1/27, 11:24pm, Queenstown motel and apartments
Back to civilization, big burgers, and fine hotels… Went to bed ~10:15pm last night, and woke up at 2:15am. Couldn't sleep, and wondered if the sky was clear to try some night time photos, so I carefully descended the top bunk, and tiptoed out of the room with my flip flops, and walked outside to the bathrooms (trying to minimize contact with mud). The sky was blotchy with shades of light and dark, but no stars, and clouds veiled the half moon. I could barely make out the distant glacier in the dimness. I hung out for 45 minute in solitude, before heading back to sleep. Wendy later said she never noticed me climbing in and out of the top bunk. She said she had the best night sleep in the huts so far. It was the perfect temp (usually starts out cold, wake up in the middle of the night hot). At 5:40am, Wendy woke to the iphone alarm and alerted me. Again we were the first ones up in the hut, and used the faint light from the skylight to exit the room without turning on our headlamps. The stove had cooled greatly, so I threw a few sticks in to try to liven it up. The skies were clear now, and the glacier was crisp across the now much lower Dart River, in the predawn twilight. After we cooked up cereal, I went out with my camera, ready to capture sunrise from a good vantage point. I was surprised to find that the monstrously beautiful waterfall from the top of a nearby mountain was now barely a trickle after a lull in yesterday's rain. I waited for 25 minutes, but the alpenglow never arrived. I later realized a huge mountain must have been blocking the sun in our valley.
The rest of the hut was becoming active when I returned to the hut. We packed up our gear, made due with our still damp socks, boots, and gaiters, and departed at 7:45am to catch our 10:30am jet boat. The air was cool, without a breeze in the shade of the valley.
We hiked through a beech forest before reaching a flat grassy area, where the trail along the river had been washed away. We hiked across the swampy grass, and climbed up the steep forested hillside of Sandy Bluff. Beyond lay a long sandy stretch leading to more forest.
...and crossed some grassy plains, into more forest...
Our packs were nice and "light", having eaten 4 days worth of food...
Another open area along the river, between forest stretches...
Wendy found a sweet location to capture a relection...
Looking back, we could see some glaciers. Wendy navigates through some downed trees...
There was only one stretch of climbing today, ~500' up a forested mountain arm, before reaching Sandy Bluff...
Trail signs told us not to stop under the rock cliffs (dangerous area)...
The usual jet boat pickup at Sandy Bluff was inaccessible now, due to a land slide, so we hiked another 45 minutes, past a swing bridge, where I tracked down a path leading to a stone beach. We saw a jet boat stream up the river at 10am, 15 minutes before we arrived at the beach, which gave us a scare, but then found several others streaming by, and realized there were many jet boats giving tours today.
Wendy emerges from the forest, after the downclimb...
More forest ahead...
We were told our jet boat pickup spot was ~10 minutes past the swing bridge. We had 30 minutes before our 10:30am pickup when we crossed the bridge, but had a scare when we saw a boat pass us up the river...
We found out pick-up spot (15 minutes past the bridge), and found many more jet boats passing by. Wendy swats at the annoying sand-flys...
Looking up the river, while waiting for our jet boat to pick us up...
The jet boat passengers waved to us each time they passed by. Eventually, one stopped to pick us up at 11am. Our boat was full of older women, and it was clear there was some group event happening, as other jet boats held similar passengers. The scenery on the lake was stunning, wgith huge glacier gauged valleys and uniquely shaped peaks. It was interesting to see what we had hiked from this vantage point. The women on our boat seemed to be mostly occupied by trying to wave to their friends on other boats and take photos of each other.
A jet boat is like a jet ski. They hydroplane on the water, and can operate in just 3 inches of water. We didn't know what to expect going in. Originally, the idea was to save 6km of our hike by taking the boat back, but with a $149NZ price tag, it was pretty expensive. When we found out it was also a 90 minute tour, we decided to give it a try (would of had to pay $30 for a bus anyway, and we'd arrive back in Glenorchy ~3hrs early too). The moment the boat first took off, and we felt the rush of cool wind in our faces, and saw the river banks zip by, and felt the race car like handling of the turns, we knew this would not only be a highlight of the trek, but of the entire NZ trip. Our guide handled the boat skillfully, speeding up river, and making skidding turns (just like Mario Kart) through narrow passages at high speeds. Wendy and I sat in the back, positioned to experience the wildest swings on turns. Our guide pointed out key landmarks (including a LOTR scene - see pic below), informed us of historical happenings, and performed several 360 degree spins, resulting in varying levels of splash. I managed to work my pocket cam most of the time...
Views from our Dart River Jet Boat experience...
Visited this calm blue glacier inlet...
Wendy enjoys the ride, and saving it sure beats another 1-1.5hrs of hiking, and waiting for a bus...
The Dart River was shallow, but the jet boat only needs 3 inches of water to operate...
Pretty windy. We were glad then gave us jackets to wear...
After a solid hour on the boat, we returned back to Glenorchy. The scenery today was mesmerizing, given the blue bird skies, and multiple glacier capped peaks. We walked back to our car, and headed straight to Queenstown for lunch at our favorite Kebab place. I got the same lamb kebab with pumpkin, cabbage, and black bean salads. We also stopped at the DOC, and found out the weather at Mt Cook should be good for an overnight at Muellers Hut Saturday night.
Then we drove up town looking for lodging. Since it happened to be Wendy's birthday eve, we splurged on a 4-plus star hotel with sleek new furnishings, and a big tub (Wendy really wanted a bath). Fortunately, the first place we stopped at met these criteria, and we quickly went to work unloading our gear, putting our damp items on the balcony to dry, showering (long time for 5 days worth of tramping), and getting 2 loads of laundry going (free!). Oddly, the manager poured me a glass of milk to bring to the room, when we checked in. The room turned into a giant clothesline as we hung up all the laundry on any available edge. We also booked 2 beds at the Mt Cook YSA hostel for tomorrow night.
Wendy shows the beech hand-carved bowl she boat 6 days ago in Queenstown. Our room turned into a clothes rack...
I was dead tired, and glad we didn't have much driving to do today. ~5pm, we drove to the grocery store to buy yogurt, eggs, bacon, apples and some chocolate. At the store we ran into someone from the Rees-Dart trek.
After dropping off groceries in our fridge at the hotel (the room smells like wet wool), we walked into town for dinner, but first visited the pleasant Queenstown Gardens that stretch out into the lake. Flowers, duck pond, frisbee golf, and a bowling green there.
Wendy watches the ducks in the pond...
We then walked to Fergburger, our favorite burger place in town that we ate at 6 days ago, and ordered our "usual". Double Fergburger with cheddar for Wendy, the Lamby for me. We ran into another 4 people from the Rees-Dart hike there! They missed the 2pm return bus by 3 minutes, one of them had to hitch a ride to town, and request the bus company to send a bus for the 10 remaining that arrived 3 minutes later. I also found out that the 3 people that didn't reach the hut last night due to the high water levels of the stream crossings spent the night in a rock shelter with 2 other campers (including the guy from CA that I gave some PB and baggies to). They built a fire, and had a fine time waiting out the rain.
After dinner, we walked down to the lake, and picked up an internet hotspot to check on some transportation logistics for the Routeburn track. Looks like we are going to have someone shuttle our car from the beginning to end of the track for $250 (Routeburn Relocators). Bus transport would be $220, but this saves us 1/2 day worth of driving/bussing. Need to make a copy of the key tomorrow, and finish arrangements. While browsing the web, we saw the older couple from the Rees Dart walk by, and visited with them. Small world! A street guitarist played and sang some spanish tunes while we sat next to the lake and watched the sun dip behind the mountains.
Some evening views of the lake before returning to the hotel...
Back at the hotel, we put away clothes, and re-packed out bags for the 2-day trek to Mueller Hut on Saturday. Easiest to do it now in this huge room. We have so much dehydrated food left! Still 3 more tramps planned after Mueller, so we'll see if we can put a good dent in the supplies.
It's Wendy's birthday now (after midnight). Happy Birthday!