Tramping* it up - New Zealand style

Well, Jess and I have now tramped. We just completed the Routeburn Track which amounted to three fairly full days of hiking. We even did what they call a side trip which is where you ditch your pack (unless you are crazy and "like a challenge" as the one guy said as he passed us for the second time) and do a more difficult and treacherous trail for an hour or two to get to some amazing view.

We met two couples (one from the Czech Republic and one from Oregon) the first night at the "hut"** and became fast friends the second night as Jess led a game of "up and down the river" with the Oregon guy's deck of cards. We were a bit rowdy and got the "lights out" time moved from 10:00pm to 9:40. Oops. So fun to laugh though.

I can't really describe how lovely the track was. The first and third days were mostly in this ethereal beech forest with moss hanging from trees and a waterfall around nearly every corner. The second day was by far my favourite though. We walked exposed above the treeline for a solid 5 hours (not including our side trip or lunch break) along the side of the mountains. Every turn was a different fantastic view. I absolutely loved it and would definately go again. It didn't hurt that we had three fine days of sun and no rain.

We guessed almost exactly right on how much food to take and came back with only a couple of crackers, a bit of cheese and a bite of chocolate. Our suppers consisted of "Adventure Packs" that someone had tipped us off about. Best freeze dried Honey Soy Chicken and Roast Lamb and Vegetables that I've ever had. Which isn't saying much I guess. But they were actually quite good and reasonably priced and healthy. Some people went all out and had mashed potatoes and sausages and the real adventurous (read: crazy) ones lugged up bottles of wine. Not us though - we went as light as we could. And like I said, guessed exactly right.

On the bus ride back to Te Anua we discussed what we were most looking forward to upon our return. You'd have thought that we'd both say a shower wouldn't you? But you'd be wrong, partly because Jess took a swim in the lake the night before and because I was not nearly as dirty as I've been on other work or pleasure related trips into the wild. I was actually dreaming of trading in my hiking shoes for my flip flops (called jandals in NZ) and Jess was looking forward to a real supper. And when we got here, I put on my jandals and we had the best dinner at a little place in Te Anua called La Via Dolce (or something close to that). I happily paid $40 for my dinner. For those of you who know me and my reluctance to pay a lot at a restaurant (and are sitting there with your mouths hanging open), it was worth it and I would have paid $60 for the fine food I ate. It was chicken and vegetables atop roast potatoes and some kind of Italian sauce which started with an "F" and was heavenly. And our waiter sang to himself (using the word "Amore" quite a lot) as he cleaned off and set other people's tables which made me smile quite a lot. It was the perfect meal to end a wonderful three days.


*Tramping here means hiking in case I haven't already explained that. And it means serious hiking, not just strolling along a paved mountain path (because there are plenty of those if that's your cup of tea).

** Hut is a loose definition in this country. The Great Walk Huts are fairly amazing and nicer than a lot of the hostels we've stayed in (which are also very nice). 10 or 20 stove tops, flush toilets, fantastic views and relatively comfy bunks afford a relaxing evening. You do share a room with 25 other people, but if you have earplugs and a face mask, it's no problem.