The Not-So-Patient Patient
For someone who loves being active, my worst nightmare is sustaining an injury. At the end of October I was booked up for a week away which included a 4-day hike amongst the Southern Alps. It’s been about 2 years since I’ve done an overnight hike, and when I booked the trip I was immensely excited at the thought of getting back into hiking again, and exploring a part of New Zealand that I haven’t been to before. Unfortunately, after over a month of finding sitting and bending painful and uncomfortable thanks to a compressed spinal disc, I’m coming to terms with the fact that the trip isn’t going to happen. 3 weeks into my treatment, I’ve had a big improvement thankfully, but not enough to make the trip a reality this year. I’m gutted.
Spending a lot of time lying down these days, I’ve passed a lot of hours perusing the internet, and find myself getting jealous of all the traveller’s bucket lists that I’ve come across. When I think about it, I don’t have one. Or at least, not in the truest sense, but since moving to New Zealand, I’ve mentally grown an ever increasing list of things I want do in this country. This is the closest I ever plan to form a bucket list, but given that I’m having to cancel my hiking trip, I have a lot of time on my hands to mull over all the things that I want to make happen, as well as sitting in awe watching the stunning television programme Wild About New Zealand. Watch this space…
Visit Stewart Island- Hike the 10 Great Walks (Lake Waikaremoana,
Tongariro Northern Circuit, Whanganui Journey,Abel Tasman Coast Track,Heaphy Track,Kepler Track,Milford Track,Routeburn Track,Rakiura Track, Paparoa Track) - Cycle the Otago Rail trail
- Ride the Mountain to Sea cycle trail
Visit Fiordland National ParkSee the CatlinsVisit Napier & Hawke’s Bay- Hike the many trails around Cape Reinga
Visit the Chatham IslandsGo caving through Cave Stream in CanterburySee a kiwi in the wildSee a tuatara in the wildHike the Tongariro Alpine CrossingSee the giant Maori face at Lake TaupoWalk through the Redwood forests near RotoruaDrive the coast road round Coromandel- Hike through the Waitakere range
Walk the sands of Farewell Spit- Abseil into Harwood’s hole
See some yellow-eyed penguins in the wildWalk the Hooker Valley TrackSee the Milky Way- See the Aurora Australis (Southern lights)
Visit Nelson Lakes National ParkClimb Avalanche PeakHeli-hike Fox/Franj-JosefglacierVisit Mt MaunganuiBoat up the Dart riverHike the Queen Charlotte TrackGo to Kapiti Island- See Punehu Falls
- See Owharoa Falls
Visit Quail Island- Go to Karangahake Gorge
See Mt TaranakiDiscover Orakei KorakoClimb the lighthouse steps at Cape PalliserWalk round Lake MangamahoeSee Sutherland FallsVisit Lake MathesonGo to Hobbiton- Visit the tree church in Ohaupo
See tunnel beach near DunedinClimb Ben LomondVisit the crystal clear waters of Te Waikoropupu SpringsSee the Putangirua Pinnacles in Aorangi Forest ParkSee Oparara ArchVisit Te Waihou Blue Springs- Visit Motatapu Gorge
- Walk through the Labyrinth Rocks walkway
- See Whale Bay
- Visit New Chum’s beach
- See Bridal Veil Falls near Raglan
Visit Tiritiri Matangi island in the Hauraki Gulf- See Rere falls
Visit Cape KidnappersVisit Castlepoint lighthouseWalk the Hump Ridge TrackVisit Orokonui EcoSanctuary- Visit Rotoroa Island
- Hike up to Mueller Hut
- Visit Matiu/Sommes Island
- Hike up to Gertrude Saddle
- Visit New Zealand’s Subantarctic islands
- Walk the Te Araroa track – a 120 day tramp from the northern tip of the North Island to the southern tip of the South Island. Very much a pipe dream, but something to daydream about anyway!
Edit: I am excited to get my hiking trip rescheduled for early 2014. Fingers crossed I stay injury free!