On to the next adventure...

And like that it was over. After  six months of living in one of the most incredible places on earth (yeah I just said that - but look at the pictures and tell me I'm wrong!) And its all done.  As winter approaches New Zealand's south island, the lodges on the track are closed up and all us staff go our separate ways. As we cleaned rooms and scrubbed dishes for the last time, I couldn't really believe I'd be going away from this place I'd been calling my home. 

On the Milford track I'd been lucky enough to meet and live with a pretty fantastic bunch, that some how just seemed to work.  Whenever a group of people are brought together in an isolated area, its anyones guess how it can work out.  Personalities clash, upsets unfold and before you know it living in a beautiful spot can feel like the worst place in the world. But life on the Milford track had no such dramas.  This I am eternally thankful for as it allowed me to enjoy this amazing environment for all it has.

And what a place.  There is something so soothing about being away from it all; no cars, no phones, no Internet and only time allotted generator power.

Out in Fiordlands bush I felt so safe from the world.  Muggers weren't awaiting around dark pathways - only Kiwis.  Deadly snakes and spiders didn't lurk in the bushes (I'm looking at you Australia!) only tree roots and cheeky Keas.  Obviously its not somewhere I'd want to wander off and get lost, good luck finding your way out of that bush! But away from a human landscape, I felt completely rejuvenated, and yes I know how corny that sounds.  My time on the Milford track has made me absolutely smitten with Fiordland and I really hope we can return.

However, no point crying over sand fly bites and heavy rain fall (the only two drawbacks to Fiordland), its time for another adventure.  After much umming and arhhring me and Zim have contemplated on many options.  We thought about another winter season in Queenstown, running away on to another pirate ship (always the dream) or going up to the North island, as I've been a very bad traveller and not ventured off the south island this whole year.  In the end we came up with another plan, although using the word 'plan' makes me feel like a fraud; its kind of flimsy.

But a plan with have and it is.....Asia!!! At least for a few months we'll be hitting up a few countries in South East Asia.

When this post gets published I would have been in Bali, Indonesia, for a few weeks and our next location is even unknown to ourselves.  One of Zim's friends is getting married on the stunning Island of Nusa Lembongan, so it was the logical place to begin our travels.



So let the experience begin.



Helen

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Exploring

Is there anything more liberating than having a solo adventure? Some times being alone in the bush, with nothing but a camera for company is the best therapy known to man...or at least for me.  After months of storing my SLR away, suddenly I got that feeling where all I wanted to do is go out into the world and capture images. It happened on a sunny, radiant day, which can be something of a rarity this side of the pass.  Having no rain clouds in sight meant I could be worry free as I roamed around with my Cannon.

I didn't go far and went to locations I'd already been to, but this day was very special.  I finally got to take a decent picture of a blue duck on my 'big camera,'  got to mess about with settings and use the camera stand I've been carrying around with me for ages.

This day was a good one.

A birthday to remember

Not too long ago I celebrated my birthday for the 28th time.
 Isn't it funny how the whole experience changes in your lifetime? When the practice first begins you have no idea what’s going on. Everything is just noise, the taste of cake and some kind of fluffy toy being stuffed in your face.  Then it becomes the most important day of your life.  A birthday’s success is measured in balloons, presents, cakes and party games. Later the birthday signifies getting older and becoming an adult. When you finally hit the ages 16 right up to 21 it’s sensational.  The whole adult world is opening its door to you. Hand me booze, voting cards and independence!!!

In my mid-twenties birthdays took another turn.  The excitement from previous years was gone and I wasn't really sure what I was meant to be celebrating. It just seemed like an excuse to drink yourself silly and gets cards. After a while it led to me doing a lot of soul searching, pondering on all the things I hadn't done yet and feeling washed up. In hind sight I see how wrong I was and over the top, but I cannot laugh at it.  In life we put a lot of pressure on ourselves, even if no one else does.

This year my birthday began with an alarm, very early in the morning. Before I knew it, I was climbing upwards in the dark, cursing myself for not rolling over and going back to sleep. I had a day off, what the hell was I thinking? Even the littering of glow worms couldn't shake my bad mood.
 Then dawn began to creep up and as we reached the pass, a cloud fall came into view.  Moving just like a waterfall, the cloud tumbled over the Arthur valley.

The opposite valley looked like a glacier, with a thick sheet of cloud obstructing the view below. It looked so solid I thought I could walk on it.  Only the mountain tops rose from the vapor.

For a long time I watched this scene, this spectacle of nature and thought ‘I am so thankful to see this.’  If I’d stayed in bed I would have had no idea what I was missing, this whole phenomenon would have gone unseen by the world.

The rest of my day was brilliant; I got a kick ass cake, brunch in bed, got cards and books in the mail and was taken to a cave area I’d never explored.  But it’s the cloud fall that will always stay in my memory.
In my life, I’ve had an assortment of birthdays; some sugar high, some drunk, some sad and some happy. But this one was a whole new kettle of fish.  This birthday I felt I belonged. I was in the right place at the right time and I’m eternally thankful for it.

A Bird's Life in Fiordland

Its finally happened. After going through all the stages; denial, shame, confusion. I have come to accept and love a change in me.  Granted, I have never been one of the cool kids and perhaps its a sign of my age, but there is no going back from this.

It turns out I'm really into birds. Say hello to a new bird watching recruit.
Frankly I blame New Zealand and Fiordland. Because before the move there I would of never have realised how awesome birds are.  Being set apart from the rest of the world for so long, new Zealand has a unique ecosystem.  For except for some bats and sea mammals, new Zealand's native animals are made up of birds and lizards.

From the crafty Kea, the world's only alpine parrot, to the whistling blue duck, the forest is filled with wonderful bird life.

I've begun appreciating the smallest feathered friends. Ones like the fantail and black robin, who'll dart around you trying to warn you off their patch.  They are so tiny and yet have a lot of guts. I like that.

Then there are the flightless birds, the chicken like Weka and the reclusive Kiwi bird.  One of my fellow bush workers was able to get this photo but so far I've been unsuccessful - they are just too quick for me!

My favourite of them all has to be the incredibly cheeky Kea. These birds are so smart its scary.  But they have such character and will happily pose for photographs (while its friends still the distracted photographers lunch!)

My photo success with Fiorldand birds has been limited to the less shy birds.  I only have one zoom lens for my cannon and its not all that.  Also, contending with sand flies means standing still can be a little tricky.  But let these photos be a testament of my inner bird-geekness and love of all things feathered. Except, ostriches.  They're just creepy.

Picture of Kiwi by  Andrew Knowles. All others by me.

The Milford Track

Just a few from the hundreds (perhaps thousands) of photos I've taken whilst living on the track.  On one of our leaves from the lodge (we do go into civilization every now and again before cabin fever set in), me and Zim decided to walk the entire track as a walker.  As well as getting envious of all the people describing areas we couldn't walk to in a day, it was also a great way to experience everything the walkers have to go through before reaching us.

I cannot express how jaw dropping the scenery is on this track, so perhaps I should just show you. It is amazing how much the scenery changes in just one track.

A job in the wilderness

With the seasons changing and our time in Queenstown coming to a close, I'm looking forward to our next adventure.  A couple of days ago, me and the man were offered jobs working in one of New Zealand's most remote and beautiful locations.  

For the summer season it looks like we'll be working as lodge attendants on the Milford Track. Only accessible via land on a 53.5 km walking track, it will mean weeks of living in the wilderness.  Back to a life of , generator power, rationed chocolate, thinking time and no internet or tv. This will have its challenges but also be an experience of a life time. It may also lead to me becoming a certified nerd and getting into bird watching. I am genuinely excited about this. That's the kind of person I've grown up to be. I've also been wanting some time away from it all, where I can work, save some money, focus on some hobbies and start thinking about my next move.  And dare I say it, I actually want to get some writing done.  Some dreadful 'creative writing;' that thing I've been blocking out since finishing uni. Perhaps I'll inflict it on the world again.

Working in the Australian outback and sailing on the Soren Larsen, I have an idea of how such isolating spots can affect you, but still I want to do it all again. 

 It will mean we'll only have a few weeks between leaving our apartment in Queenstown and then starting our training, so a  mega road trip will have to wait a while. However, two weeks will be enough to fit a few things in and have a proper 'holiday.' I feel all we've done since getting to New Zealand is work (except for out recent trip to Dunedin) and so a break would do us good.

Still, with a few weeks left on the ski fields and a couple more weeks after that in Queenstown.  I'll keep you posted on developments. x

* Picture via Pinterest here.