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Tramping New Zealand |
DAY 8 - Hooker Valley Track
Well, the overly ambitious original plan to drive
north and climb 3,800 feet to the Mueller Hut had already
been scrapped. It is just as well, because that area
would prove to be enshrouded in clouds all day long.
There would have been no benefit at all — just
pain and suffering even if we could have made it alive,
which is unlikely. Last night, Dave arranged for an
expensive room in lieu of our stay the the hut; otherwise,
we might have been SOL.
When I take some luggage out to the car, I discover
Big Mistake #2. One of our car tires is
flat; and that is a huge mistake because I had a nagging
feeling about it yesterday, yet failed to check it out.
It appears to be a slow leak, possibly originating on our
back-road venture over to Rob Roy Glacier.
But the fun is just starting. It's time for
Hassle #6 — I cannot find the tire jack,
and the auto manuals are printed in Chinese. Finally,
Dave does locate the thing underneath the front passenger
seat; and not unexpectedly, I must stand on the lug wrench
itself and bounce up and down in order to loosen the bolts.
Now we are without a spare, and that brings on
Hassle #7. No tyre shop in Wanaka is
open on weekends! There is an "after-hours"
phone number available; but we intrepid (foolish) adventurers
opt instead to take our chances on the little doughnut-wheel
that they call a spare these days. Of course, this means
that we'll have to keep our speed below about 50 mph
the entire way, and that's Hassle #8.
An hour or more out of town, we find a gas station and
rectify Big Mistake #3 by remembering to put
air into the flat tire. Albeit defective, it could
serve as a spare for the spare if necessary —
but only if it isn't empty.
I feel better about that now, and all is well until I hear
the dreaded message that one never wants to hear from the
navigator: "We're on the wrong road!" So it's back
about twenty miles to the appropriate junction, which
admittedly was quite poorly marked, putting and end to
Hassle #9.
Once in Mount Cook Village, which is inside Mount Cook National Park, we immediately check into what turns out to be a very nice room. Then we head directly for the DOC (Department of Conservation), which we call the National Park Service at home.
Our $229 lodging for the night
The visitor centre is very nice
A common Maori theme
A typical old hikers' shelter, replete with radio
Despite the weather, we must do something enterprising with our day. On our way over to a popular trail, we give a ride to a Danish backpacker for the final two miles.
Setting out on the Hooker Valley Track
I'll be using my rain-proof camera for the first time on this trip; I suspect that it will get a lot more action later.
Freda Rock
When a man is the first to ascend a mountain peak, they name it after him. When a woman does it, they give her a rock. Go figure.
Mueller Lake
The lake's namesake glacier is obscured by the clouds;
we will not see it today. These features were named
after Baron Sir Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich von Mueller
(1825-1896), a German-Australian physician,
geographer, and most notably, a botanist. Mueller was
appointed government botanist for the then colony of Victoria
in 1853, and later served as director of the Royal Botanic
Gardens in Melbourne. He also founded the National
Herbarium of Victoria, wrote many books, and named many
Australian plants.
Approaching Swinging Bridge #1
This is a big one — capacity 20!
The Hooker River from the center of the bridge
Foxglove
??
That's quite a wall of scree
It is quite beautiful here. In peak flower season this place doubtless is a garden of Eden.
The flora almost seem tropical
Swinging Bridge #2 is the longest one I have seen on any trail
That could be the end of the line
A nice dry place to rest up
The trail continues a bit farther; but we will turn back here.
It is raining non-stop now, and it isn't as much fun as it was.
Interesting pattern
Back to Mueller Lake
Near the end of a walk is a shrine dedicated to some hikers who perished in an avalanche on Valentine's Day three years ago.
⇔
At the base of the monument is something as unusual as it is precious:
This guy has made my day
End of the line
Campers at the trailhead
§: Well, we did what we could with what was
available. On a clear day the alpine views around here are
world-class, but we just might not get to enjoy them.
Back in our cozy room
After cleaning up, Dave and I head over to the popular local eating house. Having no reservation, we must sit at "the bar", which actually is just a long table with benches in the middle of the room, which is perfectly fine.
For my first-ever New Zealand restaurant meal, I order a small salad and some "Wedges," which are just glorified french fries that one dips into a glorified mayonnaise concoction. Perhaps tomorrow I'll have something a bit more interesting; in any case, I'll not order another salad unless I can choose the dressing.
Back at the room, Dave receives an email from the DOC inquiring as to our whereabouts, because we have not shown up at the Mueller Hut. Dave apologizes, because we could have taken care of that matter while at the museum earlier.
What a day!
