The Frenchman's Cap

The Frenchman's Cap is not a Franco-Dutch contraceptive collaboration. Rather, it is one of Tasmania's most famous mountains, with a distinctive and dramatic white quartzite dome that can be seen from a great distance, from which I returned last night.

On Saturday evening I was collected from Hobart Airport by Melanie (my younger sister) in her convertable Mini Cooper. After a prolonged period of hot weather, the temperature was 7.5, so the hood stayed down! Melanie has in the meantime been demonstrating the superb handling of the Mini as we have roared around the streets of Hobart, Italian Job style.

Sunday was a day of catching up with Melanie and the rest of the Colantoni family and checking whether there might be a window of stable weather to head off to the Frenchman's Cap. Monday and Tuesday were due to be hot and sunny in western Tasmania, with a front coming through on Wednesday. So, Monday morning saw me in Hobart buying stove fuel, a map etc, followed by the +200k drive to the beginning of the track.

I set off down the track at 1.20 on Monday, having read the walkers' notes that state that it is a 6 hour walk into the Lake Vera hut, my planned destination. The problem was that daylight saving ended last weekend and it is dark shortly after 6 pm. So it was head down and go for it. Early into the walk I was climbing up a track of twisted tree roots, when one of them suddenly moved! I am not sure whether the brown snake or or I was more shocked, but I waited while it twisted off the track.

The track is varied. You start by walking through rainforest and then climb to a summit from which the first glimpse of the Frenchman's Cap is seen, a scary distance away.



After some more up and down walking I hit the Lodden Plains, which the map declares is known by walkers as "the sodden loddens". The cap fits! There follows about 2 hours, off and on, of slogging through peat bogs. Then a long climb through a forest before descending to a button grass plain (Rumney Plain). By this time it was getting fairly dark, but this section of the track has duck-boarding, making for good progress. Another short climb led to the descent to Lake Vera hut, which I reached as light was failing.

I had an entertaining evening at the hut with 7 other walkers. One party of 4, all Aussies, comprised 3 engineers and a former senior naval officer who is now a professor in strategic studies at Wollongong University. The other part of 3 was led by another engineer, British but having lived where his work in the explosives field had taken him, his Canadian son who had walked there on a prosthetic leg (putting my modest effort in context) and the son's French Canadian girlfriend. It turned out that the Brit engineer was the first mountaineer to conquer the face of the Frenchman's Cap and the purpose of their trek was to show his son the scene of his triumph. The following day I was to discover quite what an achievement that was!

Tuesday was an early start. The Brit led party had told us that they planned to get up at 6 am to walk out early. After they had woken everyone up at 5 am, one of the Aussie party announcing that the early morning din reminded him of his time in the navy! It turned out that they were not aware that daylight saving had ended! As a result, I headed along the track at 6.50 am. I left my bedding and tent etc at Lake Vera hut, taking food, a survival bag and other essentials, as I was planning to walk the rest of the track and climb the mountain as a day walk.



Walking around Lake Vera I had a hint of what I was in for, as the track meandered up and down the lumpy terrain, through damp rainforest. The going under foot was much easier than the previous day, but the terain meant that progress was slower. After a long climb throught rain forest, the canopy of which was so thick that there was only half light on a bright day, I reached Barron Pass. What a view! Suddenly I was in brilliant sunlight with a fantastic panorama, including the Frenchman's Cap, still some distance away.



After a long traverse, including some up and down around the White and Nicoles Needles, the path crosses a green swamp area with pineapple grass, known as Artichoke Valley. Another steep climb was followed by the descent to the Lake Tahune hut, which is some 25k from the beginning of the track.



Lake Tahune is at the base of the Frenchman's Cap. From there it was straight up, but on the sloping side of the mountain, rather than up its sheer face, which is vertical for 450m. Parts of the "track" up the mountain are near vertical, but the climbing was relatively easy in the dry conditions and as the quartzite provides plenty of handholds.

The view from the summit (1,443m) alone made the 27k trek worthwhile. The day was brilliantly clear with only a light breeze, so I was able to enjoy the vista for some time before descending to lunch on the shore of Lake Tahune, subsequently retracing my steps to Lake Vera.



Tuesday night at the hut was less entertaining than the previous evening, but still diverting. I shared the hut with a member of the computer department at my university, Monash, a Sydney PhD student in economics and philosophy (which led to a healthy debate!) and a couple from the Blue Mountains (who were not used to Tassie walking and asked why we were wearing gaters - looking at their legs the answer was obvious!).

Yesterday I walked out, through the peat bogs once more... I emerging at about lunchtime. I was lucky as there was light rain only. I drove further west to see Strahan and the massive Macquarie Harbour, both of which are impressive and worth a longer visit. But, the weather was closing in with high winds and rain, so I headed back to Hobart, arriving in time to have a pub supper with Melanie, Chloe and Hannah.

James Turnbull arrived to visit his parents yesterday. I shall be calling him soon...

City of Sails

I arrived in Auckland two days ago and have since been wandering around the city and catching-up with my cousin Derrick, his wife Mandy, and their sons Reid and Nick.

Sophia and I visited Auckland 13 years ago (on our last sabbatical). A lot has changed in that time. The city appears more cosmopolitan and self-assured. It is huge. There is apparently a saying: if you haven't reached Auckland yet, it will reach you soon. I gather that something like about half of the population of NZ is in or around the city.

It is a consequence of having a far-flung family that we see each other rarely. I have not seen my other cousins, Derrick's two sisters (Judy and Shelly) and brother (John) for as long, and as the former two are in Sydney and John is in Brunei, sadly I will not be seeing them this trip either.

It has been interesting to see how the boys have changed over the 13 years. Nick, who is in his penultimate year at school, is very much into computers, which seem to occupy most of his free time. Reid has recently commenced an electrical apprenticeship. He is relatively new to driving and so far has had a colourful time. I believe that two cars have been written off and the current excitement is that he has just acquired a souped up Honda with all the police magnet trimmings...

Mandy and Derrick have been fantastically hospitable, with Mandy being my long suffering tour driver yesterday, having picked me up from the airport on the previous day. Derrick has been on duty until last night (St John's Ambulance). He joined Mandy and me at their local Italian restaurant, where we set about putting the world to rights. I hit the water at about midnight and having packed my bags for my journey to Hobart, do not feel to bad. Derrick on the other hand has yet to emerge.... I shall have to knock on his door shortly and remind him that I need to get to the airport.

We have agreed that it has been too long... They will be over to see us in Europe.

Next stop, Hobart.

Leaving Charlotte

I have had a fantastic time on the Queen Charlotte track. The Marlborough Sounds are about as scenic as it comes. Each night I was treated to fantastic cuisine before heading back to my tent (or the Possum's Nest on the first night).

The most scenic day was the first.



Probably for this reason I saw many other walkers, the majority of whom did the walk as a day trip, being picked up from Furneaux Lodge and heading back to Picton by boat. The second day was very short, only about 3 hours walking. As it was a great day I spent much of it lying on the jetty in the sun.

The bag dropping did not go quite as planned. Geoff, the owner of the Furneaux Lodge thought that I was paranoid when I checked (for the second time) on leaving that my bag would be put on the correct boat bound to the correct destination, Camp Bay. Sure enough, it was not there when I arrived, nor was it on the next boat. A few radio calls established that it was still sitting outside the Possum's Nest, having been forgotten about. It duly arrived on the 3 pm boat.

Whilst waiting I was able to enjoy some Oyster Bay sauvignon blanc with two entertaining Americans, Linda and Shari, who were lunching at the adjoining Punga Cove Resort (incidentally run by Geoff's father Ralph, so I was not overly concerned about finding a bed if my pack did not turn up with my tent).


Camping at Camp Bay was hilarious. A family with 9 children, from Palmerston North, turned up. The children came to offer me all sorts of advice with pitching my tent etc and volunteered that they are all adopted. They were obviously having a great time. The "children" were aged from young adult to about 4. I was modestly incredulous when I was told that the next day they were to walk the same distance as me, 24k with probably another 2k in climbs.



On leaving Camp Bay, heading for Portage, I arrived having seen only 3 people in 24k of track, quite a contrast to the first day.

On arrival the usual locate the backpack issue arose. I discovered that Portage (and the adjoining Cowshed Bay campsite where I was staying) are on the other side of the peninsula from the other resorts/campsites. I read that the water taxis do not go to Portage as it is too far around the peninsula and that the Maoris used to haul their canoes over the saddle at this point to save the long sea journey. Having located the campsite, with no sign of my pack, I headed for the resort and enquiries directed me to the "pack rack" where I duly found my pack. I then headed back to Cowshed Bay, pitched the tent and sorted myself for the evening. Then, following the pattern of the last few days I headed back to the restaurant at the resort and had a great meal. Scallops followed by blue cod and panacotta - its tough on the Queen Charlotte!

The last two nights have been interesting also in that I have travelled without a torch and have had to find my way back to my tent through the canopy of rain forest in pitch dark!

When I awoke this morning I noticed that I had stumbled through the assembled tents of the Palmerston North family, who had made it. The mother had driven to the end of the days walk and then ran back to the start and along the track to join her family - she runs marathons!



Today I caught the boat back to Picton, drove to Nelson and then flew to Auckland, where I am staying with my cousin Derrick and his family for two nights before heading to Tasmania.

Thanks for your comments. I look forward to receiving more...

The Possum's Nest

The Queen Charlotte track is stunning. Hugging the shoreline or climbing over headlands you move along the peninsula through temperate rain forest, full of ferns and flightless birds (that are extremely cheeky and will go to considerable ends to try to steel your lunch!).

After a mere 3 hours or so I arrived at Furneaux Lodge (http://www.furneaux.co.nz/), which is charming and marvelously situated. I am staying in a "single backpacker style" room, called "the Possum's Nest", there being no campsite here. So, for a night, the opulence of sheets and a mattress! The name incidentally is a triumph of marketing over reality.



Better still, Cougar Lines had dropped my backpack off at the lodge, so I have everything I need here but only needed to carry the blue cheese and red wine etc for my lunch.

The day has been in the low twenties and cloudless, which has shown off the dramatic scenery. On arrival, I had a refreshing swim around the bay before retiring to the bar....

I was glad to catch-up with my Canadian dinner companions of last night, Marian, Barbara, Scott and Keith on arriving at the lodge. They soon after departed for Picton on the 3 pm boat. Keith and Mariam are regularly in England, so there may be an opportunity to get to know them better.



I shall shortly have a wander around the environs before eating.

Tomorrow morning, as it is a relatively short tramp to Camp Cove, where I shall be camping (in the tented sense), I plan to kayak for an hour or two.

I am disappointed by the lack of "encouraging" (or any) comments from my vast readership, and look forward to hearing from you...

Tramping on Charlotte

I have about 15 minutes before I need to get to the jetty for my boat ride to the Queen Charlotte Track, on which I shall spend the next 3 nights.

Last night I camped in Picton where I found a great fish restaurant. I am enjoying sampling the local wines also!

Yesterday morning I packed up in Akaroa during a rainstorm. I set off across the peninsula on the "summit road". I am told that the views are spectacular, but as I was in cloud most of the time I had my hands full staying on the narrow, steep and twisting road.

A disappointing way to leave the Banks Peninsula, but I saw enough to know that I want to return with Sophia to walk the BP track.

Must close or the boat will go without me...

Banks Peninsula

I have spent a day wandering on the Banks Peninsula. I went to the start of the BP track, but as it is over private land I was not able to follow its course as I had planned. Instead, I walked to the Nikau Palm Gully reserve.

Engaging the farmer who owns the land in conversation gave me permission also to return by climbing up to the BP track and returning via that route. The terrain was basically easy, with long and winding grass tracks. The views and scenery were spectacular. The Nikau Palm Gully was extraordinary. Dropping from merino inhabited pasture, I found myself in a temperate rain forest of palms and twisted branches.



Dropping below the gully, I found a perch with a view. A great place to sample NZ blue ewes milk cheese, washed down by Rabbit Ranch pinot noir! Although a southerly change has just swept through, the day has been sunny and hot.

Tonight I am again camping at Akaroa. Tomorrow I head to Picton where I shall catch the Cougar Lines 10.00 boat to Ship Cove, the start of the Queen Charlotte Track...

I am toying with the idea of renting a kayak tomorrow morning before leaving Akaroa, but will decide when I know what the weather is like.

My short stay at Akaroa has been great. It has persuaded me that Sophia and I should soon walk the BP track followed by a day or so "chilling" in the area.

I may find internet access on the Queen Charlotte track (on which I shall spend Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights). If not my next posting is likely to be from Auckland.

Sweet Sorrow - Akaroa

I have just eaten the best venison that I have ever had. Having left Wanaka, I flew to Christchurch, where I picked up a hire car. After a pleasant lunch looking onto Christchurch's huge park, I headed for Akaroa. There is a terrific cosmopolitan restaurant called C'est la Vie, which has sustained me in memorable style.

I stayed in Wanaka for longer than I had planned to, but had a great time. It was sad to leave Emma and her family. Circumstances have meant that I know Emma less than I would have wished. This trip has afforded the opportunity of putting that right. She and her family made me very welcome. I had a bit of a "wobble" when I arrived, travelling alone for the first time since 1975, but their warm welcome and company soon put paid to that.

I shall long remember my farewell supper. One of Pete and Emma's guests, Simon (a doctor!) stayed on and on.... I lasted until about 1 am and felt the consequences in the morning. Pete played the perfect host and saw Simon off. My goodbye was a short affair!

So thank you Emma, Pete, Hank and Finn. I was privileged to share your lives for a while and enjoyed it very much. We look forward to seeing you in Europe, although I suspect that a ski assignation in the US will happen first.

Akaora is beautiful. It is on the Banks Peninsula, to the south-east of Christchurch. The peninsula is volcanic in origin and hence lumpy. The buildings are old weatherboard and quaint with it. The harbour setting is wonderful - only wish I had a boat here.

Tomorrow I shall probably walk the first day of the Banks Peninsula Track both ways before heading back to C'est la Vie in the evening. I may kayak on Sunday morning before heading north to Marlborough and the Queen Charlotte track.

To Siberia and Beyond

Princess purple, magnificent mauve and edgy orange. These are the colours of the toenails of three of my companions for the 4 day "tramp" from Makarora. What a hoot!

After leaving Makarora in brilliant sunshine we crossed the Makarora River, which being thigh deep involved wetting more than ones toes.





We then headed up the Young valley to the Young Hut, where we spent our first night. Shortly after arriving the Siberia hut warden, Mark, arrived. Remarkably, his home is Sheringham, only about 20k from our home in Norfolk.



Day 2 saw the weather close in...



...and we crossed the Gillespie Pass in wispy cloud...



...before dropping into the Wilkin Valley where we camped overnight. We were lucky that the rain stayed away until after we had broken camp in the morning.

Our third day was spectacular for both the amount of rain that fell and Crucible Lake, to which we climbed. We took brief respite in a cave just big enough for the 5 of us before reaching the lake. For a moment it appeared that Lawrence would respond to Helen's baiting...



What a view when you climb over the rim of the lake! Icebergs floating and torrents coursing into the lake from the sheer sides of the mountain caused by the heavy rainfall.



After walking back down from Crucible Lake we again donned our packs and headed for Siberia Hut, where Mark and many dry walkers awaited us.

It rained overnight and throughout the morning of our final day. We had a lazy morning in the hut...



...before the walk down to where we were met by the jet boat that returned us back to Makarora in breathtaking fashion.



Before I arrived in NZ, Emma had suggested that rather than walking alone I should join one of the walks run by Wild Walks (http://www.wildwalks.co.nz/). That was how on Saturday morning I came to be having coffee with 3 40-something Sydneysiders from St Ives. In order of toenail colour, they are Helen, Jenny and Roz. This was my "sanitary inspection" to establish whether it would be safe to travel into the wilderness with me. Apparently my King Gee shorts ("any tougher and they would rust") were a bit of a problem, but they were prepared to take the chance!

For my part I was not sure how 3 city girls, unfamiliar with trekking in the wilderness would get on. The fact that their footwear was more akin to running shoes than walking boots did not inspire confidence. Well, there was no cause for concern. It soon became apparent that they were "fit" in more senses than one. The reason soon became apparent: they are used to endurance walking, having completed the 100k Sydney Oxfam Trailwalker event in 21 hours last year. Add to that Roz's usual regime of getting up at 5.30 am to run, after which she comes home to sort breakfast for the family before working full time, and you get the picture. In 2004 Roz completed 4 marathons!

The final member of our party was our guide Laurence, who was about 20 years younger that the average age of the rest of the party. We had relatively light packs as Laurence carried the food, fuel and the like. This was to be Laurence's last trip as he now works for an organisation that amongst other things monitors river flows along the west coast of the south island. Laurence, a man of few but well chosen words, was an admirable foil to the girls. He also did well to cook good and tasty food for us.

There were a few moments when silence reigned, but otherwise the entertainment was pretty constant. Although I have never met them, I feel like I know Julian, Mark and Nick (their husbands) well. Girls, on the basis that the payments keep coming, I shall say no more!

The entertainment continued into the night after we returned to Wanaka, with a memorable meal at Missey's being preceded and followed by champagne!

This morning it has been pouring. I arrived 11 days ago to near 30 degree heat. I have witnessed the change of the seasons. It is 5 degrees and there is snow on the mountains - an impressive sight.

I am likely to be here for only 2 or 3 more days. I plan to fly to Christchurch and hire a car at the airport, then heading for the Banks Peninsula for a couple of nights.

Dunedin Roamin

I have returned to Wanaka after a two day trip to Dunedin and Otago University. I drove down on Wednesday, taking the most direct route, through driving rain and low cloud. So much rain fell in such a short period that Queenstown airport was closed and a group of school children had to be heli-lifted out from below Mt Aspiring.

Dunedin is a sleepy little city disproportionately influenced by the university, which has something like 20,000 students. There are some interesting old buildings, but Dunedin did not inspire. Otago University on the other hand is very impressive. It is in a beautiful setting around a small river, the Leith. Some buildings are historic and most of the modern buildings have some architectural merit (unlike much of the UK's post-war university construction).





It was interesting to see where my father spent 7 years on his two degrees and met my mother. I also visited St Clair, where my mother and her family lived. A great surf beach!

After exploring Dunedin and the university, I headed out onto the Dunedin peninsula. A fantastic place, so close to the city. Ideally located for anyone interested in boats.



I stayed the night at Portabello (on the peninsula), having visited the albatros colony at the end of the peninsula. The observation platform was a bit of a let down as there is reflective smoked glass between you and the birds, but seeing them sweeping around the headland after feeding at sea was spectacular, with their massive 3 meter wingspan.

Yesterday I made my way back by driving up the east coast to Palmerston. It is a beautiful coastline of cliffs and sandy beaches, with some great little villages. After lunch at Palmerston I headed inland stopping at the old gold mining town of St Bathams - very picturesque.



I arrived back to Emma and Pete's home to find that a supper party had been arranged. The guests included the record holder for the coast to coast race (some 8 hours of biking, running and kayaking!). Everyone here is so involved in outdoor activities that I feel like a couch potato by comparison!

Today is the local agricultural show and packing for my 4 day expedition tomorrow. So there may not be another entry for about 5 days.

Laboured Walk

Amazingly I slept 7 hour last night. Emma decided that it was time to warm me up for my 4 day trek starting on Saturday, so we set off around Lake Wanaka to climb Rocky Hill.



The climb is billed at an hour and a half, but an hour would be about right. It was on well made dry tracks. So Emma, who is running a cross country marathon on Saturday (!) was in running shoes and I had a pack and walking boots.



All went according to plan until, when we reached the top of the hill, Emma's phone rang. She is a midwife and one of her clients had just gone into labour. Suffice it to say that the marathon runner in running shoes was better equipped for what followed. We ran down!



Wanaka is great. In every direction there is a mountain view and the lake is enormous (3rd largest in NZ).

Tomorrow I am off to Dunedin. I shall make a two day trip. My father went to Otago University (in Dunedin). I will have a wander about the university and check out the local area before returning to Wanaka, probably on Thursday evening....

Touchdown!

First sabbatical posting: I have arrived at Wanaka. It is in the mid-20s and sunny.

Interesting trip! 11 hours from Heathrow to LA in a packed plane. Then over 12 hours from LA to Auckland. Followed by a 3.5 hour wait for my connecting flight to Queenstown, where I arrived about 32 hours after boarding at Heathrow.

Transiting through LA is not ideal - some Americans have no sense of humour including those that have arranged and man their "Homeland Security" arrangements. Bizarrely, at LA they make you enter the US even if you are a transit passenger, which means that the duty-free malt whisky bought at Heathrow could not be taken onto the plane at LA. My sister Emma and her husband Pete, with whom I am staying, will appreciate as the malt is a present for them that I went back through departures, checked in my hand luggage (the camera still works...), was subjected to the full (pacemaker) intimate rub-down for the second time and just made my flight.

I am blogging this entry shortly after arriving at the lovely home of Emma and Pete. They live about 15k from Wanaka (in a northish direction).

Hoping to get through to normal NZ bedtime - typing this at 4.06 pm - and have already discovered that NZ beer has improved a lot since we were here 13 years ago!