A Beautiful Day at Joe's Glacier...

Franz Joseph, New Zealand

May 12, 2007

S 43°23.247
E 170°10.911

The sun was shining brightly when we woke up this morning, a completely different day than yesterday. We took showers, brewed coffee, made a few slices of toast with peanut butter and honey for breakfast, and immediately hit the road towards Franz Joseph; a small village in Glacier County, about 2 ½ hours south from Greymouth.

Shortly after we left Greymouth we had views of snow capped mountains, freshly dusted with snow from yesterday’s storm. Again, when we thought we couldn’t see anything more beautiful, we did. The curvy road led us through green pastures of grazing sheep and deer, dense fern groves, lush tropical vegetation, and then up through alpine forests, all before taking us safely to rest in the village of Franz Joseph.

We quickly found a place to stay, unpacked the Corolla, and set off to explore the trails around the glacier. The trails were as first-class as the rest of the trails in New Zealand, full of birds and luscious fauna, except this trail lead us to our first sighting of a glacier in New Zealand.

We came to a clearing in the moss covered forest where two benches were perfectly placed, allowing visitors to admire the glacier from afar. What we witnessed in the clearing was more than a view of the glacier. Thanks to a small pond and the location of the sun, we were treated to a perfect reflection of the mountain range, waterfalls and glacier right at our feet. It was a magical site and realized we were lucky to see the image since it disappeared 20 minutes later when the sun changed direction and was covered in fog and clouds.

Next, we took a trail to the base of the glacier. As we approached the massive mountain of ice it grew increasingly colder. It was as if the temperature was dropping 2-3 degrees every 100 meters as we neared. We looked up into the deep crevasses of ice that appeared to be small ripples when we stood at the pond moments earlier. We admired the beauty at the base while small groups of ice hikers made their way down the face of ice. In tight formation, the tiny hikers looked like ants slowly crawling back to their queen; at the same time providing us perspective to the sheer size of the glacier.

The air was getting colder and we realized the sun would be setting soon, so we quickly made our way back to the trail head, occasionally looking over our shoulders capturing a glimpse of the last rays of sun reflecting across the mountain of white ice.

The rain might have darkened things a little yesterday, but the sun definitely brightened them today.

A Hard Day...

Greymouth, New Zealand

May 11, 2007
S 42°28.066

E 171°11.145

Okay, so everyday isn’t picture perfect, a dream, with lovely sites and landscape, some days are dark, gray and only full of rain. That was today. The rain was coming down so hard, sideways at times, that it wasn’t even worth going out to explore. Luckily, Greymouth doesn’t have a lot of spectacular sites to see, and we were only using it as a stopping point on our drive down the West Coast of the South Island, one of the most spectacular drives in the world.

The rain started last night, let up briefly a few times throughout the day; each time we thought it was over it resumed fiercer with more punch than the previous shower. I hate the rain and I really hate being trapped inside all day. We did have Internet access, allowing us to book some tickets and look up a few things we needed to research.

I mentioned before that I am a little obsessive compulsive, but thinking about it a little more I think I’m obsessed with being in control… I think the technical term is control freak. I have to be in control of every situation and when something, like weather, is out of my control it makes me a little crazy.

I took care of a few things on the computer, started a new book ("The Alchemist"), and caught up on my CNN. However, after hearing the same news about Tony Blair resigning, Paris Hilton crying about her impending jail time, and, of course, the latest failures of the war in Iraq for the sixth time I started to melt-down.

I missed Shelby. I missed my Mom, feeling badly that I wouldn’t be able to see her on Mother’s Day. I guess being locked up inside made me a little homesick. The past few weeks have been so perfect I almost forgot we were traveling for an extended period of time. After visiting San Francisco and then we arrived in New Zealand with Shelby and Dustin I got out of "travel mode."

I realized today was one of those "hard days" Marc and I talked about as we prepared for our trip; traveling for a year isn’t always fun. Today reminded we’re traveling for awhile, although we are having a great time and really living a dream; I still miss friends and family at home and that hit hard!

Hopefully tomorrow will be sunny and bring more adventures as we continue our road trip down the West Coast.

A Good Day for a Drive in the Country...

Greymouth, New Zealand

May 10, 2007
S 42°28.066
E 171°11.145

We woke up to the sound of rat-tit-tat-tat-tating rain on the tin roof just outside of our bedroom window. After several days of perfect weather, we knew the rain was going to get us sooner or later. Instead of braving the rain we adjusted our plans and hit the road early, rather than going for another hike along the beautiful lakeside. Our plan was to get to Greymouth by the end of the day.

Even though it was raining, it didn’t deter from the beauty as we drove towards the coast. The low, wispy clouds lingered around the mountains, adding to the ambiance, as the rain dusted our little Toyota Corolla as it zipped down the quiet country roads.

We made our way on along the curvy roads, hugging the lines like a sports car and doing our best to avoid head on collisions with the reckless Kiwi drivers. The beautiful drive through Buller Gorge was sketchy; at times dropping to a single lane “highway”. The driver heading east is supposed to “Give Way” to oncoming traffic, but it makes it difficult when you can’t even see around the blind curves that lie ahead. We dropped our speed to 15 KM per hour several times and safely made it around the twists and turns.

After driving at least 1500 miles in New Zealand, we would expect to grow tired of the landscape, but since it changes daily we haven’t. Today we drove by deer farms where hundreds of deer grazed in fields typically reserved for sheep and cattle. Venison is very popular in New Zealand and the meat is exported worldwide.

We stopped in Punakaiki to see the famous pancake rocks. The rocks, which are limestone, have been formed by the sea over millions of years. It is truly a geological mystery as to why they are layered, like pancakes stacked on one another. The rain slowed to a drizzle during brief walk through Punakaiki park and even though we got a little wet the stop was still worth our time.

Before stopping in Greymouth we took a quick detour to Blackball (pop. 370). We liked the name, and really meant to get a picture in front of the “Welcome to Blackball” sign as you enter the town, but failed to since there wasn’t a proper turnout. However, our sole purpose for heading to Blackball was to go to the Blackball Salami Company. The Salami Company is reported to have the best salami around, including tasty venison salami. We sampled several different types before selecting two sticks that we’ll enjoy for lunch over the next couple weeks.

After Blackball we made our way to Greymouth; we arrived just in time to catch the sunset over the Tasman Sea on the beach 100 meters from our doorstep.

Another magical day in New Zealand.

Shrooms, A Lot of Magic Shrooms...

St. Arnaud, New Zealand

May 9, 2007
S 41°48.952
E 172°50.909

The natural beauty of New Zealand continues to dazzle us. We headed to Nelson Lakes National Park today, near a small village called St. Arnaud. Inside the park are two lakes—Lake Rotoiti and Lake Rotoroa. There are several walks around each lake, so we immediately took off to explore the trails.

As we set out on an hour and a half hike, we weren’t expecting much. We figured we would see some of the same beautiful scenery we’ve seen since we arrived in New Zealand. We should have known better. Every day seems to bring something else spectacular, and since the lakes are located at about 2100 feet, much higher than the Abel Tasman trail; we walked into a new amphitheater of fauna.

We set out on the trail from the visitor center and walked directly into a forest of singing birds. The song of the Bellbirds was like nothing we had ever heard. They were singing away, males and females talking back and forth, with their fluffy little bodies and lime green feathers. Their natural camouflage and speedy movement allowed them to blend into the forest surrounding them, preventing any pictures.

Continuing along the trail we started spotting mushrooms hidden among the mossy logs and autumn leaves. These toadstools were different than any we’ve seen, every color and shape. They varied from brilliant white to burnt orange to brown mustard yellow to translucent, but my favorite one was deep purple. Some of the mushrooms looked like a fan covering a mysterious face, others, like the purple ones, were button sized, so small they could be missed without careful observation. Even though we saw several shapes and colors of mushrooms we didn’t see the elusive blue mushroom.

We’ve been searching for the mysterious blue mushroom since our arrival in New Zealand. Shelby’s friend shared glorious stories about blue mushrooms covering the New Zealand forests, making it Shelby’s goal to see one. I sure hope she does!

As we arrived at the end of the trail we bumped into some nice ladies from Perth, Australia, chatting about what hike they should do the following day. We urged them to get out and see all of the beautiful mushrooms, and shared mutual stories about the beauty of New Zealand.

I can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings.

Leisurly Day in Nelson...

Nelson, New Zealand

May 8, 2007

S 41.16.275

E 173.16.800

There were no alarms to wake us, no real plans, the only plan was to explore the city of Nelson, walk the city and see as much as possible. We awoke to a loud twin-prop airplane flying directly over our Holiday Park… a little confused after sleeping two nights in the wilderness we opened our eyes and slowly realized where we were.

We decided to stay at a large holiday park just outside the town center since it had laundry facilities; absolutely required after our days in the wilderness. Plus, after staying at several holiday parks over the past few weeks, we’ve discovered them to be a perfect option for our budget—a kitchen, clean bathrooms, hot showers, BBQs, and various rooms depending on our mood and weather (camping, cabin, or en suite bathroom). The only drawback to our current location was that it was under the flight path for Nelson airport just 8KM down the road.

The plane did wake us up at a descent time, around 9:00AM. We took our time getting ready, made some coffee and a little toast, before beginning our trek towards the city of Nelson. It was a perfect Fall day, sun shining and not a cloud in the sky, so we decided to walk the 5 KM into town and explore.

The leisurely walk into town was just the thing for our slightly fatigued legs after three days of hiking. We were able to enjoy the beautiful waterfront and gorgeous houses built into the hills directly across from the water. The scenery and weather reminded us of the Marin and Sausalito areas north of San Francisco.

We wandered from park to park, enjoying the fall colors and pristine conditions of New Zealand parks, before we headed to the lookout point marking the center of New Zealand. The 160 meter climb to the lookout was far more than we imagined. Once we reached the summit we were treated to a 360 degree view of the mountain ranges and waterfront surrounding Nelson.

Marc took the opportunity to use his telephoto lens to capture cool sights in the distance. When taking pictures he noticed a young lady about 200 meters away and took a few shots. She was running down the trail, stopped, and started looking at a little monument, or so Marc thought. He was snapping away quickly, testing out his new lens, to his surprise she pulled her pants down and started peeing. Sorry, the picture did not make the blog!

Our hike back to our Holiday Park was at least 8 KM since we wandered away from the town center while exploring. We followed the same route back along the waterfront, this time more briskly since the sun was beginning to set directly in front of us. Our perfect Fall day was quickly turning to a perfect Fall evening.

Good-bye to Good Friends...

Nelson, New Zealand

May 7, 2007
S 41.16.275
E 173.16.800

The sky was still dark, except for a small stream of light coming from the moon, when the alarm went off. Our tents were covered with condensation from sleeping only meters from the beach. We quickly packed up our things, attempted to shake off as much of the water as possible and got on the trail; our headlamps illuminating the path it felt like we were miners (Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho, it’s off to work we go!).

There were two reasons for the early start: 1) We had to hit one of the river crossings within 3 hours of low tide, 5:49AM. There wasn’t an alternate route and we didn’t want to cross the river with water above our waist and holding our packs over-head, 2) We had to catch a Water Taxi at 10:30AM, taking us back to the trailhead and car-park, the trail-marker posted at our campsite estimated it would take us three hours to reach our meeting point.

The sun started to peak through the marine layer of mist after 30 minutes on the trail, around 7:30 AM. As we weaved along the path we were able to catch brief glimpses of the streaking sky, a luminous pink color intermingling with the clear, blue sky. We were able to snap a few pictures before regaining focus and continuing towards Awaroa Lodge, the pick up spot for the Water Taxi.

An hour and fifteen minutes into our hike we came to a sign for the Aworoa Lodge; only 15 minutes away. What, we thought this was a three hour hike, oh well. We quickly made our way downhill towards the swanky lodge. We found a little café, and parked ourselves outside relaxing at large wooden tables that were steaming as the sun warmed them up and dried the morning dew.

As we enjoyed our coffee an occasional lodge guest would look at us out of the corner of their eye with a little suspicion. We looked out of place in our grimy clothes and oil slicked hair. After a little breakfast, we made our way down to the beach to wait for our Water Taxi.

We expected the Water Taxi, or boat, to be just that… a form of transportation, something to take us from point A to point B. We were pleasantly surprised when our skipper made several stops along the route to give us a history lesson of the Able Tasman coastline, a visit to see seal pups frolicking in a pool off Tonga Island, and a brief search for blue penguins at Shelby’s request—he even found some.

The ride took longer than expected, but we were able to see the park from a different perspective; along our trek we only saw it within the boundaries of the beautiful trail. We were now an outsider looking in, admiring more of the coast line and blue water than the breathtaking fauna on the trail. The boat ride was a perfect way to end the trek.
After the ride back to the car-park, we stuffed our gear back into the Corolla and headed back to Nelson. We were right on schedule for Shelby and Dustin to make it to their evening destination.

When we dropped Shelby and Dustin off at Avis to pick up their rental car I got a little sad. We spent the last two weeks with them, drove countless hours in the car, hiked through the park, sailed on a ferry, drank a lot of Tui beer, ate great food and our time with them was coming to an end. We saw a great deal in the two weeks together and we will have memories that will last a lifetime.

The dynamics were definitely different when Shelby and Dustin joined our trip. I know I’m not always the easiest person to get along with since I have some obsessive compulsive characteristics. Such as reading a map and the desire to know exactly where I am at all times, removing luggage tags before I even leave the airport, ensuring the toilet paper roll always dispenses over the top, etc.

The day we got lost looking for the brewery and met the kayaker, I was actually so frustrated I told Marc to pull over the car—I had to get out and go for a walk. At the same time, being cramped up in a car for 1300 miles can put anyone on edge. I think we were all at the “tipping-point” at one point or another during the trip, but after a few days everyone started to understand each other’s “characteristics” and just went with the flow.

Shelby and Dustin were the first visitors on our trip. We thank them for being friends, trust they had a wonderful time, and hope they got a taste of what it's like to travel around the world for a year… 24x7x365.

It's Disneyland for Backpackers!

Abel Tasman National Park, New Zealand
(Tonga Quarry Camp)

May 6, 2007
S 40.53.756
E 173.03.123

We got on the trail a little later than we hoped, just after 9:00 AM on our second day in Abel Tasman. It was a little overcast when we got out of bed, but the weather was warm—far from the heavy rains we heard about from others. We knew we had a tide crossing first thing (low tide was at 5:49 AM) and thought it wouldn’t be a big deal if we had a cup of coffee before taking off for the day. How high can the tide really be, just toss on the Tevas and wade across, right?

We got to the fork in the trail—one way for the high tide route, the other way for the low tide route—we chose the low tide route. We got to the beach and saw a little water in the distance. “No problem, it can’t be more than mid-calf,” we said. As we got closer, the tide was clearly coming in, and the water now looked knee deep.

“Someone needs to make a call,” Marc said. “Do we try to make it?” The detour on the high tide route added at least one hour to our expected five hours on the trail. “Let’s go for it,” Shelby responded. We threw off our packs, took off our boots, zipped off pant legs (turning them into shorts), and strode into the water in our Tevas.

Marc was first. Half way across he was up to his groin in water. He yelled back at us, “You guys better get moving!” The rest of us shortly followed, with Dustin being last, and at 6’3,” at least 5 inches taller than Marc, he was now up to his groin. The water was rising very quickly.

We set across on what appeared to be an island (see picture to the below and left), following the orange trail markers that lead people across the sand beach at LOW tide. We were all running now and I felt like we were being filmed as part of the “Amazing Race.” Our adrenaline was flowing trying to get to the next stream crossing before it was too late.

Marc got to the second stream crossing just in time to see a big wave come in and push a ton of water back in our direction. “Hurry, Hurry, Hurry,” he yelled with panic in his voice. Marc started out on the second crossing, getting 1/3 of the way, with water to his waist, before he turned around and told us to go back… it was too dangerous. We headed back in the direction we came, running. The thought of being trapped in the tide crossed my mind, but I knew we could make it back to our original point of entry… but how deep would the water be in another five minutes!?

Luckily, as we were headed out I saw a person out of the corner of my eye on what appeared to be a trail. I told Dustin we should head towards the trail since the first crossing continued to swell and we might not make it back across. The water pooling between us and the backpacker on the shore, curiously watching us, was shallow, maybe ankle deep—allowing us to reach the shore safely.

The low tide route was an adventure that is for sure. After we got our boots back on and continued on the trail, we continued to watch the water engorge the entire estuary. The island we ran across only moments ago disappeared ten minutes later. The low tide route saved us at least thirty minutes on the hike, but it provided an adrenaline rush that lasted rest of the day—I guess we didn’t need that coffee to begin with!

The rest of the day was uneventful compared to the way it started. We continued to admire the beauty of the park and the pristine conditions. We spotted different mushrooms including orange mini-rooms growing out of a dead tree trunk. The beauty that surrounded us every step of the way was like nothing we had ever seen (golden sand beaches to the right).

Marc commented New Zealand is like Disneyland for backpackers; trails perfectly manicured, no garbage to be found, friendly people and forests that are right out of a fairy tale.

I definitely see why Abel Tasman is one of New Zealand’s Great Walks… it really shouldn’t be missed.