11 September - Emerald Bay Walk

On Monday we took off for a much longer walk, this time paralleling the lake from Emerald Bay to a peninsula about 8km distant. It didn't start well. 

We parked the car in the park above where we were going to walk, looked at the view, and started down the track to the start of the walk proper. Only about 150m in we came across a man cradling his wife who was clearly not well. He said she'd be fine but Ali thought she wasn't and we stopped and tried to help. It turned out she was having a bad epileptic fit. I headed back to get some help from a ranger, Karen coming up a few minutes later to let them know she was epileptic (I had gone back before we knew). The ranger called up paramedics and an ambulance which took a long time coming.

The husband insisted that they just wanted to get back to their car and go home, so we carried her up to the ranger's hut, but she was too ill to leave. A couple of doctors helped. Eventually the paramedic turned up, followed a bit later by the ambulance team. Her blood oxygen was very low. We departed at that point, perhaps 3/4 of an hour later. After the walk we found out that she had gone back in her car, hopefully more recovered. It's a tough situation. If they had taken the ambulance they'd likely end up with a bill for tens of US$1000s.

The health event with the woman near the start of the track was rather disturbing. She was clearly in major distress, unconscious most of the time and only very barely the rest, and at times shaking with an epileptic fit. She was a pretty hefty woman so the men did an amazing job carrying her up to the ranger's office (though none of us thought she should be moved). The ranger paramedic just offered a blanket when he arrived. He didn't even take her pulse. A doctor who was just starting the track showed the paramedic how to use his blood oxygen apparatus. When the ambulance finally arrived the husband was really concerned they'd try to put his wife in the ambulance rather than let him drive her home. If they had done so the medical costs would have been massive. It is just the type of situation that Alastair's health start-up is working to overcome.

Vikingsholm

It was quite a dramatic start to our day, but we eventually got back down the hill and to Vikingsholm, an amazing lodge-castle built in 1929. Finally we set off along the lake track. The lake is large, not as big as Lake Taupo, but very substantial. We found that the high altitude made a significant difference on the uphills. It was a pretty track weaving between the trees, dipping down to the lake at times, and ending at a great lookout point set on giant granite rocks. At one point there was a boat-only campsite - you can only arrive via the lake. Looked a lovely spot to stay.

We walked for two hours to the planned destination, a high rock overlooking the lake, to have our picnic. Walking through the tall trees was really something, with many having very fissured and attractive bark.

A friendly Blue Jay

The two hour return walk was enjoyable, but we definitely felt the impact of the altitude, particular the steep 1.6km climb up from the lake to the carpark We were at about 2000m. Just before the end of the track, before it left the lakeside, we all changed into togs and jumped (or I should say eased ourselves) into the lake water. It's temperature was about 18 degrees and it certainly felt bracing. I loved it. 

Heading back to our little house we went over a delightful little piece of road.

In the evening we went down to the lakefront, only 5 minutes walk away. The light gradually disappeared and the stars came out. We saw some of Elon Musk's Starlink satellites head overhead, and even saw a shooting star. It was a great chance for some serious chatting with Ali and Sophie.