James B. Fishin: Reflections from Te Anau

I've slept in a bed 3 nights this year.

Since I arrived on the South Island the 2nd of January, Josh, Sky, and I have camped out all over this island. After spending the past month in my tent alongside various rivers, in numerous forests, and on a couple of holiday park lawns, I'm feeling I need a little time to recharge my batteries (literally: iPod, camera), sleep on a mattress with a pillow, and figure out where the next few weeks are going to take me.

Sky and Josh left me here in Fiordland this morning, as they have flights out of Christchurch this weekend. In the 2 or 3 days between now and their trips to Australia and home, respectively, they have to drive almost 700 km to Christchurch, clean and sell a vehicle, and all the small laundry and catch-up chores necessary before a big trip. I'm happy I don't have to do the same.

That leaves me here in the far south, willingly alone, and I am excited for all of the things that I can just pack up and go do. After a night or two here in Te Anau looking at weather, checking OKs with the Department of Conservation for my solitary river trip plans here and there, and looking for a job somewhere, I'll be out exploring again. For now, it's a nice change of pace to be by myself and wandering around.

I am looking into camping and fishing a couple of nights near the beginning of the Milford Track, or on one of the other rivers near Te Anau. After that, I think I will head back to Queenstown for some trips near there, and slowly make my way north. I do have a Working Holiday Visa, and so I am considering finding paid work somewhere. Right now, I'm hoping to find a ranch near Mt. Cook with good fishing on the property. Maybe a farm with an employees-only exclusive spring creek?

We'll see.

Some pictures to illustrate our latest travels:

All of these pictures are from the past week. Whereas the north end of the South Island is temperate rainforest filled with palm-leaved trees and lots of water everywhere, my surroundings now are much more similar to eastern Oregon or Montana. We've put quite a few miles... er, kilometers.. on the van recently trying to tick off rivers that Josh visited 2 years ago, as well as some creeks that I wanted to see but knew I wouldn't reach without a vehicle once they left.

The road atlas we've been using notes all the Lord of the Rings filming locations, and we've made our way through half a dozen of the sites in the past few days. Though I have only seen one of the movies (sorry), it certainly does look like we are on the set of the movie as we walk across the hills and fields. Any fans of the series reading might be interested to know that we camped and fished all over the area from the movie known as Fangorn Forest.