Day 7

8th April 2010

Today we have signed ourselves up for a horse-riding expedition. This trip sees us driving to another little hamlet near Queestown, a charming town called Glenorchy.

From QT to Glenorchy

Glenorchy is on the other end of Lake Wakatipu, in the opposite direction of Frankton. The journey took approx. 1 hour but the breathtaking view made it all worthwhile. I find this end of Wakatipu absolutely incredible, especially on this cold morning.

D and I have done some horse riding before, but we thought we should do it again as the landscape here is so enchanting. It would be like a dream come true. One of my childhood fantasies is to ride horses over steppes or prairies like they do in the movies. Although I can't recall a single horse-riding movie, it doesn't matter. As long as there are horses, lot's of green grass, some billowing landscape and me in the picture, it will do.

farm accesories_snow white ducks

Glenorchy's High Country Horses seemed to be the gateway for me to fulfill my galloping dream. They have 1 hour, 2 hours (NZ$150 pp), half-day, full-day and 2-day riding packages targetting both novice & proffesional riders. If you are not a hard core rider, then for the sake of your thighs and, or groins, do not choose any package longer than 2 hours.

Breathtaking vistas

Horses over the prairies

With settings like these, what more can I ask for? I can feel it in my bones. Forget about imagining it. Now's the time to live the dream!

Meet Douggle_my ride

Too much anticipation, of course sometimes, kills the fun. I was assigned a sturdy chap named Douggle and my dream shattered. It was all Douggle's fault. He was too tall. As soon as I heaved myself over him, I began to have doubts about being so far away from the ground.

High Horse, indeed

I never noticed it, but it could be quite daunting sitting on a tall creature. I don't want to sound like a chicken, but I was really afraid of falling over, afraid of pulling the reigns too tight and finally afraid of being thrown off Douggle's back and being trampled to a mangled mess by his feet.

vertigo ...

Of course, those are the things you should think about, before you sign up for a horse-riding expedition that will last for 2 hours.

Moving along

Mark our tour guide started pacing ahead, so all the other horses followed suit. We were in a group of 5, and it was clear that the horses are familiar with the routine of following the guide. As we moved along, the feeling of vertigo slowly fades away and I stopped hanging on to dear life and started to enjoy the slow trudge of the horses.

Cattle track

We passed through some of the cattle who bellowed loudly at us in what I hoped to be morning greetings.

River Crossing

Soon, we approached a river where we will make a crossing. The thought of crossing a river on a horse is more exciting than actually doing it. The river was pretty shallow, albeit having a strong & steady current.

Splashing our way over

Clips Clops

D & I was thinking of Liv Tyler with Frodo watszisname doing that river crossing in that movie. Mark probably got the vibe and started to explain to us that one of their horses was a movie star (in other words, an extra) for the movie LOTR and confided to us that Liv Tyler is actually terrified of horses. We should give credit to Mark in trying to make small talk, as having conversations on horseback is quite difficult.

Into the poplars

We got unto dryland, and the horses walked into the grassy area where we were at once, surrounded by shimmering poplar trees. It was quite nice really, after being in the open, to be enclosed by trees, staring at the brilliant yellows leaves & the morning dew glistening on spider webs.

Hollywood set

Mark informed us that some scenes in the recent movie 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine' starring Hugh Jackman was filmed near this bridge. We can't tell, really.

Another Hollywood set

This is where they reputedly filmed Isengard of LOTR

We were also told that the image above was where 'Isengard' was filmed. Again, we can't tell, really. (They all looked the same to us). Mark went on to explain that the South Island is a hot spot for films and commercials set. Building regulations actually constricts the height of new structures just so that they can continue to cater for the filming of commercials. which doesn't really make sense to me anyhow, but I don't care.

Throughout our ride, we were given the opportunity to try out the different 'gears' (or rather, gait) of the horse. We started off by walking, and when Mark sees that we are fairly confident, allowed us to do a trot. Then, finally a canter. And that was the fastest we went. There is of course, the gallop, but I would have been paralysed if I tried that.

on the way back

And my dream is definately shattered, as I realised that, I can't really ride a horse after all. As soon as we started cantering, it was hell. Our bums started banging on the bloody saddle as the horse picked up speed and while it was exhilarating it was also very, very scary. I could not control the horse, I could not see where I was going, my helmet was covering my eyes, my bum was sore, and I had to hang on to the reigns, the mane, the whatever I could grab. I tried to act like a jockey and squeezed the horse with my legs, but to no avail. It was terribly funny and painful.

Finally we made it back to base again in one piece and I was grateful for the ride to be over. As much as I disliked the bumpy ride and the aching thighs, the view is definately to-die-for and what better way to enjoy it than by doing on a horse's back.

Not a Hollywood set

We said our goodbyes, patted the horses and went on our way. Since we had a whole afternoon up our sleeves, we decided to have lunch in the wilderness.

Paradise "No Exit"

It's not hard to find a place to stop for lunch when the road sign tells you there is a Paradise nearby. Even better, this 'Paradise' has 'No Exit'. After approx. 15 minutes of weaving over windy roads, in and out of the shadows cast by a medium density birch forest, we found ourselves heading towards a clearing, overlooking a crystal clear lake. To add icing on the cake, a flock of snowy white fluffy sheeps were grazing around peacefully.

startled sheeps

As we rumbled across the clearing, all the startled sheeps looked up from their snack and began to run. Geez, I had wanted to pet them. I have never seen sheeps this clean and wool this white. Not to mention, they are pretty fat too.

bye bye sheeps

If you ever were near Glenorchy, remember to picnic by this particular lake - Diamond Lake. There's nothing special here, just a vast golden plain, serene mountains, shimmering lake and a quiet peace that is occasionally shattered by flocks of wild birds.

time to set up lunch

For lunch, D made scrambled eggs sandwiches & hot water for coffee with the little kitchenette we have at the back of the van. Anything you eat while facing a million-dollar view will not taste like a million-dollar meal, but will definately feel wholesome and delicious. But don't take my word for it.

The van is sorry it blocked the view