In the interior of Santo Antao, many farmers live in scattered settlements and houses on the ridges high above the sea. The island can be explored on small paths through its most remote corners with its inhabitants, offering breathtaking views down, for example into the Paul Valley.
On hikes into the Valley of Torre, you’ll come across scattered thatched huts, plantations, and terraced slopes. Tracks turn into small paths that lead through rows of sugarcane fields. Sugarcane is the raw material for the Cape Verdean national drink, Grogue, a spirit whose best quality is said to be produced in small distilleries here in the valleys of Santo Antao. A lot of alcohol is generally consumed in Cape Verde, and not just in bars. In the small grocery shops, the range of alcoholic beverages often exceeds the meagre amount of foodstuffs.
The Red Crater is the highlight of the Tongariro Crossing, the hike through the volcanic massif of Tongariro National Park, which can also be extended into the Northern Circuit. At this point, the paths from Oturere, Ketetahi and Mangatepopo Hut meet. The vibrant green Emerald Lakes contrast with the sulphurous yellow, red, and black ashes of the Tongariro Red Crater, Ngauruhoe, and Ruapehu volcanoes in the background.
The town of Wanaka on the lake of the same name, Lake Wanaka, is an inviting little place and the starting point for numerous hiking tours into the Alps, such as Mt Aspiring National Park. The Wanaka Bakpaka, beautifully situated by the lake, was my home for quite a while because there are so many lovely spots to discover.
A highlight of the trek on the Milford Track is the pass crossing from Clinton Canyon into the Arthur Valley below Mount Balloon. From there, you get impressive views of the glacier-carved U-shaped valleys and the rugged granite peaks here in Fiordland. A short and worthwhile scramble over scree and boulders leads to Mount Hart, provided the weather is stable and good.
When the hiking season on the Milford Track—where access is limited by the Department of Conservation—officially comes to an end in autumn, around May, hikers can freely experience the solitude and fairytale beauty of wild Fiordland. However, caution is advised at this time of year: rapid weather changes with snowfall or heavy rain, which in turn can trigger rockslides or cause streams and rivers to rise and turn into raging torrents, can quickly make the paths impassable.
Yes, there really are those days when you get that reflection of New Zealand’s highest mountains at Lake Matheson. However, seeing Mt Cook and Mt Tasman without a ripple of wind on the lake or clouds around the peaks is rare, so you need to bring time and patience or just be lucky, as the area is one of the rainiest in the world. The Westland National Park, with the Fox and Franz Josef glaciers on the West Coast of the South Island, is one of the most remote regions in New Zealand. I spent the evening by the campfire at Gillespies Beach, a wonderful beach with plenty of driftwood and, with any luck, seals, and the next morning by contrast with a hike through dense rainforest to the Fox Glacier.
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