Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Erewhon Station

Talked to Olivia on the morning of the 27th Jan. She was just putting on her boots to get on her way again after a couple of days rest at Erewhon Station (b/w the Arrowsmith and Tom Thumb ranges).

Doing good. Bit tired. Will be in Mt Cook around the 4th of February. Bron.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

arthurs pass

so it's day 38 today and I find myself in arthurs pass, the second rest day in a row, lovely to rest and eat food that crunches. I'm learning that I;ve got the best chance of completing this journey is to listen to what my body's telling me, to rest when I'm tired and to walk when I;m feeling strong.

The journey continues in a lovely fashion, it certainly has it's hard days, both environmentally, steep climbs or hot sunshine, or just of tired bodies. But so far the head is staying strong and I'm continued to be inspired whilst I travel across this landscape. I keep discovering many places of beauty and love the nightly ritual of plunging myself into icy cold water.

From the last posting, thanks sarah!! I traveled up the hope river into lake summner and then across harper pass into the taramakau valley, up the deception and down into minga valley and out towards arthurs pass.

My friend Jason has come to join me here and will travel south wity me for a while. I think It will be nice to have company for the land that I'm about to travel into, I;ve heard there are tigers in there. but Il;m sure that max ( the monkey) will frighten them away.

Monday, January 14, 2008

Olivia's Boyle River scribbles

Written by Olivia on Day 28 at Boyle River. Posted by Sarah.

And so time moves on and I place one foot in front of the other. Amazingly, my feet are still moving and I'm continually inspired to travel by foot across this amazing landscape.

I think last time I wrote it was in the Cobb Valley. I then crossed a high grassy area, the Arthur Tablelands and dropped into the Leslie River, followed the watershed of the Karamea River up and the Wangepeka down. Five days of walking in the beech forest valley floors. Some amazing goblin forests.

From the Wangapeka, I climbed high to the Mt Owen mastiff, a huge karst plateau, 7 x 4 km wide. Just an extraordinary place. A land of sculpted rock and rock crevasses. I'd been pretty excited about coming to this area and it did not dissapoint me. Christmas day was spent wandering around the tops, I was lost in my happy land out there. Being just so pleased and feeling so joyful that I just simply was where I wanted to be, doing just what I wanted to be doing, here and now. It's an amazing feeling when I realise that it actually means to attempt a traverse of the South Island. I'm discovering its a great thing to do.

I walked into Lake Rotoroa and met up with my beautiful friend SJ. And we've just spent the last 9 days travelling through Nelson Lakes NP and onto Lewis Pass road through St James walkway. It's been lovely to share the journey for a little while.

It's been a fun section. Three days travelling up one valley and then a quick succession of three passes with steep ascents, descents and traverses. We followed the Matakitaki River and then crossed a high pass again and dropped onto St James walkway with cows grazing contentedlyunder the towering mountains. It's been a diverse section and the land is starting to get wilder.

I'm having lots of beautiful times out here and this land just fills me with wonder. I still look forward to what I'll find in the future.

I'm due in Arthur's pass around 13/14 January.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Nelson Lakes

Have just heard that Ollie passed through Boyle river on the 6th. Tired but doing great. All on schedule for arriving at Arthur's pass via deception/mingha pass on the 14th January.