New Zealand's South Island

We have been driving and camping around the South Island for almost two weeks now and since we've checked into a 'civilized' room, I can find no excuses for avoiding a posting. Right now we're in a 'Holiday Park' in Hokitika on the west coast and just about exactly opposite of Christchurch. I could write for a long time about Holiday Parks but I think I'll save that for another post when there's nothing else going on.

Cloudy Bay Winery

We caught an early morning ferry from Wellington and even though the wind was blowing at about thirty knots, our crossing to Picton was relatively calm and our excitement was almost palpable. From there we drove to Nelson along the most twisting road I've ever been on and rendezvoused with our friends, Michael and Gloria, on their beautiful Beneteau 50 Paikia Mist. We spent two nights as their guests on board and got a great tour of the town. Departing from there at the crack of 10:30 or so had us following the road back towards the east side of the island and the area called Marlborough - more specifically the famous wine-producing town of Blenheim. Years ago during one of our bashes up the west coast of Baja, we 'buddy boated' with a 56' Nordhavn trawler called Cloudy Bay which also turns out to be the name of a well-known New Zealand winery. I had suspected that the owners of the boat had once owned the winery and sold it, using the profits to buy a luxury yacht. That became our first stop of our wine-tasting tour but there was no connection between the winery and our buddy's boat. Regardless, we languished in the lavish wine tasting room, sampling every kind of wine they make and enjoying every drop. By this time we were feeling quite happy and with a devil-may-care attitude we purchased several bottles that were well outside of our meager budget. We asked the very kind woman who was helping us to recommend some other vineyards and we sampled more delicious wine and bought still more bottles, including a wonderful dry rose.

A Minaret Moved to the Ground Until It's Building Can Be Stabilized - Christchurch

 
With great reluctance, we moved on and pointed the bow of our trusty Toyota towards Christchurch. It turned out to be a long drive and we finally picked out a holiday park near the coast but still a few miles from town. As holiday parks go, it was a little more basic than most but it had a nice grass area on which to pitch our tent. Almost all of the camper sites were occupied and in a conversation that took place the next morning at the communal kitchen, we found out that most of the people living in those campers were the displaced residents from Christchurch's massive earthquake just a year before. Whereas we had planned to spend a full day visiting Christchurch we only spent a couple of hours as most of the places the guide books spoke of were in the city's 'Red Zone' and no access was possible. It was sad. Instead we drove out to Akaroa, a small town on the end of the Banks Peninsula that was supposed to be 'charming' but there were two cruise ships in town that day and it struck us as more of a zoo than a quaint seafaring town. We instructed our GPS to find us the closest campground and it directed us to a wind-blown spit of land on the south end of Lake Ellesmere: Hidden behind acres of farmland, this has been the most remote and primitive site at which we've camped - no only was it free but there was no one around for miles.

Remote Campsite at Lake Ellesmere

Train Station in Dunedin

Our next stop, apart from a brief single-malt-scotch tasting in Oamaru, was the university town of Dunedin and we thought we had lucked out by getting the best spot on which to pitch our tent at the holiday park only to find out that we were just a few meters from a busy road that carried traffic all night long. Other than that, we thoroughly enjoyed the town with it's rococo architecture, the Speight's Brewery and the Cadbury Chocolate Factory. We also toured the local museum and strolled through the university's campus, our first time at being on a college campus in a long time. Still, we found more than enough to do to keep us busy for two nights (despite being camped next to the road) but after that we were glad to get underway again and continue our trek south.

The Captain Let Me Dock the Ferry - just kidding!

We found our way through Invercargill and on to the small town of Bluff where we pitched our tent in a very nice community campground. We broke camp early the next morning, packed what we would need for two days, put our van in a secure parking lot and boarded a ferry to Stewart Island. Since there were only a few passengers on the ferry at that early hour, I engaged the skipper in a conversation: 'You must see some pretty rough weather on this route.' It's not uncommon to see sixty knots of wind. 'At what point do you cancel the trip?' We don't sail if the seas are more than six meters (19 feet).. 'Do the windshield wipers ever have trouble keeping up?' Sometimes you can't see a thing . . .. However, on our crossing the sea was as calm as one could ask for, especially considering that the Pacific Ocean, the Tasman Sea and the Southern Ocean all meet at this spot.

Wellington, New Zealand

 Not all i-Sites were this cute

The documentation available to tourists in New Zealand is nothing short of amazing. In addition to that, almost every town, regardless of size, has an i-site - a comprehensive store front that is staffed with knowledgeable people, computers, brochures and guides - all of it for free. Some even sell souvenirs. The staff will make reservations on your behalf, answer questions, offer recommendations or even check the weather for you. One of the guides we picked up has a list of all the campgrounds in New Zealand and we were pleased to find there was a place to camp right in downtown Wellington.

Randy and Jenny of S/V Mystic

We found Rowena's Backpacker's Hostel without any trouble and I realized that it had been many years since I had stayed in a place like Rowena's. In fact, I don't think I had ever stayed in a place like Rowena's. Almost looking like an huge, old, run-down home, it sets behind another house and is accessed by a narrow alley that runs up the steep hill. In the very back is a small patch of grass where they allow tents to be pitched. It's almost like camping in someone's backyard. There must be forty rooms in the building, with either 2, 4 or 6 people to a room. The toilets and showers are unisex and the kitchen is communal. Our first night there we were checking out the kitchen and we ran into some friends that had crossed the Pacific the same time we did. It was great to see them and we spent a lot of time swapping stories.

Botanic Garden, Wellington

Te Papa Museum, Wellington

Yesterday we took in the Museum of New Zealand and then got fish and chips at a popular pub. Today we walked from Rowena's through downtown and it had been a long time since we walked through a major urban city on a Monday morning. There were thick crowds everywhere, the espresso bars were all packed and the traffic jamming. We took Wellington's only cable car up to the botanical gardens. It was a beautiful day and the flowers were spectacular. The path wound it's way through forests, gardens and herbs. The trail ended at the Norfolk Rose Garden, which has who-knows-how-many varieties of roses but virtually all of them in full bloom. Right next to the rose garden is Anderson Park.

Normally, a cricket park wouldn't attract too much attention from us except there were dozens of American flags attached to the chain link fence and loud rock 'n roll coming from a loudspeaker. We wandered in and were greeted by a woman who works for the American embassy who said that this was an event to welcome the American rugby team. She invited us to stay for sausages and soft drinks as the team was due to arrive in just a few minutes. There were only about thirty or so people milling about but the place was decorated festively with bunting and flags. There were a bunch of brand new rugby balls lying around and I picked one up and began to toss it around as if it were a football.

American Olympic Rugby Team

Just before the rugby team arrived, a group of attractive young women dressed in red, white and blue sparkling skimpy costumes showed up. Just as the team's vans drove on to the field, the girls in costume broke into a cheer. Frankly, it was a little pathetic but it wasn't their fault - they had obviously missed out on the training they needed. Regardless, the American World Rugby Cup Team climbed out of their vans and assembled in some sort of order. A man wearing a sports coat and an American Rugby baseball cap began to speak into a microphone. His name is David Huebner.

David Huebner is the American ambassador to New Zealand. After he introduced the team's coach (who said very little), he asked the attractive cheer leaders to do another cheer and they did the same one they had done earlier. I guess there was supposed to be more fanfare, more people, more excitement but there was very little. It appeared that it was over as soon as it had started. Ambassador Huebner was walking by me and I said, "Uh, Mr. Ambassador? I'd like to introduce myself . . .". Ruthie and I engaged him for somewhere between five and ten minutes, talking mostly about the South Island and New Zealand wines (he said that most New Zealand wineries are owned by Americans). He was very gracious and didn't appear to be hurried. We exchanged cards. As it turns out, he was the first openly gay ambassador appointed by President Obama and only the third openly gay ambassador in US history. As we were leaving the field (my brand new rugby ball signed by all of the American rugby team under my arm) we noticed the stretch BMW with the two Americam flags mounted on the front fenders and the two very large bodyguards waiting patiently behind the building.

From there we walked to the New Zealand House of Representatives but we had missed the tour. We walked back to Rowena's via the waterfront, stopping for a beer on the way. I have fallen in love with yet another New Zealand city.

Tongariro Alpine Crossing, Continued

(Editor's Note: I can't figure out how to add to my previous post using my iPad. Please forgive my technical ignorance.)

 Mount Tongariro

It was cold and dark when the alarm on our cell phone went off at 0500. I trundled up to the toilets and came back, shivering and huddling over the little space heater in the cabin. I made coffee for me and tea for Ruthie using our single-burner camp stove in the cabin. It was just getting light outside as we made our way up to the bus stop, all our gear and food stuffed into our cheap and funky knapsacks. The other hikers and we stood around, stomping at the ground as we waited for the bus. No one spoke as the modern bus drove down the highway towards our drop off point. The clouds around the base of Mount Tongariro were glowing pink with the first rays of the morning sun but the top of the peak was cloud-free, allowing us a good view of the snow-covered top.

Trail Head

 

Usually the Holiday Park only has one shuttle per day, however, the Crossing had been closed the previous day due to bad weather and so were two days worth of hikers on this Saturday. Add to that a three-day weekend (Auckland Day on Monday) plus a summer weekend and the number of people making this famous New Zealand Great Walk was in the hundreds. At the drop off point the driver gave us some final instructions: Expect winds of 60 kph at the top with below freezing temperatures. Don't turn around and try to come back from where you've come - you'll be walking into the wind. The last bus is at 1630 - that gives you ten hours to cover twenty kilometers and a 1,000 meters of elevation gain.

The wind was calm as we started up the trail which was quite flat at first. Because this is a relatively active volcanic area, there are no trees and only the sparsest of vegetation. Even though I was was walking, I struggled to stay warm as we were still in the shadows of the ridges we had yet to climb. After about four kilometers, we approached the first steep section of the hike. Like many of the hiking trails in New Zealand, someone had gone through tremendous time and expense to install well-made wooden steps to get the hikers through the steep parts. By the time we reached the top of the ridge, I had stripped down to just my t-shirt and jeans but was forced to bundle up immediately once we stopped for a break. From there, we walked across the crater of a dormant volcano, the flat, smooth ground a welcome respite from the steep stairs.

The View from Red Crater of Mt. Ngauruhoe

Mt. Doom in the Lord of the Rings movies

Now we faced the second steep part but this time there were no stairs. The wind had started to fill in and it seemed to be getting colder despite the fact that there was bright sunshine. In places the path narrowed to just a few inches wide and I was forced to take my frozen hands out of my jacket pockets in order to hold on to the rocks as we climbed up the ridge to Red Crater - a bad slip here could have spelled disaster. The going was slow and the howling wind made my nose run continuously. We both had to take frequent stops but we finally made it to the precarious top where we had spectacular views of the mountains that were used in the Lord of the Rings movies. As we started back down, we got an excellent birds-eye view of the bright green Emerald Lakes with the steam from geothermal vents rising from their edges. Although it was only 10 in the morning, we stopped for lunch of salami, cheese, nuts and dried fruit. We each drank a liter of water.

Emerald Lakes with steam from geothermal vents

The balance of the trip was far less exciting or arduous but we didn't get to the pickup location until about 2 in the afternoon even though we walked steadily with few rest stops. One group of young people who made the crossing with us applauded when they saw us finish. I think they were privately worried that they were going to have to go back up and carry us out of there. "You didn't think us old folks were going to make it!" I said to their cheers. Our bus back to the Holiday Park arrived on time and our fellow hikers were far more animated on the way back even though everyone was exhausted. Ruthie fell asleep at 7pm and I was in bed not much later.

I got some great photos but I'll have to wait to post them until I can get to a regular computer as it's not possible to do from the iPad.

Tongariro Alpine Crossing

 Huka Falls

As our trusty minivan takes us southward through the North Island in New Zealand, we continually garner new appreciations for this island country. The main north-south road is often just two lanes as multiple lanes in each direction are unnecessary - although they still call it a 'motorway'. Mostly we're on secondary and tertiary roads while many of the best campgrounds are found after a long drive down a dirt road.  A couple of days ago, State Highway 1 took us to Taupo, a small town at the north end of Lake Taupo, the country's largest lake. The Waikato River drains off the huge lake and one of the first things it does is creating Huka Falls. Here the river runs deep and narrow, forcing huge quantities of water through a natural rock sluice box. The rumbling it makes shakes the ground.

Late that afternoon, we found a Holiday Park (something like a KOA) just outside of town, barbecued hamburgers stuffed with blue cheese and tried to get some sleep in our little tent. Even though our neighbors a few feet away tried to keep quiet, it was a lot noisier than we were used to.

 Our Cabin at Discovery Lodge in Whakapapa

The following day we drove south again and this time found a Holiday Park in the Tongariro National Park. However, the weather was lousy with rain and cold so instead of pitching our tent, we chose to rent a small cabin - I mean very small as there isn't room for much besides the double bed. Toilets, showers and kitchen facilities are about a 100 meters away. The other argument for a room instead of the tent is that we decided to take advantage of the Holiday Park's service of shuttling guests to the start of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing - the bus leaves at 6:15am.

Sorry, folks, I'll have to finish this later. The iPad's battery is almost dead and there's only one outlet in the room. Right now the space heater is connected to that one outlet and Ruthie won't let me unplug it!

Sweet Home Away From Home

New Zealand Summer Attire

After six short holiday weeks in the U.S., I am back in New Zealand!  I had a wonderful stay in California and zigzagged from socal to norcal by car and plane.  My first thought?  How could it take just twelve hours of flying over the Pacific to cross the blue water that took us a year to sail through?   As we say…. Nothing goes to weather like a 747!  Really though, twelve hours was not long enough to prepare me (after living in small, third world villages for a year) for navigating the security lines in LAX at 6:00 a.m.  There were more people in that line, at that time of the morning, than I had been with in one place in over a year!

My second thought?  The livin’ in the U.S. is easy!  The stores have everything and anything you could possibly want!  Choices are overwhelming!  Traveling to any destination you want  is easy!  The internet is fast!  The streets are big.  The houses are big.  The stores are big and bright. Restaurants are everywhere! Schools and colleges are everywhere.  Access to information is easy.  Life is fast.  People are on the street day and night.  People are out and about every day of the week.  No rest on Sundays!

The funny thing?  After just a couple of days, I was right back in to life in  the U.S.A. fast lane, just as if I had never spent the last year traveling at six knots per hour!  I was driving 80 mph on the freeway cursing people that were going too slow!  Crazy!  What did I learn?  That the human species is very flexible!  We do what needs to be done!  We can adapt at will and as necessary.  Oh yes, and that there is No Place Like Home!

OK- back to the New Zealand summer- which is certainly colder than the San Diego winter!  Our first order of business was to order a flat white and shop the after Christmas sales for camping and tramping gear.  We are now prepared for freedom camping as well as Holiday Parks.  Since we haven’t camped in a long time, we figure we better do some practice camping before we set off into the wilds of the south island (believe it or not, life on Rutea is a step up from camping!).  That way, if our shopping list was optimistically short, we can hit up a camping store or a five star hotel in Auckland (don’t tell Neal I said that) to get appropriately prepared.  (I take back what I said about being totally adaptable..)

In the mean time, we are waiting for the evening high tide so we can motor down the river (without running aground) to Mcleod Bay where we will anchor off of a sand bar (Mac Donald Bank-in the middle of the bay) which will dry at low tide tomorrow noon and host an anniversary party for our Kiwi friends, Blue Moon.  Good thing the sun doesn’t set until 9:00 p.m.  Good thing it is not raining… yet…

Neal spent December working on Rutea and has the boat looking spotless!  He prepared a rack of lamb for my return dinner and bought champagne!  Rutea looks and feels like every bit of home that Orchard Avenue exudes.  Of course I am readjusting my spatial requirements, walking to the heads for showers and laundry and slowing back down to one or two projects a day, but this is also home.  I take my tea in the cockpit every morning and watch a flock of ducklings paddle by.  The river bank is lined with kids and Dad’s with fishing poles.  Cruiser friends stop by for boat project advice and sympathy.  The weather is still a huge topic of conversation as is next year’s cruising route.  It’s a sweet home, away from home!

R of Rutea

1/22/2012

Out and About in Whangarei

Charlie the Tank Tester

 

Now that we’ve been in Whangarei for almost two months, one of the most impressive things I’ve noticed is not just how friendly the people are but also how trusting they seem to be.  For example, in order to get our propane tank filled it had to be certified to meet New Zealand standards.  So I took it to T & L Industries where Charlie said he could have it done in a few days.  I gulped as that meant going without propane for that period of time.  Charlie said, “No worries, mate.  You can borrow this tank until yours is ready.” And he handed me a tank, certified and full of propane.

One of the first things we did when we got to Whangarei was to get our refrigeration fixed.  I called a local company and they dispatched their technician, Warwick.  Pleasant, thorough and good natured, he got to work right away.  The problem turned out to be elusive but after coming and going a few times he got it fixed.  About ten days later I got a call from his office asking me if I’d like to ‘pop by’ and pay the bill.  A similar sequence of events just occurred for some work that an electrician did for us.

Our friend, Mark, on Merkava, is looking into have his fuel and water tanks replaced while he’s here.  He did some research and found one of the best stainless steel welders in the area.  When Mark asked him what he thought was the best material to build tanks out of, he was expecting him to say something like “monel” or “316 stainless”.  Instead the welder thought for a moment and said, “Plastic.”

Consistently I’m finding people going out of their way to help, to point me in a direction that can better suit my needs or might be a better value.  Perhaps I’ve been jaded from living in Southern California for so long that I’m suspicious of most people that I’m doing business with.  However, here I’m starting to let my guard down.

Bicycles and Beer

Town Basin Marina - Whangarei

Photo by Yuka Morino

The big news on Rutea is the arrival of our new Strida folding bicycles.  We received three of them from my brother, Paul, and they’re just so much fun!  Not only are they brilliantly functional – they collapse to almost the size of an umbrella and unfold in just a few seconds – but they’re very attractive to look at.  Even a quick spin around a parking lot and you can tell that the components used to build the bike are first-rate.  The ride is incredibly smooth and with very little effort you can find yourself whizzing along at a surprising speed – no worries though because the front and rear disc brakes are impressive with how quickly they can stop the bike and rider.

 Yuka with Merkava in the background

I’ve been just riding around on the less-traveled streets for now as it’s been a long time since I have ridden a bike in traffic.  On top of that, New Zealanders aren’t particularly tolerant of bike riders (nor are they of pedestrians).  It’s a little odd because the drivers here seem very patient with other drivers but you’d better pay close attention before you step off a curb as it seems like no one will stop for you.  I’ve talked with New Zealanders about this and they admit it and shrug their shoulders.  Regardless, I’m having fun riding around, running errands and generally just goofing off.  One of my favorite things to do is to ride over the Victoria Bridge and visit my friends Mark and Yuka on Merkava.  Mark always offers a cold beer, regardless of what time it is.

Last night, Mark, Yuka, Corie and I went out to McMorrissey’s Pub in downtown Whangarei, just a short walk from the boat.  On Monday nights they have a lamb shank special that comes with a pint of beer.  Mark and I each order a double shank while Corie ordered a chicken burger and Yuka ordered sweet potato fries.  The lamb shanks were served under billowing clouds of steam.  Under the steam were thick, meaty shanks with dark brown gravy smothering them and the large portion of mashed potatoes.  The meat was falling off the bone and almost melted in my mouth.  The flavor was nothing short of exquisite with the faintest taste of grass-fed sheep.  I virtually inhaled my entire meal and even though I was uncomfortably full, for a moment I considered ordering a second round, it was that good.  Instead, I opted for a pint of Guinness Stout and a bowl of Guinness ice cream.  The ice cream in New Zealand is excellent but this was even better.  With lots of chocolate sauce, the ice cream is a unique blend of the sweet cream and the bitter stout.  It works.  It works really well.

The pub itself is supposed to look like an Irish pub and though I’ve never been to Ireland, it does remind me of any number of English pubs where I’ve enjoyed a pint or two.  Dark wood paneling and dark wood tables and chairs are surrounded by Guinness mirrors and Kilkenny signs.  There’s a chalk board where the menu is scribbled out.  The bar has a long line of beer taps with each brew having an elaborate and unique handle.  There are no cushy booths or even a padded chair.  All ordering has to be done at the bar although the bar maid will bring the food you’ve ordered to your table.  But the place has a friendly atmosphere and even though the prices are high compared to the US, tipping isn’t routine.  Perhaps I never gave the pubs in my neighborhood in San Diego a chance (hell, I never paid any of them a visit let alone give them a chance) but I feel very comfortable at McMorrissey’s.  We have all found the Kiwis to be very friendly – almost disarmingly so.  If you come to visit here and you don’t find me on board the boat, take a stroll over to McMorrissey’s.  You just might find me there.