Touring Te Waka a Maui ` Day Fourteen ` Moke Lake to Deer Flat

Dear Flat near Milford Sound looking north ` www.jamesdevere.com

We headed out after the first cold and crisp night, with little wind. The sky was spangled with constellation, as far as the eye could see. Moon shone on lake like a dream with Scorpio dominating the night sky. Moke Lake is impossibly beautiful.

The ranger knocked on the van at 8.30am; collecting the camp ground fee.

“Just coming to pick up the fees,” tooted he – a winsome young man with that endearing Kiwi glow.

“Ten dollars?” Greg proffered.

“No, $14.20,” he smiled.

“I`ve only a fifty,” continued Greg.

“I’ve got plenty of change,” he chirped.

What would be a cold exchange of cash in other places in New Zealand it’s utterly charming. New Zealanders are beautiful – free.

We left Moke Lake at 9am. The road crosses farm lands and you have to open and close a few gates. The Department of Conservation (DoC) maintains it. It is pristine, despite the volume of tourist vans. The sun shone and we headed into Queenstown.

Queenstown, New Zealand. What can I say? Some call it a, “tourist trap.” It’s not tacky. The streets of Queenstown are full of Mercedes four-wheel drives and swank vehicles. The town is designed with stone facades, picture windows full of luxury skiwear and smartly dressed folk sipping lattes in the many excellent cafes in the back streets. I loved it. It was nice seeing a town with a unified design ethos minus an industrial area. The place has a buzz.

Greg ordered, “Southland Sushi.” This is a slice of white bread and a slice of cheese rolled up like a Swiss roll. What a food folly. I think it’s meant to resemble the taste of fish and rice found in regular sushi but I made no connection.

Again, heading south we had 176km to drive. We were heading for Te Anau. Te Anau is the, “gateway,” to the famed Milford Sound. In fact, Te Anau is New Zealand’s busiest town thanks to the Milford Sound, a spectacular fiord landscape, to the north west. It’s Fiord land and the world loves it.

Beyond Lake Wakatipu, Highway 6 opens out into sweeping, open fields similar to Australia. The road is a pleasure all the way to Te Anau counterpointing the Eyre Mountains to the West.

Fiord land National Park folds along this range – Milford Sound being an inlet on the western side of the range. We couldn’t wait.

Stocking up Yoda a Te Anau was effortless despite it being the end of the week. There is an excellent tourist information centre here with many coaches coming and going to the Milford Sound. We had trusty Yoda.

“Head out early to the Sound,” another winsome ranger told us.

“You have to beat the tourist busses,” he entered, “and they start heading off at 10.”

Mt. Eglington ` Fiordland ` Te Waka a Maui ` www.jamesdevere.com

It was good advice as dazed Americans, Europeans and Asians milled outside the information centre in flocks. It’s an innate instinct when travelling to see you not as part of, “the hoard.” Yet, even as independent travelers in a van you compete with other vans for space in the DoC camps.

 Now, all stocked up we headed north now on Highway 64 to stop at a suggested camping spot.

A friend suggested Kiosk Flat – about half way to the Milford Sound – but out of the blue we saw a more desirable campground just before Kiosk Flat on your left.

Named Deer Flat, it’s a broad and open ground, right on the blue Eglington River at the foot of Mt. Eglington. It has good water views and excellent facilities with just a few sand flies. This spot was very relaxing. Deer Flat supplies you a sweet taste of what lies ahead – the Milford Sound takes form from here on in. Here is on simply majestic spot to camp overnight.

This ground is half way between the Sound and the town of Te Anau. We could sleep here and head off for the sound before, “the hoard,” after breakfast.

A Taste of the Milford Sound ` www.jamesdevere.com

It was sixty kilometers to the Milford Sound – we were in Heaven.

Stay Tuned ` Day 15 ` Deer Flat to Milford Sound then back to Deer Flat www.jamesdevere.com