On Friday, March 23, I headed to Mount Cook but stopped for lunch in Oamaru. I went to see the blue penguin colony but most of the birds were at sea. I saw a few in their nestboxes. They were only about 25cm tall – they’re the smallest of the world’s 18 penguin species – and they were quite cute.
When I got to Mount Cook Village I knew the weather was going to be bad for the next couple of days, so I had to go and see the country’s tallest mountain (from the other side) straight away. I only had time, before it got dark, to do the two-hour return walk to Kea Point. Mount Cook was partly hidden by cloud, but for the next two days it was totally invisible, so it was better than nothing. Mount Sefton was easier to see and just as impressive. As I walked at the foot of all the mountains, I felt small. I know what you’re about to say – “Carrie, you ARE small” – but I mean REALLY small. It was humbling.
As forecast, it started to rain very heavily, and the mountains were lost from view. The hostel was busy, as nobody wanted to be outside – including a few sparrows that kept pinching your food even if you only turned your back for a second. Despite my umbrella, I got soaked when I went to the Visitor Centre, which had lots of information about mountain climbing and a souvenir shop.
As the heating in our dorm didn’t seem to be working, Hazel from Somerset, Aukje from Holland, and I made use of the hostel’s free sauna. Then we wanted to watch a film on Hazel’s laptop, but there wasn’t any space in the lounge, dining room or TV room, and someone in our dorm was trying to sleep, so we went back to the sauna and sat in there with the door open, to the amusement of the hostel staff.