FAQ-02

Hello everybody ! It's time for a second FAQ with questions from the pupils of the collège de Montguyon but I'm pretty sure the answers will interest everybody anyway ;-)

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Céline + Adrien : what impressed you most in the Lord of the Rings Tour ?

The thing that impressed me most during this tour was that there is absolutely nothing left of the sets. They planted trees at Rivendell and they relaunched the stone quarry where they built the sets of Minas Tirith and Helm's Deep.
I was also impressed by the unusual places chosen like the one for the scene "Washed Ashore Aragorn", which is "only" a small place in a residential area of Wellington, or for the scene "Race to the Ferry", where the rider who is up in the dark is in fact on a car park !?

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Théo M. : in which material did they build the trolls ?

I have no idea of the materials used for the Trolls. However, during the visit, Weta studios showed us the various plastic materials used to create the sets, weapons, costumes, etc. So I guess it must be kind of hard plastic.

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Léa : could you see kiwis on the tracks ? How were they ?

No, I didn't see any kiwis on the tracks. It's a nocturnal animal and I haven't walked by night yet. Of course, it's possible to see them in the south of the South Island, but it's a very long and difficult task.

However, I saw kiwis at the Whangarei Museum. There are two kiwis living in a dark room. You can't use flash mode on your camera, so I couldn't take any photos, I'm sorry. They are really special and beautiful, and a must-see animal in NZ.

For those who don't know, a kiwi looks like that :

There are approximately 70,000 kiwis left in New Zealand, and they are losing 2% of kiwis every year. This species is endangered, so very protected.

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The class : did you see other animals ?

Very good question. Yes, I saw plenty of animals on the roads. I saw mice, different species of birds, sheep, cows, reindeers and rabbits (especially on a track near Tekapo, future article ;-), etc...

But I really have to tell you about an animal from NZ, which is the "Kea".

The kea belongs to the species of parrots. They live from lowland river valleys and coastal forests of the South Island's west coast up to the alpine regions of the South Island such as Arthur's Pass (future article!) and Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park (I saw a lot of them there, future article!!!).

Keas are known for their intelligence and curiosity, both vital to their survival in a harsh mountain environment. Raucous cries of "keeaa" tell you about their presence - they are highly social and inquisitive birds. However, their endearing and mischievous behaviour can cause conflicts with people. Keas always try to find and use new food resources.

They try to steal people's food. In the morning of the second night on the Kepler track, a kea started eating a string of our tent ! I woke up and it fled. I met a German guy the same morning who told me that keas dug a hole in his tent and tried to get access to his food bag. I heard a lot of stories like that.

This is a "kea":

And of course, I have to tell you about "sandflies": such a long story... But just keep in mind : if you see one, kill it !

If you get bitten by tiny black flies, you really start being their victim...

Sandflies are found wherever there is flowing water and bushes. They are often found at beaches, and at the edges of lakes or swamps. There are a lot of sandflies in the South Island, especially in the West Coast and Fiordland, where they are really a huge nuisance.

I hate them, like everyone travelling in the South Island !

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the class : what was the weather like at the top of the mountains ?

We were very lucky, we always had a good weather. When you're in the bush, it's often warm. When you are out of the bush in altitude, it's sometimes windy and rainy, but still warm. And like any physical activity, you get hot while exercising andy when you take a break, you get cold, so I wore my windbreaker coat when I was out of the bush.
We had one bad day in Arthur's Pass, where we crossed the fog, the rain, the wind...

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Marion : what did you eat during your trek ?

Ahah ! During the tracks, we ate two different meals :
Sandwich number 1: Bread, cheese, cucumber, sausage and tomato sauce.
Sandwich number 2: Bread, pea, corn and tuna.
We alternated the flavors :-)
Sometimes, for fun, we ate the same one for lunch and for dinner...

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Juliette + Zoé : what was your favourite track : Kepler or Routeburn - why ?

The 10 best treks in the world by Lonely Planet

"7. Routeburn Track, New Zealand" (if you do it, you will know why !)

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Did you swim in the lakes ?

I tried but it was too cold...

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Audrey : how many different huts did you sleep in ?

We only slept in one hut on Kepler Track. It could welcome 8 people in the main room, with a good atmosphere, clean toilets, a kitchen, and of course a fantastic view. High luxury for us !

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Dimitri : how far were the huts from one another ?

The distance between the huts depends on each track, but generally it corresponds to a 6-8 hour walk for standard people without special training.

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Adrien : did you prefer visiting cities or the countryside ?

Definitely the countryside ! I'm doing this trip to discover the landscapes from the countryside ... a real breath of fresh air !

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Amélia : how long was your longest walking day ?

My longest walking day was 11 hours, with breaks of course. It was the first day on the Kepler Track.

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Klara : what was the hardest part of the treks ? Were there dangerous situations ?

All the famous tracks in NZ are developed and organized. There are no dangerous situations. The only one difficulty for us was to do the treks in 2 days instead of 3 or 4 days normally / as recommended.

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Enzo : did you speak Maori ? did you discover special customs or traditions in the mountains ?

No, I haven't spoken or met Maori yet. And no, I didn't discover special customs or traditions in the mountains, but maybe there are, my trip is not over !

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Eden : how did you feel at the top of the mountains ?

Incredibly lucky to see and live this experience in my lifetime !

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Alexander + Pauline : did you make new friends ? which language did you speak with them ?

Yes I did. I hope that I will keep in touch with Guilllaume for a long time, and as for the others, we will see. And also of course, with all of my hosts...

Otherwise, with French people, I spoke French, and with the others, English.

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Robin : did you fall in love ?

Yes, with the sceneries of the RoadBurn Track. Otherwise, no ! =)

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Teacher : What are your plans for the next days ?

Drinking a lot and doing nothing !

Seriously, I'm going to do the Tongariro crossing, Mt Taranaki, Hobbiton, Rotorua, Mt Maunganui, find another wwoofinf experience. Then, I'll go and see one of my best friends in Adelaide in Australia, and then, I'm thinking about going to Asia, maybe to Vietnam. But wait and see !!!

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Wait and see for my next articles now !!!!