Day 21: There and Back Again....

This last post has taken a little while for me to get to since I didn't really want to admit to myself that this trip was really over. Our last few days were spent back on the north island. The guide books had sold me on a scenic drive through Whanganui National Park via Whanganui River Road, but we really could have skipped it since the real draw is the river, which we didn't have time to explore. The river valley is really lush and green, and the walls of the valley towered above us and plunged below us. The valley is a special place to the Maori, and the only signs of life we saw for hours were the sprinkling of small Maori villages including the somewhat famous settlement of Jerusalem (aka Hiruharama) which we had heard of earlier in the trip from a preview for the documentary How Far Is Heaven (http://howfarisheavenfilm.com/about).

What really made this drive tedious was the portion of the road that the Kiwis greatly understate by calling "unsealed". We were no strangers to gravel roads at this point, but this road was brutal. The gravel consisted of apple-sized rocks which made for a slow, slippery, and very loud ride. More than once a rock hit the underside of the van, most certainly causing some sort of damage. We finally made it past through the valley, then it was three more hours to Waitomo.

Waitomo is famous for one thing--glowworm caves. The GPS took us on same crazy route via remote back country roads and we were sure that we were lost. Then, out of nowhere a little village appeared, all built around the caves and the tourists they attract. We had a tour booked for the next day but since we knew photos weren't allowed on the tour, we decided to explore the Ruakuri walk at night to see if we could capture the little guys on film. The bush walk itself was really cool and wound around and over a stream and through a natural tunnel that the stream has carved out of the limestone. The path goes right through the tunnel, complete with stalactites and stalagmites. It was like a real life version of Tom Sawyer's island (or whatever nonsense it's being called now). After much fiddling with the tripod and exposure timing, we did manage to get a few shots but, of course, they just look like abstract blue-green dots. I guess you'll just have to go and see them yourself!

Cave on the Ruakuri Walk

The next day we participated in what was possibly the most hyped tour of the trip and most definitely the thing I was most looking forward to--blackwater rafting. After our memorable experience hiking through the caves of Barbados, we couldn't wait to strap on that helmet and check out the caves in very hands-on kind of way. The trip started out with us gearing up in wetsuits, boots, harnesses, and helmets. Our guides gave us a crash course in abseiling and then sent us down the 30 meter hole in the ground leading to the cave. Andy went first which was smart since the longer you stood there overlooking the abyss, the more time your brain had to tell you this was a bad idea. We all made it down incident free, however, and nobody chickened out. Yay us! Next was a trip down a flying fox (aka zip line) in the pitch blackness, with the only light coming from the glowworms overhead. Unforgettable. Then it was time to jump in the water with our tubes, which, if you've ever cannonballed into a cold swimming pool and gotten that frozen lung feeling where you are gasping for air but can't take a full breath for a minute, you have a good idea of what it felt like to land in that freezing water. We enjoyed a peaceful float down the river in our tubes, taking in the glowwormy scenery before ditching the tubes and sliding down a water slide on our bellies. We continued to wade, stumble, crawl, swim, and climb our way through the cave system until we came to a waterfall. At first we thought, oh, that's a nice looking waterfall, I'm glad we got to see that. Then we realized we'd been brought there so that we could climb up it. Most of us in the group were sure that there was no way that we would be able to do it, but thanks to our capable and supportive guides (literally, since there were points where they were bracing/hoisting/shoving our backsides up through the opening in the rock). Again, all of us in the group made it through. Go team! Another scramble up a much less intense waterfall, and we were back in daylight.

Our daring team--no quitters allowed!

We had to rush out to our next destination and didn't get a chance to buy the photos they took, but I will, so check back later for some action shots.

Our next stop was Hobbiton!! For those of you that are not card-carrying nerds, Hobbiton is where Frodo and his hobbit friends live in Lord of the Rings. All the LOTR sets were demolished after the filming except for Hobbiton, due to a fortunate confluence of events. There are about 40 hobbit holes remaining, and the owners of the land keep up the gardens and grounds in such a way that you really expect a hobbit to come walking down the path at any minute. We were there about one month too early though, since they are opening up a replica of the Green Dragon Inn in December, where it is rumored that visitors can enjoy a pint after their tour. I suppose we'll just have to come back another time.

Bag End (the Baggins manse)

View of the Party Tree

We then drove back to Auckland, where we had just enough time the next day to visit the Sky Tower and One Tree Hill. One Tree Hill is part of a large park in a pretty central part of the city and is also home to a large flock of sheep. I don't know why I was surprised to see sheep in Auckland since they're everywhere else in the country, but I was. Coming down that hill was like coming down from a vacation high, since after that it was non-stop logistics until we got home. Our Saturday lasted 44 hours, and we were more than a little dazed by the time we got past hour 20. But, we made it home safe, sound, and laden with all sorts of exotic flavors of chips, cookies, and candy.

The view from One Tree Hill

It's good to be home, but now that we're back home in suburbia I can appreciate New Zealand's beauty even more. New Zealand truly is as amazing as the tourism advertising would have you believe, and I cannot recommend it highly enough as a vacation destination to anyone who likes wide open spaces, clean air, lush rain forests, and adventure. And if you do go, can I go with?

Day 18: Picton

After a disappointing time in Queenstown, we headed to Te Anau, which was purely a stopover on our way to Milford Sound. It’s been raining most of the day, but that didn’t stop us from trying to explore where they filmed the Fangorn Forest scenes from LOTR just outside Te Anau. Per the campground host’s recommendation we watched a film at a little theater in town showcasing the fiordlands. It sounds corny, but it was really kind of neat. The footage was collected by a local helicopter pilot over several years, and was produced by the same team that produced LOTR (seeing a theme here?) so it was pretty high quality. We spent the rest of the evening in the hot tub at the campground, listening to the rain tapping on the roof.

The next day we drove down to Milford Sound, and we were lucky to have been able to do it since the day before they had closed the road due to the risk of a landslide occurring due to the rain. Apparently, a big landslide happened last week and someone actually died, so the authorities are being very cautious. The road was a piece of cake and we made it down in less than two hours. The weather was pretty nice and we enjoyed a lovely cruise around the sound where we saw another penguin species, the fiordland crested penguin. I actually got to see one swimming in the water just before it dove under. Apparently they’re very shy but we did see a pair on the shore and they didn’t seem to mind us all staring at them. We wanted to do a quick hike but the trail was closed so we just drove right back out. We stopped to see a gang of kea birds, which are the only alpine parrot species, or so we’re told. They’re smart but have a reputation as being pests, since they love to chew on rubber and have been known to shred tires on parked cars. We pressed on towards Wanaka, and we actually got snowed on most of the way there. 

Kea up to no good

We got to Wanaka just in time to catch “Safety Not Guaranteed” at Cinema Paradiso, which was pretty good, and it was made even better by the wine and fresh baked cookies that we enjoyed during the movie. The next day we strolled a bit by the lake since a hike was definitely out of the question as Andy has a bit of PTSD from Tongariro. 

Next stop was the Franz Josef Glacier, where we got to do a heli-hike on the glacier. Definitely a once in a lifetime experience that we’ll never forget. The helicopter ride was brief but fun, and our guide on the glacier was great. We crawled through ice caves, wormholes and straddled crevasses, and I only fell once. We made it back to warm earth and enjoyed a soak in another set of hot pools before we treated ourselves to a dinner out.

 

Kayaking in Abel Tasman

Yesterday was a big driving day, with a few stops for shopping and photo ops. We ended up in Maharau, a tiny dot of a town but a good base for exploring the Abel Tasman National Park, which is what we did today. We kayaked along the coast a bit, but had to move on in order to catch the ferry back to the North Island, which is where we are right now. Our journey is coming to an end, sadly, with another long day of driving ahead of us tomorrow and one last day of excitement before we return to the real world. We did find out just moments ago that Obama was re-elected so for the moment, we are proud Americans!

 

Day 14: Queenstown

It’s been an easy past few days here on the south island, though nonetheless enjoyable. We did some whale watching in Kaikoura and saw a sperm whale, which is the largest toothed whale. It’s quite lucky if you see one since they dive for 45 minutes at a time and only come up to the surface for about 5-10 minutes before diving again. We also saw albatross, dusky dolphins, and a fur seal. Andy got some good photos of the whale but I have no photos worth sharing :(

Hey, you broke one!

We drove further south to Hanmer Springs, which is a small town built around more thermal pools, but I opted for a pedicure at the spa instead since most of the cool pools were under construction. We then spent the night in Christchurch, which I would have liked to explore more than we did but we had a long drive ahead of us the next day to Dunedin. We stopped in Moeraki to see the famous Moeraki boulders, which are these almost spherical stones that roll slowly (geologically slow) down from the bluffs into the sea. We had a perfectly lovely lunch at Fleur’s in Moeraki, which is the first really nice meal we’ve had since we arrived. The restaurant was made out of reclaimed wood and was built to look like a French farmhouse. The food was unexpectedly beautiful, given the rather shabby town that the restaurant is in. On our way out we got stuck due to a house being moved in on the one narrow road that leads in and out of town. Housemoving seems to be much more common here than at home…it wasn’t even a very nice house.

Fleur's place - in Moeraki, not a village in France

A lovely lunch

We made our way through Dunedin to the Otago Peninsula, where we had been greatly looking forward to staying at the Kaimata Retreat. The property did not disappoint and exceeded our expectations. It’s situated in a pocket of bush that overlooks the Papanui inlet which, if it’s not already, seems to act as a preserve for various birds and marine life, including penguins. We didn’t get to see any, but the other guests said they were all over the coastline. We soaked in the scenery until it got dark, then spent the evening by the fire with a bottle of wine. The next morning Chef Pedro served us an amazing breakfast which we really appreciated after having alternated between toast and cereal almost every morning since we arrived. This place really is special. If we ever come back to New Zealand, and I hope we do, we will definitely be spending more time at the Kaimata Retreat.

A New Zealand fur seal

The next morning we took a nature tour on the Otago Peninsula which was also very special. The tour is operated by a family that owns a significant piece of land on the peninsula of which they use half to raise sheep, and the other half they treat as a nature preserve. The portion used for conservation has been virtually untouched by humans for decades since, before they owned it, it was a military base during WWII, which saw no action. Our guide drove us around in an Argo which is like a heavy-duty golf cart with eight wheels that can handle any terrain. It even floats on water. We got very close to a large group of fur seals, which dozens of cute pups learning to swim in the shallow pools. We saw cormorants, which were nesting with their chicks in the rocky cliff, and got to see the rarest penguin on earth, the yellow-eyed penguin. They’re super shy and nervous about everything, so we couldn’t take photos. Even the slightest click from the camera would send them into a frightened panic such that they may abandon their eggs, further contributing to their severely endangered status. Since they’re so shy, they don’t nest on beaches where humans go and only live in a single latitudinal position on the globe. Even in zoos, they hide from everything so most people will never get to see a yellow-eyed penguin, even if they try. We feel very lucky to have seen them at all.

The little vehicle that can do it all

We didn’t want to leave the Otago Peninsula but our itinerary led us back into Dunedin where we stopped at the Cadbury factory for a few minutes to try a few samples, then continued southwest to Queenstown. It was a long drive but we made it just in time (actually we were 5 minutes late but the people here are so nice they let us go anyway) to do the luge. We took the super steep gondola up to the top of the mountain and raced down the luge twice. It was a draw, with us each winning one race each. Unfortunately when we came back down the mountain we found out that our whitewater rafting trip had been cancelled since no one else had booked the tour. They offered to put us on another tour with higher level rapids but reason prevailed and we decided to find something else to do. We would have been bummed but the more we thought about it the less excited we were about possibly reliving the terror that we experienced on the Kauri Coast. As an alternative, I decided that I would go whole hog and try skydiving instead. The universe had other plans, though, and today it was so windy that the planes could not take off. Oh well….it seems there will be no adventure for us but at least we’re $400 richer. More to come!

 

At the top of the Skyline Gondola in Queenstown

Day 10: Kaikoura

The past few days have been a blur, so let me see if I can recall the highlights….In Taupo, we did a little hike to check out the mighty Waikato River which, if I understand correctly, is the largest river in New Zealand. Many people come to Taupo to check out Huka Falls, which is understandable since it is the color turquoise blue that for some reason is so much prettier to look at than regular old blue. We then tried our luck at fishing for prawns. Sound strange? It is. Leave it to the New Zealanders to come up with such a thing. Apparently, the nearby geothermal plant discharges a lot of hot water, which is then piped over to the prawn farm, mixed with cold water from the Waikato, and is then channeled into a bunch of beds where they raise Malaysian Giant River Prawns, or something like that. After learning all about the life cycle of the river prawn and deciding that they are really a bunch of jerks, we were given a fishing rod and a cup of diced up ox heart for bait. The idea is that you hook your bait, drag it on the floor of the bed, wait for an unsuspecting prawn to grab it with his claws, then wait three minutes to be sure he or she has put the bait into their mouth, and then yank him or her up to the surface. Sounds easy enough, right? Well, the prawns are cheeky little things and proved able to take the bait off the hook with their claws, apparently. Andy did manage to catch one, and that was the extent of our success. The restaurant at the park will cook them up for you but it didn’t seem worth it for one prawn, so we pressed on. So much for my visions of a bountiful prawn lunch!

Our next stop was the Aratiatia Rapids, which is basically a gorge where the Waikato River used to run through in full force, but is now just a relative trickle since the river was dammed up. Four times a day, they open up the gates to let the dammed water run through, and the trickle is transformed into a gushing river. The action was a bit slow, since there are a few pools that need to fill up before the water really starts charging over the boulders. Pictures don’t do it justice, as is the trend with this country, but we are glad we got to see the show.

Before...

....After

  

After Taupo, we drove to Tongariro National Park. This park is home to what is touted as the best day hike in New Zealand, the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, and of course we had to do it. First off, let me set the scene—on August 6^th, Mt. Ruapehu erupted. The trail goes right through an active volcanic zone. Last week, there was a storm that caused a volcanic ash flow that took out a portion of the trail. Did any of this information deter us? No, but it certainly should have. The brochure pointed out two difficult stretches, and the rest was categorized as “easy”. We struggled on the easy parts and slowly crawled up the difficult parts, but the kicker was the snow. There were two craters that we passed through that were covered in slushy snow so that every step we took was like wading through mud. Then, the trail, hugging the side of the mountain and little more than a foot wide, was covered in snow. One false step would have sent us rolling down to the rocky ravine below. I might have preferred that to having to hike….. all…… the….. way….. down. I had said from the outset that I didn’t care how long it took, we were going to finish this hike. Little did I know we would literally be the last ones off the mountain. We got passed by everyone, even those that started well after us. I couldn’t believe these people just clipping along the trail like it was nothing. They were singing, chatting, smiling, while we were barely making it through. But, we made it and that’s all that matters. Sorry, no photos. My camera is barely working and Andy didn’t bring the cable for his to upload photos to the laptop. This stock photo will have to do for now.

Picture this, but with snow and frozen lakes. That's Mt. Doom in the middle (the cone shaped one).

 

After we finished the hike, we drove to Wellington, where we  learned why they call it windy Wellington. We thought the van might blow over with all the wind and rain but we were still upright in the morning. Yesterday, we did the all-day Lord of the Rings tour. None of the sets are still up, of course, but we got to visit at least a dozen filming sites and the guide helped us recreate certain scenes (again, sorry, no photos). It was surprising how many scenes are right in the city limits. The city is also in full Hobbit fever with the upcoming premier, so we also stopped by the Wellington airport to see the giant Gollum installation. I don’t know how big he is but the fish he’s trying to catch is at least three meters long. We checked out the Weta cave, which is a shop featuring a lot of props and such from the various movies Weta has done special effects for.  I managed to resist the urge to purchase a “the one” ring, but I couldn’t walk away empty handed so I bought a chain like the one Frodo wore to carry the ring.

This morning we took the ferry over to the south island, where we’ll be spending the majority of the remainder of the trip. Andy is still recovering from the hike so today I did some biking/wine tasting in the Marlborough region on my own. I picked up some really good bottles of Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc, and I promise to bring at least a couple home. We’re now relaxing in Kaikoura, enjoying a glass of wine (don't worry, it's from the grocery store) and doing a bit of gazing at the clear, starry sky, complete with full moon and snowy mountains in the background. This place just keeps getting better. Cheers!

Day 7: Lake Taupo

We’ve spent the last couple days exploring Rotorua, which seems to be a tourist hub due to the geothermal activity in the area. A couple nights ago we attended a traditional hangi dinner, which included an informative and interesting demonstration of Maori weapons, dancing, rituals, and music. There was some confusion as to where we were supposed to be sitting, but we ended up sitting with a nice Canadian couple that we had met earlier in the day at the Zorb. It sure was nice to have someone to talk to other than each other for a change :)

The highlight of the evening was after dinner when we got to go into the neighboring Rainbow Springs Wildlife Center, which is basically a zoo with only animals native to New Zealand. Since it was late, the nocturnal animals were very active. We saw more glowworms, eels, fish, and various birds, but the highlight was the kiwi birds. We were a bit disappointed that we didn’t get to see them in the kauri forest on our bush walk, but in the wildlife park we got to see three of them up close (New Zealand is very casual about barriers). The really are funny looking birds and they move so fast! A few interesting tidbits we learned: kiwi birds have marrow in their bones, which helps explain why they are flightless. They have whiskers on their face, and their nostrils are way at the end of their beak, which helps them root out bugs and worms from the ground. I think the most impressive fact is that they’re roughly about the size of a chicken but their eggs are the size of six chicken eggs! After the female lays the egg she’s outta there and leaves the male to incubate it for 2 and a half months. Such interesting animals – we feel lucky to have seen them.

Yesterday we explored the Wai-o-tapu thermal area, which was pretty impressive. We saw the Lady Knox geyser, fumaroles (steam vents in the ground), boiling mud pools, and more. The whole place (really, all of Rotorua) stinks due to the hydrogen sulfide gas being emitted from the earth, but it’s really not bad unless the breeze sends a particularly smelly cloud your way when you’re not ready for it. Then it's gag, cough, gasp, cough, gag. We then headed towards our next destination, Lake Taupo. One great thing about having a camper is that you’re never at the mercy of what’s nearby. We can fix a hot lunch at whatever spot seems pretty, we always have a change of clothes if the weather turns bad, and if you need a nap, we’ve got our bed right behind us.  Last night we stayed in a proper hotel, however, which has its upside too (such a luxury to take a shower without wearing sandals). Anyway, Andy is finally awake and we're getting ready to check out the gorgeous Huka Falls. More to come!

 

 

At Craters of the Moon, a geothermal area caused by man's tinkering with geothermal power

Lady Knox Geyser hat

The Champagne Pool, named for the tiny bubbles