Hey, everyone! Boy, oh boy, what a week it has been. JESUS! Haha. The highlight of the week was a two-night camping trip down to Green Lake Hut in Fiordland National Park. It was chaos and an absolute adventure. If ever there was a blog post of mine to read… this is probably it. Read on!

Queenstown to Fiordland National Park (feat. a stop in Te Anau)

One of my hostel buddies Marion and I planned to go to Green Lake Hut over the long weekend. Unfortunately, she got called in to work on Monday and so we coordinated separately but had the intention of sharing one night in the hut together from Saturday to Sunday.

I have committed to volunteering at Kiwi Park on Saturday mornings and I didn’t want to break the commitment. So once I finished it up, I hustled back to the hostel to eat brunch and then drive down to Fiordland National Park – about a three hour drive from Queenstown. Before leaving, Marion had messaged me letting me know she had made it to the trailhead and asked me if I could possibly make a brief detour to Te Anau to pick up her tent.

From Te Anau, I had another hour and a half (actually probably more) before arriving at the trailhead. After turning off from Lake Manapouri Road, I entered onto a gravel road which I drove on for maybe… an hour? At first it was flat ground, but soon I was twisting and turning up a mountain.

I was eager to begin the hike. It was estimated at 2hr 30min, but sometimes these things take longer. I’d read a bit about the hike ahead of time and it seemed like some people struggled with it. I wanted to get to the hut before sunset. Starting at 4.30pm, I thought I might be cutting it close.

Eventually, I arrived to Borland Bivvy – the start of the trailhead. While trying to find a spot to park my van (Goldie), I went a little further down the road which had a significant decline. Deciding it wasn’t the best spot, I went to turn and park on higher ground. And… my van wasn’t going up it. Oh, NO! I reversed a little bit, got some speed, and pushed through the incline. Phew! Wouldn’t that be an interesting start to the adventure? Realizing my van was stuck haha.

Borland Bivvy to Green Lake Hut

I have never gone “tramping” before, save for maybe one trail in Yellowstone National Park. Tramping is essentially hiking, but I think the main difference is that it’s typically for a longer period of time than a normal hike might be, and the idea is that you are hiking and camping overnight somewhere, then continuing to hike. For instance, there are some “Great Walks” in New Zealand, where people hike/tramp for four days, staying in huts or campsites each night. I think another key difference is that tramping tracks are a little more difficult to navigate. While there are track markers along the way, there are a number of ways to get from point A to point B. On a lot of hikes, the trail is extremely clear and you stick to the path.

This was the first time in my life where I’ve gone hiking with a massive backpack on. The same backpack that is literally my “suitcase” when I’m traveling. Packed with food for two full days, a sleeping bag, warm jumpers, extra pair of clothes, etc. I thought it would be daunting but actually it was fine.

There were five main phases to get to Green Lake Hut from Borland Bivvy.

1. Forest
2. Tussocks
3. Forest
4. Tussocks
5. Sharp incline and decline through a forested mountain

The forest phases were easiest.

I have heard that the path can be incredibly muddy/boggy, but I almost didn’t want to believe it. It must have been thirty minutes into the track, when I stepped ankle-deep in mud. GAH! I am actually glad it happened so early on in the trip because I had to succumb to it. There is no way getting around it – if you’re hiking this trail… your shoes are going to get filled with mud and water.

And yet, the track was beautiful. People have compared it to something like a “fairy wonderland” forest and I totally agree. Moss and lichen, everywhere. Beautiful trees, mushrooms, birds singing every now and again. And mud.

Then for the first stage of tussocks. I had heard that at times, it is hard to find where the next track marker is. Sometimes, it was, but I generally found it after stopping and searching the fields for some time.

After a descent down to the tussocks, I realized why they were regarded as difficult to navigate. At certain places, the tussocks were almost as tall as me. The track was unclear and so the best course of action was to forge your own path to get to the next track marker. However, underfoot is occasionally VERY boggy. I also was trying to be incredibly cautious of where I stepped because at times there were very small creeks running through the field that were sometimes as deep as three feet from what I could tell. That doesn’t seem like much but when a drop like that surprises you, it could cause a broken leg.

Finally, I made it through the first field of tussocks. At this point, both my feet were soaked. Entering the forest again was a wonderful reprieve.

But then… round two of tussocks. I think the second round was actually a little easier than the first. The trail seemed more pronounced and there were less tiny rivers to worry about.

Once I’d made it to the forest, I knew I was almost to Green Lake Hut. Or was I?

After hiking, hiking, hiking, I thought I was almost there. I saw a sign come into view. Yes! This should be it! At the sign was a fork in the trail. One way led to Clark Hut which was an hour away. The other led to Green Lake, which was… What? An hour and a half?!

Racing daylight, I tried to quicken my step. Although, I was already moving quite quickly. It wasn’t long after that my step slowed. I read there was an incline through the last phase of the hike but I didn’t realize it was so… steep! I was pretty out of breath and almost slipped a couple of times. Once I was almost to the top, I paused for a breath. A South Island robin greeted me. It balanced on the side of a tree trunk, looking at my curiously for a few moments and then turning away to eat something off the tree. Then it flew away.

The hike plateaued near the top of the mountain but then there was the inevitable drop. I briefly considered it would be somewhat hellish to come back up the otherside of the mountain on my way back to Goldie in a couple of days. But that was Future Steve’s problem.

Green Lake

The arrival to Green Lake was sudden. It was almost as if in the blink of the eye that the tree line cleared and there was a lake before me. The last twenty minutes of the hike were easy – walking along the lake and enjoying the absolutely gorgeous views of the surrounding mountains.

I know three hours doesn’t seem like an incredibly long hike and while the hike itself wasn’t incredibly physically challenging… I have been calling it “technically” challenging. There are a lot of decisions that must be made when navigating through the tussocks, etc. Considering the best route, constantly being cautious of next steps, etc., etc.

And then, seemingly out of nowhere… THE HUT!

I saw there were quite a few people staying at the hut. I was kind of hoping it would just be Marion and me, but once I walked in, I realized Marion was nowhere to be found. She should have been here by now.

I drank some water, took off my disgusting shoes, took a moment, and then went outside. I didn’t have to worry for very long. I must have been at the hut for all of five minutes and there was Marion, walking up the steps. She had taken another track to get to the hut – from Lake Monowai campsite. A six hour hike!

I was ecstatic to see her. We had both experienced QUITE the adventure and we made it safe. We had a big hug and took a very necessary selfie to commemorate the moment.

Once we settled in, Marion announced she wanted to have a swim. I told her I’d dip my toes in… but once we were down at the water, I decided “fuck it. Let’s do it.” We stripped down to our undies, held hands, and ran into the water together. It. Was. FREEZING. But we did it!

After being so filthy from all the mud/wet shoes/sweat/etc., it actually felt really good to take the plunge.

We went back to the hut to warm up for a moment. Others in the hut had kept a fire going, keeping the place nice and toasty. I had only just arrived, but already I felt an affinity for the cute little hut.

Marion and I had a picnic by the lake – bread with cream cheese, avocado, and tomato. Thanks, Marion!
Afterwards, we both had a cigarette. I told her I would love to have one to celebrate our achievement haha. Marion is an excellent cigarette roller – she must have rolled it in thirty seconds. It was impressive.

We stayed at the lake talking for some time. Eventually, the moon rose above the mountains and we retired to the warmth of our hut for the remainder of the evening. Everyone was in bed by the time we got back. Time for sleep. Or so I thought. There were two loud snorers who made it difficult to fall asleep and once asleep, stay asleep haha. Such is the life of a 12-person hut.

Solo

While I woke up briefly a couple of times throughout the night, I was fully woken by Marion who tapped on my feet and told me to come out for sunrise. I hopped out of bed and joined her on the front porch. The beautiful sunrise hues had already faded, but we took some time admiring the views.

Marion had hitchhiked to get dropped off at Lake Monowai and she was trying to find someone to take her back to the main road since she had work the next day. After hearing some people were headed back to Borland Bivvy and then for an hour long hike, she decided she’d try to time her return with theirs so they could give her a ride back. First, Marion and I went for a short hike where she showed me a spot along the track where I could fill up my water bottle.

After filling up my water, we sat down for a smoke/vape break and then headed back to the hut.

Once at the hut, Marion grabbed her backpack and I walked her to the proper start of the trail back to Borland Bivvy.

It was strange to be parting ways. I wish we had more time to hike together because it was our first time properly hanging outside the hostel. She leaves Queenstown pretty soon which is a bummer. Still, I am glad we got to share this experience. I really enjoyed my time with her. Thanks, Marion, for the shared chaos of this unforgettable adventure with me!

Literally EVERYONE had left the hut. After Marion left, it was going to be just me unless someone else came later in the day.

My first objective upon my return to the hut was to keep the fire going. The people before had left it with basically just embers. And I… unfortunately had no lighter with me. I went behind the hut where there was a shed with wood and an axe. For the first time in my life, I chopped wood. LOL. Imagine. I was very proud when I got the fire ignited again. I had such high hopes! But all the wood outside was slightly damp (this is a rainforest after all) and eventually, the flames, much like my hopes for a warm fire throughout the day, were smothered.

The evening before had been perfect weather. The lake was still as, there was absolutely no wind… I had such grand ambitions for the day. I planned to do yoga by the lake, followed by some meditation. I would go for a nice hike along the lake, and read on the front porch. But then, Mother Nature kicked in. It wasn’t long before Marion left that the wind started blowing extremely hard. Instead, I did yoga inside the hut. And then meditated (i.e. kind of napped) inside the hut. I eventually decided to go for a walk along the lake. It was maybe ten minutes in when it started to rain. Sigh.

Back to the hut! I stayed inside for basically the rest of the day, save for a brief trip to refill my water.

I read some of the literature that people had left behind at the hostel – magazines about hiking in Aotearoa, etc. I also ate a lot of my food.

I think part of me was hoping someone else would come to the hut to keep me company, but as the night edged closer, I came to realize it probably wasn’t going to happen.

So I read my book until it was too dark to. And then I ate a peanut butter & jelly sandwich. My last activity of the night was to fully take advantage of the solitude. I put my headphones on and proceeded to dance and sing my little heart out to Allie X’s new album. Had a hiker walked in at any moment, they would have been in for quite a surprise!

Following my dance session, I crawled into my sleeping bag. It wasn’t that cold in the hut but I decided it was smartest to sleep with my gloves, hat, jumper, etc. on just to be safe. I listened to the rain pattering down on the tin roof. Boy, was it coming down hard. I was starting to worry about the hike home the next day. Would I have to hike home in the rain? Even if it wasn’t still raining, would there literally be CASCADES of water running down the mountainside section of the track? It was starting to feel really dangerous. It already was before – but now, I was alone and who knew how the weather would have affected the track?

As if I needed one more thing to worry about, I started to spiral some more. I was wondering if Goldie would be able to make it up the winding roads on the way out from Borland Bivvy. I hadn’t even considered if the road might be too steep as I was driving downward to the trailhead. But.. what if? And my FINAL worry of the night was – would the gate be closed? Occasionally the road I drove in on closes, but I think that is only during the winter when there is a lot of snow on the mountains and the roads are unsafe to drive. Classic me – finding things to worry about.

I went to bed to the sounds of heavy rain and rattling wind. I briefly woke once or twice throughout the night, but the inclimate weather never seemed to end.

The Long Journey Back to Borland Bivvy

In the morning, I woke around 8am to… no more rain, no more wind.

I originally planned to arrive back in Queenstown at 5pm, but since I was up so early and the weather seemed good for the moment, I decided to seize the opportunity and get back to my van before the rain started again.

I was up and out of the hut in ten minutes.

I had three challenges to get through.

1. Survive the hike
2. Successfully ascend the switchbacks up the mountain with Goldie
3. Get through the (hopefully) open gate at the base of the road

The hike back wasn’t as awful as I had imagined. While it had been raining all night, the only difference was that occasionally, some of the areas seemed even muddier (how is that possible?) and some of the ground had softened.

I think the most difficult moment, save from my dreaded tussock fields, was the initial mountain incline/decline. It was very steep and at points, I had to nearly climb upwards.

(A brief disclaimer for my parents: this was not some MASSIVE mountain, where I was scaling boulders and could drop to my death with any misstep. Just a montañita with lots of trees, etc. Although, I still probably could have fallen and died lol).

There were a couple of times where I slipped very slightly. And one time where I actually fell on my ass, but I have to admit, it was a very graceful fall. I had been relying on nature to get me back safely. During the steeper inclines and declines down the forest, I held onto trees and sturdy plants for support. Nature was my saving grace on this hike – I utilized it a lot. On the instance in which I slipped and fell, the plant helped me to avoid falling in a way where I hurt myself. Thank you, nature! When trudging through the tussock fields, I grabbed fistfuls of tussocks when I couldn’t clearly see the ground ahead of me in hopes that they would break a potentially damaging fall.

I had also been praying to my HP to get me back safely. It might sound dramatic because at the end of the day, the hike is not super challenging. It’s just that you never know with this kind of stuff. Even “easy” hikes can be dangerous if you don’t watch where you’re stepping. Due to the remoteness of these hike and not having seen another human for 24 hours, I knew it would be a disaster if I got hurt. There was a lot of praying and, in turn, thanking my HP a lot throughout the day.

Once I got down the mountain, I knew the worst was over. The tussocks were brutal as they were the initial day, but I felt the worst of it was over.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t until Round 1 of the tussocks, that my shoes got wet – so maybe an hour into the three hour hike. Yahoo!

When I got past Round 1, I said to myself “Round 1 complete” and did the same for Round 2.

And then… the final phase – which was the last forest. The end of the track came sooner than I imagined, although I was very grateful for it.

I was so happy to see Goldie waiting for me. I hopped back into the van and began my return to Queenstown. GOD, was I ready for a shower. I really stank haha.

Destination: Queenstown

The switchbacks leading back up the mountain weren’t nearly as steep as I feared. Goldie made it up with grace and style. I patted the steering wheel, telling her she did a good job. Forty minutes later of trudging through mountainous, gravel roads, I made it to the gate… and it was open. Success!

I had one final request for my HP – just get me back to solid pavement, please.

Then I was back on Lake Manapouri road. I was in search of a spot to pull over, to eat some food, get in touch with my loved ones and let them know I survived, and just to take a MOMENT after the chaos.

I must have been driving for maybe five or ten minutes, when Goldie started to rumble and shake in a very violent, alarming manner. “Fuck.” I stopped the car and luckily had a place to pull over on the side of the road. It sounded as if the entire underside of my van had dropped out, but nope. My front right tire had popped. NO!!!

I started to panic but then realized I had some cell service. I texted my brother Mike, who is an Automobile Guru. He immediately got on the phone with me and talked to me in a very calm, measured manner. While I felt I was slightly on the verge of a breakdown, he behaved in a manner that assured me it was going to work out. I had an emergency spare tire (only to be used in emergencies, not a proper tire at all – something to get me to an auto repair shop basically), a jack, and the other foreign instruments involved in changing a tire.

Mike tried to give me instructions to switching out the tire but the call dropped. My service was going in and out. I luckily got him back on the phone, but just then a nice kiwi couple pulled over and helped me. While I probably could have done it myself (with Mike’s instruction), it was a godsend that they were there for me. They helped me get through the critical moment. Despite how badly I stank, I had to give them both a hug for thanking me – this poor American guy who has never changed a tire in his life, stranded on the side of a rural road. Geez.

So instead of Queenstown being my destination… I needed to take a slight detour to Te Anau.

The first auto shop didn’t have the right tire in stock but they gave me five numbers of other shops in town. I called three of them before I found one that had the right tire in stock and was able to do it same day. I was so grateful it was able to get sorted.

Once everything was fixed, I filled up on gas and parked my van. I let me loved ones know I was okay, then talked with Mike on the phone. He was glad everything worked out. We talked for some time. He ate chips while I ate a peanut butter & jelly sandwich. It was almost like we were having a meal together. And yet, a week from now we will be having a meal together in real life!

After our call, I began the two hour journey to Queenstown. I was slightly worried one of the other tires would pop, too, but I made it safely. At 5pm, as I originally had planned.

Despite the initial slight panic, I am proud of myself for handling the tire situation somewhat decently. In the past, I think that would have really set me into a meltdown haha. The situation could have been 100,000x worse and I think even in the moment, I was aware of it. Had my tire blown out on the side of the mountain, on a remote, gravel road that is basically one-lane… I really, really would have been in one hell of a situation. My HP got me through all the challenges I was asking for, but threw me one curveball… a flat tire on a paved road. I could have died over the weekend. A flat tire is fine LOL.

I am also proud of myself for camping in a hut by myself and for surviving my first tramping experience. It wasn’t the most advanced of hikes, but it really had its challenges. While there were some anxieties during the weekend… it was an absolute adventure, and not something I am going to forget any time soon.

I am glad to have had such a crazy experience with Marion, too.

And lastly – I have learned that Goldie doesn’t like vans. And neither do I. I think we’ll avoid them from now on.

Miscellaneous

Some highlights from the week!

Yvonne, Jasper, Renee, and I went to get bubble tea in Frankton. So yummy!

Speaking of yummy… Renee made these biscoff cookie sandwich things which were SO GOOD. And she even has these custom stickers that she uses to wrap her sweets in. Adorable!

Some other miscellaneous pictures I just got my hands on from nights of parties past, below.

Below picture features a party invite Marion made for some people who are leaving town soon. SO funny haha.

And crazily enough, I experienced my first earthquake in Queenstown! Before going down to Green Lake, I was laying in bed one night when my bed started to kind of shake. It almost was moving in a circular motion. I didn’t know what was going on at first – I thought maybe Jasper was pushing my bed for some reason. But then Yvonne texted us and said “did you guys feel that earthquake?” I looked it up online and sure enough – there was a confirmed earthquake at the exact same time.

During my Kiwi Park shift on Saturday, I got to help clean out the kiwi enclosures! The kiwi were in their burrows, but the keeper I was working with did a “check” on them, and lifted the top of the burrows so we could make sure they were alive and well. So cute to see them! I also learned there are more kiwi that aren’t available to the public that are in the outdoor enclosures. It was neat to meet those ones, too. Later in my shift, Lexi asked me if I wanted to help feed the kiwi. At this point, the kiwi in the Kiwi House were awake. Absolutely, I want to help feed the kiwi! I got to climb into the enclosures and shove a tube of pre-mixed kiwi food into the ground. The mix is basically a bunch of veggies, meat, and vitamins for the kiwi. The reason the tube is pushed into the ground is because kiwi poke their beaks in to the get insects/etc. One of the kiwi ran away as I entered the enclosure but one of them was actually following me as I found a spot to put her food. So cute! I wish I could share a picture, but the kiwi are nocturnal and the phone screen wouldn’t be good for the kiwi. Hopefully, I get to see one in the wild during daytime in Stewart Island. That trip is coming up soon!

I have also realized lately… there are people who live in Queenstown, and then there are people who don’t. It seems like even if you make friends with those who live outside of town, it just is hard to get together. Even though it is only fifteen minutes to get to Frankton, the people who live there tend to just hang out in Frankton. Queenstown peeps hang in Queenstown. Different tribes.

Once I arrived back in Queenstown after the chaos of the Green Lake trip, I reconnected with Marion. We went out to the porch and she filled me in on her experience getting back to Queenstown. The people she was hoping to meet up with to give her a ride home… weren’t THERE! She was worried she wouldn’t find another ride, but luckily one random car passed by and got her to a main road. We certainly are bonded after the experience we had together. It sucks that she’ll be gone by the time I get back from the states. Vienen y se van. The life of travel. Marion’s dream is to open up a hostel in France once she returns home. One day, I will visit her there!

Art of the Week

No art to share this week, unfortunately! It has been too hectic! I will try to draw something soon. When I’m in the states, I’ll certainly have a little more time to work on art.

Reflections

What a crazy week! I am so, so glad to have made it home safely.

I have a very brief work week, and day one is already over. I have tomorrow, Thursday, and come Friday afternoon, I’ll be on a plane to Auckland and then a plan to Chicago from there. I am so looking forward to seeing my loved ones!

Until next time, sending you all my love. xx