and hot summers in the valley around Queenstown. Not very talkative, no nonsense but happy to share with us the basics of sheep farming and especially the less orthodox and less traditional Merino sheep farming for wool production for clothes and blankets (the wool of the common sheep, mainly breaded for meat production, are used for carpets). Because of the harsh winter the sheep need all their energies and should avoid ticks and lice. Therefore, they need to be drenched or dipped head under, all 8000, in a bath of chemicals. That afternoon 2000 were waiting for us. I took care of the actual dipping, pushing the sheep under the water with a long stick, while Belen was herding the sheep and pushing them through the bottleneck in the bath. It was a very entertaining experience, especially the first 20 sheep. The last 1980 sheep though made you realize that farming, although more and more mechanized, can still be hard labor. Exhausted, covered in shit, no feeling in the arms, but happy, we earned another night stay on the property and a beautiful memory together.
Participamos ambos, no podía perderme la experiencia de una actividad con animales. Sin saber muy bien a qué íbamos, nos preparamos para el dipping de ovejas, que consistía en bañar a las ovejas, sumergiéndolas en una poza que contenía productos que las protegían de futuras plagas de pulgas y garrapatas. La jornada fue de 4 horas sin parar, en las que bañamos 2.000 ovejas, si... 2.000 ovejas!!!! Johan ya tenía adormecidos los brazos pues le tocó cargar en varias oportunidades a ovejas bien grandes y la misma acción de hundirlas en la poza era cansadora. A mi me toco hacer de todo un poco, estuve en el inicio ayudando a agrupar las ovejas para encaminarlas hacia la poza de bano, luego pasarlas de paddock a paddock, y finalmente ayudar con el hundiminto en la bañera... Fue una divertida y ensuciada experiencia, digo ensuciada porque terminamos con caca de ovejas hasta en las orejas... A mi me salpicó más de una vez el agua llena de lodo y caca mientras las ovejas resbalaban por la rampa y caían a la poza, salpicándonos a todos los que estábamos al costado.
One of the highlights for me was the 3 days hiking in the Mount Aspiring National park. First, the weather was incredibly nice and sunny. Then a first day of walking took us on through a valley covered in wild flowers, a roaring turquoise river next to us and glacier after glacier appearing. Afterwards I read there is over 400 glaciers in the park alone of which only 100 are named and the entire surrounding, geologically speaking relatively young is carved and formed by glaciers. We set up our camp in a flat area somewhere in the middle of the park enjoying the solitude at first, then accompanied by thousands of sandflies and finally by millions of stars. The next day I made a short hike to one of the mountain huts (impeccable standards by the way, basis but sturdy and clean) for more views over glaciers and snowcapped peaks and finally we walked back to the park entrance for another night of solitude, peace, pink colored glaciers in the sunset and stars. The last day we got up to the base of one of the glaciers, Rob Roy, where we arrived alone and first but not after a short hiccup.
Traveling gives you the opportunity to know the world, different people but also your partner and yourself. One of the things we found out is that I always need a double check on my valuables, but not when actually leaving, but between 5 and 10 minutes afterwards. After driving for 10 minutes "Belen can you check that my wallet is in the glovebox?", after 5 minutes in the museum "Belen can you check that my camera is in the backpack?", 10 minutes after leaving the supermarket "I gave you my credit card right?" and the final one, the one taking the blood under Belen's fingernails, after walking 5 minutes "Did you see me closing the car?" After which I have to retrace my steps, check the car door which is always locked and find inner peace again. After a few jokes, remarks and turning eyes because of the locked-doors thing in the last few weeks, we started our hike 6 AM sharp to be first at the glacier but only after I closed the door under Belen's watchful eye with a mutual nod of recognition that the door was closed. Almost 30 minutes on the walk, cheerfully chatting and enjoying alpine views, the little devil got in my head and I checked if I had my car keys in my pocket, in my jacket.... then "Belen did I give you the car keys?"...then turning backpack upside down without results. Desperately, I started running the 2 km back to the car where I found the carkeys on a small fence...another 2 km back to where Belen was waiting, I had to explain that due to the new procedure and the additional pressure I must have left the carkey on the fence when I was tieing my shoe laces... In the end, we were the first ones at the glacier though 1 hour later than planned.
Finalmente, hicimos una caminata cerca de Wanaka, que duro 3 días caminando 12 km diarios aproximadamente, la vista era preciosa ..caminamos al lado de un rio, por un sendero entre pastisales... Con vistas a montañas y Glaciares.
Una de las cosas que recuerdo de esta caminata es cuando estabamos de regreso, nos cruzamos con muchas vacas y bueyes... Pero en algún momento estábamos caminando por el sendero y una vaca negra, empieza a gemir muy fuerte apenas nos vio como a 200 metros, a mi me extrañó un poco que no se moviera del camino, ya que por lo General las vacas se asustan y salen corriendo, pero esta se mantenía firme donde estaba y cada vez gemía más y más fuerte, entonces le pregunté a Johan:
AB: Chiwawin Es una vaca eso?
J: Si... Eso parece por la estatura
AB: Ya pero, por qué no se mueve? Le ves las tetas?
J: Uhmmmm no, en realidad lo que veo son las bolas...corre!!!
Nos falto pies para salir corriendo, ya que nos dimos cuenta de que era un toro furioso estando a menos de 3 metros de el.
Wanaka y Queenstown, son conocidas como zonas donde la gente acude para hacer deportes extremos y probar de un poco de adrenalina, nosotros no hicimos ningún deporte extremo, pero si disfrutamos de estar cerca de la naturaleza, experimentando experimentando circunstancias que claramente nunca borraremos de nuestras memorias.
After a few days of lakes, sun and mountains, time for some salty sea air again...up towards Fiordland.
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