Milford, and Up the East Coast

Finished up the Milford Track several days ago. The Milford is billed as the "Greatest Track in the World", and we weren't let down. For most of the track, it was sunny and warm, allowing us to have a more "comfortable" trek. However, the miles really hurt on this one. We averaged a bit over 8 miles a day, with the biggest day being about 12 miles. This doesn't seem like much, but with a big 40 pound pack on your back, it takes a toll on your body. My muscles did well, but my joins were what killed me, as they are not as trained for this sort of thing. But enough about how it hurt.
Day three was a hike up and all the way back down a big pass. There were views of big snowy peaks, forrested valleys below, and there was even a loo (potty) with with a view--with a window in the door--at the top. Even saw a few small avalanches off in the distance. Up in the alpine regions of New Zealand, you can find a type of alpine parrot, called the Kea. These things are pretty funny, as they seem to have human-like characteristics, and are not afraid of humans. Locals, however, hate these birds because they are very destructive. We were warned not to leave boots and other things outside and unattended, as they Kea's would either peck holes in them, or fly off with them.
One thing I haven't mentioned yet is of the purity of the water I have seen on these treks. The water in the rivers and streams is so clear that you can see the bottom in 15-20 feet of water as if the rocks are right at the surface. I've never seen anything like it in the US. I guess there's something to be said about not having big cities everywhere, with their associated pollution.
We've been making our way up he east coast, and have spent the last two days in Christchurch. Tomorrow, we've going to get on a train for the rest of the way back up to Wellington. I can't wait to get back on my bike!

I want to point out that I have been taking pictures through out my trip, and will be posting many of them when I get back to the states.

Routeburn/Greenstone Tramp

Just got back yesterday from a 5 day/4 night tramp on the Routeburn and Greenstone trails. Linking the two trails together formed one big loop, versus doing one trail (what many people do) and having to catch a bus for about a 200 mile drive (roads are few and far between down here). The Routeburn started out nice with a sunny first day, though it soon turned rainy and cold for the second and third day. Along the way, there were beautiful sights to be seen, and interesting people to meet. Each day we were only hiking for a few hours, so the rest of the days were spent drying clothes, cooking/eating food, socializing, and sleeping. We met another father and son pair (shout out to James and his dad) who were from Austrailia, and we ended up talking a bit. James even lived in Summit County, Colorado for a bit while working as a ski instructor. Small world! We also met people from Japan, Canada, England, Germany, Denmark, etc, making it an international experience.
On the third day, we crossed over to the Greenstone trail, which is a valley hike as opposed to the alpine nature of the Routeburn. The first night on the Greenstone, we had the hut to ourselves, and were able to stretch out and also figure out how to start a coal fire (took about an hour). The rest of the hike was full of big valleys and even bigger views, but the days were long. By the end, I was pretty sore, as my legs are used to pedaling circles, not walking with a 40 pound bag on my back.
The tramp (by the way, tramping is what the Kiwis call doing these multi day hikes) ended with a short boat ride in a very small boat, back into town. We are currently resting up in Queenstown and getting ready to do the Milford Track. Tonight we checked out this place called 5 Degrees Below, which is a bar made completely out of ice. Even the glasses are made of ice. As the name suggests, the temp is five degrees below zero (Celcius), so its pretty darn cold (they give you a big jacket and gloves before you go in). I've never seen anything like this in the US, though I've seen pics of ice hotels in Norway or Denmark or some other place.

Down the coast

Well, we made it across to the South Island, via the Interisland Ferry. It was a very scenic 3 hour boat ride. Yesterday, we drove for most of the day, going down the west coast. They don't have interstates here, so the going was slow. The whole way was just narrow 2 lane roads, winding through the hills and along the coast. Pretty fun stuff if you like driving (and have a sporty car of some sort), and very scenic. We stayed the night in a little town named Haast, and will be heading to the resort town of Queenstown to stock up on supplies before heading out for our first multi-day trek (tramp). NZ's been experiencing a cold snap the last few days, so hopefully it will warm up in time for the trek.

NZ

Gonna make this quick. I've made it to Wellington, NZ (after pretty much 2 days of travel), and am about to take a ferry over to the South Island. It's interesting here, and very rainy. Trying to get used to driving on the wrong side of the road. Later.