April 18th, New Zealand Day 3

This day began fairly early as we had a great deal of ground to cover that day. At breakfast, I managed to get a shot of the sun as its first rays made their way over the surrounding mountains. The breakfast was the standard toast, cereal and tea fare but was still delicious.

I may have mentioned earlier that I considered New Zealand to be the Canada of Oceania, and I think this way for a few reasons. Firstly, New Zealand has a small population in relation to its superficial expanse, like Canada. Secondly, it is also eclipsed by a larger neighbour, in this case Australia. When thinking of Oceania, most people first think of Australia, and then New Zealand much in the same way people view North America and Canada and the U.S. Also, the climate of New Zealand is very similar to Canada's. While Australia, for the most part, is warm even in the winter months (Sydney rarely dips below 10C), New Zealand frequently finds itself in the negative zones of the thermometer, something Canadians are very familiar with. Also, New Zealand, the South Island especially, was carved by glaciers, much like Canada. A former professor of mine, Joyce Lundberg, said that if in doubt when trying to ascertain why a land formation is the way it is in Canada, say that the ice did it and you're probably right. In this fashion, New Zealand parallels Canada. For these reasons, I felt very much at home in New Zealand and, dare I say it, I would rather live there than in Australia. Not that Australia is not a land of near incomparable beauty, but to me, New Zealand is more comfortable.

In any event, the day's travels would take us to Queenstown, a town of 15 000 on the shores of Lake Wakatipu (WAH-kah-tee-pooh), and it is called the "Adrenaline Capital of the Southern Hemisphere". Here bungee jumping was born, and there are several areas where one can ski precariously, skydive or partake in any number of thrilling activities. Lake Wakatipu is the only lake in the world with a tide and it rises and falls about 12 centimeters every 5 minutes. The cause of this phenomenon is still unknown but the Maori have a legend about it. According to myth, a giant once roamed the area around what is now Queenstown and stole women from the local Maori tribe. The chief declared that anyone who managed to get rid of the ogre would be rewarded with his daughter's hand in marriage. Only 1 warrior took the chief up on his offer and he and a few of his mates set out to deal with the giant. They found him asleep and dispatched him by setting fire to the surrounding hills melting the snow on them, and even today those mounts remain devoid of trees. Thus the giant perished with the depression caused by his sleeping body being filled in by the water of the melted snow, forming Lake Wakatipu. Lake Wakatipu does, very vaguely resemble the shape of someone lying on their side. The giant did not completely die, however, and the rising and falling of the waters of Lake Wakatipu is said to be the heartbeat of his spirit. When I heard the story, I thought that killing someone, even a giant, while they slept was a little cold and not very sporting and, by the way, the warrior and the princess lived happily ever after. But this was still several hours away and there was much to see in the meantime.

Our first rest area was the town of Cromwell, named in honour of Oliver Cromwell, the man who led a revolution against Charles I of the U.K. in mid 1600s. Charles I is the only British monarch to have ended his reign shorter than when he started; the revolutionaries had him beheaded. The area around Cromwell is windy, cold, and somewhat inhospitable and that's why the monarchists who settled there named the area after Cromwell. Actually, he is one of my favourite characters from British history. In Cromwell we stopped in a small store where most people bought fruit but I bought some ice cream. It is here that my reputation as a polar bear was established. Most people were cold and wearing many layers, while I was comfortable in t-shirts and shorts, as I would be for most of the trip. Being from an even colder climate, the temperature, about 10-15C, didn't phase me. Most found it unbelievable that I could be comfortable but when I explained my provenance, things were made clear.

Just prior to our arrival in Cromwell, we had stopped briefly at Lake Dunstan, a mad-made lake cause by the construction of a hydroelectric dam. The day was clear, the water still, so I took a photo of the mirror-like lake with the reflection of the mounts on its surface; it came out quite nicely. Although I wasn't aware of it at the time, on the other side of Lake Dunstan is where the Riddermark scenes (grassy plains and rocks) for The Lord of the Rings were filmed.

On to Queenstown we sped, arriving, if I recall correctly, before lunchtime. Our first stop was the Kawarau (kah-WHAH-rahw) River Bridge, the site of the world's first bungee jumping and still an active place for the pastime. There were some interesting rock formations as well as the Remarkables, a mountain range so named because they run perfectly north-south, but we stopped only briefly and then made our way to our hotel, a very nice one. We would stay 3 nights in Queenstown, making it the longest time we would spend in any one place. I spent the remainder of the morning wandering the town center and I purchased a book which described all of the sites used in the filming of the Lord of the Rings and it would be my constant companion throughout my journey; my Samwise Gamjee, along with an excellent map of New Zealand printed on plastic so that it can't rip and is water-proof.

Later that afternoon I went horseback riding in an area north of Queenstown near the town of Glenorchy (glen-OR-kee). Some of the horses in the group that I went in were used in The Lord of the Rings, as horses for the Rohirrim, the horse lords of Rohan. In case anyone is interested, "Rohan" comes from the Elvish word "rokko" meaning "horse". Another horse, a Clydesdale, was used in a commercial seen throughout New Zealand. Although I am by no measure and expert rider, I am not unfamiliar with horses and I have never felt uneasy when riding them. In Australia and New Zealand, though, there are subtle differences which made riding more of a challenge for me. Firstly, the saddle is English, not Western as Canadians and Americans are accustomed to. There is no pommel (horn) on the front of the saddle as well as no leg guards which makes riding a little less stable, especially at faster speeds or even on a bouncing trot. Also, the reins are held with both hands and instructions to go faster involve kicking the horses stomach/ribs. In Canada, You hold the reins in 1 hand and flick the slack from side to side in order to get the horse to proceed more quickly. It's a much more stable and safe way of riding. Finally, we were required to wear dressage helmets as it is compulsory under New Zealand law, and I do not think that the same is true in Canada.

The riding, several hours, took us through the valley of the Rees River, really a stream or creek. The area to the north, around the village of Paradise, was used for scenes of Lothlorien, the forest where Galadriel makes her home, and the nearby Dart River was used for scenes of Ithilien, where Frodo and Sam see for the first time the Mumakil, or Oliphaunts, the elephantine creatures used by the Haradrim, the Men of the South, and enemies of Gondor. The Rees River, like all such bodies of water, is marked by the channels of rocks, transported to the plains by the action of the river from the glaciers above. I managed to get some good photos of the area and even one of the Mt. Earnslaw Ice Field, which is where the scene where Frodo slips in the snow and loses the Ring was filmed.

We arrived back at the ranch around 16:00 if I remember correctly, there was a group of 5 of us, including the guide, and I was then transported back to Queenstown. My first riding in the Southern Hemisphere had been a pleasurable experience, one that I would repeat 2 more times before I left. That night, nothing of great importance transpired and I went to sleep looking forward to the day ahead.

Photos are now available at: http://newzealandday3.blogspot.com/