Day 139: Carey's Hut to Te Anau (2718-2727)
Monday, April 17
I woke up around 7. Everyone was asleep so I read on my phone. It wasn't long before I heard Greg and Luke up outside so I got out of bed and talked to them. It had frosted last night and was pretty chilly out. I'm glad I didn't need to sleep outside last night.
Everyone ate breakfast and I left around 11 with Te Rena, Fran and Dave so I could get a ride with them to Queenstown. We got to their car around 1 or 1:30 and made it to Queenstown a little after 4. On our way out of the campground they jumped in the lake. I didn't participate, but they made it look like it was freezing.
When we made a pit stop to get snacks, I called to change my reservation at the Te Anau YHA to tonight. I was skipping about a day of hiking with this hitch, partially because I knew Jen, Alex, Jeremy, Spencer and Shada were getting to Te Anau today from reading the hut book, and partially because I didn't want to be without a warm jacket at night
They were really nice and told me the best place to hitch from when I was ready to leave town. I walked to the store and quickly got a jacket. I bight one with a bit more down since it had been so cold lately. The lady at the store cut a shoe box for me and let me use a marker to make a sign.
I walked out to the road and two guys gave me a ride to the fork in the highway. Shortly after pulling out my sign a nice lady stopped. She was on her way home to Bluff and could drive me most of the way.
She had two sons, one is really good at teaching and gymnastics and one was really good at computer things. Shortly after dark she dropped me off at Mossburn, a town 60 kilometers from Te Anau.
I tried standing on the proper side of the road with my headlamp on the sign, but I don't think anyone saw me. It was drizzling and pitch black out. I watched car after car go by. At this point it was after 7 and I was starving. Across the street was what seemed to be the main business in town, a diner-type place.
As I walked in, a man was asking the owner or employee how much further it was to get to Te Anau. The person working there excitedly pointed at my sign as soon as he saw it. I quickly asked if I could get a ride. He said sure!
The man was from France and was traveling around the world. He had been in South Africa, Australia, and now was here in New Zealand. Next he planned on going to Japan, the United States, Canada, and Argentina.
It was about a half hour drive and he kindly dropped me off at the YHA where I had a reservation. It was about 8 pm at this point. Jen, Alex, Jeremy, Spencer and Shada were at the Holiday Park. I wanted to joint them and hang out, but I needed to resupply and do laundry. Plus I was pretty tired. I'd see them in the morning.
The Fresh Choice in town was still open, so I went there. After stocking up on everything I went back to the hostel and showered, did my laundry and ate dinner. By 11 everything was done. I watched a West Wing and went to sleep.
Early morning mist rising off the lake.
That's me in the middle (hiking with shoes! because it was cold)
The lake.