Dreaming in Green

Day 159 of the project,
Auckland, New Zealand

"One....two...three...AHHH!" After wading waist-deep into the glacier fed lake, I finally worked up enough courage to plunge underwater. My fellow walker, a lovely woman from Toulouse, France, had bravely gone first and pronounced it "refreshing." I don't know that I stayed in long enough to describe it as anything but "frigid."

New Zealand is famous for its stunning and diverse landscapes. Fans of The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy know it well (and often travel to tour the Hobbit homes). It is also famous for its series of nine Great Walks scattered throughout the numerous national parks. The Milford Track is one of the most famous of those walks. It is difficult to get a permit, as access is restricted to 40 people per day during high season. Trampers (Kiwi terminology for hikers) walk 33.5 miles over four days, tracing the river from Lake Te Anau through Mackennon Pass, past New Zealand's highest waterfall, Sutherland Falls and ending at Milford Sound.

There are not enough superlatives to describe it. Temperature aside, the water was spectacular in every way--a deep green color courtesy of the rocks, which could be seen at the bottom even when it was several meters deep. It seeped from the rocks and flowed down the granite peaks. Massive waterfalls propelled millions of liters in mere minutes. Lush plant life paints everything in dazzling shades of green; trees and ferns protrude from every inch of dirt and thick carpets of mosses coat everything. This place sears into the mind and snares the heart with no promise of release.

And pristine is an understatement. The forests that have never been harvested on industrial scale. The granite mountains have never been quarried. The river is not dammed. It also begs the question: what did other wild places look like before people began their handiwork? I spent several hours contemplating what California must have looked like before 1849. Not that the Fjiordlands are immune to man's influence. The native bird populations have been decimated or driven to extinction due to exotic species introduction. Locals also mentioned the ever-present threat of nitrate pollution from the expanding dairy industry. But by and large, the hard work of many Kiwis has ensured (for now) the park areas remain virtually untouched.

After three incredible (and lucky) mostly dry days, the notorious rain started just before I reached the Sound. On the boat back to civilization, I reveled in the post-hike glow that drives so many people into the wild. And like so many New Zealand visitors, a small piece of my heart lingers at the swimming hole near Clinton's Hut.