Finally, stay in one place all day! (Manapouri)
Trip Start
Dec 18, 2007
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13
20
Trip End
Jan 07, 2008
Te Anau, New Zealand
Sunday, December 30, 2007
I awake early, as usual. It's very dark due to low clouds and rain. I tiptoe over to the head, and take care of my morning toilet before the crowd arises. It's very quiet except for the sound of rain on the windows. Chris is soon up, breakfast hits the table, and we head back toward Deep Cove, with one stop to put a line in.
The rain causes walls of water to come gushing down the sides of the cliffs. Yesterday's rivulets are now torrents, challenging us to put them into perspective with our tiny cameras. We are racing the clock now, as we have to meet the Real Journeys boat at the power plant at 10:30. Unlike yesterday, when we putt-putted through the various arms of the Sound, this morning we are full speed ahead.
We disembark at Deep Cove, and Chris takes us back over Wilmot Pass. The fords are wet, and there are huge torrents flowing down the hills and under the gravel road. No photo stops on the way back. It's a good thing the weather cooperated yesterday. We have four huge grouper filets left from our catch for dinner tonight.
The sand flies are kept down by the intermittent rain this morning, and I take the time at the ISite to read about the building of the road I've just been over and the underground power plant. It reminds me of documentaries I've seen on the construction of the Panama Canal. A lot more human effort was necessary then to get such a large project completed.
We make the boat with time to spare, and Chris takes another group back with him. The rain is not so bad on this side of the pass. Our trip back is quite pleasant, as there is NO tour guide talking and few passengers. The rain stops completely, and the Monument's exposed white granite peak is clearly visible. We work on the journal and have a cuppa, reliving our wonderful trip with Chris and our new friends. They are off to Fox Glacier today, and we wish them good weather for their long stay in Golden Bay. We bid Diane farewell and good luck with the new boat.
Our climb up the hill to the car is invigorating. We have been on boats for most of 24 hours, and it actually feels good to push ourselves a bit. Once in the car, we discuss our options. Our original plan was to drive up to Milford Sound today, but since we will probably go right back into the heavy rain we just had on Doubtful Sound, we vote for lunch in Te Anau. Back to the cottage to dump everything off, and then we head north again. As we're walking from the car park, we notice that we still have sea legs. We are rocking along the main street, side to side, like a couple of old salts on shore leave!
It's raining again, so after lunch we make for the cottage, which beckons like a lighthouse in the fog. Come and rest, weary travelers. We give in. Reading and a nap are just the ticket.
We then head over to the main house with two of our fillets for Hunter and Claire, who are just back from a river jet cruise with a group of friends. We tell them all about our trip, and we hear about theirs. They are quite pleased with our gift, and I'm glad. Some people don't like fish, I've heard..... I poach OUR grouper in chardonnay with sides of rice and broccoli, taking photos of the entire process. The fillets are beautifully cut and cook up well.
We catch up on the news, which on Sunday night has quite a bit from home. It's still jarring to see George Bush's face on a TV here and to hear about our football playoffs. The wine gets finished and we're down for the count.
