"Don't be hasty..." ~Treebeard

Dearest Folks... 

I wrote this three days ago. I'm about to leave. My flight leaves in almost exactly one hour. Nevertheless, I have maintained what I wrote, so you get the essence of my words. It was an emotional time for me, and I'd still like to express that... 

Oh the haziness of Routeburn. I hiked starting at eight, and had a bus to pick me up at three. I stayed at the top for approximately three hours eating lunch and waiting for the view to improve. Which it did, in stages and so forth. The clouds moved around... etc...

I have, as of today, only two full days left in New Zealand. While part of me is sad by this fact, another part of me is relieved as I am a few days closer to coming home, and being reunited with my parents' fast, free (so to speak) unlimited internet.

Tonight, I am in Wanaka. I love Wanaka. The mountains on the lake are even prettier than the “Remarkables” in Queenstown. Or maybe I just really don't like Queenstown. True. However, I have found $4 internet for 24 hours of wireless. I find this truly remarkable. Did I mention that I love Wanaka?

WANAKA

I haven't actually purchased the internet. Tomorrow I'll be in Christchurch, where internet at McDonald's is free, and since I'll only be here a few hours, there isn't any point in paying for the 24 hours when I can only take advantage of a few.

Sunset in Wanaka!

Anyways. I'm stoked to be back, if only for a night. I'm going to make the most of it. And with that—off to the magical New World of fantastic reduced to clear prices, and then to climb Mount Iron, at 740 meters, hardly a mount, but I just don't have time for anything else.

In the last few days, I...

I also went back to Te Anau, so I could check out the Routeburn Track. Though I didn't have enough time to hike the entirety of the trail, I hiked to the Key Summit. However, it is not so titled because of its height, or its height in relation to the track. It was only 919 meters high. The hour and a half hike took me an hour, and I was ambling.

The Key Summit is so titled because it is the “key” to three major rives of the Southland: the Hollyford River, the Greenstone-Clutha river, and the Eglinton-Waiau River. The Hollyford flows out to the West Coast, the Eglinton Waiau flows out to the South Coast, and the Greenstone Clutha flows to the East Coast. Cool, huh? I found it quite fascinating, though the views of the Fiords weren't quite spectacular. They were nice though. I may have gotten a better view of Mount Christina.

It's quite shy though. I'm exceedingly amused that Mount Christina is shy, just like me. It stayed hidden in the clouds only making momentary appearances. But that was fine with me. When I return to New Zealand, universe willing, I shall hike to the top of Mount Christina.

The Routeburn track was interesting though. I ran into an elderly man putting gravel down on the track, and he asked if I was interested in plants. Curious, I said I liked them alright, but he didn't have anything more to share on the subject. We shared small talk, and I continued on my way.

I realized then, kneeling down to take a photo of some moss, that was why he asked if I liked plants. I kept stopping to take pictures of them. There was moss that resembled Spanish Moss, though it resembled a lilac in color, and had little black dots all over it. My camera couldn't do it justice.

It was so lush and fabulously green. Moss and growths (not the gross kind) covered many of the trees, and it was quite moist everywhere. It could have been a rainforest. It must be a fun hike, though I bet you get wet, since they get so much rain down there.

Before I return to this place though, I'll have to figure out a better way to get to all of these hikes. The track transports work in theory. But I couldn't help but think that my ticket alone would have paid for the gas of the bus. I am certain they are making 300% profits on us poor, helpless tourists.

It's sad, in a way. For all of the families with North Face jackets and macpac backpacks (no offense if you have them, they're good stuffs, fer shore.) and high quality everything, it's not. They have the money. But for the rest of us, you think you're doing a hike. You're camping. You're walking though National Parks. It's got to cheap. Right? No. It's not. Huts are $32, and camping is $16. That's per night, per person. Transport can cost anywhere from $35 one way to $60 one way. And you have to go two ways. That's pretty steep for roughing it.

We might as well go bungy jumping.

Water basically flowed off every area of this place. It was so wet.

Erneways. Today, I left Queenstown for good. How unfortunate. No, okay, that was sarcasm  I apologize. Sarcasm isn't transmitted well through written words, so I shouldn't mess around. Regardless, I am thrilled to be out of Queenstown, for not even my final experience was not positive one.

Lol congrats?

It's a short and annoying story regarding an incompetent little girl working at the YHA. I shan't bore you. Finally I made it to Wanaka, only three hours later than I'd hoped. In the Rough Guides New Zealand guidebook, as lent to me by my father, these words describe Queenstown: “In a way, Queenstown is a victim of its own popularity.”

I whole-heartedly agree.

Oh Wanaka, you shall be sorely missed.

Tomorrow I'll go on to Christchurch, where I'll spend my last two nights in New Zealand. I'm nervous to leave this place. Strange as it is, I've grown accustomed to whining about slow and spotty internet, figuring out how to avoid tourist spots, and hiking more than my legs want me to hike every day.

I feel like Henry Higgins when Eliza Dolittle left.

By the way! Let's play a game. I've never asked anything of you. I have a general idea of who's reading from who talks to me, but I just spoke to my home land (E.T. Phone home...), and found out someone is reading it whom I didn't expect.

And so, if you read this (and I'll assume you did), text me, message me, write on my facebook wall, mail a postcard to my house, email me, whatever with the following word and I'll bring you a treat the next time I see you. 

Peony.

I'll post one last time before I leave New Zealand.

Talk to you soon...