Taranaki Trip
8:15 am, I left my flat to get in a red rent-a-car with Armelle and Maggie, two Americans from Landcross. We were headed to Taranaki to do a small hike over two days. On the way we discussed Kiwi-American differences. We stopped by a berry stand where I picked up some feijoas, an amazing fruit that’s just in season. I took only six and the woman told me just to take them, no charge. I thanked her and he continued onward. We arrived at an info site where we asked about weather and got the news that there was sever weather forecasted for Monday early afternoon. We pressed onward and drove all the way to the trailhead, where we stopped in the DOC to discuss our hiking plans. A kind woman told us that it was expected until early afternoon which might give us enough time to get down before all of the dry river breads that the trail crosses become roaring white water. She gave us her map and we set off for the trail.
We joked the whole time and crossed some very deep dry riverbeds on the big slopes. A little nerve-racking with the realization that it was going to rain at some point. Eventually it was dark and between the three of us we had three small flashlights. I lost a piece of my glorious head torch while hitching on the south island and have yet to find a new one. We lost the trail, as it entered a riverbed, but found it on the other side eventually. Then we arrived at the hut, $15 per person paid in advance. We had the whole place ourselves and tried to get a fire going. Out of the 45 waterproof matches I was carrying, only 5 or so lit. We found a lighter that was difficult to use, but I accidentally broke it. With no fire, we would have no way to dry out wet clothes should we get stuck and extra day in the hut due to heavy rain. Not a good situation. As it was cold, we decided to go to bed around 8:00 pm. I used my fort skills to insulate us and we slept close to trap body heat after doing out jumping jacks to heat our bags. We all woke up around 11:00pm and talked a bit as the rain and wind had started…very early! This happened again around 3:00am or so, but eventually it was morning and it was very very very very wet. We left the hut around 8:45 or so after a discussed how we would just need to remain calm to navigate rivers and such.
Less than two minutes down the trail we were confronted with a foot and a half of rushing water crossing the trail. I walked through it a bit and decided it was safe so we linked arms and crossed. Easy. Three minutes later we arrived at the dry riverbed where we lost the trail the night before, it was now two and half feet deep and moving swiftly! Armelle and Maggie had the bright idea to use a stick to test depth and we crossed holding hands safely. We had decided to go down a different way than we had come up as the map showed that the new way did not cross any rivers, where was the way we came had crossed several.
We arrived at the fork and took the new trail. It was an easy descent with a couple slips here and there. Eventually we were gazing at a huge river to our right that was down a cliff. We would cross it eventually via swing bridge according to the map. All of the rivers joined to make one large strong current of white water. We descend down to the banks and crossed part of it on a log and then we saw it.
Up ahead the trail disappeared into the river. The next trail marker was 25-30 feet down the left bank of the river. The trail went into the river! The woman had mentioned something about one of the trails having fallen into the river, but this was ridiculous. Roaring water surged against the left bank, which was a shear drop into ravaging water. I took a bathroom break and then decided that I’d try to cross the water. I stepped into the water and it was three feet deep right away and cold, much colder than the other rivers. I clung to the cliff with my hands and tried to take small steps while holding on. The water kept getting deeper as I kept walking. Eventually it was up to my waist and I’m rather tall! The current was strong and pulled at my body trying to dislodge me from the cliff. I started panicking as the water kept grabbing me and forcing me further down the river inch by inch. I turned to look at Armelle and Maggie and gave them the worst expression my face has ever worn: fear/defeat. The cold water made my leg muscles tired and the current grabbed a hold of me. I was taken down the river a couple off feet and I bashed both kneecaps into a rock. It was here where the water tried to take me away from the cliff/bank. I yelled at the top of my lungs something along the lines of, “I’m not giving up, not yet!” And with that thought and the confidence I got from saying it aloud I managed to pull my body out of the water and scrambled on rock and water to the bank by the trailhead. My eyes watered as relief swept through my body, that and shivers.
I looked back to Armelle and Maggie. They looked frightened and were looking for a way around. I shouted that there was no good way on this side. They would have to go through the water as well. I shouted to them that it is scary but possible! They trusted me and Maggie and Armelle both entered the water. Maggie was able to get her body close to the cliff and keep most of her body out of the water. Armelle followed suit but her handhold fell off the cliff. She was taken by the current, around Maggie, towards me where her foot was lodged underwater. I was in the water packless ready to do whatever was necessary to keep both girls from going downstream—and perhaps to their death. Yes, this was serious. Maggie saw what happened with Armelle and let go of the cliff in hopes of coming the same direction, she did. However she pinballed off of Armelle and was pinned against a rock more towards the middle of the river. I yelled to her that she would have to stay there. She yelled back that she was stuck. Good, I though. I went for Armelle’s hand with my right hand and got it. Maggie was not stuck permanently as it was only the water’s pressure keeping here lodged against a rock. With Armelle’s foot free I yelled for Armelle to grab Maggie’s hand. I was fighting the current myself just to stand where I was. I told Maggie she needed to try to come towards us, fully knowing the current would aid her and perhaps take her too far. I had my left hand out, ready for whatever came next. Armelle pulled Maggie the same moment the current finally found a way to push her downstream. Maggie rushed towards us but was going to pass us. I caught her backpack with my left hand and yanked harder than I ever had in my life. Someone, probably with the added adrenaline, I had the strength with my left arm to pull her bag and body across the water towards me and out of harm’s way. I was so excited that we’d survived I started talking to them, forgetting we were still in the water. We climbed out onto the bank and all of us were just stunned, shocked, and happy. Maggie turned to me and thanked me for saving her life. This shocked me more as I was so calm in the situation that I hadn’t really felt the fear that we could have actually been taken by that river to our deaths.
The trail went away from the river and we eventually crossed it via swing bridge. After two more hours since the river situation, we arrived back at the DOC. The woman from the day before was so happy to see us alive and said the storm was awful. She said she had already contemplated calling search and rescue for us. The other woman who worked the café, where I purchased rocky road brownie to celebrate…well…life, said that it was a good thing we got down when we did as the storm was supposed to get worse. We had been the only three on the mountain. The friendly DOC woman offered us her dryer downstairs. We headed out a bit drier towards Wellington.
On the way home we stopped for KFC, more celebration for life. After glimpsing at death, we decided money was not all that important, hence the KFC. In a light-hearted mood we kept driving. An hour later or so, it was dark and rainy. We were going the speed limit when all of a sudden we hit a construction site. I was riding passenger and hadn’t seen any indication of such a site. The road became gravel and we started to hydroplane if you will on the wet loose gravel. Armelle kept the car in control for as long as possible, but eventually we skidded off the road into a ditch. The car was on both sides of the ditch with a little stream flowing underneath us. Armelle was upset and Maggie and I tried to comfort but were fighting back laughter as we cheated death again and no one was hurt. We turned off the engine and eventually some cars stopped. We called for a tow truck, the tow truck called the cops and eventually two cops, cars, and ambulance, and a tow truck were on the scene.
The cops didn’t give us a ticket for speeding as the damage to the car was enough they thought. The rental car was towed to a garage, where it would be dealt with and taken back to the rental place in Wellington. We were all fine, just shaken from too much dangerous stuff in one day! We sat in a 24-hour BP while trying to figure out how we could get home. Our friends back in Welly were trying everything they could think of. One of the BP workers offered to drive us to a train station where we could catch a train. We liked that option. I asked his managed when he was outside what appropriate compensation would be and she suggested not much. She was dealing with a customer when I asked. The customer must have asked what happened as the next thing we new, the manager told us that he was going to Wellington and offered us a ride. We ran outside to tell the other guy we had a ride and then asked the Maori man where his car was. He pointed to a large Semi with two trailers. We climbed four rungs of a ladder to get into the cab. WOW!!! I was so excited and thanked Armelle for crashing the car as I was finally in my first ever semi-ride! She accepted it as a joke…laugh or cry, right? The cab had a tv in the back of it with two beds, a fridge, and other cool gadgets. We talked about Maori rights and Barack Obama. We dropped us of close to the city and called us a cab. We finally got all the way back to Kelburn, our neighborhood. We thanked all of our friends who had helped us and I eventually made it back to my own flat where I ate some food and passed out, exhausted.
Today, school was difficult to keep focus as the calmness I felt the whole time yesterday was replaced with the reality of how lucky I was. It was hard to concentrate on work, but I think tomorrow will be much closer to normal. What a crazy trip, but I’m quite glad it all happened considering we’re all okay! You can’t always pick your experiences, you have to be ready for whatever life throws at you. Well, I feel like New Zealand has really helped me prepare my body and mind for these things. I don’t think I could’ve been so calm during both incidents had they happened pre my study abroad. And now back to the question of how to get my new violin and guitar home!!! But if I can ford raging rivers and survive car crashes, I’m pretty sure I can figure this out too.
Glad to be alive, aye?
Wednesday, May 26
Musical Insturments and Good Times
Week of May 17th
Tuesday was a wonderful day as I woke up to find rainy weather (again). I was going for a run when I noticed a violin-shaped package outside Anna’s door. I squeeled! My violin that I bid $45 NZ (30.27 American) for on Trademe had arrived. It came with a case, a decent bow, but was missing one string. I was thrilled and rushed it inside and then took my run. After class I rushed home to grab it and headed to town to try to find a new string. After being turned down in two different music stores I finally found one that had strings. But they only had ¾ length strings. The salesman said that it would fit though and put it on for $18 NZ…that’s right, each string is worth $12 American! Wow, shocker there, aye? I went up to Landcross to show Hannah. When I tried to tune it, as the new string has fallen out of tune, the new string broke! I couldn’t believe it. The next day after class found me charging back to the store through the rain. I confronted the salesman about the fact that perhaps ¾ length strings shouldn’t be used on 4/4 violins, though he still said it was fine but would call me when the new strings came in. That night I messaged two friends here who play the violin and they were horrified that someone would sell me a ¾ length string. Apparently it could’ve damaged the whole violin.
Wednesday night found me resting the violin out of my mind by baking an apple pie at a friend’s house. This time, (I baked one before with Armelle, and IFSA student) I had my mom’s recipe! Turned out well I think.
After class Thursday I headed to Shane’s house to chill and do work before our IFSA-Butler final event: farewell dinner. We headed down to the restaurant: the White House, a very nice restaurant. We had some choices for dinner and between courses awards were given out to everyone. I was given the award for “Kiwiana King.” Kiwiana refers to all things kiwi. Apparently Butler had noticed my changes in fashion, my mannerisms, and vocabulary. After dinner we dug into the apple pie and a few of us watched Toy Story!
Friday found me out running again before class. After class, I rushed back to our flat as Briar and Tan were going to host another Shut Up and Listen, but at our flat! We incensed Briar’s room and added a couch. Eventually it was full of Kiwis and Shane and I. The songs to share where 1.) the perfect musical hangover cure 2.) songs that ruined your childhood looking back and 3.) music to cook to. It was a very nice start to a night. Afterwards Tan, her friend Pete, Shane, and I walked to her house to build a FORT! We then proceeded to order pizza and chill in the fort. It was a wonderful decision and Shane and I both ended up crashing there.
In the morning I rushed back to my flat for it was Saturday and I had to go to Lower Hutt with Hazel to pick up my steel-strung guitar, which I won on trademe for $101. It’s dark blue and beautiful. Though it did not come with a case, so I need to sort that out before I try to get it home. (Yes Mom, I did buy two new instruments, and yes I am aware that it will be difficult to get them home. Thanks for your concern, I love you). I then did the flat shopping at Pack ‘N Save and headed back. It was the first sunny day that week so Hannah and I took to photography around Wellington in the afternoon. Afterwards I swapped music with Zach and after packing for a small trip the following day, I went to Tan’s for her pants party flat warming. I left early to get some sleep before my trip to Taranaki, another North Island volcano.
Tuesday was a wonderful day as I woke up to find rainy weather (again). I was going for a run when I noticed a violin-shaped package outside Anna’s door. I squeeled! My violin that I bid $45 NZ (30.27 American) for on Trademe had arrived. It came with a case, a decent bow, but was missing one string. I was thrilled and rushed it inside and then took my run. After class I rushed home to grab it and headed to town to try to find a new string. After being turned down in two different music stores I finally found one that had strings. But they only had ¾ length strings. The salesman said that it would fit though and put it on for $18 NZ…that’s right, each string is worth $12 American! Wow, shocker there, aye? I went up to Landcross to show Hannah. When I tried to tune it, as the new string has fallen out of tune, the new string broke! I couldn’t believe it. The next day after class found me charging back to the store through the rain. I confronted the salesman about the fact that perhaps ¾ length strings shouldn’t be used on 4/4 violins, though he still said it was fine but would call me when the new strings came in. That night I messaged two friends here who play the violin and they were horrified that someone would sell me a ¾ length string. Apparently it could’ve damaged the whole violin.
Wednesday night found me resting the violin out of my mind by baking an apple pie at a friend’s house. This time, (I baked one before with Armelle, and IFSA student) I had my mom’s recipe! Turned out well I think.
After class Thursday I headed to Shane’s house to chill and do work before our IFSA-Butler final event: farewell dinner. We headed down to the restaurant: the White House, a very nice restaurant. We had some choices for dinner and between courses awards were given out to everyone. I was given the award for “Kiwiana King.” Kiwiana refers to all things kiwi. Apparently Butler had noticed my changes in fashion, my mannerisms, and vocabulary. After dinner we dug into the apple pie and a few of us watched Toy Story!
Friday found me out running again before class. After class, I rushed back to our flat as Briar and Tan were going to host another Shut Up and Listen, but at our flat! We incensed Briar’s room and added a couch. Eventually it was full of Kiwis and Shane and I. The songs to share where 1.) the perfect musical hangover cure 2.) songs that ruined your childhood looking back and 3.) music to cook to. It was a very nice start to a night. Afterwards Tan, her friend Pete, Shane, and I walked to her house to build a FORT! We then proceeded to order pizza and chill in the fort. It was a wonderful decision and Shane and I both ended up crashing there.
In the morning I rushed back to my flat for it was Saturday and I had to go to Lower Hutt with Hazel to pick up my steel-strung guitar, which I won on trademe for $101. It’s dark blue and beautiful. Though it did not come with a case, so I need to sort that out before I try to get it home. (Yes Mom, I did buy two new instruments, and yes I am aware that it will be difficult to get them home. Thanks for your concern, I love you). I then did the flat shopping at Pack ‘N Save and headed back. It was the first sunny day that week so Hannah and I took to photography around Wellington in the afternoon. Afterwards I swapped music with Zach and after packing for a small trip the following day, I went to Tan’s for her pants party flat warming. I left early to get some sleep before my trip to Taranaki, another North Island volcano.
Monday, May 17
Dolphins, Flying, Volunteering, and more!
Have you ever looked at yourself in the mirror and had a double take when you realized the reflection was you? It's crazy, aye? It keeps happening to me, but with good reason. These past four weeks since my return from the south island have been a blur. I've done some things I did not know I could do or would even want to do, though with every new experience I feel more and more like me.
Week of April 19th
The week after I returned found me a little lost with university life. My work picked up fast and I had a bust my butt working. Once the crim essay was turned in I had to memorize a short song for Maori 101 as well as take another vocab test the following day, Wednesday. Thursday, the whole city lost power, which was odd. When the power came back on, I tried my hand at chili. Thursday night found me celebrating Jo & Alan's birthday (they're born on the same day) at Jo's with delicious cake. That evening on my way back I made the first of many impulsive decisions and headed to Hannah's to get a hair cut (part of the reason I don't always recognize the reflection...). I got it chopped off and it looks more kiwi and I'm very happy with it. Think it looks more like me. The next day, after dealing with Kathmandu for boot/pack repair and finishing an essay, I went shopping for some kiwi clothes. I purchased two shirts, a belt, and some shorts as well as cheap as shades. Needless to say, I looked quite different when I showed up for the IFSA-Butler Adventure Weekend.
IFSA-Butler took us across the ferry (which has a cinema on it! some of us went to Valentine's Day...not great). We spent Friday night in a hostel in Picton but a very nice hostel. Rebbecca, our student leader split us into two groups for the following two days as only half of us would go DOLPHIN SWIMMING at a time. I was schedules to go Saturday and was put in charge of making sure we all were up and there. We got off okay Saturday. After much trouble getting into a wetsuit, I boarded the boat and we headed out looking for a pod of wild dolphins. After a half hour or so, I spotted the dolphins up ahead and let the captain know. We pulled around and eventually, jumped into the water snorkels on.
Swimming with wild dolphins is amazing! People aren't allowed to touch them...as they are wild. And they don't pose for pictures or anything. As soon as I enter the water I start making crazy noises, as I'd been instructed to do so...thank goodness I had practice with the sheep herding. Then if you can look directly in the eye of a dolphin and hold it, the dolphin may just stay swimming with you. It was a bit of work, especially trying to swim as fast as a dolphin! But very rewarding. Again and again, I would make eye contact and swimming in circles or figure eights keeping the eye contact with such intelligent creatures. We made three different drops, but eventually the dolphins lost interest. Afterward we were told that dolphins actually see through you! They can see the heart beating, the lungs contracting and expanding, etc. through their sonar. Cool, aye?
The boat dropped us off and after a van ride, our group arrived at the accommodations for the evening which included kayaks, motor boats, biking, huge-sized chess, and sand volleyball. I spent the afternoon relaxing, took a quick kayak and then played volleyball with most of the group before and after a nice dinner.
In the morning we got everything packed, while the other group headed to do their swim. We met up with them later in Picton and then took the ferry ride back. Weekend well spent.
Week of April 26th
Sunday -- After trying hard to memorize my maori songs for my big group performance, I decided to make snickerdoodles. I found a recipe, whipped them up but failed big time. The worst cookie to ever pass these lips, no joke. What went wrong? Who really can say. Needless to say I e-mailed my mother and acquired her recipe which I did justice later that week.
On Tuesday night, after my maori performance which went well, i think. I had my second marae stay for Maori 101. We met at the marae and ate dinner, were tested on our introduction, and then made some silly skits before going to bed. The next day was long and exhausting after how much we didn't sleep and how much I'd worked the days before on learning the songs. The break in work gave me time to plan a trip so I texted Hannah and asked if she wanted to go on a hike or jump out of a plane.
Saturday morning, we woke up early and took a bus from Wellington to Palmerston North. From there, we walked through the city to the outskirts to HITCH!!! I convinced Hannah we could do it, but boy did I almost have to eat my words. We had long waits with heavy traffic. Apparently hitching is just better on the south island. Our first hitch, Caleb, i believe, took us only a bit down the road. We next got picked up by three friendly men. At Bulls, I called the YHA in Taupo, where we were hoping to get to, and told them our situation and that we might arrive late...or not at all. They said they'd leave us a key. We got lucky though and drove with a Cambodian chef from Bulls all the way to Taupo! It was a strange ride as Hannah and I had trouble understanding him, but we got there nonetheless in time to check in at the YHA and order a pizza, instead of our original plan to cook. We celebrated our hitching with a bit of wine and then fell asleep.
We were schedule to jump at 2:00pm but Hannah woke up and called them and got us an earlier spot, which was great as we were attempting to get all the way back to Wellington that night via hitch. After buying a few groceries which became breakfast and getting some subway for lunch later we went back to the YHA to await our pick up. A white stretch limo took us from the YHA to the airport. Hannah and I were pretty quiet as we signed our lives away. The skydive team was very friendly and after showing us a video fitted us out in gear. We boarded a very small plane and took off. After what seemed like forever, we were high up over Taupo on a beautiful blue day. At 12,000 ft after Hannah, I fell out of a plane. It's not really a jump, it's really a fall. The first couple seconds were intense as I insticivelly clawed for something to hold on to. Then I laughed at my instincts and took in the stunning views. It's hard to explain the feeling of skydiving, but it's wonderful. It's a rush and it's also peaceful. They told us that often people forget the dive as they are too overloaded with adrenaline so Hannah and I remained calm right up to the jump. 45 secs or so after falling out of a small plane, the man strapped to my back yanked on the chord and the parachute opened successfully! YES! Now we could take off the goggles and chat, still at 5,000 ft. From there it was gentle or so ride down. Hannah and I were so proud and decided to buy the ground photos for only 30; whereas the DVD and skydive photos were 150. Thank you very much, but I do possess a memory.
After our jump we were beaming, accomplished, and--oh no! We still need to get back to Welly. We ate lunch on some rocks and went back to the road. After a wait of only fifteen minutes we got picked up by two buds: maori and pakeha. They took us a ways towards Welly, then dropped us off before they went shopping. They picked us up again after their shopping trip and we went right along the dessert road which has stunning views of the volcanoes. We parted ways south of National Park and then got a ride with an electrician who though I was older than him. We chatted a bit and he dropped us off near Bulls, where we got a ride from an electrical engineer who had just been out mountain biking for the weekend. He took us all the way into Wellington area to Johnsonville, where we caught a train for 2.50 to Wellington City. Then we walked back to our flats. Quite a good adventure for less than 36 hours duration!
Week of May 3
The week flew by. I spent a lot of time with my neighbor Dan just hanging out as the work was little and I had the time. Don't remember much else from the week. The weekend found me volunteering on Somes/Matiu Island in Wellington Harbor with Butler. Nine of us were going to spend the night to volunteer more the next day. After only getting a few hours of sleep, I was surprised how well I held up. The island is a preserve and has no mice or other rodents to encourage New Zealand fauna as it was before Europeans. We split up for work and my group's task was keeping a trail in line by digging a better water catch. We finished work in the early afternoon and after the students not staying left, took a walk around and hung in our accommodations: a house that has electricity three times a day. We made a lovely veggie stir-fry with heaps and heaps of rice. Afterward we relaxed with some drinks.
In the morning, we were up early and hauling cement blocks, pieces of wood, and firewood. The guys had the fun challenge of destroying a huge piece of cement with sledge hammers! Reminded me a lot of habitat for humanity demolition. Once finished we took a boat back to the harbor.
Week of May 10th
Not too much to report. Got my ear pierced on Tuesday and roasted my first chicken that evening. Took a while but I produced a pretty decent spread of food. The stuffing needs some help. Thursday came and Nicole, an IFSA student who studies in Christchurch came to visit. I stopped to say hello after Briar and I had gone to see some New Town music acts at a nice venue in Wellington. New Town is where the most artsy live, which for Wellington, means very very very artsy. I ended up watching Shutter Island that night with Dan. We had watched Ponyo earlier in the week.
Friday found me shopping around again and I picked up a pair of black skinny jeans, and some shirts. Yes it's a risk and it was a bit impulsive, but Hannah was there to guide and I'd quite happy with my purchase. Afterward Briar and Hannah decided to bake B's famous chocolate cake in dresses. Shane popped over as did Tan & Ryan and we have a wonderful night relaxing.
Saturday I woke up late and took an hour run through Wellington. It was very nice. I headed over to Landcross, where most of the IFSA butler students live and hung there for the afternoon before returning home to get ready for the University Hall/Everton Hall BALL! My flat, some friends, and I were shuttled to the venue: the Chicago Bar! (kinda eerie being inside there). There was a live swing band, that provided me the opportunity to show kiwis that yes, americans can dance :) Then the music switched to club music. It was a very nice dance and afterward I headed out with some friends to Electric Avenue: Wellington's 80's Bar. It's nice knowing almost ever song!
Sunday found me not doing much of anything. Shane organized a potluck at his house as he owed briar a dinner. I made some french toast which followed Shane + Allison's butter chicken. It was a yummy meal. Tan came as well and I headed back to her house. We talked throughout the night about all the big questions that we both liked to ponder.
Today (can you believe I just said today??) I was a bit tired from last night and had to finish an assignment for Maori. Then I cleaned up the kitchen, as it was my turn to do so. not much else to report here either. Except: I CAUGHT UP AGAIN!!!
Now to try to figure out what to do about my almost full hard drive and picture storage..
peace!
Week of April 19th
The week after I returned found me a little lost with university life. My work picked up fast and I had a bust my butt working. Once the crim essay was turned in I had to memorize a short song for Maori 101 as well as take another vocab test the following day, Wednesday. Thursday, the whole city lost power, which was odd. When the power came back on, I tried my hand at chili. Thursday night found me celebrating Jo & Alan's birthday (they're born on the same day) at Jo's with delicious cake. That evening on my way back I made the first of many impulsive decisions and headed to Hannah's to get a hair cut (part of the reason I don't always recognize the reflection...). I got it chopped off and it looks more kiwi and I'm very happy with it. Think it looks more like me. The next day, after dealing with Kathmandu for boot/pack repair and finishing an essay, I went shopping for some kiwi clothes. I purchased two shirts, a belt, and some shorts as well as cheap as shades. Needless to say, I looked quite different when I showed up for the IFSA-Butler Adventure Weekend.
IFSA-Butler took us across the ferry (which has a cinema on it! some of us went to Valentine's Day...not great). We spent Friday night in a hostel in Picton but a very nice hostel. Rebbecca, our student leader split us into two groups for the following two days as only half of us would go DOLPHIN SWIMMING at a time. I was schedules to go Saturday and was put in charge of making sure we all were up and there. We got off okay Saturday. After much trouble getting into a wetsuit, I boarded the boat and we headed out looking for a pod of wild dolphins. After a half hour or so, I spotted the dolphins up ahead and let the captain know. We pulled around and eventually, jumped into the water snorkels on.
Swimming with wild dolphins is amazing! People aren't allowed to touch them...as they are wild. And they don't pose for pictures or anything. As soon as I enter the water I start making crazy noises, as I'd been instructed to do so...thank goodness I had practice with the sheep herding. Then if you can look directly in the eye of a dolphin and hold it, the dolphin may just stay swimming with you. It was a bit of work, especially trying to swim as fast as a dolphin! But very rewarding. Again and again, I would make eye contact and swimming in circles or figure eights keeping the eye contact with such intelligent creatures. We made three different drops, but eventually the dolphins lost interest. Afterward we were told that dolphins actually see through you! They can see the heart beating, the lungs contracting and expanding, etc. through their sonar. Cool, aye?
The boat dropped us off and after a van ride, our group arrived at the accommodations for the evening which included kayaks, motor boats, biking, huge-sized chess, and sand volleyball. I spent the afternoon relaxing, took a quick kayak and then played volleyball with most of the group before and after a nice dinner.
In the morning we got everything packed, while the other group headed to do their swim. We met up with them later in Picton and then took the ferry ride back. Weekend well spent.
Week of April 26th
Sunday -- After trying hard to memorize my maori songs for my big group performance, I decided to make snickerdoodles. I found a recipe, whipped them up but failed big time. The worst cookie to ever pass these lips, no joke. What went wrong? Who really can say. Needless to say I e-mailed my mother and acquired her recipe which I did justice later that week.
On Tuesday night, after my maori performance which went well, i think. I had my second marae stay for Maori 101. We met at the marae and ate dinner, were tested on our introduction, and then made some silly skits before going to bed. The next day was long and exhausting after how much we didn't sleep and how much I'd worked the days before on learning the songs. The break in work gave me time to plan a trip so I texted Hannah and asked if she wanted to go on a hike or jump out of a plane.
Saturday morning, we woke up early and took a bus from Wellington to Palmerston North. From there, we walked through the city to the outskirts to HITCH!!! I convinced Hannah we could do it, but boy did I almost have to eat my words. We had long waits with heavy traffic. Apparently hitching is just better on the south island. Our first hitch, Caleb, i believe, took us only a bit down the road. We next got picked up by three friendly men. At Bulls, I called the YHA in Taupo, where we were hoping to get to, and told them our situation and that we might arrive late...or not at all. They said they'd leave us a key. We got lucky though and drove with a Cambodian chef from Bulls all the way to Taupo! It was a strange ride as Hannah and I had trouble understanding him, but we got there nonetheless in time to check in at the YHA and order a pizza, instead of our original plan to cook. We celebrated our hitching with a bit of wine and then fell asleep.
We were schedule to jump at 2:00pm but Hannah woke up and called them and got us an earlier spot, which was great as we were attempting to get all the way back to Wellington that night via hitch. After buying a few groceries which became breakfast and getting some subway for lunch later we went back to the YHA to await our pick up. A white stretch limo took us from the YHA to the airport. Hannah and I were pretty quiet as we signed our lives away. The skydive team was very friendly and after showing us a video fitted us out in gear. We boarded a very small plane and took off. After what seemed like forever, we were high up over Taupo on a beautiful blue day. At 12,000 ft after Hannah, I fell out of a plane. It's not really a jump, it's really a fall. The first couple seconds were intense as I insticivelly clawed for something to hold on to. Then I laughed at my instincts and took in the stunning views. It's hard to explain the feeling of skydiving, but it's wonderful. It's a rush and it's also peaceful. They told us that often people forget the dive as they are too overloaded with adrenaline so Hannah and I remained calm right up to the jump. 45 secs or so after falling out of a small plane, the man strapped to my back yanked on the chord and the parachute opened successfully! YES! Now we could take off the goggles and chat, still at 5,000 ft. From there it was gentle or so ride down. Hannah and I were so proud and decided to buy the ground photos for only 30; whereas the DVD and skydive photos were 150. Thank you very much, but I do possess a memory.
After our jump we were beaming, accomplished, and--oh no! We still need to get back to Welly. We ate lunch on some rocks and went back to the road. After a wait of only fifteen minutes we got picked up by two buds: maori and pakeha. They took us a ways towards Welly, then dropped us off before they went shopping. They picked us up again after their shopping trip and we went right along the dessert road which has stunning views of the volcanoes. We parted ways south of National Park and then got a ride with an electrician who though I was older than him. We chatted a bit and he dropped us off near Bulls, where we got a ride from an electrical engineer who had just been out mountain biking for the weekend. He took us all the way into Wellington area to Johnsonville, where we caught a train for 2.50 to Wellington City. Then we walked back to our flats. Quite a good adventure for less than 36 hours duration!
Week of May 3
The week flew by. I spent a lot of time with my neighbor Dan just hanging out as the work was little and I had the time. Don't remember much else from the week. The weekend found me volunteering on Somes/Matiu Island in Wellington Harbor with Butler. Nine of us were going to spend the night to volunteer more the next day. After only getting a few hours of sleep, I was surprised how well I held up. The island is a preserve and has no mice or other rodents to encourage New Zealand fauna as it was before Europeans. We split up for work and my group's task was keeping a trail in line by digging a better water catch. We finished work in the early afternoon and after the students not staying left, took a walk around and hung in our accommodations: a house that has electricity three times a day. We made a lovely veggie stir-fry with heaps and heaps of rice. Afterward we relaxed with some drinks.
In the morning, we were up early and hauling cement blocks, pieces of wood, and firewood. The guys had the fun challenge of destroying a huge piece of cement with sledge hammers! Reminded me a lot of habitat for humanity demolition. Once finished we took a boat back to the harbor.
Week of May 10th
Not too much to report. Got my ear pierced on Tuesday and roasted my first chicken that evening. Took a while but I produced a pretty decent spread of food. The stuffing needs some help. Thursday came and Nicole, an IFSA student who studies in Christchurch came to visit. I stopped to say hello after Briar and I had gone to see some New Town music acts at a nice venue in Wellington. New Town is where the most artsy live, which for Wellington, means very very very artsy. I ended up watching Shutter Island that night with Dan. We had watched Ponyo earlier in the week.
Friday found me shopping around again and I picked up a pair of black skinny jeans, and some shirts. Yes it's a risk and it was a bit impulsive, but Hannah was there to guide and I'd quite happy with my purchase. Afterward Briar and Hannah decided to bake B's famous chocolate cake in dresses. Shane popped over as did Tan & Ryan and we have a wonderful night relaxing.
Saturday I woke up late and took an hour run through Wellington. It was very nice. I headed over to Landcross, where most of the IFSA butler students live and hung there for the afternoon before returning home to get ready for the University Hall/Everton Hall BALL! My flat, some friends, and I were shuttled to the venue: the Chicago Bar! (kinda eerie being inside there). There was a live swing band, that provided me the opportunity to show kiwis that yes, americans can dance :) Then the music switched to club music. It was a very nice dance and afterward I headed out with some friends to Electric Avenue: Wellington's 80's Bar. It's nice knowing almost ever song!
Sunday found me not doing much of anything. Shane organized a potluck at his house as he owed briar a dinner. I made some french toast which followed Shane + Allison's butter chicken. It was a yummy meal. Tan came as well and I headed back to her house. We talked throughout the night about all the big questions that we both liked to ponder.
Today (can you believe I just said today??) I was a bit tired from last night and had to finish an assignment for Maori. Then I cleaned up the kitchen, as it was my turn to do so. not much else to report here either. Except: I CAUGHT UP AGAIN!!!
Now to try to figure out what to do about my almost full hard drive and picture storage..
peace!
Saturday, May 15
The second week of Easter vacation:
Sunday, April 10, 2010; Glacier
Slept soundly and awoke to great views of Hokitika from the balcony. David was kind enough to drive me outside of town. After walking, down that same stretch of road as they day before, I got picked up by Kendra, a loving mother of three teen-aged children. She was heading to work just a lil’ ways down the road and dropped me off there. I wished her luck with her teenagers and resumed walking. Joan picked me up! Joan is cool; this is a fact. She ran a motorbike business and is now retired. She has purple dye in her hair because her daughter works in a salon and Joan cares more about her daughter’s practice than her hair. The purple hair looked good on her as she was wearing a purple shirt and purple shoes and purple earrings. Joan was headed home to celebrate her Mom’s 88th birthday, which sparked a conversation about longevity and death; sounds morbid, but it really wasn’t. She was very easy to talk to. We discussed all sorts of things, such as not wanting to live until one is 88 as well as United States politics. Joan doesn’t understand why humans can’t just get over their differences instead of killing each other because of those differences; neither can I! Her company was wonderful and when she dropped me off in Franz Josef, we shared a good hug. I kind of miss her already...
I walked down from the gas station, where Joan had dropped me, into the Franz Josef glacier trip facility. It was 11:30am and they had a half-day glacial trip at 12:30 for $105 ($5 off for YHA). I walked out to think it over and in the meantime found great blister bandages (4 for $15!!! But perhaps worth it? Yes I think so) as well as antiseptic cream. After my purchase, I felt more prepared and decided to do it! I got a spot and then found some lodging at a backpacker’s as there was no place to camp. The YHA was all booked which was a shame as it would have been only $22 dollars instead of the $27 I shelled out for a different backpacker’s. Pack down, blister bandages on, boots, gaiters, and rain jacket on. I returned as such to the glacier place. There I found my missing water bottle just where I’d left it…on the counter. I went over to the gas station and snagged a sausage roll…greasy and not the best thing I’ve eaten, but not the worst. It was at this time that I read the ticket I’d received and discovered that I should have a pack, food, water, etc. I had everything that I needed, but no pack and it was 12:20 so I decided to chance it.
Fifty or so people were signed up which made it nuts! None of them had their own gear, so it took a while for everyone to get fitted, while I just grabbed crampons. It was a ten-minute bus ride to the glacial car park and a thirty-minute walk to the glacier. From there, we were divided into groups based on fitness level. I choose the fastest group, obviously ☺. Our leader’s name was ______, a nickname (Really need to get better at remembering names fast). He was Maori and as soon as we were on the glacier I spent most of my time chatting with him as everyone else on the trip was not alone. On the walk to the foot of the glacier, I chatted with Ben & Kate(?), two newlyweds from Utah here for part 1 of their honeymoon: Adventure. Part 2 would involve Fiji and relaxation. Ben was a doctor and Kate was a pharmacist. Today marked two weeks of marriage and I made sure they got plenty of pictures. Our guide, took us into a new ice cave and then, noticing the fitness of our group, took us through two more caves! The glacier was a lot of fun as was trying to fit through some of the caves! Worth the $100? Yeah, I think so. Would’ve gone without a guide, but I lack crampons as well as glacier experience. Another couple, from San Diego, and I got talking on the way down. The husband, around my dad’s age, seldom took of from work and he and his wife were on their first vacation in years; though apparently he had to wake up for those early morning (3:00am) conference calls! I applauded his efforts at taking time of and encouraged him to do more of this kind of thing. I helped them with some pictures too. Ben and Kate clearly needed some more pictures and I even convinced the to do the classic newlyweds kissing picture with a beautiful background: the glacier and a waterfall running between them. Wherever they are, I hope that the pictures turn out well at that they’ll always remember how excited they were that day about their new marriage.
Back in town, I bought some mine (less than $4) to use for dinner as well as one banana (Wow…perhaps too much detail? Haha. But that’s what’s in the journal). I browsed some tourist shops before heading back to the hostel. I ran into Becky and Elana (two IFSA-Butler students that I left in Pitcon). After dinner (mince + rice + beans) which was eating while learning about the German school system from a friendly German woman, I met up with Becky, Elana, and their German friend from the bus they were traveling on. I called Tom in Queenstwon to ask about couch surfing his place the next night and he said it would work. We headed to a pub, after I took out money from an ATM with the language set to Maori (my choice). My mission was to find Becky a drink that she might like so I choose a pina colada for her. We didn’t stay too long and spent much of the night chatting. Eventually, I crawled into bed around 1:00…exhausted.
Monday, April 12, 2010; GERMANS!
I awoke around 7:30 and hopped right up for breakfast (oats + banana + tea). I sat with the German woman, from the night before, and her boyfriend/husband(?). They were headed for Lake Wanaka (on the way to Queenstown) but I didn’t want to ask for a ride as I wanted to hitch with whoever picked me up. I left the hostel and walked out of town and got picked up by…the Germans! Simon (the boyfriend/husband(?)) and S_____ (long German name I had trouble with and forgot). We traveled the 3.5-4 hour drive to Lake Wanaka. As they were tourists, we stopped frequently for some breathtaking views! I got a bit worried that I wouldn’t make it to Queenstown. I was able to relax and go with the flow, which made for a better travel experience. One of the places we stopped had sand flies, my first experience with the little buggers. They really are quite nasty as they’re small and love to swarm and bite. We eventually drove into Wanaka, a beautiful town on the shores of Lake Wanaka. I got some fish and chips for six dollars! Yummy…still tastes like fish, but I’m determined to like fish. I walked out of town and eventually got a ride with Brandon, who told me that there were two roads to Queenstown and I’d chosen the less popular route. He drove me ten minutes down the road before dropping me off. Five minutes later and I was riding in the backseat next to Janeck and his parents Grabriel and Ralph; a friendly German family. They moved to Auckland two years prior and had yet to see much of the South Island and were excited to see the changing colors, but unimpressed by the bareness of the southern hills. They were headed past Cromwell to Queenstown, though they ended up stopping to try to sift for gold, but left me saying they’d pick me up again if I they saw me. I kept walking in probably one of the more dangerous places I’d hitched as it was narrow and the left side of the road where I was walking dropped off into a large river. Eventually, I was picked up by the same family! The gold sifting was too expensive. They took me to Allentown, just a few kilometers outside of Queenstown. There I was picked up two minutes later by a Chilean, Brazilian, and Equadorian. Ellos hablan espanol por mas de la “hitch.” No aprendo los nombres de ellos. Ellos trabajan en la vinedo. Eventually, I got to Queenstown and ran into Norah, an IFSA-Butler student who attends a school up in Palmerston North. Next, Hannah, Anna, Alison, and I have a brief catch up before Thomas, the couch surfing host, picked me up.
Thomas works at the river sledging outlet in Queenstown. My couch for the night is a mattress in the back of a van outside the house. Not bad, though it might get chilly. We’ll see shortly. Thomas cooked me a wonderful veggie stir-fry while Kate, his wife/girlfriend(?) was working. She is hoping to start a horse carriage business and I wished her the best of luck after he discusses it from many angles. I showered and had the rare chance to do laundry and did so as there weren’t many changes of clothes in that big ol’ pack. Now to plan tomorrow!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010 Domino!
Woke up after sleeping quite well in the van. After a few minutes of feeling locked out of the house, I pushed instead of pulled the front door. I made some porridge (oatmeal) and folded my laundry and was in a bit of a funk about what to do. It was pouring and I’d wanted to do the 2-3 day Routeburn Trek, one of New Zealand’s great walks. But with the darn heal wound and rainy weather forecasts for the next few days, I wasn’t feeling it. I decided to leave Tom and Kate a note and headed to the DOC to inquire. After looking at all the tramps, I decided that perhaps I should hitch to Te Anau, and from there head to Milford Sound via bus/hitch. But I was in the heart of Queenstown, so I though I should probably bus out of the city to hitch. While waiting for the bus, I texted Domino, a friend from Vassar who is currently JYA in Auckland. The bus came at the same that I received a text back that indicated she was around the corner! We met up at Starbucks and boy did seeing Domino bring me out of that morning funk! She was traveling via campervan with Tomas and Emielle, two study abroad students up at Auckland. There were two more campervans traveling around with them. She invited me to tag along and explained they were headed to Milford that night! Emielle felt like he had work to do so Tomas, Domino, and I headed out the explore Queenstown. We found an underwater viewing station (free!) and saw and eel and some ducks. We then headed to their campervan, Bonecrusher. After driving around and finding a mechanic we finally got their radio working again, which was wonderful as Domino and the others had made fantastic road trip mixes. We drove up to a bird sanctuary where we walked around with audio from cage to cage. It started pouring rain and we hurried inside the Kiwi house for the kiwi feedings. So…I saw a kiwi! Apparently they’re quite aggressive, attacking people during mating season (winter) as well as each other. So why are there so few? Kiwis don’t raise their young (though the male does sit on the egg for 80 days without food!). Also the egg is huge, like a woman giving birth to a 35 lb child! We saw some other birds including the morepork, funny name, and a kea. We also found the Tuatara; a species of lizard that goes back to dinosaurs. They live to be between 100-200 years old and have a third eye in their youth. Very rare and cool! Next we headed to find food! After much indecisiveness we found free fudge samples and eventually food at Frank ‘n Burger, which had HUGE burgers that were delicious. I had one with pineapple and bacon; good combination. We headed back to the fudge place and I bought some tiramisu, chocolate marshmallow, and coconut. We decided to head back and chill inside Bonecrusher. When Emielle was satisfied with his work, we headed to 4 Square to get some groceries and beer. Then we headed out towards Te Anau. Once there we decided not to go much further.
We parked on a campground and made some dinner consisting of rice, beans (my contribution), and sausages! We met up with one of the other campervans and played cards for the rest of the night. Eventually I realized I had to set up my tent outside, but decided against it and slept in the front seat of the campervan. I immediately hit the horn and was a little worried I’d wake up everyone in the middle of the night.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
(Note: Didn’t journal last four days, just took small notes so this section will probably be more concise…maybe a good thing!)
I didn’t tap the horn! Great success! We camped out next to a lake though we didn’t know it until the morning; a nice surprise. After a quick breakfast, we headed out from Te Anau towards Milford Sound. The drive was gorgeous. Cascading waterfalls and misty mountains surround us on our drive. It was a rainy day, which means…bigger waterfalls!
When we got to the sound everyone was indecisive about what to do so Domino and I decided to leave the rest of the group and catch a cruise around the sound. It came with complimentary hot tea which made the rainy windy day a lot warmer. The waterfalls were huge and Domino and I even spotted dolphins swimming in the distance. The winds were such that I thought about taking off my beloved beaver hat. Sadly, the wind made that decision for me and I watched as it was blown into the water and sucked down by the engine. However…Milford Sound is probably one of the best hat burial spots in the world. I did love that hat, but it was a reminder that strong attachments to personal belongings are a bit silly. Domino and I had a good laugh about it. We eventually made it out of the sound onto the Tasman Sea which was ridiculously choppy. It was a lot of fun! On our return we went under a waterfall…er…Domino and I went under a waterfall and were completely soaked. The staff of the cruise enjoyed watching our silliness as did we…until we realized we we’re freezing.
Back on shore, Domino and I went inside Bonecrusher, changed, and made some soup and sandwiches. We ate like kings and are warmth returned. Eventually Tomas and Emille came back from the same cruise at a later time. They had been trying to go kayaking. After a bit we pulled out and made our way back into Te Anau.
In Te Anau, I got a text from David, the gentleman who picked me up south of Hokitika. He, Aaron, and Daniel were around the corner so I decided to go with them after saying goodbye to Domino. David sought out a place to stay for the night in Te Anau as he was going to run up Daniel to the Routeburn track near Milford in the morning. We found a place to stay and then went out for some food. After having more than enough alcohol the last time, I declined.
We chatted a bit and watched some television and then all headed to bed.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Woke up to find David missing. He’d taken Daniel and let Aaron and I sleep in a little. He was headed to Invercargill for an appointment with one of his clients, and that’s where I was headed hence why I choose to go with him.
We drove through more gorgeous countryside. Somehow it never gets boring. At David’s appointment, he let me use his computer where I checked Vassar classes yet again as well as flights from Dunedin home. They were over 300 NZ, not the news I wanted to hear. But I didn’t plan a way out on purpose. It gave me full flexibility. But right then, I felt not so good about it to say the least. I was headed for Dunedin next to see John, a Vassar grad already working on his PhD in New Zealand! When David came back he asked where I wanted to go and I decided that I wanted to hitch to Dunedin from the unpopular but more scenic route through the Catlins. David dropped me off outside of town. We said our goodbyes and wished Aaron and him a safe trip to Queenstown.
It was quite chilly and I decided to put on some warmer clothes. As I was packing up my bag, a car stopped! Tara and her husband (can’t read my own handwriting…damn!) picked me up. Tara is working towards being a teacher while her husband (or serious boyfriend) works for the city council. They live on Tara’s father’s farm and help him out a lot. Today they were headed there to dredge 2,000 sheep! Dredging involves administering an antibiotic down the sheep’s throats in order to prevent worms. They were also going to administer B-12 to boost immune system for the young lambs. They explained that Tara’s brother was thinking of opening up the farm to Woofing but was not sure if he should or not. I invited myself over to help out and told them they could think of it as a test for Woofing! They agreed and drove me to their farm. Boy was I excited!
We got to their farm and they let me fix some lunch from their fridge. Then they suited me up in waterproof pants, wool, and gumboots. It was raining and miserable weather rise, but I couldn’t help but smile. I strode down to the sheep pens where they had brought in so many sheep! All young lambs, though some had some impressive horns already. Brian, Tara’s father, pulled up in a ATV. To dismount, he picked up his fake leg threw it over the side and then hoped off. I was in awe. Clearly not a man to messed with as he strode toward me. He welcomed by help but it made it clear that I should NOT get in the way. Devon, Tara’s brother, gave me warmer reception. I’m pretty sure they thought I’d want out after an hour or so as I’d mentioned I’d never really been on a proper farm nor worked a day in my life on one. But I was determined. They also were very impressed that my brother is sort of a rocket scientist. They thought I was fibbing, but eventually believed me.
We headed out of the barn where we attached the needles to the B-12 and filled up the dredge container with the antibiotic. My job was simple: move the sheep into a long narrow pen by scaring them with a plastic bag. Turns out…that’s not soo simple. My first attempt had them all running the opposite direction as sheep don’t seem to run the way one would logically run if in fear. Devon helped me out by making some very harsh sounds with his vocals. I followed suit. After an hour of working, I was hollering just like my hosts, moving the sheep a bit better, and my bottoms were covered in a mix of mud and sheep excrement. They kept asking me if I was still enjoying myself and I was and told them so.
There were also three dogs we were working with. They were all very friendly with me and I spent my time in between herding, where Tara, Devon, and Tara’s husband would inject the sheep, playing with the dogs. Eventually I was adept enough at moving sheep to fill some of the larger pens with sheep. It was exhilarating: running around hollering like a mad man while shouting commands to dogs and being pounded by rain. Best fun I’d had so far on my travels.
Two hours in, they asked me if I wanted a lift back to the road. I said I was happy working here for the rest of the day and they caught my subtle hint and invited me to stay the night and feed me some tea (which is dinner, not tea and crumpets). I took a small break to run and get my camera and Tara, who had run back to put on some tea (again dinner), took me back via ATV; another new experience that I thoroughly enjoyed.
After a good five hours of running around and herding I was a bit tired, but the most content I think I’ve ever been. Something about doing work that I enjoy that makes me feel so productive. We changed from the cold, took showers, and were greeted by the best lamb I’ve ever tasted; probably due to its freshness. Served alongside roasted vegetables. It was wonderful. After dinner, I relaxed on the couch. Tara and her significant other(?) went to bed and Devon, who had gone into town for a small errand came back. We chilled for a few more hours before I decided to head off to bed. I had my own private room, bed, and heater. I couldn’t believe I’d have to leave in the morning.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Woke up early as Tara and her s.o. had to get to work. They dropped me off on the main road and it was honestly far too early to hitch. I walked for almost an hour until I got picked up. Kim, a hard working farmer, picked me up. We chatted a bit, but she wasn’t headed very far. She drove me to a nice view and then back to the road. I asked to take her picture, but she objected as she was dirty. So be it.
I got out and walked for an hour or so until I was picked up by Colleen, an elderly woman. She was sweet and was only headed a little ways down the road. I was thankful anyway and she let me snap a photo of her before I got out of her car. We were at a small town (three buildings…maybe) and I refilled my water bottle.
The hitching was horrible. Okay, the hitching was good, but the waiting periods between cars kept increasing. In a span of two hours, I only saw five cars…though the fifth one did pick me up. Matthias and Leonard, from the Netherlands, rearranged their entire back seat so that I had some space to sit. They were very nice, but could only take me about thirty more minutes down the road. I got a nice picture of both of them before walking away.
After another long waiting period, Chris picked me up. He was traveling for a year and was soon headed to some Asian countries before heading all the way home to Germany. He said he might be going all the way to Dunedin, which was good enough for me after three rides that got me less than hour down the road. Chris had an amazing guidebook that listed every single good view, waterfall, and animal life between Invercargill and Dunedin. We frequently stopped to explore waterfalls. His plan was to stop at all of them but eventually decided he’d seen enough. There are a lot of waterfalls. We also stopped at a beach. The beach was beautiful, but better yet there were sea lions present. Apparently they can be quite dangerous. But they looked harmless sleeping so I got quite close to snap some photos. The male noticed and showed me his teeth but remained mostly motionless. We walked down the beach further and found more. There’s sometime amazing about seeing wildlife that’s actually wild, as opposed to like a zoo. After we’d have our fill we headed towards Nugget Point, where a lighthouse stands. Great views and sometimes penguins, but we were too early in the day to see any. We kept driving. I called Flight Center just to see again about flights as I’d seen sometime about one being only 120, but they told me the only ones were 330, so no go. Still no way home and a very large paper due Tuesday that needs serious attention.
We arrived to Dunedin; I thanked him and gave him my fb info as he was a very cool guy. We’ve chatted a bit since, but he’s off traveling with no Internet. In Dunedin I met John by the Otago library, the university there. After seeing some of the university I ran into Keri, a girl from Vassar that I didn’t know to well and had no idea that she was even in New Zealand! After talking with her for a bit we parted ways. We chatted as we headed towards Hell, a pizza place. We got a large Mordor: delicious! Then we headed to a recital as one of John’s friends had his piano recital. I felt a bit out of place wearing tramping gear in a recital hall. His friend was very talented and invited all of us to an after party. After the recital John and I went to computer labs in a chem building and I found a flight from Air New Zealand for only 160 for the next day at 11:00; I couldn’t believe my luck! John and I headed for a store and bought a bottle of Scrumpy to share: cheap cider. We went to the after party and made some small talk with a couple kiwis there before we headed down to the main strip to meet up with Domino, who was also in Dunedin. John and I called it an early night and headed up a steep hill to his flat.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
I awoke and called an airport shuttle. John and I chatted a bit and eventually it was time for me to leave. I arrived at the airport to find no security. Like none. At all! I walked in the airport up an elevator and right to the gate, which has four seats for two gates. Smallest airport I’ve ever seen. When it was time to board we walked outside the gate and up stairs into the tiny plane. It was Air New Zealand so I had some biscuits and tea, naturally.
At the tip of the South Island, I got an incredible view of the mountains. The tip of the South Island looks mystical: misty mountains, sparkling water. Looks like a painting, but it’s real. It was here that I said my goodbyes to the South Island as we crossed the strait back to Wellington.
I landed in Wellington to get the text that Hazel, Briar’s sister, would be able to pick me up. Sweet as! I also arrived to not find my bag. Not so sweet as. I asked some people in the bag office and they were trying to repair my bag, which was never even tagged. They tried to give me crap for not having a tag, but I just took the bag, thanked them and walked away. All of the straps were messed up and I was a bit sad, but I decided I’d pop into Kathmandu later to fix it as well as my boots.
Hazel came and took me back to Welly, where I consumed a large amount of food and lazed around trying to wrap my head around all that I’d done in just two weeks! I was very proud of myself.
My flatmates were nowhere to be found as they were working no a 48 hour film for New Zealand’s big 48 film competition. They’re genre was musical and they did an excellent job. You can see it at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbk3_jd6sdw if you’re keen. I myself don’t even know all the rules, but every film had to have a couple things.
I feel asleep early as I was exhausted. Such a good break.
Slept soundly and awoke to great views of Hokitika from the balcony. David was kind enough to drive me outside of town. After walking, down that same stretch of road as they day before, I got picked up by Kendra, a loving mother of three teen-aged children. She was heading to work just a lil’ ways down the road and dropped me off there. I wished her luck with her teenagers and resumed walking. Joan picked me up! Joan is cool; this is a fact. She ran a motorbike business and is now retired. She has purple dye in her hair because her daughter works in a salon and Joan cares more about her daughter’s practice than her hair. The purple hair looked good on her as she was wearing a purple shirt and purple shoes and purple earrings. Joan was headed home to celebrate her Mom’s 88th birthday, which sparked a conversation about longevity and death; sounds morbid, but it really wasn’t. She was very easy to talk to. We discussed all sorts of things, such as not wanting to live until one is 88 as well as United States politics. Joan doesn’t understand why humans can’t just get over their differences instead of killing each other because of those differences; neither can I! Her company was wonderful and when she dropped me off in Franz Josef, we shared a good hug. I kind of miss her already...
I walked down from the gas station, where Joan had dropped me, into the Franz Josef glacier trip facility. It was 11:30am and they had a half-day glacial trip at 12:30 for $105 ($5 off for YHA). I walked out to think it over and in the meantime found great blister bandages (4 for $15!!! But perhaps worth it? Yes I think so) as well as antiseptic cream. After my purchase, I felt more prepared and decided to do it! I got a spot and then found some lodging at a backpacker’s as there was no place to camp. The YHA was all booked which was a shame as it would have been only $22 dollars instead of the $27 I shelled out for a different backpacker’s. Pack down, blister bandages on, boots, gaiters, and rain jacket on. I returned as such to the glacier place. There I found my missing water bottle just where I’d left it…on the counter. I went over to the gas station and snagged a sausage roll…greasy and not the best thing I’ve eaten, but not the worst. It was at this time that I read the ticket I’d received and discovered that I should have a pack, food, water, etc. I had everything that I needed, but no pack and it was 12:20 so I decided to chance it.
Fifty or so people were signed up which made it nuts! None of them had their own gear, so it took a while for everyone to get fitted, while I just grabbed crampons. It was a ten-minute bus ride to the glacial car park and a thirty-minute walk to the glacier. From there, we were divided into groups based on fitness level. I choose the fastest group, obviously ☺. Our leader’s name was ______, a nickname (Really need to get better at remembering names fast). He was Maori and as soon as we were on the glacier I spent most of my time chatting with him as everyone else on the trip was not alone. On the walk to the foot of the glacier, I chatted with Ben & Kate(?), two newlyweds from Utah here for part 1 of their honeymoon: Adventure. Part 2 would involve Fiji and relaxation. Ben was a doctor and Kate was a pharmacist. Today marked two weeks of marriage and I made sure they got plenty of pictures. Our guide, took us into a new ice cave and then, noticing the fitness of our group, took us through two more caves! The glacier was a lot of fun as was trying to fit through some of the caves! Worth the $100? Yeah, I think so. Would’ve gone without a guide, but I lack crampons as well as glacier experience. Another couple, from San Diego, and I got talking on the way down. The husband, around my dad’s age, seldom took of from work and he and his wife were on their first vacation in years; though apparently he had to wake up for those early morning (3:00am) conference calls! I applauded his efforts at taking time of and encouraged him to do more of this kind of thing. I helped them with some pictures too. Ben and Kate clearly needed some more pictures and I even convinced the to do the classic newlyweds kissing picture with a beautiful background: the glacier and a waterfall running between them. Wherever they are, I hope that the pictures turn out well at that they’ll always remember how excited they were that day about their new marriage.
Back in town, I bought some mine (less than $4) to use for dinner as well as one banana (Wow…perhaps too much detail? Haha. But that’s what’s in the journal). I browsed some tourist shops before heading back to the hostel. I ran into Becky and Elana (two IFSA-Butler students that I left in Pitcon). After dinner (mince + rice + beans) which was eating while learning about the German school system from a friendly German woman, I met up with Becky, Elana, and their German friend from the bus they were traveling on. I called Tom in Queenstwon to ask about couch surfing his place the next night and he said it would work. We headed to a pub, after I took out money from an ATM with the language set to Maori (my choice). My mission was to find Becky a drink that she might like so I choose a pina colada for her. We didn’t stay too long and spent much of the night chatting. Eventually, I crawled into bed around 1:00…exhausted.
Monday, April 12, 2010; GERMANS!
I awoke around 7:30 and hopped right up for breakfast (oats + banana + tea). I sat with the German woman, from the night before, and her boyfriend/husband(?). They were headed for Lake Wanaka (on the way to Queenstown) but I didn’t want to ask for a ride as I wanted to hitch with whoever picked me up. I left the hostel and walked out of town and got picked up by…the Germans! Simon (the boyfriend/husband(?)) and S_____ (long German name I had trouble with and forgot). We traveled the 3.5-4 hour drive to Lake Wanaka. As they were tourists, we stopped frequently for some breathtaking views! I got a bit worried that I wouldn’t make it to Queenstown. I was able to relax and go with the flow, which made for a better travel experience. One of the places we stopped had sand flies, my first experience with the little buggers. They really are quite nasty as they’re small and love to swarm and bite. We eventually drove into Wanaka, a beautiful town on the shores of Lake Wanaka. I got some fish and chips for six dollars! Yummy…still tastes like fish, but I’m determined to like fish. I walked out of town and eventually got a ride with Brandon, who told me that there were two roads to Queenstown and I’d chosen the less popular route. He drove me ten minutes down the road before dropping me off. Five minutes later and I was riding in the backseat next to Janeck and his parents Grabriel and Ralph; a friendly German family. They moved to Auckland two years prior and had yet to see much of the South Island and were excited to see the changing colors, but unimpressed by the bareness of the southern hills. They were headed past Cromwell to Queenstown, though they ended up stopping to try to sift for gold, but left me saying they’d pick me up again if I they saw me. I kept walking in probably one of the more dangerous places I’d hitched as it was narrow and the left side of the road where I was walking dropped off into a large river. Eventually, I was picked up by the same family! The gold sifting was too expensive. They took me to Allentown, just a few kilometers outside of Queenstown. There I was picked up two minutes later by a Chilean, Brazilian, and Equadorian. Ellos hablan espanol por mas de la “hitch.” No aprendo los nombres de ellos. Ellos trabajan en la vinedo. Eventually, I got to Queenstown and ran into Norah, an IFSA-Butler student who attends a school up in Palmerston North. Next, Hannah, Anna, Alison, and I have a brief catch up before Thomas, the couch surfing host, picked me up.
Thomas works at the river sledging outlet in Queenstown. My couch for the night is a mattress in the back of a van outside the house. Not bad, though it might get chilly. We’ll see shortly. Thomas cooked me a wonderful veggie stir-fry while Kate, his wife/girlfriend(?) was working. She is hoping to start a horse carriage business and I wished her the best of luck after he discusses it from many angles. I showered and had the rare chance to do laundry and did so as there weren’t many changes of clothes in that big ol’ pack. Now to plan tomorrow!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010 Domino!
Woke up after sleeping quite well in the van. After a few minutes of feeling locked out of the house, I pushed instead of pulled the front door. I made some porridge (oatmeal) and folded my laundry and was in a bit of a funk about what to do. It was pouring and I’d wanted to do the 2-3 day Routeburn Trek, one of New Zealand’s great walks. But with the darn heal wound and rainy weather forecasts for the next few days, I wasn’t feeling it. I decided to leave Tom and Kate a note and headed to the DOC to inquire. After looking at all the tramps, I decided that perhaps I should hitch to Te Anau, and from there head to Milford Sound via bus/hitch. But I was in the heart of Queenstown, so I though I should probably bus out of the city to hitch. While waiting for the bus, I texted Domino, a friend from Vassar who is currently JYA in Auckland. The bus came at the same that I received a text back that indicated she was around the corner! We met up at Starbucks and boy did seeing Domino bring me out of that morning funk! She was traveling via campervan with Tomas and Emielle, two study abroad students up at Auckland. There were two more campervans traveling around with them. She invited me to tag along and explained they were headed to Milford that night! Emielle felt like he had work to do so Tomas, Domino, and I headed out the explore Queenstown. We found an underwater viewing station (free!) and saw and eel and some ducks. We then headed to their campervan, Bonecrusher. After driving around and finding a mechanic we finally got their radio working again, which was wonderful as Domino and the others had made fantastic road trip mixes. We drove up to a bird sanctuary where we walked around with audio from cage to cage. It started pouring rain and we hurried inside the Kiwi house for the kiwi feedings. So…I saw a kiwi! Apparently they’re quite aggressive, attacking people during mating season (winter) as well as each other. So why are there so few? Kiwis don’t raise their young (though the male does sit on the egg for 80 days without food!). Also the egg is huge, like a woman giving birth to a 35 lb child! We saw some other birds including the morepork, funny name, and a kea. We also found the Tuatara; a species of lizard that goes back to dinosaurs. They live to be between 100-200 years old and have a third eye in their youth. Very rare and cool! Next we headed to find food! After much indecisiveness we found free fudge samples and eventually food at Frank ‘n Burger, which had HUGE burgers that were delicious. I had one with pineapple and bacon; good combination. We headed back to the fudge place and I bought some tiramisu, chocolate marshmallow, and coconut. We decided to head back and chill inside Bonecrusher. When Emielle was satisfied with his work, we headed to 4 Square to get some groceries and beer. Then we headed out towards Te Anau. Once there we decided not to go much further.
We parked on a campground and made some dinner consisting of rice, beans (my contribution), and sausages! We met up with one of the other campervans and played cards for the rest of the night. Eventually I realized I had to set up my tent outside, but decided against it and slept in the front seat of the campervan. I immediately hit the horn and was a little worried I’d wake up everyone in the middle of the night.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
(Note: Didn’t journal last four days, just took small notes so this section will probably be more concise…maybe a good thing!)
I didn’t tap the horn! Great success! We camped out next to a lake though we didn’t know it until the morning; a nice surprise. After a quick breakfast, we headed out from Te Anau towards Milford Sound. The drive was gorgeous. Cascading waterfalls and misty mountains surround us on our drive. It was a rainy day, which means…bigger waterfalls!
When we got to the sound everyone was indecisive about what to do so Domino and I decided to leave the rest of the group and catch a cruise around the sound. It came with complimentary hot tea which made the rainy windy day a lot warmer. The waterfalls were huge and Domino and I even spotted dolphins swimming in the distance. The winds were such that I thought about taking off my beloved beaver hat. Sadly, the wind made that decision for me and I watched as it was blown into the water and sucked down by the engine. However…Milford Sound is probably one of the best hat burial spots in the world. I did love that hat, but it was a reminder that strong attachments to personal belongings are a bit silly. Domino and I had a good laugh about it. We eventually made it out of the sound onto the Tasman Sea which was ridiculously choppy. It was a lot of fun! On our return we went under a waterfall…er…Domino and I went under a waterfall and were completely soaked. The staff of the cruise enjoyed watching our silliness as did we…until we realized we we’re freezing.
Back on shore, Domino and I went inside Bonecrusher, changed, and made some soup and sandwiches. We ate like kings and are warmth returned. Eventually Tomas and Emille came back from the same cruise at a later time. They had been trying to go kayaking. After a bit we pulled out and made our way back into Te Anau.
In Te Anau, I got a text from David, the gentleman who picked me up south of Hokitika. He, Aaron, and Daniel were around the corner so I decided to go with them after saying goodbye to Domino. David sought out a place to stay for the night in Te Anau as he was going to run up Daniel to the Routeburn track near Milford in the morning. We found a place to stay and then went out for some food. After having more than enough alcohol the last time, I declined.
We chatted a bit and watched some television and then all headed to bed.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Woke up to find David missing. He’d taken Daniel and let Aaron and I sleep in a little. He was headed to Invercargill for an appointment with one of his clients, and that’s where I was headed hence why I choose to go with him.
We drove through more gorgeous countryside. Somehow it never gets boring. At David’s appointment, he let me use his computer where I checked Vassar classes yet again as well as flights from Dunedin home. They were over 300 NZ, not the news I wanted to hear. But I didn’t plan a way out on purpose. It gave me full flexibility. But right then, I felt not so good about it to say the least. I was headed for Dunedin next to see John, a Vassar grad already working on his PhD in New Zealand! When David came back he asked where I wanted to go and I decided that I wanted to hitch to Dunedin from the unpopular but more scenic route through the Catlins. David dropped me off outside of town. We said our goodbyes and wished Aaron and him a safe trip to Queenstown.
It was quite chilly and I decided to put on some warmer clothes. As I was packing up my bag, a car stopped! Tara and her husband (can’t read my own handwriting…damn!) picked me up. Tara is working towards being a teacher while her husband (or serious boyfriend) works for the city council. They live on Tara’s father’s farm and help him out a lot. Today they were headed there to dredge 2,000 sheep! Dredging involves administering an antibiotic down the sheep’s throats in order to prevent worms. They were also going to administer B-12 to boost immune system for the young lambs. They explained that Tara’s brother was thinking of opening up the farm to Woofing but was not sure if he should or not. I invited myself over to help out and told them they could think of it as a test for Woofing! They agreed and drove me to their farm. Boy was I excited!
We got to their farm and they let me fix some lunch from their fridge. Then they suited me up in waterproof pants, wool, and gumboots. It was raining and miserable weather rise, but I couldn’t help but smile. I strode down to the sheep pens where they had brought in so many sheep! All young lambs, though some had some impressive horns already. Brian, Tara’s father, pulled up in a ATV. To dismount, he picked up his fake leg threw it over the side and then hoped off. I was in awe. Clearly not a man to messed with as he strode toward me. He welcomed by help but it made it clear that I should NOT get in the way. Devon, Tara’s brother, gave me warmer reception. I’m pretty sure they thought I’d want out after an hour or so as I’d mentioned I’d never really been on a proper farm nor worked a day in my life on one. But I was determined. They also were very impressed that my brother is sort of a rocket scientist. They thought I was fibbing, but eventually believed me.
We headed out of the barn where we attached the needles to the B-12 and filled up the dredge container with the antibiotic. My job was simple: move the sheep into a long narrow pen by scaring them with a plastic bag. Turns out…that’s not soo simple. My first attempt had them all running the opposite direction as sheep don’t seem to run the way one would logically run if in fear. Devon helped me out by making some very harsh sounds with his vocals. I followed suit. After an hour of working, I was hollering just like my hosts, moving the sheep a bit better, and my bottoms were covered in a mix of mud and sheep excrement. They kept asking me if I was still enjoying myself and I was and told them so.
There were also three dogs we were working with. They were all very friendly with me and I spent my time in between herding, where Tara, Devon, and Tara’s husband would inject the sheep, playing with the dogs. Eventually I was adept enough at moving sheep to fill some of the larger pens with sheep. It was exhilarating: running around hollering like a mad man while shouting commands to dogs and being pounded by rain. Best fun I’d had so far on my travels.
Two hours in, they asked me if I wanted a lift back to the road. I said I was happy working here for the rest of the day and they caught my subtle hint and invited me to stay the night and feed me some tea (which is dinner, not tea and crumpets). I took a small break to run and get my camera and Tara, who had run back to put on some tea (again dinner), took me back via ATV; another new experience that I thoroughly enjoyed.
After a good five hours of running around and herding I was a bit tired, but the most content I think I’ve ever been. Something about doing work that I enjoy that makes me feel so productive. We changed from the cold, took showers, and were greeted by the best lamb I’ve ever tasted; probably due to its freshness. Served alongside roasted vegetables. It was wonderful. After dinner, I relaxed on the couch. Tara and her significant other(?) went to bed and Devon, who had gone into town for a small errand came back. We chilled for a few more hours before I decided to head off to bed. I had my own private room, bed, and heater. I couldn’t believe I’d have to leave in the morning.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Woke up early as Tara and her s.o. had to get to work. They dropped me off on the main road and it was honestly far too early to hitch. I walked for almost an hour until I got picked up. Kim, a hard working farmer, picked me up. We chatted a bit, but she wasn’t headed very far. She drove me to a nice view and then back to the road. I asked to take her picture, but she objected as she was dirty. So be it.
I got out and walked for an hour or so until I was picked up by Colleen, an elderly woman. She was sweet and was only headed a little ways down the road. I was thankful anyway and she let me snap a photo of her before I got out of her car. We were at a small town (three buildings…maybe) and I refilled my water bottle.
The hitching was horrible. Okay, the hitching was good, but the waiting periods between cars kept increasing. In a span of two hours, I only saw five cars…though the fifth one did pick me up. Matthias and Leonard, from the Netherlands, rearranged their entire back seat so that I had some space to sit. They were very nice, but could only take me about thirty more minutes down the road. I got a nice picture of both of them before walking away.
After another long waiting period, Chris picked me up. He was traveling for a year and was soon headed to some Asian countries before heading all the way home to Germany. He said he might be going all the way to Dunedin, which was good enough for me after three rides that got me less than hour down the road. Chris had an amazing guidebook that listed every single good view, waterfall, and animal life between Invercargill and Dunedin. We frequently stopped to explore waterfalls. His plan was to stop at all of them but eventually decided he’d seen enough. There are a lot of waterfalls. We also stopped at a beach. The beach was beautiful, but better yet there were sea lions present. Apparently they can be quite dangerous. But they looked harmless sleeping so I got quite close to snap some photos. The male noticed and showed me his teeth but remained mostly motionless. We walked down the beach further and found more. There’s sometime amazing about seeing wildlife that’s actually wild, as opposed to like a zoo. After we’d have our fill we headed towards Nugget Point, where a lighthouse stands. Great views and sometimes penguins, but we were too early in the day to see any. We kept driving. I called Flight Center just to see again about flights as I’d seen sometime about one being only 120, but they told me the only ones were 330, so no go. Still no way home and a very large paper due Tuesday that needs serious attention.
We arrived to Dunedin; I thanked him and gave him my fb info as he was a very cool guy. We’ve chatted a bit since, but he’s off traveling with no Internet. In Dunedin I met John by the Otago library, the university there. After seeing some of the university I ran into Keri, a girl from Vassar that I didn’t know to well and had no idea that she was even in New Zealand! After talking with her for a bit we parted ways. We chatted as we headed towards Hell, a pizza place. We got a large Mordor: delicious! Then we headed to a recital as one of John’s friends had his piano recital. I felt a bit out of place wearing tramping gear in a recital hall. His friend was very talented and invited all of us to an after party. After the recital John and I went to computer labs in a chem building and I found a flight from Air New Zealand for only 160 for the next day at 11:00; I couldn’t believe my luck! John and I headed for a store and bought a bottle of Scrumpy to share: cheap cider. We went to the after party and made some small talk with a couple kiwis there before we headed down to the main strip to meet up with Domino, who was also in Dunedin. John and I called it an early night and headed up a steep hill to his flat.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
I awoke and called an airport shuttle. John and I chatted a bit and eventually it was time for me to leave. I arrived at the airport to find no security. Like none. At all! I walked in the airport up an elevator and right to the gate, which has four seats for two gates. Smallest airport I’ve ever seen. When it was time to board we walked outside the gate and up stairs into the tiny plane. It was Air New Zealand so I had some biscuits and tea, naturally.
At the tip of the South Island, I got an incredible view of the mountains. The tip of the South Island looks mystical: misty mountains, sparkling water. Looks like a painting, but it’s real. It was here that I said my goodbyes to the South Island as we crossed the strait back to Wellington.
I landed in Wellington to get the text that Hazel, Briar’s sister, would be able to pick me up. Sweet as! I also arrived to not find my bag. Not so sweet as. I asked some people in the bag office and they were trying to repair my bag, which was never even tagged. They tried to give me crap for not having a tag, but I just took the bag, thanked them and walked away. All of the straps were messed up and I was a bit sad, but I decided I’d pop into Kathmandu later to fix it as well as my boots.
Hazel came and took me back to Welly, where I consumed a large amount of food and lazed around trying to wrap my head around all that I’d done in just two weeks! I was very proud of myself.
My flatmates were nowhere to be found as they were working no a 48 hour film for New Zealand’s big 48 film competition. They’re genre was musical and they did an excellent job. You can see it at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbk3_jd6sdw if you’re keen. I myself don’t even know all the rules, but every film had to have a couple things.
I feel asleep early as I was exhausted. Such a good break.
Wednesday, May 5
Easter Break Part 1
Woah! Where did all the time go? We haven’t had Internet in out flat since the beginning of April and still currently don’t…hopefully it will be remedied shortly! There’s so much to tell, I’m quite excited! I get to relive all my adventures! Thankfully I wrote some of them down, but this will also be a test of memory. I kept saying, “Either spend tonight writing down memories or make new ones!” Clearly you know which choice I picked. The only drawback is that if one keeps doing that for too long one starts forgetting. So we’ll see what happens. Some things will be forgotten, that’s part of life. Here we go…you ready? This is gonna be a long one (/possibly way more than one).
CATCHING UP
Saturday found me going around town to every store that I might need supplies from while they were open, including the grocery stores, which also close. Seriously everything was closed Friday and Sunday. The public library, unlike Uni’s library, was open on Saturday and I spent some time obtaining sources on news media’s portrayal of crime, my topic for my paper. Eventually I returned to try to work out my paperness…not to any real result but some words down! 500ish or so, out of the required 2,000.
Sunday Sunday Sunday, the day before my trip, found me getting some couch-surfing details worked out (will explain later). I started packing for my journey down south and laid out my supplies on my floor to look at what I had. Not much that’s for sure. Towards the evening I made some pancakes while Briar made her amazing vegan chocolate cake! So moist/sweet/chocolate/ahhhhhh. Why the baking? We were headed to Hannah’s flat to have an Easter Potluck as it was Easter (and also my Dad’s birthday…but I had no skype to call ☹). It was an amazing potluck with heaps of food and good people. Not gonna lie, it was sorta the glimpse into the future of planning out holiday celebrations. It was wicked fun and Hannah is a fantastic organizer/cook and of course, made what seemed like enough food even if no one had brought anything. It was a really special night. I left to go pack and eventually I was ready. Ready for what?
Easter Vacation – Journey of a Lifetime
For my trip I kept a journal to better remember all the details/people. It’s not perfect, but it will hopefully help me better explain my South Island Adventure:
Sunday, April 4th, Dad’s Bday
Tomorrow’s the bid day. Didn’t get much on paper, but I feel ready. My pack is so heavy. 20kgs? Maybe more? Maybe less? No scale (nor an understanding of Kgs). I’m so excited and nervous and just plain ready. Up tomorrow at 6:00 for ferry and it’s on…now it’s 12:17 of Monday…sleep time.
Monday, April 5, Couch Surfing
6:00am! So early! Hannah called right after I turned off my alarm to make I was up. After stumbling ‘round I put my heavy-as pack on and walked to the train station. We were an hour early but so be it (we’d discussed the cryptic language of the website the night before and decided to error on the side of caution). The shuttle picked us up and took us to the Interislander, a huge ferry boat. We checked our bags (a la airport style, though I supposed the port came before the airport…). I had on my sea-sickness bands and my positivity on full-blast. The voyage was calm out of the harbor, but boy does the open sea swell! However, I didn’t feel queasy, just uneasy. Success! After two hours, the ferry started making it’s way down a large sound of the South Island to Picton; another hour later we were in Picton. Tiny place. Anna, Hannah, Alison, Elana, Becky, and I headed to Subway (as did everyone from the ferry!). Becky & Elana (two IFSA kids) were headed on a bus tour of the South Island while Anna, Hannah, and Alison were headed to a rent-a-car to start their South Island road trip. They headed out so Becky, Elana, and I headed to a nearby park on the water where we found a kiddie-train ride. Guess who road it? Elana and me, 20 cents each. The driver, er, conductor and perhaps his wife, the stationmaster, welcomed us with open arms. Great ride! Afterwards we took some pics of jellyfish in the water, Picton, and its palm trees. I left Becky and Elana to go wait for my ride at Subway.
Oh right, forgot to mention…I’m not going with anyone. My parents and friends would perhaps be concerned, so I decided to hold back my full plans until I was back in Wellington safe and sound. This is something I need to do. It’s sort of a test for myself I guess. Probably a bad time to mention that I just finished reading into the wild ☺. Yes, I’m nervous but so far it’s great…
Reflection on the trip 1 (composed at time of blog entry, not from journal)
I was thrilled to take this trip. After speaking with a kid taking a year off from Darmouth, at a backpacker’s up in National Park after the Tongariro crossing, who spoke highly of hitching, the plan was set into motion. It started gnawing at my brain every week and the gnawing became a conscious thought which slowly became an idealistic thought, which became a serious thought which became a plan! I would hitch the New Zealand’s south island by myself for a week minimum (though I always had the intention of doing the whole two weeks). I would couch surf if possible and see the world through the people I encountered. I’m grinning while writing weeks after. I’m very proud of myself for sticking to this plan and getting the coolest look at New Zealand.
(Continued) My ride came, Keri and her husband, Jason. A very nice couple who were to drive me from Picton to the Marlbourough Sounds, where I would be couch surfing with Jill and her partner Karena. Keri was very welcoming. Jason and her are Maori as is Karena. We stopped in Blenhiem to pick up their dog, as they’d been up at a wedding on the North Island and left their dog with a friend and their kids with Keri’s mums. The dog licked the entire back car window until it was a sloppy mess. We stopped in a small town to get the supplies Jill and Karena asked for: tea bags. I had previously purchased lettuce and bread for dinner. I ran into Leslie (IFSA) and her mother in the small shop. Crazy, right? The drive was beautiful as we drove around sounds and hills. We finally arrived at Jill and Karena’s, an elderly couple that was exhausted after watching the grandkids for Easter. Three grandkids greeted me with warm smiles. Keri and Jason wrangled up their kids and headed off leaving me with Jill and Karena. They live in a beautiful house on a sound, with a bit of beach and a boat. Jill took me down to the water in their gumboots to walk around for a bit. Afterwards I carried up some cut wood up to the woodshed. They fixed me a wonderful dinner, and even cooked me some chicken, though they are vegetarian. In their lovely home is a piano, which they were nice enough to let me play. I surprised them with my playing and they were quite appreciative. Jill and Karena were both undergrad psychology majors! Jill is still practicing as a therapist at 71! Karena has the neat hobby of polishing driftwood and pounamu. Pounamu or green stone or nephrite jade is sacred to the Maori. It is carved into shapes that all have meaning and cannot be purchased for oneself. Pounamu must be given! In fact, it must be worn around the neck of the buyer (maker) to absorb the wearer’s mana (essence/soul/power). Then the giver (buyer) gives the necklace to the receiver and the mana of the giver reacts with the receiver. It seems to bind people together, and is often given in New Zealand for graduation from parents or other such important occasions. Obviously I want one, but refuse to have someone else buy me one with my card. I just hope that I’m lucky enough to “earn it.” That seems to be the proper way to obtain pounamu. Karena showed me her work with such pride. Her pride was justified! Her work is beautiful. She prefers the lighter green shade, though most people and retailers prefer the darker hues. Jill, tired from the grandkids, went to bed early. I’m pretty sleep as well (and actually a bit under the weather). Jill and Karena are wonderful. Their love for eachother makes me happy…it’s so genuine and honest. They are so kind-hearted to open up their house to me, a total stranger.
To explain: Couch surfing is a system started in San Francisco whereby people share their spare couches/beds with strangers. It has a great reputation, you should check it out! Just google it! The network promotes the sharing of self in order to teach and learn from others. People leave reviews after they host or surf and if you have a negative review, it gets flagged and the couch surfer administrators contact the people involved to investigate.
Karena and I had a great conversation about being Maori and homosexual in Kiwiland. I look forward to talking will Jill tomorrow, who has offered to drive me to Blenheim. So far this trip is everything I wanted. Ah! So happy and content here. It might be sad to leave these two. I’ll have to get their address and a picture of the two.
Oh, and Karena said “when you give something you shouldn’t expect something in return.” It just stuck with me.
Tomorrow, I will attempt to hitchhike and if all goes well I’ll journal again!
Tuesday, April 6th, HH Kaikoura (g. crayfish)
So after a wonderful rest, I awoke, showered and made some breakfast with the help of Jill and Karena. We had to rush off though, as Jill had to be at work by 10:00. She was nice enough to drive me to the outskirts of Blenheim. On the way we chatted psychology and discussed, of all things, the DSM-V. She apologized for not being able to drive me through Blenheim and dropped me off on the outskirts of the wrong side for my travels. I was thankful she took me this far and said so. From where she dropped me, I walked with that darn heavy pack to the town center. Once there, I asked for direction on how to get to the road towards Kaikoura. I passed a guy placing cardboard in the rubbish behind a store and asked for a piece. He kindly obliged and wished me luck on my travels. I stopped in a Warehouse, NZ’s Walmart (though without the bad connotations), and borrowed a marker to write “Kaikoura?” on my piece o’ cardboard. From there, I stopped to use a restroom in McDonald’s and finally walked out of Blenheim. I made it to the sign that proclaimed 123 km (or so) to Kaikoura. Kaikoura = kai + koura = good + crayfish (I think). From that spot, I caught my first ride via hitching!
Reflection on the Trip 2
Couch surfing with Jill and Karena took me in a direction that was out of the way from my first destination of Kaikoura. They responded to my request to surf in their guestroom (some couch, huh?) only a few days before I was headed out. I decided, since I was on my own and could easily do so, to spend the first night with them instead of getting a lift with Hannah and crew towards Kaikoura. It was an excellent decision that brought me grinning ear to ear. Honestly, there is nothing like being cared for by two grandmothers! They cooed and ooed over my piano playing and possessed such wisdom when they spoke. I highly recommend couch surfing to everyone and fully intend on opening up my home, when I own a place of my own, to surfers. Hosting is definitely a way to spice of one’s life in the comfort of one’s own home.
(Continued) Ken, a high school (or college, as the kiwis say) teacher, stopped his car and let me in. He was headed to Kaikoura for a break before returning to his students. He’s working on a degree on tourism as he and his wife are thinking of switching their lives around. He’s hitched in the US before and seems well traveled. We discussed politics (mostly US), the US, NZ’s “claim” to being green (which he had a lot to say about), and much more on our hour and half or so drive. He was nice enough to pull over so I could quickly snap some photos of a seal colony! The drive was spectacular. From the flats of Bleheim, we pushed through the hills to the coast, where I caught some glimpses and photos of mountains; much cloud cover impeded the view. He dropped me off at the visitor center in town just after we had discussed some Kiwi music; he was impressed that I’d seen Minuit. He headed back, as he’d passed where he was going to drive me further. I snapped a photo of him and his car, a trend I hope to continue. I thanked him, got direction to the YHA and walked for a few kilometers (maybe only one, hard to tell with that pack…).
Halfway through my walk, I stopped for lunch overlooking the ocean in the misty rain; the ocean smells so strong here. Karena and Jill has sent me away with a few pieces of buttered bread, a tomato, a huge apple, and two hard-boiled eggs. Not a huge fan of eggs nor fresh tomato, but the gesture was too nice and the stomach too hungry to care much. I got a room at the YHA with my free night that came with my $40 membership. I then used my 20mins of free internet (also from the membership) to register for my last fall semester at Vassar. I have already purchased two more hours for future use for class follow-up and other couch surfing opportunities. I wasn’t feeling my best, so I took a nap followed by a rainy walk. Afterwards I found some people watching Spiderman and wrote some of this while watching. I went upstairs after the movie and talked with a German about his epic trip so far. He gave me even more desire to go to Milford Sound. I hoped to talk with him after dinner, but got sidetracked.
Dinner consisted of one cup of uncooked rice and one can of beans. Once all cooked, it was a bit of food, but nothing I couldn’t handle. During my cooking, an older British woman let me have a bag of tea. After her kind gesture, she noticed her dinner package did not include the pictured rice. So naturally, I have her a ½ cup of so of mine; oddly enough she didn’t want as much rice as me! She also provided some milk and sugar after I invited her to join me for dinner. Patty, her name, was on holiday in New Zealand. We chatted throughout dinner. She offered me more tea and cards. We played an English game that has eerily similarly rules to a game I’d played before. I taught her war, good for a few laughs, and then crazy-eights—Uno-style. She loved it! Patty provided peanut butter and jam on rice cakes for dessert. We shared stories with each other and it was a great evening, well spent. Still feeling a bit dodgy though. I went to bed shortly afterwards. The German was nice enough to turn on the lights as I crawled into bed.
Wednesday, April 7th; Mt. Fyffee/$50 Bar Tab
I awoke after not the best sleep, but felt a bit better. The fog/clouds had lifted to reveal Kaikoura’s peaks. I was amazed at the view from the YHA of the snow-topped peaks. Although it was late (9:00), I decided to pay the thirty-five dollars (NZ) to taxi to the base of Mt. Fyffe, which looked glorious now that I could see it. I checked the weather and all seemed good. The driver picked me up at the YHA and drove me to the base, 12km or so out of town. I saw two cars in the lot and hope that perhaps I could get a ride from them after. I started hiking and minutes in (5 mins to be precise) I shortly realized that my pack, my beloved pack, was not only heavy but…HEAVY AS. The straps attacked my collarbone and hips. I adjusted, repacked, and tied my spare socks to the chest strap to lessen the pressure on my collar bone (an idea from my dear Aunt Carol…THANKS!). Thirty minute later, I felt a slight pain on my right heel. Fifteen minutes later or so, the pain was a throb, but with no one to complain to, I tried to ignore it. Eventually, I de-laced, de-shoed, de-gaitered, and placed a plaster (band aid) on the spot where a blister was quickly forming. I used to tape as well, but to no avail. However, as I’d now physically attempted to solve the problem, my brain worried less and instead focused on the stunning views of snow capped mountains. Though the view started to disappear as the beautiful white puffy clouds were replaced with dark storm clouds. Then, as it often does when storm clouds are above you, it rained! I had the proper gear, my nice water resistant gaiters and waterproof coat, but it grew colder the higher I climbed. If I stopped to catch my breath, the cold would creep in. And boy, did I need to catch my breath. The hike, which follows a small gravel road, just climbs for the whole ascent at the worst kind of angle; not too steep, not too flat, just that moderately steep angle that tires out the legs. I had failed at packing lunch food such as sandwiches. I had one square meals for breakfast and plenty of pasta/rice for dinner, but no lunch food. I improvised with some snack bars (full of protein and calories) and scroggin (NZ trail mix). I stopped for some more “food” and afterward, finally found the hut. It was 12:30, I had no way down, and still a ways to go. Visibility was nil and I seriously decided not finishing as I was climbing for the 360-degree views, which seemed unlikely to see on a day like this. The temptation of solo-climbing my first peak, and my first snow-caped peak, was too much to pass up. I left my bag in the hut after speaking with two Americans and a German who were inside. Nikki, one of the Americans, gave me her number in case I needed help at the bottom. With this safety net, my pack off my shoulders, and a quick change into alpine gear (waterproof pants/polypro) I started the final ascent at 12:50. By 1:20 I was not sure if this was still a good idea as the rain was back, but this time as snow! I only had two bars and a bit of water, but I was determined. I trudged onward and eventually into 2-4 inches of snow complete with a snow storm. The ridge narrowed to 2-3 meters, with steep snowy drops on either side…I think, visibility was only a couple meters. I continued onward through the winter wonderland and made it to the summit by 1:50 with is spectacular 360-degree views of…NOTHING! Nikki and her boyfriend/husband/companion’s snowman had fallen in the wind so I left a snow angle on top. 1600 meters and although there were no views, the sense of accomplishment I felt at climbing by myself and encouraging myself was worth it. I expressed such feeling by yelling into the winds! The descent was easier, especially as my heel doesn’t hit my shoe as I descend. The clouds starting lifting slowly, but I still had no shadow. I finished my water bottle and refilled it with fresh snow, just in case I needed more water later. When I got to the hut, I could see more of the other mountains. I changed my gear, decided not to cook any food, but eat scroggin and continue as it was almost three. The descent, even with pack, was fast and I was down by 4:30 or so, after stopping to take in a gorgeous rainbow. I completed the hike successfully, but still had no way home (nor a home to get to, haha).
I texted Niki…no response. So I kept walking towards town. After a couple kilometers, I came to a horse/sheep farm, saw some activity, and after a ten-minute bout of indecision, knocked on the door. A middle-aged man opened the door, before he got there his dog and I were bonding. I asked, “Is there any chance in hell you’d be willing to give me a lift to town?” Ohhh oh oh…maybe not the right house. I told him I foolishly went tramping without a plan on how to get back. As I thought, he readily agreed that I was foolish. As soon as he opened the door, I had a feeling the only way to get a ride from him was point out how stupid I was for getting into this situation. After telling me there was probably no chance he’d give me a life…he did! I forget his name (didn’t journal that night and forgot it). He lectured me most of the way to town on proper gear and safety, but I did manage to get some good stories out of him and maybe, just maybe, a smile! He took me to the first backpackers eh found and I thanked him and went inside. Many foreign women were standing wet clad in only towels waiting for the receptionist to return so they could get into their room. When she returned and had handled the girls, she informed me they were full.
I kept walking and found the Lazy Shag, which had a room for 23, 20 for BHP Members, perhaps my YHA membership was a mistake…I dropped my stuff in my room and sadly discovered my blister wound. Think I’ll spare you the details on that. I went to the kitchen and made some rice and beans. Some people commented on my diner choice, friendly comments full of distain and remembrance for when they ate rice and beans. I went outside on the deck and Simon, a nice Irish fella with a nicer brogue, joined me. He’s been in New Zealand almost a year and plans to head home soon. An electrician by trade, he worked on a farm in Kaikoura while playing rugby. We chatted, discussed his life and a bit of mine, mostly my psychology major. Two English girls, Polly and Fran, joined us. The first thing we heard from Polly was, “It’s like a stir-fry sauna in there!” in response to her glasses fogging up as she walked into the kitchen from the deck. Fran has worked for Harris Bank, but was laid off and using her compensation money to travel. Polly was hoping to end up working in Australia. Brir (said “Breer”), an Irish woman with a beautiful brogue, joined us for a bit. She was headed to Christchurch, so I hinted that I might like a ride. She picked up on my hint and accepted! I had intended on going to Hamner Springs on the way towards Arthur’s Pass, but how could I pass up this opportunity. She headed inside. I was exhausted, so I took that much needed shower and went to bed. FALSE! I joined Simon, Polly, and Fran and we headed to the Irish Bar in town. It was quiz night so we signed up with the name “Quiz on my…”; Polly’s idea. My teammates were 26-28 years old with me, the young Uni kid. I got my first ever pint and it was cider and excellent. The three offered to buy me drinks all night, which I refused though I did accept Fran’s food offer of wedges! We did quite well in the first round: movies/TVs, not as well on the human body. We dominated science though didn’t do well on the sex category. Music was our double points round and we got nine out of ten questions right giving us eighteen points. We did okay on the final round of general knowledge. But guess what? After not placing during the rest of the game, we ended up winning by six points! The prize? A $50 dollar bar tab! We celebrated by drinking it in the form of pitchers full of crazy-sweet-alcoholic-strange-colored-liquid that tasted better all mixed up with the other pitchers. I still can’t believe we won. Sooo good. Afterwards the cold air felt quite warm as we headed back to our rooms to sleep…er…pass out.
Thursday, April 8; Kaikoura to Arthur’s Pass
I woke up a lil’ groggy with a minor headache, but nothing too bad. Brir’s, who was bottom bunk, offer to drive me to Christchurch was still valid so I took her up on it. She shared some tea (I think everyone jut pity’s me…must look hungry). We drove out of town, after I took some pictures of town, after I took some pictures of Mt. Fyffe with NO CLOUDS!!! Ahh picked the wrong day, oh well…never climbed in a snowstorm before but now I have. We picked up Marianne, a French girl headed to Christchurch and then on to France. Brir and Marianne had met the day before while swimming with dolphins. I got to pick the music as shotgun requires and was finally getting use to riding in the left side of the car. The drive was gorgeous (duh, it’s New Zealand). Brir and I sang loudly to some tunes. “Marianne’s a Bitch” by Regina Spektor came on much to Marianne’s surprise. We made it to Christchurch around 12:30 and dropped Marianne off. I helped direct Brir to her backpackers for her stay and helped her find the car return. She had gotten the car with a ¾ tank and had to return it with at least that much. However, she overfilled it in Christchurch and was upset, as the rental company doesn’t pay for the extra gas. She also had two hours before it was due back. I was currently realizing how much of a pain it would be to hitch out of Christchurch, one of New Zealand’s biggest cities. I casually suggested we should go get food and offered Brir $10 to get out of town. We found a dodgy-local place to eat and got weird fried/battered food. Tried my first pineapple-cheese toastie…hmm not bad! Brir drove me to 73, my route out of town towards Arthur’s Pass, and drove me almost 35 kms out of Christchurch. She dropped me off in a small as town and turned around after giving me some cardboard.
I lathered on sunscreen, filled up my water bottles, and scribbled 73 on my sign. It was 2:00 and I had 130 kms to go; so about four more hours or so of daylight. It took longer to get a ride than in Blenheim, but Graham picked me up. He was hopefully heading hunting if his buddy called, but otherwise as going fishing. He took me to the next town where the main road splits. I left my “73” sign, kudos to Brir, in his truck, but realized I would not need it as it was only 73 until Arthur’s Pass anyway. I walked out of the small town (if you can call it a town) and after a bit of waiting (longest so far) a small black car a la knight rider stopped with a Maori woman behind the wheel. This was the first time I was picked up by a woman. I feel bad, as I’ve forgotten her name. She took me two towns farther (one out of her way) to Springfield, fully equipped with a pink Simpsons donut (made out of a large tire). I still had a ways to go and there are no towns between Springfield and Arthur’s Pass. I wasn’t really sure what would happen as there was little traffic. But it wasn’t even 4:00, so plenty of time left to hitch or rather fail at hitching and walk back to Springfield. After the longest wait yet, Christian picked me up; the 20-year-old from Chicago (Wheaton). He’s been in NZ for the past ten years with his family. His dad started a security company after his days working as secret service for Nixon and Ford. Christian was on holiday from the airport where he works on planes. He was headed past Arthur’s Pass, which meant I was going to make it before dark! We chatted up a storm. He even pulled over so I could snag come still pictures. Eventually he dropped me off at the visitor center in Arthur’s Pass.
He left, and I went inside to discover that camping was an easy option, as I’d read. There was a store in town; emphasis on “a”. I bought $20 in supplies including Timtams, which are biscuits famous for being delicious. Also bought a small packet of pasta sauce. I set up my tent…er…shelter, which consisted of a tarp on top, supported by a branch and tent pegs, as well as a tarp below (rain/dew-proof). I made dinner, pasta with my lil’ Kathmandu stove and it worked! It actually cooked quite fast. I covered the pasta with a can of tuna and pasta sauce; not bad. Christoph, a German and my camping neighbor, gave me three apples that he’d picked when Woofing. Guess I must have looked hopeless without a proper tent, but I happily accepted. He also had his eyes on Avalanche Peak and said I could stick my extra stuff in his car, though I’d already enquired with the DOC and they said I could leave my stuff their as well. The kea is around. The only alpine parrot in the world, it’s green with vivid bright colors on its wings. Keas are known for their vast intellect and their interest in stealing your things!!! They live above my “tent” and I’m a bit concerned. Around the campsite, I also met Gabriel from Denmark/Netherlands (I can’t remember which), who may also be climbing Avalanche Peak the following day. After dinner, I was immensely excited with myself for hitching and cooking outdoors. The feeling of being a little self-sufficient is grand. Though in all honesty, hitching is NOT self-sufficient at all. It depends on other people’s kindness; regardless I still feel great! Beginning to understand Chris McCandles more (aka Alex Supertramp…Into the Wild). The people I’ve met are very friendly. Gabriel offered me some coffee and I finally found time to journal. Also, the stars are spectacular…perhaps I need to cease writing and go outside. Though it’s very cold…hopefully I don’t freeze. Hehe I’m so excited.
Friday, April 9, 2010; Avalanche Peak + Derrek
As I write this, I’m warm in my down bag underneath a better shelter. I redesigned my tarp “tent”….it now has rocks weighing it down so the top tarp and the bottom tarp meet on all sides but one.
Today started out frigid! My toes/hand were red and I awoke at five chilly! I went back to bed and eventually warmed up enough to fall asleep. Round seven I emerged from my shelter. I ate my square meal and an orange. Next, I found some hot water from a bathroom near the train station. It burned on my cold hands but I was adamant about warming them up! I packed up my camp into my yellow waterproof pack liner and place only essential plus some extra clothing in my pack. I gave my pack liner to the DOC, filled out an intention form and hit the trail around nine. I was in full gear, minus rain protection, as it was so cold. There was frost outside my shelter. After less than thirty minutes, I was in sunshine and stripped off layer and layer. I wore a plaster plus 3 liners on my right foot for the blister’s sake (though apparently that’s worse as it increases the number of surfaces rubbing…). It felt a bit better, but still rubbed. Thankfully the trail was such that I could often step with it my right foot downward (so on a rock) which lessened the agitation greatly. The trail starts up steeper than Mt. Fyffe and has some rock scrambles—my favorite! After an hour the bush was replaces by grasses, making great views a constant. It was a blue-sky day with few clouds. I eventually made it to the top in time for my 12 o’clock lunch reservation (inside joke with the fam). To get to the top, one has to traverse a ridge that is less than a meter wide with steep slopes on either side. In windy/rainy conditions, people die here…or so I heard from numerous climbers. Thank goodness it was sunny and clear! On top, a kea greeted me. It tried to charm all of us hikers into lowering out guard so it could steel! Smart bird, that kea! I had to watch my back while eating my lunch as it was about a foot away. Though it’s closeness did make for some splendid pictures.
The descent was long as I was still sore from Fyffe. It was also long because I took the longer way down. Finally I found the bottom. The whole way down, I noticed a large waterfall across the valley. I arrived at the bottom around 2:00 and decided I had plenty of time until the DOC closed. I crossed two bridges and hiked the short way to Devil’s Punchbowl Falls (Te Tautea o Hinekahi). I “accidentally” walked off the path and got a closer view of the 160+ feet falls before realizing my “mistake.” I dipped my sweaty head into the cold mountain water. I returned to Arthur’s Pass village of 36 and wne into the Wobbly Kea, the town pub. I got a pint of Monteith’s Ale, very good, and a bag of salt and vinegar chips, even better. My mom always told me beer tastes better after being warm and working so I thought I’d give it a try. Gosh, she’s a wise woman! I went back to the DOC to get my back and found Derrek, Hannah + Anna’s American flatmate, inside! He was traveling solo as well on a long hike and was meeting people in Arthur’s Pass. He pitched his tent while I repitched “mine.” He headed to the falls and I stayed for a much needed shower. $2 for 6 mins of hot water? Alright! Enough time to wash and wash out that nasty blister…er…wound now. The hike was not kind to my heel; I think I’d better not hike for a few days. Derrek returned and we cooked side-by-side; nice to have company. Afterwards, we went back to the Wobbly Kea and stayed warm. I ordered some crushed apple cider, sweet with a lil’ kick. We heard from the bartender that Arthur’s Pass is about 34 people. We headed back to camp: Derrek in his tent, me in mine. Tomorrow Fox/Franz Josef? Who knows?
Saturday, April 10, 2010; Trouble Ahead
Woke up fucking cold; apologize for the language, but profanity is completely nessecary to describe how cold I was. I awoke early early early as I was freezing and after some intense shivering I finally went back to sleep. I reawoke and ate some breakfast: one square meal + water. Christoph, the friendly German, gave me a cup of warm tea. Derreck made porridge. After breakfast I packed up my “tent.” And climbed into Chritoph and Marie’s converted camper van. Oh, what a van! The back seats were sent to a junk shop and a hard mattress replaced it. If was a very comfy hitch though I felt a bit car sick, probably from not sleeping much plus the lack of a seat while driving through twisty mountains. They were paranoid of the police, so I covered myself with sleeping bags. I was so comfortable I fell asleep after helping Christoph and Marie with some English; they speak it so well. I awoke close to Greymouth and we took a picture together and I gave them my fb name. My camera wouldn’t open this morning and I was worried sick. In Greymouth, I went to Dick Smith’s, to another appliance store, and finally to Kodak, where I fixed my camera with the help of their tools. I was ecstatic! I celebrated with photography! Once my camera was fixed, I headed to a YHA to use their internet to check on courses and couch-surfing.
Afterwards, I re-dressed the wound and headed out in socks and jandals to New World, which was quite a walk away. I bought some oats (for breakfasts) and some more beans/fish and a few pieces of fresh fruit for the road. Then I started to walk out of town with a Franz Josef sign made out of boxes of bars I’d just purchased. Before I was even out of town, Peter, a kiwi who owns a carpet business that lets him travel the coast, picked me up. We talked about health psychology and stress. His advice, “always be content” -- don’t think about improving circumstances. He dropped me off in Hokitika, a small town full of pounamu (green stone). I walked to the beach, admired it, and then crossed the lengthy bridge out of town. It was late, around 3ish, which for hitching is late. I kept up my spirits by breaking into song and I progressed further south. Eventually Aaron and David, who I mistook for father-and-son, picked me up. Aaron had recently experienced a bad breakup and David was trying to cheer him up. They drove me south to Ross and told me I could stay there or head back with them. I decided to head back with them. We went to the pub at the hotel they were staying at and David bought a round of pints. David noticed Daniel, a German hitchhiker walking on the beach and invited him to join our silly gang. Together we watched the sun slip beneath the Tasman Sea. B-E-A-Utiful! Then we headed across the street to another pub for more drinks. Their hospitality was unbelievable…almost too unbelievable for comfort. David sensed my distrust and happily helped me try to locate a backpacker’s, but they were closed. During the walk we had a good chat and I realized that these people were honestly just friendly. They then started making fun of my “American suspicion.” He told me people always find him who are searching for something and he then tries to help them search. He’s 45+ (I’d say), homosexual, and a very decent guy with a sense of humor as evidenced by the fact that he wears the one ring to rule them all on his wedding finger. Aaron is a pool shark and showed Daniel and I up! Aaron’s 21 as well. Later we headed to another bar with more drinks! I’d really had plenty, as pints are large. We had more good conversation and many laughs; it was a really nice night. They assumed from the beginning that I’d stay with them in their hotel room and I eventually caved in and I did; plenty of room. Aaron and I chatted more to the background sound of bad covers of American pop. Eventually sleep came.
Reflection on the Trip 3
Hitching is my favorite way to travel. To make a good hitchhiker you have to look friendly, smile at the car, and continue walking to show that you’re serious about getting to where you’re going. Hitching is as much the destination for me as where the towns/sights I wanted to see. I could have seen so much more of New Zealand by renting a car and plowing from town to town, but hitching brought me closer to kiwi life. Everyday I hitched I met friendly strangers that readily chatted with me, especially after telling them I was a psychology major. That was only odd because they all reacted a little negatively and said something along the lines of, “Don’t expect me to tell you my life story” but eventually…they would! To hitch properly you have to have ample time as well as patience. Often when traffic was real slow (which occurred later in my trip) I found myself becoming stressed. Then I’d calm down and remember that I chose to do this and I just have to ‘trust in the road.’ For some reason repeating that in my head gave me hope to continue. It’s hard to explain the beauty of hitching fully, but you’ll just have to trust me that its worth your time!
CATCHING UP
Saturday found me going around town to every store that I might need supplies from while they were open, including the grocery stores, which also close. Seriously everything was closed Friday and Sunday. The public library, unlike Uni’s library, was open on Saturday and I spent some time obtaining sources on news media’s portrayal of crime, my topic for my paper. Eventually I returned to try to work out my paperness…not to any real result but some words down! 500ish or so, out of the required 2,000.
Sunday Sunday Sunday, the day before my trip, found me getting some couch-surfing details worked out (will explain later). I started packing for my journey down south and laid out my supplies on my floor to look at what I had. Not much that’s for sure. Towards the evening I made some pancakes while Briar made her amazing vegan chocolate cake! So moist/sweet/chocolate/ahhhhhh. Why the baking? We were headed to Hannah’s flat to have an Easter Potluck as it was Easter (and also my Dad’s birthday…but I had no skype to call ☹). It was an amazing potluck with heaps of food and good people. Not gonna lie, it was sorta the glimpse into the future of planning out holiday celebrations. It was wicked fun and Hannah is a fantastic organizer/cook and of course, made what seemed like enough food even if no one had brought anything. It was a really special night. I left to go pack and eventually I was ready. Ready for what?
Easter Vacation – Journey of a Lifetime
For my trip I kept a journal to better remember all the details/people. It’s not perfect, but it will hopefully help me better explain my South Island Adventure:
Sunday, April 4th, Dad’s Bday
Tomorrow’s the bid day. Didn’t get much on paper, but I feel ready. My pack is so heavy. 20kgs? Maybe more? Maybe less? No scale (nor an understanding of Kgs). I’m so excited and nervous and just plain ready. Up tomorrow at 6:00 for ferry and it’s on…now it’s 12:17 of Monday…sleep time.
Monday, April 5, Couch Surfing
6:00am! So early! Hannah called right after I turned off my alarm to make I was up. After stumbling ‘round I put my heavy-as pack on and walked to the train station. We were an hour early but so be it (we’d discussed the cryptic language of the website the night before and decided to error on the side of caution). The shuttle picked us up and took us to the Interislander, a huge ferry boat. We checked our bags (a la airport style, though I supposed the port came before the airport…). I had on my sea-sickness bands and my positivity on full-blast. The voyage was calm out of the harbor, but boy does the open sea swell! However, I didn’t feel queasy, just uneasy. Success! After two hours, the ferry started making it’s way down a large sound of the South Island to Picton; another hour later we were in Picton. Tiny place. Anna, Hannah, Alison, Elana, Becky, and I headed to Subway (as did everyone from the ferry!). Becky & Elana (two IFSA kids) were headed on a bus tour of the South Island while Anna, Hannah, and Alison were headed to a rent-a-car to start their South Island road trip. They headed out so Becky, Elana, and I headed to a nearby park on the water where we found a kiddie-train ride. Guess who road it? Elana and me, 20 cents each. The driver, er, conductor and perhaps his wife, the stationmaster, welcomed us with open arms. Great ride! Afterwards we took some pics of jellyfish in the water, Picton, and its palm trees. I left Becky and Elana to go wait for my ride at Subway.
Oh right, forgot to mention…I’m not going with anyone. My parents and friends would perhaps be concerned, so I decided to hold back my full plans until I was back in Wellington safe and sound. This is something I need to do. It’s sort of a test for myself I guess. Probably a bad time to mention that I just finished reading into the wild ☺. Yes, I’m nervous but so far it’s great…
Reflection on the trip 1 (composed at time of blog entry, not from journal)
I was thrilled to take this trip. After speaking with a kid taking a year off from Darmouth, at a backpacker’s up in National Park after the Tongariro crossing, who spoke highly of hitching, the plan was set into motion. It started gnawing at my brain every week and the gnawing became a conscious thought which slowly became an idealistic thought, which became a serious thought which became a plan! I would hitch the New Zealand’s south island by myself for a week minimum (though I always had the intention of doing the whole two weeks). I would couch surf if possible and see the world through the people I encountered. I’m grinning while writing weeks after. I’m very proud of myself for sticking to this plan and getting the coolest look at New Zealand.
(Continued) My ride came, Keri and her husband, Jason. A very nice couple who were to drive me from Picton to the Marlbourough Sounds, where I would be couch surfing with Jill and her partner Karena. Keri was very welcoming. Jason and her are Maori as is Karena. We stopped in Blenhiem to pick up their dog, as they’d been up at a wedding on the North Island and left their dog with a friend and their kids with Keri’s mums. The dog licked the entire back car window until it was a sloppy mess. We stopped in a small town to get the supplies Jill and Karena asked for: tea bags. I had previously purchased lettuce and bread for dinner. I ran into Leslie (IFSA) and her mother in the small shop. Crazy, right? The drive was beautiful as we drove around sounds and hills. We finally arrived at Jill and Karena’s, an elderly couple that was exhausted after watching the grandkids for Easter. Three grandkids greeted me with warm smiles. Keri and Jason wrangled up their kids and headed off leaving me with Jill and Karena. They live in a beautiful house on a sound, with a bit of beach and a boat. Jill took me down to the water in their gumboots to walk around for a bit. Afterwards I carried up some cut wood up to the woodshed. They fixed me a wonderful dinner, and even cooked me some chicken, though they are vegetarian. In their lovely home is a piano, which they were nice enough to let me play. I surprised them with my playing and they were quite appreciative. Jill and Karena were both undergrad psychology majors! Jill is still practicing as a therapist at 71! Karena has the neat hobby of polishing driftwood and pounamu. Pounamu or green stone or nephrite jade is sacred to the Maori. It is carved into shapes that all have meaning and cannot be purchased for oneself. Pounamu must be given! In fact, it must be worn around the neck of the buyer (maker) to absorb the wearer’s mana (essence/soul/power). Then the giver (buyer) gives the necklace to the receiver and the mana of the giver reacts with the receiver. It seems to bind people together, and is often given in New Zealand for graduation from parents or other such important occasions. Obviously I want one, but refuse to have someone else buy me one with my card. I just hope that I’m lucky enough to “earn it.” That seems to be the proper way to obtain pounamu. Karena showed me her work with such pride. Her pride was justified! Her work is beautiful. She prefers the lighter green shade, though most people and retailers prefer the darker hues. Jill, tired from the grandkids, went to bed early. I’m pretty sleep as well (and actually a bit under the weather). Jill and Karena are wonderful. Their love for eachother makes me happy…it’s so genuine and honest. They are so kind-hearted to open up their house to me, a total stranger.
To explain: Couch surfing is a system started in San Francisco whereby people share their spare couches/beds with strangers. It has a great reputation, you should check it out! Just google it! The network promotes the sharing of self in order to teach and learn from others. People leave reviews after they host or surf and if you have a negative review, it gets flagged and the couch surfer administrators contact the people involved to investigate.
Karena and I had a great conversation about being Maori and homosexual in Kiwiland. I look forward to talking will Jill tomorrow, who has offered to drive me to Blenheim. So far this trip is everything I wanted. Ah! So happy and content here. It might be sad to leave these two. I’ll have to get their address and a picture of the two.
Oh, and Karena said “when you give something you shouldn’t expect something in return.” It just stuck with me.
Tomorrow, I will attempt to hitchhike and if all goes well I’ll journal again!
Tuesday, April 6th, HH Kaikoura (g. crayfish)
So after a wonderful rest, I awoke, showered and made some breakfast with the help of Jill and Karena. We had to rush off though, as Jill had to be at work by 10:00. She was nice enough to drive me to the outskirts of Blenheim. On the way we chatted psychology and discussed, of all things, the DSM-V. She apologized for not being able to drive me through Blenheim and dropped me off on the outskirts of the wrong side for my travels. I was thankful she took me this far and said so. From where she dropped me, I walked with that darn heavy pack to the town center. Once there, I asked for direction on how to get to the road towards Kaikoura. I passed a guy placing cardboard in the rubbish behind a store and asked for a piece. He kindly obliged and wished me luck on my travels. I stopped in a Warehouse, NZ’s Walmart (though without the bad connotations), and borrowed a marker to write “Kaikoura?” on my piece o’ cardboard. From there, I stopped to use a restroom in McDonald’s and finally walked out of Blenheim. I made it to the sign that proclaimed 123 km (or so) to Kaikoura. Kaikoura = kai + koura = good + crayfish (I think). From that spot, I caught my first ride via hitching!
Reflection on the Trip 2
Couch surfing with Jill and Karena took me in a direction that was out of the way from my first destination of Kaikoura. They responded to my request to surf in their guestroom (some couch, huh?) only a few days before I was headed out. I decided, since I was on my own and could easily do so, to spend the first night with them instead of getting a lift with Hannah and crew towards Kaikoura. It was an excellent decision that brought me grinning ear to ear. Honestly, there is nothing like being cared for by two grandmothers! They cooed and ooed over my piano playing and possessed such wisdom when they spoke. I highly recommend couch surfing to everyone and fully intend on opening up my home, when I own a place of my own, to surfers. Hosting is definitely a way to spice of one’s life in the comfort of one’s own home.
(Continued) Ken, a high school (or college, as the kiwis say) teacher, stopped his car and let me in. He was headed to Kaikoura for a break before returning to his students. He’s working on a degree on tourism as he and his wife are thinking of switching their lives around. He’s hitched in the US before and seems well traveled. We discussed politics (mostly US), the US, NZ’s “claim” to being green (which he had a lot to say about), and much more on our hour and half or so drive. He was nice enough to pull over so I could quickly snap some photos of a seal colony! The drive was spectacular. From the flats of Bleheim, we pushed through the hills to the coast, where I caught some glimpses and photos of mountains; much cloud cover impeded the view. He dropped me off at the visitor center in town just after we had discussed some Kiwi music; he was impressed that I’d seen Minuit. He headed back, as he’d passed where he was going to drive me further. I snapped a photo of him and his car, a trend I hope to continue. I thanked him, got direction to the YHA and walked for a few kilometers (maybe only one, hard to tell with that pack…).
Halfway through my walk, I stopped for lunch overlooking the ocean in the misty rain; the ocean smells so strong here. Karena and Jill has sent me away with a few pieces of buttered bread, a tomato, a huge apple, and two hard-boiled eggs. Not a huge fan of eggs nor fresh tomato, but the gesture was too nice and the stomach too hungry to care much. I got a room at the YHA with my free night that came with my $40 membership. I then used my 20mins of free internet (also from the membership) to register for my last fall semester at Vassar. I have already purchased two more hours for future use for class follow-up and other couch surfing opportunities. I wasn’t feeling my best, so I took a nap followed by a rainy walk. Afterwards I found some people watching Spiderman and wrote some of this while watching. I went upstairs after the movie and talked with a German about his epic trip so far. He gave me even more desire to go to Milford Sound. I hoped to talk with him after dinner, but got sidetracked.
Dinner consisted of one cup of uncooked rice and one can of beans. Once all cooked, it was a bit of food, but nothing I couldn’t handle. During my cooking, an older British woman let me have a bag of tea. After her kind gesture, she noticed her dinner package did not include the pictured rice. So naturally, I have her a ½ cup of so of mine; oddly enough she didn’t want as much rice as me! She also provided some milk and sugar after I invited her to join me for dinner. Patty, her name, was on holiday in New Zealand. We chatted throughout dinner. She offered me more tea and cards. We played an English game that has eerily similarly rules to a game I’d played before. I taught her war, good for a few laughs, and then crazy-eights—Uno-style. She loved it! Patty provided peanut butter and jam on rice cakes for dessert. We shared stories with each other and it was a great evening, well spent. Still feeling a bit dodgy though. I went to bed shortly afterwards. The German was nice enough to turn on the lights as I crawled into bed.
Wednesday, April 7th; Mt. Fyffee/$50 Bar Tab
I awoke after not the best sleep, but felt a bit better. The fog/clouds had lifted to reveal Kaikoura’s peaks. I was amazed at the view from the YHA of the snow-topped peaks. Although it was late (9:00), I decided to pay the thirty-five dollars (NZ) to taxi to the base of Mt. Fyffe, which looked glorious now that I could see it. I checked the weather and all seemed good. The driver picked me up at the YHA and drove me to the base, 12km or so out of town. I saw two cars in the lot and hope that perhaps I could get a ride from them after. I started hiking and minutes in (5 mins to be precise) I shortly realized that my pack, my beloved pack, was not only heavy but…HEAVY AS. The straps attacked my collarbone and hips. I adjusted, repacked, and tied my spare socks to the chest strap to lessen the pressure on my collar bone (an idea from my dear Aunt Carol…THANKS!). Thirty minute later, I felt a slight pain on my right heel. Fifteen minutes later or so, the pain was a throb, but with no one to complain to, I tried to ignore it. Eventually, I de-laced, de-shoed, de-gaitered, and placed a plaster (band aid) on the spot where a blister was quickly forming. I used to tape as well, but to no avail. However, as I’d now physically attempted to solve the problem, my brain worried less and instead focused on the stunning views of snow capped mountains. Though the view started to disappear as the beautiful white puffy clouds were replaced with dark storm clouds. Then, as it often does when storm clouds are above you, it rained! I had the proper gear, my nice water resistant gaiters and waterproof coat, but it grew colder the higher I climbed. If I stopped to catch my breath, the cold would creep in. And boy, did I need to catch my breath. The hike, which follows a small gravel road, just climbs for the whole ascent at the worst kind of angle; not too steep, not too flat, just that moderately steep angle that tires out the legs. I had failed at packing lunch food such as sandwiches. I had one square meals for breakfast and plenty of pasta/rice for dinner, but no lunch food. I improvised with some snack bars (full of protein and calories) and scroggin (NZ trail mix). I stopped for some more “food” and afterward, finally found the hut. It was 12:30, I had no way down, and still a ways to go. Visibility was nil and I seriously decided not finishing as I was climbing for the 360-degree views, which seemed unlikely to see on a day like this. The temptation of solo-climbing my first peak, and my first snow-caped peak, was too much to pass up. I left my bag in the hut after speaking with two Americans and a German who were inside. Nikki, one of the Americans, gave me her number in case I needed help at the bottom. With this safety net, my pack off my shoulders, and a quick change into alpine gear (waterproof pants/polypro) I started the final ascent at 12:50. By 1:20 I was not sure if this was still a good idea as the rain was back, but this time as snow! I only had two bars and a bit of water, but I was determined. I trudged onward and eventually into 2-4 inches of snow complete with a snow storm. The ridge narrowed to 2-3 meters, with steep snowy drops on either side…I think, visibility was only a couple meters. I continued onward through the winter wonderland and made it to the summit by 1:50 with is spectacular 360-degree views of…NOTHING! Nikki and her boyfriend/husband/companion’s snowman had fallen in the wind so I left a snow angle on top. 1600 meters and although there were no views, the sense of accomplishment I felt at climbing by myself and encouraging myself was worth it. I expressed such feeling by yelling into the winds! The descent was easier, especially as my heel doesn’t hit my shoe as I descend. The clouds starting lifting slowly, but I still had no shadow. I finished my water bottle and refilled it with fresh snow, just in case I needed more water later. When I got to the hut, I could see more of the other mountains. I changed my gear, decided not to cook any food, but eat scroggin and continue as it was almost three. The descent, even with pack, was fast and I was down by 4:30 or so, after stopping to take in a gorgeous rainbow. I completed the hike successfully, but still had no way home (nor a home to get to, haha).
I texted Niki…no response. So I kept walking towards town. After a couple kilometers, I came to a horse/sheep farm, saw some activity, and after a ten-minute bout of indecision, knocked on the door. A middle-aged man opened the door, before he got there his dog and I were bonding. I asked, “Is there any chance in hell you’d be willing to give me a lift to town?” Ohhh oh oh…maybe not the right house. I told him I foolishly went tramping without a plan on how to get back. As I thought, he readily agreed that I was foolish. As soon as he opened the door, I had a feeling the only way to get a ride from him was point out how stupid I was for getting into this situation. After telling me there was probably no chance he’d give me a life…he did! I forget his name (didn’t journal that night and forgot it). He lectured me most of the way to town on proper gear and safety, but I did manage to get some good stories out of him and maybe, just maybe, a smile! He took me to the first backpackers eh found and I thanked him and went inside. Many foreign women were standing wet clad in only towels waiting for the receptionist to return so they could get into their room. When she returned and had handled the girls, she informed me they were full.
I kept walking and found the Lazy Shag, which had a room for 23, 20 for BHP Members, perhaps my YHA membership was a mistake…I dropped my stuff in my room and sadly discovered my blister wound. Think I’ll spare you the details on that. I went to the kitchen and made some rice and beans. Some people commented on my diner choice, friendly comments full of distain and remembrance for when they ate rice and beans. I went outside on the deck and Simon, a nice Irish fella with a nicer brogue, joined me. He’s been in New Zealand almost a year and plans to head home soon. An electrician by trade, he worked on a farm in Kaikoura while playing rugby. We chatted, discussed his life and a bit of mine, mostly my psychology major. Two English girls, Polly and Fran, joined us. The first thing we heard from Polly was, “It’s like a stir-fry sauna in there!” in response to her glasses fogging up as she walked into the kitchen from the deck. Fran has worked for Harris Bank, but was laid off and using her compensation money to travel. Polly was hoping to end up working in Australia. Brir (said “Breer”), an Irish woman with a beautiful brogue, joined us for a bit. She was headed to Christchurch, so I hinted that I might like a ride. She picked up on my hint and accepted! I had intended on going to Hamner Springs on the way towards Arthur’s Pass, but how could I pass up this opportunity. She headed inside. I was exhausted, so I took that much needed shower and went to bed. FALSE! I joined Simon, Polly, and Fran and we headed to the Irish Bar in town. It was quiz night so we signed up with the name “Quiz on my…”; Polly’s idea. My teammates were 26-28 years old with me, the young Uni kid. I got my first ever pint and it was cider and excellent. The three offered to buy me drinks all night, which I refused though I did accept Fran’s food offer of wedges! We did quite well in the first round: movies/TVs, not as well on the human body. We dominated science though didn’t do well on the sex category. Music was our double points round and we got nine out of ten questions right giving us eighteen points. We did okay on the final round of general knowledge. But guess what? After not placing during the rest of the game, we ended up winning by six points! The prize? A $50 dollar bar tab! We celebrated by drinking it in the form of pitchers full of crazy-sweet-alcoholic-strange-colored-liquid that tasted better all mixed up with the other pitchers. I still can’t believe we won. Sooo good. Afterwards the cold air felt quite warm as we headed back to our rooms to sleep…er…pass out.
Thursday, April 8; Kaikoura to Arthur’s Pass
I woke up a lil’ groggy with a minor headache, but nothing too bad. Brir’s, who was bottom bunk, offer to drive me to Christchurch was still valid so I took her up on it. She shared some tea (I think everyone jut pity’s me…must look hungry). We drove out of town, after I took some pictures of town, after I took some pictures of Mt. Fyffe with NO CLOUDS!!! Ahh picked the wrong day, oh well…never climbed in a snowstorm before but now I have. We picked up Marianne, a French girl headed to Christchurch and then on to France. Brir and Marianne had met the day before while swimming with dolphins. I got to pick the music as shotgun requires and was finally getting use to riding in the left side of the car. The drive was gorgeous (duh, it’s New Zealand). Brir and I sang loudly to some tunes. “Marianne’s a Bitch” by Regina Spektor came on much to Marianne’s surprise. We made it to Christchurch around 12:30 and dropped Marianne off. I helped direct Brir to her backpackers for her stay and helped her find the car return. She had gotten the car with a ¾ tank and had to return it with at least that much. However, she overfilled it in Christchurch and was upset, as the rental company doesn’t pay for the extra gas. She also had two hours before it was due back. I was currently realizing how much of a pain it would be to hitch out of Christchurch, one of New Zealand’s biggest cities. I casually suggested we should go get food and offered Brir $10 to get out of town. We found a dodgy-local place to eat and got weird fried/battered food. Tried my first pineapple-cheese toastie…hmm not bad! Brir drove me to 73, my route out of town towards Arthur’s Pass, and drove me almost 35 kms out of Christchurch. She dropped me off in a small as town and turned around after giving me some cardboard.
I lathered on sunscreen, filled up my water bottles, and scribbled 73 on my sign. It was 2:00 and I had 130 kms to go; so about four more hours or so of daylight. It took longer to get a ride than in Blenheim, but Graham picked me up. He was hopefully heading hunting if his buddy called, but otherwise as going fishing. He took me to the next town where the main road splits. I left my “73” sign, kudos to Brir, in his truck, but realized I would not need it as it was only 73 until Arthur’s Pass anyway. I walked out of the small town (if you can call it a town) and after a bit of waiting (longest so far) a small black car a la knight rider stopped with a Maori woman behind the wheel. This was the first time I was picked up by a woman. I feel bad, as I’ve forgotten her name. She took me two towns farther (one out of her way) to Springfield, fully equipped with a pink Simpsons donut (made out of a large tire). I still had a ways to go and there are no towns between Springfield and Arthur’s Pass. I wasn’t really sure what would happen as there was little traffic. But it wasn’t even 4:00, so plenty of time left to hitch or rather fail at hitching and walk back to Springfield. After the longest wait yet, Christian picked me up; the 20-year-old from Chicago (Wheaton). He’s been in NZ for the past ten years with his family. His dad started a security company after his days working as secret service for Nixon and Ford. Christian was on holiday from the airport where he works on planes. He was headed past Arthur’s Pass, which meant I was going to make it before dark! We chatted up a storm. He even pulled over so I could snag come still pictures. Eventually he dropped me off at the visitor center in Arthur’s Pass.
He left, and I went inside to discover that camping was an easy option, as I’d read. There was a store in town; emphasis on “a”. I bought $20 in supplies including Timtams, which are biscuits famous for being delicious. Also bought a small packet of pasta sauce. I set up my tent…er…shelter, which consisted of a tarp on top, supported by a branch and tent pegs, as well as a tarp below (rain/dew-proof). I made dinner, pasta with my lil’ Kathmandu stove and it worked! It actually cooked quite fast. I covered the pasta with a can of tuna and pasta sauce; not bad. Christoph, a German and my camping neighbor, gave me three apples that he’d picked when Woofing. Guess I must have looked hopeless without a proper tent, but I happily accepted. He also had his eyes on Avalanche Peak and said I could stick my extra stuff in his car, though I’d already enquired with the DOC and they said I could leave my stuff their as well. The kea is around. The only alpine parrot in the world, it’s green with vivid bright colors on its wings. Keas are known for their vast intellect and their interest in stealing your things!!! They live above my “tent” and I’m a bit concerned. Around the campsite, I also met Gabriel from Denmark/Netherlands (I can’t remember which), who may also be climbing Avalanche Peak the following day. After dinner, I was immensely excited with myself for hitching and cooking outdoors. The feeling of being a little self-sufficient is grand. Though in all honesty, hitching is NOT self-sufficient at all. It depends on other people’s kindness; regardless I still feel great! Beginning to understand Chris McCandles more (aka Alex Supertramp…Into the Wild). The people I’ve met are very friendly. Gabriel offered me some coffee and I finally found time to journal. Also, the stars are spectacular…perhaps I need to cease writing and go outside. Though it’s very cold…hopefully I don’t freeze. Hehe I’m so excited.
Friday, April 9, 2010; Avalanche Peak + Derrek
As I write this, I’m warm in my down bag underneath a better shelter. I redesigned my tarp “tent”….it now has rocks weighing it down so the top tarp and the bottom tarp meet on all sides but one.
Today started out frigid! My toes/hand were red and I awoke at five chilly! I went back to bed and eventually warmed up enough to fall asleep. Round seven I emerged from my shelter. I ate my square meal and an orange. Next, I found some hot water from a bathroom near the train station. It burned on my cold hands but I was adamant about warming them up! I packed up my camp into my yellow waterproof pack liner and place only essential plus some extra clothing in my pack. I gave my pack liner to the DOC, filled out an intention form and hit the trail around nine. I was in full gear, minus rain protection, as it was so cold. There was frost outside my shelter. After less than thirty minutes, I was in sunshine and stripped off layer and layer. I wore a plaster plus 3 liners on my right foot for the blister’s sake (though apparently that’s worse as it increases the number of surfaces rubbing…). It felt a bit better, but still rubbed. Thankfully the trail was such that I could often step with it my right foot downward (so on a rock) which lessened the agitation greatly. The trail starts up steeper than Mt. Fyffe and has some rock scrambles—my favorite! After an hour the bush was replaces by grasses, making great views a constant. It was a blue-sky day with few clouds. I eventually made it to the top in time for my 12 o’clock lunch reservation (inside joke with the fam). To get to the top, one has to traverse a ridge that is less than a meter wide with steep slopes on either side. In windy/rainy conditions, people die here…or so I heard from numerous climbers. Thank goodness it was sunny and clear! On top, a kea greeted me. It tried to charm all of us hikers into lowering out guard so it could steel! Smart bird, that kea! I had to watch my back while eating my lunch as it was about a foot away. Though it’s closeness did make for some splendid pictures.
The descent was long as I was still sore from Fyffe. It was also long because I took the longer way down. Finally I found the bottom. The whole way down, I noticed a large waterfall across the valley. I arrived at the bottom around 2:00 and decided I had plenty of time until the DOC closed. I crossed two bridges and hiked the short way to Devil’s Punchbowl Falls (Te Tautea o Hinekahi). I “accidentally” walked off the path and got a closer view of the 160+ feet falls before realizing my “mistake.” I dipped my sweaty head into the cold mountain water. I returned to Arthur’s Pass village of 36 and wne into the Wobbly Kea, the town pub. I got a pint of Monteith’s Ale, very good, and a bag of salt and vinegar chips, even better. My mom always told me beer tastes better after being warm and working so I thought I’d give it a try. Gosh, she’s a wise woman! I went back to the DOC to get my back and found Derrek, Hannah + Anna’s American flatmate, inside! He was traveling solo as well on a long hike and was meeting people in Arthur’s Pass. He pitched his tent while I repitched “mine.” He headed to the falls and I stayed for a much needed shower. $2 for 6 mins of hot water? Alright! Enough time to wash and wash out that nasty blister…er…wound now. The hike was not kind to my heel; I think I’d better not hike for a few days. Derrek returned and we cooked side-by-side; nice to have company. Afterwards, we went back to the Wobbly Kea and stayed warm. I ordered some crushed apple cider, sweet with a lil’ kick. We heard from the bartender that Arthur’s Pass is about 34 people. We headed back to camp: Derrek in his tent, me in mine. Tomorrow Fox/Franz Josef? Who knows?
Saturday, April 10, 2010; Trouble Ahead
Woke up fucking cold; apologize for the language, but profanity is completely nessecary to describe how cold I was. I awoke early early early as I was freezing and after some intense shivering I finally went back to sleep. I reawoke and ate some breakfast: one square meal + water. Christoph, the friendly German, gave me a cup of warm tea. Derreck made porridge. After breakfast I packed up my “tent.” And climbed into Chritoph and Marie’s converted camper van. Oh, what a van! The back seats were sent to a junk shop and a hard mattress replaced it. If was a very comfy hitch though I felt a bit car sick, probably from not sleeping much plus the lack of a seat while driving through twisty mountains. They were paranoid of the police, so I covered myself with sleeping bags. I was so comfortable I fell asleep after helping Christoph and Marie with some English; they speak it so well. I awoke close to Greymouth and we took a picture together and I gave them my fb name. My camera wouldn’t open this morning and I was worried sick. In Greymouth, I went to Dick Smith’s, to another appliance store, and finally to Kodak, where I fixed my camera with the help of their tools. I was ecstatic! I celebrated with photography! Once my camera was fixed, I headed to a YHA to use their internet to check on courses and couch-surfing.
Afterwards, I re-dressed the wound and headed out in socks and jandals to New World, which was quite a walk away. I bought some oats (for breakfasts) and some more beans/fish and a few pieces of fresh fruit for the road. Then I started to walk out of town with a Franz Josef sign made out of boxes of bars I’d just purchased. Before I was even out of town, Peter, a kiwi who owns a carpet business that lets him travel the coast, picked me up. We talked about health psychology and stress. His advice, “always be content” -- don’t think about improving circumstances. He dropped me off in Hokitika, a small town full of pounamu (green stone). I walked to the beach, admired it, and then crossed the lengthy bridge out of town. It was late, around 3ish, which for hitching is late. I kept up my spirits by breaking into song and I progressed further south. Eventually Aaron and David, who I mistook for father-and-son, picked me up. Aaron had recently experienced a bad breakup and David was trying to cheer him up. They drove me south to Ross and told me I could stay there or head back with them. I decided to head back with them. We went to the pub at the hotel they were staying at and David bought a round of pints. David noticed Daniel, a German hitchhiker walking on the beach and invited him to join our silly gang. Together we watched the sun slip beneath the Tasman Sea. B-E-A-Utiful! Then we headed across the street to another pub for more drinks. Their hospitality was unbelievable…almost too unbelievable for comfort. David sensed my distrust and happily helped me try to locate a backpacker’s, but they were closed. During the walk we had a good chat and I realized that these people were honestly just friendly. They then started making fun of my “American suspicion.” He told me people always find him who are searching for something and he then tries to help them search. He’s 45+ (I’d say), homosexual, and a very decent guy with a sense of humor as evidenced by the fact that he wears the one ring to rule them all on his wedding finger. Aaron is a pool shark and showed Daniel and I up! Aaron’s 21 as well. Later we headed to another bar with more drinks! I’d really had plenty, as pints are large. We had more good conversation and many laughs; it was a really nice night. They assumed from the beginning that I’d stay with them in their hotel room and I eventually caved in and I did; plenty of room. Aaron and I chatted more to the background sound of bad covers of American pop. Eventually sleep came.
Reflection on the Trip 3
Hitching is my favorite way to travel. To make a good hitchhiker you have to look friendly, smile at the car, and continue walking to show that you’re serious about getting to where you’re going. Hitching is as much the destination for me as where the towns/sights I wanted to see. I could have seen so much more of New Zealand by renting a car and plowing from town to town, but hitching brought me closer to kiwi life. Everyday I hitched I met friendly strangers that readily chatted with me, especially after telling them I was a psychology major. That was only odd because they all reacted a little negatively and said something along the lines of, “Don’t expect me to tell you my life story” but eventually…they would! To hitch properly you have to have ample time as well as patience. Often when traffic was real slow (which occurred later in my trip) I found myself becoming stressed. Then I’d calm down and remember that I chose to do this and I just have to ‘trust in the road.’ For some reason repeating that in my head gave me hope to continue. It’s hard to explain the beauty of hitching fully, but you’ll just have to trust me that its worth your time!
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