December 10

Drive to Te Anau

I was the first in the hut to get up at 5:30 AM. The sun was just preparing to rise. Soon orange-colored rays struck the peak of Mt. Cook, and I went out to take some pictures. Then I fixed breakfast - fruity porridge with a granola bar, an orange and coffee. I started down at 7:15.

When I arrived at the snowfield, a couple of people were already climbing it. The snow was harder and icy this morning. The top part was too steep to walk down without crampons, so I picked a spot with few rocks below, and slid down, using my pole as a rudder. An ice axe would have worked better, probably, but the collapsed pole was adequate. It is important to lean back while sliding, to avoid tumbling. The descent was faster and harder to control than I expected, but I didn't hit any rocks, and my pants survived the friction. In retrospect, perhaps I should have chosen a gentler route. The rest of the snowfield wasn't so steep, and I walked to the bottom.

The sun was bright this morning, and I put on some sunscreen. I reached the bottom at 9:40 AM. There was still time to get my bags from storage at the YHA before they closed for the morning at 10 AM. Then I showered and went to the visitor's center to check in and pay the $14 hut fee. I got a meat pie and slice of cake for lunch at Snackpacker's in the Hermatage. I took some pictures of the field of colorful mountain lupins outside, with Mt. Cook in the background.

I began the drive to Te Anau at noon. I had been told it would take six to eight hours, but in fact it took five and a half, even with a few picture stops. The YHA was on the far side of town, on the road leading to Milford. The hostel was a collection of low white buildings, again rather attractive. Sheep grazed out back. This hostel was somewhat more spacious than the last, and also new-looking, with a big commons room and a neatly organized kitchen. The bunk rooms were separate, out back. Apparently crime was not much of a problem here, because there was no sign of locks.

I was fortunate to make it to the supermarket before the 6 PM Sunday closing time. It was well stocked, and I found a jar of Thai red curry paste, which would help me spice up dinner tonight. I fixed beef with peas and tomatoes with the Thai red curry paste and peanut butter, and served it over pasta.

After dinner, I walked around the small town a while. Most of the businesses were together on one main street, and there were quite a few restaurants. At the end of the street was Lake Te Anau, which stretches far into the distance. The Kepler Track is in the mountains on the opposite side, and the Milford track is a long boat ride down the lake. I asked Fjordland Travel about their glow worm cave tours, and bought a Milford Track T shirt from a lady who told me, upon seeing the Smoky Mountain T shirt I was wearing, that she had once been there. I then stopped in a dairy and got a lime ice cream cone with sour fizzy candies in it, and returned to the hostel at 9 PM, going to bed around 10:30.

Copyright Scott A. Yost, 1996. All rights reserved.