Day 2 on the Queen Charlotte Track

Arrows pointing to all the activity options

Boot Sculpture near the Shoe Gate

Sunday is a much quieter day at Lochmara Lodge, and we are beginning to understand the owners’ logic in organizing this place. They really CAN provide many different types of experiences to visitors here.  There is a display or activity that is bound to delight anyone who comes. There are literally hundreds of sculptures scattered throughout the grounds, distinctive artwork positioned throughout the lodge and an art gallery with frequently changing exhibits = all right there to appeal to art lovers. and  to reflect the owners' personal love of the fine arts.

Crumpys Camp, is a life size model of a miner’s camp tucked into the woods. Hammock Heaven has hammocks secluded in various corners of the forest. The Punga People, that look like native masks with Paua shell eyes are carved into the trunks of large native ferns, and peer out of dark corners on twisting trails. These features are bound to appeal to children and even teens. As will the tank with live eels, pigs and chooks in the farmyard, wandering alpacas and sheep, the parrots in the aviaries, the bee hives, the huge display cases with different types of geckos inside though we cannot see any in evidence of them, we think it may be a bit cold, and they are hiding out.

Punga Person

Many native bushes throughout the extensive grounds are labeled with information panels for those interested in botany, and there are additional plaques explaining the history and geology of the area for historians and rock hounds. Families can come and spend the day for the cost of the ferry ride and a modest entry fee, much cheaper than our Toronto Zoo let me tell you, but they must be willing to climb up and down some steep hillsides.

The restaurant serves interesting breakfast and lunch items ,and for fellow foodies, there are gourmet dinners at night with meat, fish and vegetarian options as well as scrumptious rich desserts. There is also an excellent selection of local fruit juices, wines and beers.

This is another example of  Kiwi versatility that we’ve seen all over the South Island. The tourist season is fairly short, the lodge is open Oct. – March, and the owners make the most of this time in order to make a living.

Beautiful Mosaic Tile Couch

After enjoying a delicious breakfast of homemade muesli with fresh apples, bananas and Kiwi fruit (an esthetically pleasing combination), following the advice of a staff member, we head for the “saddle”, another high point visible directly across from the lodge. It is a daunting looking hill but must afford another beautiful view so we lace up the hiking boots and head off. I can tell right away that I am overdressed as I begin to feel the heat. I wore my crazy Kiwi striped polypropylene top with the idea that it would “wick” off sweat, but it doesn’t seem to be doing the job. Anyway, it’s too late to turn back so we tramp for two hours in bright sunlight until we reach the highest point on the saddle. As I look across Lochmara Bay I can locate our room at the lodge straight across from where we are standing.

The Saddle as viewed from our room

We meet some charming Swiss travelers at this spot and compare travel notes. They left home at the end of October and unlike us will return home in ten days for Christmas. They compare the water views here to those of the  Caribbean and we concur. The water is absolutely still today and a beautiful sparkling mix of emerald and blue. They’ve recently been to Tasmania also and mention Wineglass Bay and Cradle Mountain, favourite sites of ours too. We wish them Joyeux Noel and part company, hurrying back to refreshing showers and cold beer. Duncan, a real prince as my parents used to call him, delivers ice cold bottles of Moa blanc to our balcony. After a 4 ½ hour hike we need some down time so I sink into the Harry Bosch novel that I’ve been saving for just this opportunity.

View from The Saddle

There are even fewer couples at dinner tonight, and we meet the chef out by the docks. He is a nice Midwesterner from Minnesota and explains that most of the young staff is American, Canadian or British because the season is so short. New Zealanders are looking for longer term positions. Because the water is so still tonight, he advises us to come out to the docks in the dark and skim our hands along the water to see the “phosphorescence”. He explains that this is a type of algae in the water that glows eerily at night where the water is disturbed in order to deflect potential predators’ attention from itself to other organisms,  and sure enough it really does, it shines like magic.

We also take a trip up Glowworm Gulley to see the worms shining all around like miniature twinkling Christmas lights. We had seen these on the South Island, and  according to the information plaque they are ubiquitous in New Zealand, one only has to go out at night and look on the hillsides and in the forest to see them. We didn’t know that so we paid quite a bit of money to visit the Glowworm Caves on Lake Manapouri. They emit wispy sticky strings of saliva that glow to attract prey. The weather has been fantastic today complete with a red sky at sunset. Surely it will be beautiful tomorrow. Duncan quotes the old adage, “Red sky at night, shepherds’ delight...”