NEW ZEALAND

January 28, 2002

Auckland

One of our first experiences of New Zealand was staying in this airport convention type hotel that we had to settle for since we couldn't find a room that late in the afternoon, There was a Maori bikie group staying there and we feasted on tasteless cucumber sandwiches on white bread, chips (dry and salty) with local brewed lager, enjoyed in a stuffy room in a driving rainstorm.

We got our feet wetâ early on as this would set the pace for most of our stay here, wet tents and winding country roads through endless fields of soggy shy sheep. Our plan was to rent a car and drive around the south island and than back up here to the top of the north island to catch up on the things we missed the first time around. Initially we thought 3 weeks would do it but we dropped that idea fast as soon as we got on the road and realized how much there was to see even in the 2 months we eventually spent here.

New Zealand is mainly made up of the North Island, which has the two largest cities, Auckland and Wellington (the capitol), most of the population and the majority of the Maori people, who were the original inhabitants of the country, and the South Island, which has some of the best scenery, high mountain ranges (southern alps), glaciers, sea kayaking, diving, bungy jumping and long hiking tramps, not to mention lots and lots of sheep.

It was in the South Island where the country really surrounds you with all the greenery, ferns and rugged mountains. One of our hilights was doing a 4 day tramp on the Kepler track in the SI Fiordland. This is an area of the lower SI where the days would see the sunset not until 10:30 at night and non-stop rain and sandflies, which feasted on our exposed ankles. We packed up our backpacks and set off for the trail, up toward the first hut where we planned to spend the night in a couple of bunks high up on the exposed alpine level. Our packs were quite heavy with all the food, water and a bottle of butterscotch schnapps. The first days walk hit us with some rain as we ascended up through the fern forest into the moss covered birch sub-alpine. As the trees became smaller with the altitude, the views increased across the lakes and fiords. Below we caught site of the hut up ahead and settled in for the night with all the other hikers, who were mostly already there by the time we made it in. We cooked up our freezed-dried noodles and had a cup of the soon-to-be dreaded butterscotch schnapps. We went out to explore some caves nearby and watched the full moon rise over the distant mountains. It got quite cold up here at this altitude (6000ft) which still made it feel like early springtime. The next day we clamored back on to the trail toward the summit of Mt. Luxmore which had fantastic 360 views. This trail eventually wound its way around the ridgeline, where we stopped for lunch and then carved its way down toward the second hut, which sat in this valley. Here there was a couple of waterfalls that were a short bushwalk away. The track at this point began to wind out through thankfully more flat country past large rockfalls and then back into some beautiful blindly green fern bush that ended up at the third hut. This hut was where we ended up spending New Years Eve. On the shores of lake Manapouri we gathered up with a few other trampers, Germans, Dutch and a group of teenage Kiwis yahoos singing 80's songs nearby. I finished up the butterscotch schnapps and we shot off some sparklers, I think someone had even carried up a bottle of champagne as well. I slept well that evening with the help of some dirty earplugs I was still carrying from the beginning of the trip. On our final day we walked probably the most around 10 miles, but our backpacks were a lot lighter now but our feet a lot sorer to match! A long walk through more bush, a few swing bridges and some country roads back we found ourselves at our car where we unloaded the packs and waited in line for the nearest shower at the crowded kid-filled caravan park.

Traveling north we stayed up near Milford Sound, which is absolutely beautiful, with thousands and thousands of large and small waterfalls. It was pouring rain as we drove up, surrounded by the misty scenery. we stopped at one view point where our car was surrounded by large Keas (mountain parrots) which get very excited by anything that looks like food, including out windshield wiper blades! We then drove down through this long dark tunnel, dripping with water that felt like we were freefalling!...defiantly a new experience in driving. We took a boat around Milford Sound and got quite wet doing so, but it was amazing to see the waterfalls from below.

From Milford Sound we drove over to Queenstown for a few days of fun. Queenstown is basically the trill center of New Zealand. Here I tried my obligatory bungie jump while Davi kept to a safe distance, taking photos. The views from up here were also amazing as we finally got our first spell of dry weather, which was good for us since everything wee had by now was soaked! At this pointed we called the car rental company and stretched out the rental for another month as we realized by now that we weren't going to get everything done that we wanted here in the South Island.

We made slow time just absorbing all the nature in as we meandered up the "wet" west coast of the South Island. We spent a few soggy nights around the Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers, were we did a "hike" up Franz Josef Glacier" this fun as we clambored over the Ice with our crampons on our borrowed leather boots. The temperature was relatively mild, but the these glaciers are just so massive that they are receding by only inches per year.

Driving back up to the top of the South Island we headed over toward Nelson and the Abel Tasman National Park to go sea kayaking for four nights. This was amazing as you get a kayak (after a half-day class) that we paddle into all these little inlets where we would set up our tent for a night. The waters around here are crystal blue in the shallows and there are huge tidal differences , so depending on where you would beach your kayak, you need to keep it above the high tide mark or otherwise you were going to be looking for a lost kayak! The first day was beautiful but then on the second night we got drenched and had to put up our tent in a pouring rain. We sat in the tent as it rained all night trying to keep warm and cooking our soup out in the overhang. We listened to the pitter patter of the rain all night but by the morning there was a good break of sunshine so we got our stuff out to dry and headed over to check out some tidal inlets and then over to see the seals playing around our kayak. we beached the kayak and then went out to hike the last 2 nights there but really the kayaking was the best part.

Took the ferry back over to the NI where we wanted to catch a couple of things we missed the last time we were up there, and as the weather was finally starting to clear too. Spent around 4 nights in the the lake taupo region where we did the day long tongaruo crossing. This is an amazing hike that you climb through various volcanic rock up to this crater and then down through a bunch of cyan colored lakes on the other side. We had excellent weather and were quite happy to have a dry campsite for once! From here we sidetracked over to the waitomo glowworm caves, which was another surreal experience. You rent an inner tube and with a local guide you just float down stream on your back, all the while looking up at the roof of the cave, which is covered in these fantastic little green glow worms that remind you of miniature constellations in the inky blackness. We did a few side trips around here, exploring other gorges and caves before heading back toward Auckland.

We wanted to do one last roadtrip before returning the car so we headed over to the Coromandel peninsular, which is famous for its "hot-water" beach. this is a certain spot on the local beach which when you dig a few inches will hit these hot spring flows just below the surface. We dug ourselves a nice little hole and spent the afternoon just chilling untill the tide came in. This was a nice getaway and now that the southern summer was in full swing it was perfect.

Auckland was our last stop before heading home and here we met up with a couple of friends that we had met back in Laos, Steve and Nicky, who had rented a house out in the western part of the city, (the name escapes me), this was the end of travel for us, at least internationally for awhile! Tired,drained but amazed that we made it this far and knowing all the things that we experienced and saw, it was an incredible feeling. we were both looking forward to home.