Lake Hayes

It may have been Thursday or maybe it was Friday - I think this is a sign of a good holiday - I've lost all track of days and dates. We found a great walk to kick the autumn leaves. My sorry, fat, lazy, couch potato arse really needs to do some exercise, so a walk it is to be. Now I don't want to send myself into a spiral of depressing suicide thoughts by taking on  anything too difficult (by this I mean uphill) so I choose the walk described by the very useful 'Discover Arrowtown" leaflet as a 'medium fitness'. I have to stretch beyond the easy really (plus I've done those ones). This is to be a 2 hour loop around Lake Hayes. 

Lake Hayes doesn't even make it onto some of the maps but it sits quietly between Queenstown and Arrowtown easily accessed just off highway 6. Plenty of parking.

Well not so sure about the medium fitness - I am clearly not at that level as I finished (just under 2 hours thank goodness) a red, sweaty bloated fingered soul. It was however a lovely lovely walk that I would encourage all those like minded souls to do. There was a bit of uphill but mainly flat, and stunning stunning views. An excellently maintained track circumnavigates the lake giving you various veiws of the surrounding mountains, including the always remarkable Remarkables. There are picture perfect scenes of houses nestled into the hills and trees. And the autumn colours, have I mentioned the autumn colours, not so much of the reds, it's more a light golden, with hints of rust, copper and bronze.

Camping Thoughts

Happy Camper, originally uploaded by KTandCoffee.

This trip into the South Island marks a first. The first time we have hired a campa van to travel around. In New Zealand this is common place and there are always loads of hired vans to be seen. The choice of campsites is an interesting question and time could be well spent discussing the qualities of those around. Campa van camping, is one type of camping and as listening to the rain belting down last night, while I was tucked up very snug and warm thank you, I reflected on my camping pedigree.

I have hoisted many a tent in back gardens of friends and family in Kent and Sussex. I have dragged my sorry soul around North Wales twice, lugging a wet, heavy, orange canvas vango tent for the DofE. I have slept under the stars in the Sahara desert and in Bedoin tents in the Sinai.
My trusty tent has been pitched numerous times (mainly in the wind and rain) in the Lake District and the New Forest. I have shared friends tents in these very places as well. I took my poor mother to Cornwall, in March, to stay in my tent. We have taken the tent to France and enjoyed the sun in the Loire valley and the Dordonge.
This same tent came to New Zealand enjoyed a stay in the Bay of Islands where the poles broke in the wind. A new tent has seen us travel to the Coromandel a few times for some very Happy Camping. Plus a tent trip in Northland with some friends.
I just survived Glastonbury despite killer hayfever. Hayfever got me again when staying in a Tipi in Raglan - a move to a disused railway carriage helped heaps.
The VW van has taken us to the New Forest and the Lake District and has now sampled the delights of the Coromandel, Napier and Leigh in New Zealand.
We've bunked on two great walks in New Zealand - the Routeburn and the Abel Tasman. I've bunked up Mt Kinabalu in Borneo and just survived to tell the tale.

There are many types of camping, campsites and fun to be had at them all. Do what you enjoy, this is to be fun. This trip is a holiday. In the South Island. In New Zealand. Where it may rain everyday. It may snow. The sun may beat down and warm the soles of our feet as we lay by the lakes. But I want to be able to have a hot shower and know there are toilets close by and if the gas runs out in the van, well a kitchen so I can make a cup of tea would be just great. This one isn't a survival course or test. I am here to soak up the mountains and the autumn colours and I will give my full thoughts on the campsites I come across because I can.

Te Anau

As we fly down to Queenstown from Auckland I am very mindful of those stranded, stuck and inconvienenced by the volcanic ash clogging the airways of Europe, so I am grateful for clear skies and a good flight into stunning as ever Queenstown. There is something about the mountains that make me feel good.

We pick up our Jucy camper. The biggest queue is for Jucy - they are by far the cheapest. However, you get what you pay for. Basic and simple I guess, with a terrible lay out and a leaky gas cannister. Heh ho. The bed, is entertaining to put together and I feel I am part of a Krypton Factor challenge. It makes a large and fairly comfy bed though so all is good.

You cannot get a decent cup of coffee of Te Anau, well at least we didn't manage to find one anyway. The first one we tried tasted like dish water and we had to leave it - that bad. But you are surrounded by glorious mountains and at the gateway to Milford sound, so we aren't actually complaining. The weather is warm, the skies are blue and the sun is shinning. So off we go. It is a minefield out there though so be warned - hunt for what you are after in terms of tours and trips, there are lots and it is a wee bit confusing and none are excatly cheap. We have a great day, got soaked by a waterful and feel wonderfully alive (and wet).

Replenished

, originally uploaded by KTandCoffee.

I can confirm once again the powerful healing joy of Heinz tomato soup. Not the same if not brought to you in bed by your mum, but none the less I am in a much better place today. The steroids and powerful antihistamines may have played their role, but the definite up came after the magical soup.

Onto the packing. I have never been good at packing and I travel a lot. So why can I not pick which coat to take, or how many jumpers I need, and which ones do I take. Choice is one problem. If I only had one coat the decision is made really, but no, I have lots of 'stuff' in every category.

Two weeks in a camper van in the south island awaits. The weather could do anything and everything and probably will. Queenstown will supply anything we need but didn't bring (adding yet more to the 'stuff'). Will we spend a lot of time walking in the hills, glaciers and forests or will we be more sedentary and cruise the fjords and lakes. The big question however is will I succeed in task number 7. Going to try with these guys.

Tomato Soup

I'm not feeling good, a combination of feeling very tired (though why are you not allowed to feel tired if you don't have children), lots of insect bites and being angry at myself for not being more organised.

Infestation of fleas at work - say what you want about the NHS, that never happened there, so lots of bits and now they are getting worse. has something uninvited found a place to live in my house, if so I'm allergic. An expensive trip to the doctor (think overall I'm in favour of paying to see your GP but it was Saturday so rather expensive). They may not all be bites, but rather an allergic reaction to the first bunch. Oh and maybe not fleas, maybe mozzies, who knows, either way, I'm reacting big time. Steroids....I ask you...but the reaction is quite severe and annoying. Plus some amazing anti-histamines that have knocked me out and generally add to crappy knackered feeling going on.

Panic over visa and anger at not getting on top of this earlier....flash back to feelings before getting out here...hopefully all with work out as it did last time. In the laps of timing and fate I guess.

So the pictures are to cheer me up and distract any possible readers from the whining, self loathing going on here. There are from a recent camping trip with some mates, and all round happy, good feelings time. I love camping.

I'm supposed to be packing for our trip away to the south island, I can hardly keep my eyes open, and am resorting to comfort food. So Tomato soup it will be. You see I'm feeling so bad that it's time to open the emergency Heinz tomato soup tin. You're suppossed to buy Watties here - sorry gues, I can do the bean, but the rest just dosen't come close. You can get Heinz here, but you have to know where to find it. So in organised moments I try and keep an emergency tin in the cupboard. It is the comfort food I always need. Once in Egypt when plagued with the essential dodgy stomach, I needed food (rarely am I so ill I can't actually eat), we hunted high and low. We were staying in a 4* hotel so examined all the menus at the numerous restaurants to no avail. Until a mind blowing discovery. Room service. So wonderful, even if this tomato soup wasn't Heinz, it was still damn close. The next day I was all recovered and ready to hit the city. So I know from experience that tomato soup is what I need, why then did I stuff a crisp sandwich prior to writing this post - who knows.

Maybe I'll report tomorrow on my state of mind following the soup intervention.

11/365

11/365, originally uploaded by KTandCoffee.

Well despite trying, it's just not happening, so I feel a small note is better than nothing. My flickr addiction has led my to find a group/project - 365 mug shots, so I'm tackling it with a fair amount of gusto.

Mind you still trying to keep up with number 30, which is going OK (most of the time).

Why is it though, that all my ideas and loads of them at that, come to me when tucked up in bed and should be falling off to sleep. Yes a notebook might help, but I tucked up, I'm cosy and generally very lazy. But at night, in my mind, I'm eloquent, clever, funny and I can spell. Heh ho.