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

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

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

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

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

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

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).

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

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

Christchurch to Akaroa

Hi again,
This morning we left Christchurch and headed out the Banks Peninsula for Akaroa. It began to rain, and then it rained harder and got colder as we ascended up steep and winding roads. Joel was ready to hurl because the road was narrow and curvy and without guardrails and it began to snow! Geez louise--I couldn't believe it.
We were so glad to get out of the car. The setting is unspeakably beautiful here. Long bay of turquoise water. We had to pass on our homemade sandwiches yet again--because the seafood chowder, garlic bread and beer were just to good to pass up. We then took a little walk to view the old Anglican and French cemeteries and to walk through a small bush area. We decided to pace our hikes and today was not going to be one. We then headed up to our farm hostel (and I mean up and up and up). The road narrowed and then you had to get out and open the gates and then close the gates. What a jewel of a place. I would come here again and again. The setting is awesome with incredible views. The Onuku Family owns 1000 hectares that are at our disposal (if you can hike that far up and wide). It has been in the family for many generations and is a working sheep farm. The weather changed dramatically and the sun came out--it was like an autumn day. You know, sweater weather. But I am so glad that I brought my down jacket because the nights have been quite chilly and I have definitely used it more than twice. We became acquainted with our surroundings: outdoor showers, outhouse loo, three kitchens (one outside) and our double room. At 5 pm or so we decided to do a little walk. Well, we kept going and the climb was 1000 ft and one hour later we were on top of the ridge with spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean coming into the bay and green rolling hills for miles. We never saw another person, but that is often the way it is down here and I love that solitude. We didn't want to leave but had not packed anything other than our down jackets and camera so we had to come back down and the coming down part is the hard part. I had left the walking sticks in the car (I will not be making that mistake again). My knees were screaming. We've had a cup of soup and watched the sun go down over this amazing place and will hit the hay pretty soon. Plan on taking a very long hike tomorrow. We will be here for three days before leaving for Oamaru. Love to all, L

Christchurch Days 2 & 3

Hello all,

Okay, this blog thing is going to be difficult to keep up . ..I can feel it now. I am already behind. So, yesterday (day 2) we woke up to cold rain showers and rain and thought we might have to bag our plans for a hike. Instead we put on our boots and jumped into that snazzy red car. We began in Riccarton Bush which is a park within the city limits that has the only remaining original bush flora and fauna in the entire city. It was amazing. Then we drove along the harbor and stopped along the beach and continued onto the trailhead for a hike called Taylor's Mistake. Named for one Capt. Taylor who thought he was going into the deep harbor of Lytelton, but instead entered the shallow harbor of can't remember the name--anyway, you can guess what happened to that ship. The trail takes off from a beautiful beach and climbs and climbs up the cliffs and through private land. The view from the top is stunning--however, it climbs and climbs and you really feel those hamstrings burning. On the way back the tide had rolled out and we were able to make it down to the far end of the harbor where we climbed over rocks to get to the beach before the tide rolled back in (that was within a couple of minutes!) We picked up more groceries--which is really like going to the library for me because everything has a different name/label and I find it fascinating learning this new grocery language. (Gumdrops are jubes!) We bought fish and chips and sat on a bench in the sun. It was about 5 by then so we decided to get one more thing in (and, man, am I glad we did): we went to the botanical gardens.

I have never in my life seen trees and huge and beautiful and majestic and magical as the trees in this special place. The day had long turned sunny and it seemed to linger longer among these trees, shrubs, flowers and water settings. Needless to say (the insane gardener that I am), I took way too many pictures that others will find boring, but I know my friends Pam and Boyd will be thrilled to view just one more picture of a European Beech or a Red Chestnut in full bloom. I was in heaven.

New words: judder bars (speed bumps) so much more fun than our term!

Day 3: More sleep, but big plans in the offing. Packed some food and gear and headed out. Destination: Sign of the Packhorse Hut on the top of the Port Hills to the South of Christchurch. We drove up this very long, very curvy, very narrow summit road for miles. Incredible views of the Canterbury Plains. More Scotch brome than I have ever seen in my life. And then down, down to where it intersected Gebbes Road. Parked. If you have ever hiked in NZ (you know this, Micah) trails are not marked well. At least the start of many trails. So, you hunt and hunt for some entry point and hope that you are not trespassing and that a dog won't eat you alive. Well, we finally found a stile (a term for a wooden step nailed to a fence post--this is often the only indication that there is in fact a trail) where we stepped over the barbed wire and onto a gravel road. Went a ways before seeing a stile in the far distance. Okay--now we're on the right track. The trail followed a fence line with pines on the one side and rolling hills of green full of sheep. Once we jumped the stile we were in the forest where we hiked for miles--then through grazing land--then back in forest. Up, up, up--relentless. When we finally cleared the forest we entered the high country of tussock grasses and rock, looking down over endless green fields and hills and the most amazing view of Lytelton Harbor. The path was about six inches in some places and right on the edge of the mountain side. If you wanted to take in the view, you really had to stop so that you didn't fall. I forgot to say that after we got out of the forest and we were able to see that first expansive view--I burst out in tears. It felt like my heart was going to break under such intense beauty. I felt so lucky to be alive in that very moment. Onward we climbed and finally reached the summit. There was an old stone hut for shelter--in fact we had encountered some new friends who had camped the night before. They had hauled in their own coal and burned through it because it was freezing last night. We sat among the sheep and the dung and ate our lunch before the wind picked up. It came quickly, fiercely--and was cold. We decided we had better start the two hour return hike. When you see the pictures of where we started and where we ended and where we returned--you will understand why I was dog tired when we hiked that last mile. Boots were feeling really tight and my feet wanted out of them. We, however, had more miles to cover. We had met some really great folks on that trail who had invited us over to their place after we finished our hike.

There was a young couple from New Brunswick Canada who were doing a work exchange on this farm. There was Bill, a 66 year old principal/teacher from Cambridge in the North Island and then there was David Hughes. He happens to be the Director of Rare Breeds Conservation Society of New Zealand. He breeds rare goats, sheep, rabbits, pigs, chickens, turkeys, ponies, and donkeys. He, along with a woman named Betty Rowe, is responsible for saving the rare Tutukinoa Arapawas goats of NZ. They originally dwelled on Arapawa Island in the Marlborough Sounds of NZ. He now has 25% of the world's population of these goats. We had to drive down to Lytelton and find his place. It turned out to be up the very steep hills overlooking the harbor. What a view! We thought it was going to be a quick look around, but it turned into a couple of hours of hiking up the hills and meeting a whole lot of goats, sheep, etc. (that I mentioned above). It was fascinating learning about all these animals. He then invited us in for tea to meet his wife and hang with the other blokes that we had met. Lively conversations (they especially love to hear about American politics and are extremely well informed about America--much more then most Americans). Bill went on to recite all the American states in alphabetical order--I am not sure I could do that. Hugs all around and promises of further communication. Claude and Lisa invited us up to New Brunswick. Bill and I talked about possibly hiking the Camino in Spain. David is a former mountaineer and avid tramper and yachtsman and we might take him up on offers to lead us on some trails. We may return to their place in a few weeks. It was a very full day. Very tired. Tomorrow we leave for the Banks Peninsula to the working Onuku Farm. We will be there for three days, I think. Then on to the Old Bones Hostel south of Oamaru. I am quite sure that the farm does not have internet access so I wanted to get this in. I hope you are all feeling as good as I am right now and are having heaps of fun. I send you much love, Linny

Continuation of day 1

Hi again,

Okay, I realized it says on the posts that it is Nov 10th, but in fact here it is Nov 11th--so it can be kind of confusing. Money in--I am good to go--chattering for the next hour or so.

After visiting a number of car rental counters, Joel was becoming more and more frustrated. I was totally occupied with purchasing a calling card and having the woman explain over and over the procedure for calling outside of NZ. So, that by the time I saw Joel again he was agitated and I was pretty chill. Finally settled on a car--not many options. We were escorted beyond the airport to the rental lot and the young guy and I were chatting away. I said: so. . .the car . ..is it like a Toyota Camry? He said: Well, not exactly--it is like what we call here a . .. (unfinished sentence) So, I said: You mean, like we call in the US, a pimp car? He laughed and to my dismay said. ..Yes! Oh gawd! He drove out a fire engine red pimp car with a spoiler. I am embarrassed beyond belief to be driving this thing. If I just stay inside (the interior is black), I can forget what I am driving.

It turns out that we arrived on the day of "The Cup"--NZ's equivalent to the Kentucky Derby. Harness racing and all the festivities that accompany such an event. Ladies with outrageous hats and sexy dresses and guys, well . ..drunk. We made our way to a supermarket to buy supplies. No problem--you get used to sultana bran and you get real NZ gala apples for the same price that you pay in the US. We then went in search of a "chilly bin"--that is a cooler for camping. We were instructed to go to the Kmart or mall. Well, as Micah has said before: Every country has its LaPine. For all you folks who are not from Bend, or Oregon, just think banjo playing in the movie Deliverance. (Oops, hope I haven't offended anybody. Any folks out there from LaPine?)

After much ado, we did locate one and bought a couple of cheap camping chairs. We headed to our small efficiency studio apartment located in downtown Christchurch. Many details later--I had to park this red monster on the 10th level of a very narrow parking structure. Just wanted to park that sucker and get on foot. We settled in and took our first walk through the city. Love the strange combinations of architecture and art (very old with very modern). We walked through Victoria Park and along the Avon River lined with some of the most beautiful trees that I have every seen. The sun was out but it was a little breezy and cool. We stopped in at Mum's--a Korean/Japanese place that I had spied. I had some yummy be bim bop and Joel had one of the hottest seafood soups that I have every tasted! Y'all know what I mean by Korean hot. He was sweating something awful. That called for a couple of beers.

When we got back to the room I thought I would slip into jammies and read a chapter or two--a nice gentle segue into glorious sleep--and then this feeling came so suddenly. .. ..like when you've been drinking and nothing has happened and you think oh I am just dandy and then the floor falls out from under you . .. or maybe like someone slipped you a mickey and you realize it in that last final moment of blam! . ..unconsciousness. Ten hours later and you have me sitting in front of my laptop. Today's plan . ..well, I've already made myself a couple of cups of double shot expressos with milk. Chomped a banana and will be ready to roll. Just got to pack some food and oh, yes . ..get out of my jammies. There is a little rain and so we may have to alter our plans. Within the next day or two we are planning on hiking out of Christchurch up the "hills" to the Sign of the Packhorse on the ridge overlooking the Banks Peninsula and Lytelton Harbor. There are incredible parks in this city (64 of 'em) and we will take this opportunity to expunge the jet lag before heading out onto the Banks Peninsula to Akaroa and to a working farm for a few days. We will be (hopefully) kayaking with dolphins, hiking trails, and maybe get the fishing rods out for a little casting. I know this: We will be having fun. After Akaroa, we will head south down the coast to Oamaru to a hostel, then further south to the Moeraki boulders and then to the hostel in Dunedin where I will probably post to the blog if time and money permit. We send you much love. Linny and Joel

The first day of travel to NZ

Hello, all!

Well, it started with a bang. We had a one hour window in SF to catch our flight to NZ. As we sat at the PDX airport and watched the monitor, I started to bite my nails. Our connecting flight was delayed and our window became smaller and smaller. Long story short, we took off 40 minutes later (that left a 20 minute window to catch our international flight). When we arrived at SF we had to sprint to the international annex (sprint may not be accurate because I'm not sure that is truly possible in clogs . .. ). The doors closed right after we jumped on that plane. We did wonder if our baggage would make it.

Concerns vanished quickly as we were greeted with a glass of champagne. A very friendly (and loquacious) Kiwi sat next to us and we learned everything about wine and beer and writing software for machines that load pallets in Mexico and Brazil and everywhere and life in Christchurch and edible fish in NZ and yawn, yawn, yawn . ..I switched seats with Joel. A lovely 5 course meal followed with a glass of NZ Sauvignon Blanc (yum) and pretty soon the sounds of the screaming child behind me became a kind of unpleasant hum rather than screech.

Awful movies and Ipod useless because I brought my external ear pieces rather than internal buds so I stared out the window into the black and star filled sky. Orion was sitting on his side. I did not have to look up to see him--he was right there next to me! So many stars! Then, no stars. I saw a glowing sliver of orange off to the east and mistook it for a light on the wing. It continued to glow and became larger very slowly and then it emerged--the moon in a beautiful warm orange. As it rose, it changed to a soft yellow that lit up a small part of the dark sky. The Southern Cross now showing itself separate from all other celestial lights.

We napped off and on--I took a half a Xanax and Joel took Ambien--but much too late. We finally slept, but then the lights flipped on and they were serving us a smoothie at 4AM. I may have had a Denny's breakfast at 4Am or a Voodoo donut at 4AM, but I am quite sure that I have never had a smoothie at anytime between the hours of 5PM and 8AM. The 3 course breakfast followed and I said no to the next two course that were offered. Hey Air New Zealand, just give me more leg room and quality movies--I don't need no stinkin' 5 course breakfast.

We arrived in Auckland with a small layover. We grabbed a flat white, changed some currency, used a real bathroom and then ran into our buddy, Andrew, again who wanted to talk about the meth problem in large NZ cities. Yawn.

They fed us breakfast again on this flight. We weren't hungry but figured we might not eat as well on our budget, so we went for it. We had planned pretty well for this trip, but did not rent a vehicle. We did not have a problem on our previous trip to NZ, so we figured we would wait until we got to Christchurch. . ..oops going to lose my internet time here . ..so I've got to stop and then pay again. OH, the car thing . .....hah! xoxo

Test photo.

Day before the big adventure

Whew--trying to set up blogs and photo uploads is taking up way too much time. Got to get busy and finish packing. Test.