Getting Ready for the Routeburn

After sleeping in late on our nice comfy dorm beds and eating a leisurely breakfast, Mally and I headed to downtown Queenstown yesterday. After peering into the bungy center and figuring out that we were too late to book anything for the day (and probably too wimpy/(appreciative of life) to book anything anyway), Mally and I spent the afternoon getting ready for our tramp on the Routeburn.

We wandered around figuring out where to get backpacks, where to ship our bikes off to Te Anau, and where to pick up our bus to the trailhead. We also loaded up on food for the next three days. Then, after looking at the forecast for our tramp, I picked up an extra warm layer at one of the many camping/sport stores in town. I happened to talk to the nice sales lady who told me that the Routeburn was by far her favorite trail. This made me feel a bit better that we are doing the Routeburn and not the world renowned Milford Track (which was fully booked back in November).

After a full afternoon of overwhelming "city" atmosphere bustling with tourists and full of touristy shops trying to lure you in, I was beginning to get a little down on Queenstown... it was too city-like and busy for me. Then, we walked just a few minutes away from the downtown and discovered why it is a mecca for outdoors-lovers. It did not take us long to walk down a path along the Lake and find ourselves surrounded by clear waters, green trees, and enormous mountains capped with snow. The "city" was no longer in sight. Along our path, we passed by a small waterfall, crossed paths with a couple doggies(!), and saw a few runners and bikers enjoying the wooded trail along the lake.

I also ran into an older Australian lady who could not stop telling me how New Zealand was so much better than Australia and how very hot her country was. Yikes... should I really leave? But she was also full of advice on places to go and sites to see. After her descriptions of her favorite places, Australia sounded pretty good once again. We then shared tales of our travels and chatted a bit at the waterfall... both sharing our wonder for the beauty of New Zealand and our appreciation of the laid back and friendly demeaner of the New Zealanders we have encountered.

Mally and I continued our walk out to a rocky beach and then turned around to head back to our hostel for some dinner. It was getting late at that point (after 8!) so we decided to stay in fior the night and pack up for our tramp. I also took a dip in the warm (not so hot) jacuzzi at our hostel. The jet streams definitely felt good on my sore back muscles. Afterwards, we read a bit of Harry Potter before hitting the sacks.

Today we are setting out for the Routeburn Track. The forecast predicts a lot of rain tonight, but then we are hoping it clears up for the next two days of tramping. At the end of the Routeburn we will get picked up by a bus headed to Milford for a day of kayaking. Thus, I'll be off the blog for a few days... but sure to have many stories when I return to civilization.