3/3 We couldn’t find out about customs in LA so we wound up waiting at the luggage carousel for nothing. I finally went and asked someone who showed me how to read baggage claim ticket stubs. Ours were checked through to Tahiti. We then went to Air New Zealand and got our tickets. When we tried to go through security we had some trouble as they sent our carry on through the x-ray over and over, finally focusing on Joanne’s. They unpacked it and were very perplexed by her water bottle with built in filter system ( Xstream). They finally decided it was not a bomb and let us continue. I had read that LA was the best place to exchange currency for Tahiti so I did. Big mistake. The exchange rate was bad and fees worse but to add insult to injury their math didn’t even add up. What should have cost about 260 - 270 USD cost 310.15. OUCH. We had lasagna for dinner on the airplane while watching the movie Radio. The attendants were applying alcohol liberally as they went up and down the isles carrying 4 bottles of wine each.
3/4 Faa’a Airport in Papeete, Tahiti is small. After getting our passports stamped we got our bags and went to customs, who was waving every one through. We went out the front door and slept on stone benches in the front courtyard as it was 2am their time 5am our time and nothing would be open for a few hours. When the storage room opened just before 6am we checked our big packs and took our carry-on daypacks and walked over to Air Mo’orea and bought tickets for their first flight of the morning. It was a ten-minute flight in a de Havilind twin otter plane. The Mo’orea airport was open air with birds walking and flying through. We got Joanne some coffee and then went for a walk to see what we found. We wound up walking through a very plush resort, the Ia Ora Soffitel. We went out to their front entrance to catch the Le Truck. The local bus but none came by so we started walking down the road toward the ferry terminal. A security guard from the resort gave us a ride in the back of his pick-up to the terminal. We got a ride with Le Truck north, counterclockwise around the island to la Petite Village. We had a snack and bought postcards. When we enquired about a Le Truck to take us the rest of the way we were first told there wasn’t one, which after repeated I told you so from Joanne turn out to be incorrect. According to the schedule the one we wanted left 10 minutes ago while we were being told there wasn’t one. So we started walking/hitching our way there when in typical Tahitian style the bus did come just 20 minutes late. We arrived at Lina Reva (our resort) 4 hours early but they said no problem your fare (hut) is ready. The fare (pronounced fairy) was awesome. It was very large with a kitchen and bath as well as a covered patio. It was also very authentic with bamboo walls and thatched roof. It had a small lawn and then the beach. We took the kayaks and paddled out to the motu (reef/atoll). The blues and greens of the water were stunning. The ruggedness of the island was much more apparent as we paddled out. The waves crashing on the motu were very loud and making Joanne very nervous. When we got back there was a coconut with straws sticking out of it waiting for us on our deck. As well as a snorkel and mask for each of us. So snorkeling we went. Right at the end of the pier there was a rapid drop off which is perfect for attracting many different kinds of fish. There were so many kinds and the variety of colors was stunning. We then had lunch on Le Bateau (the boat at the end of the pier). I had the Crab Gratin, which was just marvelous. It was pricey but great. We took a nap, applied more sunscreen and took the canoe out toward the motu and went snorkeling in the reef rocks out there. We took pictures with Joanne’s disposable waterproof camera but we liked the fish better in at the end of the dock so back in we went. We swam at the end of the dock taking pictures for about an hour more and then went up near the fare to hide in the shade. Topless women are everywhere so I am happy to just sit and watch the scenery go by. I love this place already. I went kayaking out to the motu alone in the evening and low tide made the return very difficult, as there wasn’t enough clearance for the kayak over much of the reef. It really was getting unsettling, but I finally made it. We had dinner at Le Bateau. I had the Emperor Fish and Joanne had the mussels.The moonrise was outstanding.
3/5 Roosters woke me at 5:30 so we went for an early kayak and then snorkeled from 6:40 - 7:30 when we showered and were served a lovely breakfast on the patio. We then stopped Le Truck by placing rocks and palm fronds on the road. It took us back to the ferry back to the main island of Tahiti. Joanne was worried if we didn’t go early we might get stuck when people celebrating the holiday might shut down early and leave us stranded. The ferry we took was the Mo’orea Express a large catamaran. I went out on the bow to see the hole in the motu. I guess I caused a bit of excitement with the crew as they thought I was going to stay on the bow as we went into open water which was quite rough but I was heading in as they were coming out to get me or so Joanne told me. We were walking around Papeete when we decided to cross the highway illegally by hurtling the median. A man on the far side was quite impressed and made some wise crack so Joanne started asking him questions. We were trying to find out how far around the island Le Truck would take us and then get back. He warned us that they might well take us but getting back could be trouble as we might get stuck when people celebrating the holiday shut down early to party and leave us stranded. So he took us in his personal vehicle for a drive around the north side of the island for 3 hours to the Les Trois Cascades de fa’arumai and back. Ted was from Louisiana and in Tahiti helping a radio station he had set up years earlier. On our way back Ted stopped at a breakwater where he liked to go. While we were walking on top of it a wave crashed 2 feet over the top of it almost sweeping Joanne and Ted off it and drenching all of us. Ted dropped us off at the Beachcomber Resort and we went in and had drinks. We wanted to swim but that was cost prohibitive as you had to get lunch too for about 56$ each. I did want to stay for Dinner but Joanne thought we could find something else. We scammed a free shuttle back to the Airport and saw every thing was closed except a café right next to the Airport where we ate. We should have eaten at the Beachcomber. It probably would have cost twice as much but would have been worth it. We retrieved our luggage from storage. We slept on the grass island in the Airport parking lot, or tried to. Between the pack of four dogs that returned every half hour to bark at us for five minutes before leaving and the roosters who live in trees and don’t know to wait for sun up to start crowing it was hard to sleep. Also the girls who came and literally were picking flowers right over us and the guy with car trouble slamming his door and hood over and over, at least it was free. Oh I almost forgot the snails, sprinklers and airport announcement loudspeakers, but who’s counting. Night, night.
3/6 Lost a day to international dateline.
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3/7 Upon our arrival in Auckland I traded in our Tahitian currency for New Zealand’s and then got more from an ATM. Joanne bought a bottle of Johnny Walker at the Duty Free shop and we went to customs not sure how tough they would be. Turned out not too tough. They looked at Joanne’s boots, asked if everything else was that clean. We said yes and were done. Walked over to Qantas and caught the flight to Christchurch. We got our luggage and caught a shuttle to downtown. We were dropped off in Cathedral Square and Joanne wanted gyros at a little Greek place. Then we went to Foley Towers BP (backpackers, the New Zealand equivalent of a hostel). It was full as was every other BP in Christchurch. We finally found a room at the Marine BP in Sumner, a twenty-minute bus ride east of Christchurch. It was a nice place with a bar attached and ten different NZ beers on tap for me to sample. So we watched rugby, shot darts and tried beers while we did laundry. We went to an Indian restaurant called Indian Sumner for dinner. It was outstanding.
3/8 We rode the bus back into Christchurch and picked up the rental car to drive down to Oamaru where we planned to watch penguins. When we got to Oamaru we called the Olive Grove BP in Waianakarua to tell them we would be late due to penguin watching. They recommended that we come down to a place that they knew of that would be much less of a sideshow atmosphere. So after grocery shopping and stopping by the fire department to exchange patches we went to the Olive Grove and checked in. It was a lovely spot but had been hit with170 km winds during the cyclone that hit in February. Many trees had blown down. Joanne went to cook chicken for dinner and came back to the room saying dinner would be a little late, as she couldn’t set the stove to 350 because it only went to 275. I told her she was incinerating the chicken as 275c = 527f. She hadn’t realized the stove was Celsius. After dinner we followed the owners directions out to the Moeraki lighthouse where we were to find penguins. At the gate there was a sign directing us to an enclosed area where they had penguins that because they were molting needed protection from predators. We got to see two very rare species for that area that blew in with the cyclone, the Erect Crested and the Fiordland Crested as well as the rarest of all penguins the Yellow Eyed penguin. From a blind down by the coast we could watch the Yellow Eyed penguins coming on shore and waddling up the hill. We went for a walk around the exclosure and found some Yellow Eyed penguins up close and personal. I was able to get pictures of them from about four feet away. We also found a sealion We never did see any Blue penguins by dark so we drove home.
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3/9 Woke up at 6:45 and walked down by the creek listening to the birds. After breakfast Joanne wanted to try her hand at driving so she drove us down to the Moeraki Boulders. It is a collection of about 20 spherical boulders about 6 feet in diameter right on the coast. Joanne drove most of the way down to Dunedin but pulled over to trade places before we hit the city traffic. We scouted out the bus depot; car rental and then found a camping store to buy Coleman fuel and dehydrated food for our treks. From there we drove down to Balclutha where we stopped at the visitor center for maps and tips. We took the southern scenic route to Nugget Point, a very photogenic outcropping of rocky cliffs with a lighthouse, seals and sea lions. There were also many different birds including Shags which a similar to Cormorants. In Owaka we went to Surat Bay Lodge but they were full so we called the Hilltop BP, which was recommended by the clerk in the camping store in Dunedin. They had a room but only for the first of the two nights we wanted. On the way we stopped at Purakaunui Falls. It was a beautiful walk through the woods but the falls were rather average. We saw our first NZ pigeon, which we mistook for a hawk, as they are twice the size of our pigeons. As we left we got caught in a cattle drive, which was fun. The BP was a cute little house at the top of a hill with lovely flower gardens surrounding it. To the front a view of the ocean and to the back a view that looked just like the hobbit’s Shire. We drove south through a sheep jam down to Porpoise Bay hoping to see dolphins but no luck. We stopped at Curio Bay right next to it and checked out the petrified wood and a Yellow Eyed penguin that came ashore while we were there and then drove home.
3/10 Joanne woke me to a gorgeous sunrise. I had to get up and take pictures. Soon she joined me and told me I had to get one of the sun shining through the stained glass window in the hall which I did then back outside just in time to photograph a double rainbow over the Shire. The Bellbirds and the Tui were making the most unusual and melodic chorus from the woods it was truly magical. One of our housemates decided to join us for our morning adventures. First we drove south again to McLean Falls. The weather was poor but the woods, falls and birds were outstanding. there were ferns that grow like trees. From there we drove to Cathedral Caves. It is about a 20-minute hike down to the coast and then five more along the coast to the first one. They are only accessible at low tide. The first one is V shaped and about 30 feet high and 100 feet deep. You go in one leg of the V and come out the other. There were many more caves on down the beach. It started to rain very hard so we took shelter in one of the caves but when it showed no sign of letting up we hiked up to the car in the rain. We drove another couple miles to another short hike the Tautuku Boardwalk, where we saw Fantail birds. Still raining hard. We left Martin in Owaka after lunch. We went out past Surat Bay Lodge and walked around the point to see the Elephant Seals and the scenery. Joanne actually went over and touched one that was sleeping in the grass. The weather was actually pretty decent till we got near the car. We got soaked by the time we reached the car. We drove over to Cannibal Bay and got nailed by the rain again. We drove back to Owaka where we were staying at Jack’s Blowhole BP.
3/11 Up early. Drove north to Dunedin where we took care of business, went shopping and returned the rental car. The bus to Te Anau was a double-decker and we got the top front seat. What a way to see the countryside. We stayed at the Lake View Holiday Park in a private little A-frame. We walked into town and had a drink at Bailey’s then walked back home and cooked dinner.
3/12 After a walk, shower and breakfast we checked out and then made phone calls and sent e-mails to line things up for the next week or so. It was a beautiful day so we soaked up some sun and then walked over to Rosie’s BP with all of our gear. Joanne had a tourist take our picture all loaded down. It was a long walk to Rosie’s. Joanne begged for work so Rosie let her mow the lawn and then invited us to join the family for venison dinner, which we gladly accepted. First we took a bike ride to the DOC (Department of Conservation) birdcages to see many of the native birds. Then we went to the Doubtful Sound pre-meeting. Then home for a wonderful dinner, packing and bed, as tomorrow would be early.
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3/13 Up at 5:20 to be ready for the van coming to pick us up and take us to Lake Manapouri for the boat ride across to the waiting 4x4 to take us the rest of the way over the pass to Doubtful Sound. When we got there we suited up and loaded our sea-kayaks and took off down the fiord. There were eight of us, and one guide (Bevin). He led us down Deep Cove and then up Hall Arm where we stopped for lunch before paddling to the very upper end of the arm and then about a third of the way back down to our camp. Joanne shocked everyone by going for a swim in the fiord after we hauled the boats ashore. The weather had been overcast with some drizzle but once we hit camp it rained all night and just kept getting heavier. Each couple got a tent to set up for themselves and there was a screened in tent already set up for cooking and hanging out in to avoid the killer Sand Flies. Sand Flies are a first cousin to our Black Flies. For dinner Joanne and I had steak with sautéed mushrooms, rice, corn, beer, wine, salad and a strawberry cheesecake for dessert. We shared it all with Bevin. They told us to go gourmet so we did.
3/14 Despite heavy rains we survived the night, dry in our tent. Although it sounded like it was still raining after breakfast it was really just water dripping through the rainforest canopy. Doubtful Sound is one of the rainiest places on the planet, but as we put the boats in the water to start paddling the sun came out for the entire day. We paddled out of Hall Arm into the main arm of Doubtful Sound where Joanne spotted Bottlenose Dolphins so we paddled over to them and took pictures. Two of them swam right under our kayak looking up at us. After a while Bevin urged us on to paddle around Elizabeth Island. Joanne and I fell behind the group and I was just finishing changing film in my camera when I heard a blowhole blast just behind me. I looked over my shoulder to see a pod of 11 dolphins swimming right past us. I took a bunch of pictures. Hopefully some will be good. We paddled on around the island, ate lunch and then on to the take out. I was feeling poorly all day and was spent by the end. I slept most of the way home. We went to the Ming Garden for dinner, went home unpacked and repacked for the Milford Track.
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3/15 I am still feeling poorly. We went to the DOC to check in and meet the shuttle bus that takes us to Te Anau Downs, where we meet the boat. The boat was much bigger than I expected and the ride to the trailhead took almost an hour. The hike through the rain forest to the Clinton Hut took only 1-½ hours, so after we settled in we went for a short walk back down the trail to a wetlands interpretive trail. It was a short trail with a boardwalk through the wetlands and small carnivorous plants called Sun Drops. I caught a chill on the walk back to the hut and took a two-hour nap just trying to warm back up. We made lots of good friends that first night.
3/16 I slept like a rock till 4am when I woke feeling lousy with stomach pain, burning up and praying I wouldn’t have to quit. At 6:30 I got up feeling a little better so I decided to continue on. The weather was gorgeous and hiking went pretty well. We saw a pair of Blue Ducks flying upstream. I was fine till the last mile or so when I was burning up. We were one of the first ones to the Mintaro Hut so I took a sponge bath in the sink and then bundled up in warm clothes so as not to catch a chill tonight too. We socialized a lot with new and yesterday’s acquaintances all evening.
3/17 I was the first one up so I went outside. I had slept well and was feeling much better but low on energy. The NZ owl, a Morepork was calling in the dark. As the day broke it was totally socked in. Which was not good for the day with the best views. A Kea (mountain Parrot) was looking for handouts. They are notorious troublemakers and loud too. We hiked up the pass slow and easy. At the memorial on top of the pass instead of awesome views there was fog, drizzle and high winds. We crossed the ridge to the summit hut to wait for the weather to clear as the forecast was for sunshine. So we waited and waited. Others came and left but not us, we made hot lunch on the stove and waited, one hour then two. Joanne was losing faith when finally 2 hours and 15 minutes later we got a glimpse. 5 minutes later another and then another until finally 2 and a half hours after arriving it all broke open and we were richly rewarded with views so grand there aren’t enough expletives to describe it. Balloon Peak was towering over us; Clinton valley opened below us and Jervous Glacier loomed ahead of us on Mount Elliot. The hike down seemed to go on forever. For a long stretch of it you are on a wooden staircase following a series of cascade and waterfalls down the mountainside. Then finally we dropped back down into the rainforest and moss again to the bottom. I took the side hike to Sutherland Falls, the third highest in the world at 1900+ feet. It took 45 minutes each way, there are three individual leaps to the fall and in the sunlight it was stunning. When I got back to Joanne she had toured the hut for “guided hikers” where I left her and said it was quite fancy. For that kind of money it should be. We hiked to Dumpling Hut another 90 minutes down the trail where we “freedom hikers” would stay our last night. We went down to the swimming hole to bath and were nearly eaten alive by Sand Flies. After dinner we walked back up the trail to see Glowworms. On our way we saw a Stoat (NZ weasel) a major environmental problem. We did get to see Glowworms too about 10 minutes back up the trail. They were hanging from roots and under rocks where it was wet enough.
3/18 Only 18 km to go. Our cabin was up very early as many were weary from yesterdays hike and had to make it out to the early boat. They figured they needed an early start. We were the second to last to hit the trail well over an hour behind most. McKay Falls and Bell Rock where both very interesting. There were many cool suspension bridges and the big Giant Gate Falls where we had lunch. We saw 2 black swans as we walked to Sand Fly Point. We arrived just as everyone was boarding the early boat so we quick had someone take our picture at the finish sign and got on the boat to everyone’s surprise as they hadn’t seen us and weren’t expecting us. The trip across Milford Sound was short but the views are amazing. We were able to con our way on to the early bus back to Te Anau. The scenery going up over the pass out of Milford Sound reminded me a lot of Going To The Sun Road in Glacier N.P. but without the cliff drop-offs. When we got back to Te Anau we called Rosie’s and her husband Alistair came and picked us up at the DOC where he works. After showers we went out to dinner at an Italian restaurant. My Ravioli sucked it was way under cooked and had no flavor, when I complained they took it away and never came back. I went to pay the bill and pitch a fit but Rosie’s daughter was the cashier so after stating my dissatisfaction I paid the bill but I was pissed.
3/19 I woke before anyone else. When Alistair got up we talked for quite awhile. Once Joanne got up we started laundry and went down town to shop. When we got back we packed our stuff and went outside to wait for the bus to Queenstown to pick us up at Rosie’s. The bus was a van and our driver was Steve, the bus driver we talked into letting us on the early bus out of Milford Sound yesterday. The front passenger seat was empty so I sat up there and talked with Steve for the 90 minutes or so to Queenstown. He dropped us off right at the door to the Hippo BP where we were staying, which was good because it was up a very steep hill from town. Being up on the hill we had a killer view from both the living room and the bedroom. After settling in we walked downtown. I stopped at the fire department to trade patches and then we cruised gift and jewelry stores till I worked up a powerful thirst. After the pub we walked up the steep hill to Hippo BP and took care of a lot of business. Then we went back down for dinner at the Beef Eater. They had a byob sign in the window so I bought a 6 pack and the restaurant was going to charge a 4$ per bottle corkage fee. Can you believe it? After a short chat we agreed to a one-time charge no matter how many were drunk. The food was very good. We wandered around town and then went home to bed.
3/20 We got all packed for the Routeburn Track and went downtown to post some mail and check in at the DOC for the tramp then back to the Hippo BP. Zondra was waiting for us when we got there. After hellos we put what we wouldn’t need in storage and went back downtown to kill some time till the shuttle to Glenorchy. There was a nice arts and crafts fair going on down at the waterfront. After killing some time there we met the shuttle and off we went. Glenorchy is a tiny little town. We stopped in the DOC visitor center for a while and then walked down to the wharf and met Zondra who had hitchhiked there. The boat from Kinloch BP came across the lake to pick us up and take us back to the Resort/BP. Kinloch was very nice. We had to pre-order our dinner, as they were all individually prepared. Joanne had Lamb Cooscoos and I had Fish Cakes in a Chili Sauce followed by Southland Venison Salad and a Quince Tart for dessert. Then we went back and socialized till bed.
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3/21 NZ clocks change for spring. After a wonderful brecky we met the shuttle to the Routeburn Track trailhead. In route we drove past areas used in the LOTR trilogy such as where they used for Isengard. We were on the trail by 10:45. The woods were gorgeous from the start. I took a picture of one waterfall from right at the trailhead. At one creek we crossed some people were practicing to do some canyoneering, which is rappelling down waterfalls. We left before they did the series of falls just below the bridge we were on. We stopped for lunch in a beautiful valley that turned out to be Routeburn Flats. Up the valley we could see Routeburn Falls and the hut we were headed to. As we went to make lunch we had an Oh Shit moment as we realized we had left all of our lunchmeat and cheese in the chilly at Kinloch. Dooh! Oh well, slight change of menu but we won’t starve. After lunch I went on ahead as they wanted an easy pace and I wanted to get up top while our great weather held, as the forecast was not good. I got some great views and went up and checked out the Routeburn Falls and the views above. The hut was really nice and big, with great views. The one end is about 30 feet up on stilts.
3/22 Our luck with the weather quit. It rained all day sometimes hard, sometimes very light but at least the cloud cover was high enough we still got some pretty good views. Harris Lake was beautiful and when I did the side hike up Conical Hill I got glimpse of the lake above the waterfall that feeds Harris Lake but that was about all I got to see. It was the same when we got our first glimpses at Mackenzie Lake. I kept trying to get a photo but it would disappear back into the clouds by the time I got the camera to my face. The descent took a long time and I was disappointed we never got a good look at the valley, as it was obviously stunning. The Mackenzie Hut was not as nice as Routeburn Falls Hut. It had mass beds not individual beds, but that meant Joanne and I could zip our bags together, which was nice. We ate dinner at 4:30 and then again at 8pm. We socialized till about 9 and then went to bed, like every one else already had.
3/23 Well it is a rainforest after all. We were in no rush to head to Divide (the trail end) as our shuttle wasn’t till 3:45pm. So we took our time getting on the trail and hiked slowly when we did. It was completely fogged in so I saved on film. When we got to the Howden Hut we took a long break for two hours. We built a fire and had lunch. On our way down we saw a Kaka the friendly mountain parrot. When we got to the Divide we changed out of our wet gear and into nice dry clothes for the long ride back to Queenstown. A nice new van picked us up with a double front passenger seat where Joanne and I sat. In Te Anau we had to wait to change busses so I got on the Internet to let folks know we were fine. We got back to Queenstown around 8pm and after a shower went out to dinner at the Lone Star, which was wonderful and filling. Two thumbs way up. We said goodbye to Zondra as she was leaving for Christchurch early in the morning.
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3/24 Did laundry and pick up the rental car at QT airport. The Remarkables had a light dusting of snow on them so I tried a photo. We drove the scenic Crown Terrace route to Wanaka and then on between the lakes to Haast Pass. We stopped briefly at Fantail and Thunder Waterfalls on the way down the pass. The drive up the coast was interesting as the onshore wind has severely bent and twisted all of the trees. We drove out to Fox Glacier and hiked right to the base of it. You aren’t supposed to go on it with out a guide so we didn’t. We checked in at the Fox Glacier Holiday Park which although it had been recommended we did not care for.
3/25 Up early to get out to Lake Matheson to try and get “The View of Views” (Mount Cook and Mount Tasman reflecting in the lake) before the sun came over the peaks. Success, we had tried unsuccessfully last night when we found the Blue Mushroom.We drove up to Franz Josef Glacier and walked out to the foot of it too and to the icy river flowing out of it. It was bigger and scenic but we both liked Fox Glacier better. From there we drove to Greymouth and then on to Punakaiki for the Blowhole and the Pancake Rocks. We got there just after King (high) tide, which is the best time to see them and although we saw one great blast of a blowhole I missed getting a photo till they were much smaller blasts. It is a beautiful little park and free. We loved the road and coastal views as we headed up to Hector (north of Westport) to spend the night at the Slaughter House BP. You park your car and then hike ten minutes uphill to the BP but it was on of my favorites. The main common house had a deck all around it with awesome views over the Tasman Sea. Our cabin was more beautiful woodwork just up and behind the main house. All the building material was helicopter in. Joanne made a killer dinner while I talked politics with Germans on the deck.
3/26 Up early hoping for a good sunrise or at least a glimpse of Hector’s Dolphins in the morning surf, which I did get so I went up and woke Joanne so she could see them too. After brecky we went down to the coast where we saw more Hector’s but not close enough and it was too chilly to go try and swim with them which I am told they like. We drove to Murchison where the lady in the visitor center suggested we take the back road to Lake Rotoroa in Nelson Lakes N.P. It was a good way to go. After a short walk along the shore looking at the ducks and mushrooms we drove over to Lake Rotoiti where we camped next to the lake and did the Honey Dew interpretive hike. It looked like rain was coming but the ugly cloud never got closer.
3/27 We took the tent down before brecky, which was good as the ugly cloud and rain arrived during brecky. A NZ Robin was getting friendly. We drove to Nelson where we shopped and took care of business. It was nice but not what I had expected. We drove up to Motueka where we were staying at Baker’s Lodge BP, which Joanne really liked. It was a bit big and industrial for me but the furnishing were all top rate. We took as spin up to Kaiteriteri to scope out where we where going in the morning and ask some questions to help us pack for our 3 day sea kayaking adventure in Abel Tasman N.P. That night we feasted on Lamb, Eggplant, Rice and a bucket of Green Lip Mussel and Clams that Joanne cooked up.
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3/28 Drove to Kaiteriteri and Josh helped us get gear, then we packed our boat and Josh paddled with us for about an hour past Split Rock just to be sure we could handle it on our own with no guide. We got to our campsite at Te Pukatea a bit after noon and set up our tent. After lunch we paddled to Torrent Bay and up Torrent Creek to the bridge at King tide and then hiked upstream to Cleopatra’s Pool where both tried out the natural Hydro slide. Once was enough as it was chilly and the water was cold but we were glad we did it. Once back at Te Pukatea we laid in the sun and read and drank some beer till dinner. We took a night walk with our headlamps over to a cave on the north side of the cove that Joanne had seen in high water but now with the tide out we could walk right through it. When we came out at the far end there were lots of animal sounds on the rocks beyond us. I wanted to go investigate but Joanne was worried they were Harbor Seals with pups and they’d be aggressive so we walked to the south side of the harbor and found cool white and purple crabs to try and catch over there. Suddenly Joanne yelled, “Get over here” so I went and she had found a Blue Penguin hiding in the rocks. After trying to get a photo we figured he was traumatized enough so we went back to the north side to see what was making all the noise. Joanne wouldn’t go past the cave so I went alone. I heard something on my left and looked over to see two more Blue Penguins scurrying off to hide in the rocks. So I yelled to Joanne to come out, as the noise was only harmless little Blue Penguins. I think we saw a total of eight before we left them in peace.
3/29 I got up to get sunrise photos and some of the rocks we played on last night. Then I took the short hike up to the lookout for the view north. When I came back down Joanne was walking the beach. We paddled north to a secluded beach for some quality sunbathing. Joanne went for a walk and found out we were at Mosquito Beach much farther north then we realized. Our beach Tonga Quarry was just one more north so we paddled on up and set up camp. After lunch we paddled north to Shag Harbour at King tide, which was just gorgeous. Then we paddled back around Tonga Island where there were Harbor Seals with pups and numerous Shags. The water was rough and Joanne was eager to get back to camp so we didn’t stay long. We sunbathed and hiked to the caves to the south, which were very impressive. After dinner we looked for penguins and tried to catch more crabs.
3/30 Up for early morning pix again of the sunrise and the caves. Joanne was up when I got back so we paddled back out to Tonga Island and watched the seals and pups playing on the rocks and in the water. The water was calm so we hung around for quite a while. Back at camp we packed up and did some major sunbathing. When the time came we paddled over to the next beach to meet the water taxi with Joanne in the backseat, steering for the first time. The water taxi was a hurry up and wait cluster _____. I would not recommend Kaiteriteri Kayaks. Try Abel Tasman Kayaks instead. We got back to Motueka about 5:30 and had much needed showers after 3 days of sun, sand and saltwater. Then we went to the Gothic Gourmet, which was outstanding, for my birthday dinner. It was expensive but well worth it.
3/31 We took the Queen Charlotte Drive shortcut to Picton. I am not sure it saved any time as it was a very windy road but it was beautiful and well worth doing. We checked in to the Villa BP in Picton and called Hopewell BP to see how long the drive was to get there and if we could bring them anything. They couldn’t find our reservation but after a couple of hours wondering what to do they called and said everything was OK. We went grocery shopping and were amazed that we couldn’t find any Green Lip Mussel to buy for dinner even though Havelock the next town over is the “Green Lip Capitol of the World”.
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4/1 We drove out to Hopewell BP on the world’s best “twisty, turny, bendy, curvy” road according to Joanne. 75 km took 2 ½ hours. I am glad we drove it but the water taxi is the recommended way to go. Sigrit gave us a tour of the grounds ending at our room, which was a very simple yet elegant double en suite. We went for a hot tub in the afternoon. It is on a point that overlooks the Kenepuru Sound. We just relaxed all afternoon, had dinner and socialized till bed.
4/2 Joanne spent the day fishing for Spotties and I went kayaking as best I could. The wind pushed me around pretty severely necessitating a few course changes. Later we went along the shore collecting Blue and Green Lip Mussels, which we had for dinner along with the Spotties Joanne caught. We shared the excess with other guests. Mike the owner and Joanne shared a bottle of his home distilled Bourbon and became good buds. Lynley, Mike’s wife and co-owner gave me a NZ rural fire patch in exchange for one of ours.
4/3 Some of us woke easier than others. It was a gorgeous morning. I took two of the Japanese girls out in the kayaks and taught them some basics. After checking out we hung out enjoying the hammocks and grounds for a couple more hours, which they encourage. Then we drove back the “twisty, turny, bendy, curvy” road to Picton. We stayed at the Villa BP again.
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4/4 Drove up the hill above the Picton docks and got pictures of the Lynx ferry coming in to port. We then checked in our luggage and dropped off our rental car and walked back to the ferry terminal where we bought Tantrix. Check it out on the web. www.Tantrix.com. The ride through the Marlborough Sound and Cook Straight was sweet. The Lynx was very smooth and fast well worth the couple extra bucks it cost. In Wellington we picked up our new rental car and immediately drove north along the coast to Wanganui where we turned inland on Route 4 which had suffered the worst damage we saw anywhere from the cyclone in February. There were many wash outs that took ½ to3/4 of the road. It was amazing that the road was open. We made it to Howard’s Lodge BP about 8 and signed up for the shuttle in the morning. Curt said it was unlikely we would be able to go because of the poor forecast but the forecast was worse for the following days so we said our prayers and went to bed.
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4/5 The weather did not look good. Curt said we could go but it would be a waste as we wouldn’t be able to see anything. All 8 of us who had signed up still wanted to go so he took us. On the shuttle Joanne and I showed every one our dance to push the clouds up. The closer we got the more it worked. Curt was still very pessimistic but we were stoked. We made good time up to the base of Mount Ngauruhoe (Mount Doom in LOTR) so I did the side hike up it, which yielded awesome views of the surrounding landscape and from the top, Mount Ruapehu. It took 80 minutes up but only 20 down. Joanne had hiked on without me. So I tried to catch up. The views of and around Red Crater were breathtaking, as were the Emerald Lakes, which to my surprise were cold. I expected them to be thermal but they weren’t. I was hoping to find Joanne at Blue Lake but she wasn’t there. Finally I caught up with her at Ketetahi Hut soaking up the sun with her hiking partner Celine. They let me rest for a whole ten minutes before marching me down to the trailhead. We passed the Ketetahi Hot Springs on our way down and a cute little waterfall right near the bottom. We had awhile to wait till our shuttle arrived and even then had to wait, as two of our 8 had not returned yet. We had dinner and a hot tub when we got back to Howard’s Lodge.
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4/6 We headed north to Rotorua where we toured Hell's Gate, a mini Yellowstone with more sulfur. It was pretty interesting. At the end of the tour we did a mud bath and soaked in the hot springs. We then went downtown hoping to find Maori crafts but there was little to be seen. We should have paid to go to a Maori village. I did get to trade patches with the fire department. We decided to leave and get over to the Casara Mesa BP in Te Kuiti before dark. The drive over was very nice and I am glad we did it in the daylight. Casara Mesa was nice. It could use a little refinement, but the setting is lovely and the price was the lowest of our trip.
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4/7 Drove to Waitomo and toured the museum before going to Blackwater Rafting Co. once there we got suited up with wetsuits, climbing harnesses, helmets, headlamps and gum boots. Then our guides, Jane and Logan took us in a van to the entrance to the cave where they had an area set up to practice abseiling as we had a 30-meter decent into the cave and the other six customers had little or no experience abseiling. Once everyone was ready were abseiled one at a time down in to the cave. There was one tight squeeze on the way down where you just had to wriggle through. We then passed through various stalagmites till we had to clip in again and turn off our headlamps, Logan connected us one at a time to a zip line or as they say in NZ a flying fox. You pick up your feet and zip across the line in total darkness, when you stopped there were Glowworm on the cave roof above you looking very much like stars in a night sky. It was very cool even as the last one to go. After a break for food and a warm drink they asked for a volunteer and Joanne stepped up. She was given an inner tube and asked to hold it to her butt and jump off the cliff 15 feet into the river below. She did and managed to stay in the tube so they let each of us who would do it in turn. Once again I was last, amazingly no one flipped. The water was shockingly cold. We then pulled ourselves up river on a rope attached to the wall for about 20 minute stopping now and then to look at formations or the Glowworms and the guides would tell us about them. Then the guides had us form a chain and we floated downstream in total darkness except for the glow of the Glowworms. It was very cool. When we reached the point where we jumped in they made us give up our inner tubes and swim or walk the rest of the way. To exit we had to rock climb up two waterfalls, which proved to be a challenge for some in the group. We were all very cold and dying to pee by the end of it but it still gets my must do recommendation in a big way. After showers and warm food we made tracks for Hamilton to meet Yvonne Foreman and Bill Lindberg her SO. Two of her sons, Antanas and Kim (who came with his wife Alex and son Nick 8? and daughter Petra 5?) came later. We had a really nice time visiting, Yvonne had her photo album open to pictures of her visit to the States. Mom and dad looked a lot younger, Antanas got really interested in the album as it had his childhood photos included. After her kids left Yvonne, Bill, Joanne and I went out to dinner at the Museum Café, which was very good. We had great conversation and could easily have talked much longer but Joanne and I had to be up very early the next morning so we called it a night and went back to Yvonne’s to get our car, while there Bill gave us a copy of a book of Maori Woodcarving that he did all the photography for and Yvonne had published. It is very well done with incredible piece of artwork shown; thankfully it made it home in one piece.
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4/8 On the road by 5:10. We drove through the fog till just outside Auckland where it finally cleared off. We dropped off the rental car and checked in. Once at the gate we found a phone booth and made a barrage of phone calls trying to use up our NZ phone cards before we flew out.
Nadi (pronounced Nandi) was very wet as we flew in with huge puddles everywhere. Customs asked a few questions but never looked at anything. We got some Fijian currency from an ATM and were met by Sun Vacations who were a bit sheepish and asked to follow them to their office where they hesitantly explained a hurricane had passed through and was still in the area we were supposed to fly to presently, so we would have to stay the night in Nadi. Joanne let out a big wouuwhooo! Which surprised the hell out of them as they obviously expected us to be upset and just wondered how pissed we would be. We had a great time touring the town and used our voucher for dinner to the fullest having appetizers and Lobster Mornay for dinner. Joanne talked the doorman into opening a coconut for us for free desert.
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4/9 There was some confusion about getting us to the seaplane but we got there and were the only two passengers so Joanne was the co-pilot in the de Havilind Beaver a 4 seater. The flight was about 40 minutes with clear skies and great views of the islands and atolls. We landed in the cove at Turtle Island and caught a water taxi over to Safe Landing our first resort. The damage from the hurricane was visible from the water at Safe Landing three of the bures (huts, pronounced boo-rays) were severely damaged, many trees uprooted and debris everywhere. Rocky the manager greeted us and took us into the dining hall where the dining tables were still nailed to the walls to cover the windows during the storm. Since our bure was one of the ones damaged by the storm we were moved to an en suite double duplex cabin that was very nice. Joanne was talking to one of the girls on the staff about where we were from and asked me to grab my picture of home to show them. I went to grab my journal where the photo was and discovered I had left my journal in the seat back pouch on the plane from Auckland to Nadi. After a lot of swearing I went and talked to Rocky to see if we could get a message to Air New Zealand to have them try to find it. With no phones, poor radio links and some language difficulties who knows what message finally got to Air NZ but the following day the message was no journal. We went swimming and exploring all afternoon. It was absolutely stunning in spite of the damage from the hurricane. We walked around the point at low tide looking for crabs in the web of caves and checking the tidal pools for anything interesting. The winner was a bright blue starfish. Aslo of intrest were the Stick Starfish and the Nautilus shell. We went back and had drinks with a couple from Melbourne till dinner and went to bed shortly after.
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4/10 After a relaxing morning of sunbathing, swimming and lying in hammocks it was time to leave Safe Landing so I asked Rocky to call us a taxi to take us to Otto and Fanny’s Resort and he told me that Otto and Fanny’s did not have a reservation for us. After an hour of radio tag they discovered their error and said that they did have our reservation after all. So we took a water taxi on over and were met by Harry the Chef, manager and son of Otto and Fanny’s. He showed us to our bure, which was a large, authentic Fijian en suite bure. It was nearly lunchtime so after settling in we went to lunch. They had 43 kids from the village there cleaning up the damage from the hurricane, which was much less severe here. Sianna invited us to join her for a boat ride to the Blue Lagoon where the movie of the same name was filmed. It turned into an extended trip on the boat from David’s Place as the captain wanted to go spear fishing, so we all went snorkeling while he fished. The snorkeling was outstanding, so many different fish and brightly colored coral. After an hour or more we got back in the boat and went over to the Blue Lagoon to feed fish a loaf of bread. The fish sure liked it. After a wonderful dinner BBQ we went to David’s Place again for drinks and dancing.
4/11Banana / pineapple pancakes for breakfast. Then on to the Internet to report my credit card lost, but I couldn’t keep a connection long enough to do anything so I had to bite the bullet and make an operator assisted call to Leslie for help. It cost 22 bucks for a couple minutes. We went snorkeling in the “Cabbage Patch” at the south end of the island for a couple of hours, which was wonderful. We saw tons of tropical fish and a huge clam that was two or three feet long. After lunch we walked down the beach to meet a local artist Charles van Sandwyk who animates children’s book particularly fairy tales. He was a bit busy so we agreed to come back in the morning to talk and see some of his work, which you can view at www.Sandwyk.com . Dinner was Indian themed and very good. It was Harry’s birthday, the head chef so we had cake for desert. Then we went to David’s Place for choir night where the staff sings Fijian church song. It was really nice but a bit loud for the acoustics of a tin roof. Walked home in the dark surf of high tide.
4/12 After breakfast we went back to see Charles van Sandwyk and we looked at many of his books. His art is so fitting for children’s books. Then we stopped at David’s Place for a demonstration in coconut harvesting, drinking and eating. After lunch it was time to say goodbye to Harry and Fanny and catch the Awesome Adventure’s Yasawa Flyer a large catamaran that would take us back to Nadi via all the other islands on the way. Sun Vacations was there to meet us at the dock with a private shuttle to the airport. When we checked in they had my Journal waiting for me, which was truly wonderful. I read “the Da Vinci Papers” on the way home finishing just as we came in to Bozeman. We spent the night in Bozeman as today lasted about 40 hours with the International Dateline shift.
