NZ Field Trips July 2011

[jandals]

With winter late to arrive this year I thought I might be able to sneak into Fiordland before the snows arrive . Most of my time was spent in the Hollyford Valley.



I stayed at Gunn's Camp where a single cylinder diesel generator provides electricity for lights only . There is no landline telephone or mobile telephone coverage .The cabins are heated by pot belly stoves and the hot water cylinder for the showers is heated by a wood burner . The recent construction of a modern looking communal kitchen looks  very incongruous . Cabin 1 is called the Honeymoon Suite and if a couple turn up at reception with that lovey-dovey look about them they are given Cabin 1 . Underneath the bed in the Honeymoon Suite is a bell attached to the wooden bed base . The bell has a rope attached to it that passes through a hole in the wall to the outside . After the lights go off the unlucky couple are given 30 minutes grace before someone goes down and yanks on the rope . Much hilarity for the locals



Suite 11 for me . $20 a night



Fortunately there were lots of very helpful signs to aid my navigation around the camp . The sign pointing to the hill says "wrong way"



The lack of continuous electricity means some of the basic household equipment looks a little different . Take the fridge for example



Empty at the moment because its colder in the cabins than it is outside . During the summer beer , milk and soft drink are stored in the wire crate under the sun cover . Water continously flows through the pipe and leaks out evenly spaced holes drilled on the bottom side of the pipe to keep the drinks cool
The toast rack , however , needs no explanation as I'm sure you all have one of these



Some of the tourist attractions include:-
1-The Memorial to the Unknown Skydiver . Because of the almost constant strong westerly airstream he is probably Australian . Opinion is divided amonst the locals on how he assumed such an unusual landing position . Some say they saw him texting (probably for a taxi ) just before landing  and of course he would have become disoriented by the lack of coverage . Others say he simply read the landing instructions diagram upside down



2-New Zealand's only sandfly reserve . A must if you have never seen a sandfly before...



...and don't forget to shut the gate on the way out



Some of the local birdlife doing some humanwatching  (he's a male Paradise Duck)



 

[t00lie]

   Very humorous posting Steve .

In your first pic ,(of the Hollyford river just before you walked across it), please remind me ....which of the peaks pictured are you thinking that Doug , you and i will attempt to explore later on in the year.At this stage I'm thinking she's a helicopter job Bud   .

[jandals]

I did manage to see some plants
Coprosma rugosa

 



Myrsine divaricata





Coprosma psuedocuneata





Pseudopanax linearis





and seed on Pittosporum crassicaule



After my visit winter arrived and it has now been snowing in Fiordland for a week

[jandals]

Well actually Mr.Toole I took the picture pointing upstream because those hills are a bit flatter
No helicopters allowed in the Darran wilderness area so hiking it is . You have plenty of trees at your place to practice hiking up

[Lesley Cox]

Love all your pictures Steve. It'll be a bit cooler now!

[t00lie]

Well actually Mr.Toole I took the picture pointing upstream because those hills are a bit flatter
No helicopters allowed in the Darran wilderness area so hiking it is . You have plenty of trees at your place to practice hiking up

Damn it !!!!!
Better start training then... someone pass me a bunch of bananas......

Cheers Dave.

[ruweiss]

Steve, until now and by own experience I thought, that al the NZ natives are friendly and hospitable
people. I was really shocked after reading about the cruel and malicious bell in the honeymoon cabin.

         

[Lesley Cox]

Damn it !!!!!
Better start training then... someone pass me a bunch of bananas......

Cheers Dave.

No helicopters and I don't believe chimpanzees are allowed in the area either.

[Ross Graham]

Not sure if this is the right place but its sort of field trip related. recently my e-mail address was hacked and somebody was sending out e-mails saying i was stuck in madrid and needed money Im in Dunedin, still need money but doubt any one wills send me any! Sorry if you recieved these e-mails I cant get taht e-m,ail back now. As Steve said he knew it was not from me because all the spelling was correct. Iv never been even to Europe. Sorry for any worry it may have cause anyone
Ross
my e-mail is ross.grahamnzATgmail and its only my hotmail address taht was hacked

[Lesley Cox]

recently my e-mail address was hacked my e-mail is ross.grahamnzATgmail and its only my hotmail address taht was hacked

So Murdoch's still at it.  I won't ever believe the "I'm sorry I was a bad boy" thing. More like 'I'm sorry I was found out and it is costing me."

[Anthony Darby]

It's costing him all right, but nothing compared to the people at the bottom of his rancid pile who will lose their jobs.

[jandals]

Steve, until now and by own experience I thought, that al the NZ natives are friendly and hospitable
people. I was really shocked after reading about the cruel and malicious bell in the honeymoon cabin.

          

          
I am very sorry Rudi that I ruined your fine perception of New Zealanders . As in other parts of the world,this sort of skullduggery is the work of a very small minority . I forgot to mention that there is no television here either , so after hours there is nothing to do . So during the summer tourist season practical jokes are the main form of entertainment. During the cold winter season breeding is very popular . I should know , I lived in the area for ten years and yes our children have their birthdays in the autumn . I even rang that bell once or twice . Speaking of living there, I was in Mossborn doing chores for the mother-in-law when I heard the Milford Sound Road was going to open today for the first time in 12 days . The road was closed only a few days after the previously posted pictures were taken . So daughter Fiona and I went for  a look

Winter feed for the cows near Mossburn with Mt.Hamilton behind



Where we lived for ten years at Knobs Flat



I don't miss the work (snow shifter on the Milford Road) but I miss the view from the front door



Sun beaming in through the beech (Nothofagus spp) forest



Frozen Lake Lochie (Loch Lakie for those in Scotland)



Gertrude Valley looking slightly different to when Rudi was there



and lastly approaching the Homer Tunnel



Quite a change from 14 days ago when there was no snow anywhere . Unfortunately  we ran out of time to go to Milford Sound because I was spotted by the snow shifters and had a lovely time at an impromptu snow shifter reunion

[jandals]

OOPS . Goodness gracious me . Can I rectify that very long quote Mrs. Global Moderator?
Yabba dabba do . Fixed it all by myself

[ruweiss]

Hi Steve, thank you for the fine pictures, the last ones remind Elke and me of the beutiful time we
spent in NZ. It was really the trip of our life!