(written on the 10th from notes taken previously)
I was up late today after a late night last night.
Lots of late nights recently. 😅
Though the forecast again called for rain on the other side of the pass at Milford Sound, it was sunny where I was, and there was a road I hadn’t yet explored that was on my side of the pass (though still a good ways back into the mountains), so I headed back in.
As I wound my way through the valley deeper into the mountains, the clouds got thicker and darker until once again, the mountaintops were covered, and the rain was falling. 🙃
That was expected, though.
As made the turn off from the main road onto the road that follows the Hollyford River, I noticed two gentlemen with big hiking packs asking for a ride.
I didn’t have a lot of room, but it was raining outside, and I figured I’d take the time to make room for them, so I pulled over, let them know that it would take a few minutes, but I’d be happy to give him a ride.
The gentleman were from Australia, I’d guess in their ’50s, getting ready to do something like a week-long backpacking trip through Fiordland.
One of the gentlemen mentioned that he didn’t mind being on my bed, since it was a relatively short drive, so that made it easier, as I didn’t have to clear out all the stuff that I keep on my front passenger seat.
So I got them squared away in the back, and we all started chatting, they diving right in and asking me political questions about the things that are going on with the United States. 🙃
It was a super-great conversation.
We were able to talk about super controversial things in a way that I feel like was positive and uplifting, the needle pointing more toward increased understanding.
#LiftTheWorld
😊
After dropping them off at the end of the road, which was of course my destination as well, I snapped a few pictures and then just chilled on the side of the road continuing to listen to more news and various people’s perspectives on the war in Iran (which is what I was listening to right before I picked up the Australians).
After a while, despite the rain continuing, I decided to hike up to Humboldt Falls, or at least take the hike that I thought went to Humboldt Falls.
As with most other hikes, it wound through temperate rainforest up into the hillside. This hike, however, continued far above the river and actually ended at a Viewpoint of Humboldt Falls quite a distance from the actual falls itself.
I was disappointed, and I toyed with the idea of going back down and following the river all the way up to the falls, but with the weather being as it was, the clouds settling in as low as they were, there wasn’t much to see.
It also would have been a Riverwalk, which I wasn’t quite prepared to do today with the rainy weather.
Riverwalks are great in sunny weather, even cloudy weather, but not so much in rainy weather when the outdoor temperature is already cool and the water is quite cold. 🙃
A bit disappointed, but not terribly, I wandered down the trail to my van and then started heading back up the road. As I drove along, I stopped briefly off at the Moraine Creek swing bridge to snap some pictures of the beautiful scenery.
My last official destination before heading out of Fiordland was Marian Falls, the trailhead of which was back close to where I’d picked up the Australians.
It started with a swing bridge across the river, similar to the previous, But then I got confused, because Google Maps showed two different hiking trails. Thinking I’d missed a split off somewhere, I walked back to the swing bridge, only to realize that Google trail maps were wrong in this particular case. There weren’t two trails, one to the waterfall, and one to the lake. There was a single trail, the trail going to the lake passing by the waterfall first.
It was a relatively short hike, which was probably good because the waterfall itself was… not really anything.
In a region where just a couple canyons boast hundreds, if not thousands of waterfalls, many of them absolutely beautiful, I find it funny that one of the ones they actually named and provide a trail to is exceedingly pedestrian. In fact, I wouldn’t even call it a waterfall. I would call it a large rapid. 😆
But I’ll let you judge for yourself. 🙃
The drive back out of the mountains also meant a drive back to sunshine, which was a welcome change, 🌞 and I stopped a few times to snap pictures as I drove back toward Te Anau.
I’d been hoping to grab myself a bath in a creek or river before leaving the mountains (with church tomorrow and all), but I think I forgot when I was still in the area with the best options, and once I remembered, I didn’t want to backtrack, thinking I’d get another decent chance.
Well, I didn’t. 🙃
I made it all the way back to just past Te Anau Downs and found myself looking down at Lake Te Anau.
But I wasn’t keen on bathing in the lake. I prefer rivers if I have a choice. 🙃
Gratefully, there was a dirt road (very rough) that wound its way back north to near where the Eglinton River entered the lake, and I was able to get myself all nice and clean for mañana. 🎉
🙏
I took a little detour into the town of Te Anau to try to find a public water fountain that CamperMate listed and that some reviewers had said was a great place to fill up.
It took me a few minutes of walking around to find it, but once found, it was indeed a great place to fill up, and I got myself all topped up. 🙏
Next stop was gas, even though I’d just gotten gas a couple days ago. Gas in Queenstown (where I’m headed tomorrow), is stupid expensive, probably because, if I’m remembering correctly, Queenstown is considered the adventure capital of New Zealand, so it’s a tourist mecca.
Not being so keen on my largest fuel bill of the whole trip, I topped my tank off at the same station that I had filled up at prior to going into Fiordland.
There was one more gas station in Kingston that was decently priced, but even though I’ve been able to buy gas at the self-pay places the last few times, I’m still hesitant to trust that I’m going to be able to do that everywhere. Thus, to be absolutely safe, I filled up in Te Anau.
As the sun went down while driving toward Kingston, I pulled over to snap a few pictures.
I then stopped for gas yet again in Kingston, hoping to top my tank off once again (it’s 125 kms from Te Anau, so not an insignificant distance, and if I could top off my fuel one more time before heading into Queenstown, I figured I’d give it a go). To my delight, my credit card was once again accepted, and I headed toward my freedom camping spot, only a handful of kilometers away, all topped up and happy. 😊
The reviews of this particular freedom camping location said there was plenty of parking, and oh my great golly goodness, this place was slammed.
There were so many vehicles crammed into this huge labyrinth of dirt roadlets, with people inventing places to park their vans and RVs.
I mean, I can’t say I’m surprised, as seemingly half the world wants to be in Queenstown (except me 🙃), but… wow. 😶
Seeing so many vehicles crammed together, I pretty much resigned myself to having to invent a spot to park myself, when… doth my eyes deceive me?
An open slot!!! Right off the main drag.
How on earth?!?!
With everyone crammed in like sardines all over the place, I wondered how in the heck this perfect little spot could be available!
Was I missing something? Was there some dangerous obstacle? Some deterrent everyone else had seen that I hadn’t? 🤔
Nope.
It was just… inexplicably vacant.
🤷
I’ll take it! (and I did 😁)
🥳🙏
I don’t know what I would have done had there not been any spaces available. The next most likely freedom-camping spot with availability was probably an hour or two away.
Grateful to be settled for the night, I veged out for a bit and called it a night.
Lift the world.
Bring it on.
~ stephen
Lift the World 