Queenstown to Macetown

Today was certainly another doozie.  I woke up on the wrong-ish side of the bed - sleepy, too little breakfast, and a little bit homesick after getting a care package from Ali.  The track from Queenstown to Arrowtown was rubbish, too.  Bike paths, incorrect TA signage that sent me along winding county road detours, suburbs, and hot/dry conditions.  The views were largely of houses in the 'burbs, and to top it off, we had to hike through some ritzy golf course/resort/country club/spa complex.  Stupid golf courses in arid places!

Anyhow, sick of the crowded paths and partying Queenstowners, I got into pretty touristy Arrowtown around 1:30.  Rather than pay $40 for a tent site, I decided to hoof it up the appropriately-named Big Hill Track to Macetown.  (In retrospect, I think that I might have liked to look around the preserved Arrowtown and read all the informative plaques.  There's some nifty history here; I just didn't want to have to put up with asinine tourists making fun of my backpacking gear to learn about it.)  Tacking on the Big Hill segment put me at 41km for the day.  Shew!

Big Hill was a beautiful hike.  Though it starts off brutally in SoCal-style dessert scrub, the track soon started winding in and out of the woods (complete with shade!) on the way up to the Big Hill Saddle. The track clung pretty tightly to the hillside; there was just enough ground on the edge of the track for a hand's span of flowers to pop up.  At the very top, I met Jonathan and Rebecca, some South Island NOBOs who have just started the trail.  They're great folks, and I'd love having them as hiking company.  On the far side, the trail steadily descended the dusty brown hill, twisting through slippery low tussock until hitting some lupine-covered creeks.  The banks were completely carpeted in flowers - lupine, daisies, wild roses, peas, queen anne's lace, & small pink and yellow buds, and the cold water was delicious.

Once reaching the streams, we followed their winding route on and off a 4WD track into the old gold mining ghost town of Macetown.  The trail and wildflowers this afternoon more than made up for my morning grumpies.  Oh, to be away from civilization again!