from Queenstown, NZ
After wandering through Southland and Stewart Island, we’ve arrived in Queenstown, tourism capital of New Zealand, gateway to all things adrenalin and outdoors. This city of 50,000 seems to survive completely on tourism, although I’m sure there must be some other industry mixed in there somewhere. Tons of touristy shops, etc, with very little else in town.
The last day on Stewart Island (way back when) was supposed to be our New Zealand sea kayaking debut, but due to strong winds, we instead took a sea taxi over to Ulva Island, a unique natural bird sanctuary 8 minutes off Stewart Island. Originally owned and protected by a postmaster and naturalist with the surname Traill, this small island was New Zealand’s first protected reserve, and once ridded of rats, became a haven for all those birds and plants that have succumbed to invasive predators elsewhere in New Zealand. On Ulva Island you won’t find any deer, opossums, or rats, those scurges brought across the ocean by European settlers, but you will find kiwis, wekas, kakas, Stewart Island robins, and bluebirds, along with a host of endangered or geographically extinct plants and trees. The experience was quite breathtaking, with gorgeous and undisturbed woods, and birds galore. We were told on our return taxi ride that there are currently far fewer birds than normal because of a strong wind the past few days, and that on a normal day, birdsong can easily drown a reasonable conversation.
The next morning, bright and early, we took the ferry back to the mainland, with a surprise visit from some magnificent albatrosses in the middle of the crossing. Liz misplaced her prescription sunglasses sometime between Ulva Island and the mainland, and we have yet to locate them, having called all the places we visited as well as leaving a description with the local police detachment. After a visit to the local YMCA (an exorbitant $12 apiece), we set out once more in the car, stopping for the night in Tuatapere at a mostly empty modern hostel. We couldn’t turn up the opportunity to make use of all the brand new facilities, so we bought some raisins and oil, and were happily surprised and quite proud when we managed bake a batch of delicious scones to have with tea and jam after supper.
The next morning we made a dash for Queenstown to return the car, with the highlight of the drive being a gigantic bull sitting beside the road in a flimsy wire fence. I originally thought it must be a statue because of it’s size, but it winked at me on the way by, so we had to turn around for another look since Liz was doing something silly like looking out the other window during the first pass. Once at our new hostel (allows camping) in Q’town, we dumped all of our accumulated junk out and I took the car back to the rental place, only getting lost twice on the way since I’d left all the maps and everything with Liz at the hostel.
We spent yesterday shopping in the abundant outdoor stores and collecting supplies for our next tramps, and just this morning managed to bum a ride to Te Anau off two reluctant French women so that we don’t have pay $60 for the bus. Tomorrow we start the Milford Track, dubbed the “most beautiful walk in the world” by New Zealand Tourism; a phrase echoed elsewhere in more reputable publications. It better be… we payed a fortune for the track and transport. Then we stay two nights at the Milford Sound Lodge, with some sea kayaking on our rest day, heading out the following day on the Routeburn Track, another apparently amazing tramp. We’ll be back in Q’town the afternoon of the 14th if all goes according to plan, and will pick up the second rental car ($15 per day!!!) on the 15th.
I think we’ll be happy to get away from the super-tourism of Q’town for a while!