South Coast Track
This is an email I wrote to a friend and since I'm lazy to write a new text you'll just have to cope with this english version. Good luck! It's about the coastal track I did with Maria in the time of the 27th to 29th of April:
I went tramping with Maria, the German girl I met at Nugget Point. I have never been laughing so much on a tramp in New Zealand before. It started off that we started to late on the first day - my fault - and walked the last kilometers not knowing how far it is and the sun setting at the same time. But we made it to the hut before dusk. The last 5-6 kilometers were a real pain. Not that our packs got heavier and heavier... it was only bush! On a COASTAL track. Nice one. So I kept entertaining Maria with the description of our trail. We always ended up laughing what didn't exactly made walking easier. See, the pattern of the trail was right hand bend up, right hand bend down, left hand bend down crossing a creek by bridge, left hand bend up and right hand bend up again. This pattern was repeated throughout the last 5-6 kilometers. You go nuts just following this trail!! That's when I started to make random jokes about it like "I've got a sneaking suspicion that there is going to be a right hand bend downhill after this top." "Do I hear water?!?" "What do you think Maria, I think we'll cross a creek after this top." "I wouldn't bet my fortune on a right hand bend downhill after THIS top... that's pretty dodgy!" "Looks familiar, doesn't it". "I've got a deja vu, what about YOU?" Well, by now you probably got the idea... ;)
I had a really funny encounter with a young guy that evening (he was traveling with a huge group of friends and family). "encounter" makes me think of those "Milford Encounter Cruises". Well, for me tramping always ends up in "Kiwi Encounter Cruises"!! =) Back to the point, I was drawing after dinner and he sat down across from me, looked at my drawing for some time and finally asked "Are you an artist?" I almost said "Yes." Just for the fun of it. But I didn't. We just kept talking about art and stuff and then this second, wee bit older guy interrupted us and said "I need a video camera for this." ??? "For what?" "He never talks to strangers. I reckon that's the first time he's ever done that." I guess it was just random boys talk to make him embarrassed especially because he was talking to a girl. I just thought it's so funny because I was quite a bit older. Maybe it doesn't sound that funny and when I read this part over again it certainly doesn't. Well.. anyway. On to the 2nd day.
The second day we went to the first 2 viaducts and after we returned to the hut I went to the beach, got distracted by the shells, got almost trapped by the water and had to climb some quite steep and slippery rocks - so nothing new. Procedure as usual! :) If you think that's good for dying - forget it. Didn't work out so far. I always managed to sneak out.
The next day we did something completely... I wouldn't say stupid.. more like: unusual. We got up at 4 AM! Why?!? Good question. We wanted to walk the low tide beach track. I mean, after all, it's a COASTAL track, right?! RIGHT!! So we went down to the beach always afraid that we already passed the turnoff. When we finally got to the beach there were about 20m left and you need 60m to pass that section safely. Since we didn't really feel like dying we thought it might be better to walk the left hand bend uphill, left hand bend downhill, over the bridge, right hand bend uphill, right hand bend downhill, hand bend uphill, left hand bend downhill, over the bridge etc pp again. But before that we watched the sunrise and just to see the sun rise was so worth it to get up this early. Such a beautiful red sky. To see the night sky, the milky way and then a tiny gleam of the sun and you can see where the night and day sky meet above you. That was great!!! And I took so many pictures.. played around with the cam and came to the conclusion: I need a tripod. No, actually I need a tripod AND a DLSR. Later... maybe. Yeah, well and after that we continued the up, down, left, right, river. And after the forest we spent lots of time on the beach and whereas the first two days were kinda rainy today was sunny as. Yiiha!
I went tramping with Maria, the German girl I met at Nugget Point. I have never been laughing so much on a tramp in New Zealand before. It started off that we started to late on the first day - my fault - and walked the last kilometers not knowing how far it is and the sun setting at the same time. But we made it to the hut before dusk. The last 5-6 kilometers were a real pain. Not that our packs got heavier and heavier... it was only bush! On a COASTAL track. Nice one. So I kept entertaining Maria with the description of our trail. We always ended up laughing what didn't exactly made walking easier. See, the pattern of the trail was right hand bend up, right hand bend down, left hand bend down crossing a creek by bridge, left hand bend up and right hand bend up again. This pattern was repeated throughout the last 5-6 kilometers. You go nuts just following this trail!! That's when I started to make random jokes about it like "I've got a sneaking suspicion that there is going to be a right hand bend downhill after this top." "Do I hear water?!?" "What do you think Maria, I think we'll cross a creek after this top." "I wouldn't bet my fortune on a right hand bend downhill after THIS top... that's pretty dodgy!" "Looks familiar, doesn't it". "I've got a deja vu, what about YOU?" Well, by now you probably got the idea... ;)
I had a really funny encounter with a young guy that evening (he was traveling with a huge group of friends and family). "encounter" makes me think of those "Milford Encounter Cruises". Well, for me tramping always ends up in "Kiwi Encounter Cruises"!! =) Back to the point, I was drawing after dinner and he sat down across from me, looked at my drawing for some time and finally asked "Are you an artist?" I almost said "Yes." Just for the fun of it. But I didn't. We just kept talking about art and stuff and then this second, wee bit older guy interrupted us and said "I need a video camera for this." ??? "For what?" "He never talks to strangers. I reckon that's the first time he's ever done that." I guess it was just random boys talk to make him embarrassed especially because he was talking to a girl. I just thought it's so funny because I was quite a bit older. Maybe it doesn't sound that funny and when I read this part over again it certainly doesn't. Well.. anyway. On to the 2nd day.
The second day we went to the first 2 viaducts and after we returned to the hut I went to the beach, got distracted by the shells, got almost trapped by the water and had to climb some quite steep and slippery rocks - so nothing new. Procedure as usual! :) If you think that's good for dying - forget it. Didn't work out so far. I always managed to sneak out.
The next day we did something completely... I wouldn't say stupid.. more like: unusual. We got up at 4 AM! Why?!? Good question. We wanted to walk the low tide beach track. I mean, after all, it's a COASTAL track, right?! RIGHT!! So we went down to the beach always afraid that we already passed the turnoff. When we finally got to the beach there were about 20m left and you need 60m to pass that section safely. Since we didn't really feel like dying we thought it might be better to walk the left hand bend uphill, left hand bend downhill, over the bridge, right hand bend uphill, right hand bend downhill, hand bend uphill, left hand bend downhill, over the bridge etc pp again. But before that we watched the sunrise and just to see the sun rise was so worth it to get up this early. Such a beautiful red sky. To see the night sky, the milky way and then a tiny gleam of the sun and you can see where the night and day sky meet above you. That was great!!! And I took so many pictures.. played around with the cam and came to the conclusion: I need a tripod. No, actually I need a tripod AND a DLSR. Later... maybe. Yeah, well and after that we continued the up, down, left, right, river. And after the forest we spent lots of time on the beach and whereas the first two days were kinda rainy today was sunny as. Yiiha!
Neuseeland - 4. Mai, 10:14
Hello
Sooo, it sounds good. The su shines again! You know. The picture (you sended with your mail) was very beautiful but I like happy pictures more than sad pictures like this. =)
Today I go to the biggest Abi Party of Germany in the ISS Dome (sometimes stars making their shows in this hall, it's very biiiiiig) :-P and I hope there won't be too many people =) !!
Your trip sounds funny =D sounds like there wasn't any people ^^ ... at the first day.
How old was the boy you was spoken with? (oh no, it's the wrong tense... ?!!? don't know) Sooooooo, I will go in the garden and brutzeln in the sun.
Bye, LinAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Marching on...
Always great to hear from you!
I just had a great night with my flatmates. We drank and danced like 'keep it simple' :-P we together always ends up in fun. Later we randomly sang songs while strolling back home.
This week I probably have a drink with the boss of the caffee I worked in last week, cuz I told one of the employees that I really liked it and would like to work there some times. So he decided to get to know me, cuz we didnt met each other jet.
Hope to write you some fancy email soon, but right now uni keeps filling up my day.
Keep sneaking out beauty =)