Dec. 17 - Wanaka Wanaka Wanaka

Dec. 17, 2008
Wanaka

Fucking New Zealand, man. The weather here is truly unbelievable. Last night, my patience was starting to flag. Between sandflies, mosquitoes, marauding kea, wind, and rain, I've been cringing in my tent or car for like a fortnight. I can't remember the last time that I could sit outside on my camp chair in the evening and read a book.

Then today, I woke up to such a jaw-droppingly beautiful day, it was like being re-born. Stunning. And the best part is today was my first swim! If you could have told me back in October that I would be in NZ/Oz for 6 weeks before I could swim, I would have had second thoughts about the trip. Swimming is the best part of camping...and it's also how you stay clean. But weather and infection have conspired to keep me out of the water...'til today.

I sat in my car at lake's edge, timing my entrry into the lake with the sun coming out from the clouds. When the sun's behind the clouds, it's freezing, and when the sun comes out, it's like a nuclear inferno. This is just how it is in NZ.

I plunged into the lake, and it felt so good, that I just drifted underwater from my dive for a long, long time. I was cleansed of all the crusty days of playing the waiting game.

Anyway, I just read my journal entries for the last 2 days, and had to truncate the paragaphs of griping about the weather. It's not only kept me off the trail, but it makes camping really suck.

The storm is passing today, and tomorrow I set off on a 4/5-day circuit in Rees/Dart Valleys. We are finally at EXECUTION PHASE! 45 fucking days to get to this point, man. I am so ready.

I get back from the Rees-Dart Circuit on the 22nd, and the next day I set off on a 3-day out-and-back on the Routeburn Track, coming out of the backcountry on XMAS day. There is a slight possibility that I will not be able to get online between the two trips, and if that's the case, I want to wish every one a Merry Christmas and Happy Hannukkah!

If I haven't posted by Dec. 27, the point-of-contact is the Dept. of Conservation office in Glenorchy. But I wouldn't worry: these tramps are not only hut-to-hut on well-established tracks, but I am actually reserved by name for the Routeburn Track!


Much love to all,
Tomate.