| General Non-Fiction posted February 23, 2022 |
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An adventure in south-west New Zealand.
Hiking The Routeburn Track
by LisaMay
New Zealand -- where I live -- is a strikingly beautiful country. As an indication, when Rudyard Kipling visited n the 1890’s he called Milford Sound “The 8th Wonder of The World”. Milford Sound (actually a deep fiord) is an impressive geographical feature on NZ’s south west Fiordland coastline, not too far from where I will be exerting physical effort this coming weekend.
Over the next few days I’m taking the opportunity to hike the world-renowned Routeburn Track with three of my friends. It takes backpackers across rugged country in Fiordland National Park and Mount Aspiring National Park, containing some of the South Island’s most stunning landscapes. They look like they’re from a Lord of the Rings novel: towering mountains, moss-draped forests, turquoise-coloured alpine lakes, and surging waterfalls.
Since coming to live in New Zealand forty years ago I’ve hiked the Routeburn Track three times. It is now six years since I enjoyed part of the track as a day walk. I love the diversity of terrain on the 33-kilometer-long trail (just over 20 miles). It gains more than 750 meters (2,462 feet) in elevation, so it isn’t an easy hike, but the accommodation lodges are comfortable and we will be taking our time over two nights/three days to make the most of the scenery and to spend some time together. The four of us live in different places and haven’t seen each other for a while.
This week I’ve been deciding what to pack. I’ve put waterproofing spray on my hiking boots, bought insect repellant (the biting sandflies are notorious), and finished reading the current trail guide. Landslides have closed the trail on occasion and there are avalanches in the area, but it is late summer here now and the snow won’t be a problem, though heavy rain is always a possibility.
There may be various hardships, but I’m sure the company and the scenery will make for a memorable trip. I will write more about our adventure after I return home next week… unless there’s a landslide, an avalanche, or an itinerary-altering deluge. Or I’ve been sucked dry by killer sandflies.
• • • • •
Maori Legend of Fiordland, New Zealand (from Internet sites)
According to Maori legend, Milford Sound was formed by Tu-te-raki-whanoa. He was an atua (godly figure) who was in charge of shaping the Fiordland coast. Chanting a powerful karakia (prayer), he hacked at the towering rock walls with his toki (adze) called Te Hamo and carved it from the earth.
The vengeful goddess of death, Te-Hine-nui-to-po (Great Woman of Night), was jealous over the area’s beauty, so she released sandflies to make it unappealing for habitation. The Maori name for these nasty insects is Te namu, meaning “little devils”. These blood-thirsty critters cause a swelling and itching reaction, and can ruin the enjoyment of the most picturesque scenery.
The goddess’s curse worked. Fiordland is virtually free of human population except for visiting tourists.
New Zealand -- where I live -- is a strikingly beautiful country. As an indication, when Rudyard Kipling visited n the 1890’s he called Milford Sound “The 8th Wonder of The World”. Milford Sound (actually a deep fiord) is an impressive geographical feature on NZ’s south west Fiordland coastline, not too far from where I will be exerting physical effort this coming weekend.
Over the next few days I’m taking the opportunity to hike the world-renowned Routeburn Track with three of my friends. It takes backpackers across rugged country in Fiordland National Park and Mount Aspiring National Park, containing some of the South Island’s most stunning landscapes. They look like they’re from a Lord of the Rings novel: towering mountains, moss-draped forests, turquoise-coloured alpine lakes, and surging waterfalls.
Since coming to live in New Zealand forty years ago I’ve hiked the Routeburn Track three times. It is now six years since I enjoyed part of the track as a day walk. I love the diversity of terrain on the 33-kilometer-long trail (just over 20 miles). It gains more than 750 meters (2,462 feet) in elevation, so it isn’t an easy hike, but the accommodation lodges are comfortable and we will be taking our time over two nights/three days to make the most of the scenery and to spend some time together. The four of us live in different places and haven’t seen each other for a while.
This week I’ve been deciding what to pack. I’ve put waterproofing spray on my hiking boots, bought insect repellant (the biting sandflies are notorious), and finished reading the current trail guide. Landslides have closed the trail on occasion and there are avalanches in the area, but it is late summer here now and the snow won’t be a problem, though heavy rain is always a possibility.
There may be various hardships, but I’m sure the company and the scenery will make for a memorable trip. I will write more about our adventure after I return home next week… unless there’s a landslide, an avalanche, or an itinerary-altering deluge. Or I’ve been sucked dry by killer sandflies.
• • • • •
Maori Legend of Fiordland, New Zealand (from Internet sites)
According to Maori legend, Milford Sound was formed by Tu-te-raki-whanoa. He was an atua (godly figure) who was in charge of shaping the Fiordland coast. Chanting a powerful karakia (prayer), he hacked at the towering rock walls with his toki (adze) called Te Hamo and carved it from the earth.
The vengeful goddess of death, Te-Hine-nui-to-po (Great Woman of Night), was jealous over the area’s beauty, so she released sandflies to make it unappealing for habitation. The Maori name for these nasty insects is Te namu, meaning “little devils”. These blood-thirsty critters cause a swelling and itching reaction, and can ruin the enjoyment of the most picturesque scenery.
The goddess’s curse worked. Fiordland is virtually free of human population except for visiting tourists.
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