Author: Sophie Piearcey

To the Hill Country

I don’t think anyone really wants to spend seven hours stood up, constantly being barged around by passing food vendors, fellow backpackers and pretty much the whole population of Sri Lanka in one train carriage. That is unless that someone is I, it was my birthday and I didn’t care for all those things that may have dampened my day. I was in Sri Lanka, on one of the most beautiful train journeys in the world heading to my most anticipated destination and birthday cake was on the horizon. I was happy! Granted it was hot and there were no seats but we were heading for Ella, the mysterious tea plantation town up in the hill country.

I had researched this town before any other while we were planning this trip. I knew I wanted to spend days hiking, exploring and drinking as much tea as humanly possible. We boarded the famous train in Hatton, thinking we may miss the tourist rush and have an easy embarkation. Nope, absolute masses of people arrived just as the train did. There was no being British here, get ready to run, push and squeeze your way onto that train. Like a pack of wild animals the people who had secured the door area at a previous stop didn’t even want to move to let people on and as soon as the wheels started moving again they guarded that area like crazy, no hanging out of the door on this train then.

I was so excited to ride this train, dubbed one of most beautiful journeys in the world. The train climbs higher and higher into the hill country and soon all that surrounds you is luscious tea plantations. Unfortunately due to the train being so full I couldn’t even get near a window let alone the door so my photographs are limited, apart from the split second some guy’s girlfriend braved the toilet, so I hopped in her window seat to snap a few photographs. I assure you, it was beautiful, amazing and breathtaking at times, I am somewhat kind of happy I didn’t focus on taking photographs as I got to sit back, relax and watch the world roll by.

When we reached Ella, we left the station to a bombardment of Tuk Tuk drivers however not one knew where our accommodation was. After a lot of walking up and down the same street, being distracted by puppies and begging a driver to take us to at least the rough location he called our guesthouse and found it. Turns out if we had skipped the train tracks and walked for about 5 minutes we would have been there a hell of a lot quicker. We had arrived and our host was waiting with the biggest pot of tea, a full bunch of bananas and the majority of Ella’s biscuit supply. I wasn’t complaining. After dumping our bags we pretty much ran out the door to explore. As we were here for four days I didn’t want to cram everything in to one day. Today was all about walking and a hunt for cake. Ella town is literally one road with bars, cafes and a few shops, so we completed today’s activity in about 8 minutes. We decided to drink more tea and head out for birthday festivities.

I do not function well in heat at all so waking up before 7am in Sri Lanka wasn’t abnormal, all so we could get out and at least enjoy a few hours without turning into a melting candles and listening to me complain for the entirety of the day. Our host (who’s name I never quiet caught when I asked) prepared fresh breakfast everyday at whatever time, perfect!

We were off to explore mini Adam’s peak hoping it would be as amazing as its big brother. Disclaimer, this is not a hike… it’s a gentle walk up a very well-marked path through some beautiful tea plantations. When you reach the top the view is incredible, 360 views of Ella, Ella rock staring right at you and luscious green as far as the eye could see. We decided to keep walking and climb down the hill and up the other side, this required a little more effort especially under the rising midday sun, thank the lord for headscarves. But boy it was worth it, more views, more green and a perfectly placed rock for you to sit on for some epic photographs. We spent a lot of time sitting at the top here, watching the people, the view and burning so bad that for the next week I sported a lovely red collar. After deciding we would comeback one evening we descended straight into the hotel at the bottom of the hill for shade and juice. Robbie, now a green tea master was on a mission to sample the best while in Ella so started his quest right away.

After lapping up the fan cooled terrace and paying for my overpriced juice (the view was worth it ) we went in search of the famous 9 arch bridge. There are multiple ways to get to the bridge, one being by Tuk Tuk but we were well keen for some more hot humid air to enter our lungs so followed the sign through a forest, the walk down was pleasant and best of all shaded.

The bridge is a pretty impressive piece of architecture, Robbie has a thing about bricks being a builder and all so I was fully educated about arches and other brick related facts by the time we left. Being the world’s clumsiest person, like I can literally trip over my own shadow, I was banned from standing or sitting on the bridge wall. Robbie however is well-balanced so happily climbed up and perfected his posing for me.

After some time waiting for a train and trying to keep the sun off my already sunburned body we started the climb back up. I probably didn’t mention the cows on the way down because they were to the side of the path happily chomping away on the long grass. Now, what looked like the biggest female, possibly pregnant cow was obscuring our path. She didn’t look particularly mean but those sharp horns on her head did and I didn’t fancy my chances getting past her to leap over a fallen tree that she had taken up residence guarding. After deliberating how to get past, clapping loudly and politely asking the cow to move Robbie just went for it. The bloody daredevil, he made it over the log narrowly escaping a horn to his nether regions. I however am not that brave. After a good ten minutes staring at the cow we had attracted quite a crowd, no one brave enough to take the leap. Until, a wee English girl appeared, obviously quiet eager to reach the bridge… I quote “its just a cow, what’s everyone so scared of” as she clambered over the log to be met by a very stern headbutt to the left leg. Luckily her leg hit the cow’s forehead and she narrowly missed being impaled on one of the horns. Sheepishly returning to the back of her group and blaming the rest of the crowd for not warning her another fifteen minutes had passed. It was time to climb through the trees, fallen logs and whatever else may lie on the hill adjacent to the cow. Just as me and a fellow traveler trapped on the south side of the cow started to climb we heard its bell chiming away, the old girl had decided that was enough drama for today and moved to the side of the path for some fresher greens.

Accidents avoided we were back in Ella town sipping on some cold drinks & banana leaf curry in no time.

 

When I was Eight years old a relative of mine visited Sri Lanka. A country I had never heard of, the child in me could only imagine what a small Asian island in the middle of the ocean could be like. They showed me photographs and gifted me a wooden elephant from a place called Pinnawala. They told me the elephants walked down to the river alone as you stood and watched. Shop owners would pull down their shutters and you could buy paper made from Elephant poo. I have been obsessed with Elephants my whole life so since then it had a firm place on my bucket list… 17 years later I was stood on the same platform they once did, watching and listening to these majestic, beautiful animals.

It was our third and final day in Kandy and we wanted to exploring somewhere out of the city. After once again declining a very expensive tour to a different Elephant place we jumped in the standard 300 Rupee Tuk Tuk to the train station. We grabbed some snacks from our friend who also happens to be a walking talking train timetable and jumped on the train just in time toward Rambukkana. It cost us 70 Rupees each and we found a window seat in second class.

It was there we met Nathaniel, a 67-year-old preacher. He spoke to us for the duration of the journey wanting to know about our lives, our family, and the trip we were on. The conversation topics varied from snow to marriage to politics and photography. He educated us about God and how one day he had a dream that lead to the desire to speak to foreign tourists, he fully believed that God put him on the earth to do just that. He referred to our conversation as a divine meeting and one he will remember. He made sure we knew how to reach our final destination; we shook hands and parted ways.

Another short Tuk Tuk ride to Pinnawala. The driver, the touts outside and the guys back at the hostel all tried to make us go to another Elephant place where you could ride, touch, bathe and feed the elephants. In terms of Elephant tourism and all the things we should be avoiding we declined and paid our entrance fee to Pinnawala.

The grounds were pretty empty, just some of the workers clearing up a huge piles of leaves mixed with elephant poop. We followed a school ground up the hill to the place where the elephants were hiding.

They were in a huge paddock, out of sight from the entranceway. It was super early but the sun had just started to beat down. I regrettably ran towards the elephants to only be covered in sweat a few seconds later. Nothing at this moment really mattered though, there was about 65 Elephants in front of me, eating, playing, throwing dust around and flapping those huge beautiful ears. We stood behind the rocks and watched them until I couldn’t take the heat any longer. The school groups had a viewing at the other end of the paddock where some baby elephants were getting bottle fed by the members of the staff. We walked over but the crowd was far too big and the children were a little to excitable for us so we slowly walked down to the river where you can watch the elephants bathe for the afternoon.

Just as we started to leave so did the rest of the group, not people no, I mean the Elephants. It was magical; they walked as a herd, trunks and tails swinging simultaneously. Resembling a somewhat loosely supervised school trip & that iconic Elephant scene from Jungle Book, they paraded their huge wrinkly bums down to the river. Shop owners hastily pulled down shutters and batted away roaming trunks with their hands. When they got to the river we took some time taking photos from the platform and then retreated to the fan cooled restaurant overlooking the water. It was pure bliss. The smile on my face was the biggest it had ever been and I couldn’t believe I was this close watching the Elephants frolic and play with each other.

Around two hours later the Mahouts gathered up the naughty strays that had wandered further downstream and walked them back toward the group. Knowing it was near dinner time the Herd all packed together and made their way back up the street. Dodging the elephant poop we followed them and waved them back home.

Down the road after indulging in a delicious Sri Lankan lunch and being told sternly I couldn’t take all the wooden elephants home we jumped back in a Tuk Tuk bound for the train station & Kandy.

Elephant conservation and elephant tourism is rife in the media at the moment. I’m sure it was once on everybody’s bucket list to ride an Elephant, that was until the videos of how they are treated prior to Human interaction surfaced. I had done my research, spoke to locals and others who had visited to Pinnawala and they all assured me it wasn’t cruel. They don’t provide you with contact and for me it was a chance to see these beautiful creatures up close without feeling like I had to interact with them. The whole time we were at Pinnawala we saw two chains. One draped around an elephants neck to aid him as he walked. He was blind and the Mahouts touched the chain in the direction they wanted him to walk. The other was draped around the neck and loosely attached to the foot of a younger looking elephant, after some chatting and enquiring it turns out he was a runner and to protect him & the public during the walk to the river they have to slow down his walking, when he reached the river they took it off. I will never exploit an animal for my own pleasure, nor would I engage in any activity knowing that animal could be under stress. What I saw at Pinnawala warmed my heart. A conservation area for these magical creatures, allowing them to roam free around the grounds, down to the river and back to the feeding ground. The Mahouts were caring, played with the elephants and provided a safe viewing environment for us. I understand that people have strong views about any kind of animal encounters but for me this one was pretty safe and I walked away feeling content after seeing how happy they were.

The hottest rock in the world

 

After politely refusing the hostel staff’s very expensive offer to join them on a tour to Sigiriya we decided to go at it alone. We were told the journey would be awful, we would be stood up on a packed bus for four hours and you wont have enough time to climb the rock. All of the above turned out to be false & we had a great little adventure to that big rock up North.

We started the day chatting to a food vendor near the bus station and pointing to his various delicacies, hoping something would taste normal and somewhat breakfast like. After going back for seconds (Vegetable roti’s & spicy egg rolls are definitely the way forward even at 7am ) and enjoying a strong Sri Lankan Coffee we headed to the bus station just around the corner.

Just catch the big red bus… the food vendor said, there were about 15 red buses all lined up ready to go. We both looked at each other and laughed, we were determined to make sure this day worked out, one as it was our first proper day exploring and secondly to prove a certain tour master wrong! Suddenly about 10 Sri Lankan men came to our rescue, they must have sensed the confusion on our little lost faces. Sigiriya only had to be said once and we were frog marched to an empty bay, 7.30am sharp they all barked at us and just like that the bus arrived at 7.25 am and left at 7.30am on the dot. The bus was only ¼ full meaning we got the window seat for the whole ride. We paid the driver 130 Rupees and sat back for the 2 and a half hour journey slowly watching the city turn into backcountry and the sun rise higher.

After passing through Dambulla, we were dropped at the entrance to Sigiriya, or what we thought was the entrance. The bus drops you at the main road, right next to the rock. You can see it, great, straight past that guard then… Nope! Get walking round to the actual entrance. I mean the walk is nice and you follow the moat and maybe even get to see the monkeys swinging around in the tree’s like we did but, oh my it was hot! Sri Lanka is so hot. I have never ever experienced heat like it. Even when the Sun wasn’t out fully I was sporting that fresh out of the shower look.

It was nearing midday that meant we were just about to climb a huge rock with no shade, accompanied by every school group in Sri Lanka during the hottest part of the day. We didn’t really have a choice; we bought our tickets and joined the school children heading for the start. It’s not that the climb is hard, because it’s not and if it wasn’t for the mass of kids we would have reached the top in half the time. The heat was slowing us down. We were downing all our water & hiding under tiny bits of shade while we got our breath back. When we reached the top, eventually. In true dramatic Sophie style I nearly passed out, the heat was far too much for me and I needed to sit even though sitting down on the rock felt like sitting on a BBQ I again had no choice.

Once I had regained my strength and stopped putting on a show for all the tourists we walked around the fortress. The fortress complex is made up of gardens, ponds and a ruined palace on the top of the rock. It was designed to resemble a huge lion but all that remains are its paws at the base of the rock. Sigiriya originates from the word Sihagri which translates to Lion rock. The palace was built to protect King Kasyapa and named the new capital, he built the palace so he could view the land below and watch for approaching armies. He even built a swimming pool up there and a wall of mirrors and paintings dating back to 495 CE are still in existence on the rock.

The view is incredible. You can see for miles and miles and the land is so luscious and green. After spending as much time as humanly possible without turning into melting puddles on the top we descended hoping for some air con in the museum. The walkway fixed to the side of the rock is not for the faint hearted or the woman in front of me for that matter who clung to the railing. I had to squeeze my way round or face still being stuck up there now.

We wandered around the grounds, followed a lizard for a while and then found the museum. Wanting to learn more about the rock and hoping we would find somewhere cool we spent an hour reading about the archeology of the rock. Fascinating as it all was we had to take it in turns to read out the plaques as the other stood in front of the lone standing air fans dotted around the room.

We started the walk back to the bus stop, or at least where we hoped the bus stop would be. Turns out we made it just in time for the bus to Dambulla only 50 Rupees for this ride, we then changed buses for a direct 100 Rupee ride back to Kandy. As soon as we got on it was busy and we knew this would be our fate the whole journey back however a kind local man offered me his seat and Robbie stood up pretty much the whole way – he claimed it was cooler stood up and he was enjoying the view and the breeze, rather you than me kid!

Instead of heading straight back to the hostel, we had a walk around the lake and went to find food. Above a bakery down one of the main streets we found The Spice room. A locals hang out, quick, delicious, mystery food awaited us. As there was no signs or menu, it was pure guesswork. We pointed at around 4 dishes and hoped for the best. What we ate was spicy, tasty and bloody delicious all rolled into one for around $2.50 between us, Bargin!

Sirigya was such a great little adventure even if I did loose half my body weight in sweat. The locals refer to Sirigiya as the 8th wonder of the world. I’m happy we got to take home memories from an important place in the Sri Lankan history books.

 

Welcome to Sri Lanka

We boarded the plane after a whirlwind few days in Sydney heading to the first destination on our trip. Sri Lanka, a little off the beaten path, not as popular as the rest of Asia at the moment and about to come across two very excited backpackers. After zero travelling for a year due to waiting for our NZ residency we were so ready for this trip. Everything was planned out loosely, my backpack was so full I was afraid I would be collecting single items from the airport conveyor belt and my excitement levels just peaked that high I struggled to even sleep on the plane!

My bag entered Colombo airport in one piece, however when Robbie lifted it off the belt it ripped, the whole strap ripped from the bottom up, the buckle fell off and I was left with a gaping hole. Luckily Robbie had a spare bag liner so I was able to wrap it around my bag to avoid any spillage and a trail of underwear following me everywhere we went. It was hot and it was also super late. We didn’t arrive to Colombo until 11pm. After collecting our bags we quickly booked a taxi with the closest tout as our priority was to wash and sleep. The taxi ride took around 45 mins from the airport and then 20 mins extra trying to find our accommodation. Driving down the back alleys of Colombo in the dead of night was slightly unnerving. Eventually we found our guesthouse, a very tired, old-looking guy wearing a skirt answered the gate after us banging continually for ten mins, we refused to let the taxi driver leave, as we didn’t want to be stranded or the local stray dogs late night snack.

The next morning after a beautiful chilly nights sleep under the air-con we jumped in a Tuk Tuk and headed for the train station. The driver stopped at the best bakery for some train treats that Robbie had eaten before we even got there. The train stations are everything I had imagined. Busy, bustling and full of life. If you have ever seen Slumdog Millionaire that’s what it reminded me of. We had missed the train by seven minutes so we sat and waited two hours for the next one. I kept myself entertained people watching, taking photos and drinking as much as I possibly could, it was hot in the station, we had hit midday and the daily rush hour.

We made a friend. We didn’t get his name but he made sure we boarded the train safely and even helped with my bag, this is after waving at us for the two hours previous. He then handed me a piece of paper, which explained he was deaf and worked at the station helping tourists for tips. I tipped him, of course I did, I’m a sucker for a friendly face and some local help.

 

The train ride was BEAUTIFUL! We sat back and watched Sri Lanka roll by en route to Kandy. Second class was comfortable and cheap. A 3 and a half hour journey cost us around $2 each. When we reached Kandy we hailed a Tuk Tuk, wedged our bags in the back and went to find our hostel.

The rain came down like no tomorrow, it was so heavy and paired with thick fog meant our first day in Kandy consisted of a lot of trip planning & tea drinking. We decided to make the journey to Sigiriya the next day and Pinnawala for our last day, getting back in time to explore the rest of Kandy city. Over some Lion beers & a green curry we had already found a way to get to Sigiriya and Pinnawala despite the hostel staff relentlessly trying to sell us overpriced tours. We didn’t really like the hostel we stayed at, Hipsters Hangout was also the hangout for the owners friends who would bring their huge dogs and trucks right into the bar area. It was a weird set up with a few desperado girls working for free on the promise of a new Vegan café opening in the centre. However it was a bed for the night and the beers were cold so we saw past the weird vibe.

When the rain cleared we went straight out to explore. 300 Rupees seemed to be the standard price for any Tuk Tuk ride big or small. Joining the rat race of Asian roads is somewhat satisfying and gives you that real travelling buzz however when you’ve seen one Asian city you feel like you have seen them all.

We did a lot of wandering, a ride up to the big white Buddha that overlooks the city and some haggling. Haggling for Tuk Tuks and also a skirt so I could visit the temple of the tooth respectfully.

Robbie didn’t seem to fussed so took up residence on a bench by the lake as I hunted around for Buddah’s tooth. The tooth is only brought out once a year for the parade and the rest of the time is kept in a box behind a huge wooden door surrounded by golden gates and golden Lions. As I waited patiently for the cleaner to finish slopping his dirty mop over the golden Lions heads so I could take a few photographs I watched some children during prayer, lit a candle for my loved ones and wandered around the grounds some more, running toward any shade for my poor shoeless feet.

Kandy is pretty, the lake is beautiful to walk around, there’s culture, hustle, bustle and plenty of authentic eateries to keep your mouth-watering. I’m happy we only spent the time we did there and used it as a base to visit other places. For the first few days of settling back into the ways of living out of a backpack, it was perfect but now get me to that hill country and those beautiful palm tree-lined beaches!

5000 steps to sunrise

I have never been a religious person, but something in that moment came over me. I felt like I needed to tell the people I had lost that I loved them. Maybe it was the overwhelming sense of achievement I felt from finally sitting down after climbing 5200 steps to the summit, maybe it was because I was surrounded by a multitude of different people and religions or maybe it was because in my head I thought this was the only moment I would ever be close enough to heaven to say hello. Nothing really mattered; I bowed my head, said my piece and continued to huddle up to Robbie, my personal windbreak and biscuit supplier.

Adams peak is regarded one of the most sacred places on earth, also know as Sri Pada, the huge somewhat intimidating peak of 2243m is located near Hatton in the central highlands of Sri Lanka. For Sri Lankans, Adams peak is an important pilgrimage site and many make the trip at least once in their lifetime to climb and witness the spectacular sunrise. Depending on who you are speaking to Adam’s peak holds different religious significance. The Buddhists claim it is the footprint left by Buddha on his was to Paradise. The Hindus consider the footprint to belong to Lord Shiva. The Muslims and Christians believe it was Adams first step on earth after he left the Garden of Eden. More poetically the mountain is also known as Butterfly mountain (Samanalakande), a place that butterflies go to die.

We were in Kandy, planning our next move. I had wanted to visit Adams Peak since the minute we pressed buy on the flights. I wanted to complete a pilgrimage, mingle with the locals and also tick off a sunrise hike from the bucket list. After packing up our bags and leaving our hostel we hailed down a Tuk Tuk, 300 Rupees later we were all three trying to pull our wedged bags out a space big enough for a pineapple. Our train didn’t leave for another half an hour so plenty of time to wolf down some vegetable Rotti’s, Egg sandwiches and the strongest Sri Lankan coffee known to man. After the same spiel as yesterday from the vendor about being able to exchange our foreign cash at a very good price he soon recognised our faces and we paid for our discount breakfast (It’s always funny in Asia how prices can change from day-to-day) and ran for the train.

Running with 20KG on your back is never fun, neither is trying to board the busiest train know to mankind. The popular Colombo – Ella train passed though Hatton, which is where we needed to depart. There were more people on that train that I have ever seen before, we eventually managed to push through to the back of carriage and sit on our backpacks. The unsteadiness of the train and the constant stream of vendors made for a super uncomfortable journey, we were just happy our train ride was going to end after a few hours. The vendors wander up and down the train selling drinks, refreshments, hot nuts and some very unfortunate looking Sri Lankan delicacies that no one dare try. About ten minutes into our journey we realised the cart next to us had plenty more room and a seat with our name on. The English fellow closest to the door tried to prise it open, no luck, it was locked, until one of the said vendors came along, unlocked it with his magic key and with a bit of a scuffle and a very loud NO he pushed the burly English guy back into the ram packed cart. We later found out that was a reserved carriage for pre paid ticket holders.

We were a little dubious about putting our bags under the bus when we arrived at Hatton train station, but after some reassurance from the Irish couple also heading to Dalhousie we threw our bags on and paid 70 Rupees for a 2 hour bus ride, which dropped us right outside our accommodation. Bonus point goes to the food vendor who got on the bus and gave us two ice creams for $1, Robbie sure knows how to treat a gal. Fed, watered and watching the tea plantations roll by we sat back and enjoyed the ride en route to our accommodation.

Ayo’s hill was just perfect, great location, great food, super friendly staff & a beautiful view of Adams peak from the balcony. We choose to walk the 2.5km in to the town to see what was going on, nothing, literally nothing was going on. All the markets are closed and only open at night to supply hats and woollens for the ascent up Adams Peak. The walk in however was beautiful, we both felt like we had landed in the real Sri Lanka, tea plantations everywhere, beautiful views and a reassuring sense of calm. We decided to pay the 200 rupees for a Tuk Tuk back to the hotel and realised the short 2.5 km we had walked turned out to be a whole lot longer. We took up residence on the balcony, drinking tea and watching the magical lights of Adams peak start to appear in the distance. It was beautiful, like a stairway to heaven illuminated in the black of the night sky. It was time to pack our bag and nap before the shuttle bus at 2am.

The mini bus screeched round the corner, quickly stopped and we were all bundled in, he was late and ever so apologetic. We started to walk around 2.45am which would have been earlier if Robbie hadn’t decided he need to fuel up on Sri Lankan coffee & spicy Rotti’s. I prayed his stomach would make it to the top.

The walk was great… to start. I had a spring in my step, lungs full of chilled air and a heart full of excitement. I had just been blessed by Buddhist monks, who wished me well on my journey, tied a white ribbon around my wrist and bid us farewell and good luck. Little did I know that a few hours later I would be needing their prayers. Shops, tea houses and lights pave the way as well as the monstrous 5200 steps all varying in size, width and determination. Small metal handrails frequently made an appearance, which for me became a godsend as I hauled my tiring body further toward the summit. At one moment I has to stop myself being so dramatic as I watched a guy who looked a little older than me, stride past, carrying a child over each shoulder, his what looked like 90-year-old, barefoot grandmother wasn’t to far behind.

We came to a tea house and before I knew it Robbie had a sugary, red-hot tea in my hand giving me that extra bit of life I needed to complete the hike. I should probably be saying a huge thank you to Robbie at this point the little trooper, not only having to endure the physical side of the hike (which he seemed to breeze through) but also the emotional wailing of his dramatic girlfriend from behind.

There were moments when I doubted my calves, my will power and myself to step just one more time. That was until the path got thinner, the lines got a little longer and the air go so much colder. I regret smugly wondering why everyone was so wrapped up on the ascent as I sweated bucket loads, they were preparing for the whips of cold wind that greeted you at the top.

As soon as we reached the top a whole wave of relief swept over me, we had made it. It was still dark and I was definitely getting emotional. We walked round, rang the bell and kept the blood pumping round our bodies. We sat with a huge group of people on some steps, huddling to keep warm, layering up and eating the remains of our biscuit supply. We decided to walk round again and stand on the other side of the pagoda. We just happened to stand in the best spot for Sunrise.

Everyone started to congregate around us, using Robbie as my protective shield to ensure my photographs wouldn’t be affected, we waited. I didn’t quiet know what to expect, I had never really experienced a sunrise properly before, kind of always waking up as the sky is pink and thinking that was it. Then it happened, a murmur ran through the crowd and the smallest edge of the sun peeked over the mountain in the distance and the whole of Adams peak erupted, clapping, cheering, a band, yes a band started to play. The sun was rising and we were all excited. A perfect, round ball of fire rose higher and higher into the sky casting the most incredible colours over the land below, slowly illuminating all the shadows… it was possibly one of the most magical experiences of my life.

The people of Sri Lanka, the travellers, the keen hikers, everyone in that moment was experiencing and feeling the same thing. Buzzing with excitement and emotion, we let the crowds thin so I could take more photos, appreciate that view for a few seconds longer and then we decided to descend. The wind had started to pick up and I wasn’t getting any warmer standing still. We walked slowly down, one for the sake of my knee and two to soak in the views we missed on the ascent in the pitch black. It was breathtakingly beautiful. We walked down, a steady few hours it took, thanks to my camera and me. I just felt like I needed to capture every moment of this journey.

As soon as we hit the bottom and had worked our way through the biggest pile of toast with the view of Adams peak against the bright blue sky and the early morning sun a sense of achievement washed over me. I will forever cherish that moment, those memories and I said quietly to myself that I hope we will still be hiking to special places when were 70 years old…

I may or may not of shed another tear at this point.

Disclaimer – my legs refused any functioning activity for the next two days however every inch on pain was worth it.

 

Nearly two years in and I still haven’t seen you with my own eyes, the famous Aoraki was just a fridge magnet holding up my recipes and endless images being shared through various Instagram profiles. It was time! Robbie’s parents had come all the way from sunny Stratford upon Avon to visit us and they wanted to cram as much in as possible. Pretty sure with the experiences and amount of leaflets Big G took home they could start their own booking agent.

After an amazing long weekend in The Catlins we all decided that it would be great to get away for their last week somewhere a little different. Mt Cook, it had to be Mt Cook. Is there anything more iconic in the South Island than Mt Cook national park? I layed out my case to the other three travellers and before I knew it we were booked, packed and on the road toward Twizel. Coffee in hand and a long drive ahead I was gifted the front seat and entrusted to not fall asleep.

We drove straight to Mt Cook, only a quick stop for some petrol and we were on the famous winding road towards the village. The road has plenty of viewpoints however I was far to excited so decided to leave these for the way back. We drove down the road for about 40 mins, following a Britz camper the whole way, they were driving slow but I didn’t care, It gave me time to take photos from the car & get all emotional at the first sight of the mountain. I don’t know what it was, maybe I was tired maybe I was being a big girl but as soon as I saw Mt Cook I got teary eyed, it is so beautiful.

We had a great tour of the car park until we finally found a space, Saturday proved to be a busy day on the Hooker Valley track! We watched Graham apply suncream which is an event in itself, wolfed down some food and headed for the track. The time states 2-3 hours return which we could of completed a lot quicker were it not for the amount of people and my desire to take a photograph with every footstep.

Mt Cook is a place that everyone should try and visit in New Zealand, I cant believe it took me so long to get there. It is the highest mountain in New Zealand standing 3724 metres high! It sits in the Southern Alps, the mountain range runs the whole length of the South Island, pretty impressive!

After driving for over three hours everyone was ready to stretch their legs. I was plesently surprised at how easy the track was. No inclines, plenty of room and enough swing bridges to keep you & your acrophobia busy. The sun was beating down, it was so hot & I had decided to wear a hat and a woolly shirt. After a few outfit changes and fully looking like Dora the explorer complete with two cameras hanging from my neck it was time to crack on.

Mt Cook comes in and out of view on the track and when you get to the wooden walkway get ready to have your socks blown off, right there in all its glory is the biggest mountain in New Zealand, Edmund Hillarys best friend and soon to be plastered all over my Instagram feed. We enjoyed the view, marvelled at the icebergs still floating around in the lake and listened to the faint sound of avalanches somewhere in the distance.

I didn’t want to leave, I could of stayed there all day staring at the mountains, but I was hungry and Robbie had beer to drink. Back in the car and taking advantage of being on the right side of the road for the lay by’s we stopped to take the iconic photo to rival my fridge magnet from Peters look out. I found this awesome little house for the night complete with the biggest bed known to man and a hot tub, we were set. Yvette was again cooking up a delicious dinner while we took advantage of the tub in our million star hotel. I have never ever ever in my life seen that many stars. Twizel has very little light pollution so viewing the milky way is just perfect from here.

We visited Lake Tekapo on the route home (well kind of, we drove the other way) but again somewhere everyone should try and see. The lake is a beautiful blue and the town is small enough to walk round with a coffee and off you go.

 

We were soon driving home along the Lindis pass from one of the best adventures I have had in NZ with a very happy heart and a satisfied soul.

 

Way back when we first moved to New Zealand we had visions of packing up a van and exploring every inch of the country. Although this is still the dream applying for our NZ residency has set us back a year so what we did instead was pick destinations off our initial ‘must see’ list and explore at the weekends. The Catlins was never on our initial list… I know I can’t believe it either I must have skipped past the pages in my lonely Planet guide when searching for places to go. Our housemate first introduced us to this magical place and now we are returning with some special visitors. Robbie’s parents have flown over to see us and are eager to explore the country with us. After searching the Internet for a Kiwi Bach to rent for four days I found one with an ocean view and plenty of classic beach hut decor to keep us satisfied, after all I wanted the parents to have a ‘real’ kiwi beach break.

The boot shut! We had literally packed the car like we were leaving the country, we were only going down the coast for four days and may I add to a town where people live an function in (not the desert)  but hey better to be prepared. Robbie took the driving seat and got us safely down to The Catlins in record time, I was allowed to sit in the front seat as long as I didn’t fall asleep, surviving on only one coffee I managed to keep my eyes open the whole way! Pulling up to our weekend getaway was heavenly, the heavens even opened for us. It was raining when we arrived but that didn’t stop us getting straight out for a walk to the iconic Nugget Point lighthouse.

Ever since we met, way back a whole three years ago we did our first ever road trip down the Great Ocean Road in Australia thats where our obsession with Lighthouses started. See a sign, turn off run uncontrollably toward said lighthouse pointing for Robbie to see (I’m sure he can see the Lighthouse) is normally how it goes. This also pretty much sums up the rest of our relationship, a lot of naming objects, people, animals and me pointing to them all… Sheep is a personal favourite.

 

There is something so magical about exploring somewhere new and being able to escape the Queenstown bubble for a few days. The weather was unbelievable, even the locals couldn’t believe it, telling us how lucky we were that the sun was shining. Robbie got a surf in (24 waves to be exact) which meant he was in the best mood all weekend, topped with Avocado and Eggs everyday what more could a boy want! In every local shop, dairy or pub you can find a map of The Catlins detailing all the walks, waterfalls ( queue the TLC song ‘Chasing Waterfalls’ all weekend)  and lookouts you should visit during your stay. I eagerly circled them all and took on the role of chief tour guide for the day. Innocently driving down the road towards a bridge under repair meant a 15km detour on a gravel tack, meaning we had to miss out on a few of the walks further afield but the ones we did were all amazing.

 

I am a sucker for a bush walk and a good waterfall so I was in my element. Everything just looked so beautiful and it was such a perfect day exploring. After visiting Mclean falls, Florence hill lookout and the beautiful Papatowai bush to beach walk we were about ready to retire for some proper New Zealand pub food. The small pub at Kaka Point is such a good spot, beautiful view, beautiful fish and a sunset to knock your socks off. I woke to another amazing sunrise, to which I grabbed my camera and ran for the sea, another breakfast of champions and we were ready for another day full of waterfall hunting. All the car parks are so clearly marked you would be crazy to miss them and all paths that lead to the waterfalls are short but sweet. You are surrounded by the rainforest, you feel like you are in a totally different world. After starring in a few of Grahams home videos (I kept reminding Robbie to think of the memories for the grandkids ha!) we headed back to our wee batch for one last night.

 

Race car driver Robbie drove far to fast home which meant we could fit in anther adventure to Jacks Blowhole, after driving down a gravel path for a long long time we reached Jack’s bay… my oh my this place was incredible, surrounded by huge white cliffs and an open bay I think we just found another slice of NZ paradise. The beach was lined with the most idyllic batches and small houses, after choosing which one we would love to own we walked along the beach and then up to Jacks Blow hole, a 45 min return walk. It was beautiful, so beautiful I couldn’t stop taking photographs at every viewpoint.

The best thing about parents coming to visit?? Mums home cooked meals! Yvette can cook up an absolute storm in the kitchen and it was very much appreciated after a full day out exploring The Catlins. I love how homely the Kiwi Bach’s are… A Bach is the name for a sweet little holiday home on the coast for anyone who didn’t know (It is also pronounced Batch) They come fully equipped and have such a great feel to them, ours had family pictures decorating the walls which made me so happy to think a family somewhere in NZ has precious memories in this sweet little house. You could sit on the sofa, at the table or in the porch and see the waves rolling in. It was just beautiful.

We were blessed with the weather, the company and it is definitely four days we won’t be forgetting any time soon!

We were already two hours past my intended start time. Coffee, breakfast snacks and a hazy morning drive over the crown range were all contributors to this but it didn’t matter the sun was shining and I was about to tick another hike off my list. Isthmus peak is the lesser know sibling of Roys Peak in Wanaka, similar level of fitness is required as is your camera for that iconic summit shot. We parked up in the car park, lathered ourselves in sun cream and off we went. Now either I’m getting fitter or this hike isn’t as hard as Roy’s peak, I’m going to stick with the latter. Isthmus peak doesn’t seem as intense, it’s not so much of a deadly incline to the top, however it is deceiving, when you reach a level of elevation where the lake below you looks far away and the Southern Alps start to really show off you think you must be at the summit… you’re not, Keep going and going and going. I was adding time by stopping and taking photos until Robbie reminded me that the view will still be there on the way down, let’s get to the summit. I think someone was getting a little hangry.

The sun was beating down on us w had to stop to wolf down our pack up and drank 2/3 of the water we brought as we had reached yet another deceiving corner… this hike is sneaky! Then the wind came, the coldest harshest wind, but we had reached a sign. I had read about the sign and how to keep to the right. I could see the Summit!  We were so close, just one more big push up the hill. When we eventually got there the view was amazing, Lake Hawea on one side, Lake Wanaka on the other and mountain tops as far as the eye can see. There’s a euphoric feeling that rushes through you when you summit a mountain, something I can’t quiet explain. After spending some time taking in the landscape, taking photographs and concentrating on not getting blown away by the wind, it was time to descend.

I like the descent, not for the obvious reason of ease (as I have a very dodgy knee) so for me it’s actually quiet painful but for the view, everything you missed on the way up is right there, while you were concentrating on breathing and hydrating. It’s now time to take it all in and extra time for photos of course. The view from the summit was impressive but I don’t think as amazing as the way down, you can now appreciate the mountain in all her glory.

We had booked a little hostel room in Wanaka for the night and ended up dancing, consuming so much Guinness and chicken wings then falling back into bed in the early hours. Maybe it was our bodies was of celebrating the hike we had put it through earlier. After spending the morning hunting for a good breakfast spot we settled our hangover tummys with poached eggs, avo & bacon… and silly amounts of tea of course. The day was beautiful, the lake was crystal clear and we paddled out on a rented double kayak as far as our little arms would take us, it was so serene.

 

How do I find the hikes we do? I trawl Instagram for a good amount of time in the week, choose a place I want to see and then hope that their is a designated path to said place. For example Wye Creek, I had heard about it, seen some pictures and then heard it was a ten hour one way hike through to the back of The Remarkables, which would be amazing but I didn’t feel like my level of fitness was quite up there yet. However there is a wooden platform that is way more accessible and didn’t look to far away from the lake, surely only a few hours hike… it was! YEY!

We set off on a cloudy Saturday morning, fuelled with coffee in search for the car park, naturally we drove past it as I was in charge of directions, quick U Turn and we decided to park up on the opposite side of the road to save the wheel of our car the trauma of an unsealed road. I was so excited I practically ran the first bit of the track, which is an actual road, for anyone that has a 4 x 4 you can skip most of the hike by driving halfway up. The ‘real’ track climbs up through the bush, up and up and up, it had rained the night before so it was a little slippy but still fairly easy, just a little steeper than Queenstown Hill. When we reached the water station, which is incredible, we spent some time just watching the water… it was so blue and so powerful, I was convinced we could of had a little dip just under the waterfall but Robbie said we would be pulled over the edge. We started to climb again to the left of the station, winding up through the tree’s, I had a feeling we were going the wrong way, by wrong way I mean away from the platform.

We were in fact on the actual Wye Creek track to The Remarkables. So we turned round and crossed over the huge water pipe, carry on walking on top of the pipe, there is a rail and two pieces of wood laid down to keep you stable..the rail I needed as my legs were all shaky knowing there was a huge drop under the pipe & finally the platform comes into view. Climb the ladder and the view is incredible, Lake Wakatipu framed by the mountains and Queenstown just in the distance. We had the platform to ourselves and enjoyed a picnic listening to the raging Wye Creek waterfall next to us. The descent was way easier and quicker despite me being like an 80 year old lady unable to steady myself on even flat ground… but I made it even if I have to slip down on my backside at times!

We have walked Wye Creek twice now, both on great weather days and exploring a little more on the second time, we walked around the edge, past the platform, this is where people go to rock climb, proper rock climbing with ropes and clips, I watched one woman scale a full cliff face in the time it took me to eat my sandwich! The view is amazing and Robbie had a little photography lesson at the top. I have an SLR that has been collecting dust for about a year as I am a religious user of my Fujifilm X100t so Robbie picked up the Nikon and my 85mm portrait lens and is now up to speed about Aperture and F-stops! I think Wye Creek just became my new favourite hang out, I can’t wait to go back in the Summer and attempt the ‘real’ track up into the Remarkables!