Te Anau, Kepler, Milford
Dec 26th: The Antarctic Centre in Christchurch is definitely worth a visit - really interesting with a variety of exhibits and interactive displays which are fun to see. Plus, I learned loads of fascinating facts (along with some pretty useless information but maybe I’ll use it in trivial pursuits someday)...Driving south we reached Fairlie for the night at a great wee motel.
Dec 27th: The weather was fantastic for the drive down to Te Anau the next day, and we had various picture stops, plus a picnic lunch and some fun with the frisbee by the lake in Cromwell. We had a walk around the lake in Te Anau and made plans for the next few days. Although touristy, Te Anau is a nice wee place in a superb setting and offers loads in the way of scenic hiking/running/biking tracks.
The Kepler Track was the first adventure, and the first day we hiked from Te Anau to Irish Burn campsite. The sun was shining all morning…and of course just as we got above the bushline it changed – typical! Our views were somewhat marred from Mt. Luxmore hut, but we were able to make some hot drinks with lunch after the rain and strong winds. From there we hiked up to the top of Mt. Luxmore, although we couldn’t see much at all – I’m sure it would have been beautiful! It was a really exposed section (would be really cold in harsh conditions) with very scenic surroundings – mountainous terrain overlooking lakes and valleys either side. Dropping down to Iris Burn, we set up camp but were a bit surprised to be denied access to the hut even just to use the facilities!
It started pouring with rain sometime during the night, and remained that way throughout most of the second day. It was still a very nice hike, but definitely would have been preferable in the sun. Through a variety of forest areas and differing vegetation, the track remained fairly close to the lakeside all the way back to the control gates. From here we managed to hitch a ride back to Te Anau and then got the car and booked back in to a motor cabin for the night.
On to Milford Sound, the drive was beautiful but unfortunately the weather was still overcast and misty most of the day. We took a boat cruise which was a bit cold and wet but the Sounds are still really impressive, and the gloomy conditions add a kind of mystical theme to the surroundings. We had a ticket to view the underwater observatory on the way back which was interesting as well – the only place in the world where freshwater plants and animals live in a salt water environment. Driving back toward Te Anau we had loads of picture stops as the weather cleared a bit, with great views by the Homer Tunnel and over Hollyford Valley.
Dec 27th: The weather was fantastic for the drive down to Te Anau the next day, and we had various picture stops, plus a picnic lunch and some fun with the frisbee by the lake in Cromwell. We had a walk around the lake in Te Anau and made plans for the next few days. Although touristy, Te Anau is a nice wee place in a superb setting and offers loads in the way of scenic hiking/running/biking tracks.
The Kepler Track was the first adventure, and the first day we hiked from Te Anau to Irish Burn campsite. The sun was shining all morning…and of course just as we got above the bushline it changed – typical! Our views were somewhat marred from Mt. Luxmore hut, but we were able to make some hot drinks with lunch after the rain and strong winds. From there we hiked up to the top of Mt. Luxmore, although we couldn’t see much at all – I’m sure it would have been beautiful! It was a really exposed section (would be really cold in harsh conditions) with very scenic surroundings – mountainous terrain overlooking lakes and valleys either side. Dropping down to Iris Burn, we set up camp but were a bit surprised to be denied access to the hut even just to use the facilities!
It started pouring with rain sometime during the night, and remained that way throughout most of the second day. It was still a very nice hike, but definitely would have been preferable in the sun. Through a variety of forest areas and differing vegetation, the track remained fairly close to the lakeside all the way back to the control gates. From here we managed to hitch a ride back to Te Anau and then got the car and booked back in to a motor cabin for the night.
On to Milford Sound, the drive was beautiful but unfortunately the weather was still overcast and misty most of the day. We took a boat cruise which was a bit cold and wet but the Sounds are still really impressive, and the gloomy conditions add a kind of mystical theme to the surroundings. We had a ticket to view the underwater observatory on the way back which was interesting as well – the only place in the world where freshwater plants and animals live in a salt water environment. Driving back toward Te Anau we had loads of picture stops as the weather cleared a bit, with great views by the Homer Tunnel and over Hollyford Valley.
posted by Mhairi
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