My trip to the Antipodes

Hi Kids an All

Have just returned to Kinloch Lodge after four wonderful days in the mountains. Camping was good and probably preferred to the bunkhouses which would have been the alternative.

Carrying my world around on my back tok its toll on shoulders, hips and feet but it was most definitely worth it. The first two days going up the Routeburn valley in glorious full sun just kept bringing surprises at every turn of the track. Lots of great piccies to come sometime but not here, the kit doesn't lend itself to loading up and editing etc. You'll have to be a litle more patient.

At the top of the Saddle the views over Fiordland towards the west were spoiled by lots of cloud. I was told to expect rain on at least one of the days of the trip so a little cloud for the evening of one day only shouldn't be complained about. Third day adopted a Daughter, Anke, from Cologne. She says she adopted a Grandfather so you can see that the relationship has been established. Lovely 24 year old who wasn't sure about the length and time that it would take to do the Greenstone return tramp. We instead agreed to do the more testing but otherwise rewarding Caples River tramp. We worked well together and managed to do a 10 hour tramp over the Caples Saddle and enjoyed many of the views that we had missed out on the previous evening. After a very cold camp at the top of the Caples Valley, frost on the tent this morning!, we set out on another long day and managed to complete the trail and to get back down to Lake Wakatipu in time to catch the boat back to Kinloch Lodge, in my case, and Queenstown for Anke.

I have enjoyed my fourth bottle of "Golden", had half an hour in the hot-tub set above the lodge looking out over the lake to the mountains, and placed my order for dinner with a bottle of Pinot Noir.

My feet are in a pretty bad way. Large blisters on blisters but I shall have a few days now recovering before the next real walking in about 10 days time. Tomorrow I pick up Anke from Queenstown and giving her a lift south on my way to Stewart Island. Not originally on my itinerary, Stewart Island was said to be a must by Peter when I stayed at Rakaia. The population of about 400 is dwarfed by that of the Kiwi birds (flightless and feathered!) and other birdlife that is completely fearless of humans. So a couple of nights there before driving up to Manapouri to take an overnight boat trip into Doublful Sound. It's all go!

I gather that London was at a standstill the other day due to 6 inches of snow in Oxford street. Funny stuff this global warming! Take Care!

Still no e-mail coverage here but no doubt tomorrow the Bramble will go haywire as I approach Queenstown. Love Grandad.