Hi all,
Yesterday, we spent the entire day and into the evening on the Wairau River attempting to fish. Another incredibly beautiful, braided river system in the middle of a valley with the northern coastal range jutting up on one side, and hundreds of acres of grapes on another side with the foothills of the Kaikoura Range beyond that. The day was sunny and warm and as happens when you are fishing--time passes and passes and before you know it you are sunburned beyond belief. I did not see or catch one fish. The only thing I did catch was the fishing game warden. Two guys sauntered up and engaged me in conversation for a while before presenting their badges. I, ofcourse, did not have my fishing license--Joel did. But it became clear to them that I was not a criminal and I did in fact purchase my license in a teeny weeny town of about 25 people. We were hot and tired and knew we were not going to make the New Year's celebration in town. So, instead we had yet another fabulous Indian dinner, got back and showered and layered on goop for burns and promptly went to sleep.
We left for Picton (25 minutes away) this morning and were glad that we returned here. We had been here a year ago. It is such a special place. We took a very long hike out one of the arms that extend into the Queen Charlotte Sound. It was incredibly hot and dry and much of the four hours of hiking was in the sun. I hobbled back into town and couldn't get to the store fast enough for a popsicle. We took cold showers and are just chilling right now. We continue to meet such nice people. We leave in the morning for Kaikoura--the scene of my little car mishap--and hope to go whale watching this time. Happy New Year for reals up there. Much Love, Linny
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Hot and Dry
Hi!
This morning we actually acted like we were on vacation--lazed around and took our time before leaving for a hike. We decided to hike the hills above Blenheim. Blenheim is in the Wauhau Valley--a place of moderate climate on the northeast coast of the South Island. The weather is similar to California and much of the geography is similar to the northern part of California with its dry rolling hills and eucalyptus trees. The valley is home to many vineyards--known primarily for Sauvignon Blanc and other white wines. We began the hike by perusing the track map that was posted beyond some fencing that held a herd of huge dairy cows. I'm not a fan of these big guys--in fact, I am a little scared of them. They are much bigger than ones I've seen in the US--they are around a half ton and stand quite tall. I took my walking stick for a little protection--ha ha.
The path began up a gentle slope lined with Queen Anne's lace, wild anise in yellow bloom, purple statice, orange poppies, many dry and beautiful grasses, century plants, young oak trees, acacia trees, lucerne trees, willows, poplars, young pines, and a variety of eucalyptus trees--one of which was in bloom with small fuchsia flowers. It was hot and dry. The next hour of the hike was up 900 ft by way of long curving switch-backed trails through acres of dry golden grass. The hills were round, tan and golden--punctuated occasionally by some green shrub or stand of eucalyptus that were usually in the folds and creases of the hills. They sky was blue and cloudless. The breeze was warm and dry. As we neared the top, I could feel a cooler breeze and the clouds began to move in to form beautiful moving shadows over the hills. From our vantage point on the ridge, the Pacific Ocean was to our right, the Kaikoura Range behind us, the valley and northern coastal range before us and the continuation of rolling hills and miles of vineyards to our left. When we began our hike, the southwesterly winds were coming from Australia--they are generally warm and gusting. (In fact, last night the winds were clocking in excess of 50mph and knocking down iron patio furniture at our motor lodge. It howled all night long.) We had been told by our hostess that the winds would be changing in about an hour and a half--and boy, was she right.
We were walking the ridge line and in the space of 10 minutes the winds changed--southerly wind from Antarctica, the temperature dropped 20 degrees or more and the gusts accelerated to about 50mph. We knew we had to head down quickly since we did not bring our warm gear. The closest path was straight down--no curves--steep incline on dry grass. With the high winds, the grasses were whipping our bare sunburned legs and stickers poking through our socks and into our boots. It was a fantastic hike for us--reminding us both of California when it was not built out--when as kids, you could build forts and play all day long and never worry about weirdos. The smell of eucalyptus . ....so great.
After lunch Joel promptly took a nap and I did the laundry (sound familiar girls?). We're still hoping to fish tomorrow if the winds die down. The day after that we will return to the Marlborough Sounds and hope to kayak or hike or just get out on the water. We are brown as brown can be. We hear there is snow in Portland and Bend and I am really not looking forward to that--but I am looking forward to being home and seeing loved ones. Talk to you soon. xo L
This morning we actually acted like we were on vacation--lazed around and took our time before leaving for a hike. We decided to hike the hills above Blenheim. Blenheim is in the Wauhau Valley--a place of moderate climate on the northeast coast of the South Island. The weather is similar to California and much of the geography is similar to the northern part of California with its dry rolling hills and eucalyptus trees. The valley is home to many vineyards--known primarily for Sauvignon Blanc and other white wines. We began the hike by perusing the track map that was posted beyond some fencing that held a herd of huge dairy cows. I'm not a fan of these big guys--in fact, I am a little scared of them. They are much bigger than ones I've seen in the US--they are around a half ton and stand quite tall. I took my walking stick for a little protection--ha ha.
The path began up a gentle slope lined with Queen Anne's lace, wild anise in yellow bloom, purple statice, orange poppies, many dry and beautiful grasses, century plants, young oak trees, acacia trees, lucerne trees, willows, poplars, young pines, and a variety of eucalyptus trees--one of which was in bloom with small fuchsia flowers. It was hot and dry. The next hour of the hike was up 900 ft by way of long curving switch-backed trails through acres of dry golden grass. The hills were round, tan and golden--punctuated occasionally by some green shrub or stand of eucalyptus that were usually in the folds and creases of the hills. They sky was blue and cloudless. The breeze was warm and dry. As we neared the top, I could feel a cooler breeze and the clouds began to move in to form beautiful moving shadows over the hills. From our vantage point on the ridge, the Pacific Ocean was to our right, the Kaikoura Range behind us, the valley and northern coastal range before us and the continuation of rolling hills and miles of vineyards to our left. When we began our hike, the southwesterly winds were coming from Australia--they are generally warm and gusting. (In fact, last night the winds were clocking in excess of 50mph and knocking down iron patio furniture at our motor lodge. It howled all night long.) We had been told by our hostess that the winds would be changing in about an hour and a half--and boy, was she right.
We were walking the ridge line and in the space of 10 minutes the winds changed--southerly wind from Antarctica, the temperature dropped 20 degrees or more and the gusts accelerated to about 50mph. We knew we had to head down quickly since we did not bring our warm gear. The closest path was straight down--no curves--steep incline on dry grass. With the high winds, the grasses were whipping our bare sunburned legs and stickers poking through our socks and into our boots. It was a fantastic hike for us--reminding us both of California when it was not built out--when as kids, you could build forts and play all day long and never worry about weirdos. The smell of eucalyptus . ....so great.
After lunch Joel promptly took a nap and I did the laundry (sound familiar girls?). We're still hoping to fish tomorrow if the winds die down. The day after that we will return to the Marlborough Sounds and hope to kayak or hike or just get out on the water. We are brown as brown can be. We hear there is snow in Portland and Bend and I am really not looking forward to that--but I am looking forward to being home and seeing loved ones. Talk to you soon. xo L
Monday, December 28, 2009
Blenheim
Hi everyone!
I think there is a pattern here: It goes like this--"we left blah blah town in the pouring rain . .." Well, this morning was no exception. It rained all last night and this morning in St Arnaud--a steady, heavy rain that made a pool of the parking lot in front of our cabin. We decided to leave and head east to Blenheim--smart move. Nobody on the gently curving country road that hugs a river and opens up to miles and miles of grapevines. It is sunny and warm and breezy. We secured a place to stay and I promptly went to the doctor's office. Interesting experience--the doc shows up in cutoffs and a t-shirt (standard dress). My asthma has continued to wear me down especially while hiking and I had run out of inhalers and you need a prescription for that, so . ..I had to do peak flow, brief exam, etc in order to get the script and run down to the pharmacy. Lunch, a little walk, and then scouting out fishing spots. We then drove to the beach and down other country roads looking for access to the rivers. We are going to hang here for a few days and dry out--then on to Kaikoura again (the scene of my little car mishap) to hike areas that we missed, and finally the last three days back at the lovely beach in Gore Bay. Hope you are all well and having a milder winter than the east coast! xo L
I think there is a pattern here: It goes like this--"we left blah blah town in the pouring rain . .." Well, this morning was no exception. It rained all last night and this morning in St Arnaud--a steady, heavy rain that made a pool of the parking lot in front of our cabin. We decided to leave and head east to Blenheim--smart move. Nobody on the gently curving country road that hugs a river and opens up to miles and miles of grapevines. It is sunny and warm and breezy. We secured a place to stay and I promptly went to the doctor's office. Interesting experience--the doc shows up in cutoffs and a t-shirt (standard dress). My asthma has continued to wear me down especially while hiking and I had run out of inhalers and you need a prescription for that, so . ..I had to do peak flow, brief exam, etc in order to get the script and run down to the pharmacy. Lunch, a little walk, and then scouting out fishing spots. We then drove to the beach and down other country roads looking for access to the rivers. We are going to hang here for a few days and dry out--then on to Kaikoura again (the scene of my little car mishap) to hike areas that we missed, and finally the last three days back at the lovely beach in Gore Bay. Hope you are all well and having a milder winter than the east coast! xo L
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Lake Rotoiti
Hello everyone,
We left Westport yesterday morning in the pouring rain. The road we took closely follows the Buller River through the Buller Gorge--a huge, wide river that was violently rushing with all the added water. We arrived in St Arnaud, a small town on the edge of the magnificent Lake Rotoiti. It was warm and humid because of the rain, which brought out the ferocious sandflies by the thousands. We tired of fighting them off and went back to our cabin to eat and watch TV. This morning, however, was completely different. The strong winds during the night had moved the humidity and the sandflies out. The sun was out and we left this morning for a hike around the lake. The path goes through beech forest, which is not unusual for us, but the smell was different. We cannot figure out why--maybe the black moss transforms in the heat. It smelled like vinegar! So, an hour and a half into the hike we moved onto the beach; dropped our clothes and jumped into the clear, cool ? cold water. We spread out on the rocks and soaked in the sun and watched clouds float overhead before hiking back. Stopped at the general store in search of root beer--sarsaparilla was the closest thing--and vanilla ice cream to make floats. Yummy on a warm day. Tomorrow we are leaving early for Blenheim--the wine country and wander down the coast over the next week. We've heard of the airport security situation and are planning to get to the airport much earlier than we had planned. We miss everyone and look forward to coming home and into a routine. Hugs, Linny
We left Westport yesterday morning in the pouring rain. The road we took closely follows the Buller River through the Buller Gorge--a huge, wide river that was violently rushing with all the added water. We arrived in St Arnaud, a small town on the edge of the magnificent Lake Rotoiti. It was warm and humid because of the rain, which brought out the ferocious sandflies by the thousands. We tired of fighting them off and went back to our cabin to eat and watch TV. This morning, however, was completely different. The strong winds during the night had moved the humidity and the sandflies out. The sun was out and we left this morning for a hike around the lake. The path goes through beech forest, which is not unusual for us, but the smell was different. We cannot figure out why--maybe the black moss transforms in the heat. It smelled like vinegar! So, an hour and a half into the hike we moved onto the beach; dropped our clothes and jumped into the clear, cool ? cold water. We spread out on the rocks and soaked in the sun and watched clouds float overhead before hiking back. Stopped at the general store in search of root beer--sarsaparilla was the closest thing--and vanilla ice cream to make floats. Yummy on a warm day. Tomorrow we are leaving early for Blenheim--the wine country and wander down the coast over the next week. We've heard of the airport security situation and are planning to get to the airport much earlier than we had planned. We miss everyone and look forward to coming home and into a routine. Hugs, Linny
Friday, December 25, 2009
West Coast
Hi all,
Hope you all had a wonderful day. We left this morning in a dense fog and rain across the mountain pass--headed for the west coast of NZ. The sun opened up as we arrived in Greymouth and filled up our very (scary) empty gas tank. We explored the Pancake Rock formations on the Tasman Sea--they are truly one of the most unusual, interesting and beautiful wonders of nature. We hiked along a river that took us into a massive limestone gorge with tree ferns and tropical grasses arcing from towering walls. The lush green was occasionally interrupted by the crimson red of December flowering rata trees. The trees are shaped like giant broccoli trees, except that the tops are this brilliant red. A clear olive green river meandered through the gorge. It was a little warm, and with the humidity, it seemed like we were in Hawaii. We then drove up the coast to Westport and landed the last motel room in this hick town. We had one of the best Indian meals that we have ever had--what a surprise! We leave tomorrow--headed back to the west with a few days stay in St Arnaud. We continue to see new and fresh things, and also realize how lucky we are to be in Oregon--its beauty matches anything in the world. Much love, L
Hope you all had a wonderful day. We left this morning in a dense fog and rain across the mountain pass--headed for the west coast of NZ. The sun opened up as we arrived in Greymouth and filled up our very (scary) empty gas tank. We explored the Pancake Rock formations on the Tasman Sea--they are truly one of the most unusual, interesting and beautiful wonders of nature. We hiked along a river that took us into a massive limestone gorge with tree ferns and tropical grasses arcing from towering walls. The lush green was occasionally interrupted by the crimson red of December flowering rata trees. The trees are shaped like giant broccoli trees, except that the tops are this brilliant red. A clear olive green river meandered through the gorge. It was a little warm, and with the humidity, it seemed like we were in Hawaii. We then drove up the coast to Westport and landed the last motel room in this hick town. We had one of the best Indian meals that we have ever had--what a surprise! We leave tomorrow--headed back to the west with a few days stay in St Arnaud. We continue to see new and fresh things, and also realize how lucky we are to be in Oregon--its beauty matches anything in the world. Much love, L
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas everyone,
What I wouldn't give for a plate full of roasted turkey, or crown roast of pork, or baked ham and maybe scalloped potatoes (but I would take mashed) and gravy and stuffing and pie(s) and green beans and on . . .torturing myself. This morning we hiked all around Castle Hill then fished Lake Lyndon all afternoon. Joel caught his first NZ trout--exciting. We are heating up leftover pasta and then heading out to fish Lake Pearson for the evening hatch. Tomorrow we leave for the west coast--one night in Westport then head east to St Arnaud, Nelson Lakes, etc and then back to the east coast and work our way down with the final stay at our favorite, Gore Bay and then home! Sending you all much love, Linny and Joel
What I wouldn't give for a plate full of roasted turkey, or crown roast of pork, or baked ham and maybe scalloped potatoes (but I would take mashed) and gravy and stuffing and pie(s) and green beans and on . . .torturing myself. This morning we hiked all around Castle Hill then fished Lake Lyndon all afternoon. Joel caught his first NZ trout--exciting. We are heating up leftover pasta and then heading out to fish Lake Pearson for the evening hatch. Tomorrow we leave for the west coast--one night in Westport then head east to St Arnaud, Nelson Lakes, etc and then back to the east coast and work our way down with the final stay at our favorite, Gore Bay and then home! Sending you all much love, Linny and Joel
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Bealy Spur Hike
Happy Christmas Eve to you all!
Addendum to my last post: I was so busy telling you about how difficult the hike was into the Otira Valley that I forgot to tell you all the wonderful things. The valley and mountainsides were covered in Mt Cook Lillies (ranuncula family). They are white, many petaled and with a golden center. The leaves are similar in appearance, texture and size to a lily pad. The mountain daisies were also in bloom: white daisies on long stems that are based in silver green swordlike foliage. The edelweiss was in bloom and the manuka was in bloom--both white. No other flower colors but white! The foliage was rust and green and brown and there was a roaring green blue river at the bottom that cascaded over and over huge boulders. (That is where we had our lunch.) Also . . .
Two Dutch women, aged early 60s, or old enough to no better, were staying at the hostel. Yesterday morning they were heading out to mountain bike without helmets and without maps. Their warm weather clothing consisted of purple wool city blazers. We were a little concerned and asked them about their gear. They, however, were quite confident and insisted they didn't need helmets--afterall, they don't wear them in Holland. When it got to be dark last night, I noticed that they had not returned for the day. I made Joel go up to the lodge and ask if they had returned the bikes. The staff informed us that they had sent out a search party two hours prior. Long story short, they were finally found. They had attempted to ford a fast moving river, with bikes!!!! The water was chest high before the knuckle heads figured out that it was muy dangerous. They attempted to cross another two rivers. They did not have head lanterns or warm clothing. They were exhausted and damn lucky to be alive. Sheesh!!!
Okay, back to us. This morning we left for a very long hike. We hiked for six hours straight--the first three climbing to 400 mtrs (approx. 1200 ft). The first hour was through beautiful beech forest with red flowering mistletoe on the tops fo the trees. Shaded and cushioned by moss and billions of beech leaves. The rest of the hike was through sun exposed manuka dwarf forest and tussock grass. The path was primarily dry streambeds--rocks and small boulders. The going was tiring. The views from there were spectacular--the entire Waimakariri Valley and all the surrounding mountains. But that last stretch caused me to think about why I like hiking. We got to the Bealy Top Hut after three hours and had a quick lunch and headed back down. Yes, through the rock again. Our knees and feet were just screaming. We were ecstatic when we reached the shaded comfort of the beech forest--the last mile was a killer. We drove straight to the next lodge and each had a pint of cold, cold beer. Tomorrow we will hike through Castle Hill and fish in the afternoon/evening. We will probably check out early (the day after Christmas--or Boxing Day as they call it here). We have no idea where we are going. We may head to the West coast and work our way up to the Pancake Rocks and then cut back east through the Lewis Pass. We are winding down here and trying to figure out how we want to end this magical trip. Merry Christmas everyone. Much love, Linny
Addendum to my last post: I was so busy telling you about how difficult the hike was into the Otira Valley that I forgot to tell you all the wonderful things. The valley and mountainsides were covered in Mt Cook Lillies (ranuncula family). They are white, many petaled and with a golden center. The leaves are similar in appearance, texture and size to a lily pad. The mountain daisies were also in bloom: white daisies on long stems that are based in silver green swordlike foliage. The edelweiss was in bloom and the manuka was in bloom--both white. No other flower colors but white! The foliage was rust and green and brown and there was a roaring green blue river at the bottom that cascaded over and over huge boulders. (That is where we had our lunch.) Also . . .
Two Dutch women, aged early 60s, or old enough to no better, were staying at the hostel. Yesterday morning they were heading out to mountain bike without helmets and without maps. Their warm weather clothing consisted of purple wool city blazers. We were a little concerned and asked them about their gear. They, however, were quite confident and insisted they didn't need helmets--afterall, they don't wear them in Holland. When it got to be dark last night, I noticed that they had not returned for the day. I made Joel go up to the lodge and ask if they had returned the bikes. The staff informed us that they had sent out a search party two hours prior. Long story short, they were finally found. They had attempted to ford a fast moving river, with bikes!!!! The water was chest high before the knuckle heads figured out that it was muy dangerous. They attempted to cross another two rivers. They did not have head lanterns or warm clothing. They were exhausted and damn lucky to be alive. Sheesh!!!
Okay, back to us. This morning we left for a very long hike. We hiked for six hours straight--the first three climbing to 400 mtrs (approx. 1200 ft). The first hour was through beautiful beech forest with red flowering mistletoe on the tops fo the trees. Shaded and cushioned by moss and billions of beech leaves. The rest of the hike was through sun exposed manuka dwarf forest and tussock grass. The path was primarily dry streambeds--rocks and small boulders. The going was tiring. The views from there were spectacular--the entire Waimakariri Valley and all the surrounding mountains. But that last stretch caused me to think about why I like hiking. We got to the Bealy Top Hut after three hours and had a quick lunch and headed back down. Yes, through the rock again. Our knees and feet were just screaming. We were ecstatic when we reached the shaded comfort of the beech forest--the last mile was a killer. We drove straight to the next lodge and each had a pint of cold, cold beer. Tomorrow we will hike through Castle Hill and fish in the afternoon/evening. We will probably check out early (the day after Christmas--or Boxing Day as they call it here). We have no idea where we are going. We may head to the West coast and work our way up to the Pancake Rocks and then cut back east through the Lewis Pass. We are winding down here and trying to figure out how we want to end this magical trip. Merry Christmas everyone. Much love, Linny
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Arthur's Pass
Hi!!!!
We left this morning for Arthur's Pass and beyond. The drive takes you through the mountains and along the river system. The terrain is expansive here--wide open spaces in a subalpine and alpine region. The mountains opened up to a huge valley--a long, wide, living, dynamic canvas of nature. There were miles of indigo lupine against chartreuse new grass, outlined by white grey gravel bars and reaches and threaded through with blue gray clear glacial streams forming the immense braided system of the Waimakariri River and the many streams and rivers that feed into it. I cannot describe it beyond that except to say: Awesome! We then hiked straight up (that is STRAIGHT UP) to Devil's Punchbowl waterfall which is one of the most powerful falls that I have ever seen. We then followed that with a hike into the Otira Valley toward Mt Rolleston. The path is all loose rock and boulders steadily climbing up and over a number of mountain streams, waterfalls and rock fields caused by avalanches and earthquakes. It was short in distance, but extremely tiring because of the terrain and the amount of focus needed to stay on the path without falling into a crevasse or spraining your ankle. We were a bit tired after that and so headed into the village for a flat white (yummmmmmmm) and then onto another drive and teeny weeny hike before coming back to create a tasty little dinner. Risotto with tons of veges, salad and a bottle of Marlborough region Sav Blanc. I have a nice little buzz and am watching the sun go down and the horses running in the fields. Tomorrow we do a day long hike. Oh, and I forgot. We are staying in a station that is at the base of the Torlesse Range. I have never seen formations like this--the peaks look like giant caramel fudge sundaes. The rocks are a caramel, dark brown, tan and grey color--all swirled together. You'll have to see the photos--they really are incredibly unusual. Love to you all, Linny
We left this morning for Arthur's Pass and beyond. The drive takes you through the mountains and along the river system. The terrain is expansive here--wide open spaces in a subalpine and alpine region. The mountains opened up to a huge valley--a long, wide, living, dynamic canvas of nature. There were miles of indigo lupine against chartreuse new grass, outlined by white grey gravel bars and reaches and threaded through with blue gray clear glacial streams forming the immense braided system of the Waimakariri River and the many streams and rivers that feed into it. I cannot describe it beyond that except to say: Awesome! We then hiked straight up (that is STRAIGHT UP) to Devil's Punchbowl waterfall which is one of the most powerful falls that I have ever seen. We then followed that with a hike into the Otira Valley toward Mt Rolleston. The path is all loose rock and boulders steadily climbing up and over a number of mountain streams, waterfalls and rock fields caused by avalanches and earthquakes. It was short in distance, but extremely tiring because of the terrain and the amount of focus needed to stay on the path without falling into a crevasse or spraining your ankle. We were a bit tired after that and so headed into the village for a flat white (yummmmmmmm) and then onto another drive and teeny weeny hike before coming back to create a tasty little dinner. Risotto with tons of veges, salad and a bottle of Marlborough region Sav Blanc. I have a nice little buzz and am watching the sun go down and the horses running in the fields. Tomorrow we do a day long hike. Oh, and I forgot. We are staying in a station that is at the base of the Torlesse Range. I have never seen formations like this--the peaks look like giant caramel fudge sundaes. The rocks are a caramel, dark brown, tan and grey color--all swirled together. You'll have to see the photos--they really are incredibly unusual. Love to you all, Linny
Detour
Merry, merry all,
Well, so after a fantastic seafood lunch we hiked the highlands above the sea where the winds were about 60mph. Though it was a sunny, clear day the winds were tiring and so we made our way down to the shore and walked along incredible rock formations and viewed thousands of gulls and their newly hatched babies, lots of seals, and albatross. We then had a superior Thai seafood dinner with real beer this time! We were on the hunt for some Magnum Ice Cream Bars when I backed into a flower planter. I just tapped, and I do mean tapped, the sucker and it took the entire rear bumper of that cheap red car. I was in a little of a panic--Joel was calm and cool. We put it back together with duct tape, but had to drive it back to the Christchurch airport to exchange cars. That little mistake cost us one more beautiful day in Kaikoura and a few hundred dollars for that piece of plastic they call a bumper. So, that done we drove clear across the Canterbury Plains and into Arthur's Pass. We are staying the week on a sheep station (Flock Hill) and it is incredibly beautiful. We hiked down to Lake Pearson to check out the late afternoon hatch and access. Tomorrow we hike all day in Castle Hill area and Craigieburn. We cannot believe that more than five weeks has passed and soon we will be home. It is finally summer here and I am not looking forward to the rain. We miss everyone and will be thinking of you all more than ever in this week. Love, Linny
Well, so after a fantastic seafood lunch we hiked the highlands above the sea where the winds were about 60mph. Though it was a sunny, clear day the winds were tiring and so we made our way down to the shore and walked along incredible rock formations and viewed thousands of gulls and their newly hatched babies, lots of seals, and albatross. We then had a superior Thai seafood dinner with real beer this time! We were on the hunt for some Magnum Ice Cream Bars when I backed into a flower planter. I just tapped, and I do mean tapped, the sucker and it took the entire rear bumper of that cheap red car. I was in a little of a panic--Joel was calm and cool. We put it back together with duct tape, but had to drive it back to the Christchurch airport to exchange cars. That little mistake cost us one more beautiful day in Kaikoura and a few hundred dollars for that piece of plastic they call a bumper. So, that done we drove clear across the Canterbury Plains and into Arthur's Pass. We are staying the week on a sheep station (Flock Hill) and it is incredibly beautiful. We hiked down to Lake Pearson to check out the late afternoon hatch and access. Tomorrow we hike all day in Castle Hill area and Craigieburn. We cannot believe that more than five weeks has passed and soon we will be home. It is finally summer here and I am not looking forward to the rain. We miss everyone and will be thinking of you all more than ever in this week. Love, Linny
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Gore Bay
Hello, happy holidays to everyone!
We left Methven under cloudy, drizzly skies and into sunny, warm weather. Gore Bay was a wonderful respite. The afternoon we got there, we walked along the beautiful beach and took in the warmth of the sun. The following morning we woke to the sun beaming off the ocean. The ocean was an emerald green with a thin navy blue line forming a ruler straight horizon. It was cloudless, but for a few lavender and pink clouds that hung close to the horizon. We watched a seal ride the waves for quite some time, walked the beach and lay in the sun. It would have been a perfect morning if I hadn't stepped on a wasp, which nearly sent me to the moon. Fortunately, I had some Apis with me and took that and the swelling and pain went down within an hour. We took in our first really fantastic meal in a cafe/art gallery and then when it got dark, watched the night sky in its "new" formations--upside down Orion, Southern Cross--all those things that we do not see above the equator. By afternoon, a strong storm came in from the South and brought rain. We had two lovely days in the sun and this morning left for Kaikoura further up the coast, which is another fantastic bay town with a jutting peninsula. The whale watching trips are all cancelled due to rough sees even though it is a warm and lovely day here in the village. Our plan is to stay here through tomorrow night and on Wednesday head back into the interior to hike. The troops need the sun and sea breezes--I am finally eating and I might say--enjoying it! We wish you all a Merry Christmas and hope that you are all surrounded by much love now and always, Linny
We left Methven under cloudy, drizzly skies and into sunny, warm weather. Gore Bay was a wonderful respite. The afternoon we got there, we walked along the beautiful beach and took in the warmth of the sun. The following morning we woke to the sun beaming off the ocean. The ocean was an emerald green with a thin navy blue line forming a ruler straight horizon. It was cloudless, but for a few lavender and pink clouds that hung close to the horizon. We watched a seal ride the waves for quite some time, walked the beach and lay in the sun. It would have been a perfect morning if I hadn't stepped on a wasp, which nearly sent me to the moon. Fortunately, I had some Apis with me and took that and the swelling and pain went down within an hour. We took in our first really fantastic meal in a cafe/art gallery and then when it got dark, watched the night sky in its "new" formations--upside down Orion, Southern Cross--all those things that we do not see above the equator. By afternoon, a strong storm came in from the South and brought rain. We had two lovely days in the sun and this morning left for Kaikoura further up the coast, which is another fantastic bay town with a jutting peninsula. The whale watching trips are all cancelled due to rough sees even though it is a warm and lovely day here in the village. Our plan is to stay here through tomorrow night and on Wednesday head back into the interior to hike. The troops need the sun and sea breezes--I am finally eating and I might say--enjoying it! We wish you all a Merry Christmas and hope that you are all surrounded by much love now and always, Linny
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Forgot to Mention
I forgot to mention yesterday that as I was walking back to the car yesterday in the Mt Sunday area, I heard a tremendous hum and looked up and in front of me to see a swarm of wasps so dense that it looked like a large moving shadow--there were hundreds of them. It was terrifying. The mountain beech have a black moss that grows all over the trunks and the wasps seek out the sap underneath the moss. They then bring it back to their nests. Evidently it is one of the dangers in the area and the DOC cautions anyone traveling in the area to be aware of the nests and the swarms. I froze in my steps and wondered just how fast I could run to the car before being attacked. Thank God they moved on to the brush area to the north.
Also, I haven't kept you up on new vocabulary: scroggin (trail mix)
The wind is blowing hard and a northwesterly storm is coming in. Tomorrow we are heading to the east coast for a couple of days (Gore Bay) to just chill. I have still not recovered from the stomach flu--it tore me up something bad! We need a couple of days of sea air and nothing to do. xo Linny
Also, I haven't kept you up on new vocabulary: scroggin (trail mix)
The wind is blowing hard and a northwesterly storm is coming in. Tomorrow we are heading to the east coast for a couple of days (Gore Bay) to just chill. I have still not recovered from the stomach flu--it tore me up something bad! We need a couple of days of sea air and nothing to do. xo Linny
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Mt Sunday and Sharplin Falls
Hi all,
This morning we drove on many gravel roads to get to the base of Mt Sunday (part of the Harper Range)--we were well rewarded. As we approached the final rise in the road it opened up to a spectacular view of a glacial range with water flowing to the valley floor--the scale of it is indescribable. We made our way to the valley and began to hike toward a rock formation. There were a number of streams to ford to get there and Joel was willing to do it, and I was not (didn't want to take my boots off and on). So I spent my time walking along the creeks and streams. This water is the first glacial water to come down from the range and forms an intricate braided system of crystal clear creeks and streams that eventually form the Ashburton River and also drains into the Rangitata River. After that we drove to the base of Mt Somers in the Black Hill Range to take a hike to Sharplin Falls. The path begins in farmland and quickly enters into a mountain beech forest lush with ferns, moss, lichen, and a thousand species of green "everything". The first foot bridge is over a deep clear and pure pool of water that is part of a rushing stream that originates at the falls. The water tumbles over and between boulders the size of a VW bug and then forms a pool with each descent and continues on pool after pool. The path climbs steeply 1000 ft and then descends back down and then you get to do it in reverse. The granite walls rise straight up from the water and are the color of wine. It was very warm and a little humid and so lush it was very much like Hawaii. As in so many places in NZ, the water is so pure, so clean, so clear that you really want to drink it, swim in it . . .and tomorrow another hike. xo
This morning we drove on many gravel roads to get to the base of Mt Sunday (part of the Harper Range)--we were well rewarded. As we approached the final rise in the road it opened up to a spectacular view of a glacial range with water flowing to the valley floor--the scale of it is indescribable. We made our way to the valley and began to hike toward a rock formation. There were a number of streams to ford to get there and Joel was willing to do it, and I was not (didn't want to take my boots off and on). So I spent my time walking along the creeks and streams. This water is the first glacial water to come down from the range and forms an intricate braided system of crystal clear creeks and streams that eventually form the Ashburton River and also drains into the Rangitata River. After that we drove to the base of Mt Somers in the Black Hill Range to take a hike to Sharplin Falls. The path begins in farmland and quickly enters into a mountain beech forest lush with ferns, moss, lichen, and a thousand species of green "everything". The first foot bridge is over a deep clear and pure pool of water that is part of a rushing stream that originates at the falls. The water tumbles over and between boulders the size of a VW bug and then forms a pool with each descent and continues on pool after pool. The path climbs steeply 1000 ft and then descends back down and then you get to do it in reverse. The granite walls rise straight up from the water and are the color of wine. It was very warm and a little humid and so lush it was very much like Hawaii. As in so many places in NZ, the water is so pure, so clean, so clear that you really want to drink it, swim in it . . .and tomorrow another hike. xo
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Another change of plans
Hello everybody!
Yesterday we headed out of Lake Tekapo to explore the area (after our snowy morning). We took the route that runs adjacent to the salmon canals and stopped at the salmon farms where people were sitting on the banks (within a foot of the highway) throwing their metal lures in and bringing in good sized (around 7#) salmon. Many of them are fishing for the first time and flinging their lines in and having a grand time. We continued on to Lake Pukaki and on such a sunny fine day we were rewarded with a perfect view of Mt Cook. The surrounding views are spectacular! Forward on to Twizel where we contemplated staying in order to fish the area. However, it is a small service town that is . ..well, nothing really nice to say about that. We followed the canals to Lake Ohau and pulled out our rods very late in the day. Nothing going on. (We did view the "Plains of Rohan"--for all you Lord of the Ring fans.) A very friendly young Kiwi man and his 8 yr old son drove up and engaged us as we were ready to cast. They were delightful and had lots of great information, however, the young lad through his lure in and blam--he came up with a brown trout. (I think that should have been mine.) Several casts later and I think the fish were sufficiently spooked and they moved further up the canals (where Joel was casting) and blam--the kid caught another one (that was Joel's!). We ended up chatting and really not finishing and so returned back to Tekapo. On the way back, the rabbits starting coming out of the bush by the dozens and I really didn't want to hit one. The locals driving behind me just jammed past me and consider it a service to the country to kill the pests. It became clear that I was still not doing well and so we decided to change our plans again and pass on hiking near Mt Cook. During the night, I finally broke the fever. We left on another stellar morning for the town of Methven, west of Christchurch, near the Mt Hutt/Mt Sunday/Mt Somers/Rakaia Gorge area. We arrived this afternoon and immediately left to view the Rakaia Gorge which is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. The wide and fast flowing river bends through a deep gorge which is accessible by foot. Glacial waters flow in causing the water to take on a chalky green gray color. We hope to return and explore it by way of a hike that follows the river above the cliffs. Everything depends on weather and health conditions. Joel is contemplating skydiving! Yikes! xo L
Yesterday we headed out of Lake Tekapo to explore the area (after our snowy morning). We took the route that runs adjacent to the salmon canals and stopped at the salmon farms where people were sitting on the banks (within a foot of the highway) throwing their metal lures in and bringing in good sized (around 7#) salmon. Many of them are fishing for the first time and flinging their lines in and having a grand time. We continued on to Lake Pukaki and on such a sunny fine day we were rewarded with a perfect view of Mt Cook. The surrounding views are spectacular! Forward on to Twizel where we contemplated staying in order to fish the area. However, it is a small service town that is . ..well, nothing really nice to say about that. We followed the canals to Lake Ohau and pulled out our rods very late in the day. Nothing going on. (We did view the "Plains of Rohan"--for all you Lord of the Ring fans.) A very friendly young Kiwi man and his 8 yr old son drove up and engaged us as we were ready to cast. They were delightful and had lots of great information, however, the young lad through his lure in and blam--he came up with a brown trout. (I think that should have been mine.) Several casts later and I think the fish were sufficiently spooked and they moved further up the canals (where Joel was casting) and blam--the kid caught another one (that was Joel's!). We ended up chatting and really not finishing and so returned back to Tekapo. On the way back, the rabbits starting coming out of the bush by the dozens and I really didn't want to hit one. The locals driving behind me just jammed past me and consider it a service to the country to kill the pests. It became clear that I was still not doing well and so we decided to change our plans again and pass on hiking near Mt Cook. During the night, I finally broke the fever. We left on another stellar morning for the town of Methven, west of Christchurch, near the Mt Hutt/Mt Sunday/Mt Somers/Rakaia Gorge area. We arrived this afternoon and immediately left to view the Rakaia Gorge which is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. The wide and fast flowing river bends through a deep gorge which is accessible by foot. Glacial waters flow in causing the water to take on a chalky green gray color. We hope to return and explore it by way of a hike that follows the river above the cliffs. Everything depends on weather and health conditions. Joel is contemplating skydiving! Yikes! xo L
Monday, December 14, 2009
Second Day Lake Tekapo
Last night I passed on a beautiful piece of freshly caught salmon and I knew I must still be ill. After dinner, we walked back up the hill and viewed the sunset over the mountains and lake and it was stunning. The area is a lot like Bend--high alpine lakes and mountains and the terrain is brown with spots of green and stands of pines that are incredibly fragrant. We are between 2700 and 3000 ft up and very little grows up here--gardening is quite a challenge for the locals. (I certainly understand this!) A few drops of rain began to fall and by the time we got back to the cottage it was raining. We slept well to the sounds of the rain falling and woke to the sun streaming in. We opened the curtains to see snow all around the surrounding hills and mountains that had only hours before been quite dry. We placed a chair on the grassy hill and I trimmed Joel's hair with a pair of manicure scissors. I am still a little queezy and so we are going to scout out some fishing places on the canals south of here and check on accommodations closer to Mt Cook. I feel a little like trekkies waiting to climb Mt Everest. We watch the weather conditions and talk with the locals frequently to find a window in which we can drive the road up to the mountain village.
(I am quite irritated by a very loud German speaking woman who is skyping and using wild hand signals as well . ..)
Things I have observed about Kiwis and NZ--this is pure stream of consciousness here: they are the original recyclers. They conserve everything and find use for all items. It is not uncommon to see old crockery, wire mesh, old gates, machinery, driftwood and anything else you can think of in the garden living new lives. The gray water from the kitchen and bathroom sinks flow directly from the pipes to the outdoors in open lines that lead to irrigation systems for the yards. They are quite loquacious. Their need to help knows no bounds. (Recently when we had a small question in the grocery, every single employee in the store descended upon us one by one and each with a different suggestion. No matter how much we begged off and tried to politely dismiss them, they wanted desperately to find an answer to our problem.) The Kiwis always wave to you when they pass you in a car, whether you are walking or in another car . ..if they don't, then they are generally transplants from the UK or the US. They have long ago worked out an incredible system of cooperation that is admirable. Neighbors allow each other to drive through paddocks and cross property with vehicles. They watch one another's property. They greet each other and talk about their activities. They are wonderfully optimistic and amazingly strong and resourceful. They are polite and require that their children learn the same. I think the world would be a better place if we just let them run the world. They love to individualize their postboxes and I wish that I'd started photographing them from the start of the trip. Antlers on mailboxes, old microwaves, old breadboxes, every color imaginable, on top of tree stumps, on top of old pipes, in the middle of bushes, in pots--it is hilarious and such an expression of creativity and individuality.
I have to go now, the girl next door in the stall is reciting some silly school cheer in German and it is driving me freaking nuts. Will report more later . Much Love, Linny
(I am quite irritated by a very loud German speaking woman who is skyping and using wild hand signals as well . ..)
Things I have observed about Kiwis and NZ--this is pure stream of consciousness here: they are the original recyclers. They conserve everything and find use for all items. It is not uncommon to see old crockery, wire mesh, old gates, machinery, driftwood and anything else you can think of in the garden living new lives. The gray water from the kitchen and bathroom sinks flow directly from the pipes to the outdoors in open lines that lead to irrigation systems for the yards. They are quite loquacious. Their need to help knows no bounds. (Recently when we had a small question in the grocery, every single employee in the store descended upon us one by one and each with a different suggestion. No matter how much we begged off and tried to politely dismiss them, they wanted desperately to find an answer to our problem.) The Kiwis always wave to you when they pass you in a car, whether you are walking or in another car . ..if they don't, then they are generally transplants from the UK or the US. They have long ago worked out an incredible system of cooperation that is admirable. Neighbors allow each other to drive through paddocks and cross property with vehicles. They watch one another's property. They greet each other and talk about their activities. They are wonderfully optimistic and amazingly strong and resourceful. They are polite and require that their children learn the same. I think the world would be a better place if we just let them run the world. They love to individualize their postboxes and I wish that I'd started photographing them from the start of the trip. Antlers on mailboxes, old microwaves, old breadboxes, every color imaginable, on top of tree stumps, on top of old pipes, in the middle of bushes, in pots--it is hilarious and such an expression of creativity and individuality.
I have to go now, the girl next door in the stall is reciting some silly school cheer in German and it is driving me freaking nuts. Will report more later . Much Love, Linny
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Low Point
Hi all,
We left Oamaru for Geraldine on a bright sunny day with huge puffy white clouds in an azure sky. Once we arrived we immediately drove out to the Peel Forest for a couple of walks. The forest contains some of the most ancient totara trees (1000 years old)--that are like redwoods. We saw some that measured 15 ft in diameter. One of the hikes we took was through an area not frequented given the condition of the path. We needed a machete in parts. The day was perfect in every way, but I began to feel dizzy with each step. By evening I was vomiting and it was clear from my symptoms that I had the stomach flu. I spent the next 36 hrs in bed and got up this morning quite weak and foggy headed--not having eaten. We had to hit the road and fortunately Lake Tekapo was only one hour's drive to the West under fantastic dramatic skies and views of verdant rolling hills with hawks soaring. Once again we found hostel accommodations inadequate and we promptly dropped beach towels on the shore and napped. We got up to look for another place to stay and as is so often the case here, a friendly Kiwi made a call to another friendly Kiwi and voila we are in a little cottage behind Erin's house. Our plan is to one, recuperate, two, make our way to Mt Cook now that the weather had cleared out, and three, fish the area. Lake Tekapo is an unreal turquoise color below a backdrop of snow covered peaks. We took a drive to the top of Mt John (site of the observatory) to view the panorama of the Southern Alps--it was gusting a quite cold and we needed our down jackets and knitted caps. Once you dropped down from there, it was quite sunny and pleasant. We look forward to seeing the much advertised night sky. The skies are extremely dark here--lighting is prohibited. The fact that this small area is protected by two mountain ranges affords conditions that do not exist in other parts of NZ. It is why the University had established its research here and there are a number of small observatories on the hills. We are a little road weary (teeny weeny) and hoping to get a powerful second wind. Wish us luck and take care of one another, Linny and Joel
We left Oamaru for Geraldine on a bright sunny day with huge puffy white clouds in an azure sky. Once we arrived we immediately drove out to the Peel Forest for a couple of walks. The forest contains some of the most ancient totara trees (1000 years old)--that are like redwoods. We saw some that measured 15 ft in diameter. One of the hikes we took was through an area not frequented given the condition of the path. We needed a machete in parts. The day was perfect in every way, but I began to feel dizzy with each step. By evening I was vomiting and it was clear from my symptoms that I had the stomach flu. I spent the next 36 hrs in bed and got up this morning quite weak and foggy headed--not having eaten. We had to hit the road and fortunately Lake Tekapo was only one hour's drive to the West under fantastic dramatic skies and views of verdant rolling hills with hawks soaring. Once again we found hostel accommodations inadequate and we promptly dropped beach towels on the shore and napped. We got up to look for another place to stay and as is so often the case here, a friendly Kiwi made a call to another friendly Kiwi and voila we are in a little cottage behind Erin's house. Our plan is to one, recuperate, two, make our way to Mt Cook now that the weather had cleared out, and three, fish the area. Lake Tekapo is an unreal turquoise color below a backdrop of snow covered peaks. We took a drive to the top of Mt John (site of the observatory) to view the panorama of the Southern Alps--it was gusting a quite cold and we needed our down jackets and knitted caps. Once you dropped down from there, it was quite sunny and pleasant. We look forward to seeing the much advertised night sky. The skies are extremely dark here--lighting is prohibited. The fact that this small area is protected by two mountain ranges affords conditions that do not exist in other parts of NZ. It is why the University had established its research here and there are a number of small observatories on the hills. We are a little road weary (teeny weeny) and hoping to get a powerful second wind. Wish us luck and take care of one another, Linny and Joel
Friday, December 11, 2009
Goodbye to the Penguins
Hello all,
Today was a sloooow day. I had tweaked an old ankle injury and couldn't walk today. So, we wrapped it with Kinesio (magic) tape and I took a couple of homeopathic remedies and then I did the laundry. I limped around the grocery store with my walking stick and came back to catch up on internet stuff. Later, we hopped in the car and happened to find the Catholic Basilica and the last mass of the year, so we went in and sang for a while. When we left we went to the poorly maintained Oamaru City Gardens and dreamed our way through: we'd plant a stone garden here, trim the trees here, repair the stonework there, clean the lily pond--maybe they'd hire us to transform the place . . ..
We had dinner and then stood in the street outside the hostel yelling for Alex to come down and join us as we went out to be with the penguins again. The light was fading and we saw the first raft come in and slide belly first up the beach and then onto their feet. They waddled out to their nests and we waited for the next group that came up the rocky cliffs and we were lucky enough o hang out with a group of about 25 of them--one to two feet away. I am not a fan of the word "cute"; but in this case there is no other more fitting word. They are the sweetest little things and their calls are amazing. If you want to know what they sound like, google little blue penguins or fairy penguins sound clips. In total this evening, we probably saw 50 penguins. We said goodbye to them and dropped Alex off at the hostel and said goodbye to her too. We may try to rendezvous in Lake Tekapo for Christmas if we loop back down and try to see Mt Cook before leaving NZ. As we were driving out of the car park, we saw a lone penguin making his way down the street along the curb. He then hopped on the curb and accessed a cement ramp, tucked under a chainlinked fence and into a car repair parking lot to find his nest that could well be in an old tire. It is such a sight! Again, we feel so fortunate to be a witness of this strange migration. We got back to our place and my ankle is just about normal--thank you Ktape and Ruta Grav and Arnica! Tomorrow we leave for Geraldine and the Peel Forest and I am really hoping that I will be able to do the number of hikes that we have planned. Two days there and then onto a longer stay at the Flock Hill Station in Cantebury which will afford us access to Arthur's Pass, Castle Rocks, a number of alpine lakes and rivers, and various hikes. After that we are on the run without a plan--it will be weather dependent. Take care everyone. xo Linny
Today was a sloooow day. I had tweaked an old ankle injury and couldn't walk today. So, we wrapped it with Kinesio (magic) tape and I took a couple of homeopathic remedies and then I did the laundry. I limped around the grocery store with my walking stick and came back to catch up on internet stuff. Later, we hopped in the car and happened to find the Catholic Basilica and the last mass of the year, so we went in and sang for a while. When we left we went to the poorly maintained Oamaru City Gardens and dreamed our way through: we'd plant a stone garden here, trim the trees here, repair the stonework there, clean the lily pond--maybe they'd hire us to transform the place . . ..
We had dinner and then stood in the street outside the hostel yelling for Alex to come down and join us as we went out to be with the penguins again. The light was fading and we saw the first raft come in and slide belly first up the beach and then onto their feet. They waddled out to their nests and we waited for the next group that came up the rocky cliffs and we were lucky enough o hang out with a group of about 25 of them--one to two feet away. I am not a fan of the word "cute"; but in this case there is no other more fitting word. They are the sweetest little things and their calls are amazing. If you want to know what they sound like, google little blue penguins or fairy penguins sound clips. In total this evening, we probably saw 50 penguins. We said goodbye to them and dropped Alex off at the hostel and said goodbye to her too. We may try to rendezvous in Lake Tekapo for Christmas if we loop back down and try to see Mt Cook before leaving NZ. As we were driving out of the car park, we saw a lone penguin making his way down the street along the curb. He then hopped on the curb and accessed a cement ramp, tucked under a chainlinked fence and into a car repair parking lot to find his nest that could well be in an old tire. It is such a sight! Again, we feel so fortunate to be a witness of this strange migration. We got back to our place and my ankle is just about normal--thank you Ktape and Ruta Grav and Arnica! Tomorrow we leave for Geraldine and the Peel Forest and I am really hoping that I will be able to do the number of hikes that we have planned. Two days there and then onto a longer stay at the Flock Hill Station in Cantebury which will afford us access to Arthur's Pass, Castle Rocks, a number of alpine lakes and rivers, and various hikes. After that we are on the run without a plan--it will be weather dependent. Take care everyone. xo Linny
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Chasing down fish
Hi again
Those of you who fly fish know that 10% of the time is fishing, the other 90% is checking out maps, driving or hiking down various roads/paths to river banks, prepping gear, building leaders, looking for fish, tying and untying knots and swearing. We were told by the local guy that we didn't need waders, and we didn't need 4 WD--well, that was a lot of bunk. There were many attempts to reach the river (this is after driving gravel farm roads, opening and closing gates, driving a ways and then finding out that you either have to have 4WD, or you abandon the car and hike in through marsh) and a number of dead end roads. However, the most challenging, frustrating and entertaining experience is encountering the cattle crossing. This happened, not once, but twice. After driving a considerable distance on gravel road we saw a huge line of dairy cows in our path. The cows are moved from one field and holding area to another field and the milking area. Dairy production is probably the number one industry in NZ and so there are many, many cows! You sit in your car, watching one humongous cow with engorged utters after another, hoping for some kind of green signal light that will make them give you the right of way. This does not happen. It's like a railway stop--watching 200 train cars go by. Anyway, we finally did make it to one of the river outlets. Many of the roads near the ocean are made of round, smoothed river stones that measure from the size of an egg to a hot water bag. No two ways about it--you have to walk over them and it is slow going because if you're going downhill you tend to slide. I fished a stretch without results and then headed further down toward the mouth. The offshore winds are strong and the current is moving up the river because of the ocean. The water is a clear blue green with a distinct seam into tawny colored shallow water with muddy bottoms. It is nearly impossible to see fish until they come into that shallow water--and only when they are very near. After a frustrating couple of hours we decided to look for easier water and climbed back up to the cliff top and that is where I spotted two huge grown trout. Joel agreed to spot (he only did this because it was my birthday!) and I scrambled back down the cliffside. He was calling out constantly--"2 o'clock and 20 ft out", "right in front of you and 10 ft out", "no, he turned to the left--no, he turned to the right". I have a 6 wt rod and 1x leader with a #4 hook. My shoulder took such a beating because it is impossible to cast in that kind of wind with my little twig. I was wishing I had a 10 wt! I quit! We drove around and around and finally parked and climbed down the side of the Waitaki bridge onto gravel and rock shores and I worked that stretch for a very long time. I stomped through mud and sludge and smacked willow branches and forded the shallows. When I wrapped up for the day and we were walking back, I spied three rainbow trout in a slow moving stream several yards back from the main river. This entailed changing leader and tippet and fly and rethreading my rod and damn I'm a fishing addict! We had a dinner date with someone and so at 7PM, we called it! Thank God! Put an end to my misery.
We met up with Alex and celebrated my birthday at the Star and Garter. We had a feast of Waitaki Salmon, Blue Cod and Lamb Shanks, accompanied by salad, veges, garlic bread and three kinds (!!!!) of potatoes: new boiled, french fried and mashed and let us not forget the wonder NZ Sauv. Blanc, topped off by a warm deep chocolate cake with a framboise glace and smattering of cream. Yikes! Incredible meal and conversation as we all went over the activities of the day. We will part ways tomorrow and that will be a wee bit sad. While walking to the car, Joel and I heard the penguins calling and so decided to walk down behind the old warehouses, railroad tracks and dry tall grasses to catch a glimpse of the penguins walking back in from the ocean in the dark. There were so many it was down right ridiculous. We feel so lucky to have experienced this. We saw two penguins mating (they do this while they are running!), many penguins crossing the road and making their way to nests that are in log piles, the bush, the warehouses, the parking lots--we almost stepped on one as we crossed the railway tracks and then once we got in the car, we almost ran them over. It is surreal.
Tomorrow we go back to that masochistic thing called fishing. We will head for Geraldine and the Peel Forest in a couple of days and then on to Arthur's Pass and the Canterbury area. Weather permitting we will then head back down to catch the loop we missed: Lake Tekapo, Lake Pukaki, Mt Cook, Lake Ohau and anywhere else the wind blows us. I am now exhausted and it is after midnight, but I have to wash the river off of me. So, goodnight all. Much love, L
Those of you who fly fish know that 10% of the time is fishing, the other 90% is checking out maps, driving or hiking down various roads/paths to river banks, prepping gear, building leaders, looking for fish, tying and untying knots and swearing. We were told by the local guy that we didn't need waders, and we didn't need 4 WD--well, that was a lot of bunk. There were many attempts to reach the river (this is after driving gravel farm roads, opening and closing gates, driving a ways and then finding out that you either have to have 4WD, or you abandon the car and hike in through marsh) and a number of dead end roads. However, the most challenging, frustrating and entertaining experience is encountering the cattle crossing. This happened, not once, but twice. After driving a considerable distance on gravel road we saw a huge line of dairy cows in our path. The cows are moved from one field and holding area to another field and the milking area. Dairy production is probably the number one industry in NZ and so there are many, many cows! You sit in your car, watching one humongous cow with engorged utters after another, hoping for some kind of green signal light that will make them give you the right of way. This does not happen. It's like a railway stop--watching 200 train cars go by. Anyway, we finally did make it to one of the river outlets. Many of the roads near the ocean are made of round, smoothed river stones that measure from the size of an egg to a hot water bag. No two ways about it--you have to walk over them and it is slow going because if you're going downhill you tend to slide. I fished a stretch without results and then headed further down toward the mouth. The offshore winds are strong and the current is moving up the river because of the ocean. The water is a clear blue green with a distinct seam into tawny colored shallow water with muddy bottoms. It is nearly impossible to see fish until they come into that shallow water--and only when they are very near. After a frustrating couple of hours we decided to look for easier water and climbed back up to the cliff top and that is where I spotted two huge grown trout. Joel agreed to spot (he only did this because it was my birthday!) and I scrambled back down the cliffside. He was calling out constantly--"2 o'clock and 20 ft out", "right in front of you and 10 ft out", "no, he turned to the left--no, he turned to the right". I have a 6 wt rod and 1x leader with a #4 hook. My shoulder took such a beating because it is impossible to cast in that kind of wind with my little twig. I was wishing I had a 10 wt! I quit! We drove around and around and finally parked and climbed down the side of the Waitaki bridge onto gravel and rock shores and I worked that stretch for a very long time. I stomped through mud and sludge and smacked willow branches and forded the shallows. When I wrapped up for the day and we were walking back, I spied three rainbow trout in a slow moving stream several yards back from the main river. This entailed changing leader and tippet and fly and rethreading my rod and damn I'm a fishing addict! We had a dinner date with someone and so at 7PM, we called it! Thank God! Put an end to my misery.
We met up with Alex and celebrated my birthday at the Star and Garter. We had a feast of Waitaki Salmon, Blue Cod and Lamb Shanks, accompanied by salad, veges, garlic bread and three kinds (!!!!) of potatoes: new boiled, french fried and mashed and let us not forget the wonder NZ Sauv. Blanc, topped off by a warm deep chocolate cake with a framboise glace and smattering of cream. Yikes! Incredible meal and conversation as we all went over the activities of the day. We will part ways tomorrow and that will be a wee bit sad. While walking to the car, Joel and I heard the penguins calling and so decided to walk down behind the old warehouses, railroad tracks and dry tall grasses to catch a glimpse of the penguins walking back in from the ocean in the dark. There were so many it was down right ridiculous. We feel so lucky to have experienced this. We saw two penguins mating (they do this while they are running!), many penguins crossing the road and making their way to nests that are in log piles, the bush, the warehouses, the parking lots--we almost stepped on one as we crossed the railway tracks and then once we got in the car, we almost ran them over. It is surreal.
Tomorrow we go back to that masochistic thing called fishing. We will head for Geraldine and the Peel Forest in a couple of days and then on to Arthur's Pass and the Canterbury area. Weather permitting we will then head back down to catch the loop we missed: Lake Tekapo, Lake Pukaki, Mt Cook, Lake Ohau and anywhere else the wind blows us. I am now exhausted and it is after midnight, but I have to wash the river off of me. So, goodnight all. Much love, L
The Weather moves us East
Well, howdy, everyone!
Mt Cook did not happen--boohoo. The morning that we were to leave for Mt Cook the a huge storm rolled in accompanied by torrential rains. We took our time with breakfast and packing, hoping that the weather would turn. We checked various reports and webcams and decided (unhappily) that it was not safe to travel the road up the mountain and if we did so, we would not be able to hike the trails or see the incredible views. It was a hard decision because we were also forfeiting two nights stay at the Lodge. Alex was suddenly without plans, as well, since she had planned on hitching a ride with us. So the three of us poured over maps and it was clear that in order to escape the storm, we would have to head back to the East coast. The Kiwis call a storm like this a "blowover"--and they advised us not to fight it. It will hang on for days and if you arrange a trip around hiking and fishing activities--well, you know the answer to that. We had planned on fishing Lake Ohau and the salmon canals outside of Lake Tekapo, but that was not to be. So, we packed the car and drove out of Wanaka with some sadness because it is such a special place.
We drove back through Tarras and then north through Omarama along the Waikati River and dam systems. The Waikati flow is fed by Lake Wanaka, Lake Tekapo and Lake Ohau. It is dammed in several places and provides most of the energy for NZ. We cleared the mountains and lupine filled valleys and made our way down. The skies turned blue and the sun came out and we were happy as clams. We stopped along the tops of the dams and admired the incredible ingenuity involved in the design and construction of these massive structures. We drove back and forth across the river through a system of one way bridges eyeing fishing areas and finally stopped to have our lunch on the shore while watching terns and oyster catchers dive into the river. The clouds were so amazing with the dark clouds of the West bearing down on the white, lavender, grey and blue clouds from the Pacific Ocean. Once again we jumped into that now very dirty red coach and drove down gravel and stone roads. We finally arrived in Oamaru and stayed in a very old hostel downtown.
All was going fairly well until Joel and I went out to the back parking lot to view some penguins around 11pm. They have nests everywhere! They are in between buildings and in alleys and under pallets in the warehouse district and you find them under cars and in the grass and along the railroad tracks--I kid you not. I had heard them calling and we thought we'd take a quick look. On the way, in the alley we ran into a couple of young Dutch guys who were dairy farmers. They were swigging beers and obviously drunk. They followed us out and we all watched the penguins for a while. When we left them, we explained that they are light sensitive (so no flash photography) and they are afraid of humans (so do not get near them) and that they call one another as a way of finding their nests. I went back to the hostel and looked out a window from the third floor and saw these jerks beating the bushes with a large board and the other guys attempting to pick up the baby penguins. They were also video taping (with light ofcourse) the entire process. We were livid and so we went out in the rain to reason with them. They said they understood. . ..well, it continued after we left and then Joel was really mad and grabbed a young Israeli guy from the hostel and the two of them went down there to confront these idiots. Joel was yelling into their faces. Around midnight these morons came in with several more beers and created quite a ruckus. They were loud and obnoxious--made a big burning mess in the kitchen--and we were all very unhappy. We tried several times to ring the manager, but without success. So, I did not sleep.
When morning came, we packed as quickly as we could. In the breakfast room, our friend Alex read these guys the riot act. Then Joel got into with them again. They never apologized--A-holes. I hope karma catches up with them. We found new accommodations at a motor inn and then planned on fishing for the afternoon. Yesterday, we had gone to the local sporting goods store to get some advice and pick up some new flies. The sea run trout are running up through the mouth of the Waikati and they are huge! We picked up some fish imitation patterns and some larger wooly buggers. (I'd been carrying #10--but evidently these beasts like them in #4 through #8). We got the low down on the roads and gates to pass. . . ..to be continued.
Mt Cook did not happen--boohoo. The morning that we were to leave for Mt Cook the a huge storm rolled in accompanied by torrential rains. We took our time with breakfast and packing, hoping that the weather would turn. We checked various reports and webcams and decided (unhappily) that it was not safe to travel the road up the mountain and if we did so, we would not be able to hike the trails or see the incredible views. It was a hard decision because we were also forfeiting two nights stay at the Lodge. Alex was suddenly without plans, as well, since she had planned on hitching a ride with us. So the three of us poured over maps and it was clear that in order to escape the storm, we would have to head back to the East coast. The Kiwis call a storm like this a "blowover"--and they advised us not to fight it. It will hang on for days and if you arrange a trip around hiking and fishing activities--well, you know the answer to that. We had planned on fishing Lake Ohau and the salmon canals outside of Lake Tekapo, but that was not to be. So, we packed the car and drove out of Wanaka with some sadness because it is such a special place.
We drove back through Tarras and then north through Omarama along the Waikati River and dam systems. The Waikati flow is fed by Lake Wanaka, Lake Tekapo and Lake Ohau. It is dammed in several places and provides most of the energy for NZ. We cleared the mountains and lupine filled valleys and made our way down. The skies turned blue and the sun came out and we were happy as clams. We stopped along the tops of the dams and admired the incredible ingenuity involved in the design and construction of these massive structures. We drove back and forth across the river through a system of one way bridges eyeing fishing areas and finally stopped to have our lunch on the shore while watching terns and oyster catchers dive into the river. The clouds were so amazing with the dark clouds of the West bearing down on the white, lavender, grey and blue clouds from the Pacific Ocean. Once again we jumped into that now very dirty red coach and drove down gravel and stone roads. We finally arrived in Oamaru and stayed in a very old hostel downtown.
All was going fairly well until Joel and I went out to the back parking lot to view some penguins around 11pm. They have nests everywhere! They are in between buildings and in alleys and under pallets in the warehouse district and you find them under cars and in the grass and along the railroad tracks--I kid you not. I had heard them calling and we thought we'd take a quick look. On the way, in the alley we ran into a couple of young Dutch guys who were dairy farmers. They were swigging beers and obviously drunk. They followed us out and we all watched the penguins for a while. When we left them, we explained that they are light sensitive (so no flash photography) and they are afraid of humans (so do not get near them) and that they call one another as a way of finding their nests. I went back to the hostel and looked out a window from the third floor and saw these jerks beating the bushes with a large board and the other guys attempting to pick up the baby penguins. They were also video taping (with light ofcourse) the entire process. We were livid and so we went out in the rain to reason with them. They said they understood. . ..well, it continued after we left and then Joel was really mad and grabbed a young Israeli guy from the hostel and the two of them went down there to confront these idiots. Joel was yelling into their faces. Around midnight these morons came in with several more beers and created quite a ruckus. They were loud and obnoxious--made a big burning mess in the kitchen--and we were all very unhappy. We tried several times to ring the manager, but without success. So, I did not sleep.
When morning came, we packed as quickly as we could. In the breakfast room, our friend Alex read these guys the riot act. Then Joel got into with them again. They never apologized--A-holes. I hope karma catches up with them. We found new accommodations at a motor inn and then planned on fishing for the afternoon. Yesterday, we had gone to the local sporting goods store to get some advice and pick up some new flies. The sea run trout are running up through the mouth of the Waikati and they are huge! We picked up some fish imitation patterns and some larger wooly buggers. (I'd been carrying #10--but evidently these beasts like them in #4 through #8). We got the low down on the roads and gates to pass. . . ..to be continued.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Mt Iron and the Clutha River
Hi again,
After taking stock of our supplies, we went out and gathered more food and a 8GB memory stick to back up the photos. We spent the morning with our new friend from the UK, lingering over coffee and chatting about our lives. We then wolfed down lunch and headed out to climb Mt Iron. Not too impressed because after the Diamond Lake Hike (and others), it was liking climbing Pilot Butte in Bend. It was up a steep gravel road with nothing interesting around until you got to the top. The view was great in terms of getting our bearings and realizing that there was much more in the area than the few blocks that you see in the village. We hiked down and then drove north along Lake Hawea--zipping down gravel country roads aimlessly. We then stopped on the Clutha River and hiked along matuka trees that are just coming into bloom with little tiny white flowers. Beautiful curving stretches of blue green water with the mountains looming over. We ran into an old Kiwi guy who gave us the most incredible tips on fishing the areas in the Mackenzie Basin--cannot wait to hit the next bit of water! We are reminded once again of the incredible generosity and kindness of the Kiwi folk. We leave tomorrow for Mt Cook with Alex in tow. We're hoping to take our lunch on the banks of Lake Pukaki and then weather permitting, get in a brief hike when we get up there. The following day we will hike out to see the Hooker Glacier and once again I will face my phobia (fear of heights) and cross a couple of suspension walking bridges. Tonight we made a fabulous chicken burrito deluxe meal and knocked down a huge bottle of pale ale, followed by several rounds of billiards and ending the night with fresh strawberries and chocolate. It feels so hopelessly decadent . . .wish us luck--we need good weather on the drive up to Mt Cook. We have been lucky and fortunate thusfar and hope it continues. Hugs and kisses, Linny
After taking stock of our supplies, we went out and gathered more food and a 8GB memory stick to back up the photos. We spent the morning with our new friend from the UK, lingering over coffee and chatting about our lives. We then wolfed down lunch and headed out to climb Mt Iron. Not too impressed because after the Diamond Lake Hike (and others), it was liking climbing Pilot Butte in Bend. It was up a steep gravel road with nothing interesting around until you got to the top. The view was great in terms of getting our bearings and realizing that there was much more in the area than the few blocks that you see in the village. We hiked down and then drove north along Lake Hawea--zipping down gravel country roads aimlessly. We then stopped on the Clutha River and hiked along matuka trees that are just coming into bloom with little tiny white flowers. Beautiful curving stretches of blue green water with the mountains looming over. We ran into an old Kiwi guy who gave us the most incredible tips on fishing the areas in the Mackenzie Basin--cannot wait to hit the next bit of water! We are reminded once again of the incredible generosity and kindness of the Kiwi folk. We leave tomorrow for Mt Cook with Alex in tow. We're hoping to take our lunch on the banks of Lake Pukaki and then weather permitting, get in a brief hike when we get up there. The following day we will hike out to see the Hooker Glacier and once again I will face my phobia (fear of heights) and cross a couple of suspension walking bridges. Tonight we made a fabulous chicken burrito deluxe meal and knocked down a huge bottle of pale ale, followed by several rounds of billiards and ending the night with fresh strawberries and chocolate. It feels so hopelessly decadent . . .wish us luck--we need good weather on the drive up to Mt Cook. We have been lucky and fortunate thusfar and hope it continues. Hugs and kisses, Linny
Monday, December 7, 2009
Down Day
Hello all,
A fierce northwesterly moved in and brought rain, so no fishing today. We are taking time to reorganize our packs and food and upload photos to the computer. We feel lucky to have had such a gloriously beautiful sunny day yesterday when we took our hike up the mountain to take in the 360 views. When we returned, however, there was some sobering news. A hiker in the same park (Mt Aspiring) had fallen to his death. He'd been tramping with 9 others and had broken camp and was headed back down. We sometimes take for granted our own strengths and capabilities out here and forget just how dangerous the tracks are--they are quite steep and all it takes is one slip. The wind picks up and it can blow you right over. So sad. So, we will continue to evaluate each and every track and take our time. So, I am going out to stock up on food since there is nothing up at Mt Cook. I am hoping the weather improves because the road up to the mountain can be dicey--if it begins to snow, I really want to pick up some chains. But, we will go ahead as planned.
Today, we celebrate Joan and David's 1st anniversary and are reminded once again of the magic of love. We are so happy for them and will raise a glass this evening in honor of their bond. Much love, Linda
A fierce northwesterly moved in and brought rain, so no fishing today. We are taking time to reorganize our packs and food and upload photos to the computer. We feel lucky to have had such a gloriously beautiful sunny day yesterday when we took our hike up the mountain to take in the 360 views. When we returned, however, there was some sobering news. A hiker in the same park (Mt Aspiring) had fallen to his death. He'd been tramping with 9 others and had broken camp and was headed back down. We sometimes take for granted our own strengths and capabilities out here and forget just how dangerous the tracks are--they are quite steep and all it takes is one slip. The wind picks up and it can blow you right over. So sad. So, we will continue to evaluate each and every track and take our time. So, I am going out to stock up on food since there is nothing up at Mt Cook. I am hoping the weather improves because the road up to the mountain can be dicey--if it begins to snow, I really want to pick up some chains. But, we will go ahead as planned.
Today, we celebrate Joan and David's 1st anniversary and are reminded once again of the magic of love. We are so happy for them and will raise a glass this evening in honor of their bond. Much love, Linda
Sunday, December 6, 2009
48 hours of superlatives
Hi!!!
We left Queenstown early (couldn't wait to get out of there) and on the way stopped along the Kawarau River and stood on the bridge watching bungy jumpers scream their heads off. For all you Lord of the Ring fans, this river is where they filmed the scene for the Pillars of the Kings, which I thought was incredibly beautiful on film. However, it is even more spectacular than that--in fact, it is the most beautiful river that I have ever seen in my life! The film shows it as a grey color, but in fact, it is a milky emerald green. It winds and tumbles and curves all the way down beyond the town of Cromwell. We followed it all the way until we sadly had to turn north. Cromwell is an agricultural area on the edge of Lake Dunstun--lots of fruit and veges and so we stopped in a parking lot and filled a huge ziplock bag with every manner of salad green, poured some good ole Newman's dressing on and shook the bejeepers out of the bag and to the interest of all the Kiwis parked around us as we split it between to plastic bowls on the hood of the car, proceeded to eat and chomp until we could not take in one more green thing. We then headed north on the eastern shore of the lake and made an abrupt turn to the west toward Wanaka (an area where they filmed the Flight of the Ford). The drive was even more amazing than all the others we've taken--if that is somehow possible. The Mt Aspiring Mountain Range and Wilderness was before us as we drove through endless rolling hills of brown, pink, yellow, green topped by blue skies and puffy white clouds. The Clutha River came into view and it is the second most beautiful river that I have encountered. It is a milky turquoise blue with waves of emerald green. We crossed it via a narrow bridge and then curved around and Lake Wanaka came into view with the mountain range jutting straight up and surround the entire lake. The mountains are still snow capped and a warm wind was coming off the lake.
We thought we'd died and gone to the Ritz when we arrived at our hostel. Our room was ensuite!!! Shower and toilet, yeah!!!! Spacious and with a view of the lake. We gathered information from the DOC, left with maps and many plans. We took a brief walk around the lake, hopped in the car and surveyed the area, and then came back to make a fantastic spaghetti dinner that everyone was lusting after.
We met Alex, a 52 yo English woman who is traveling for a year. So, after a wonderful night's sleep, we rallied and packed lunches and daypacks with plans on hiking up Rocky Mountain to view the lakes, rivers, valleys and mountain ranges. We invited Alex and we all had a grand time hiking straight up through grassy areas, along a small lake, up lava and granite rocks and along very narrow cliff side paths. Every turn gave us breathtaking views and a view of more climbing ahead. We reached the summit and it was so worth it. I have never seen anything so amazing in my life. I want it to be one of the last images that I see when my time is up on this planet.
The wind picked up and we sat down in the grass to have our lunch. We left it reluctantly and with great memories. It was now quite hot working our way down the mountain and we looked forward to jumping into the lake. We're all quite sunburned/tanned. In the end, only Joel had the chutzpah to jump into the very cold water--and jump out just as quickly. We sunned ourselves until the later afternoon winds picked up and then came back to make a killer panfried noodles and stirfried vege dish that all the young folk looked at longingly as they stirred their pots of beans and ramen. Tomorrow we will try our hand at flyfishing the Clutha River as it rushes out of Lake Wanaka and then in the afternoon hike Mt Iron. On Wednesday, we leave for Mt Cook. We have invited Alex who will drive with us and hike with us and then we will put her on the bus and she will head south, as we head east. We will celebrate my birthday up there, on top of the world. We plan on hiking to the Hooker Glacier the very next day. The sun is just about ready to set down for the day lighting the clouds a fiery color against deep brooding gray blue clouds. It is paradise!! I love you all. L
We left Queenstown early (couldn't wait to get out of there) and on the way stopped along the Kawarau River and stood on the bridge watching bungy jumpers scream their heads off. For all you Lord of the Ring fans, this river is where they filmed the scene for the Pillars of the Kings, which I thought was incredibly beautiful on film. However, it is even more spectacular than that--in fact, it is the most beautiful river that I have ever seen in my life! The film shows it as a grey color, but in fact, it is a milky emerald green. It winds and tumbles and curves all the way down beyond the town of Cromwell. We followed it all the way until we sadly had to turn north. Cromwell is an agricultural area on the edge of Lake Dunstun--lots of fruit and veges and so we stopped in a parking lot and filled a huge ziplock bag with every manner of salad green, poured some good ole Newman's dressing on and shook the bejeepers out of the bag and to the interest of all the Kiwis parked around us as we split it between to plastic bowls on the hood of the car, proceeded to eat and chomp until we could not take in one more green thing. We then headed north on the eastern shore of the lake and made an abrupt turn to the west toward Wanaka (an area where they filmed the Flight of the Ford). The drive was even more amazing than all the others we've taken--if that is somehow possible. The Mt Aspiring Mountain Range and Wilderness was before us as we drove through endless rolling hills of brown, pink, yellow, green topped by blue skies and puffy white clouds. The Clutha River came into view and it is the second most beautiful river that I have encountered. It is a milky turquoise blue with waves of emerald green. We crossed it via a narrow bridge and then curved around and Lake Wanaka came into view with the mountain range jutting straight up and surround the entire lake. The mountains are still snow capped and a warm wind was coming off the lake.
We thought we'd died and gone to the Ritz when we arrived at our hostel. Our room was ensuite!!! Shower and toilet, yeah!!!! Spacious and with a view of the lake. We gathered information from the DOC, left with maps and many plans. We took a brief walk around the lake, hopped in the car and surveyed the area, and then came back to make a fantastic spaghetti dinner that everyone was lusting after.
We met Alex, a 52 yo English woman who is traveling for a year. So, after a wonderful night's sleep, we rallied and packed lunches and daypacks with plans on hiking up Rocky Mountain to view the lakes, rivers, valleys and mountain ranges. We invited Alex and we all had a grand time hiking straight up through grassy areas, along a small lake, up lava and granite rocks and along very narrow cliff side paths. Every turn gave us breathtaking views and a view of more climbing ahead. We reached the summit and it was so worth it. I have never seen anything so amazing in my life. I want it to be one of the last images that I see when my time is up on this planet.
The wind picked up and we sat down in the grass to have our lunch. We left it reluctantly and with great memories. It was now quite hot working our way down the mountain and we looked forward to jumping into the lake. We're all quite sunburned/tanned. In the end, only Joel had the chutzpah to jump into the very cold water--and jump out just as quickly. We sunned ourselves until the later afternoon winds picked up and then came back to make a killer panfried noodles and stirfried vege dish that all the young folk looked at longingly as they stirred their pots of beans and ramen. Tomorrow we will try our hand at flyfishing the Clutha River as it rushes out of Lake Wanaka and then in the afternoon hike Mt Iron. On Wednesday, we leave for Mt Cook. We have invited Alex who will drive with us and hike with us and then we will put her on the bus and she will head south, as we head east. We will celebrate my birthday up there, on top of the world. We plan on hiking to the Hooker Glacier the very next day. The sun is just about ready to set down for the day lighting the clouds a fiery color against deep brooding gray blue clouds. It is paradise!! I love you all. L
Friday, December 4, 2009
Now in Queenstown
Hello all,
Oh man this is going to be tough reconstructing the last few days--they are flying by and each experience is unique and extraordinary. So we left Milford Sound and those motherf'ng sandflies (and I am being kind). We did the long beautiful road back in reverse and still stopped along the way to admire the glaciers, mountains, rivers, flowers, and on an on and on . . . we left early in the morning with the cloud mist on us and it was eerie and peaceful. We stopped once more in the Eglinton Valley to view the lupines--this time we walked right down into a huge field of them. We made a picnic lunch and had it by the lake to take in the view one last time. We stocked up in Te Anau and headed east from there to our destination, Garston. The landscape changed dramatically from fiords, mountains, alpine lakes, firs and beech to round hills of many colors of brown and rust and yellow. The fields were full of farmed reindeer and deer. We were to stop initially in Lumsden, thinking it a town of some size according to the map. It is a good thing that I didn't book our lodging there and also glad that I had decided at the last minute to shop in Te Anau. Lumsden is like an old blown over cowboy town--long ago forgotten. To give you an idea: we stopped at the Isite (these are information sites located everywhere in NZ to collect booklets about the various areas) and it was located in an old train station that was now split in half--one side the information area and the other a crocheted and knitting shop which you enter first. If you go into the Isite, the old lady from the knitting shop closes up her till and makes her way over to you. It was absolutely empty and cold. A young East Indian man walked in without baggage, backpack or anything else to indicate that he was traveling. He was wearing a scarf around his neck and had silver ostrich or leather cowboy boots with at least four to six inches of pointers on them. It really did look odd. He was inquiring about transportation--a bus maybe. I'm telling you, Lumsden is in the middle of nowhere! Unclear how he even got there. But then we saw him later hitching down the road. Very strange. When we asked about a fishing license, we were told to go across the street to the "chemist" shop--that would be a pharmacy to you northlanders. Pharmacy is generous-- a kind of everything little shop.
We headed to our arranged lodging: an old (130 yrs) stone cottage on a farm. It had been totally renovated on the inside, but had this incredible charm about it. The proprietors, John and Avis MacIver, were the most generous, salt of the earth kind of people. We thought we'd landed at the Ritz--full modern farm kitchen, 3 bedrooms, washer and dryer, a shower with enough power to shoot you across the sheep field (I worry about their pipes), a setting to die for--and so much more. Within minutes, after expressing our desire to fish, John had us jump into his four wheel drive. (BTW, he is 70) Before you know it, I was jumping in and out of the truck to open paddocks, let the truck through, and then shut the gate. He drove right through the middle of fields with sheep running out of the way, and took us straight to the river's edge on his neighbor's property. I followed him as he stomped through razor sharp grass, nettles and sheep shit in his usual Kiwi dress: shorts and rubber boots. He pointed out a huge brown trout in a pool of water under some willow trees and then we hopped back into the truck to change our clothes and grab our gear. We fished every day for sometimes 7 hours in the sun, the wind, the rain, whatever. I've never walked in so much sheep crap in my whole life. Every night Joel would have to hose our boots down only to mess them up the very next day. But the pay off was that I caught my first huge brown trout (somewhere over 7 lbs--AND Boyd Lyle, I am not shitting you!)
The kitchen allowed us to do a lot more cooking and I went a little nuts: crepes with nutella and bananas, crepes with cinnamon and sugared apples, curried veges over basmati rice, a lovely vege stew with fresh bread. While there I also fixed Avis' computer--clean out virus and optimized her system. It was hard leaving such a lovely place and such wonderful people.
We left for Queenstown this morning on a fine sunny day. Avis had just hung out her laundry and it was waving in the light breeze. The honeysuckle at the front entry was so fragrant and the climbing roses and wisteria surrounding her inner yard were in full bloom. A stunning ride through country fields and then along Lake Wakapitu with the Remarkables range and finally the town. Qtown is like Aspen--boutique shops, lots of tourists, every imaginable activity (paragliding, jet boats, gondola rides, biking, boating, helicopter rides. The setting is unspeakably beautiful, but the whole scene is not my thing. As Avis said before we left: I really don't care for the cities, I prefer the quiet of the country life. Micah had warned us and so we only booked one night in a hostel and leave in the morning for Lake Wanaka and back to hiking and fishing. We'll be there for three days before heading up to Mt Cook for a couple of days. It is all actually quite tiring. Are days are long and filled and I am sleeping so hard for the first time in years. Now, I am not complaining--
Sending much love from the far, far south. xo Linny
Oh man this is going to be tough reconstructing the last few days--they are flying by and each experience is unique and extraordinary. So we left Milford Sound and those motherf'ng sandflies (and I am being kind). We did the long beautiful road back in reverse and still stopped along the way to admire the glaciers, mountains, rivers, flowers, and on an on and on . . . we left early in the morning with the cloud mist on us and it was eerie and peaceful. We stopped once more in the Eglinton Valley to view the lupines--this time we walked right down into a huge field of them. We made a picnic lunch and had it by the lake to take in the view one last time. We stocked up in Te Anau and headed east from there to our destination, Garston. The landscape changed dramatically from fiords, mountains, alpine lakes, firs and beech to round hills of many colors of brown and rust and yellow. The fields were full of farmed reindeer and deer. We were to stop initially in Lumsden, thinking it a town of some size according to the map. It is a good thing that I didn't book our lodging there and also glad that I had decided at the last minute to shop in Te Anau. Lumsden is like an old blown over cowboy town--long ago forgotten. To give you an idea: we stopped at the Isite (these are information sites located everywhere in NZ to collect booklets about the various areas) and it was located in an old train station that was now split in half--one side the information area and the other a crocheted and knitting shop which you enter first. If you go into the Isite, the old lady from the knitting shop closes up her till and makes her way over to you. It was absolutely empty and cold. A young East Indian man walked in without baggage, backpack or anything else to indicate that he was traveling. He was wearing a scarf around his neck and had silver ostrich or leather cowboy boots with at least four to six inches of pointers on them. It really did look odd. He was inquiring about transportation--a bus maybe. I'm telling you, Lumsden is in the middle of nowhere! Unclear how he even got there. But then we saw him later hitching down the road. Very strange. When we asked about a fishing license, we were told to go across the street to the "chemist" shop--that would be a pharmacy to you northlanders. Pharmacy is generous-- a kind of everything little shop.
We headed to our arranged lodging: an old (130 yrs) stone cottage on a farm. It had been totally renovated on the inside, but had this incredible charm about it. The proprietors, John and Avis MacIver, were the most generous, salt of the earth kind of people. We thought we'd landed at the Ritz--full modern farm kitchen, 3 bedrooms, washer and dryer, a shower with enough power to shoot you across the sheep field (I worry about their pipes), a setting to die for--and so much more. Within minutes, after expressing our desire to fish, John had us jump into his four wheel drive. (BTW, he is 70) Before you know it, I was jumping in and out of the truck to open paddocks, let the truck through, and then shut the gate. He drove right through the middle of fields with sheep running out of the way, and took us straight to the river's edge on his neighbor's property. I followed him as he stomped through razor sharp grass, nettles and sheep shit in his usual Kiwi dress: shorts and rubber boots. He pointed out a huge brown trout in a pool of water under some willow trees and then we hopped back into the truck to change our clothes and grab our gear. We fished every day for sometimes 7 hours in the sun, the wind, the rain, whatever. I've never walked in so much sheep crap in my whole life. Every night Joel would have to hose our boots down only to mess them up the very next day. But the pay off was that I caught my first huge brown trout (somewhere over 7 lbs--AND Boyd Lyle, I am not shitting you!)
The kitchen allowed us to do a lot more cooking and I went a little nuts: crepes with nutella and bananas, crepes with cinnamon and sugared apples, curried veges over basmati rice, a lovely vege stew with fresh bread. While there I also fixed Avis' computer--clean out virus and optimized her system. It was hard leaving such a lovely place and such wonderful people.
We left for Queenstown this morning on a fine sunny day. Avis had just hung out her laundry and it was waving in the light breeze. The honeysuckle at the front entry was so fragrant and the climbing roses and wisteria surrounding her inner yard were in full bloom. A stunning ride through country fields and then along Lake Wakapitu with the Remarkables range and finally the town. Qtown is like Aspen--boutique shops, lots of tourists, every imaginable activity (paragliding, jet boats, gondola rides, biking, boating, helicopter rides. The setting is unspeakably beautiful, but the whole scene is not my thing. As Avis said before we left: I really don't care for the cities, I prefer the quiet of the country life. Micah had warned us and so we only booked one night in a hostel and leave in the morning for Lake Wanaka and back to hiking and fishing. We'll be there for three days before heading up to Mt Cook for a couple of days. It is all actually quite tiring. Are days are long and filled and I am sleeping so hard for the first time in years. Now, I am not complaining--
Sending much love from the far, far south. xo Linny
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Milford
Hello all,
Going to race through this one again. Yesterday we left Te Anau on a fine sunny morning. The drive to Milford Sound is a beautiful, scenie 2 hour drive. Along the way we stopped to get the view of the Eglinton Valley and River. Acres and acres of blue, purple and pink lupine carpeted the valley floor all along the river--I've never seen anything like it--stunning! We went on to see one breathtaking view of the glacial mountains after another and stopped at The Divide to catch the Routeburn Track up to the Key Summit: a steady, steep, rocky climb for 1 1/2 hrs. The view was so worth it. Down the sides of the summit run three rivers through three valleys, and there was a view of the alpine Lake Marian. I felt like I was on top of Mt Everest and didn't want to leave. The weather was changing by the second and dropped 20 degrees in 10 minutes and we knew it was time to make our way back down. The hike was truly a highlight of the trip thusfar. We went on to Milford Sound with one spectacular water fall after another. The sandflies are now everywhere and I hate the little bastards. We got here late and made our dinner and prepared for the boat cruise into the sound. This morning we caught a small vessel and cruised out to the Tasman Sea. I cannot begin to describe the formations in this sound--Joel thinks it is the most beautiful place on earth. We are going to leave one day early and try to get our fishing gear certified. So, flying by the seat of our pants--tomorrow, we may get to Mossburn. From there, Garston and flyfishing. Best things I've done: Bringing Arnica and Kinesio tape to stabilize my knees on these irregular rocky hikes, bringing raingear and a down jacket. Regrets: not bringing my newer, stiffer boots and more socks and not investing in Cadbury stock before I left. I will be spending my birthday in Mt Cook Village and the only thing that would make that better is to have my loved ones surrounding me there and hiking with me. We send you much love, Linny and Joel
Going to race through this one again. Yesterday we left Te Anau on a fine sunny morning. The drive to Milford Sound is a beautiful, scenie 2 hour drive. Along the way we stopped to get the view of the Eglinton Valley and River. Acres and acres of blue, purple and pink lupine carpeted the valley floor all along the river--I've never seen anything like it--stunning! We went on to see one breathtaking view of the glacial mountains after another and stopped at The Divide to catch the Routeburn Track up to the Key Summit: a steady, steep, rocky climb for 1 1/2 hrs. The view was so worth it. Down the sides of the summit run three rivers through three valleys, and there was a view of the alpine Lake Marian. I felt like I was on top of Mt Everest and didn't want to leave. The weather was changing by the second and dropped 20 degrees in 10 minutes and we knew it was time to make our way back down. The hike was truly a highlight of the trip thusfar. We went on to Milford Sound with one spectacular water fall after another. The sandflies are now everywhere and I hate the little bastards. We got here late and made our dinner and prepared for the boat cruise into the sound. This morning we caught a small vessel and cruised out to the Tasman Sea. I cannot begin to describe the formations in this sound--Joel thinks it is the most beautiful place on earth. We are going to leave one day early and try to get our fishing gear certified. So, flying by the seat of our pants--tomorrow, we may get to Mossburn. From there, Garston and flyfishing. Best things I've done: Bringing Arnica and Kinesio tape to stabilize my knees on these irregular rocky hikes, bringing raingear and a down jacket. Regrets: not bringing my newer, stiffer boots and more socks and not investing in Cadbury stock before I left. I will be spending my birthday in Mt Cook Village and the only thing that would make that better is to have my loved ones surrounding me there and hiking with me. We send you much love, Linny and Joel
Friday, November 27, 2009
Te Anau
Hello all of you stuffed post thanksgiving folks,
The rain passed and this morning was sunny with a slight cool breeze--like a perfect spring day. We set out on foot from Te Anau and hiked around the lake to the beginning of the Kepler Track (at the Control Gates) we hiked for a few hours (5! and now I know my limit) with a stop to eat our PBJ sandwiches on a sandy beach next to the pure waters of the lake. I felt practically crippled when we got back in town and found a pharmacy with tiger balm and more arnica (which has saved me on these long hike days). We decided to start making our dinner early because all the Asian travelers that we have encountered in these hostels virtually commandeer the kitchens and prepare these amazing 7 course dinners. We made ourselves a spectacular stirfry and drank a bottle of wine and did we stop? No! We walked (I felt like crawling) to the local cinema to watch Ata Whenua, a film taken from helicopter of NZ. We are now back and ready to shower and leave early in the morning to begin the drive (with several hikes along the way) up to Milford Sound. We will stay at the lodge up there for three nights and then make our way back down to Garston to fish for several days. We are hoping not to have a problem getting a fishing license--evidently we need to go to a "cleaning station", have our equipment inspected and if we pass, obtain a certificate that we must show in order to receive a license. If you are caught fishing without the cleaning certificate and a license, they will fine you 7000 dollars and take away all your equipment, including your car! They are some serious folks--but ya know, it works--the country is pristine and the lakes and rivers have water that you can drink. Hope you are all well and enjoying life. Talk to you soon, L and J
The rain passed and this morning was sunny with a slight cool breeze--like a perfect spring day. We set out on foot from Te Anau and hiked around the lake to the beginning of the Kepler Track (at the Control Gates) we hiked for a few hours (5! and now I know my limit) with a stop to eat our PBJ sandwiches on a sandy beach next to the pure waters of the lake. I felt practically crippled when we got back in town and found a pharmacy with tiger balm and more arnica (which has saved me on these long hike days). We decided to start making our dinner early because all the Asian travelers that we have encountered in these hostels virtually commandeer the kitchens and prepare these amazing 7 course dinners. We made ourselves a spectacular stirfry and drank a bottle of wine and did we stop? No! We walked (I felt like crawling) to the local cinema to watch Ata Whenua, a film taken from helicopter of NZ. We are now back and ready to shower and leave early in the morning to begin the drive (with several hikes along the way) up to Milford Sound. We will stay at the lodge up there for three nights and then make our way back down to Garston to fish for several days. We are hoping not to have a problem getting a fishing license--evidently we need to go to a "cleaning station", have our equipment inspected and if we pass, obtain a certificate that we must show in order to receive a license. If you are caught fishing without the cleaning certificate and a license, they will fine you 7000 dollars and take away all your equipment, including your car! They are some serious folks--but ya know, it works--the country is pristine and the lakes and rivers have water that you can drink. Hope you are all well and enjoying life. Talk to you soon, L and J
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Kepler Track
The wind let up at dawn and rainbows were arcing into the lake all morning. Every time we bend down or move too fast we feel wobbly as if we were still on the boat. Loan up and go. Today we hiked a part of the Kepler Track from Rainbow Reach to Shallow Hut and back. We hiked for three hours in the steady rain through miles or ancient beech forest with an under story of ferns and moss--everything in a shade of spring green or brown. The leaves over time have created a path that is soft and cushion like. By the time we got to the water's edge the wind was blowing hard so we took a quick respite and toilet break at the hut. The path was degrading with pools of water and our socks and boots were soggy. By the end, we were soaked through and ready for a hot shower. That last mile I kept thinking of about turkey and stuffing and pecan and pumpkin pies and wine and it made the misery of being cold and wet less os. WE drove into Te Anau and went straight to Mile's Better Pies with the most delicious meat and fruit pies with delicate buttery crusts. Then on to the hostel where we immediately jumped into very hot showers with incredible water pressure--I wanted to stay in there for hours. (I highly recommend the YHA hostel in Te Anau!!) Have I mentioned that I am super glad that I bought a down jacket? I love you rain pants! We are hoping our things will dry out by tomorrow for the next hike. When I was in the shower I heard a big clap of thunder and the skies opened up further and poured and poured. It continues to rain hard and we are settling in for a cup of tea before venturing out to the grocery store--we are down to the things we don't really want to eat. I wish I could have a bit of pecan pie with my tea. Send some good weather vibes our way. Miss you all. L
Manapouri and the Overnight Adventure
Lake Manapouri (meaning mournful heart) is the second deepest and fifth largest lake in NZ. It is surrounding by snowcapped mountains with the majestic Cathedral Peaks as its centerpiece. We are staying on a rise about 200 ft from the water’s edge with a 180 degree view of the mountains and quite a full view of the lake. The winds have been relentless and there are white caps over the entire surface of the water.
The very first thing we did here was the laundry knowing that dry clothes were essential in the days to come. We then drop on down to the rocky beach where acres of blue and purple lupine rim the lake in full bloom. We find a nice hike through beech forests along the water’s edge to Pearl Harbor where we will be departing by boat for our next adventure into the fiords and rainforest. The word “beautiful” seems so inadequate these days.
We repack everything to take a small overnight bag for the trip. The next morning we catch a boat that takes us across the lake to a landing on the Western Arm of the lake—this takes an hour. We have our first encounter with the much dreaded sandflies—they are attacking from everywhere. We then transfer to a 4 wheel drive shuttle that takes us through the Wilmot Pass on narrow, gravel, curving, steep(scary) roads with waterfalls cascading all about us and breathtaking views. This takes about 45 minutes.(On the shuttle is a young German woman who is wrapped in a big white scarf, hair in a tight pony tail with her glasses migrating down her nose, motion sickness patches behind her ears, wearing spanking new hiking boots and rain gear and a big puffy coat, chomping on an egg salad sandwich. Joel cracks the window a few millimeters to clear the condensation forming on the windows and she immediately asks that it be closed. …she is chilled. WTF! Why is she here???? I feel my jaw clench and my hackles up, and then I have to just calm down and feel sorry for her. I am going to be in tight quarters with this lass.) We then board our final vessel—a 60 ft craft with a deck below for sleeping and the main deck with galley and seating and above that by ladder is the skipper’s perch. After crossing the gangplank (in the rain) we are greeted by Jess, a 23 year old from Portland (!) who has been in NZ traveling and studying since she was 17. She will be the cook and chief bottle washer. Then there is Bill, first mate—a skipper with much experience who has had management positions in the seafood industry throughout NZ, primarily in the Marlborough Sounds. And then there is our skipper and fearless leader, Daz Pettus, who is an American expat who came to NZ in 1976. We are 9 passengers and 3 crew. We decided on this excursion rather than the big 70 passenger vessel because we wanted a more intimate experience. Jess already had challah bread dough rising and was elbow deep in flour making fresh chocolate chip scones for our little snack. Everybody is given the very grim and serious talk about emergency measures should you find yourself thrown overboard or in the midst of a cabin fire or have crashed into another vessel. We are told to go downstairs and claim a bunk and Joel and I are thinking along same lines: Not with that ninny! I grab a woman from San Diego (and her husband and teen age son who will be going to U of O!) and herd her into the bunk room. Now if you are envisioning bunks like you had as a child, think again. These are sailor’s bunks that measure the width of your body and if you are taller than 6 ft you will be sleeping in an embryo position. Head clearance—well there is no head clearance! You realize that you will be sleeping in extremely tight quarters with perfect strangers with habits that are yet unknown to you—but you know will be revealed as the night goes on. Phew! Disaster averted. We get underway and push off from the dock. It is warm inside and the skipper is chatting to us over the PA. Within minutes I find out that Jess has been on the crew for 2 weeks, Bill has joined 4 days ago and the skipper had been manning this boat since October (of 2009!!!!) I feel just a little pinch inside . . .but hey, they all seem so confident and able.
Our plan is to head out through the main channel (the Malaspina Reach) to Doubtful Sound exploring a few arms as we go. The land masses rise 3000 ft straight up out of the water and the rain is increasing so the water falls are exploding all around us. I lose count at 200 hundred and give it up. The wind is heavy and the rain drenching, but we are undaunted. My rain pants have paid for themselves three times over. However, they do not make camera pants and that proves to be a problem. We move from stern to bow, back and forth depending on the level of rain and wind. Joel and I are so excited to be out here. The young woman and her female friend and a young Austrian couple immediately start playing cards. Tea and scones are served and Jess is roasting lamb and chicken and is cleaning huge bunches of cauliflower and broccoli (uh oh) and boiling big pots of potatoes. She’s punching down the dough and cleaning dishes in between and then running up to the skipper’s perch to man the PA and gives us educational information regarding geology, flora, fauna, etc. We are battling the wind and the rain for a couple of hours and then it happens. I am on the bow with a couple of other people and the wind shifts dramatically and takes on such incredible force. I feel something primal in me respond. We are pushing to get back in while the wind is pushing us toward the rail and the boat is pitching and lurching. The rail is so low to the left of me that I don’t dare grab on to that because it was once at waist level, but is now at knee level. I grab onto something on the right—don’t know what, but thank you. I’m pushing these two other people in the door and Jess runs to grab us and pull us in and latch the door. The tone is a little more serious as the skipper tells us that we must turn around and find shelter in one of the arms. The wind is tunneling from the ocean up the channel and we turn into Crooked Arm but as we go deeper into it the wind is also tunneling from the other end and sheets of rain are coming down and Bill and Daz and Jess are all up there poring over maps and trying to make a determination as to where to go. Daz is relying solely on sonar at this point because he cannot see out the skipper’s window. The wind has picked up—40 knots—that’s approximately 65 mph—and the rudder is inadequate for these conditions. There is no deep keel on this vessel to steady us. We all have questions and Jess is talking to us in studied calming tones. We could hear Bill calling out to the other ships and every vessel is forced to return up the channel. Then we lose signal and cannot communicate with others. I remind myself that Daz has raced in Auckland and skippers boats in the Mediterranean and the Pacific and that Bill knows the seas surrounding NZ. However, their tone is urgent and we realize that they feel their responsibility to keep their passengers safe. We head back into the main channel and into Hall Arm where we will search out a buoy to anchor for the night. At this point we had been on the water for about five hours. We are anchored at the base of a waterfall in a little crook for some protection and the plan is to stay here, have our dinner and then for a few of us who don’t mind the rain and wind, fish off the bow for grouper. There is disappointment for many that we won’t be going out as far as hoped, but you cannot predict the weather here and I, for one, feel fortunate that we have a skipper with good, sound judgment. The meal is a feast and we used left over lamb roast as bait for fishing. The teenager, his mom, Joel and I are out there fishing. I stink of lamb and fish and am dropping a line 90 feet down, standing in the pouring rain and looking up at these tall peaks covered in green and waterfalls everywhere and feeling pretty damn good. We didn’t catch grouper, but caught Jack Stewart fish which are spiny. It is getting dark and I am alone out there. Finally come in and clean off and we have dessert and tea and in talking realize that Daz grew up a couple of miles away from Joel and is also a jazz drummer. We plan to try and meet up with him in Spain and maybe sail off of Palma. Everybody gets ready for bed. There are smells and sounds during the night that are unfamiliar. I hear Joel say Shit! every time he turns and hits his head on the ceiling. I cannot sleep and climb up the stairs to the main deck to get some earplugs. The carpet is soaking wet in places and my mind starts to imagine that the boat is leaking. It is leaking from the top and dripping in places. There is the sound of water sloshing against the boat and the buoy bumping the bow. I am longing for sleep or the morning—which ever comes first. I finally get a couple of hours and then a little of the first light comes through a porthole the size of a saucer. I throw on my clothes and jacket, grab the camera, and head for the deck.I am alone in the morning until the UCSD transplant from the UK joins me. It is raining gently but the sun is rising over the mountains and the water has calmed. I wake Joel and just the three of us have the morning on the stern for quite awhile. Later, after everyone rises, has breakfast and we cruise through the channels we return to Deep Cove to jump back on the shuttle. It had rained two inches overnight! We do everything in reverse and the last boat ride in is in glorious sunshine—I stretch out on the seats like a cat in the sun. We land, load our stuff back in the car check in for the night. After a much needed nap, we take a walk through the beech forest at sunset and stay out there until dark. Tomorrow we hike part of the Kepler Track between here and Te Anau and then on to the town for two nights with various hikes.After that we will drive up to Milford Sound and lodge for several nights to cruise the sound by boat and hike some trails. Happy Thanksgiving to all. Eat lots of turkey and stuffing and pie for us.We miss you all. Much Love, Linda
The very first thing we did here was the laundry knowing that dry clothes were essential in the days to come. We then drop on down to the rocky beach where acres of blue and purple lupine rim the lake in full bloom. We find a nice hike through beech forests along the water’s edge to Pearl Harbor where we will be departing by boat for our next adventure into the fiords and rainforest. The word “beautiful” seems so inadequate these days.
We repack everything to take a small overnight bag for the trip. The next morning we catch a boat that takes us across the lake to a landing on the Western Arm of the lake—this takes an hour. We have our first encounter with the much dreaded sandflies—they are attacking from everywhere. We then transfer to a 4 wheel drive shuttle that takes us through the Wilmot Pass on narrow, gravel, curving, steep(scary) roads with waterfalls cascading all about us and breathtaking views. This takes about 45 minutes.(On the shuttle is a young German woman who is wrapped in a big white scarf, hair in a tight pony tail with her glasses migrating down her nose, motion sickness patches behind her ears, wearing spanking new hiking boots and rain gear and a big puffy coat, chomping on an egg salad sandwich. Joel cracks the window a few millimeters to clear the condensation forming on the windows and she immediately asks that it be closed. …she is chilled. WTF! Why is she here???? I feel my jaw clench and my hackles up, and then I have to just calm down and feel sorry for her. I am going to be in tight quarters with this lass.) We then board our final vessel—a 60 ft craft with a deck below for sleeping and the main deck with galley and seating and above that by ladder is the skipper’s perch. After crossing the gangplank (in the rain) we are greeted by Jess, a 23 year old from Portland (!) who has been in NZ traveling and studying since she was 17. She will be the cook and chief bottle washer. Then there is Bill, first mate—a skipper with much experience who has had management positions in the seafood industry throughout NZ, primarily in the Marlborough Sounds. And then there is our skipper and fearless leader, Daz Pettus, who is an American expat who came to NZ in 1976. We are 9 passengers and 3 crew. We decided on this excursion rather than the big 70 passenger vessel because we wanted a more intimate experience. Jess already had challah bread dough rising and was elbow deep in flour making fresh chocolate chip scones for our little snack. Everybody is given the very grim and serious talk about emergency measures should you find yourself thrown overboard or in the midst of a cabin fire or have crashed into another vessel. We are told to go downstairs and claim a bunk and Joel and I are thinking along same lines: Not with that ninny! I grab a woman from San Diego (and her husband and teen age son who will be going to U of O!) and herd her into the bunk room. Now if you are envisioning bunks like you had as a child, think again. These are sailor’s bunks that measure the width of your body and if you are taller than 6 ft you will be sleeping in an embryo position. Head clearance—well there is no head clearance! You realize that you will be sleeping in extremely tight quarters with perfect strangers with habits that are yet unknown to you—but you know will be revealed as the night goes on. Phew! Disaster averted. We get underway and push off from the dock. It is warm inside and the skipper is chatting to us over the PA. Within minutes I find out that Jess has been on the crew for 2 weeks, Bill has joined 4 days ago and the skipper had been manning this boat since October (of 2009!!!!) I feel just a little pinch inside . . .but hey, they all seem so confident and able.
Our plan is to head out through the main channel (the Malaspina Reach) to Doubtful Sound exploring a few arms as we go. The land masses rise 3000 ft straight up out of the water and the rain is increasing so the water falls are exploding all around us. I lose count at 200 hundred and give it up. The wind is heavy and the rain drenching, but we are undaunted. My rain pants have paid for themselves three times over. However, they do not make camera pants and that proves to be a problem. We move from stern to bow, back and forth depending on the level of rain and wind. Joel and I are so excited to be out here. The young woman and her female friend and a young Austrian couple immediately start playing cards. Tea and scones are served and Jess is roasting lamb and chicken and is cleaning huge bunches of cauliflower and broccoli (uh oh) and boiling big pots of potatoes. She’s punching down the dough and cleaning dishes in between and then running up to the skipper’s perch to man the PA and gives us educational information regarding geology, flora, fauna, etc. We are battling the wind and the rain for a couple of hours and then it happens. I am on the bow with a couple of other people and the wind shifts dramatically and takes on such incredible force. I feel something primal in me respond. We are pushing to get back in while the wind is pushing us toward the rail and the boat is pitching and lurching. The rail is so low to the left of me that I don’t dare grab on to that because it was once at waist level, but is now at knee level. I grab onto something on the right—don’t know what, but thank you. I’m pushing these two other people in the door and Jess runs to grab us and pull us in and latch the door. The tone is a little more serious as the skipper tells us that we must turn around and find shelter in one of the arms. The wind is tunneling from the ocean up the channel and we turn into Crooked Arm but as we go deeper into it the wind is also tunneling from the other end and sheets of rain are coming down and Bill and Daz and Jess are all up there poring over maps and trying to make a determination as to where to go. Daz is relying solely on sonar at this point because he cannot see out the skipper’s window. The wind has picked up—40 knots—that’s approximately 65 mph—and the rudder is inadequate for these conditions. There is no deep keel on this vessel to steady us. We all have questions and Jess is talking to us in studied calming tones. We could hear Bill calling out to the other ships and every vessel is forced to return up the channel. Then we lose signal and cannot communicate with others. I remind myself that Daz has raced in Auckland and skippers boats in the Mediterranean and the Pacific and that Bill knows the seas surrounding NZ. However, their tone is urgent and we realize that they feel their responsibility to keep their passengers safe. We head back into the main channel and into Hall Arm where we will search out a buoy to anchor for the night. At this point we had been on the water for about five hours. We are anchored at the base of a waterfall in a little crook for some protection and the plan is to stay here, have our dinner and then for a few of us who don’t mind the rain and wind, fish off the bow for grouper. There is disappointment for many that we won’t be going out as far as hoped, but you cannot predict the weather here and I, for one, feel fortunate that we have a skipper with good, sound judgment. The meal is a feast and we used left over lamb roast as bait for fishing. The teenager, his mom, Joel and I are out there fishing. I stink of lamb and fish and am dropping a line 90 feet down, standing in the pouring rain and looking up at these tall peaks covered in green and waterfalls everywhere and feeling pretty damn good. We didn’t catch grouper, but caught Jack Stewart fish which are spiny. It is getting dark and I am alone out there. Finally come in and clean off and we have dessert and tea and in talking realize that Daz grew up a couple of miles away from Joel and is also a jazz drummer. We plan to try and meet up with him in Spain and maybe sail off of Palma. Everybody gets ready for bed. There are smells and sounds during the night that are unfamiliar. I hear Joel say Shit! every time he turns and hits his head on the ceiling. I cannot sleep and climb up the stairs to the main deck to get some earplugs. The carpet is soaking wet in places and my mind starts to imagine that the boat is leaking. It is leaking from the top and dripping in places. There is the sound of water sloshing against the boat and the buoy bumping the bow. I am longing for sleep or the morning—which ever comes first. I finally get a couple of hours and then a little of the first light comes through a porthole the size of a saucer. I throw on my clothes and jacket, grab the camera, and head for the deck.I am alone in the morning until the UCSD transplant from the UK joins me. It is raining gently but the sun is rising over the mountains and the water has calmed. I wake Joel and just the three of us have the morning on the stern for quite awhile. Later, after everyone rises, has breakfast and we cruise through the channels we return to Deep Cove to jump back on the shuttle. It had rained two inches overnight! We do everything in reverse and the last boat ride in is in glorious sunshine—I stretch out on the seats like a cat in the sun. We land, load our stuff back in the car check in for the night. After a much needed nap, we take a walk through the beech forest at sunset and stay out there until dark. Tomorrow we hike part of the Kepler Track between here and Te Anau and then on to the town for two nights with various hikes.After that we will drive up to Milford Sound and lodge for several nights to cruise the sound by boat and hike some trails. Happy Thanksgiving to all. Eat lots of turkey and stuffing and pie for us.We miss you all. Much Love, Linda
Invercargill to Tuatapere
First off, I was corrected by a Kiwi and the pronunciation of Tuatapere is with the accent on the "tap".
Anybody out there remember the Gregory Peck movie called On the Beach? It takes place in Australia in the 1950s and the short plot is that all the people are waiting to die from nuclear/radiation poisoning after an attack somewhere in the world has caused city by city to die out. There are scenes of vacant towns with paper flying around and wind knocking down cans and businesses locked up the the middle of the day and empty cars and deserted streets--all the people having gathered together and playing "Waltzing Matilda" and dreading the hours to come. Well, in short, that is what the center of Invercargill is like. The average IQ is around 70 and I suspect all the population is strangely related.
The road out heads north and then abruptly makes a 90 degree turn toward Riverton and then continues to weave itself over the cliffs with the final views of the southern oceans. It feels strange to be leaving the Pacific and Southern Oceans and its dramatic and sweeping views after two weeks of having it in clear isght, but that is quickly replaced by the towering spectable of the Southern Alps. We drove up along the Waiau River without having seen it. We arrived in the very sleepy town of Tuatapere (pop. 740), a logging town that is also know to be the "sausage capital" of NZ. It reminds me of some of the small logging and mining towns of Northern Michigan where residents have one bar/pool hall/cafe/post office/hotel operation. Everyone looks at you with interest when you come into the room and once engaged the Kiwis will chew your ear off. They are a very witty bunch--love to tell stories. When the town went bust, they reinvented themselves. They worked hard developing the Hump Ridge Track which is west of the town and above the Tasman Sea. The town has become a kind of staging area for trampers who are waiting for their reservation to open up, stocking up on supplies and preparing themselves in all ways for the challenging multi-day hike. We stayed at the historic Waiau Hoel (that mean old) -- a museum to life in the 30s. However, they had the things that matter: hot showers with good pressure (and if that's in a giant tin can in which you can barely turn, I'll take it) and clean slightly stiff white sheets (none of the poly garbage for me). At sunset, after a dinner of blue cod fish and chips that gave me heartburn all night, we took a walk to find the mighty Waiau River. We walked across the broad bridge in time to see the sun setting behind the mountains. The river gradually glowed red orange in the far bend as everything else began to darken. The day had been warm and so there was a hatch on the river and the trout were rising. We had never seen so many trout in one place jumping out of the water. We'd look over at one spot and there would be a kur-plunk in one directions and then turn and a kur-plunk behind you and then . . it was maddening not having a rod in hand. A couple of guys were waist deep in the middle of the river in a slow current fishing with lures without success. From high above on the bridge we could see the fish jumping all around them and imagined their frustration--all of us who fish know what I am talking about.
A large party of men came in that night with a lot of gear. They had "flown" in and seemed weary. They were like mine sweepers or CIA or . . .you get the picture. We thought maybe they were a large fishing party waiting to be guided down the river. To our surprise they were none of the above. It turns out that there had recently been a 7.0 plus magnitude earthquake centered just north of the mouth of the Waiau River where it empties into the Tasman Sea--just west of Resolution Island. These guys fly in once a month and then helicopter out to the island to continue to monitor the activity. We attempted to do our laundry in the back of the restaurant part of the hotel. All was well until the spin cycle--or NON spin cycle, failed. All the wet clothes had to be transferred by the very helpful hotel hostess to another machine to be spun out. It is rare to find a dryer--clothes are hung out to dry. Well, rain had been flirting with us all day and we had road ahead of us so we had to dump it all in a garbage bag to be dried (hopefully) in Manapouri. The winds are continually gusting and it is a strain to keep the car on the road. The sun is out and the sky is so blue, but you'd swear you were in the middle of a tornado if you closed you eyes. The mountains surround us at every turn and we are filled with anticipation. To be continued . . .xo
Anybody out there remember the Gregory Peck movie called On the Beach? It takes place in Australia in the 1950s and the short plot is that all the people are waiting to die from nuclear/radiation poisoning after an attack somewhere in the world has caused city by city to die out. There are scenes of vacant towns with paper flying around and wind knocking down cans and businesses locked up the the middle of the day and empty cars and deserted streets--all the people having gathered together and playing "Waltzing Matilda" and dreading the hours to come. Well, in short, that is what the center of Invercargill is like. The average IQ is around 70 and I suspect all the population is strangely related.
The road out heads north and then abruptly makes a 90 degree turn toward Riverton and then continues to weave itself over the cliffs with the final views of the southern oceans. It feels strange to be leaving the Pacific and Southern Oceans and its dramatic and sweeping views after two weeks of having it in clear isght, but that is quickly replaced by the towering spectable of the Southern Alps. We drove up along the Waiau River without having seen it. We arrived in the very sleepy town of Tuatapere (pop. 740), a logging town that is also know to be the "sausage capital" of NZ. It reminds me of some of the small logging and mining towns of Northern Michigan where residents have one bar/pool hall/cafe/post office/hotel operation. Everyone looks at you with interest when you come into the room and once engaged the Kiwis will chew your ear off. They are a very witty bunch--love to tell stories. When the town went bust, they reinvented themselves. They worked hard developing the Hump Ridge Track which is west of the town and above the Tasman Sea. The town has become a kind of staging area for trampers who are waiting for their reservation to open up, stocking up on supplies and preparing themselves in all ways for the challenging multi-day hike. We stayed at the historic Waiau Hoel (that mean old) -- a museum to life in the 30s. However, they had the things that matter: hot showers with good pressure (and if that's in a giant tin can in which you can barely turn, I'll take it) and clean slightly stiff white sheets (none of the poly garbage for me). At sunset, after a dinner of blue cod fish and chips that gave me heartburn all night, we took a walk to find the mighty Waiau River. We walked across the broad bridge in time to see the sun setting behind the mountains. The river gradually glowed red orange in the far bend as everything else began to darken. The day had been warm and so there was a hatch on the river and the trout were rising. We had never seen so many trout in one place jumping out of the water. We'd look over at one spot and there would be a kur-plunk in one directions and then turn and a kur-plunk behind you and then . . it was maddening not having a rod in hand. A couple of guys were waist deep in the middle of the river in a slow current fishing with lures without success. From high above on the bridge we could see the fish jumping all around them and imagined their frustration--all of us who fish know what I am talking about.
A large party of men came in that night with a lot of gear. They had "flown" in and seemed weary. They were like mine sweepers or CIA or . . .you get the picture. We thought maybe they were a large fishing party waiting to be guided down the river. To our surprise they were none of the above. It turns out that there had recently been a 7.0 plus magnitude earthquake centered just north of the mouth of the Waiau River where it empties into the Tasman Sea--just west of Resolution Island. These guys fly in once a month and then helicopter out to the island to continue to monitor the activity. We attempted to do our laundry in the back of the restaurant part of the hotel. All was well until the spin cycle--or NON spin cycle, failed. All the wet clothes had to be transferred by the very helpful hotel hostess to another machine to be spun out. It is rare to find a dryer--clothes are hung out to dry. Well, rain had been flirting with us all day and we had road ahead of us so we had to dump it all in a garbage bag to be dried (hopefully) in Manapouri. The winds are continually gusting and it is a strain to keep the car on the road. The sun is out and the sky is so blue, but you'd swear you were in the middle of a tornado if you closed you eyes. The mountains surround us at every turn and we are filled with anticipation. To be continued . . .xo
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Grammar and Spelling
Okay, just want to let you know--I know there are misspellings, I know there are mistakes in grammar and sentence structure--I know this all you grammar Nazis--just chill! xxxooooooo (Joel HAD to let me know that it is Catlins, not Caitlins) (I guess, he doesn't mind running after the car . . .)
Caitlins to Invercargill
Okay now we're catching up. I am writing from a really funky place in the working man's town of Invercargill. I woke this morning to a lovely breakfast that Joel prepared in that handy skillet: smoked salmon and scrambled eggs and a lovely cup of drip coffee. We were talking about my "merit badge" for driving, and how generous and kind and helpful the Kiwi are, and how we'd begun to forget things. So in order to "brush up" we began a recitation of the Boy Scout Oath. Joel had trouble remembering the very first two tenets: Trustworthy, Loyal (and we had a real, real laugh about that--and that felt good)--he did quite well with the next two, Friendly, Helpful--so we recited the whole thing several times and then went onto the next brain teaser. . ..the Cranial and Cervical Nerves--yes, this I know sounds boring--but it really is quite entertaining. Later, we attempted the Bill of Rights but failed miserably. We packed up and said our goodbye's to a lovely stay and stopped again at Florence Hill to view the spectacular Purakanui Bay to the East and the Tautuka (I think) Beach to the West. We drove onto Porpoise Bay and Curio Bay--home of a family of Hector Dolphins and one of the oldest petrified forests from the Jurassic age. The wind is like a gale force and walking near the cliffs is truly dangerous. The sun is shining, the sky is blue, the clouds are big and billowy moving quickly and the clouds nearest to the sea are outlined in indigo blue. We head inland through serene and bucolic scenes, one verdant hill after another with sheep and cattle grazing and grasses of rust waving in the wind. I now understand with real meaning the description of windswept cypress: the southerly winds off the sea bend everything towards the north. The trunks on the wind side are gray and twisted, dry and bereft of foliage--the north side is green with longer arms reaching out into the air, the tops nodding towards the hills. We drove into Invercargill where there are no trees higher than the single story houses. Strange little city. I'm finishing up now so that we can continue on to Tuatepere and points north. Tomorrow we will be on Lake Manapouri and and overnight venture through Doubtful Sound.
I think of you all gathering packages of pecans and ordering turkeys and poring over recipes in anticipation of the holiday and know that we will be missing you all so much at the table. We are thankful now and always for your love and friendship and for the spirit of adventure that dwells within us. Many hugs and kisses, Linny
I think of you all gathering packages of pecans and ordering turkeys and poring over recipes in anticipation of the holiday and know that we will be missing you all so much at the table. We are thankful now and always for your love and friendship and for the spirit of adventure that dwells within us. Many hugs and kisses, Linny
Papatowai and the Caitlins
Hey all, me again--Big day--we headed out to Matai Falls and then onto Purakanui Falls (the most photographed falls in all of NZ) and then Purakanui Falls where Micah and his mates had just camped months before. We spent quite a lot of time here photographing the amazing patterns in the rocks leading to the sea. Beautiful place (huh, Micah?). We then drove miles of gravel road to get to the Caitlins River to do a much anticipated hike along the river and through the woods. We parked at the Wisp and began the hike--first through fir forest on the left and the cascading river on the right. It brought us to a suspension bridge that was made of cable and fencing (like that of chain link) and can accommodate one person at a time. Joel went first so that he could be on the other side of the river to encourage me to cross. Many of you know that I do not like heights and my knees get weak and I feel like I'm going to faint and well, I did not have a choice--I wanted to do this hike. Joel had to keep talking in a calm voice: don't look down, the river is so beautiful, you're almost there, you're doing great, you're safe . . ..whew--made it. The track was quite muddy and through ancient silver beech forests, but then started to disintegrate quickly and was quite steep and slippery. We had to abandon our plans after 3/4 of an hour, but we went on to enjoy the rest of the track which meant crossing that bridge one more time. We lingered in the forest to listen to the clear pure song of the bell bird--songs that always end in a unresolved note. Back on the gravel roads (Joel says that I have definitely earned my gravel roads driving merit badge). By the way, we still had not met our hostess! We headed back and picked up a German hitchhiker who had no idea where he was going. It was cold and the road is fairly lonely. He had on flat Converse like sneakers (what was he thinking?). We ended up driving up and down the coastal road and finally up a hill to deliver him at a hostel in the middle of nowhere. We got back "home" and finally met Carol. (We had already met Molly the dog and a three legged calico cat.) We settled up--she didn't have money in the house so took less than the normal charge--these Kiwis are great! We made a huge stir fry in an electric skillet. This is the kind of place where you unplug things, then plug in what you need, then unplug--no kitchen sink--so we filled small tub with soapy water and rinsed them off in the shower. It was like camping indoors (and as cold!) but with windows that viewed hills and huge trees and Chalk chickens and laundry waving in the wind and flowers and hand made fences and small vege gardens--truly lovely. xo Linny
On to the South
Hello, I'm still catching up--We drove back out of the peninsula and through Dunedin to gas up with a quick stop in Balcutha to gather groceries. We headed for Owaka where we had arranged a stay in a hostel--in the Star room. We got there--place was totally deserted with a phone on the porch with instructions to call. You were then given instructions on how to enter. You know how when you go to a museum that has rooms that are set up to show the way the folks lived back in the day? You know, a bed over here, an oil lamp over here, a lumpy chair--get the picture. Nobody there, very cold, very eerie--we got out of there fast but with nowhere to go. So we drove onto the small (small) hamlet of Paptowai and remembered that John and Lyn had told us of a cottage accomodation. We met Diana who did not have room but said: I'll just hop in your car and we'll take a look at some of my friends' places. She drove us to Carol's little place where she had a tiny (about 250 sq ft) cottage behind her house in the middle of farm grasses. Carol was not at home, but Diana assured us that we should just make ourselves at home--we'd settle up with Carol when she got home. This sweet spot had lovely flowers (obviously tended) and a new garden that had just been planted. A clothes line that traversed a grassy field. An outdoor "hot tub"--this is an old cast iron bathtub with wood and large stones underneath it that has a water supply through a pipe from the roof--you got it, rain catchings. It felt strange to enter and make ourselves at home when we'd not met the owner. But we headed out for a brief hike through a nature preserve and then onto McLean Falls--a beautiful hike through lush forests of tree ferns, silver beech trees and many many other things that I just cannot describe. My knee was aching a bit because of the previous "dune debacle" and was most grateful for those walking sticks that we picked up. We got back in the evening and had a memorable Wattie's beans (note to self: do not buy again), toast, cheese and broccoli. It is a wonder the room did not blow up that night. The Caitlins area is very rugged and windy. With sweeping views of varying stands of palms, windswept cypress, beech trees (towhai), matuka, rimu (red pine), matai (black pine), many streams and rivers and the wide Caitlin lake. There are a number of tidal basins and shores dense with reeds and grasses. The area was largely settled by the Scots who were whalers and sealers. The Maori used to summer here and fish and feed off the bountiful sealife. You have to be the hale and hearty type to survive this area. Well this all sounds so good doesn't it? I did forget one thing: On the drive, just before Papatowai, Joel stepped out to take a photo along the road--long story short, we got in a bit of a spat??? and I sped off without him. He did eventually catch up to me . .. .hey, just because we're in paradise doesn't mean we are little angels. xo Linny
Endless coastal road
Hi, I think it's been some six days since writing--I've lost all track of time which is good. Unless I look at my rough itinerary, I have no idea what day it is. We left Dunedin and that dirty, rotten thing called a hostel and headed out the narrow and winding road that hugs the harbor all the way out the Otago Peninsula. We had cancelled the remaining stay in Dunedin and arranged to stay in a farmstay in Portobello. The road is at the level of the water and you realize immediately that one false turn, one too many beers, one swerve to avoid a rabbit and you are in the drink! We went to the Albatross Centre at the very end of the point, but sadly, they were nesting and not in view. But we had a terrific time anyway: photographing and sighting a number of shag nests with new ones and the great white Royal Spoonbill and ofcourse the magnificent ocean of many blues. We then went on and took a tour via small bus on bumpy gravel washboard roads to view the yellow-eyed penguins. We hid in various blinds and hiked around the bush to see them sitting on top of newborns. We watched a lone one make the trek out to the sea, but I pushed the wrong button and lost the photo--oh well, it's all up here (pointing to head). We made our way to the lovely McFarmer's place and to the generous and kind home of John and Lyn. We were set up in a very rustic cabin that overlooked the harbor. We shared with two other couples: one from Spain (our first encounter was after they'd had a spat in their car) and the second, an Israeli couple who were extremely inconsiderate. Argh--the kind that don't clean up after themselves. We took the time to chat it up with the proprietors and it was well worth it. John's family had lived on the peninsula for many generations and he was born there. There were sheep and chickens and rail tracks that he set himself. He loves trains and so had constructed this elaborate system to run a small train all over the acreage. A true Renaissance man. There were handmade fences and pergolas--all of materials collected on the property. He'd built and outdoor kiln to fire pots. His wife, Lyn, was raised on a sheep station in the far West and therefore accustomed to the hard life. She was trained as a nurse but was home with two small children and when not collecting eggs, herding sheep, etc. would make balms of calendula. She sent me off with a little jar and two freshly laid eggs.
The next day we hiked and hiked. First to Allan's Beach, a pristine stretch of sea that hugs the bush. We then went on up the top of the cliffs that overlook the beaches--once again jumping fences and walking through farmland. The hike down was great--the hike up was dreadful and this is why. That day the northern winds had come in bringing the sun (yay) and the fierce dry winds and so we had the first opportunity to put on shorts. The hike back from the cliffs were up dunes that were covered in gorce (sic). Gorce has evolved over time from the common broom. It is similar in appearance with a golden flower, but it is also covered in prickles. The path did not appear to be frequented and so was covered in nettles and gorce. Walking through that with sand footholds was sheer misery. I think I may have bitched a little on that climb back. We cleaned up and took in a wonderful dinner in the only restaurant in this sleepy hamlet. We'd brought plenty of warm clothes because we intended to do the "night vigil" to view the incoming fairy penguins--little blue penguins--the smallest in the world, measuring the size of your shoe. If you are patient and have good sight in the dark and you sit very close to the ground, they will swim in in groups (called rafts) and walk up the beach and through the bush to get to their nests. Well we did what we planned and were well rewarded. We drove the scary dark road along the water after midnight. When we got tucked in ready for a good night's sleep, our Israeli roomies popped in around 1AM. They made a ruckus and went to bed and talked and talked and talked. We were none too happy so Joel got out of bed a rapped on the wall and it ended immediately. Let us say that the following morning was a bit uncomfortable. We packed up, reluctant to leave our new friends who gave up tips on further travels, which proved to be very important . . . . .
Going to save this now because I'm afraid this computer might lose everything. xo L
The next day we hiked and hiked. First to Allan's Beach, a pristine stretch of sea that hugs the bush. We then went on up the top of the cliffs that overlook the beaches--once again jumping fences and walking through farmland. The hike down was great--the hike up was dreadful and this is why. That day the northern winds had come in bringing the sun (yay) and the fierce dry winds and so we had the first opportunity to put on shorts. The hike back from the cliffs were up dunes that were covered in gorce (sic). Gorce has evolved over time from the common broom. It is similar in appearance with a golden flower, but it is also covered in prickles. The path did not appear to be frequented and so was covered in nettles and gorce. Walking through that with sand footholds was sheer misery. I think I may have bitched a little on that climb back. We cleaned up and took in a wonderful dinner in the only restaurant in this sleepy hamlet. We'd brought plenty of warm clothes because we intended to do the "night vigil" to view the incoming fairy penguins--little blue penguins--the smallest in the world, measuring the size of your shoe. If you are patient and have good sight in the dark and you sit very close to the ground, they will swim in in groups (called rafts) and walk up the beach and through the bush to get to their nests. Well we did what we planned and were well rewarded. We drove the scary dark road along the water after midnight. When we got tucked in ready for a good night's sleep, our Israeli roomies popped in around 1AM. They made a ruckus and went to bed and talked and talked and talked. We were none too happy so Joel got out of bed a rapped on the wall and it ended immediately. Let us say that the following morning was a bit uncomfortable. We packed up, reluctant to leave our new friends who gave up tips on further travels, which proved to be very important . . . . .
Going to save this now because I'm afraid this computer might lose everything. xo L
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Now we're talkin'
Hi all,
Okay, now we're talkin'--we're in a real internet place in the city of Dunedin and using our own laptop--sipping on "sassy red" NZ beer (mediocre, again!). I can chatter on all I want! Just reviewed what I wrote last and embarrassed with all the misspellings, etc., but I was typing as fast as I could before they cut me off. So . ..in more detail: Shag Point. We drove narrow roads along the coast and through a small village to get to this place where shags obviously hang out, along with penguins, dolphins, seals and the occasional stupid American who stands in gale force winds. It became quite obvious that we were the only fools to venture out when our red coach was alone on the gravel road. The wind was so fierce that the seagulls could barely land--they just hung in the air. We decided then and there that we were not going to go one more day without purchasing "knitted"caps ( I made the error of calling them knit caps). We did, in fact, buy them in Dunedin from a funky handcrafts store rather than the slick Kathmandu store. A little old white haired lady that I could barely understand let us try every cap in the shop. We ended up with ones that we would not have bought under any other circumstances, but oh well--we feel good about supporting the little knitting club.
Dunedin is a bustling city of under 125k population--a university town. The weather and setting is similar to SF--low 60s with sun and wind, steep (and I mean flippin' steep) hills. We're staying in a very old 3 story Victorian/Tudor (former hospital) hostel that just plain stinks--and I mean that literally. Inadequate toilet facilities for so many and larger groups than we have encountered in our smaller farmstays. We arrived on the same day that I think every meat lover in the world arrived. They were in a frying meat frenzy in this one kitchen and it really made us sick (and we are meat eaters). Stunk up the whole 3 floors. Anyway, we decided to cut our stay short (nothing personal YHA) and have made arrangements to stay at a farmstay on the Otago Peninsula for the next two nights (not counting tonight--one more night in the freak house).
Dunedin seems like a more European city with its aged architecture. There are a number of Gothic style churches and more limestone buildings (like in Oamaru). A fantastic rail station. However, we're ready to be out of the city again. (At this very moment I am ready to tonk Joel on the head with my beer bottle because he is reading over my shoulder and commenting on everything--editing every little detail! You all can tell him to stop that right now.) We met an artist whose work (oil painting) we loved and so did something we have never done before: commissioned a piece that he will be working on while we travel and then will photograph the piece for final review before posting it to the US. How weird is that! We went on to yet another botanical garden. Beautiful--but once you've seen Pareee (ie Christchurch Botanic Gardens) nothing compares. However, they had the most amazing aviary with heaps of birds--particularly parrots, toucans, finches, keas (NZ parrots) and cockatoos. One of the cockatoos actually said: Hello, would you like a cup of tea. (I kid you not!) We had an Indian meal and then on to the Otago Museum. I will not bore you with those details--but truly enlightening place. We then went to the bookstore to find a book for Joel (he was looking to read one of NZ's most famous novelists--Janet Frame). Two books later and $65 (shit, I have to look at the prices before I take them to the register--that was a night's stay in a hostel with a beer thrown in!) Then a flat white to wake up and shop and make our way here. New word of the day: trundler (I want you to guess--------------a grocery cart.) We are going to attempt to upload photos to the flickr site right now. We leave tomorrow morning for the peninsula and hopefully away from cities for a while. We send much love, Linny and Joel
Ramblings
Okay, stupid clock ticking on this computer ((I am at a hostel in Dunedin)_. I feel like it is the Supermarket Sweep game where I have two minutes to dump as many groceries into my cart. Okay, this is going to be true stream of consciousness until this thing dies: I know when I am speeding in the pimp car because a bell starts dinging when I hit 120kms.. . .. .the new word is jandals (these are flip flops) . . ..chocolate covered cookies are called digestives, and just by that very fact, I can rationalize eating a dozen and my tummy actually feels better after eating them. We woke to the sun rising over the ocean. Beautiful sunny day. Made a killer breakfast and walked out to the beach for a stroll. The Kiwis love the country and they do not litter. Not one piece of tissue along miles of beach. We hated to leave this incredible place, too. Moa bones had been found during the excavation and the Maori used to hang here next to the stream leading out to the ocean. A very special place and you can really feel it. We then drove through miles of country roads that hugged the coastline. The colors in the ocean are ones that I have never seen outside of a crayon or pastel box. . ..shades of blues, greens, purples----really beyond what you can imagine. I hope the photos capture what we saw. We stopped at Moeraki Boulders--those big (4 ft in diameter) perfectly round globes of rock on the beach. Maybe 40 of them--and then in their own time they decide to crack open and show you their amazing innards. Two minutes in counting and I am not done, damn it! Then on to Shag Point where their were gale force winds--the kind that knock you to the ground, and colllllllllldddddddd! We ended up by knitted caps in Dunedin. one minute . ..oh no, I will have to continue tomorrow because there is so much more. From Dunedin with love, Linny (two days from now we will be at McFarmer's hostel in Portobello).
Monday, November 16, 2009
Akaroa to Oamaru
Hello all--
I am seated looking Southeast, the sun down but still barely lighting the clouds. There is a bank of windows forming a 180 degree view of the ocean and the darkened outline of the Otago Peninsula in the distance. We are staying at an incredible hostel that is on the slope of a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The water here is an incredible light turquoise blue with an indigo horizon--really indescribable. We were sad to leave our new friends in Akaroa. We lingered in the sun a bit before we made our way down the narrow, winding roads again. The drive here was unremarkable except for the incredible Remarkables--snow-covered and off to my right. Long drive but we got here, hit the grocery again for tonight's dinner (sauteed mushrooms, steamed broccoli, bread and cheese, and a bottle of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc), checked in, got back in the car and drove back to Oamaru to view the fascinating architecture (lots of limestone buildings with Corinthian columns, ornate buildings that look like they belong in Europe) and the old warehouse district along the waterfront, and then on to the lookout point at dusk to see the yellow-eyed penguins come in from the ocean, cross the beach and enter the brush to their nests. Well, it was a windy 35 degrees or so. Standing around for an hour freezing--I think I got the one great picture of all the folks who were camera ready. I happened to eye a penguin going into the ocean rather than coming out and snapped him. Thank goodness for those down jackets (again), but we were wishing we had gloves and hats as well. Snow flurries were coming down and we saw a total of 5 penguins, so we called it a day knowing that we would have further opportunities. We made a BIG chocolate run, and then came back to a warm dwelling and rustled up dinner. Music is very strange down here--much of it old stuff. We don't turn on the radio, but at the hostels the Germans in particular like to have a little ska music background. . ..oh well, to each his own. It is distracting though. Tomorrow we head further South--first to the Moeraki Boulders, and then on to Dunedin and the Otago Peninsula for several days. After that, we will be in the Caitlins and the Southland before turning North through Tuatapere and on to Manapouri, Te Anau, Doubtful Sound, Milford Sound, fishing in Garston for a few days, Queenstown, and points further North. Will keep you posted, of course. New words: rumbles (which are rail road track crossings), kumara (yams) and new billboards: rest, revive, alive (along the highways); free reviver stops (little free coffee stands). We plan on stopping at first opportunity to buy knit caps knowing that the weather has been unseasonably cold. Love to all. L
Saturday, November 14, 2009
the last two days spent in Akaroa
Hello!
We wake to the sound of peacocks screeching and roosters crowing. That's just fine by me, I'm generally up early (the first usually). I make a stiff cup of coffee and throw on my leggings and jacket and watch the sun come over the harbor and the hills. It's a few cold steps to the outdoor loo and the outdoor faucet is icy cold. I love it! Yesterday, we packed our day sack and headed out for an all day hike all along the hills above the harbor--through farm land and stands of cypress and eucalyptus and wide open views of the harbor and the ocean. We are among hundreds of sheep--sometimes right in our path. They immediately get up, look at us in such a quizzical way but then move on. Maybe they think all humans are out to shear them. It is just past the lambing season and so there are all these sweet little lambs with their long tails--not yet bobbed. Oh, I just want to pick one up and squeeze it. There is dung everywhere and pretty soon you just give up dodging it. The wind whips us around at certain turns and then quiets next to the stands of trees. We had been told about one particular trail that we decided to follow. After about 1 1/2 hrs. we come to where the track stops and we scramble through high grass, then down rocks and finally down into a broad gully that has water streaming down towards the ocean and the largest stand in NZ of a particular kind of palm tree. We are literally climbing over large rocks in parts and it is much darker and jungle like. We finally see the opening on a bluff over the water where I manage to get stung yet again by stinging nettle. Oh God, that hurts. I've never been stung in the US, but here I've had three run-ins. Yowzers. We take our lunch here sitting on a boulder. We need to turn around in order to avoid getting stuck out here. Long, but beautiful hike.
Our new friend who has the breeding farm had sent us off with fresh eggs and I whipped up a yummy omelet. The sunset was beautiful coming down over the hills and the harbor waters turned from turquoise to indigo blue. Some new hostelers came in from Antarctica. They had spent a year on the ice. Another person (a zoologist) from the Czech Republic came in also. So many interesting people to meet. One of the helpers here is from Florence OR--small world.
This morning we had planned to go across the island to Le Bons Bay to sit on the beach and relax. We were also going to go to a reserve in the summit hills. Day starts with showering outside. The shower is built of rough sawn lumber with irregular spacing. The "sink" has a depth of one hand turned sideways. There is a window with peeling blue paint that looks out to the harbor in the distance. There are pipes and cords every which way--evidence of the evolution of this place and design through necessity. But!!! the shower is good and hot. Light comes through the corrugated acrylic panels above. Vines seeking water are climbing through the space at the top of the shower. I really want to build something like this. I'm not sure that is possible anywhere but here. There are no spiders, no snakes, no rodents to crawl through the cracks. Oh, well. . .we start driving up through narrow, winding roads into a dense fog. It is pretty scary--no guardrails, no shoulder--enough room for one car, not two. I'm not sure what I would do if I met another car on the road. It is a slow long drive to the bay. The beach is beautiful but windy and cold. I put on leggings, wool socks, boots, a skirt over that, two layers on top and a down jacket. Now, I can enjoy the walk along the beach. We head back over and stop at the reserve. It is so fogged in that we decided to just nap. We rolled the seats back, cracked the windows just a bit (but not enough to let the water in) and snooze for a hour or so. Eat some snacks and muster up the courage to drive back down. It is sunny down at the harbor--why did we leave. I burn through my internet time by helping some Dutch grandmother write an email on my account (her grandson responded to my address and there is no way that I could interpret it, nor track down his "oma"). We grab some items at the very expensive local grocery and come back up the hill to make supper. Lentil soup and garlic bread taken on a weather worn picnic bench in the late rays of the day. Wood stove is cranking good and hot. Lots of laughing and chattering in different languages (mostly German), people playing cards . ..we leave in the morning and head down the coast to Oamaru. We plan on seeing the yellow eyed penguins at dusk before staying the night in a hostel between Oamaru and Dunedin. Then onto the Moeraki Boulders and Dunedin and the Otago Peninsula. Joel is growing his beard and looking like a wild man. We are having so much run and feeling so lucky. Love to all, Linda
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