Te Anau

Eventually dragged ourselves out of Wanaka. Back on the road again! Te Anau and meeting up with Ruaraidh Ellison, GP and Stirling/ Park Terrace connections. Hiked up Key summit in great weather with fab views into Fiordland.
Then got bogged down with van hassle. Firstly a realisation that freedom camping is very carefully controlled by DOC, and no spaces. Secondly, an unsuccessful crawl around multiple rammed camp sites looking for a space. Finally found space in a featureless and amenity-less Andy's place out of town. Settling in we discovered we're out of gas. A crawl around Te Anau revealed no replacement, not until after new year....arrgh!
The next day made up for it, though. A tramp up to Gertrude's saddle alongside waterfalls, up slabs and across snowfield took us to a stunning view down to Milford Sound. Wow! We've done plenty of walking but can't think of many that pack so much into 4 hours!
Returning to Te Anau we spent the night at Liz Scott's. Liz is also a Te Anau GP who we worked with in Nepal. A lovely evening reminiscing over a plate of Daal Baat , with a bit of sheep milking thrown in!
New Year's Eve. Such expectations wherever you are... we spent the day being tourists on a doubtful sound cruise- the only way you can access this part of Fiordland without seriously committing tramping, rain, impassable rivers and sandflies. It was a besutiful calm day , the captain reckoned the calmest he'd seen the mouth of the fiord in 5 years! The view west out across the infinite ocean almost as mesmerising as the mountains!
However Hogmanay was not over yet and we started making our way south for the bright lights- well, glow worms in the clifden caves. 😆 We saw the new year in parked up in a slightly dodgy local park , but with cheese biscuits and a lovely pinot noir, a lovely night all the same . happy new year!!Read more