Hike Day 7 Lake Moeraki Seacoast Adventure

February 19, 2010

We met Ben, a young Kiwi naturalist , in the lobby at 9, ready and willing to take on a hike billed variously as 'moderate' and 'hard.' This is the lodge's signature challenging activity, a 3-4 hour hike in a New Zealand wildlife preserve that is rarely used. It takes visitors through the rain forest, then along the Tasman seacoast through a Tawaki penguin breeding ground (July through December) and ending up at a fur seal colony.

Ben gave us another lecture on the nature of the rain forest. The highway this lodge is on was built in 1965 when the state decided to build a west coast highway (Highway 6). The lodge itself was built to house the workers and only after the highway was completed did it become a tourist destination. Until the highway, this part of the west coast was devoid of humans, and Ben made it clear that much of the land remains unexplored. He told us that should we leave the path and went 40' in either direction off it it was likely we would be the first humans to see what was there. His point, of course, is the same one that our Backroads guides have been making…that we are in a forest primeval.

We saw no penguins on this trip. It's not yet their season and although there are some around, they're molting, are very shy and cannot swim.

The seacoast is spectacular, of course, and the weather today was perfect. Moderate temperature, a quartering sea breeze that kept the notorious sand flies at bay and a crystal clear sky had Ben dancing in his boots with excitement.

Our objective was the Bachelor Seal Colony located down the coast a piece…a good piece as it turned out. We set out along this beautiful beach and crossed a couple of enormous rock falls that required attention to footing and two free hands. Ben had timed the trip for low tide; otherwise we couldn't get to the colony. Low tide or not, we got wet.

He briefed us on the behavior of the seals. We would be seeing males…hence the name 'bachelor'…and we might see females passing by (we did). He was careful to let us know that they were nervous and that we should avoid putting ourselves between them and the water. They could get pretty agitated, and no one wants to tangle with 250# of angry seal, now does one? He worked the coast staying about 20 feet in front of us to check out basking seals behind boulders. He gave them all plenty of warning and they all responded as he'd predicted…once they knew we were there and were coming through they headed for the safety of the water. There were well over a hundred seals on this day, a pretty formidable group. He's seen the colony as large as 600 at sometimes during the year, but generally in the winter.

Once we'd had our fill of the seals, it was time for the, um, finale: the ascent of a 400+ cliff back to Highway 6. Everyone did just fine aided by well anchored lines and step pads hewn by the lodge's owner six or seven years ago. I'd have been in a little trouble, perhaps, had the climb been in the open, but it was through the dense vegetation of the forest and it offered plenty of handholds as well as the confidence that if you slipped you really couldn't go far. My colleagues are an intrepid bunch despite the fact that some don't appear to be. Another lesson, no?

We were back at the lodge at 1.30. Another well designed adventure that ended well.

Hike Day – 6. Wilderness Lodge Lake Moeraki.

Thursday February 18, 2010

Today was a getaway day from Franz Josef and arrival at the Wilderness Lodge on Lake Moeraki maybe 80 kilometers south along the Tasman coast. Rain started last night before dinner and lasted all night. We rose to the heaviest rainfall we've yet seen, and knew we'd be operating slightly differently than had been expected.

Our first stop was at Lake Matheson, known for its 'reflectivity' (the tannins and other nutrients from the forest make the water dark and reflective). Its setting with the Southern Alps (Mounts Cook and Tasman) in the background can produce some great photo ops. Not today. Nope. We had a great 'wetwalk,' though, our first, and everyone learned the strengths and weaknesses of their footwear, pants, jackets and headgear. Mine ranked from B to C-. Warm temperatures, no wind and companionship made the easy trek around the lake in the rain forest just another 'coin for the memory bank.'

About the time we finished the walk around the lake the rain began to abate and some of the clouds lifted. We eventually could see the vague outline of Mounts Cook and Tasman, but they never came into clear view. The Fox Glacier, though, showed up and that was our next stop along the way.

Everyone was bummed when we got to the glacier trail head and found it closed due to fresh rock falls. Fox is somewhat more dramatic than Franz Josef at least its toe, and all of us wanted to get closer to it. The two differ to the type of valley they inhabit. Franz Josef is a broad 'U' and Fox is a 'V.' The sheer and close-in rock faces of Fox offer quite a different perspective. And while this picture doesn't show it, the striations of the sedimentary rock are almost perfectly vertical indicating the violent uplift of the terrain. The glacier's signature gouging is horizontal. Only licensed glacier guides are, for the time being, able to take their groups up the trail we'd hoped to hike. A ranger pointed to a human-sized rock resting on a boulder just up the valley and told us it had 'arrived' a day or two ago. Oh, ok then.

There's been an inordinate amount of rainfall and the valley has been more active than usual. We were disappointed, but no one was arguing the closure.

Fox is retreating at about the same rate as Franz Joseph and is the only other one in the country to empty into the temperate rain forest. [As I mentioned earlier, we were told there are only three glaciers on the planed that do that…the other one is in Argentina.] There are about 140 glaciers in New Zealand, but these two are the largest and most popular visitor destinations.

So, we were 0 for 2 this morning after having had no weather-related problems previously. We set out south and the weather improved rapidly until we were in full sunshine and nearly clear skies.

Our objective for the day was Lake Moeraki. We'll spend two nights here at a lodge owned by the same couple who own the Wilderness Lodge, Arthur's Pass where we were the first two nights. They do a wonderful job.

We arrived about 3.30pm and walked directly to the seacoast, about 2 miles from the lodge. Again the path took us through the seemingly unending rain forest, along a small stream that empties into the sea. We emerged into blazing sunshine and warm temperatures. The Tasman Sea here is far prettier, although no less treacherous than it was up the coast at the Pancake Rocks.

After the rather slow start, we told the leaders that all was forgiven. Another great day. Time for an adult beverage and dinner.

Hike - Day 5 (Continued) Franz Josef Glacier

After a pleasant and quiet morning playing with pictures and the blog, I walked into town for lunch and met several of the group for a walk to the 'toe' of the Franz Josef Glacier. The road into the trail head is marked at various places with signs telling visitors where the glacier had been at various times in recent history. For instance, since 1750 it's receded about 5 miles. Do we think global warming has been going on for a while longer than we typically think?. Franz Josef, named after the Austrian emperor, is 13 kilometers long and shaped like a tennis racquet. We're standing at the handle.

This glacier is one of three sites on the planet where a glacier empties into a temperate rain forest.

Oh yes, we've got some rain finally...just as they said. The heli-hiking was cancelled.

Interesting and dramatic scenery.

Franz Josef Hike Day 5

Franz Josef

February 17, 2010

We spent yesterday covering a lot of kilometers moving north to south along the Tasman coast, crossing numerous glacial rivers emptying their crystal clear blue water into the gray (sediment) sea. No writing, but a good bit of photography. Am still searching for the ultimate cliché of a photograph.

We stopped briefly in the gold-rush town (most brothels per capita than anywhere else in the world we're told…then, not now) of Hokitika to satisfy those in the group who needed a shopping fix. Lots of 'greenstone' (Jade). Here the Backroads' leaders demonstrated their knowledge of their clientele by making our rendezvous point outside the public bathrooms. Good thinking!!

Then it was on to Hari Hari (Maori for to give and receive love), not Harihari (Maori for ambulance…go figure). A good hike from the road through more lush vegetation to the coast for lunch on the deserted beach. High tide made a river crossing inadvisable so instead of a loop we turned it into an out and back.

Back in the vans, we headed for Franz Josef, a pretty little town at the foot of the Franz Josef Glacier. We're here for two nights in a gorgeous lodge looking out from the valley floor at the surrounding peaks. One of the nearby glaciers is off to my right as I'm writing.

We've been advised daily about changeable weather conditions, but as of yet it's been nothing short of perfect. We've seen no rain and have had plenty of sunshine. Our leaders are all over us about sun screen. New Zealand is under the atmospheric ozone hole and the incidence of melanoma is higher here than, apparently, anywhere on earth.

There are a variety of activities today, but I'm taking the opportunity to do some photo editing and writing. One group has gone heli-hiking on the glacier and another one for a boat ride. Neither appealed to me as much as the idea of some quiet time.

Our group remains cohesive and wonderfully compatible. Dana, our youngest member, was delayed getting here form NYC by Snowmageddon 2 . She's a designer for Kate Spade in Manhattan and joins a British-born, UNC-educated (and fellow Chi Psi brother!) businessman and his wife, four lawyers (two married couples), a dentist, a banker, an Intel engineer and a retired oil man (gas, actually) and his wife. And me. About half of us sat around late last night in front of a fire and began exploring politics and the USA's role in the world. I rather wish the others had been around…the group split in two after dinner at a restaurant in Franz Josef and the earlier group had headed straight for bed. Not us, by God…. Nope. Who could turn down a good single malt sitting by a fire with interesting people?


Then there was the dawn….

Day 8 - Hike Day 3 Tasman Coast

We've gone from glaciers to temperate rain forest in 3 hours on the road. An amazing example of the biodiversity of this unusual, interesting and beautiful country. Began the day with a short hike to a spectacular waterfall and then launched for the west coast. Motored our way through Arthur's Pass, the ancient Maori route from the east to west coast, to Punakaiki on the Tasman Sea coast. There we took a couple of hours and walked along the Pororari River, a national park through the rain forest. The scenery, was...to no one's surprise...spectacular. Again.

The change in vegetation was stunning. From mountains covered in beech forest and wide meadows covered with grass and little else, we suddenly found ourselves in something looking like, as one hiker put it, Pirates of the Caribbean jungle.
This is Linda Carper standing next to an old growth tree (can't say its name). Note its girth in comparison.

And this little guy, a New Zealand Robin wasn't shy. Seemed to like being the center of attention.

The Tasman coastline is stark and beautiful. Long rolling surf looks like it would be a surfer's mecca, but in fact no one goes in the ocean here. The undertow is too strong and the ocean conditions too dangerous.

Our new friend and injured colleague, Bob, spent his day waiting for the attention of a doctor. Leader Kevin took Bob and his wife Glenda to the closest hospital for an xray. They took one of the vans and the rest of us made the trek in the other one (just enough seats). They spent 3 hours at the hospital before the staff told them they didn't know when they'd be seen, so they opted to go to a local place we'd call a 'doc in the box.' In fact, the young physician there was an American from Kentucky who spent a good bit of time examining Bob and diagnosing him with a class 2 sprain. No more hiking for him.

We're at the Punakaiki Resort directly on the beach. Have just seen one of the most gorgeous sunsets ever. The sun went down without much of a fuss, but that was just the beginning of the fun. Over the course of the next half hour or so we all were treated to a sky laced with pinks, reds, violets and purples. An unexpected treat we thanked our Backroads hosts for. They were modest and claimed not to have had anything to do with it. I, of coure, didn't bring my camera.

We head south tomorrow and then inland to Franz Joseph.

First Casualty

When I posted the blog yesterday afternoon, I hadn't heard about our first casualty. Bob, one of the Bostonians (Newton) on the trip, sprained his ankle about a half hour into the descent from the 'hut' level where the group had split in two. While our group headed for Bealey's Spur (the summit), his group ate lunch and headed back. Bob stepped the wrong way on a loose rock and went down hard. Couldn't put weight on it, so Kevin, our male leader who was with them, um, carried him down. Over two miles. On his back. On the same terrain I called 'grueling' yesterday. Yipes. These kids earn their money.

Everyone is ok. It's nice to be able to laugh about things like that and we did at dinner last night. We'll stop at a hospital today enroute to our destination on the Tasman coast and he'll have an x-ray.

Wilderness Lodge – Arthur’s Pass

Day 7 – Hike day 2.

Returned from our day's 'work' about an hour ago sore, tired and satisfied. This was billed as the hardest hike of the trip and it lived up to it. We left The Wilderness Lodge at about 8.30, drove no more than 10 minutes to a trail head and lit out for the Bealey Spur. The entire hike was just under 10 miles (rooted and rocky footing…some of the most miserable I've ever encountered) and had just under 3000' of vertical ascent. There was an intermediate stop at a shepherd's hut, 7.6 miles into it and about half of the group opted to call it a day, have lunch and return to the lodge. The rest of us took a breather and set out for the summit. Here's the group at the cairn…. Cindy, our leader is third from the left. She's terrific. Has scars on both knees (one ACL apiece) and told us that if she didn't use two poles during the descent she'd be ruined for the week. After making the descent I think I'm ruined for the week! Holy smokes! Grueling is the only way to describe it. Here I'm standing at summit with our first glacier in the background. Note the 'braided' river drawing much of its water from the glacier. The mountains are young and dramatic. This is just before we started the descent. I wasn't smiling when I got to the bottom…………………

Last night I woke about 3am. I'd just drawn a light curtain and I could see something shining through it. When I pulled the curtain to see what it was I was knocked out by what I discovered. It was Mars. It was crystal clear and I've never seen so many stars or seen the heavens so bright. Spectacular.

Tomorrow we begin our trek to the Tasman Sea.