The Bailey Expedition

The family was highly anticipating our trip to Fiordland Park and the southwest corner of the South Island. This was a 9 day expedition into nature that would present us with a wide range of scenery and environments. The drive was glorious. There were times when we felt like we were in Wyoming or Montana; sharp mountain ridges jutting up from pine forest with livestock below and hawks above. As we passed the Southern Alps we had a stunning view of Aoraki (Mt. Cook) [picture on the right].

For our first hike, we selected the first part of the newer Hump Ridge Track. Parts of this trail are designated a World Heritage Site and with good reason. The initial walk was through a tract of rain forest with the most amazing giant ferns It was truly otherworldly (do look at our other photos). To reach part of the beach we crossed a 200' swing bridge that was a tremulous thrill for the kids (not as much so for their parents). The beach was long, flat and sandy and left little between us and Antarctica, save an impertinent stretch of surprisingly warm ocean. What a day.

Our second day was scheduled to be a long stay in the back country of Lake Hauroko (Aotearoa's deepest). However, our brief encounter with the local fauna in the form of the black fly fan club had convinced us that we should reconsider. We chose instead to take a great walk on the edge of the lake and climbed to a wonderful if not moist view. We then moved gradually northward up towards Te Anau.

Day three found us on the shores of Lake Manapouri. We awoke to a brilliant rainbow across the lake and newly fallen snow on the peaks (panorama at top). After at stout breakfast at the local inn, we were able to procure a boat and row across the river to follow a gorgeous trail through amazing glades of moss and fern. While some would contend that a howling breeze, black flies and almost losing an oar made for a fairly harrowing boat ride, the rest of us would rather remember the views and the sunset over what is called (and with good reason), "the most beautiful lake in New Zealand".

After a nominal relocation north to Te Anau, we set out on a 35 minute boat ride to visit another world heritage site: the Te Anau glow worm caves. The voyage itself was simply stunning, bright clouds and sun to the north, steaming misty rainforest to the south. These caves are inhabited by a rare worm that produces a chemical reaction to glow and attract their food. The ferry ride in the cave to view the worms is undertaken in the dark in swirling icy water and is quite a unique experience. Fiordland is one of the wettest places on earth. Who would think that leaving Oregon in the winter could land us in a wetter spot.

With only a few days left in our stay in Fiordland we chose to head up one of the more beautiful mountain passes in the world. The drive to Milford sound winds through Wetlands, rainforest, and alpine tundra before alighting at the edge of a fiord leading to the Tasman Sea. Today we chose to head to the pass at the top and then to hike along the summit for a view down three different valleys. We began our hike by taking a portion of the Routeburn Track and following it up to the divide. Key summit is the spot at the top at 919 meters and was wonderful hike with a stunning 360 degree view (view my quicktime VR of the summit. It will take some time to download, but will be worth the effort!). As Griffin will attest, it is also a wonderful spot for lunch.

After only toying with the road yesterday, today we completed the trip to Milford Sound and took a fantastic trip out into the sound itself on a nature cruise. We were told that it only rains twice a week in the sound. Monday and Tuesday, and Wednesday through the end of the week. We lucked into a perfect cloudless afternoon. The sound (it is actually a fiord) was smooth as glass, there was still plenty of water cascading out of countless waterfalls down the 1000 + meter cliffs. Hanging Valleys, and glaciers, and Cirques, oh my! We went out to an underwater observatory under the sound and observed rare black coral and many varieties of native fish. Over the course of the afternoon we were able to watch bottle nose dolphins, blue seals, and at the end of the day spotted a rare Kea. We are beginning to run out of superlatives for this part of the word. Today we end our stay in this magnificent part of our world. The only scourge to the day was the omnipresent black fly. We take home with us remembrances of the many flies that have welcomed us over the past few days.

Heading back to Christchurch. Such an amazing location is hard to summarize in words. Please look at the rest of our photographs to get a sense of the awe and majesty of this place. It is truly a unique splendor and the people of the world should be appreciative of the effort that New Zealand has made to maintain this treasure and make it accessible. We have been impressed with the quality of the accommodations and facilities that are available here. While this park compares favorably to Glacier, Rock Mountain National Park, and Yosemite, there were many fewer people, cleaner everything, and the trails were very well maintained. We have also been impressed with the ages of the hikers that we see. While there are the usual cadre of fit youth, there are also a large contingent of 50 - 60 somethings who seem to trek with equal vigor and purpose. Everyone is so kind and welcoming and our children feel safe and relaxed (and are really starting to get in shape). This is such a peaceful country; lush, conscientious, and much more advanced than any other nation in respecting and reempowering its aboriginal peoples. The arrogance and egocentrism that America currently seems to be exhibiting is in stark contrast to all that we see around us. It is as embarrassing as it is disappointing. We can learn a lot from these Kiwis.