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Auckland

29-30Aug01 The flight from Fiji was spectacular.  The plane took off just as the sun rose over the mountains in Fiji.  On descent the clear sunny weather provided great visibility for the islands and northern part of New Zealand.  I took the shuttle to Auckland Central Backpacker and checked in.  The ACB is in a funky building with murals on all the walls and travel ads everywhere.  Lots of backpackers but like big cities everywhere the pace doesn't encourage communication.  

I ate an enchilada-like substance for lunch immediately upon arrival and it temporarily quieted the withdrawal symptoms  that I've had for Mexican food.  Food here is cheap and good.

I've museumed myself to death.  I visited both the Maritime Museum and the Natural History museum.   Auckland is quite a city.  My hotel is right downtown in the heart of the business district.  The streets are active late into the night.  I booked a dolphin encounter but it was cancelled due to high wind and rain.  The weather here is suspiciously like Oregon in the winter. 

I've been trying to figure out the best way to tour New Zealand.  I could take one of the packaged things like Kiwi Experience and be conveniently delivered from one backpacker inn to the next with commentary and advice from experienced guides or I could try to tour by myself by thumb, motorcycle, or car.  Given the weather, my thumb might get wet.  Motorcycles cost twice as much to rent as cars so...I'm going to rent a car.  It is remarkably cheap to rent a car here (approximately $9/day.  I pay for petrol).  So I purchased a copy of Lonely Planet for NZ and a road map and ordered a car for Friday morning.

The North Island

31Aug01-03Sep01 I picked up my car and after a hair-raising adventure on Auckland freeways finally arrived at the Marco Polo Backpacker in Orewa.  Lovely place hosted by Terry and Mattie.  They live in a motorhome and are looking after the place while the owners are on vacation.  Terry gave me some great pointers on good drives around New Zealand.  The weather was okay on the day I arrived so I went to the Waiwera Thermal Resort for a long soak.  After that I took a "bushwalk" in the Wenderholm Regional Park.  I met Carolyn on the walk and found out she had taught English in both Korea and Japan.  I had a great time chatting with her.  After the chat, I saw a spectacular view from the cliffs.

The next day was very rainy, windy and cold.  Terry fired up the woodstove and I spent the day toasting my feet and reading the latest Tom Clancy adventure novel.  Had a pleasant visit with a group of traveling Germans and resolved to move on the next day if the weather was acceptable.

On Sunday the weather was iffy but, I packed up and headed out.  I took Terry's suggestion and followed the gravel (metal) road up the coast.  There were a few landslides but the road was passable.  I stopped on a beach and couldn't believe my eyes.  There were surfers braving the elements.  I chatted with Pip and Paul who were on the beach while their son was in the water.  Paul was dressed like a surfer but, sensibly enough, was huddled on the beach trying to avoid hypothermia.  I received an invitation to visit as I pass thru Auckland going south.  I'm definitely going to give them a call as I enjoyed talking to them.

I continued north and stopped at The Ebb And Flow backpacker.  It's right on the beach with an awesome view.  There was also a fire and a very appealing couch.  Frank and Mary are very friendly hosts and had facilities for updating my website.  I shared some pipis (shellfish) with several young people from Japan and Korea.  I'll hang around for a day or two hoping for clearing weather.  The bed was the most comfortable of the whole trip to date.  Ahh!  It's very easy to rationalize staying put when the wind is blowing rain horizontally along the ground and the temperature is in the fifties.

4-8SEP01 I spent a few days holed up in the Ebb and Flow hostel. It's on the beach and the wind and rain were very heavy for a day. The wind gusted up to around 50mph and the rain was blowing almost horizontally to the ground. I had my feet propped up in front of the fire with the newest Tom Clancy novel snug as a bug in a rug.

On Thursday I drove to Waipu Caves. This cave is a mile or two long but I only went in 200 meters most of it wading in a cold stream. It was enough to see glow worms when I turned off the flashlight. They look like a constellation of little light green stars. I explored the cave by myself so the dark and silence were a bit eerie.

On Friday I drove to Tutukaka and boarded a dive boat the Poor Knights Island. There was a sea cave so large that the entire 30 foot boat could go inside. We all yelled, "Rico" and listened to the echo. The water was much colder than the Pacific Islands so I wore a full wetsuit with hood and booties. There were beds of kelp and lots of fish, moray eels, and sea urchins. The sea creatures coated the rock walls and earned the name "Rainbow Wall". We explored "Boom Boom Cave". This is a small cave oriented so the waves crash into the mouth. Inside the cave under water the waves make a booming sound and the pressure of the wave actually compresses your body. Cool! 

When I returned to the Ebb and Flow, I went out with a group of young Japanese and Frank the manager and we speared some flounder and some eels. We made sashimi with soy sauce and wasobi. Pretty good. Smoked eels reminded me of barbecue. 

I have been very comfortable at the Ebb and Flow but I must move along. I will miss Frank and Mary, the hosts, and the friendly group of young Japanese. I'm heading north to the upper part of the North Island of New Zealand. The weather is sunny and the day is mild.

 9-12SEP01 On Saturday, I traveled to Kerikeri and stayed at a hostel in an orange grove.  On Sunday morning I visited the oldest European wood structure, a CMS mission. I walked up to the nearby Pa, a Maoiri hill fortress and then I headed for Paihia.  On the way, I picked up three hictchhikers, Courtney, Sean, and Meridith.  Sean had just finished college and Courney and Meridith are  returning to Portland State University for the fall semester.  Small world.  With their help, i was able to resurrect the joke with the punchline, "Californians are a dime a dozen, but this bottle is worth a nickel."  We had an entertaining day visiting a hot springs with carnivorous sand flies.  They were great company and made the day more fun.

That night I drove to The Northwind Backpacker on Cape Reinga.  I arrived in time to see the first episode of Starwars.  The next morning I took off for the end of the world.  I drove to the tip of the peninsula.  There I could see both the Pacific and the Tasman Sea.  They met in a very impressive maelstrom.  According to Maori legend, this is the place where dying people  move from this world to the next.  An eerie place.  There was a sign with arrows pointing to various cities around the world.  I averaged Vancouver and Los Angeles and looked in the direction of Oregon.  Only 11,450 kilometers of open ocean separate Cape Reinga from Oregon.  I felt a little loneley.

 After driving down the cape and along the coast, I stayed in The Tree House, a very nice backpacker with great architecture.  I had a pleasant chat with Pete and Frances.  They had exciting adventures in South America and a really terrific whale encounter in Tonga.  

On Tuesday, I drove down the Kauri Coast and saw the largest kauri tree.  Very impressive girth but sort of short for a 2000 year old tree.  I returned to the Ebb and Flow to pick up my fleece jacket and to enjoy another evening or two of warm hospitality.  We had a pot luck dinner.  Masumi collected pipis, Mary made fritters and pasta and an apple pie.  I contributed some ice cream and we had a wonderful dinner.  After dinner I won chocolate chip cookies from Mary playing backgammon.  

Today, I plan to wash up, get organized and visit the Kauri Museum.  I'll probably hang around here for a few more days and then I may try to visit some people near Auckland, who invited me to stay with them.  This morning I called home and caught Brentley and Heather.  It was good to hear their voices.  

13-21SEP01  On Wednesday, I visited the Kauri Museum in Matahoke.  Kauris are slow growing conifers that covered most of the North Island.  They grown quite old (2000 years plus) and the wood has many special characteristics including resistance to rotting.  The sap or gum is somewhat like amber and is prized for carving.  At the turn of the century it was used in varnish and linoleum and was quite valuable.  

As I completed my tour in the museum I passed through the gift shop where I noticed a crowd of people around a television.  I watched in complete disbelief as I saw airliners crash into the world trade center in New York City.  I drove back to the Ebb and Flow pondering the evil that men do.  

I stayed at the Ebb and Flow as the only guest one night.  As I prepared to depart on Saturday, the place was suddenly full.  I don't know what to make of this.  I traveled to Auckland. It is easy to find an exit from the motorway into downtown but nearly impossible to find an entrance to the motorway that takes you out.  I toured sections of Auckland that I'm sure few tourists see.  Once free of the big city I headed for peaceful Thames, the gateway to the Coromandel Peninsula.

I stayed at the Sunkist Lodge International, a renovated hotel from the glory days of the gold rush in Thames.  I drove north to Coromandel Town along a scenic beach drive and checked into the Lion's Den, a cozy backpacker run by Lynda.  I took a daytrip up the beach to rent a kayak.  I paddled 2 km to a small island against wind and current and then returned pleasantly tired.  

On Tuesday, I headed to Hot Water Beach where I stayed in a very comfortable B&B called Auntie Dawn's Place + Joe.  At low tide I went to the beach with my shovel and dug a hole in the sand that filled up with steaming hot water.  I adjusted the water temperature with seawater and settled down for a comfortable soak.  This state of bliss lasted until the tide came in.  It then became a battle betweem me and the ocean to keep my warm hole in the sand beyond the reach of the stray high wave.  The ocean won.  That evening Dawn cooked up the spinach that Lynda had given me and added some other goodies and invited me for dinner.  I enjoyed dinner and had a great night's sleep.  The next morning Joe made a great omlette for breakfast.  

Wednesday found me traveling to Wangamata where I stayed at the Garden Tourist Lodge and enjoyed a walk on the beautiful beach.  

On Thursday I arrived in Rotorua and checked into the Central Backpackers where I am now.  Rotorua is in an active geothermal area and so this is the first budget accommodation with steam heat.  I toured the hot pools and took a three mile walk along the lakefront.  Afterwards, I signed up for the tour of the Tamaki Maori Village.

A bus picked me up around 4:30 and the group headed for the village.  After their chief greeted our chief we visited the village, saw a show of songs and dance, and ate a hangi buffet dinner cooked.  The food was cooked using hot rocks and was very good.  

Today I'm going to the Polynesian Spa for an aix massage.  It sounds pretty good.  After soaking in a natural mineral bath, you are massaged under jets of hot water.

22SEP01-2OCT01 The Aix massage felt great. Then I headed for  for Lake Taupo.  About 20 KM south of Rotorua, I stopped at Kerosene Creek.  The creek runs at a temperature of 100f (40c).  There is a pool with a waterfall.  The waterfall makes bubbles like a super Jacuzzi.  I spent an hour or so in bliss.

I checked into the Rainbow Lodge in Taupo.  Ran into Darren who I had met at Tiare Village in Rarotonga.  Also ran into Jung-yeol and Seiwa from Ebb and Flow.  It was like old home week.  

The next morning I set off on a "great adventure".  The 12,000 foot tandem skydive over Lake Taupo.  The bus circulated around town picking up people with big eyes.  Laure, a photographer from Paris was by my side as we went through the process of getting suited up and briefed for the jump.  After an hour watching others land, we boarded the plane.  It took 20 chilly minutes to reach 12,000 feet.  My jumpmaster hooked me up, dangled me out the door and then---wow!, we were falling at 200KPH.  The wind made a tremendous noise.  I was watching the photographer when...whumph...the chute opened and the photographer appeared to drop from sight like a rock.  45 seconds in free fall passed like an instant.  Then we were floating down.  I carefully took out my camera and took a few shots and before I knew it we were landing.  What an experience.  

The next day I left for Napiers.  Destroyed by an earthquake in 1932, the town center was rebuilt in art deco style.  The downtown area is a real treat for the eyes.  The top of the hill affords a great view of the harbor.  

I talked to Roger, a fellow backpacker I met in Fiji, who had invited me to visit.  He suggested several must see places on my way to Paraparamu.  I took the Gentle Annie Road from Napier to Rangiriro National Park.  I stayed for a few nights at the Extreme Backpackers in Turangi.  Mihito, another acquaintance from the E&F, and I went to a nearby thermal pool for a soak.  

The next day, I visited Whakapapa Ski Area.  I rode the lift to the top and enjoyed the amazing view.  The following day I set off for Paraparamu.

I rendezvoused with Roger at his Mom's house.  She made tea, fed me an apricot slice and chatted until Roger finished work.  We went to Campbell and Debbie's house where Roger is lodging while he builds his "batch" behind his woodworking shop.  

A word about Kiwi hospitality:  Roger had agreed to let me pitch my tent at his shop.  Instead, he insisted that I sleep in his room at Campbell & Debbie's place and he would sleep on the couch.  C&D were not only being hospitable to Roger, they took me in and treated me like a king.  People so nice, you wish you had known them for years.

That night, we went to a genuine New Zealand bar and drank several pints of genuine New Zealand Beer.  We took a genuine New Zealand Taxi home.

The next day Roger organized an expedition with his daughter Sara and her cousin Laura.  We went to the mall and visited Roger's shop and other points of local interest.  

Saturday, the four of us went to Otaki Gorge and took a bush walk.  Spectacular views and a hour's walk and we were ready to return to the Coole farm for a Kiwi institution, the barbie.  Mike and JoAnn introduced us to their neighbors and fired up two barbecue pits.  We had lamb chops, sausage, pork patties, and chicken.  We had grilled veggies and wonderful desserts.  What a great evening.  Brooke and Finley, Sara and Laura all visited the new piglets.  The emus and the cattle and sheep were all present and I learned a bit about farming in New Zealand.

The next day we gathered up hundreds of kids and headed for the zoo.  Campbell had his three, Ben, Victoria and Will.  Roger had his two, Sara and Georgia plus Laura.  We met up with Roger's friend Patrick and his two kids and all headed for the Wellington Zoo.  Zoos are always more fun with kids.  After the Zoo we took a tour of Wellington including the windmill, Victoria Peak, and best of all the recycling center.  This is where trash pickers separate the jewels from Wellington's rubbish.  I found three good cassette tapes for my rental car tape player.  Campbell acquired a bathtub for a new building project and Roger found a window of the right size.  You've never seen a city until you've seen the rubbish.

That evening another one of Roger's stray backpackers showed up.  Nick, an Australian who had sailed with Roger joined the crew.  I ordered up a large number of pizzas and we feasted.

The next day I headed for the Te Papa National Museum and my ferry to the South Island.  The museum was extremely well done and free.  I found a downtown backpacker with a parking place and settled in.

I'm waiting for a care package from my family in Oregon.  It was sent by airmail two weeks ago but there is no sign of it yet.  I'll call Roger's Mom a few times a week until it shows up, then I'll figure out how to get it to where I am.  

Tomorrow at 8 am I catch the Lynx to the South Island.

The South Island

3-6OCT01 I left the ferry and checked into a nice backpacker overlooking the bay.  That night I watched a video "Once Were Warriors", a film about a dysfunctional urban Maori family.  A number of New Zealanders had mentioned the film, so I viewed it.  It was one of those films that are very powerful, very real, very depressing.  Having been exposed to similar problems in urban Dallas, Texas, I found my self sympathetic.

Several other travellers were planning to take the Queen Charlotte Track.  This is a famous hiking trail in the Marlborough Sound.  It takes four days and can be kayaked or hiked.  I decided to be lazy and wait for another trek.

Then, as I was driving the road to Havelock, I saw a sign pointing to the track.  After a quick look at the map, I made a spur of the moment decision.  The weather was good and it looked like I could select a portion of the trek and pitch my tent for the night.  It proved to be a fine decision.

Along the trek I met a German couple who were touring New Zealand by bicycle, a Alexandra, French woman who was trekking solo.  Chatting along the way, I managed to turn a 90 minute walk into a three hour social event.  

When I arrived at the Black Rock Cooking shelter, I met Hajime and Megumi.  They were camping next to the shelter and cooking dinner.  They offered me some hot food and I furnished dessert (muesli bars).  After sunset, the stars were almost too bright to be believed.  And as a bonus, the lights of Picton were visible across the sound.  Hajime and Megumi said this campsite was the best yet on their trek.  

The next morning I packed up and headed for Nelson stopping at the Mussel Boys in Havelock for the best chowder I've ever had.  I checked into the Paradiso Hotel and began my plans for visiting Abel Tasman National Park.  Then the rain began.  So today I extended my stay at Paridiso and went looking for a email shop to update my website.

My website is producing some very interesting emails.  I received an email from Jenny in Adelaide, Australia writing that the local paper had mentioned my website.  Today I got an email from Michelle, a TV producer in the US, who is interested in my journey.  I have received emails from several people who have read and apparently enjoyed my website.  It's nice to be able to return the favor.  While I was patiently waiting for my departure date, travel websites kept me entertained and eager to hit the road.  

So, now I'll wait for the weather to clear.

7-19OCT01 The sun finally came out and I took off for one day of kayaking and one day of trekking. After an early morning pickup we arrived at Abel Tasman Kayaking and got outfitted and met our guide, Ryu.  I met Ryu the night before when I had dinner with him and Mitsuko.  MIksuko followed my progress from our meeting on the beach in Taveuni.  She called and we met for tea and a tasty Thai dinner.  Then Ryu taught Misuko the Eskimo roll in the heated public pool in Nelson.  

After getting dressed in wetsuit, booties, anorak, and spray skirt, my partner Yuko and I wheeled our kayak to Sandy Bay.  We kayaked to a bay and had coffee and a snack and then we went on to Watering Cove for lunch.  Ryu woked up some fillings for our pita pockets a Frisbee was thrown and then we kayaked on to Anchorage Bay.  There we said farewell to some of the party and those of us who were trekking the next day took a dinghy to The Cat in The Bay.  The Etosha, captained by Val, is a floating bar and restaurant and overnight accommodation.  We had fresh bread, homemade pumpkin soup and a tasty pasta dish by candlelight.  After a restful night and a hot shower, I set off on a 9 km trek to Onehuti Beach.  Crossed Torrent Bay at low tide and on the way to Bark Bay walked across a suspension bridge.  

I arrived at Tonga Quarry at 3pm with plenty of time to catch the water taxi at 3:30, so I decided to take a "shortcut" around the point.  This decision proved very exciting.  It was much further that it appeared on the map and much more challenging.  I found myself scrambling up and down giant granite boulders, clinging to the cliff and trying to move fast enough to catch the last water taxi of the day.  As I stepped on one boulder I heard a hissing sound and a loud bark.  I looked down and there was a large, somewhat angry seal in a crevice in the rock.  With a burst of adrenaline and renewed energy, I managed to catch the water taxi.  

After a long session in the hot tub at the Paridiso I hit the road.  That night I stayed at the Te Nikau Retreat in Punakaiki.  The next morning, Simone, a Bavarian, joined me for an exploration of a nearby cave and the Pancake Rocks. Thin layers of limestone with spectacular wave surges make the view very memorable.  After a quick stop in Greymouth we went on to Franz Josef, tourist town at the base of the Franz Josef Glacier.  Simone cooked a very nice evening meal.  The next day was rainy, so I decided to wait for better weather before taking a full day glacier trek.  

The next morning I suited up with warm clothes, a raincoat and big, heavy, clunky, cleated boots.  The both the half day and the full day trekkers walked to the face of the glacier and put on our boots.  The glacier trek was a brilliant experience.  It rained, it snowed, the sun shone.  I used my ice ax to chop of tasty pieces of glacier ice.  We crawled through ice caves, slid down crevasses, and generally had a good time.  I was definitely tired when I arrived back at the hostel and I required another hour of hot tub time to recover.

The next morning I departed for Queenstown.  On the edge of Franz Josef, I picked up a German couple who were hitchhiking.  Stefan and Marion were cold and wet and very happy to get a ride.  They cheered when we overtook the Intercity Bus and when we arrived in Queenstown, Marion cooked a vegetable strudel that was out of this world.  

Queenstown is the adrenaline capital of New Zealand so I had to try a few activities.  First I choose white water surfing.  We drove out the Kawarau River to the Roaring Meg Rapids.  According to the guide, Meg was in the personal services business when Queenstown was in its gold mining phase.   After a brief period of instruction, we jumped into the water equipped with a boogie board on a leash and proceeded down 5 km of very intense river.  I will never sneer at a class three rapid again.  From water level, a class three is an awesome thing.  I had several hundred gallons of refreshing water splashed in my face and only had to be rescued twice by Andy, the ever smiling guide.  I declined the opportunity to repeat the trip and watched the crew from several strategic perches.  I was amazed at the velocity the little human bits of flotsam whizzed down the river.  I was astounded that I had done that myself.

Still a little short of adrenaline, I signed up for a bungy jump from the Kawarau Bridge.  A mere 142 feet this was the first commercial bungy site in the world.  I found it more than adequate to speed up my heartbeat.  Amazingly enough, I found the first bounce more thrilling than the initial plunge.  With a little luck, I might be able to get the photos up on my website.  

This afternoon, I plan to head toward Milford Sound for a little more trekking and kayaking.

19-24OCT01  Happy birthday Diana!.  I drove to Barnyard Backpackers near Te Anau.  After the adrenaline wore off, I was completely exhausted.  I crawled into bed and slept like the dead.  The next morning when I opened my room door I was face to face with a large herd of domestic deer.  They were all staring at me so I stared back.  The view was remarkable but only a preview of the rest of the day.

I stopped at The Divide en route to Milford Sound, loaded up my pack and headed for the Howden Hut.  This hut is on three different tracks: the Routeburn, the Caples, and the Greenstone.  Before dark Amanda and Alan, a well-hiked and well-traveled couple from UK arrived.  We spent a while trying to get a fire started in the stove.  In three more days there would be a warden in the hut and, no doubt, a supply of coal.  We had to range along the trail to scrounge up enough wood.  I traded some lemon slice cake for the use of their cooking utensils so I had hot food after all.  They have trekked all the major treks in the area and have trekked Nepal and visited many of the places I hope to see.  On the road for three years and not ready to head home yet.

The next morning I hiked back to divide with a brief detour to the Key Summit.  The views are breathtaking.  The mountains are rugged like the Rockies but the altitude is lower.  This makes hiking the steep grade easier and warmer.  The alpine meadows had wooden walkways built across them like some of the coastal rainforest walks on the Olympic Peninsula in the US.

On the way to Milford Sound, I was blown away by the scenery.  Throughout the trip, I've been unconsciously comparing the terrain with home.  Oh yeah, those hills look like Napa Valley, those hills like the Cascades, that river like the Gunnison.  Well, the road to Milford Sound was unlike anything I've seen before.  Dozens of waterfalls cascading from hanging glacial valleys, beautiful glacial rivers and streams, peaks mirrored in still ponds, snow covered peaks came at me.  Every corner had a new treat.  It induced another bout of travel euphoria.

I checked into the Milford Sound Lodge and booked a kayak tour for the next morning with Rosco's.  I ran into Katrin, a lovely German girl I had met in Turangi, so I had an enjoyable evening's chat.  

The next morning we got into our kayaking gear and Emily (USA) and I started paddling into Milford Sound.  The water was like glass and we saw ducks and fish and other wildlife as pointed out by our guide, Ben.  After a few hours, Ben pointed to a line of whitewater and said we should have our hot drink and snack now because in a half-hour the "day breeze" would arrive.  Sure enough, right on schedule the wind and waves arrived and we began surfing our way back.  We paddled up to the base of Bowen Falls and then surfed with the waves and wind back to the starting point.  Kayaking is a great way to see Milford Sound. 

After kayaking I drove back toward Te Anau.  Again I suffered from travel euphoria.  That is a condition where the traveler is flooded with feelings of non-specific happiness.  I wasn't happy about anything in particular, just everything in general.  I have found this a chronic condition lately.  I had a great lunch, lamb chops, fries and  salad served in a cafe out of the American West for about $6 (US).  They even had a rodeo on the TV.  

I drove on to Invercargill and stopped at the Southern Comfort Backpacker.  All they had was dorm room so I explained that I snored and was afraid of the karmic burden.  My patented pitiful look earned me a dorm by myself in the other building.  A great night's sleep and off to Dunedin (Celtic for Edinburg).  I hiked up and down the hills to the Octagon and got my ears seriously lowered.  Now my hair is a very short flattop in preparation for the heat of Australia.  

Today, I made the long drive from Dunedin to Christchurch.  This highway was the longest and straightest I have encountered in New Zealand.  Unfortunately a cold front came in to obscure Mt. Cook but the drive was still nice.  I checked into Chester's Backpacker's, a friendly place with the E-van.  I gathered up all my clothes and washed them.  I'm currently dressed only in my polypro long underwear while the dryer finishes.  

Happy Birthday Brentley! 

Christchurch

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