My Itchy Milford Bubble

I've written before about the joys of hitch hiking in New Zealand (and it's obvious financial benefits...), but I've never really expanded much on some of the interesting folk I have had the pleasure to meet! Allow me to enlighten you...

From Dunedin, I decided to hitch to Queenstown – pretty much going from the far east of the South Island to the (almost) far west. On this particular hitching expedition, I was tucked neatly and snuggly into the backseat of a rental car with two slightly over middle-aged Australian women and their floral-print luggage. During this two and a half hour venture, I chatted gaily with Fay and Margee and learned of their life in Oz, their weekly neighborhood dinner parties, and their happy families. The two ladies had been friends since childhood and recounted numerous stories of their mischievous and laughter-filled lives as playful youngsters. Along the way, we stopped at an information centre and while washing my hands in the ladies restroom, I learned from Fay that Margee had been diagnosed with terminal cancer with a prediction of about 12 months to live. After her diagnosis, Margee decided to tour the world – and invited her friends and family along with her! Margee had just returned from a trip in Europe and had a trip to Asia and the USA already penned in the calendar. My heart both ached and awed for this vibrant woman. She was a real-life Bucket List Lady! This special hitching-ride was both humbling and inspiring. Yet another God-winking reminder to always live life to the fullest and love those close to you without abandon. Love and grateful energies coming your way.

Now, Queenstown is a place known to tourists for adrenaline, pub crawls, and Fergburgers. In other words, a fabulous place for tourists alike to empty their jean pockets of coinage until there's nothing left but a tuft of blue lint. I however, dipped into the less touristy side of Elizabeth's title town. After spending my first day lounged out on the hostel deck with a novel in hand and Lauren dozing nearby in the next chair (the both of us determined to kick our colds in the bum before they got the best of us), I spent the next afternoon hiking up Queenstown Hill. The view of the blue lake and surrounding mountains was lovely; up, up and away from the touristy hustle and bustle of the lake hugging town. That same evening, I was able to connect with three of my “old” NZ friends – two of which I had worked with in Paihia back in March! Hugo and Helen had the honors of introducing me to my first Fergburger. From the way I had heard people talk about the infamous Fergburger, I wouldn't have been surprised if a beam of yellow light illuminated the paper bag it came in, and I heard heavenly angels singing! Of course, I ordered the veggie option, the “Bun Laden” - a whale of a burger with Falafel and every imaginable topping. After dominating this well-known after-bar-close burger, I almost expected to receive a certificate to take home with me, stating proudly, “FERGBURGER. BEEN THERE, ATE THAT.”

While in Queenstown, I organized a WWOOFing job in the Milford Sounds, an easily accessible yet remote spot in the Fiordland National Park. “Milford City” has a population fluctuating from about 200 people per day (working staff sticking around for the season) to 4,200 (!!!) during the height of summer when tourist-jammed coach buses, camper vans, and Milford Track trampers come pouring in to glimpse the magic and beauty of the Fiords. After WWOOFing for just 2 days, I was offered a full-time Receptionist/Housekeeper position at the Milford Sound Lodge (MSL), a buzzing place as the sole open-to-the-public accommodation center in Milford. Unfortunately, it's not just buzzing with travelers but also the dreaded New Zealand pest – the Sandfly. These little biters stop at nothing to make your life (and work) miserable. Not to mention waking up in the middle of the night to scratch your ankles silly. The entire area is teeming with them! They are, by far, the biggest downside to being in Milford.

With a few days to mull over my decision to join the MSL staff, I kept busy WWOOFing (making beds, scrubbing bathroom floors, removing the magically reappearing cobwebs, etc...) and saw more of the Fiordlands via cruise boat and sea-kayak – complements of being a WWOOFer! As a temperate rain forest, Milford receives around 7 METERS of rain per year! The great part about it, though, is that the area is gob-smackingly beautiful come rain or shine. When it rains, waterfalls cascade down steep rocky cliffs out of which sprouts any type of greenery that can stick to the near vertical sides. The water is deep and dark, carved out God-knows how many years ago by turtle-paced glaciers; snowy remnants of which you can still see amongst the mountains. On my cruise, my boat went far enough out to see the Tasman Sea, and, on it's return, we spotted numerous adolescent male seals lounging in the sun and a small cluster of dolphins dipping in and out and back in the water's surface. My sea-kayaking tour took place within the same Fiords, but was an entirely different experience altogether! The sky-scaling cliffs create a kind of optical illusion. Because of their incredible height (Mitre Peak reaches up 1692 meters!), they tease your mind into severely underestimating distances. What looks like a jutting boulder about a 30 minute paddle away takes twice, if not three times, as long. The Fiords are a place where a 300 passenger cruise boat look like a child's bathtub toy and airplanes looks like model planes in flight. Talk about humbling! While kayaking, we took an impromptu shower under the stunning Sterling Falls and witnessed penguins bobbing merrily along through the water. And, surfing the 3-5 foot waves (it was an unusually rough paddling day) with my sea-kayak partner was definitely a highlight to the trip. Just a small perk to having one of the kayak guides steer your boat!

In the end, I did choose to accept the position at MSL and started my new job this past Sunday! The staff here is really like a little family away from family. Everyone (ranging from 8-12 people on any given day) gathers for dinner in Saigon (the staff dining and chillaxing crib), and the homemade meals range from fresh Italian style pizza to Thai curries – it's like eating out at your favorite restaurant with friends every day! Plus, I've been diligently practicing and playing the acoustic guitar daily and am attending local yoga classes with a few work mates during the week. Given the remoteness of Milford, I had to take a 2 hour bus ride to the nearest town last weekend just to buy toothpaste and shampoo! But, when it comes down to it, little itty bitty Milford is really just a sweet place to be – my wonderful, itchy Milford bubble.