cold camping conditions

Wellington Harbour
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When you're over in Japan, during winter, and someone suggests going camping in the south island for new years, to somewhere you have never explored, what do you say?  Yes! Of course you say yes.  Well that is what we did when Ali put forward the idea to go camping with his friend Cam.  What we weren't to know is just how cold the new zealand summer was going to be.  Still, if the worse thing one can say about a camping trip is that the nights made ones nipples hard, well, I'd say it was a pretty damn good trip (some people also happen to love hard nipples).

Karen, Ali, Andy and Banks admire the beauty of the South Island
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Karen, Ali, Banks, Andy C and myself spent four days over New Years tucked away in Mistletoe Bay, in the Malborough Sounds, having a low key time.  While I may have come across as a waa going on about the cold weather, to be fair we did put on thermals, beanies, jumpers, jackets and scarves at night, but, during the day it was generally warm while in the sun.  Most days were blue skies and low levels of wind, which is always a welcome relief after being in Wellington!

We did a lot of sitting round talking shit and just hanging out.  We went on some small hikes, a couple of runs, and drank a fair bit of beer.  We were fortunate to be "living" in a lovely little spot at the camping site away from the other campers except another of Ali's friends, Dave, and his fiancee Rachel.  Dave and Rachel were awesome.  They were super friendly, fun and chilled out, but also came with the added bonus that their tent/quarters had everything you could ever need while camping.  What's that you want a pepper grinder?... check!

Picton
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The campsite itself was a DOC (department of conservation) campsite and as such had a bare minimum of facitilities.  But it had all we needed, a toilet block with hot showers!  The campsite was awesome and quiet with only about 12 other car loads of people camping there.

The views from the bush walks we did, and from the campsite itself, were breath taking.  New Zealand is stunning, really a site to behold.  We didn't get to walk too much of the queens charlottes track, but from one walk we did we found a great look out over the ocean and mountains around us.

a couple of our tents. We got them up in pretty good time too.
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New years eve was exactly what Karen and I had been hoping for.  We spent the night playing drinking games with our small group.  I taught everyone Pyramid, which went down a treat, and gave a huge helping hand to bringing CK out for the night, much to everyone's enjoyment.  Andy C frustrated the crap out of everyone with a game he learnt while travelling around Europe, very funny to watch as I was "in on it" to help him pull it off.  Once the countdown was nearing we all armed ourselves with glowsticks, provided through Dave from the NZ Army, and made our way down to the waterfront for the countdown.

Ali enjoys a nice cold one
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3,2,1...HAPPY NEW YEAR!  Kisses and hugs all round, and there we had it, Karen and I had entered into the year we were to be married in.  A large group of us made our way to the wharf, sticking together to make sure we weren't kidnapped aboard a sloon, for some craziness.  Cam stood tall, and naked, and jumped off the jetty into the rather cold water below.  It was really the simplest, fastest way to solidify oneself as "the man of new years 2007".  Go cam, go!

The next morning, with a slightly later start than normal, we filed into Ali and Banks' tent for some 2 minute noodles, the most necessary item for any camping trip.  After brunch we packed some light bags and headed off for a walk.  We soon found our way to join a section of the famous 'Queen Charlottes Track'.  While the track itself wasn't quite what I had expected, the views it provided were stunning.  Looking out over the Sounds on a sun filled afternoon, with friends and loved ones by your side, is the perfect way to start any year.

Mistletoe Bay - our home for new years
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That night, after rescuing the main tent from potential flooding, we enjoyed some low key drinks under the awning while the rain fell lightly next to us.  Another great evening of camping was savoured.

With most of the campsite heading out the following day we were faced with a potential problem.  How do we get ourselves, and our gear out, and back to picton for the ferry?  We had got a ride from picton to the campsite by Cam and Dave, who had been kind enough to drive the hour of windy roads to collect us.  Now they were leaving, and with not enough room to fit us all in we had some problem solving skills to utilise.  Ali got onto it, chucked all our gear, and our two female companions, Kaz and Banks, into Daves ute and sent them on their way to Picton.  Ali, Andy C and I were left to hitch out.

unfortunately we didn't get to enjoy the boat
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Hitching in NZ I have been assured is not a very hard thing to do, especially when you look pretty respectable, like I like to think we did, but doing it on the roads that wind their way to the end of the sounds, where a car may pass every couple of minutes, well thats another story.  To dampen our chances further, we were attempting to hitch as a threesome, with massive backpacks, while cars heading in the direction we wanted were inevitably heading home with fully loaded vehicles.

However, luck was on our side, even if the rain wasn't, and we managed to score a ride after only 40 minutes of waiting.  The guy gave us a ride to Blenheim as it was going to be much easier to get a ride from there, on the main road, than from the alternative place he could have dropped us.  In blenheim we got a ride with a random dude, we're pretty sure was stoned off his tree, judging by the amount of mc d's he ate.  Free ride though, all good.

Ali didn't believe the water was cold, so decided to check it out for himself
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Once in Picton we met up with the girls, checked our stuff into the ferry early, and went to town to kill some time before our night ferry.  Mini golf was played, kaz and I lost, and lots of food was consumed.  What else do you do with time to kill?  Hit up eateries thats what!

The crossing back to Wellington left a little to be desired.  We estimate the swells to have been about 4-5m, which for anyone who has crossed the Cook Straight, will know is enough to cause alarm for those not used to it on a regular basis.  We slept as much as we could, all sprawled out on the floor, until the calm of the Wellington bay awoke us (I know, we were so used to the ship banging down every ten seconds, when it stopped it felt odd and we awoke!)

Ali and Andy head back up to "our corner" at the campsite
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After a late drive to Levin in the dead of the night we arrived home, kicked off our shoes, and crawled into bed. There we had it, our trip to the Malborough Sounds was complete, and what a great trip it was.  Now I'm just left with that felling you get from any amaing trip, a longing desire to get back there and do it all again!