Part of our adventure is not only hiking but meeting people off the trail. Our time to and from Hanmer Springs was filled with interesting people and great conversations.
After a lengthy time hitching into Hanmer Springs a lady stopped to pick up us. She was heading to Christchurch for a monthly checkup after her kidney transplant. A live donor gave her a chance for a new life after years hooked to a dialysis machine. How inspirational it was to see her shine. With the New Zealand healthcare, she wasn't out one cent. In return, she has been volunteering her time in the community until she has the strength to go back to work.
We have been officially counted. Upon arriving at the hostel, the owner gave us two NZ census packets. We explain we were not citizens, but in NZ it doesn't matter. Everyone is counted. They call it a snapshot of time in the country. We filled the basic form out for non-residents and returned it to the front counter. It was weird to have to fill in our nationality in the "others" section versus the U.S. being an option.
While cooking dinner in the hostel, we met a grandmother staying for the first time with her son and grand daughter. She was was shocked at the "life" in the kitchen. She stood sipping her tea and talking with the other guest. Hotels will forever be a lonely place. After dinner we met a Royal Canadian Mounted police from Quebec City.
On our way out of town a couple escaping the Australian heat picked us up. They are avid bird watchers on a mission.
A few kilometers before Boyle Flat hut, our stop for the night we met a couple that decided to get their CDL license and drive the U.S. On one of their hauls they decided to take a shortcut, only to find themselves in Yosemite in a semi truck. A policeman was waiting for them on the other side with a hefty ticket.
Another couple we met on the trail were Americans that had just returned from a season working in Antarctica. They were so happy and excited to talk. Afterwards Shadow and I joked that they were happy because they had be stuck in an ice cube for half the year.
Once we arrived at the hut, 4 other hikers were there from the North Island. They have been traveling the South Island for the last few months in their camper vans while stopping for good trails. We spent the evening discussing RV living.
Lately the forest has been buzzing. When you stop for a break, you can hear them. Black fungus (Honey Dew) is growing on the beech trees. It must be sweet, because it attracts both honey bees and wasps (what we call yellow jackets).
Country Mouse and Shadow
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