Disappointment and opportunity are the mottos of the day. The Department of Conservation let me know this morning that they would let me start the Milford Track on Sunday, but with snow very likely I would probably be turned around by the Avalanche Team two days into the hike only to backtrack to the trailhead. The weather simply was not in my favor and all remaining trail options in Queenstown were either closed or soon to be closed with the impending snowfall.
Opportunity now lay to the north in the town of Wanaka, which is supposed to be a smaller more quaint version of Queenstown without the bar scene and clubs. Right on! Bring on the hiking and less commercial vibe. Queenstown is awesome and I would definitely recommend it as a base of operations but I was itching to get on some alpine trails.
Eager to stretch my legs, I ventured out for what should have been a three hour stroll along the lakeside at best. What I found along the route was an energetic outdoor community pagent for the Speight's Beer "Perfect Woman". Lest you get the wrong impression, this is the Southern New Zealand version of the "Perfect Woman" which combines animal husbandry, brawn, intelligence, and if she's not bad looking that's an added bonus. My personal bonus was coming face to face with a three day old calf which one of the cow ranching contestants used as proof of her title worthiness.
The pagent was an interesting exercise in people watching for an hour or so. Conscious of the sinking sun I set out along the lakeside trail. This is where I learned the difference between tourist maps and the actual topographical D.O.C. variety. It ends up that "scale" can be definitely "up for interpretation" on the tourist maps.
The hike was gorgeous and the evening sun was spectacular, but almost 6 hours later when the town skyline appeared my aching legs led me right to the perfect burger and chips (complete with sweet chili sauce and chocolate shake on the side).
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