7 am sleep in.
Simon and I got our clothes from the drying room and then the tour leader wanted to weigh us for the helicopter flight home. She reluctantly let us have breakfast first though (but surely that would be a more accurate evidence of our fighting weight?) While we were being weighed, someone from the group came and asked me if I had “accidentally” taken her rain pants from the drying room. I felt a rush of mortification, but unpacking my bag I found that I had grabbed the correct pair of pants. Phew! Ten minutes later, and just before we were due on the bus, she was still forlornly asking around if anyone had seen her pants. A horrible suspicion then struck me. Had Simon also grabbed “my” pants when getting our stuff? I unpacked the bag again and looked through the clothes he’d brought up – and there was another pair of black rain pants. I handed them over, most apologetic, but luckily she was very understanding.
We hopped on the bus and took the short trip to the boat terminal, where we dodged sandflies for 15 minutes until our boat was ready to board. We then had very professional and enjoyable 90 minute tour of Milford Sound. There was some low cloud but the rain and wind had stopped so conditions were pretty much ideal. The captain told us that the day before, quite a few people onboard had been sick when the boat got near the entrance to the sea and conditions got rough. Urgh. However, the rain from the day before meant all the waterfalls were flowing impressively.
We also saw some dolphins and some seals.
Once we got back to land, Holly (the severe school teacher-like guide) delivered the bad news – the helicopter couldn’t take us back to Queenstown, so we had to take the 4 ½ hour bus trip back with everyone else instead. Resigned to my fate, I took an anti nausea pill, and settled down to listen to podcasts for the rest of the day. In fact the road from Milford to Te Anau is spectacular, and I saw the only kea of our trip on it – sitting on a pole, being photographed up close by a tourist. My companions all slept, and we had Miles Better Pies in Te Anau for lunch, so it wasn’t all bad.
When we arrived back in Queenstown there was much tearful farewell taking, and promises to keep in touch – for everyone else except me, who hadn’t made any new friends on the trip at all. I just stood around looking awkward and trying to avoid eye contact. Why had I avoided the predinner drinks bonding sessions? I’m going to die alone.
Back to our hotel in time to follow the last innings of the NZ/Australia T20 game – a real nail biter! And then an evening of cocktails and Thai food.
Simon told us over dinner that he’d love to do the job of the guides on our trip – if it paid better – which amazed me. I had felt only pity for the guide who left us in Te Anau to do a back to back trip with another group. Not the hiking part so much as having to be responsible for the health, well-being and happiness of fifty new people for another 5 days.
Four days out of reach of data and the internet, and I only missed two calls – both from people looking for the on call orthopaedic registrar.