for the next 45 minutes we were driven on very scenic route to the tiny village of Glenorchy (pop 200), where we checked in for our Dart River Wilderness safari.
We were given our wet weather gear and boarded a "bus" - Alison commented "thought we were going on a 4x4!" Actually it was a 4x4 bus, as we realised when it drove across the river.
After a very bumpy 30-minute drive we arrived at upper base camp for our forest walk amongst the "false beech" trees.
We were told that the botanists who visited NZ completely "lost the plot" when it came to identifying NZ species. We were shon the three varieties of indigenous tree, some being over 1000 years old. becasue there is no subsoil the roots force up the trunk of the trees above ground, following which they begin to rot from the inside. We climbed inside one such tree, before finding a Hobbit's chair which had been left behind by Warner Bros.
Then followed the 90-minute "white knuckle" ride back on teh jetboat, which can do 60 kph in water 10cm deep and frequently did.
Counting uo our position in the queue, we reckoned we would be in the back seats of the first boat, but were lucky enough to be in the front seats of boat number 2. Although the weather was cool (and the glacial water around 6 degrres) the handrails we grasped were heated, so it was more of a red- than a white- knuckle ride at times.
We were splashed by the abrupt 360degree turns and had to hang on tight and cover the cameras.
We were given a short time to explore the village and have a cup of hot chocolate, after which it was back on teh coach to the hotel and start the repacking for our flight to Hong Kong tomorrow.
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