Copyright © Tanya Piejus, 1997

Day 15

Before we could go stomping around on the glacier, we had to collect the required footgear which came in the form of thick woolly socks and hobnail boots. The boots have changed little since the 20s. In fact, they probably are the boots from the 20s, judging by the smell! We went up to the glacier in an ailing 60s bus that conked out on us once and didn't do more than 20 mph the rest of the way. we finally chugged into the car park and walked the 1/2 km to the glacier face. On the way our guide explained why the glacier was there (orographic rain from Oz, 'The Land of Hot Air') and where its furthest advance had reached. Then we donned out hobnails and started the climb up the glacier face in three groups - slow, medium and fast. We opted for medium which was a good choice.

As the glacier moves about 1 m a day, the ice steps and the route to the top are not permanent. That morning the guides had cut a new set of steps for us and in a couple of places they made them as we went along. One bit involved us going through an ice cave and up out of a vertical hole. I managed to cut my knees and calves to shreds as I got out. Once on the top of the glacier we looked at a crevasse and a very nosy kea came down to see who we were. It was hopping round on one leg to stop its feet getting cold - or to more food if you believe the guides. We then followed a rather tortuous and demanding trail through crevasses, up steep ice faces and over moulins (round ice holes), which was something of a surprise as we thought we'd just go up, wander round a bit and come back down. It was fun though, except when my legs started shivering as I was about to cross a fairly deep crevasse. I had to get them working before I could step over onto the ice face in order to cross. The kea reappeared round a corner and sat like a sentinel watching us all with a quizzical expression as we laboured past. We were on the ice for two hours and it was quite a relief to get back to solid ground and my own walking boots.

After a light lunch and feeding the three-legged dog who hangs out in Franz Josef, we carried on down the coast to Haast. We decided against a half hour walk on Monro Beach to see the Fiordland crested penguins afteer we'd tramped round a bit of Lake Matheson. It is a reflecting lake and, when the weather's fine, you get stunning views of the Mount Cook Range mirrored on its water. Not today though - wind and low cloud ruined the spectacle and we couldn't even see Mount Cook - what a surprise. A quick visit to the Haast Information Centre told us that the penguins may not be at Jackson Bay which was the other site to see them. There are other things to see there so we're going to go tomorrow anyway when the tide's down.

We're staying in a little driftwood-stuffed house in Okuru. We had home-caught and battered fish for dinner. This evening they showed us a video about Fiordland and I went down to the river with our hosts and a hippy artist who lives down the road to bring in their fishing nets. No fish tonight unfortunately. I road on the back of the quad bike and when we got back to the house I had a go on the bike. I rode it up the road and back again. I've not ridden one before, so that was something new! They also have a gorgeous black Labrador and a collection of Dr Seuss books through which to relive my childhood.

This is really wild country around here. The beach is empty and windswept and the mountains and bush rise straight out of the sea. It's a harsh life for the people of Okuru but they love it and wouldn't live anywhere else.

Day 16

Two weeks down, one to go. Time is going surprisingly slowly. I thought it would race but our pace of life is so much slower than in England that it still seems as if a week is a long time when a week is normally no time at all. I thought about work for the first time today, but not for long!

First stop this morning was the beach at the end of the road for some photos. It really is very photogenic. After that we trundled off towards Jackson Bay at the end of the dead-end road. This is far south along the west coast as you can go. Beyond here is just the largely untouched wilderness of Fiordland. It was the most beautiful day and I began to feel my skin burning as I hopped across the rocks in search of the penguins. Fiordland cresteds are especially rare and only breed at a few select sites on the west coast. We set off across the rocks and my stepdad startled a skulking penguin. I heard it crash into the bush and I sat quietly and waited for quite some time in the hope that it would come back out but in vain. My stepdad had gone on to the headland and seen some more sealions. One sealion came up to bask on the rocks in front of me without my realising and we gave each other quite a fright when I made my way up the beach and we peered and snuffled at each other under a rock.

My stepdad had found a solitary penguin and when I got to him the sweet little thing was hiding under a rock, peering out and shuffling its feet in an abashed manner. I took a couple of quick photos then suggested we draw back in case the shy penguin wanted to get to the sea.

On the way to Wanaka we stopped off at Thunder Creek Falls and Fantail Falls, both impressive. I got bitten by the dreaded sandflies at Thunder Creek - the first we've encountered - and quickly smothered myself in repellent. This, on top of the ice grazes, sunburn and bruises from falling off a rock at Jackson Bay, has made my legs look as if they've been in a war zone rather than on holiday!

We stopped for a cuppa at Wanaka, after finally seeing the summit of Mount Cook on the way, and sunbathed for a while on the lakefront. Sunbathing in November - this is good! Now in Queenstown, stoked up on crayfish, an NZ speciality. There was a fabulous sunset while we were eating. The clouds didn't look real - they were like ripples in sand but made out of ivory satin which went through apricot to softest pink, deep plush grey, then to darkness. And, of course, we didn't have a camera between us. it was just great to enjoy a unique sunset that only a country of such dramatic diversity could provide.

Our apartment is NZ$56 a night for three - bargain!

Day 17

We got up at 6 am with the intention of going to Milford by plane and then cruising down the Sound, with another flight back to Queenstown. But it was not to be. We had a phone call 5 mins before we were due to leave the apartment to say that it was too windy to land the plane at Milford and the trip was off. It was actually really sunny and warm so we loafed around the apartment for a bit then went out for a drink and to book the Shotover Jet which we going to do tomorrow. We were picked up at 'The Station' for the Jet at 10.30 and bussed off to the Shotover River 10 mins away. Once suited up in splash coats and life jackets we boarded our boat.

We shot off up the river and turned to zoom past the photographer then whizzed into the gorge. Shotover Jet have sole rights to the gorge so we were soon hurtling towards the rocks and doing 360 degree spins before roaring back down again. We had about 20 mins of excellent fun bouncing, careening and screaming our way up, down and round the Shotover.

Once back in town we had lunch then went back to the apartment in low spirits because it was tipping down with rain again and we didn't know what to do. Eventually the rain eased off and we went out again but went our own ways for a few hours. I went up on the Skyline Gondolas to see what the rain looked like from 2500 ft. I managed to find a gap in the clouds and as the sun shone through, a glorious rainbow appeared above Queenstown and I managed to get a couple of photos of it. I then watched 'Kiwi Magic', another 70 mm heli-filmed extravaganza that amused me for half an hour before going back down.

Had an excellent meal in Roaring Meg's, a restaurant named after a prostitute from the gold-mining days which is sited in a house moved from Skipper's canyon in 1922. The weather forecast is much better for tomorrow morning so here's hoping...

Day 18

Again, the alarm clocks jangled us into wakefulness at 6 am and we got up and prepared for Milford Sound. And again the phone rang at 7.10 to say that the 8 o'clock flight was off. But, this time, they said they'd probably go at 10 as it was only early morning fog that was the problem. We got the call for the off at 9.15 and trotted down the road to meet the bus for the airport.

We flew out to the Sound in a nine-seater plane and I got to sit next to the pilot. The views of Fiordland were fantastic. All the mountains are still topped with snow and glaciers, and there are some amazing cwms and U-shaped valleys. We flew round the end of the Sound to the Tasman Sea and back along it. The pilot had to drop the plane through a hole in the low cloud that filled the end of the Sound, then bank round to face up the water in order to land.

We boarded the large and impressive 'Milford Monarch' and chugged around the Sound for the next two hours. The Sound, which isn't actually a sound at all but a fjord, is certainly impressive, even when the sun isn't shining. The walls rise vertically out of the water which has fresh water as its top 10-20 m because of all the rain. Waterfalls tumble into it in several places and we got close enough to get drenched by a couple of them. We were also shown areas where there had been avalanches which had completely stripped the sides of trees. We could see a fault line that had totally cracked the rock from bottom to top. They have c. 1000 small earthquakes every month. We managed to see Mitre Peak in sunshine, the highest point in the Sound and one of the biggest mountains in the world that rises straight out of the sea.

The flight back was in a twenty-seater Twin Otter and took us past Sutherland Falls, the third highest waterfall in the world. The only other way to get to it is by walking for two days on the Milford Track.

As soon as we got back to Queenstown, we hit the road again for Dunedin. The scenery was so much like Scotland it was uncanny. There were some amazing silky clouds over the hills though, which were distinctly un-Scottish. We were booked into 'The Mission' on the Otago Peninsula and were a little worried about what we'd find but it's great. It's a former old people's home and was run by Presbyterian missionaries, hence the name. It dates from the 20s and has a lot of original art deco features, including a monstrous entrance gate and a set of Italianate columns which just sits there looking pretty. It's now owned by a couple who live there with their son, four alpacas and a gorgeous Weimeraner dog. It took us no time at all to decide to stay here for a second night. We ate a huge fishy meal in a local cafe and had a good chat with our hosts before bed.

Day 19

We finally got a lie-in and had a relatively late breakfast at 8.30. We then drove round to the seaward side of the peninsula and did a loop walk around a point, though sheep fields and over sandhills. There were magnificent views of little bays and big inlets. It was very windy though and we had trouble finding somewhere sheltered to eat lunch. We eventually found a quiet area beside one of the huge inlets overlooking a good selection of wading birds.

We then tramped to Victory Bay through the Okia Reserve and past two pointy rocks called The Pyramids. There were only two other people on the beach when we arrived and they soon left the beach to us. There was a convenient bit of tree making a seat and we sat watching the breakers swoosh in and lay on the sand in the sunshine. The my stepdad spotted a moving lump of sand which turned out to be a sealion. We thought it was dying because it didn't look at all well, was covered in flies, had big, yellow teeth and seemed to be attempting to bury itself in sand at a very feeble pace. There was nothing we could do for it so we sadly left it in peace.

When we got to the Albatross Centre at Taiaroa Head, the bloke there informed us that it was a Hooker's sealion and they always bury themselves in sand for up to four days as a normal part of their behaviour, which made us feel much happier.

We had a cup of tea at the Centre and, as we sat there, an albatross came cruising round the head. A couple of minutes later it floated past again. Much pleased by that we collected the key to the private bit of reserve and drove in to see the yellow-eyed penguins. There were about six of them trundling up the beach and climbing near-vertical sand dunes to their burrows. They typically comical waddling up the beach but the climb was far from funny, especially when they lost their footing and slithered down to the bottom again. We then went round to see more fur seals and the spotted shags that nest all up the cliffs. We could see eggs and babies in the nests with adults zooming in and out for fish. Back at the penguin beach we saw a solitary little blue penguin cruising in and out of the waves and a pair of yellow-eyes doing a courtship and pair-bonding display to each other. They looked like they were kissing and holding hands at one point.

We were booked on an albatross tour at 6.30 and looked around the Centre beforehand. The displays are really good and there are some lovely pictures in a little gallery. We were shown a film about the birds first then our guide told us all about their breeding cycle. It takes thirteen months to raise one chick and they take the next year off to recover. There are 63 birds there this year with 23 nests. It's the only mainland colony. We were then taken up to a hide where we could see six nests, all with those most beautiful birds sitting tightly on their one egg. The other partner of one pair returned to its nest and they went through their sky pointing and wing stretching routine to reconfirm their pair bond. It was a delight to watch such huge birds go through so delicate a display. Another one came zooming towards us and off round the headland. They are such superb fliers, true masters of the skies. I've splashed out and bought a beautiful pottery albatross from a couple who make and sell all sorts of native birds at a little cottage on the peninsula.

My appetite for birds assuaged, we returned to The Mission to satisfy my appetite for asparagus. We had a load of really fresh, green pieces on a slice of granary toast with a poached egg on top - deeelish! We finished off the evening chatting and drinking wine with our hosts and I walked out with them on their regular evening stroll to see the lights of Dunedin.

Day 20

Today was taken up with a long, hot and boring drive from Dunedin to Christchurch, a distance of over 360 km. But there were highlights - the steepest street in the world, Baldwin Street in Dunedin, and boy is it steep; the Moeraki Boulders which are strange, fractured, round stones that sit on the beach with the sea swirling round them. The Maori legend has it that they were loaves and eggs dropped by their ancestors who first landed on the South Island; Mum getting stopped for speeding near Christchurch. She was let off with a surly 'Keep your speed down, eh?'; an outback pub on the Banks Peninsula complete with English show songs soundtrack, an ageing, fag-puffing, obviously two sandwiches short of a picnic, blonde barfly and tough-looking types who probably handle sheep as if they're toys.

Now staying in the pretty, French-influenced town of Akaroa in a three-storey superapartment. Our 'motel' accommodation just gets better and better. We're surrounded by big, green, craggy hills and narrow, winding roads and have a lovely view over Akaroa Harbour. I've booked a dolphin-swimming trip for tomorrow morning.

Day 21

I couldn't have spent my last morning in a better way than by getting friendly with a group of Hector's dolphins. Five of us went out in a little speedboat, four suited up in skin-tight stretchy rubber including booties, gloves and a fetishistic hood. The sea was really calm and the sky was starting to clear after early rain as we zipped up the harbour in search of one of the rarest marine mammals on the planet. Hector's dolphins are 1.4 m max. and patterned with grey, white and black, with a stumpy, rounded dorsal fin. When we had got about half way to the Tasman, we started to spot grey backs breaching the waves and the four of us who were swimming eagerly donned our kit and said 'Can we get in now?' The dolphins, about half a dozen of them, were already bow-riding and cruising curiously around the boat. Once we were in the water the obviously wanted to play because they were soon giving us a thorough check-out. I soon had four or five at a time swimming beside and below me, occasionally turning onto their sides to look up at me and give me a smile. The guide had my camera and hopefully she's got some good shots of me and the little fellas.

I think I was the only one they swam alongside that first time in the water. At one point the dolphins got distracted and zoomed off after another speedboat and we saw them leaping right out of the water in pursuit of it. When we got cold and tired we got back in the boat and were taken further up the harbour to see some caves. A huge cavern called the Cathedral was full of nesting shags and gulls and we reversed into another with stripes of different coloured mineral deposits and 'sea tulips' flapping in the waves. They also showed us a gully which is full of palm trees at the southern limit of their range. these things were a bonus because the sea is usually too rough to go up to them.

We got back into the water when the dolphins came alongside again and I had another great swim with them. They really are such stars and their playfulness and curiosity are just magical. The sun had come out by then so we could see them better too. They really seemed to like being with me, maybe because I'm about the same size as them! Whatever the reason, it's an experience I'll never forget.

In the afternoon we all went to a winery then motored down Le Bons Bay but there was a nasty, cold wind blowing so we didn't stay too long. We spent the rest of the afternoon resting and packing then went out for a scrummy meal at the other end of the waterfront.

The three weeks started slowly and were a great unwind but the last week has gone too fast. New Zealand is all it promised to be and more. We've met so many kind and friendly people, seen so many spectacles of nature and done so many thrilling things that I wonder how so much good can have happened in such a relatively small space.

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