Bike, hike, bike, stroll

 
November 12th
Each evening after supper our team leader, Paul, gives us a run-down of the next day’s itinerary, so we know what to pack in our day bags. Today’s bike, hike, bike, stroll (“no way this one’s a hike guys”) combo meant the day pack was bulging.

With a full day ahead, we were up for a 7.30 breakfast, saddled up and on the road by 8.30am. Our first 18km cycle took was pretty much a straight road, against a slight headwind, alongside Lake Manapouri, past fields of sheep and cows, until we reached a second, equally beautiful lake – Te Anau. A quick coffee stop and we were back in our trusty bus – named Jean – and heading for our hike to Key Summit – part of the famous Routebourn tramping trail. Tramping is the kiwi word for hiking. The trail up to the Key Summit was a well worn path making a slightly easier walk up, starting in a temperate rain forest full of moss covered beech trees and ferns, and finishing in a rock strewn area of alpine plants. Mount Christina – the highest in the area – made a good photo-background for our quick picnic lunch, then it was back down to Jean and onto our next stop.

By now we were in “Gun Country”. No, people weren’t shooting at us. The Guns are a pioneer family renowned for their strength of character. One of them apparently ran 20 miles to raise the alarm when a light plane crashed, the last five after tearing his testicles on a barbed wire fence – ouch!! They still run Hollyford Camp, a sandfly infested collection of sheds, as holiday cabins. These were originally used by the workers who blasted the Homer Tunnel through the black granite mountains to Milford Sound in the 1930s, and don’t look as if they have changed much since. We were told this was one of our accommodation options for the night. Fortunately, after our final bike ride, and short walk up to a waterfall, we clambered back into Jean and drove through the Homer Tunnel to Milford Sound.

As we descended the switchback road to the sea, the weather closed in, and the low clouds spilling down these sheer sided black granite Mountains of Doom, made them a sitter for a Lord of the Rings location. I was bitterly disappointed to find that they weren’t – most of the location filming was done around Queenstown, and then CGI’d in Wellington.