We made our way to a pharmacy to restock sunscreen and get some bug repellant. There are a quick a bit of Mosquitos and Dan and I are doing a lot of water activities and want to be protected. We got back to the hotel and got prepared for our kayak adventure and hike.
We met our guide Sam in the lobby of the hotel just before 1pm and by the looks of him we knew this wasn't the touristy, highly commercialized activity. As we went along the twisting road much faster than Dan or I would drive we realized he was a local and local to the extreme. In fact we found out later that he grew up in Glenorcy (little town of 400 near our kayaking spot) and was an a true explorer. He told us of stories of climbing the mountains, working odd jobs that had him hang in from a helicopter, of heli skiing on the water (like water skiing only with a helicopter). A true native and the owner of Rippled Earth his company for three years. You could tell he was passionate about this company and region and Dan and I found it a pleasure to experience it.
So about the journey. We made a couple of stops prior to our arrival. We learned about 12 Mile Delta which saw a small town pop up once gold was discovered in the lake. It was aptly named because it was 12 miles from Queenstown and was the site of the 12 Mile Rush. I can't remember the exact year but it was somewhere in the 1860's. We continued our drive and came upon a beautiful overlook. This time we got out and we able to snap some photos. Sam explained to us the three islands in front of us. We had the small Tree Island which had no trees, was Pig Island which had no Pigs and Pigeon Island with no pigeons. Sam told us that when the explorers arrived to the area ot is thought that they would have found pigeons there but the other two it is unknown the true origin of their names. Tree Island was a burial and cremation site for the Maori and so that could be how the trees were eliminated.
We got to our kayaks on a beach and got dressed. Sam supplied us with splash skirts (they stretched around the kayak opening so our legs could be covered) and life vests. We also were supplied a dry bag for our camera and other water sensitive items. Dan and I were put in a two person kayak with me in front and Dan in back. I gave Dan the difficult job of steering the kayak. He did a good job overall and way better than I could have done. We quickly made our way across the lake to Pigeon Island. The water was so smooth that the kayak just glided across the water. Upon landing on Pigeon Island we climbed out of our kayak. Sam went for a quick swim and pulled up a half broken glass bottle. This little act really indicated his dedication to the preservation of his area.
Note from dan: hello. I hope you are enjoying jeni's novel. That is all for now, my fingers are tired from all this typing.
So I am back now. :)
We spent a little time relaxing on the beach with a hot orange drink and some sweet bread. It was a very nice snack and I really loved the drink. I was a little sad to hear it wasn't a tea but then again I probably wouldn't have liked it if it was. Sam said it was a just flavored sugar and water, so a hot version of kool-aid. After our break we headed into the island to see some wildlife and plant life. We learned a lot about the region and it was exciting to experience it. We came out of the grassy walkway to the other side which had a hut. This hut is for people to stay on the island and is a simple hut but people make use of it. In fact when we arrived there was a guy sitting on the couch escaping the sun and heat. It was a very neat hut but not quite the accommodation I am used too. Perhaps a little too roughing it for me. We made our way back to our kayaks to begin the journey back. This was quite a feat as the winds were quite strong. The lake had some pretty large waves and it took a lot of effort to make it back. When we finally did Dan and I were both pretty tired but greatly enjoyed the trip. We packed away the kayaks and prepared to return home. Shortly after getting into the van Sam asked if we liked waterfalls. I said yes because I do but I assumed he meant we could stop on the road and look at one. What he meant was would we like to hike and actually stand underneath it. The waterfall is relatively secluded from the road but relatively accessible if you know where you are going. We climbed over rocks and dodged trees and eventually we arrived at the falls. It was an amazing experience only a few people have seen. Sam said that not many people know it is there and it is relatively kept secret. So no telling anyone, all of you out there. ;)
We got back home just a little after 5:30 and went in search of pizza. It took us quite awhile but when we finally did it was well worth it. The pizza was delicious as was the garlic bread that we started with. After dinner we decided sonic it was summer we should get some ice cream. Patagonia Chocolates was recommended by Frommers and I have to say they deserve it. I really liked my Vanilla and Cookies and Dan enjoyed his Fig and Pistachio. I am hoping I can make it back so I can try some of their other chocolate delicacies. We called it an early night because of our long day tomorrow. We have a coach bus picking us up at 7:00 for a 13 hour trip and cruise in Milford Sound.
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