Bangkok

Before I arrived in Bangkok I had heard from a few people that it was a busy, dirty smelly place and that some people hated being there. Now don’t get me wrong, Bangkok is a busy, dirty, smelly place but I didn’t get mugged, abused, have to bribe anyone, get lost and I made it to the airport on time and through customs in about 10mins so all in all I think I did pretty well. I’m a believer that there is good and bad in this world and something is what you choose to make of it.  If you go to Bangkok and only look at the negatives then you’re probably not going to have a good time. I really enjoyed myself in Bangkok and this is why…

My first full day in Bangkok I went and got measured up for a new suit and 2 blouses all in the fabrics of my choosing. I managed to barter him down a bit from 8600THB to 8000THB, that’s around $320NZD, not bad for a tailor made suit and 2 blouses! I then took the train down to the road a couple of stops and walked back to get a feel for the area I was in. There was a digital clock in the area showing the time and temperature. At 12:57pm it was 37 degrees and humid! During the walk back I think I went through 2 bottles of water. There are markets and food stalls everywhere although I didn’t try a food stall for fear of getting sick. After arriving back at the hotel I booked a tour for the next day and then went down the road for dinner. 

At dinner I had a chat to the Thai waitress and found out that I was staying in what was essentially the red light district. Good thing for me that I wasn’t anyone’s type so I didn’t get bothered by anyone except the taxi drivers looking to pick up a fare. She did tell me that I could find a nice boyfriend down Khao San Road as that was where all the backpackers went. After dinner it was back to the tailors for my first fitting and then I went out to the local bars to people watch. I saw 2 other white females in the area but everyone else left me alone so I watched sport, played “Where’s that guy from?” and “Lady Boy or Lady” in my head. Travelling solo I’ve found numerous ways to entertain myself.

The next day I did a full day tour so it was up at 5:45am for a 6:45am pickup. Our first destination was the floating markets. I paid 150THB for about a 40min ride around the markets. Most stalls sell the same thing and I got a magnet and a coconut to drink. We floated past markets and then past people’s homes as quite a few people live on the banks of the canals. 

Next stop was the Bridge over the River Kwai. This is part of the Burma Railway which was constructed during World War 2 by both Allied POW’s and Asian labourers. The construction of the railway was commissioned by the Japanese and is considered a war crime. Around 16,000 Allied POW’s died during the 16 month construction due to things such as cholera, dysentery, starvation, and exhaustion. During the construction of Hellfire Pass, a cutting in the Tenasserim Hills, the Japanese Guards beat 69 POW’s to death during the 6 weeks it took to complete. I don’t think there’s much to say about this part but it was nice to pay my respects to the fallen soldiers as they were part of the same war as my Grandparents and they fought so that I might lead a free life today. 

One of my most favourite animals is the Tiger and luckily for me our last stop was Tiger Temple. We arrived here in the afternoon when all the Tigers are sleepy from the heat of the day so tourists can go up and pat them without the Tigers being too active. The Tiger’s at the temple have also been raised there by humans so they have a recognition of us. Say that, they were still tied up on short chains! Thank goodness because nature is unpredictable. I got photo’s with the Tigers and got to touch them, they feel more like short haired dog’s than cats as the fur is a bit more coarse than your domesticated cat. 

It was a long drive back (about 4 hours) to my accommodation so I stayed in, ordered room service and thought about what to do the next day. It was about this time I realized that I would be leaving Bangkok on Monday, not Tuesday as I had been thinking the past few days! So the next day would be my last day.

I had a bit of a sleep in and then headed down to the tailors to tell them my mistake and see if I could pick up my suit that night instead of the next day as I had arranged. I got there to find they would open at 11am not 10am as usual as it was a Sunday. With an hour to spare I went for a walk and found a coffee shop. While there an old guy from Dubai asked to sit next to me and he chatted to me for a while. I think he was trying to make me his 5^th wife or something so luckily for me I had places to go people to see. I really hope it’s not like this when I get to Dubai!!! Back at the Tailors everything got rearranged without a hassle which was nice.

As it was the weekend I jumped on the train and headed to Chatuchak Markets, possibly one of the biggest weekend markets in the world with an estimated 200,000 people there at any one time. This place was a rabbit warren of stalls and it was very easy to get lost. I spent a few hours there and came away with 3 t shirts and 2 pairs of pants for the UAE where I must keep my shoulders and knees covered to show respect. 

Back in Sukhumvit I went and got a Thai Massage. Ok, it was not what I was expecting. I was pushed and pulled to my body’s limit and I can’t say that it wasn’t painful but afterwards I did feel a lot limber. I then went out for dinner at Cabbages and Condoms which is a Not for Profit restaurant aimed at helping the women in the sex industry. The food was fantastic and there was live music. If you ever go to Bangkok, I suggest a visit. You’ll even get a couple of condoms when you pay the bill!

I’m now at the airport getting ready to board my next flight. I still have 441THB in my wallet so I’m on a mission to spend it all! Wish me luck!

Phuket

I said goodbye to Mike at the Gold Coast Airport and hello to Veronica for our Trip to Phuket, Thailand!! It was a long 8 hour flight to Kuala Lumpur where we had a 5 hour layover and waited for Stef Hendry who was flying from Sydney to join us. It was here I got my first culture shock by walking into the bathrooms and finding what was basically a hole in the floor. A bit different to what I’m used to. 

We then boarded the 1hr 20min flight to Phuket and had a lot of trouble equalizing the pressure in my ears on this flight. I had started to get the flu 2 days before leaving the Gold Coast so my nose was blocked up making it hard to pop my ears. We landed in Phuket and that’s when I got my second culture shock. People were following us asking ‘Taxi, taxi?’ We were offered a taxi for 1400 THB each but ended up getting a shuttle for 150THB. The taxi people were saying the shuttle was cheap because of the 2hr wait but we got a ticket and hoped straight on so there was no waiting around. Don’t believe everything people tell you.

Our first day we spent at the markets learning the art of negotiation. I thought I was doing well getting a t-shirt for 300THB but at my next merchant I got it down to 200THB so I did ok . We then spent the afternoon sitting in the pool bar due to the 30 degree heat and met some other Kiwi’s and Aussie’s staying at the hotel. We decided to go and book a tour for the next day and with the written price of 2800THB we ended up paying 1600THB. Everything can be bartered!  We had a night out on the town and I took my first Tuk Tuk Ride (one of many).

Day 2 was action packed. We went Elephant Trekking, Quad Biking, a Fish Foot Spa where the fish eat the dead skin off your feet, an Elephant Show, Monkey Show, Lunch and probably the highlight for me, White Water Rafting.   

The guides were very entertaining and slightly crazy. The would say things like ‘Sexy lady go ‘Waaaoooww’’’ after our screaming down the rapids. Our guide even picked flowers for us from the side of the river! We had a real laugh on our trip and we were well looked after so we just had to get a photo with our guides!

We decided that a morning at the beach followed by a half day city tour would be a good plan for our third day in Phuket. We relaxed on the beach for a couple of hours and Veronica continued to shop with all the merchants walking past. 

The city tour included a trip the Kata viewpoint, The Big Buddha, a Cashew Nut Factory, a Honey Factory, Phuket Town and a Duty Free store. My highlight on the trip was probably being blessed ‘Good Luck’ by a Monk at the Big Buddha and then having an impromptu stop on the way back down the hill to feed Pancake the baby elephant some bananas. 

We got back to the hotel and went for a swim and a beer in the pool bar. This night we headed down to Bangla Road which is where all the pubs and ping pong shows are. Every few metres there is someone asking if you’d like to see show! They really seem to love Australians in Phuket because  a lot of the bars have Aussie theme’s. We stayed out quite a while that night taking in all of the sights. I only saw 1 couple that were both ‘European’ whereas all of the other white men walking around were holding hands with a Thai girl. It definitely looked like some men only go to Thailand for 1 reason!

As I mentioned before we stayed out quite a while that night and in the morning Veronica and Stef were too sick to go to Phi Phi Island so I ended up going with 2 guys we had met at the resort and had already booked on the same tour we were going on. The seas were a bit rough so we ended up going out on a big speedboat and sitting up the front so it meant losing my stomach a few times but not my lunch. We were given sea sickness pills before going on the boat so I never felt sick during the day. First we went to  Maya Bay on Phi Phi Leh, the Beach that was used in the movie The Beach. This had soft white sand and beautiful blue waters. Then they took us sightseeing to see the Viking Caves and Monkey Island. The boat then stopped for snorkeling which I opted out of and I’m glad I did because people came back with small stings from jellyfish. Next it was off to the bigger island Phi Phi Don for a buffet lunch. 

Back on the boat we headed out to a party island. On the way we had to go into and through a storm so we all got pelted with rain. Luckily I had remembered to bring my rain jacket so it wasn’t too bad, I felt sorry for the guys that had no protection from the sideways rain. We reached the island and it was time for a beer before heading back to the mainland for our final night in Phuket. 

I had such a great time in Phuket with Veronica and Stef. I really have to go back as 5 nights was not enough time to do everything, I really wish it had been 7 or 8 nights! The Thai people are so friendly and helpful when they can be but the language difference does make things a little bit harder and slower. The only Thai I have learnt so far is Kob Kun Krab which is Thank you and I have used it a lot. I’ll try and learn some more Thai in Bangkok which is the next stop.

Airlie Beach, Rockhampton, Gladstone and Bundaberg

After Townsville we headed down to Airlie Beach, which became my favourite place on the tour. Airlie Beach has one street of shops and a man made lagoon for people to swim in so the stingers (jellyfish) don’t get them! After walking around the town Mike went to hang out at the Lagoon and I grabbed an Ice Cream and walked around town some more. We went out for dinner that night at Cactus Jack’s and I had a Toblerone Cocktail for dessert. This was a mixture of Baileys, Frangelico, Crème de cacao and Honey mixed with Milk and Cream... Mmmm. After watching the NRL I went back to our accommodation for an early night as the next day we had a full day sailing trip around the Whitsunday Islands!!

We got picked up at 7.25am and taken to the marina to board the Camira which is a sailing catamaran. Once we got out into the passage they turned the engines off and put the sails up. It got a bit bumpy and a bit wet out there as Mike and I were on the nets at the front of the boat so I lost my stomach a few times but had a bit of a laugh as well. Our first stop was Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island. This beach is very unique as it is 98% pristine silica sand. This means that the sand doesn’t retain heat making it very easy to walk on without footwear. This beach was lovely and we spent an hour here in the water and going for a walk up and down a part of the beach. We found 2 Jellyfish on the beach and they were about the size of a fingernail, very easy to miss. 

Back on the boat it was time for lunch and we got a BBQ of steak, chicken and fish cooked for us with a fabulous array of salads.  After eating we had an hour’s sail to our snorkeling spot near Hook Island. The visibility of the snorkeling wasn’t very good at about 1 metre visibility however after having a look around and then duck diving down I managed to see a lot of coral and fish.

After spending about 30mins in the water we got back on the boat and it was time for afternoon tea and a couple of beers to finish off the day. We then headed back to Airlie Beach just as the sun was setting. It was a great day out so thank you to the Cruise Whitsundays tour operators.

The next day we were up early for a day of driving. We had around 6 hours of driving time to Rockhampton which was going to be an overnight stop… or so I thought. 

We arrived at our accommodation and got ready to check in only to find that I had booked the room for the 6^th of April, not the 6^th of May!! We were a month late! It was Beef Week up in the Rockhampton region so all of the accommodation was full! After checking the map we decided to continue on for another hour and a half to Gladstone. Arriving there we found a backpackers and hit the sack!

Thanks to driving a little bit extra the previous day we only had a 2 hour drive to Bundaberg. We arrived in Bundaberg around 10am and went to the Bundaberg Barrel where they make Bundaberg Ginger Beer and 13 other flavours. Yes, I did get to taste test them all. 

Next on our list to do was the Bundaberg Rum Distillery where we were taken on a tour of the distillery and then a taste test at the bar. I had a try of a Rum, Chocolate and Coffee liqueur which was very tasty. 

All good things must come to an end and the following day was the last leg of the journey back to Southport. We managed to squeeze in a stop at Hervey Bay and Noosa before getting the car back to Southport with 5 minutes to spare before the car rental office closed. 

I’m now relaxing on the Gold Coast and enjoying the sunshine and gentle sea breezes. I haven’t seen a cloud in a few days now which I’m hoping continues till Saturday when I leave for Thailand.

Cairns and Townsville

On Thursday the 26^th of April I flew out of Wellington Airport and headed to the Brisbane to start the Australian leg of my overseas tour. After arriving in Brisbane I picked up my hire car and drove down to the Gold Coast to see my brother Michael. We decided to go out and have a ‘few’ drinks at the local to catch up.  The next day I awoke to rain and low cloud so I didn’t feel homesick at all! As this was my only day on the Gold Coast before leaving for Cairns we went up to the observation deck of the Q1 building which is the tallest residential building in the southern hemisphere. 

After a quiet night in watching movies we were up at 6am to head to Brisbane and catch our flight to Cairns. We arrived in Cairns to sunshine and humidity so it was straight to the accommodation to swap my jeans for shorts. Then it was back to the airport to pick up Mum and Dad which was a surprise for Michael as he had no idea they were coming!! After checking them into their accommodation we all took a walk around Cairns and had lunch at ‘Outback Jacks’.  Then it was time to decide what to do the next day. It took a while to decide on something that would meet everybody’s needs – Mum didn’t want to get in the water but wanted to look at the water, Dad and I wanted to Scuba Dive on the Great Barrier Reef and Mike wasn’t fussed either way. Eventually we settled on a day out on Green Island. 

We departed Cairns for Green Island and arrived just before mid-day. First port of call was some snorkeling just off the shore. I only saw one fish while snorkeling but a couple we talked to had seen a turtle! After a quick bite to eat it was Scuba Diving for Dad and I and the glass bottom boat for Mum and Mike. The Scuba Diving was awesome. I saw so many different kinds of fish and the colours were all so bright. I was a bit disappointed by the coral as I expected it to be brighter but it was dull and brown. We later learnt that a lot of the GBR had been destroyed by the cyclones and hurricanes in the previous years and that it was just starting to regenerate itself.  I will have to add photo's later as I took them on an underwater camera I haven't had developed yet. We then headed back to the boat and while on the jetty saw a black tipped reef shark. That night we had a BBQ, complete with Kangaroo fillets.

 

The next day we drove up to Port Douglas which was not quite as charming as I expected. There were no markets on the day we went so maybe it’s different when they are on but at least I can now say I’ve been there. On the way back down from Port Douglas we went to the Tropical Zoo at Palm Cove. It was raining when we got there but that soon cleared. There were plenty of Croc’s, Koala’s and Snakes to be seen here and touched! I touched a python and a baby croc. We saw the Croc Feeding with a Crocodile called ‘Gummy’. His jaw was out of alignment due to a birth defect. When crocodile eggs aren’t incubated at the correct temperature and they get too hot, bone deformities can occur.  It was then back to Cairns and out for dinner along the Esplanade. This would be our final night in Cairns and with Ma and Pa before Mike and I headed off to Townsville. 

 

The following morning we all gathered for breakfast and to say our goodbyes before Mike and I hit the road and made our way to our second stop of our trip. We arrived in Townsville just after 2pm and checked into our accommodation. That night I decided to have a quiet night in while Mike went out and hit the bars. The next day we decided to take it easy as someone wasn’t feeling so good (haha, Mike).  We went out to The Strand along the waterfront for Gelato and a walk around the local shops. 

That night we headed out for Dinner at a local Indian Restaurant and then to the movies to see ‘The Avengers’ which I thought was a great movie and a lot funnier than some of the previous Marvel movies. After having two relatively relaxing days in Townsville we decided to head out to Magnetic Island and hire a topless car complete with a pink paint job and Barbie seat covers, oh yeah! 

We spent the day driving around the island and visiting the different bays. We saw the rock Wallabies and got up close and personal at Gregory Bay. I convinced Mike to do The Forts walking track with me and we saw 2 Koalas relaxing in Gum Trees. While I was taking a photo of one of them I stepped backwards onto an uneven surface and tripped over. Now I have bruises on my left leg from trying to get back onto the boat and a wave knocking me into the steps while at Green Island and a graze down my right leg from Magnetic Island.. I don’t think islands agree with me! Haha. We had lunch at Horseshoe Bay before cruising around some more and finishing off with a Banana Smoothie at a small café. 

And my favourite photo so far...  Chinease anyone??

 

Back on the mainland it was time to get packed again and a good nights rest before our drive to Airlie Beach.. more next time!

South Island – Part 2 and 4

Now I’m going to take a little step back in time to before the Milford Track. I had just left Methven (I didn’t play Poker, How I Met Your Mother was on the tele and that can’t be missed) and was making my way down the South Island along the Inland Scenic Route.  I had just left Geraldine after picking up my coffee and was wondering where all of the ‘Scenery’ was…

 

About half an hour later my plans were interrupted and the itinerary thrown off track along with the car!! I was coming up to a corner and had a lapse in concentration. This meant that by the time I reacted to the corner I had to break too late and the back wheels spun out from under me. My first thoughts probably wouldn’t be appropriate for this blog. As soon as I knew the car was no longer in my control and there wasn’t anything I could do to correct it, I decided to let happen what was going to happen and brace myself for impact. I held my body as still as possible by gripping onto the steering wheel and pushing my head hard against the back of my seat.  My aim was to make sure my head did not hit anything and to try and keep a pocket of air around me. The passenger side hit the side of the embankment first which threw the car onto the drivers side, roof, passengers side and finally landed back on its wheels. As soon as I knew the car was no longer moving I turned the engine off and got out of the car as quickly as possible.  I was safe, not a scratch thankfully. My neck was a bit sore and the only signs I had of having an accident were the two bruises on my hips from the seatbelt keeping me in the seat. Please make sure you always wear a seatbelt. I can say without a doubt that it saved my life!

Two Swiss girls in a campervan stopped as well as a St. John volunteer. They organized me, picked up my stuff and told me what to do. The Swiss girls drove me back to Geraldine and the local Cop organized the tow truck and taking care of the wreckage for me. The girls then bought me a coffee and croissant before driving me to Christchurch airport so that I could fly direct to Queenstown. They were my hero’s! I could not thank them enough! Needless to say the rest of my planned Itinerary for the South Island will not go ahead as expected. I won’t get to see the West Coast on this trip so I’ll have to come back at some stage to complete that. I then arrived in Queenstown and got ready for the Milford Track. Of course Fergburger was on the menu while in Queenstown!! 

Righto, back to business and onto Part 4. I hired a car, left Queenstown and drove very safely through to Arrowtown where I stopped for brunch and had the most delicious Apricot Pastry from Bonjour Café.

Then in was through to Moeraki to see the incredible Moeraki Boulders. 

I arrived in Oamaru and took a look at the Penguin Colony. This time I got to see little blue penguins but sadly could not take pictures as it was prohibited.

Oamaru has some very old buildings and some quirky sights to see but boy does it stink! I think it’s all the sea mammals that reside in this area but I don’t think I could live here.

After a surprisingly good nights sleep it was off back to Geraldine to pick up the rest of my belongings from the car and to then make my way to Christchurch Airport (again!!) for my 8:30pm flight back to Wellington.

I had thought of going straight to Geraldine via Timaru and forgetting about the inland route but I knew I’d regret it if I didn’t go the way I had originally planned to go.  Just outside of Duntroon I got to see some Maori cave drawings.

Then I got to see the wonder that is Mt. Cook. I thought I wouldn’t be impressed by Mt. Cook but I was wrong. At my first glimpse of the mountain I knew it was Aoraki (Mt. Cook), you really cant mistake it. This picture probably doesn't do it justice but it certainly has an ‘X-Factor’ about it.

I had some time to spare before having to make my way to the airport so I drove out to Akaroa for the afternoon and it is a lovely little town with plenty of food, boutiques and galleries. I could certainly feel the French influence on this place. 

Finally I made my way back to Christchurch and onto Wellington. My South Island trip was certainly an experience and I’m so glad I decided to continue on and walk the Milford Track after the accident. I even have a reason to come back as I didn’t get to see the West Coast and I’m glad I have an excuse to come back! All in all things worked out all right and I’m happy with how I spent my time.

Next stop… Australia!!

South Island – Part Three: The Milford Track

A quick note before I begin, Part Two I will get to later as there is a bit of a story but I will get back to Part Two during Part Four. For now it’s straight onto the Milford Track.

“These boots were made for walking and that’s just what they’ll do”

Day One

I woke up both excited and nervous about starting the 57km (33.9 Mile) Milford Track as once I boarded the 9am coach with my packed bag there was no going back. I arrived at The Station building in Queenstown to meet my fellow walkers and 2 of the guides for the trip. After some quick introductions we then boarded the bus and headed out to Te Anau for lunch. In Te Anau we picked up 2 more guides and then it was back on the bus and a quick drive out to the boat that would take us across Lake Te Anau and to the start of the Milford Track.

Day One was an easy 1.7km to Glade House where we would get our first taste of what it was like to do a guided walk of the track. Let me tell you it did not disappoint! I got a bunk room to myself as the tour was not full and I was the only person travelling solo so that gave me some privacy which was an added bonus. Before dinner we worked up an appetite by doing a 5km bush walk around the Glade House area where our guides pointed out local flora and fauna and we all filled our water bottles in a stream. The water in Fiordland National Park is not contaminated and is completely safe to drink not to mention nicely chilled. Back at Glade House we all gathered for dinner. I would like to say that I did it rough but… Entrée of Kumera and Pumpkin Soup, Main of Venison Stew with Mash and Vegetables and a Dessert of Apple Struddle with Vanilla Ice Cream all washed down with a glass of wine! Not a bad way to start at all!

Day 2

Day 2 was the day the real walking began, a 16km walk from Glade House to Pompolona that started at 8:30am.

This part of the walk took us through the Clinton Valley and only has a total incline of about 200 metres. The Clinton Valley track took us along the Clinton River and through some historical sights such as 2 Mile Hutt used by Quintin MacKinnon back in the 1800’s. During this part of the walk I got to talk to Jules our lead guide and 2 of our younger members Oliver and Meg as we set the pace up front. After a quick stop for lunch we continued the rest of our walk to Pompolona in spectacular weather.

At Pompolona we had scones, as is the tradition. When Quintin MacKinnon took the first walkers along the Milford Track he would serve them scones partly made from mutton fat at Pompolona Hut. I think the recipe has changed a bit since then as our scones were delicious! That night it was Smoked Salmon, Chicken and Chocolate Cake. It was about this time I decided this would be one of the only walks I would do where I would end up 2 kg’s heavier after finishing instead of 2 kg’s lighter!

Day 3

At 7:30am we set off for what was to be the most demanding day on the track, a 15km walk via MacKinnon Pass. As you can see by this photo it was still a bit dark as we left Pomp.

We had 1 hour of easy going before reaching MacKinnon Pass which has an incline of around 1000 metres over 11 zig zags at about a 1:8 ratio meaning that it takes 8 metres forward to go 1 metre up.  Now I thought the zig zag’s were going to be a nice path to follow up but I couldn’t have been more wrong. I was navigating boulders and sharp rocks to reach the top but seeing the monument at the top of the pass was such a great feeling!

Unfortunately we were all clouded in and the view was of a white blanket so I don’t have any great photos of views. I had reached the top and made it up in good time, surely the hard part was over! How wrong I was. Going down the other side of the pass was so jarring on my knees that it had me wishing I was going uphill again! Thankfully we were rewarded with Cascade Falls.

This time myself, Oliver, Meg, their younger sister Bella and their Mum, Kathryn and Dad, Andrew were the first group to make it to Quintin Lodge at 2.20pm. We had a quick rest here before taking another walk to Sutherland Falls, New Zealand’s highest waterfall at 580 metres! Once we reached the falls we all took a walk underneath it and what a great experience that was! It was noisy and wet but the energy of the waterfall was totally invigorating. If you ever get a chance to walk under a waterfall please do it!  At Sutherland Falls we even came across a pair of endangered Blue Ducks, otherwise known as ‘Whio’.

Back at the lodge it was Mushroom Soup, Steak and Ice Cream but not for all of us. The day had taken it’s toll on some of our group and after a 7:30am start, the last 2 groups got in at 7:30pm and 8:30pm so I think it was an outstanding effort for them to make it to the end and not give up! Walking down that track in the dark could not have been easy.

Day 4

Ahh, the last day of walking… Just a casual 21km, otherwise known as a half marathon. This morning we had another 7:30am start and a bit of drizzle to go along with it.

This last leg had us in the Arthur Valley following along the Arthur River. Some highlights of this leg was the MacKay Falls and Bell Rock. This valley was a lot greener than the Clinton Valley and had a lot more birdlife. The terrain was flat and gentle, a nice change from the previous day. Just after morning tea things started to clear up.

Once again it was Oliver, Meg and myself leading the pack and we passed the time between mile markers by playing “What animal would you be?” and “How long do you think it will take us to reach the next Mile Marker?” Soon enough we had reached Giants Gate Falls for lunch where Bella, Kathryn and Andrew caught up with us. It was then onto the final 5kms to Sandfly Point and…

WE MADE IT!! We arrived at Sandfly Point at 2:20pm which gave us time to have a Milo before catching the 3pm boat to Milford Sound and Mitre Peak Lodge. Interesting fact: The above sign is incorrect. DOC measured the Milford Track a few years ago and found it to be 33.9 miles instead of 33.5 miles as thought but the sign is pretty cool so they haven’t bothered to change it.

At Mitre Peak Lodge we had a celebratory dinner of Vegetable Soup, Rack of Lamb and Chocolate Fondant followed by a certificate presentation!

Day 5

But I thought we had finished? Yes, we had finished walking but we still had one last experience – A boat cruise around Milford Sound.

What a beautiful place Milford Sound is!!

I think the thing that most stood out for me over the 5 days was the sheer size of the mountains and the arctic blue colour of the incredibly clean water that is in the area. It is pristine and I really hope it stays that way.

After our cruise we got back on the bus and made our way back to Queenstown where we all swapped email addresses and said our goodbyes. I had a truly amazing walk with a funny, kind, and caring bunch of people that made the trip unforgettable and kept me going even when my feet and knees were sore!