Rainbows and Waterfalls... All in a Days Drive!

Queenstown, New Zealand

May 14, 2007

I don’t like repeating myself everyday, saying how beautiful and pristine everything in New Zealand is, but it really is. Everyday brings something new, even as we drive down the highway to our next destination.

Today we drove around two beautiful lakes—Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea. The bright indigo lakes were encircled by golden hay colored mountains, splashed with grey shadows from the dense white clouds passing overhead. A few of the highest mountain peaks had a powdered sugar dusting of snow, other crests were still waiting for their first sprinkle, to prove that Winter was indeed on its way.

After an intense rain during a good portion of our drive, the clouds parted, allowing a glimpse of blue sky; revealing a massive rainbow that sank perfectly into the lake ahead of us. We quickly pulled over for a photo opportunity, but I think rainbows tend to be dreamlike and are best captured with memories, rather than cameras.

In the foreground, the rough shrubbery varied in shades of green from mint, to sea-foam, to a deep, dark green against the blue background of the lake. As we turned the corner, away from one lake and towards the other, the mountainside was burnt orange against the granite. We weren’t sure if it was shrubbery or a type of moss growing on the side of the towering mass.

Hawks floated over empty pastures, barely moving their wings, before diving down to feast on a piece of road-kill—usually the dreaded Australian possums. The hawk wouldn’t even look up from its meal as we zoomed by.

The rain came down hard at times, causing waterfalls to seeming sprout from the mountain side, but the weather didn’t prevent us from taking in the beauty at every single turn along the twisty highway. We continued to marvel all the way to Queenstown where we’ll spend the next three nights.

24x7x365:

It has been awhile since we’ve done a 24x7x365 update, but one thing hasn’t changed—we are still together. The holiday parks in New Zealand do provide us opportunities to do our own thing for part of the day. For example, since we use communal showers, we are separated during shower time.

One thing that has definitely changed in the past few weeks is the conversation. Since I’ve been having problems with the tube that’s was inserted in my ear a couple years ago I’m now deaf in my left ear, or pretty close. Marc now has to repeat almost everything he says, and since I already have to repeat everything I say for Marc at least once, we figure our conversation has increased threefold since my latest ear problem. The good thing is… I can read lips. “Whew, I am talked out,” says Marc.

Another Day, Another Glacier...

Franz Joseph, New Zealand

May 13, 2007
S 43°23.247
E 170°10.911

Glacier County in New Zealand gets an average of 284 days of rain a year. However, we’ve been treated to two of the 81 days it doesn’t rain out of the year. This provided us spectacular views of both glaciers in the remote south—Franz Joseph Glacier and Fox Glacier, and wonderful day hikes to explore the areas surrounding the glaciers.

After exploring Franz Joseph yesterday, we set out on a 22 KM drive south to Fox Glacier. We decided to do a day trip instead of trying to cram the views into our driving day tomorrow. This allowed us to walk the trail to the bottom of the glacier, viewing its lovely ice blue peaks, resembling a crashing wave, from up close. Similar to yesterday, the temperature quickly decreased the closer we got to the icy mountain. The wind picked up, adding an extra chill, as it whipped off the glacier.

The two glaciers were similar, both massive mountains of ancient ice, but each unique in its own way. The deep blue colors of Fox didn’t exist yesterday on Franz Joseph; yet France Joseph’s size and scale was overwhelming.

The immensity, in size and mass, of both glaciers is hard to comprehend, but at the same time it’s incredible to fathom they are receding at approximately 1 meter per day; nearly 4 American football fields per year. We’re happy we had the opportunity to explore them and enjoy their natural beauty while they still exist.

We made our way back to the Franz Joseph Top 10 Holiday Park along the curvy roads in time to do laundry, relax, and play a little air hockey in the game room. Final Score: Marc 7 – Laura 5… the terms and conditions of a possible rematch are under discussion.

Tomorrow we continue our journey south towards Queenstown.

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.

A Truly Great Walk...

Abel Tasman National Park, New Zealand
(Anchorage Camp)

May 5, 2007
S 40.57.372
E 173.03.336

The drive to the trailhead took thirty minutes from Motueka. All of us were very excited to get on the trail and finally hike through one of the many National Parks in New Zealand. We ate our bananas, situated our packs one last time and set out on our journey right at 10:00 AM—our goal time!

We planned for all types of weather, but luckily we only had to deal with brilliant sunshine and scattered clouds. As we looked toward the bay from the trailhead the sun turned the water a sparkling greenish blue; we were in for a special day.

The well-marked trail escorted us along the coastal range through dark, lush, green fern groves. The gradual undulations along the footpath provided us enough height to peer through the cool, shady forest and catch an occasional glimpse of the luminous water to our right. It seemed at every turn there was a new plant, stream or waterfall to admire. Crystal streams ran under perfectly placed footbridges while brilliant red toadstools with white polka dots, straight out of Alice in Wonderland, grew beneath massive silver ferns. At times I felt like I had to pinch myself; there were moments where I thought I was in a dream.

The trail was not physically demanding, a few ups-and-downs, nothing the four of us couldn’t handle. The toughest section of the day was a steep ascent after lunch, but well worth the effort. We found a small trail that led us down to a lonely golden sand beach in a quiet cove. We parked ourselves on a couple large pieces of driftwood and enjoyed a few slices of cheese and salami before powering back up to the main trail towards our destination for the night, Anchorage Campsite.

The final few kilometers of the hike were on top of a ridge overlooking the bay. The lush fauna we were in awe of earlier was now scrub brush. The terrain was more desert like, with hard unforgiving soil, both on the knees and the plants. Dustin took note of the contrasting landscape, explaining the new terrain reminded him of his hunting days with his Grandpa near Arbuckle, CA.

When we arrived at Anchorage, we still had a few hours of light left and took advantage of the time to explore the beach at low-tide. Marc and I took off on our own while Shelby and Dustin relaxed below the radiant sun on the beach. At the west end of camp were small caves obviously created by the surge of the sea over thousands of years. A few names were etched into the stone, including a few memorials, for what appeared to be fishermen. The dates on the majority of the rocks were from the 1960’s and a few from as early as the 1930’s. One of the names, MATT, was now spelled in barnacles, after the mollusks found the deep etching of letters to be a suitable home.

Overall, the day was spectacular. The landscape today resembled the pictures we ogle over in Lonely Planet and on the Discovery Channel. I know we only scratched the surface of the South Island today with more spectacular sights to come.

Road Trip Part II...

Motueka, New Zealand

May 4, 2007
S 41.06.259
E 173.00.836

The first ferry from the North Island to the South Island left at 8:00 AM. We opted to take the earliest one possible to allow enough time to make it from Picton to Motueka, the gateway to Abel Tasman National Park. The hike through the park will be the last big event with Shelby and Dustin before we part ways; allowing them to explore the South before flying home next Saturday.

The Bluebridge ferry ride from the North Island to the South Island took us along the Cook Straight before weaving in between several of the smaller islands en route to Picton. The water was calm, almost soothing and the aquamarine blue was glorious against the green mini islands that we continued to see along the way. At one point a school of dolphins played in the wake of the ferry, too far in the distance for us to see them clearly.

We got off of the ferry a little before Noon. We quickly grabbed our packs and headed to the rental car agency—Road Trip Part 2! However, we downgraded the car from the Territory to a Corolla since the four of us will only be together for a few more days. This made for a very tight fit with our packs and four of us in the Corolla. We figured we could gut it out since the car will be sitting while we hike.

During the trip from Picton to Motueka, we made a stop in Nelson to take care of a few logistics for the trek, and to let Shelby and Dustin stretch their legs—they were real troopers during the two hour trip; crammed and all.

We are taking Shelby and Dustin on their first real trek on Saturday. We will be out of pocket for a few days, but check back soon to see how it went on the trail.

A Wonderful Dinner with Good Friends...

Wellington, New Zealand

May 3, 2007
S 41.17.368
E 174.46.951

The food in New Zealand has been surprisingly better than originally expected. There are many choices due to the diverse culture on the islands. We have visited the local Malaysian, Indian, Korean, Thai, and Turkish restaurants, all of which were very good. However, last night we visited the Matterhorn in Wellington, which boasts local cuisine with fresh, organic produce and meat.

The Matterhorn was featured in a recent issue of the Daily Candy and was forwarded to me by my good friend Angela. I decided to look the place up before we got into Wellington and made sure it was on our dining itinerary.

The entrance, down an alley off of Cuba Street was a little awkward. We requested a table and were told we could make ourselves comfortable at the bar; a table would be available in about 30 minutes.

The restaurant boasts a lumberjack theme, but I found it much more elegant. The bar was very beautiful and stretched at least 25 feet. Lacquered and stained wood, mahogany in color, covered the walls and ceiling. The mahogany color was accentuated by subdued golden and copper colored lights placed perfectly behind the three levels of bottles behind the bar. After asking, we found out they use eco-friendly pine on the bar and ceilings, stained to give the appearance of mahogany.

We all ordered a cocktail and sat back enjoyed watching the three bartenders run up and down the bar making everything from a Blood Orange Martini, to a Margarita with fresh squeezed limes, to a perfectly poured bottle of Duvel. All drinks were mixed, stirred and shaken by hand; there were no electric mixers or pre-measured concoctions. These guys were pros.

After a few drinks we sat down at our table. The menu included several dishes New Zealand is famous for such as lamb, fish and beef. After the excellent beef in Argentina, I figured I had to compare the New Zealand beef.

The beef was cooked medium rare, served on top of oxtail with chorizo and chickpeas. There was a spicy chipotle butter sauce on top of the steak that melted, mixing with the flavors of the oxtail, chorizo and chickpeas. The preparation was totally different than the simple salt and pepper on the steak in Argentina, but the tenderness and flavor was comparable.

The other dishes were equally tasty. Marc and Shelby both had the daily fish, which was tuna, served with little soft, fluffy gnocchi. Dustin had the chicken which flaked off the bone. We shared a tasty bottle of local wine to go with the local food, a 2005 Lamont Pinot Noir.

This was our best meal in New Zealand so far, and probably our best meal with Shelby and Dustin. We figured the next few nights in Abel Tasman will be rice and more rice with a little soup mix.

It was a great way to spend an evening… great food and great friends.

A Day in Wellington...

Wellington, New Zealand

May 2, 2007
S 41.17.368
E 174.46.951

Our mission for the day was to secure our Australian Visas prior to departing to the South Island. US Citizens must obtain a Visa prior to arrival in Australia. We assumed it wouldn’t be a big hassle to get our Visas during our stay in Wellington.

We walked about two miles north of central Wellington to consulate-row. When we arrived we discovered a large blue sign with white lettering on the Australian High Consulate security gate; essentially explaining they don’t issue Visas in Wellington… Visas are ONLY issued in Auckland. Shit! Frustrated, we jotted down an Internet address posted on the sign regarding visa procedures and did an about-face back towards the town center.

I was panicking a little, while Marc assured me it was a small issue and we would be fine; “it’s not like we were stuck in Burma without visas.” I was frustrated because I knew we should’ve done our research prior to our latest departure from the US.

After making the trek back to the town center we found an Internet café. After a few minutes of “digging” we discovered that since we are US citizens we can apply for an Australian Visa online. We paid our $20 electronically and our main task was completed. Marc gave me a “see I told you so smile” and off we went to explore the city.

The afternoon started with a ride on the cable car up to Wellington Botanical Gardens overlooking the city. The much hyped Fall colors were out in force, affording us several photo opportunities as we wound our way down the footpaths of the garden, across streams, over bridges and around ponds filled with mallard ducks.

We passed through a vibrant, healthy rose garden with every color of rose possible. My favorite was the Orange-Lemon; a hybrid with orange and yellow swirls. We were surprised at the tenacity of the roses still thriving in the garden in the Fall afternoon and could only imagine how voluminous the garden must be in the heart of the summer.

After we captured several pictures from the rose garden, we continued down the path back towards the city. We stumbled upon an old cemetery which was partially excavated when the city of Wellington decided to build a highway through the graveyard. Approximately 3000 graves were displaced and relocated to another part of the city. We zig-zagged our way down and through the historic cemetery, stopping occasionally to read headstones dating back to the mid 1800’s. The Autumn colors and weathered wrought-iron fencing surrounding each site was pleasant to the eye, but I’m sure there are several unsettled spirits in the area.

As we exited the cemetery on The Terrace street we found a small house that was still inhabited and overlooked the graves (possibly the home of the previous caretaker)… I’m sure the residents have some good stories to tell. I guess we will never know.

Road Trip Part 1: The End...

Wellington, New Zealand

May 1, 2007
S 41°17.368
E 174°46.951

After returning the Ford Territory to Hertz we determined we covered at least 2086 KM (1293 miles) in one week. We saw the Far, Far North, 90-Mile Beach, Bay of Islands, Auckland, Rotorua, Lake Taupo, Napier, and now we are in the far South… Wellington.

Driving is really the only way to see New Zealand. Unfortunately, the highways on the North Island are only two lanes, often very curvy and at times unpaved; thus, making driving times significantly longer than most folks from the States would expect. Imagine driving 1300 miles along Highway 1 (PCH), toss in some unpaved roads, rain and then driving on the wrong side of the road… that’s New Zealand.

The four of us passed the time on the road playing car games. Our favorite game was Six-Degrees of Kevin Bacon—the game where you link another celebrity to Kevin Bacon. We took in the scenery, especially the autumn colors that brightened up the countryside; even in the rain.

Of course we saw several small (and very small) towns during our leisurely drive, all of which started to look the same.

Each town we passed through had a minimum of one Fish and Chips shop that usually sold Chinese food, a bakery/café, a video rental store, and a few quaint shops selling antiques, New Zealand souvenirs, or other trinkets. The larger towns had a McDonald’s, KFC, Subway, and if really upscale, a Burger King. Most store fronts were nondescript, making them easier to blend together with a similar store in the next town, or even next door.

Each town had at least one immaculately manicured park with a playground; however, we never saw any children taking advantage of the playgrounds—even on the weekend. The free public bathrooms along the way were also very clean, cleaner than any public bathroom I have ever been in at home. I would imagine a Kiwi would gasp in horror if they walked into the public restrooms in Washington Square… it would be fun to see ;-)

We made the final 300 KM of our journey on the North Island, ending up in Wellington. We'll stay here for three nights before heading to the South Island. I think all of us our ready for a break from the car, and our legs are in desperate need of exercise. We’ll get the exercise for sure, especially since we turned in the rental car and plan on seeing Wellington on foot—the best way to see any City.

Rain and the Road...

Napier, New Zealand

April 30, 2007

Drip, drip, drip… was the sound of rain hitting our tent when we woke up this morning, and it meant another day of rain. We’ve been pretty lucky over the past week; it has only rained at night, allowing us to explore the island during the day without getting wet. Unfortunately, this morning we had to put away a soaking wet tent—at least we weren’t floating on water like last night!

We packed up the truck and headed out of the Holiday Park. We decided to grab some breakfast in town and come up with an alternate plan to our day hike in Te Urewera. The trailhead was about 140 KM of out of the way, and we didn’t really want to hike in the driving rain.

We opted to head towards Lake Taupo and explore a few of the sites in the area before heading to Napier, our final stop for the night. We stopped at Huku Falls near Lake Taupo to view the “spectacular” falls accordingly to the New Zealand Tourist Board. The falls lacked, well, a fall, and instead the water roared down the river more like a Class 5 rapid. A couple of tourists actually approached Shelby and I on the trail asking us to point them towards the water fall; we explained the “waterfall” was actually the rapids they just passed. Oh well, at least we got to take a break and walk around in the rain for awhile.

After leaving the falls we took a quick drive to the next New Zealand natural attraction. Large craters, emitting plumes of steam, are scattered across Crater of the Moon park. Vigorous growing fauna in all shades of green surrounded the red, orange, yellow, and blue mineral deposits in the bubbling pools. As we walked through the park in our Tevas the earth below our feet was actually warm; reminding us that the WARNING signs in the park were posted for a reason. The views were spectacular; however, we couldn’t help imagining the vivid colors on a sunny day… maybe next time.

We left Crater of the Moon and continued our Road Trip towards Napier. I continued to admire the fall colors as we drove down the two lane highway. The leaves were displaying their bright Autumn colors; something we definitely don’t see in California.

We finally made it to Napier and found a great room at the local Top 10 Holiday Park. The room slept four, had a kitchen and a bathroom and plenty of space to dry-out our tents... pure luxury! We decided we would relax and stay “home” and have a nice home cooked meal. We sat around the table and drank several beers, including the beer from Sawmill Brewery, and just recovered from a long drive and a day of rain.

We’ll cover more mileage tomorrow as we head to Wellington, but hopefully it will be without rain.

Ewww...What is That Smell?

Roturua, New Zealand

April 29, 2007
S 38.08.172
E 176.14.369

Marc and I had two top priorities for the day—update the blog (internet access has been spotty in the rural areas of the North Island) and do laundry. Our towels were completely covered in mud after the floating tent incident and in desperate need of a wash. Dustin and Shelby had wash to do as well, so that consumed most of our morning. We were all fine with a little relaxing after two hardcore days in the car.

After the chores were finished, we headed out on a walking tour of Rotorua. The mid-sized town (10,000 pop.), by New Zealand standards, is famous for its thermal baths, hot mud pits and Maori culture—the walking tour included all of the above.

Prior to coming to Rotorua, I was warned that the sulfur smell leaves one holding their breathe until they reach the next town—I get the point. The town reeks of rotten eggs, the most pungent farts and the smelliest blue cheese all mixed together making Pepe Le pu smell like roses.

During the walking tour we quickly realized we wouldn’t get used to the smell, so our only option was to move onto the next town. We are off tomorrow to hike in Te Urewera National Park.