• Day 14: Phortse Tenga to Dole with a high point of 4084m

We had now been on the go for 14 days making our way to Gokyo, 14 days of trekking! This is the longest either of us had hiked with our backpacks from place to place, valley to valley, mountain to mountain. We were loving every minute (nearly). So this would be perhaps our easiest day of hiking in terms of distance and landscape. We did have a fairly steep up hill section out of Phortse Tenga which leveled out as we got closer to Dole. Most of the trekkers left at around 8-8.30am but we found that having a slightly later start meant we didn’t bump into so many groups meaning we often had the paths all to ourselves.

We arrived in Dole quite rely before midday and opted to stay at The Dole Resort on the other side of the village heading on the path outwards. We had the place to ourselves, the owners are friendly enough and so we opted for an afternoon of reading wrapped up in our thick blankets until they put the yak-dung fuelled fire on. The main reason why this went on as more trekkers were arriving with a guide and porters and we assume that they call ahead to say they’re on their way. The other thing we witnesses was a local trekker getting seconds on ra-ra noodle soup!! This never happens being a tourist trekker! By the evening though we were pretty snug in our dining room den. We were pretty lazy that day once we’d settled but the best advice is to do next to nothing when you arrive at your new altitude, so we were merely following the rules! It was snowing for most of the afternoon and evening and so we felt good to be next to a hot fire.

• Day 15: Dole to Machhermo with a high point of 4465m

By now we were starting to have unsettled sleep, for some reason we felt like we were almost trying too hard to get air to breath in order to feel like we were getting off to sleep. It’s a weird feeling and the mind definitely plays tricks on you. Helen was getting headaches, but during the night they would subside, whilst Dave was still struggling with his blistered feet. Our bill in Dole for 2 breakfasts, lunches, dinners and tea came to 3130rs.

We really enjoyed the 3 hour hike to Machhermo, suddenly we were presented with new mountains and valleys to gaze at. We felt like ants in this massive mountainous environment. The mist and snow had cleared from the day before and although the winds were cold the skies were blue and the sun very strong. We also noticed that over the past 2 days we’d crossed the tree line, there were no longer trees just rock, some shrubbery and bits of grass. We drank plenty of water along the way and had a few snack breaks too.

Machhermo is a pleasant place with lodges dotted all around. We opted for Namgyal Lodge, quite a big lodge in comparison to the rest but we thought is there were more people staying there they’d get the fire going earlier. We did a little bit of clothes washing with a pot of water costing 50rs and sat in the sun soaked dining room. The rooms at the lodge are really nice and well insulated and they are built around a garden/patio area.

By this point a small pot of tea was costing 550rs and so thinking a little bit about our budget we opted for a pot of hot water at 350rs, as we carried some extra tea bags with us. At 3pm we went to an altitude lecture which we’d felt encouraged to go to when the volunteer doctors came around earlier on to let us know that it would be taking place at the rescue centre that afternoon. They are a porter charity offering food and lodgings to the many porters hired by individuals and trekking agencies. We were pretty shocked to learn that up until recently most porters would sleep in caves if there were no beds available in the lodges. Plus there were a few incidences of porter neglect at altitude and so this charity is there to support the scheme as well as offering medical and rescue care for trekkers in the region. We felt reassured that our altitude gain had been sensible and we all donated 100rs each to do an oxygen saturation test. Amata came out top with a whopping 96%, Joshua was next with 94% and Dave 91%, this is excellent for the current altitude, Helen’s sat more averagely at 86%. Based on the talk though both Helen and Joshua opted to take Dymox to help with the restless nights and mild altitude sickness.

After some fairly good dal bhat and potatoes with veg and cheese we were ready for bed. Dave felt he’d been discriminated against as there were no seconds on the dal bhat (this is usually a guaranteed bonus of having the local dish).

• Day 16: Machhermo to Gokyo with a hight point of 4750m

We both slept restlessly once again but Helen’s headaches seemed to have gone and it didn’t feel as cold mainly because the rooms are well insulated at Namgyal Lodge. Again we left a little later than most which worked in our benefit as we trekked towards Gokyo. This would be our penultimate day of hiking before reaching the dizzy heights of Gokyo Ri.

We loved the walk to Gokyo, it was full of contrasts. We were welcomed with wide open plains, the wild river below, more 6-8000m peaks and the totally awesome presence of the Ngozumpa Glacier (36km/22miles the longest in the Himalayas) with Cho Oyu (8,200m / 27,000ft) dominating the upper valley. At the first lake which was the only lake not frozen we met thousands of rock cairn monuments built by the trekkers who have passed through the area. It felt a little like a spiritual graveyard representing each and everyone of us who have journeyed onwards to Gokyo. It did feel quite special.

We took the day slowly and marveled at the views whilst also joining Joshua and Amata for some celebratory snacks along the way; teriyaki beef jerky (enjoyed by all but Helen) and some ginger dark chocolate which they had lovingly carried with them since leaving America for their trip. We passed by the 2nd and 3rd lakes which were both totally frozen and snowed over and then we were in Gokyo, a place now occupied with tea houses and lodgings. There aren’t any locals living here other than to run their guesthouses.

We had been given a card for The Lakeside Lodge by a Japanese hiker whom we’d bumped into in Thame. So this is where we ended up. It’s pretty much the first lodging that we got to but we thought we’d go with it, plus the lady owner had lots of personality and said to us in a whisper that if we stay with her she’ll give us a room for free! How could we pass that offer? The food was good and for the first night we had the place all to ourselves. 4750m would be the highest we would be sleeping at. We were running out of money but decided we would spend 2 nights in Gokyo so that we could hit Gokyo Ri the next morning and then rest before making longer days to get back down to Namche and onwards to Lukla.

(Leica M9, Summicron-M 50mm f2.0, 18mm f4, 90mm Tele-Elmarit f2.8 processed in Lightroom 3)

After three nights in Ubud we organised a driver to take us to the mountain village of Munduk in the north of Bali. Andre and Martha joined us on our journey to explore more of the island and share the fee of the driver. First stop along the way was the Bali Butterfly Park. We were unsure if we wanted to see this but for 50,000rp each we headed into the netting to see the butterflies. There was an assortment of butterflies and moths as well as stick insets and beetles which the staff are very eager to place upon your body. The conditions for the animals were not great, very poor for the spiders, and if you do not like butterfly taxidermy then this may not be the place for you.

Further driving north we approached one of Bali’s many volcanoes where another of its most sacred of temples; Pura Taman Ayun located at the very foot of the volcano. Everyone who enters will need to wear a sarong for most temples, which you can rent on arrival if you do not have one already. We explored the temple, walked around the lake complex and whilst chatting to a local man he suggested to visit the river. It looks like fresh water from the mountains but it wasn’t worth the walk down to see it with rubbish festooned on the sides with some very rough toilets.

Driving around Bali you get to see the real scope of the island. Pretty much everywhere is utilised for village and town life, food production and catering for tourists. The rice terraces at Jatiluwih were impressive with hundreds of thousands of green tones fluctuating between the shafts of sunlight. Our driver took us to a buffet lunch overlooking the terraces costing 70,000rp which we decided not to participate in as the food looked poor and expensive for some non authentic Indonesian food, instead we heading further down the road to somewhere more appealing. The second temple stop of the day was at the lake temple Pura Ulun Danu. Strangely no sarong was needed here, it looked more like a business opportunity rather than a holy site, nether the less we visited and enjoyed the water temple combo.

We eventually arrived in Munduk 7 hours after leaving Ubud and haggled for a room at the Karang Sari for 180,000rp per night. The room was nice enough, it just needed a thicker coat of paint on the ceiling and walls to stop it looking shabby. After waving goodbye to Andre and Martha for their return journey to Ubud we explored the street(s) of Munduk. The temperature here is much lower than the surrounding area due to the slight increase in altitude and we had a nice sunset whilst eating at Karang Sari overlooking the valleys below.

The owner of Karang Sari invited us to watch a group of local boys practicing gambelan, a traditional Indonesian style of music to be preformed at a temple ceremony. They were very good and we enjoyed a 15 minute show before our ears could no longer take the high decibel limit. Before bed we met our other room mate, a big black spider who rented the bathroom, although it gave Helen a good scare we didn’t mind and let he/she live in peace.

(Leica M9, Summicron-M 50mm f2.0, 18mm f4, 90mm Tele-Elmarit f2.8, processed in Lightroom 3)

We drove back into Te Anau to get a weather update for the area, which was looking better as the days passed. From Te Anau we took the Milford Road north and once again took in the amazing views, from meadows and lupin lined roads, glacier formed valley’s to the mirror lake and mountains forming around us.

 We did a half day hike to Lake Marian which was a tough 3 hour return hike signposted around 7 km from Gunns Camp. We passed over a swing-bridge which led us through forest and to a pretty immense series of waterfalls. The track was steep with a few scrambles up trees and rock fall but the effort was well worth it, and chatting to a few locals they had been informed by a guide that this was perhaps the best half day hike in South Island, New Zealand. A statement!!

Lake Marian is in a hanging valley formed by glacial action, reflecting the Darran Mountains surrounding it. We waited for the low cloud to lift and a few blue spots of sky joined us too. It was pretty amazing and we worked up a good sweat along the way. Heading back was much quicker and less of an effort but we still had to be careful as parts of the path was slippery and steep.

When we left the parking area we drove down to Gunns Camp which had been recommended to us by friends Vic and Dave. It’s a quirky place with a lot of history and a free museum for guests which is well worth a peek. We learned a little about the legend of Davey Gunn aswell as taking some time to photograph the campground with it’s cabins and funny oddities lying around the place. It cost £12 each to stay in our van and they have good cooking facilities and a spacious common room. We enjoyed cooking a pretty fabulous dahl which was taken from the Wholemeal Cookbook purchased in Takaka. We know it was good because our American friends tried it and were raving on about it too! ha ha!

(Leica M9, Summicron-M 50mm f/2.0, Leica 90mm f/2.8, Zeiss 18mm f/4 ZM processed in Lightroom 3)

The day started with rain, so we packed up and drove back into Queenstown where we stocked up on some food from the supermarket and the Mediterranean Market on Robins road. They stock loads of international goodies too but it’s all a little too tempting so we settled with what we needed and got out!

The drive to Te Anau took around 3 hours and when we arrived the weather was looking much better. Our first stop was at the DOC office where we bought a $2 leaflet highlighting all of the half and one day walks in the area. As we don’t have the best backpacks for hiking we didn’t want to go out on one of the classc 3-4 day walks, which would have been really good.

The most popular tramp in New Zealand is the Milford Sound Track and we knew when we arrived in Auckland back in November that there wouldn’t be any space for this hike until March. The Routeburn and Kepler Tracks are really popular also and so we do vow to complete one of these great walks when we return to New Zealand in the future. (This has already been decided!) From Te Anau we booked a kayak tour of the Milford Sound departing on the 17th, meaning we would have a few days to explore Fiordland and do a few hikes.

That afternoon we hiked at the end of the Kepler Track for around 3 hours which took us to the last hut on the walk, the Moturau Hut. We stopped for a few pics before sand-flies ascended upon us and we turned around quickly to head back to the van. We camped that night at the free DOC campground located at Queens Reach. After finding a pleasant spot to camp amongst the many other campers we cooked our meal and enjoyed an evening of food and Peep Show.

(Leica M9, Summicron-M 50mm f/2.0, Leica 90mm f/2.8, Zeiss 18mm f/4 ZM processed in Lightroom 3)

We started the day with a run along the Clutha River bank before getting ready to drive to Queenstown. We took the scenic route along The Crown Range Road, which is a quicker alternative to the recommended driving route, we think this is more for bigger vehicles and in the winter. This time though it was perfect for us and we enjoyed fantastic views throughout whilst catching up on some UK gossip via the Richard Bacon podcast.

We stopped a few times along the way to document the scenery around us, looking down through the valleys toward Queenstown, it was a really clear day. We then took a little detour to Arrowtown…the home of golden nuggets, and some very quaint shops. It all looked a little staged for us but we did find some good in a discount outdoor store selling Ice-breaker gear.

When we arrived in Queenstown we paid for parking and decided to have a walk around the town taking in the busyness that is Queenstown. To us it felt very much like Banff in Canada, an alpine resort, overpriced and pretty commercial, but set on the lakeside and with all of the activities on offer its not a place to be missed. We didn’t fancy any bungy jumping or canyoning so we were happy to sit and have an ice-cream in the sun on the  pebble beach.

Instead of staying in Queenstown for the night we drove 14km along the Glenorchy road and turned off for Moke Lake along another gravel track. Set amidst mountains Moke Lake is host to a big DOC camping ground costing $7 per person and there is a warden that comes around to avoid people not paying their fees. It was a very hot day so we opted for a swim in the lake to cool down and were pleasantly surprised by the temperature of the water which was unusually warm. We decided that we would drive to Te Anau the next morning as we weren’t really up for spending too much money in Queenstown.

(Leica M9, Summicron-M 50mm f/2.0, Leica 90mm f/2.8, Zeiss 18mm f/4 ZM processed in Lightroom 3)

It was quite a drive from Franz Josef to Wanaka so we broke up the journey with an overnight stop at the DOC campground located at the top of Lake Wanaka. We had a pretty slow start to the day with some photographs of the masses of drift wood that has collected on its shores. We took in the scenery that surrounded us and then made tracks to Wanaka town.

It was only a further hours journey from that point until we reached the town where there was a little craft market taking place on the fields opposite the lake. Not much for us to buy but it is a great market for gifts, jewellery and pottery amongst other things. We then nipped over to the I-Site to get some info on the area and to see where we would be camping for the next few nights. We were interested in a Lord of The Rings tour, but at over $150 it was far too much on our budget.

We took advantage of a discount offer for the Lake Outlet Camping Ground that we found in the I-Site, it was an offer of 12% per night so we snapped this up and drove out to the camp ground. Lake Outlet is 8km out of town on the south-west shores of the lake, they have a very Mediterranean feel about the place and we instantly liked it, for $23 it wasn’t badly priced either. We found our spot and decided to hire some bikes for the afternoon.

We took the lake trail back towards Wanaka and ended up at the Rippon Vineyards where Helen had previously enjoyed a wine tasting. This time though things had changed and the vineyard have built a big wine cellar building on the top of a hill overlooking the vineyards and lake. They are in a beautiful location and we enjoyed sampling their special Riesling and Pinot Noir. On our way back to the campground we bumped into Uta and Oliver and convinced them to stay at the same campground as us.

The bike hire cost us $15 each for 3 hours which we felt was a fair price. Back at camp we worked on the blog and enjoyed another tasty dinner with Uta and Oliver before sharing our Sky-dive video with them and still feeling nervous watching it again.

We didn’t do much the next day, and opted for a working day. Something that we hadn’t done for a while. So we continued to work on the blog at the camp ground and drove out to get some food and fuel later on before carrying on with work! A bit of a nothing day but Helen did manage to catch up with Lois which was just lovely!

(Leica M9, Summicron-M 50mm f/2.0, Leica 90mm f/2.8, Zeiss 18mm f/4 ZM processed in Lightroom 3)

When we woke up the sky was clear and we could see across to the glaciers and mountains. We knew it!! Today would be our skydive day at last! So with this in our minds we were up early and went straight to Lake Matheson where there were less sand-flies trying to attack us. We enjoyed a walk around the lake and then contacted Franz Josef Skydive to see if they had a slot for us that morning. We were booked in for 11am.

We got to the skydive office before 11am, filled out some forms and signed our lives away! Note they do not take responsibility for any personal accidents/death! Eek! We opted for a photographer each with DVD footage of our dive, this would be a one in a lifetime experience and we wanted to keep a record. We felt pretty relieved when a 50+ year old couple booked on to the 15,000ft and a 60+ year old lady who booked onto a 12,000ft dive. If they could do it…Well so could we!?

After nervous chat we piled into their van and were transported to the airfield which is in between Franz Josef and Fox Glacier accompanied by a hip hop beat! When we got to the airfield we met our tandem dive instructors, it all got a little confusing at first as Helen’s instructor thought we were on the first dive and started prepping only to then find out we were on the second dive. It seemed to distress him more than us, we would be very prepared by the time we got on the flight. This did mean though that being in the second group we weren’t due to take off for another 45 minutes or so… More waiting!

After the first group went up we sat and watched the little plane going upwards and eventually we picked out a few of the parachutes opening coming down for the last part of their dive. It wasn’t long before they were all back at airfield and we could tell from their expressions that they loved it – these were the oldies aswell!

So now it was our turn, we got prepped once again; Helen was with Mark a 6ft8 giant who was like a cool uncle, whilst Dave was teamed up with Crusher, a 30-something adrenaline junky. We were paired well!

We had a brief chat with the camera-men and felt like we were being interviews for a reality TV show. All geared up we loaded onto the plane, with 7 of us boarding including the pilot. It was pretty cramped inside the small body of the plane but Mark was very calming and helpful, he did a good job at explaining everything to Helen and as they were strapped on pretty close she felt secure, along with the knowledge that he’d already done over 10,000 jumps in the last 15 years. Dave and Crusher were calm and having a good chat as the plane started to ascend. We enjoyed a fantastic flight over the Franz Josef Glacier and mountain range which took around 15-20 minutes, all the while cameras in our faces and nerves gathering more and more.

At 12,000ft a German girl was ready to go, she had a female instructor with her and they were sat in the doorway waiting for the door to open. As it did she looked terrified and uttered ‘Oh God…Oh God!’ over and over, Dave and I looked at each other and started laughing. It was a nervous laugh but her face and tone was hilarious! We were just thinking…Oh Shit! It’s us next! And then we got the 2 minute countdown, Helen was to jump first, the adrenaline was racing and we were both instructed to wear the oxygen masks. Again Helen felt calmed by the big man right behind her.

It was time to jump and the door opened, Helen and Mark were on the doors edge with the cameraman in her face sat on the wing, it was one last shot before dropping out of the plane and then they went. Dave just watched as Helen flew out of the plane below. Meanwhile Helen was already into her free-fall, looking up to find the photographer right there in front of her face. It felt really weird to start with, nothing like a roller coaster, just the fear of dropping out at 15,000ft. But when free falling it felt like we were still in time, except for the noise rattling around our heads which was the sheer force of air.

Not long after Helen was out and free falling Dave was in the air too, spinning with Crusher and trying to take it all in and enjoy the moment. We both did this to the max, and we think from our DVD footage this is pretty clear. What the hell all those hand gestures were about we don’t know, we were just trying to interact with the cameramen and enjoy it as much as we could.

After around 60 seconds of free-fall it was time for the parachutes to go up, this wasn’t quite as jerky was we thought it was going to be. Waving goodbye to the cameramen we were hoisted upwards and then we were gliding. This part of the dive was much calmer and equally as exhilarating, we had a parachute guide to the sights around us and neither of us could quite believe it was happening. We both had the chance to steer the parachute and feel the force of changing direction. And we could both see each other as we were making our way down.

Landing the dive was fun, legs up in the air and then we were on the ground. When you’re attached to the tandem instructor it all becomes so easy. After a few giddy moments we were chatting away to the camera-men once again and then having a few more photos taken. It was all over pretty fast but we absolutely loved the experience and watching the DVD over and over makes us laugh every time. We think this is something everyone should do in their lifetime! The Franz Josef Skydive team were excellent to work with, really informative and made the whole experience fun and very worth while. It was a sting to the wallets at $599 each but it was well worth it for the experience, the sights, the DVD and the dodgy facial expressions captured on the photographs.

We hope you enjoy the movies! Merry Christmas from us both!

(Leica M9, Summicron-M 50mm f2.0, 18mm f4, 90mm Tele-Elmarit f2.8 & Olympus PEN, 17mm f2.8, processed in Lightroom 3) Photographs and DVD footage of the free-fall were produced by Skydive Franz.

To date in NZ this was turning out to be the most activity fuelled week we were experiencing. Paid for activities that is! We got up early so we wouldn’t be in with the tourist crowds too soon in the day. The Wai-O-Tapu park is south of Rotorua on the road to Taupo, we camped not too far away at one of the DOC campgrounds at Rerewhakaaitu Recreation Reserve which meant we were on the right side of town and only a 20 minute drive away from the park. Gates open at 8.30 and we were there not long after for some thermal action! We got a map on the way in and walked around the largest loop in the park (red) which took us just under an hour. The first loop is really enticing to start with; hot pools, sulphur smoking from the depths below, craters and mud pools and then we arrived at The Champagne Pool. This is amazing; a huge bubbling pool with a surface temperature of around 74 degrees Celsius. On top the water appeared to be pink and the edges orange with wind blowing the steam around the pool so much so it looked like a whirlwind. We were impressed!!

We would come back to the orange and yellow loops later on but we had a prior appointment with a Geyser located a few minutes drive from the main entrance to the park. We drove along with the now gathering tourists so we could experience the blowing Lady Knox Geyser at 10.15am. We sat in an auditorium style set up whilst more and more people starting taking their seats. We weren’t really sure how it would work but it did say that for the front rows we’d expect some spray…we were at the front! But we wanted to get some good photos! After a while and waiting to see if the Geyser would blow a ranger came along and started chatting to us about the history of the Geyser with some funny stories about prisoners working in the area finding it and building stones around the flute in order to make the Geyser blow higher.

Since then the stones are now a part of the Geyser as it is now moulded by the gases and liquids produced. He did artificially induce the Geyser with some crystal antiseptic blocks and poured it down the shoot and left the Geyser to do it’s thing. We waited for a few minutes and then it started to bubble before finally shooting water high in the air around 10m or so. It kept going and going and after about 10 minutes we left but it is reported that the Geyser can blow for up to an hour.

Following on from the excitement of the Geyser we went back to the main park and toured around the other two loops. Not as impressive as the first but there is a lot to take in and different formations along the way. There are also lot’s of eggy smells but that’s all part and parcel of being in a volcanic park. After a good few hours we left and were satisfied with our experience. It cost $32.50 each and we felt it was well worth it. A mini Yellowstone of sorts and a geeky learning experience too!

Moving on from Rotorua we continued our drive southwards to Taupo with the intention of heading to Tongoriro so that we could stay in preparation for the Tongoriro Alpine Crossing. It was quite a long drive and we didn’t stop in Taupo mainly because we were planning to come back after the hike. The drive in total was around 3 hours to Whakapapa Village where the DOC information centre is located. When we got there the very helpful staff informed us there was no way we would be hiking the Alpine Crossing the next day or the day after. In fact Sunday looked to be the best day and she suggested we head to Napier to find some sunshine as it wasn’t going to happen here! Oh no!! We re-thought our plans and decided to drive back to Taupo for the night and then head to Napier the next day before driving back to Tongoriro on Sunday along a different route. Sounds like we had a plan! So back to Taupo it was and we stayed at the YHA as they take in vans for $16 per night. It’s a nice hostel and it always suits us to have a kitchen and showers so we parked up, cooked and walked around a quiet Thursday night in Taupo.

(Leica M9, Summicron-M 50mm f/2.0, Leica 90mm f/2.8, Zeiss 18mm f/4 ZM processed in Lightroom 3)

So last night in our tent lovingly borrowed from Joe and our last campground in America…at least this time round! We packed up and retraced our journey back up the 89 with another stop at Dessert View on the way.

We had been booked into The Lake Powell Resort courtesy of Ryan who we met earlier in September hiking in Mount Hood. His mother-in-law works there and they sorted us out with some friends and family discount. Thanks Ryan and Paula! With a stop in Page and the Glen Canyon Dam we arrived at Lake Powell at around noon but we couldn’t check in until 1pm. When we did we had room number 666! Good job neither of us are superstitious! We booked a table at the restaurant and enjoyed some of the spa pool action! The sun was in and out and we’d already driven through storms and hail stones so it wasn’t the best afternoon for a sunbathe but we wanted to take advantage of our accommodation!

Later we enjoyed a meal at the restaurant, it’s a good location due to the views over the lake but the food was a little overpriced and the quality could be upped somewhat, we were in and out of there in 45 minutes!!

The next morning we had been booked onto a boat tour again thanks to Ryan and Paula! The tour is one of the classic things to do on the lake whilst visiting the national park as most attractions are best seen on a boat tour. It was again chucking it down when we set off at 7.30am, we didn’t have high expectations and the first part of the tour was mostly poor visibility but eventually we arrived at some sights. Due to the rain there were many waterfalls forming on the canyon rock which is very rare for the area. We took turns to go on the top deck, some people getting drenched in their hoodies! The star attraction of the park is Rainbow Bridge, a natural bridge formation in the rock, it looks amazing on a sunny day and didn’t do too badly today either. The only problem was we couldn’t hike very far as the paths were river-logged. Others marched on through the water in their trainers but we didn’t fancy this!

After around 30 minutes we all got back onto the boat and had a further 1.5 hour journey taking in more sights throughout the lake, canyon area. We even enjoyed some sunshine later on. It is a really beautiful area but we have to say that we probably would have enjoyed it more with better weather. The tour got in nice and early for us though so we made tracks for Phoenix as soon as we could.

It took a further 4.5 hours to get to Phoenix through more rain and thunder storms, moody skies and bright sun bursts created an array of rainbows! When we got to Dave’s place (Helen’s cousin) we set off straight away for a bite to eat down the road and then back at his lovely house with a glass of red wine. Home comforts!

(Leica M9, Summicron-M 50mm f/2.0, Leica 90mm f/2.8, Zeiss 18mm f/4 ZM processed in Lightroom 3)

We left Sisters early and passed through Bend via another Safeway to get some fresh fruit and veg. We didn’t stop in Bend but have heard many a good thing. Our aim was to get to Crater Lake and take the Cascade Lakes Highway en-route. We passed the 3 Sister mountains and took a right off Highway 97 to get onto the route. This is a scenic drive indeed, we drove passed Mt Bachelor and stopped at Sparks Lake to photograph the lush meadow and reflections. We stopped for lunch at another named Crescent Lake, before getting the highway onto Crater Lake.

We came into Crater Lake Park from the south end and drove around the west rim road…Wow!! This place is amazing, the lake is huge and reflects everything around, we couldn’t stop enough to photograph it. It is now a caldera and was Mazama volcano which lies beneath the lake, each time we stopped we read a little more information. The weather was great for us too which also meant even more tourists were out to join us.

After some touring around the rim and more photographing we made our way to Mazama village campsite, it’s not really a village more of a resort for camping and or looking for lodges. It is a nice place though and we paid $19 for a tent spot, it’s also popular passing through point for the Pacific Crest Trail. When we settled into our camp spot we chatted to our friendly neighbours who gave us plenty of firewood, we enjoyed dinner, took showers ($0.75 for 4 minutes and they close at 8pm) and all wrapped up we drove back up to the rim to shoot some long exposures. We were chuffed to see the Milky Way out there too.

The following morning after a pretty good night’s sleep we got up early at 5.50am, packed and we were on our way by 6.25am so we could watch the sunrise over the Lake and do a morning hike. This time we took the eastern road towards the lake and stopped off at some beautiful spots along the way both towards and away from the lake. Again the weather was perfect so we just took advantage of good light and conditions. We found a lovely spot for some breakfast, and then took the 5 mile round trip hike up to the Mount Scott peak which is the highest point in the park at 8929ft. This is the highest we have been together on a hike and as the first people to be up there for the day it felt pretty good. We took in yet again the fantastic views before making our way back down and to the car. On our way out of Crater Lake we stopped at a few more vantage points before eventually making our way to the exit of the park. This was most definitely a very rewarding part of our journey so far.

Next on our list was to get to Florence, backtracking a little bit in terms of heading north again but we wanted to reach the Oregon coast at a certain point. This is where the Dunes are and we didn’t want to miss those. After a long drive we stopped in Eugene at the Fifth Street Public Market for a drink and a place to charge our laptop and batteries. After 2 hours we continued onto Florence and found the campsite Jesse M Honeyman 3 miles after leaving Florence. Again paying our honesty fee, we found a camping spot, bought some wood and set up camp. After long a friendly camper came along to borrow our axe, and after realising the wood was damp and a fire would be unrealistic he invited us to join him and partner Shelby for drinks and a warm fire. Thanks to them we were nice and toasty that evening.

(Leica M9, Summicron-M 50mm f/2.0, Leica 90mm f/2.8, Zeiss 18mm f/4 ZM processed in Lightroom 3)