Halloween in Milford

On Thursday, October 31st we all scavenged for whatever we could use for costumes. While I made do with a horse head and a grey blazer, others made themselves into elves, princesses, DOC rangers and even dolphins. 

We all met at boxes and then headed for the pub where I continued to get strange looks and slapped more than a few times... not easy being a horse face.

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Pyromania

On Tuesday, October 29th we had a bit of fire safety training. Someone set off the extremely loud alarms to get us out to the muster point and, after a bit of an introduction, Kim had us practice putting out a diesel fire.

After a few of us had a go we grabbed some flares and started shooting them off then had a barbecue at Shaun's.

The next day a few of us went for a walk along the foreshore and I went to the Rainbow Shed, an opportunity shop run by the local backpackers, to get some camping supplies.

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October Fest

On Wednesday, October 23rd we began cultural awareness training at Real Journeys. Over a couple of days we went over cultural stereotypes and realities such as why people from a particular culture act the way they do, high context vs low context cultures, etc. Some of us also attended MERT (Milford Emergency Response Team) training where we learned about the opportunity to volunteer for the local fire department.

On the 24th we enjoyed the first of many barbecues with venison as the main dish at Shaun's. That night everyone went to the pub for the October Fest event that they do year after year.

Over the next few days we all enjoyed many communal evenings such as Fajita night and gatherings at Jucy house. On the 28th we all went to Shaun's again for fresh seafood and some of his home brew beer.

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Kayaking Milford

On Tuesday, October 22nd I went kayaking with a couple others in Deepwater Basin and up into Sandfly Point.

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Doubtful Sound

On Sunday, October 20th I went to Doubtful Sound for my first famil - a staff perk where we get to do tourist activities, normally hundreds of dollars, for free in order to become more "familiar" with our products. I went to Doubtful for a day cruise but, since I showed up late, they put me on the overnight, a massive upgrade. I went from a $50 day cruise to probably a $600-700 overnight cruise which ended up being way better than I could have ever hoped.

After cruising over Lake Manapouri we took a bus over Wilmot Pass and then boarded the Navigator for the night. That evening we went kayaking and I was one of two volunteers to jump off into the fiord, three times - not a warm experience but totally worth it. For dinner we had every meat including some of best Salmon and Cheesecake for dessert.

The next day we returned and I rode back to Milford in the middle of a massive storm. At first just a harmless drizzle the sound of thunder beckoned a relentless downpour that completely drenched me to the bone. If this wasn't enough, the harsh gales forced me to turn hard into the wind to keep from flying off the road. Even stopped at the tunnel, waiting for the light, I found myself almost being knocked over by the angry gusts. Upon my arrival in the village a few bystanders gawked as I stood up and water poured off and out of my sleeves and off of every surface of my being.

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Milford First Days

On Tuesday, October 8th I bathed in Lake Gunn. Of course, this is a glacial lake so the water was fricken absolute zero - quite refreshing actually. After going back into Milford and finding out that I had been accepted for the position of storeman, I returned to Lake Gunn to tell my new friend Sam (American) the good news. I also told him to give it a go since they still needed another storeman.




Over the next few days I had my drug test and moved into the Real Journeys village. I also began using the free gym facilities to burn off the incredibly greasy, delicious daily buffet and unlimited food supply available in our village food store "Tardis."







October 13th I saw my first heli medevac - a necessity when the nearest town by road is two hours drive.





The next day it was extremely rainy and windy. That afternoon I helped some fishermen dock their boat and they gave me a massive crate of fresh Gourney.

October 15th the roads closed and I began to realize that Milford is a pretty wet place - 2nd wettest in the world as it turns out, wetter even than the Amazon Rain Forest...

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Milford Sound

 On Monday, October 2nd I headed into Milford for a cruise with Real Journeys. I met a girl named Karla the night before at the Lake Gunn campsite who works there. After the cruise I spoke to her about her work there and she told me about village life, the community and, of course, the free daily buffet for staff. Needless to say, if you know me, I immediately asked for a job. Karla excitedly expressed that they were in dire need of storemen. One guy had shown up for one day and run off in the night - I later found out this was because he was in New Zealand for a working holiday but hadn't intended on doing the "working" part. Karla went upstairs and, when she returned, told me I had an interview with the boss. A couple days later I would start seven months of living and working in one of the most wild and beautiful places in the world.

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LONG VERSION OF VIDEO

Fiordlands

On Saturday, October 5th I rode on till I arrived at the Clifden Suspension Bridge.

The next day I went to the Clifden Caves for a quick peek inside before finally moving on to Lake Gunn in the Fiordlands.

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Bluff

 On Friday, October 4th I took the ferry back to Bluff and rode up to the scenic lookout. Next I checked out Stirling Point then headed off for my camping spot at Daffodil Bay.

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Rakiura Track

 On Thursday, October 3rd I headed out on my 32km "three day" tramp with just 2 litres of water and a couple sandwiches. Others have walked it in a day and I didn't see the harm in doing the same. Unfortunately, after only 10km I found that my run the previous day had taken a toll on my left knee. Before long I was limping and soon after that my other knee began to give out. After about 20km I could hardly walk and every step felt more painful than the last. I kept going though and, after a few extremely uncomfortable hours, I finally arrived at the end and made my way back to town. 

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Ulva Island

On Wednesday, October 2nd I hopped on a little $20 ferry boat and headed over to Ulva Island. After walking around looking at various birds and beaches I went back and waited for the ferry to return. 

Back on Stewart Island I ran over to Ackers Point with Matt to check out the light house. It was about a 10km run but didn't seem like it. Afterward I was a bit sore but still had every intention of doing the 32km Rakiura Track the next day.

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Stewart Island

On Tuesday, October 1st I headed to Bluff to catch the ferry to Stewart Island. It costs extra to take a bike on board, and safe vehicle storage in Bluff isn't free, so I asked a local garage owner to let me leave my bike with him for a few days. When I arrived on Stewart Island a friend I met on the ferry gave me a ride to Marc's place. I met Marc through couchsurfing.org where I've met a few local friends and hosts over the years. Since I needed a few days to see what I wanted on Stewart Island, and camping (my preferred budget-friendly form of accommodation) wasn't allowed, I sent Marc a request on couchsurfing. That night Marc, his roomy Matt and I made a hearty meal and talked about our respective journeys that had brought us all to this place. Matt (American) was a kayak guide helping to launch a new kayaking venture on the island and Marc (Swiss) was working locally diving for oysters. I explained that I was traveling New Zealand on my motorcycle and would be continuing up the West Coast after having a look around Stewart Island.

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Monkey Island

On Thursday, 26th of September I woke up in Dunsdale for the first of three days that I would be staying there. I rode to Mataura and the next day to Winton then on the last day I finally did the walking track then made plans to move on to the next freedom camping spot. 
On the 29th I rode to a place called Monkey Island where the limit is 27 days. I was slightly disappointed to find that the spot was not actually on the island but on the other hand I wouldn't have to wait for low tide in order to leave.

After a visit to Cosy Nook, a bay named by Captain George Thompson after his homeland Scottish Village, I spent the evening rock fishing back at Monkey Island.

The next day I took a trip to Tuatapere to get some of their famous sausages then stopped in at the Surfer Dude sculpture before heading back to camp.

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Catlins

On Wednesday, 24th of September I rode on to Nugget Point and visited the light house at the end. From there I went to Cannibal Bay and rode up the beach where I saw a Sea Lion.

Next I visited famous Purakaunui Falls, one of the most photographed waterfalls in New Zealand.


























After a short stop at Lake Wilkie I continued to Curio Bay. Curio Bay is famous for its ancient fossil forest remains from 180 million years ago and endangered yellow-eyed penguins. That night I arrived just in time to see the penguins and the next morning I went back out to explore the fossil forest.

After I finished packing up my gear I headed off to the most southerly point on the South Island - Slope Point. Finally, I finished my tour of the Catlins at Fortrose. When I arrived the tide was out and the remnants of an old shipwreck were accessible on foot.

Back on the bike I stopped in Invercargill and then headed over to a relatively close freedom campground called Dunsdale.

The wide open field all to myself, I enjoyed stargazing at night and a variety of bird life during the day. At night the only sounds that could be heard were the wind in the distance and a slight trickling of water from the stream.With toilets, water and a short walking track, Dunsdale Reserve was the clear choice for my next few nights of camping.

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Dunedin

After the meeting on Sunday, 22nd of September I tried going to Tunnel Beach, but it was closed for lambing so I went to Allan's Beach - a place that I had heard about on the road. It was a bit of a drive out onto the Otago Peninsula down some gravel and dirt roads but it was pretty well worth it for the views.

Back in town I rode my bike up and down Baldwin Street, the steepest street in the world. After that I headed to Mt Cargill to see the Organ Pipes.

The Organ Pipes are a prominent formation of columnar jointed basalt - a result of rapidly cooling and fracturing lava flows, common around the world in places such as Boyabat, Turkey and the Giants Causeway in Ireland.

The next day I headed for the Catlins and stayed at Hill View Camp where we were greeted by a friendly farmer and his 1.5 horses - the smaller one aptly named Little Sebastian.

Hill View Camp is one of very few places where they acknowledge the price gauging in what has become the New Zealand campsite industry. Instead of charging hostel prices of over $20 for a patch of grass they offer an actual cabin for that price or a patch of grass for $5. The other traveling Americans that I met there were equally impressed and we happily paid the price and even donated a bit extra to help out with the new cabin project.

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Port Chalmers Seafood Festival

On Saturday, 21st of September I went to the Port Chalmers Seafood Festival just out of Dunedin where I was expecting to see some friends from Cheeseman. I tried fried cheese and went to a couple cooking shows where we were given tasty samples and some good ideas such as simply cooking with heaps of fresh ingredients.

After meeting up with Erin and Sylvie we went to watch a few musical performances and had some more treats from the surrounding venues.

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Oamaru

On Friday, 20th of September I walked around Oamaru with Frank looking at the Victorian street art and after a visit to the Oamaru lookout I continued riding.

On the way to Dunedin I stopped to see the Moeraki Boulders - a bunch of concretions formed of limestone around pebbles and shells similarly to the way a pearl is formed of secretions around sand.

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Quailburn

 On Thursday, 19th of September I left for Oamaru. On the way I stopped to see the Clay Cliffs but missed a turn and ended up at the Quailburn Woolshed. I walked into the old, dilapidated place just as a bird went crashing through the window - almost a hundred years after the place was built. 

Next I stopped at the Takiroa Rock Art Site and saw paintings which, after about 200 years, were hard to make out. After arriving in Oamaru I met with Frank who showed me around town.

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Mt Cook

 On Tuesday, September 17th I rode from Christchurch to a rest stop after Fairlie. As the sun was beginning to set I decided to stop there and camp out behind some trees.

The next day I went to Lake Tekapo, Mt John and Mt Cook. 

After a walk through Hooker Valley I continued to Lake Ohau where I camped out for the night.

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Godley Head

On Sunday, the 15th of September everyone at Cheeseman packed up and left. I went back to Leanne and Arthur's in Christchurch and the next day I went for a ride on my motorcycle to Godley Head.

Later that day I did an oil change on my bike and went to Flying Burrito Brothers for the last Cheeseman staff meeting.

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Cheeseman

On Tuesday, July 2nd Mike from Cheeseman Ski Resort came to pick me up in one of the company vehicles and, after doing the first supply run across town, we headed to the mountain.

Cheeseman is a club field; this means that, like a credit union, all profits go into improving the product. As a result of this business model the staff and patrons reap some pretty awesome benefits. The staff in particular enjoy accommodation, food, ski pass and even gear, if needed, all for free. Overall, the mountain has a very familial feel and everyone enjoys good value and generally nonexistent lift queues. For me, the benefits continued as my position afforded me with, not only the time to enjoy it all, but also the most enviable accommodation on the mountain. Aside from having my own room with a king sized bed and private staff quarters all to myself, my accommodation in Forest Lodge had the added benefit of being somewhat removed. Just a few minutes down the mountain from the harsh weather and general goings on up at Snowline Lodge, Forest Lodge is a private, quiet and generally a more relaxed atmosphere. Forest Lodge also has a good number of diversions nearby such as walking tracks, world class climbing/bouldering and a skating rink.

On the way up Mike, a member of Cheeseman staff since birth, named off the sections of road as used by the mountain for describing one's location.



First we climbed Chisms Cunning and continued across Alcohol Avenue onto Texas Flat. As we climbed the mountain we went around Big Bend, passed by Forest Lodge, Fat Jimmy's, around Land Rover Corner, passed Middle Hut and then, finally, we arrived at Snowline. Of course, many of these places have a bit of a story to them; Fat Jimmy's, for example, was where James the grader driver went over the edge and survived only because he wasn't wearing his seat-belt and was flung from the vehicle before it rolled perilously down the mountain.




After we arrived at Snowline everyone went to work and, after four hours, managed to set things up for the start of the season. A large snow storm, which preceded our arrival, made for very optimistic conditions but still required some preparation. Over the following days we did Avalanche and Beacon Training and attempted some preseason skiing on "snow", now ice, which was yet to be groomed. We also enjoyed food prepared by a highly qualified chef while waiting for the cook who would be making our food for the remainder of the season.

On Saturday, the 6th of July, the mountain opened for the season and I received my first guests in Forest Lodge. At first I had one other staff member staying there, an instructor named Justin, who seemed alright but managed to get into an argument with management before long and was fired. I still had some friends to hang out with over the season, specifically Josh - an engineer who had managed his investments so that he would be able to ski year round and potentially never have to work again. Josh made an agreement with Cheeseman, the first in the history of the club, so that he could stay at Forest Lodge for the duration of the season. We had a few that came for as a long as a month and we would invite them to join us for TV marathons and general hanging out in the evenings.

On July 11th I returned from my weekly supply run to Christchurch and found we had some guests. The West Coast Curling Team was around for the first of several regular practice sessions which they borrowed the skating rink for. These old fellas were a funny bunch; they would show up in their full Scottish regalia, including kilts, patches and orange wigs, put on a massive BBQ and start playing what is probably the most unusual game you've ever seen. For those who don't know (most people I reckon) Curling is this game where you chuck a stone across the ice and someone else on your team sweeps the ice with a broom in order to decrease friction so that the stone will go far enough to stop in the middle of a group of concentric rings. Of course, sweeping only occurs when the stone isn't thrown hard enough to go the full distance. As strange as it is, Curling is actually a pretty fun and addictive game as well as a good way to get all your buddies out in the cold for a BBQ in the middle of Winter.

On July 14th, the mountain was closed by a storm. During this closure the ski patrol unit set off some explosives to create controlled avalanches in order to make the slopes safer for skiing. During this process one of the guys accidentally set off an avalanche while checking the stability of the snow. He slid several hundred metres and managed to land himself scraped and bruised with only a minor sprain.




In the last couple weeks of July I got sick and lost my voice, a large group came to party and a kid got sick in his room and a possum forced his way into the lodge while I was sleeping.

August 25th I took my first and only day off to go snowboarding at Broken River where the snow was a bit deeper and a few days later we got a big snow storm which improved conditions throughout Arthur's Pass.

In the first week of September I finally shaved my beard as well as my head.

A couple days later was the Undie 500, a race down the mountain with small challenges like bombing the steepest run and eating a dry weetbix. The next day the mountain closed and we all spent the last few days hanging out in the lodge and eating up the rest of the food. 

Before leaving we had a day climbing at Castle Hill and went over to Cave Stream - another must see in Arthur's Pass.

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