We are
still in that hut of the post before and I am still on the same red as it is the
same night.
Arrival in QT
(Queenstown) coming from Glenorchy. We got a room in the Scenic Hotel in which
you could really hear the air con, thus we friendly complained and after a
while we got a upgrade to one of the suites with full sized kitchen two rooms
and view on the Remarkables. Lucky! Cool, as I even thought about booking this
kind of room / suite. QT meant for us some kind of program: The first night at
one of the best restaurants of NZ. The Gantleys. We booked a table and got one
for the same evening. Wondering but exactly that week seemed to be some kind of
slow shoulder season.
One good
and one sad thing about that evening. First I received my fresh 10-22 Canon
lens. That made me really happy. All worked out flawlessly and at a really good
price. And second. The beloved cat of the restaurant, which even became part of
our annual calendar for friends and family, was killed by one of the cars on
the road nearby. Fingers crossed for our two beloved cats at home Pinja and
Livi. Take care, we love and miss you! You two listen, please be all right when
we come back!
We had a
real good evening at the restaurant. Tobias did sleep the first hour and then was
very cooperative and lovely later on during the progress of the dinner.
(I did not
yet write about fishing, but I am sitting in a hut in Fjordland - Ines and
Tobias sleeping since an hour - where there was a roll of toilet paper two
years ago that had printed the label 'Livi' on it!)
The bottle
of Pinot gave its last drop to my glass, fuel is going to an end. I have to go
to bed.
…
Several
days later I try to pick the threat again and continue. We arrived in QT on
Saturday, having dinner at the Gantleys. Sunday I thought again of the stream
on the north end of the lake, so I went there again – you should really not do
that. I got up pretty early, having a quick brekki. As the streets were empty
it just took me 40 minutes from door to the stream. Walking down the stream to
fish it back up, changing sites, falling in swamp holes, getting a sever electric-massage
by one of these electric fences (they are much stronger charged than in Europe,
around 3.000 V here), but finally managed to catch a decent Bow on a dark
self-tied size 14 nymph.
I was back
in QT around late noon. We went to the usual QT procedure: Outdoorsport-shops
to shop for things you urgently need or do not need at all. Best example: a
large Diamond Back camp light. Icebreaker stuff. But this time we really
limited our self to only socks and one top. And a nice warm softshell jacket at
Kathmandu for Ines as birthday present. But no real fancy stuff like titanium
cutlery for camping. Or was it the next day when Ines bought the top? With me
as consultant she went to the shop twice more to reconsider the color and
finally change it from bright green to a vivid blue. The blue looks and fits
better. That evening we went to the VKnow restaurant out of town in Fernhill. A
nice place, the locals go there and only some tourists. Unfortunately my Pizza
was more on the ‘special’ to poor side, Ines dish with venison was good. I had
eaten there better before. The crumble for desert is a must. We saved the extra
40 minutes for that as we were full and Tobias announced his preference to go
to the suite again.
On Monday
slight rain was announced and exactly that happened – unusual sight for the last
weeks: rain. The idea of the day on my side was to drive down beyond the south
end of the lake to fish a spring creek there. But with the slight rain I
started to fish Mataura on one of the most visited access points on the upper
part, surprised to find fresh water and cooperative fish. Several went for my
fly, several spooked or not hooked log enough for the net. Still this bad ratio
… The last times I got the strike timing quiet well, this time it is a mystery
to me. The rain eased and the clouds became less. Close to ending the day around
early afternoon, as the water was starting to get slight murky, I had a look
towards the creek I originally intended to fish: two groups of three persons
each on 300m of water, one of them was the local guide. The guide with that
shop, in which the lady said “never without a guide”. What is the reason of a
guide if he brings you to hammered waters? Might be he was not guiding but
showing the aquarium of the creek (as I call one specific section there). Nice
day in light rain. Back to QT. Monday evening we had a date with friend Bruce
Leitch and Chico for a rainy BBQ. He prepared a BBQ beef filet that was definitely
five plus out of five stars with a nice sauce and sides prepared by Chico and
Bruce. We just had the job to bring some red (Church Road Cab/Merlot and some
beer unfortunately the brand Bruce might not like …). It was a very nice
evening with friends. Thank you for these hours! Those make a journey like ours
outstanding!
Tuesday was
the day we figured out to head over to Lake Te Anau to spend a few days at the
beloved Fjordland Lodge. No just kidding, as they indicate some kind of dislike
for small kids and the current exchange rate make a stay there not suitable for
traveling for such a long time. But we stayed there more than a couple of
nights. And based on that experience: if you want to afford it, go there. Enjoy
the setting, food, view and relax after a good day's fishing. The last time I
spend there, it was the end of the vacation two years ago. Just coming back from
one of the rivers on the west side of the lake, totally excited, as I had a
terrific day fishing there. An American party in the lodge thought I would be
the guide for the next day: suntanned and fishy looking. No I was not. And I did not tell them to excited from the days I just had. Nevertheless of the four days there, two were pretty much non fish days due to flood. That is Fjordland - terrific or horrible.
Exactly
that river was the place to go on Tuesday. The days before we made arrangements
with a boat Taxi we knew that would bring us over there. Now it was time to get
the timing more precise “afternoon”. We still had to do some communication,
shopping for three nights in a hut, one camp-out from the hut and do the
packing. Besides that we had to go to the DOC (Department of Conservation) to
get our clean gear certificate. This is needed to confirm that everything that
gets in contact with the river is clean, dry and free of potential didymo algae
parts. This algae is a pest, it spreads from river to river and covers the
river bottom with an ugly and aquatic life threatening mass. Actually this algae
is quiet common in Europe but does not do any sever harm at home. Several of
the NZ Rivers are already infected. To keep the remaining rivers clear it is
HIGHLY IMPORTANT to check, clean, dry your gear before changing according
rivers (Please refer to the DOC page on that issue! And follow it!). At the
boat ramp in Te Anau Downs I wanted to call the boat man to make appointment
for 5pm – no cell connection. Back in the car, up around the next corner.
Nothing. No. There is a simple lodge close by so I used their landline.
An hour
later we were finally in the boat. Pretty much with all what we had except two
boxes, the large tent and the table. Pretty much close to anything else went with
us. The boat did not drown and went over the lake. Tobias was wrapped in a live
belt that was for adults. It looked so funny. And he felt strange as he was pretty much tied up, unable to move. But the
motor made him fall asleep after ten minutes. It felt really good to go back
over the lake to that specific river!
We did
arrive at the hut and as it seemed, we would be the only guests at least for the
night! And the weather was supposed to be good and the river in perfect
condition. Cool! It could not get better.
