Mountain Wanderings

For the past few weeks since leaving Jack and Ester's, I've been on the move, exploring different parts of the South Island, especially the national parks. While staying with several different Servas and Couchsurfing hosts and at many different hostels, the common theme has been mountains...with some rainforests and glaciers (and cities) mixed in along the way.

One highlight was staying with a mountain-climbing Couchsurfing host named Jeremy in Oamaru. Jeremy took another Couchsurfer from Italy (Tania) and me to see yellow-eyed and blue penguins one evening and then took us to climb a mountain the next day. We climbed 1900-metre (6300-foot) Ohau Peak, a mountain with no defined track to climb. We couldn't have found our way without Jeremy, who has tons of experience, having climbed more than 100 peaks (!) over 2000 metres in the South Island. Getting to the top took about three hours and we learned a lot of great tips from Jeremy along the way. One of the most fun parts was scree running down part of the mountain on our way back down. We ran down the sections with small rocks, digging our heals in and running down parts of the mountain about five times faster than it took going up!

Tania coming up the mountain

With Jeremy on Ohau Peak

Coming down the mountain

Jeremy's tips came in super handy as many of my next stops in various national parks—Mount Cook, Arthur's Pass, Paparoa, and Westland—all have great hikes to offer, including several very steep, challenging ones, which always offer the best views. I found myself using Jeremy's techniques on many of the climbs. During the past few weeks, I walked/hiked about 4-6 hours most days, trying to take in as much of the addictive mountain views and air as possible, taking advantage of my time in each place and for the most part, good weather. 

Having lunch in front of Mount Cook

View from Mueller Hut hike in Mount Cook Nat'l Park

Mount Cook Village from above

One special part of mountain life in NZ is the kea—a unique mountain parrot known for its cheekiness, smarts, and high-pitched call. The large green-brown birds with bright orange under their wings can be heard in the mountain villages and up in the hills on hikes. A few times, they'd even seem to follow me when I was alone and perch ahead of me on the trail, allowing me to get a good look at them when I caught up.

Curious Kea

Kea from below

Quirky Keas

Along the way, I stayed with and met many fun, generous people. Another place I Couchsurfed was Tekapo, where I stayed at a house with four fun flatmates. I got to play my first game of touch rugby with my host and his friends on a scenic rugby field beside glacial Lake Tekapo, which is surrounded by mountains. While there, I also went to a church service in a tiny stone church built in 1935, which has the same stunning lake/mountain view through a window behind the altar. It was the most scenic view I've ever seen during a church service.

Church of the Good Shepherd in Tekapo

Inside View

The last mountain climb of my wanderings was a very steep, challenging climb up Mount Fox near Fox Glacier Village (a village where everyone gets to take a good look at the huge glaciers that are very quickly retreating). Most of the climb up Mount Fox is a nearly vertical, muddy track with tree roots for ladders. It was a good challenge with stunning views of the surrounding mountains, glaciers, rainforest, ocean, rivers, and lakes from the top. On the way down, I met a fun British guy named Tim who's a tree surgeon and is also on a working holiday in NZ. We kept each other company for the fairly long climb down and agreed that climbing mountains puts life in perspective, looking down on what appear like toy villages below and remembering how minuscule we are.

Avalanche Peak hike in Arthur's Pass Nat'l Park

Walking in Paparoa National Park

Lake Matheson in Westland National Park

A small part of Fox Glacier

View from Mount Fox hike in Westland National Park

After wandering through the mountains, it's back to work...but fun work I think. I'm staying with an authour and her 12-year old son at their home in the mountains. I'll be helping out with her son as well as with the book she's currently writing. It's only my third day of a one-month stay, but we already have a good feeling it'll be a great exchange. And her scenic place nestled in the mountains seems to be a very appropriate place to end (or continue) my mountain wanderings.