Over the River and to the South Island

After my little hike through Tongariro National Park, I quickly headed south to catch the ferry. I didn't end up spending too much time in Wellington mostly due to my distress at driving around the city. Hypothetically, I could've knocked a sideview mirror on something while trying to find parking. I spied around downtown and saw a few government buildings, but I didn't want to be late for my ferry role call.

Driving T-Rex onto the ferry was such a fun experience! I was catching the Interislander from Wellington to Picton, and had to check in two hours before departure. Once I had checked in and lined up, I laid in my bed planning my southward travels while watching the sun set over the city. People in the rows next to me were dozing with their seats reclined, or chatting outside their cars. At one point, a woman came around offering watermelon slices that she was trying to get rid of. Needless to say this was one of the best waiting experiences I've ever had. About 30 minutes before departure we began a long caravan to motor our cars onboard. They shuffled around vehicles of all sizes, and mixed us in with cargo as well. While I didn't get to see much of the city after the sunset, it was an easy three hour ride down to Picton.

My first few days in the south I spent at Nelson Lakes National Park. DOC campsites were coming in so clutch here, and I was very pleased that my site had showers and drinking water! It was great to adjust after my weird late night ferry ride, and I felt very at home in the alpine terrain. Nelson is also a great introduction to the beginning of the Alpine Fault, the geological boundary between the Australian and Pacific Plates! This geological fault line runs the length of New Zealand's Southern Alps. The Alps actually grow by about 1/4" every year as the collision continues to drive them higher.

Nelson has also introduced me to my newest and most formidable enemy: The Sandfly. I know what you may be thinking. Surely nothing with that name could be formidable. Well friend, that is where they get you. I read about sandflies while booking lots of campsites and I was like, child's play. I can put up with a few bugs. Sandflys are about the size of fungus gnats, but they bite like real motherfuckers (sorry Grandma) and love to swarm when it's cloudy. The Maori believe that the gods created the sandfly to remind us of our mortality, otherwise we might linger to long, totally enchanted by the beauty of the wilderness. I'm confident I've been very well reminded at this point. I have seriously never experienced bug bites that itch like this. The combination of chacos + peeking my toes out of my sheets at night has put my feet up on these pests most favorite menu. I've had several mornings where I wake up and discover new places I have been delicately attacked, like my knuckles, or the insides of my ankles. At one point I was actually concerned that it was bed bugs. A quick google confirmed that all the symptoms were too exact though, and I'm certainly suffering from the sandfly. Unfortunately it is the most severe pleasure to scratch these bug bites. I know that I'm not supposed to, but I don't know how anyone could resist the itch.

The puny bastards are weak in unideal conditions. They don't like the sun, and are easily blown away. I've found a very effective bug repellent that effectively turns me into a human bug trap by greasing me up, and their tiny bodies drown in the oily film before they can get a bite in. Take that, you savages. After my first few nights here, I became a bit worried for all the other sandfly warnings I had read for my planned route. But to my luck, Nelson truly was the worst of them.

Besides me being dramatic about the bugs, Nelson was beautiful. I took a nice little swim in the lake, finally cracked open Playground, and met some really fun hikers from Montana. I also did a great little six mile circuit around Mt Robert, with beautiful views of the lakes. I even encountered my first backcountry hiking hut! Every day of this trip has strengthened my motivation to come back and do some of the Great Walks, and I just love how they have these little guys ready for you with all the essentials. A full 7,300 miles away, and those blue mattresses and musty wood cabins smelled just like home.

my slightly artsy filmy edit of me at nelson lakes