1. Yes to an Adventure.

It all started with a suggestion from my sister to apply for a lodge job on the Milford Track as they were currently advertising for the new season. At the time I was suffering through the classic "Empty Nest" syndrome, having recently closed down my 25-year old tourism businesses due to border closures during the COVID pandemic. Additionally, my daughter had recently moved out from home and I was left with a sudden sense of emptiness and purposelessness.

I did the interview and was genuinely surprised when offered the job of Relief Lodge Manager for the 2023/24 six month season. I quickly realised all the things I had to do to make this possible - I had to ready the house for renting, including a lot of decluttering and fixing broken things. I would also need a tonne of help from my family to take my pets, look after my garden and pool.

I had very little time to look into what the job would actually entail, only that I would commit to six months living and working at a lodge in very remote native bush, in a valley between some very tall mountains and in the deep south West Coast of New Zealand. It was on a popular but very regulated trail called the Milford Track based in the Fiordland National Park.

I was definitely pushing the boundaries to the extent where it felt damn uncomfortable and I was scared to do this, however I wanted to push forward with life without regrets. Just days out from leaving, I watched as the new owner of my yellow sports car drove it away.  I had loved that car and it was one of the hardest things to let go… but it would not have survived being parked out in the open for six months while I worked across the lake and up on the track.

Another decision I made to prepare for this big change was to consume everything that was in my fridge and pantry. There was more than I realised and I watched my weight steadily climb. As things emptied out I found myself purchasing ingredients just so I could use up what was left in the cupboards. The last thing I made was honey, ginger and lemon tonic from the remaining ingredients and I poured the last of the syrup over the last cake I made, an orange semolina cake. Finally everything was consumed but I felt a little panic when I discovered I couldn’t fit my hiking gear needed for the job.  I probably gained about 10kg and was the heaviest I had been in a very long while.

Finally it was time to say goodbye to my family before I took an Uber to the airport and pick up my older car in Christchurch.  I stayed with my daughter there for a few days before doing the five or more hour drive down to Queenstown to begin the new phase of my life.  

On the way down I stopped at Lake Tekapo for a bite to eat and to appreciate the incredible views across the glacier lake and to the mountains beyond. It was a sunny day so I had a clear view of Mt Cook from the lookout a little further on. I continued on until I reached Queenstown, the number one tourist destination in New Zealand.

I found a long-term park near where I would be staying for the first week during training. It was a company-owned backpackers and I had never stayed in one before so I cautiously opened the front door and walked a few paces before seeing a guy in the kitchen. I walked up to him and introduced myself and he identified himself as the Manager of the Backpackers.  

“Hi, Kris!  I’ll get you some sheets” he said as he disappeared out the door before returning with the linen.  “Follow me!” he motioned with his fingers and I quickly caught up as he raced up the stairs, two at a time. He handed me a key.  “This is for your room” he said, before walking away.  “Oh!” he yelled from the stairs, “Bathroom is down the hall, okay?!”

I walked inside with my pack and saw four bunks, each located inside a little pod with a curtain for privacy.  Inside the pod was a light and a charging station for mobile phones.  Any privacy was confined to inside the pod area.  I wondered who I would be sharing with as the other beds were empty. I looked at my sheets and assumed correctly that I was to make my own bed.

After I unpacked, I went down to the kitchen area to make a cup of tea.  There were now a few people milling about by now and asked where I could find the tea or coffee. They told me that wasn’t provided however there was a box of items left behind by other backpackers. I could try looking in there, it was suggested. I found some tea and poured myself a cup, swallowing down the sense of being way out of my comfort zone. For a start, everyone else in the room was in their twenties. I was in my fifties!

New people started arriving and were introducing themselves, including the Lodge Manager and Chef of the lodge where I would be working. There are six lodges in total, four on the Milford Track and two on the Routeburn Track. I decided to make another cup of tea and embarrassingly spilt the contents of the box all over someone’s dinner as they were preparing it. I was sure I have ruined their meal and looked up to see the Manager roll his eyes. The Chef came up to help me clean up the floor and told me not to worry about it. Too late about that!

My first morning wasn’t great as I discovered after taking a shower that I also needed to have brought my own towel.  The pile of towels on the shelf were actually bath mats but one of those would have to do as I was already running late. Yes, there was a queue for the showers and I could not be late for the first day!  

There were six or so lodges, each with a Manager, Relief Manager and a Chef who were present at these training sessions. The days were long and intensive and often I would find myself slumped half way down the chair as I found it challenging to stay attentive for so long.

After the first day I found a towel at the local supermarket and baulked at the cost of food, both at the supermarket and pub meals and looked forward to getting through the week and up that mountain. We were charged a small amount for board and all our food there, and I was looking forward to making some decent money, both back home with the rental income and up the mountain for reasonable wages.

The week came to an end and I had the weekend to prepare myself for the drive to Te Anau and the start of the job.  I stayed with friends in nearby Cromwell and enjoyed a little luxury before what would be a really serious challenge to what standard of living I was accustomed to - even with the backpacker experience.

Before I left for Te Anau, I had to drop off my lodge luggage onto a trailer waiting outside at HQ (these would be later helicoptered to our lodges) and then meet the “lodgees” - the staff who would be part of our team up there. There were two other ladies a similar age to me and the rest were young twenty-somethings. I had with me a small day pack into which I packed our uniforms once sized out and then we were all then told to either get on the waiting bus or make your own way to Te Anau Downs carpark and be there by 10am. From there we would take a boat to the start of the Milford Track.  

After the two hour drive or so I reached the carpark where the bus was dropping off the group. I drove to the nearby staff carpark in an obscured field and parked up my car before returning to the drop-off point. I was the last passenger to board the boat and once again I found myself making a mental note to sharpen up!

I settled into a seat and looked out across the lake. Despite being mid-Spring, October was still a cold month at the bottom of the country. There was snow on the top of the mountain peaks and the wind had such a chill, no-one was sitting outside. I looked around and people were chatting excitedly with each other. I noticed the Lodge Manager and Chef were sitting next to each other… no doubt talking about my kitchen accident earlier, I worried.

The Department of Conservation Lodge Managers were also onboard and heading out to their lodges for the season. I started chatting to a couple of them and they seemed friendly enough.

I can do this, I told myself, unconvinced.