Change In Plans

Day Four

FIORDLAND!

Greetings again from Fiordland National Park! 

We are motoring back to the dock at Deep Cove, where we will start the 5-hour return trip: van over Wilmot Pass, fast ferry across Lake Manapouri, buses back to Queenstown.  

Last night I couldn’t sleep, and read all 532 pages of another Tony Park African safari thriller, called  “Far Horizon.”  It was completely implausible, but action packed and fun to read.  Also,  it was nice to be mentally transported back to hot, dry places like South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Zambia.

At about 2:30 am, there was a landslide somewhere at the edge of the cove where we were anchored: a loud roar followed by the cracking sound of many trees being broken.  For a long while after that, the boat rocked, and there was the noise of water dripping loudly onto (into?) the hull.  Lying in the bunk below the water line, I assumed that Chris would wake up and save us if the boat were actually sinking.

When India and I went out on deck in the morning, there was snow sticking halfway down all of the mountains surrounding the cove.  The temperature was just above freezing, and the snow had turned back to cold rain.  The irony of the weather (and my poor ingoing understanding of what to expect from the boat trip) was brought home as I repacked my baggage.  I guess I didn’t need to carry my running clothes, bathing suit, sunglasses, or swim goggles after all.  Swim goggles?

DOLPHINS!

Chris has proven to be an absolutely competent and reassuring captain, and is a very nice man.  That said, he is possibly the most taciturn person I have ever spent significant time with.  Over the course of four days, he has not asked a single question about us, nor has he offered any information about his life, his interests, or anything.  Even Tallulah and Zola stopped trying to help with the cooking, fishing, driving the boat, etc. 

He makes the stereotypical New England farmer (or Maine lobsterman) seem positively chatty by comparison.  

We will be back in Queenstown in a few hours.  India will go on a long run, and celebrate with a Diet Coke.  We will rent a car, and take control over our movements and activities.  The kids will run around like uncaged monkeys.  Starting tomorrow, we will do the adventure sports that Queenstown is famous for.

  Although a few drying-out days was not a bad thing, we may even treat ourselves to a glass of wine at dinner.  

Seeing Doubtful Sound has been a great privilege.  For a long time, we will remember the magnificence of the scenery, the wildness and the isolation, and the drama of the weather.  In retrospect (the travel planner’s friend), two days would have been enough.