The Emerald Pools
I was looking at this thinking how awesome it would be to have a swim in, but disappointedly imagining how toxic it might be, when I saw someone start wading in! A bit stunned, I watched a while to see if their legs melted off ( robocop stylie ) or if they slowly sank in never to emerge again ( Terminator 2 ). I didn’t hear screams, so Cookie and I legged it down and stuck our fingers in to see if it was warm. A decision we may live to regret, as I’ve just remembered from Champage Pool that there was probably arsenic in there. Whoopsie.
Rotoiti Lake – on the Edge of Civilization
After a couple of days blogging like maniacs, ( writing, cropping, html-ing, and painfully uploading on hairs-width-band internet ) our brains were fried and our bodies still battered and scraped from our expedition across the Richmond Alpine Ranges. After stuffing our faces with nutrients, and as much sleep as we could squeeze in, I still felt well rough. The weeks of dehydrated food has been messing with my insides in ways i could never have imagined. And so with a runny bum, and jelly legs I convinced Cookie that instead of nailing it up the valley to the first hut, we get the tent up and chill. And so with a ‘bottle of medicinal’ we unwind in the setting sun… Covered in sandflies :)
Blue Lake
They weren’t wrong when they named this ‘Blue Lake’, it’s bluey green waters were mesmerising. After freezing my nuts off in the water draining from it last night, I didn’t bother having a lunchtime dip. Didn’t really have the time anyhow, we had plenty of progress to make today if we’re going to get over Waiau Pass!