Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Queenstown
After leaving Te Anau, V and I went to Queenstown, which is billed as the "Adventure Capital" of New Zealand. It is a very pretty place, nestled between the mountains and Lake Wakatipu, which is a long, curvy lake that extends for several miles. We stayed at a backpacker that had a beautiful view of the lake. During our time in Queenstown, we went out fishing for salmon on a charter. The man who ran the charter was a retired police detective, and we had an interesting chat with him about his life. Violet caught a fair-sized fish, and we cooked it up for lunch. There's not much else to report about Queenstown, which is unfortunate since this was basically our last stop in New Zealand. After leaving here, we flew back to Auckland, where we spent 2 nights before returning to the airport to fly to Buenos Aires. Here are a few photos from Queenstown and the Lake.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Milford Sound
Departing Wanaka, we took a bus to Te Anau (try as I may, I cannot figure out what the correct pronunciation of Te Anau is; the guidebook says “Tee Uh-Now,” but most people -- even locals -- call it “Tay Ah-New”) which is a gateway to the Milford Sound. On the bus, we met a couple of nice Brits who were living in Melbourne, Australia and happened to be staying at our hostel (the YHA Te Anau -- which was like a 1950s summer camp; ask me about the wrecked bathroom -- not suitable for a blog). We had a good time with them; a lot of backpackers are younger than us, so we have little in common. These guys were in our generation and actually had jobs, so we could relate better.
We had booked a day tour of the Milford Sound (which is actually a fjord, not a sound). The Milford Sound is also the end point of the world-famous Milford Track. Initially, we really wanted to hike the Milford Track, but access to the track has been monopolized. It is a 4-day tramp, and if you want to stay in lodges and have your meals prepared for you, that’s about $2000 per person. For four days. It looked fabulous, but not budget-friendly. The other option was “do-it-yourself,“ in which you stay in NZ Department of Conservation “huts” (a bunkhouse) and bring your own meals and water. This option had two massive downsides: (1) you have to carry your own equipment; the addition of 30 pounds of camping equipment and food is not minor, especially when you‘re an out of shape desk jockey; and (2) I had no idea how much food or water we might use in 4 days, and I did not want to be fighting Violet -- Lord of the Flies style -- for the last granola bar. So, we decided to do the Abel Tasman tramp you heard about earlier. The day tour was probably not as wonderful as the hike, which I’ve heard nothing but raves about, but life is full of hard choices.
The day trip consisted of a scenic bus ride in a coach that made stops at various observation points, including a scenic meadow and a place called “Mirror Lakes.” Here are some photos:
The above picture is from Mirror Lakes. Notice the reflection?
On the way, we also saw some parrots called Kea. Believe it or not, they are carnivorous. They are also extremely mischievous. They love to peck apart rubber, and have been known to pull all the rubber off of a parked car´s windows; tourists are cautioned against leaving vehicles or motorcycles in areas where Kea live, because they will do permanent damage. They are also known to pull up tent pegs and then fly away with them, leaving them far from the poor campers´ tent. Kea became a pest in NZ because they kill sheep to eat them. According to our guide, they have even been known to work as a group, herding sheep and causing them to run off a mountain; the Kea then eat their remains at the bottom. Here is a photo:
When we arrived at the sound, we took a boat out to explore the sound. Here is our boat:
The tour of the sound was beautiful. The biggest peak coming out of the water is called Mitre Peak. In addition to the mountains, we also saw a lot of seals again. There was even a baby seal. Check out my photos:
After the boat ride, we boarded the bus back to Te Anau, where we spent a last night at the YHA before taking the bus to Queenstown, the so-called “Adventure Capital“ of New Zealand (that means it’s a place where lots of idiots jump off whatever heights they can find).
Monday, March 22, 2010
Rafting the Landsborough and Wanaka, New Zealand
Dear Readers,
Sorry it has taken me so long to update the blog. Frankly, internet access is not as easy in South America as it was in New Zealand. I’m going to spend some time today trying to play catch-up. For those who want a preview, we are now in Arequipa, Peru. We’re mostly relaxing, trying to adjust to the altitude here.
Ok, so the rafting trip . . .
I initially booked this rafting trip after speaking with the proprietor of the company about the kind of trip I wanted. In the past five years, I’ve taken four rafting trips on some pretty cool rivers (the Salmon in Idaho, the Illinois in Oregon, the Futaleufu in Patagonia). The Illinois and the Futualeufu (especially) have some major rapids. Violet, however, had never been rafting before. So, I wanted a trip that would have good rapids, but none of the “holy shit” rapids that would scare her too much. I also wanted a multi-day trip, so that we could spend some nights camping and really get away from civilization. So, we found a company on the web that did multi-day trips and I spoke with the guy who ran it, who goes by the name “Southy,” and picked a 3 day trip on the Landsborough River, which is in a mountainous area of the South Island.
Because the Landsborough was several hours’ drive from Christchurch, Southy picked V and I up at the Jailhouse 2 days before any actual rafting occurred. Southy is quite a character. He was very friendly, and we started chatting and laughing about rafting as we drove to the rafting company’s base in Peel Forest, New Zealand. About half an hour into the ride, Southy asks us, “How do you feel about dead animals?” My reply: “It depends what the activity is.” Turns out, Southy needed to stop off at a taxidermy shop (for some mysterious reason). So, we went to a taxidermy shop off the highway with Southy. Outside of it was a huge (let’s say about 3 feet) head of a wild boar, that had been recently preserved for posterity. Inside, were a lot more dead animals in various states of preservation, including more boar, and several deer. It was a bizarre beginning to this piece of our trip, to say the least.
After leaving the taxidermy shop, we drove for about 3 hours, through mostly farming country to Peel Forest. We had not arranged a place to sleep that night, since we’d been given rather sketchy information about where the hell we were going, but Southy said we could camp on his property. That was fine with us (we have sleeping bags). While we were driving, we received several calls from Nic, who was a coworker of Southy’s asking him to pick up various things for the dinner we would share. The main dish? Venison. The perfect post-taxidermist cuisine selection (seriously, it was really good venison).
We got to Southy’s ramshackle house in the middle of nowhere, where we met the guides for our trip (Nic, Slee, Maddy, and a really nice woman whose name I can't remember right now) and the other rafters (Chris the Swiss, Anna, and Maggie). We had a nice evening with them, and ended up sleeping on the floor in our sleeping bags. Unfortunately, there were somewhere near 9 million moths in Southy’s house, most of which were attracted to my large, round, moon-like face for most of the night. I didn’t sleep well, but I survived.
The next morning, we took off early for our long (7 hour) drive to a place where we would catch a helicopter to the river put-in (there are no roads to the point where you begin rafting, so everyone and everything that is going down the river has to be transported by helicopter). The ride was long, but the scenery was beautiful -- rugged mountain ranges and beautiful lakes. Finally, we came to a small town/resort area where we’d pick up the helicopter.
I had never been in a helicopter before, and I was a little apprehensive. So was V. We had some lunch and then waited for the helicopter to be ready to depart. Violet, Maggie, Anna, and I went first, with some of the gear. At first, the helicopter ride was a bit scary, but after a few minutes I really enjoyed it. It swooped between some mountains, following the river we’d be rafting for about 10 minutes, making a big almost-upside-down U-turn to drop us in our camp. The camp was pretty much already set up, with tents left set up for the various groups who would use it over the course of the season. As soon as we got there, it started raining. About 20 minutes after our arrival, the helicopter came back with the rest of the group and gear. We settled into camp, with the guides making us a very good lasagna and garlic bread dinner.
The next day, we got up, had a good breakfast and then had a briefing by the head guide, Nic, on safety and the commands he would use as we paddled. This is pretty standard for river trips. We then got in the boat and began our way down river (there was one paddle boat with the 5 guests and Nic, and another that held the two guides who were doing drills, and a third gear boat with just one guide (Slee) at the oars). We had a really great day of rafting. We started out with level 2 rapids, and then mostly did 3s. There were a few that were 4s, and one which we portaged around as too difficult to raft. There was not another soul in sight the whole day, just our group and the river and the mountains. I am happy to report that after 5 minutes of rafting, Violet announced that she was hooked and wanted to schedule another rafting trip as soon as possible. One of the reasons I get a kick out of rafting is that it is possible to see some really great natural beauty, have a lot of fun on wild rapids, and feel very engaged even if you are not a seasoned expert. Some things, like golf, can’t really be enjoyed without a lot of practice. Rafting is much more accessible. I have gone on some of the wildest water in the world, but I have only rafted 5 times. I highly recommend it to anyone with the slightest sense of adventure.
About 4 p.m., we made camp and had snacks. The guides prepared another great dinner of burgers and corn and home fries. We had a nice time chatting by the fire. We did get eaten alive by sandflies (on both nights). Sandflies are the scourge of New Zealand. Their bites itch for weeks and there were tons of them out to feast on us during the river trip. Even six weeks later, you can still see their marks on my ankles. Oh well, this is the price I pay for going outside.
The next day, we rafted downstream through pretty cruisy waters to the take-out point where our van had been left. We then drove about 3 hours to Wanaka, New Zealand, where Violet and I were to be dropped off. The drive was beautiful, more gorgeous mountains and crystal clear lakes. Wanaka is a beautiful little lakeside town where lots of tourists visit. We had reserved a private room with bath at a hostel there, where we chilled out for 3 days. We didn’t do much in Wanaka other than shower (for the first time in 3 days), wash our clothes, and use the internet. We did take a bike ride around the lake on one of the days. I have a few pictures from that day. This scenery is much like the scenery on the river.
P.S. There aren’t any pictures of the rafting trip because I left my camera in the car. Cameras and water do not mix, and most guides will tell you not to bring a camera or any other electronics on the river.
Sorry it has taken me so long to update the blog. Frankly, internet access is not as easy in South America as it was in New Zealand. I’m going to spend some time today trying to play catch-up. For those who want a preview, we are now in Arequipa, Peru. We’re mostly relaxing, trying to adjust to the altitude here.
Ok, so the rafting trip . . .
I initially booked this rafting trip after speaking with the proprietor of the company about the kind of trip I wanted. In the past five years, I’ve taken four rafting trips on some pretty cool rivers (the Salmon in Idaho, the Illinois in Oregon, the Futaleufu in Patagonia). The Illinois and the Futualeufu (especially) have some major rapids. Violet, however, had never been rafting before. So, I wanted a trip that would have good rapids, but none of the “holy shit” rapids that would scare her too much. I also wanted a multi-day trip, so that we could spend some nights camping and really get away from civilization. So, we found a company on the web that did multi-day trips and I spoke with the guy who ran it, who goes by the name “Southy,” and picked a 3 day trip on the Landsborough River, which is in a mountainous area of the South Island.
Because the Landsborough was several hours’ drive from Christchurch, Southy picked V and I up at the Jailhouse 2 days before any actual rafting occurred. Southy is quite a character. He was very friendly, and we started chatting and laughing about rafting as we drove to the rafting company’s base in Peel Forest, New Zealand. About half an hour into the ride, Southy asks us, “How do you feel about dead animals?” My reply: “It depends what the activity is.” Turns out, Southy needed to stop off at a taxidermy shop (for some mysterious reason). So, we went to a taxidermy shop off the highway with Southy. Outside of it was a huge (let’s say about 3 feet) head of a wild boar, that had been recently preserved for posterity. Inside, were a lot more dead animals in various states of preservation, including more boar, and several deer. It was a bizarre beginning to this piece of our trip, to say the least.
After leaving the taxidermy shop, we drove for about 3 hours, through mostly farming country to Peel Forest. We had not arranged a place to sleep that night, since we’d been given rather sketchy information about where the hell we were going, but Southy said we could camp on his property. That was fine with us (we have sleeping bags). While we were driving, we received several calls from Nic, who was a coworker of Southy’s asking him to pick up various things for the dinner we would share. The main dish? Venison. The perfect post-taxidermist cuisine selection (seriously, it was really good venison).
We got to Southy’s ramshackle house in the middle of nowhere, where we met the guides for our trip (Nic, Slee, Maddy, and a really nice woman whose name I can't remember right now) and the other rafters (Chris the Swiss, Anna, and Maggie). We had a nice evening with them, and ended up sleeping on the floor in our sleeping bags. Unfortunately, there were somewhere near 9 million moths in Southy’s house, most of which were attracted to my large, round, moon-like face for most of the night. I didn’t sleep well, but I survived.
The next morning, we took off early for our long (7 hour) drive to a place where we would catch a helicopter to the river put-in (there are no roads to the point where you begin rafting, so everyone and everything that is going down the river has to be transported by helicopter). The ride was long, but the scenery was beautiful -- rugged mountain ranges and beautiful lakes. Finally, we came to a small town/resort area where we’d pick up the helicopter.
I had never been in a helicopter before, and I was a little apprehensive. So was V. We had some lunch and then waited for the helicopter to be ready to depart. Violet, Maggie, Anna, and I went first, with some of the gear. At first, the helicopter ride was a bit scary, but after a few minutes I really enjoyed it. It swooped between some mountains, following the river we’d be rafting for about 10 minutes, making a big almost-upside-down U-turn to drop us in our camp. The camp was pretty much already set up, with tents left set up for the various groups who would use it over the course of the season. As soon as we got there, it started raining. About 20 minutes after our arrival, the helicopter came back with the rest of the group and gear. We settled into camp, with the guides making us a very good lasagna and garlic bread dinner.
The next day, we got up, had a good breakfast and then had a briefing by the head guide, Nic, on safety and the commands he would use as we paddled. This is pretty standard for river trips. We then got in the boat and began our way down river (there was one paddle boat with the 5 guests and Nic, and another that held the two guides who were doing drills, and a third gear boat with just one guide (Slee) at the oars). We had a really great day of rafting. We started out with level 2 rapids, and then mostly did 3s. There were a few that were 4s, and one which we portaged around as too difficult to raft. There was not another soul in sight the whole day, just our group and the river and the mountains. I am happy to report that after 5 minutes of rafting, Violet announced that she was hooked and wanted to schedule another rafting trip as soon as possible. One of the reasons I get a kick out of rafting is that it is possible to see some really great natural beauty, have a lot of fun on wild rapids, and feel very engaged even if you are not a seasoned expert. Some things, like golf, can’t really be enjoyed without a lot of practice. Rafting is much more accessible. I have gone on some of the wildest water in the world, but I have only rafted 5 times. I highly recommend it to anyone with the slightest sense of adventure.
About 4 p.m., we made camp and had snacks. The guides prepared another great dinner of burgers and corn and home fries. We had a nice time chatting by the fire. We did get eaten alive by sandflies (on both nights). Sandflies are the scourge of New Zealand. Their bites itch for weeks and there were tons of them out to feast on us during the river trip. Even six weeks later, you can still see their marks on my ankles. Oh well, this is the price I pay for going outside.
The next day, we rafted downstream through pretty cruisy waters to the take-out point where our van had been left. We then drove about 3 hours to Wanaka, New Zealand, where Violet and I were to be dropped off. The drive was beautiful, more gorgeous mountains and crystal clear lakes. Wanaka is a beautiful little lakeside town where lots of tourists visit. We had reserved a private room with bath at a hostel there, where we chilled out for 3 days. We didn’t do much in Wanaka other than shower (for the first time in 3 days), wash our clothes, and use the internet. We did take a bike ride around the lake on one of the days. I have a few pictures from that day. This scenery is much like the scenery on the river.
P.S. There aren’t any pictures of the rafting trip because I left my camera in the car. Cameras and water do not mix, and most guides will tell you not to bring a camera or any other electronics on the river.
Christchurch, New Zealand
After leaving Kaikoura, we continued by train to Christchurch, New Zealand. The landscape was beautiful -- coastline receding into farmland.
We had planned to spend a few days in Christchurch, but the outfitter we had planned to go whitewater rafting with let us know they would need to pick us up a few days earlier than expected, so we really only had one day in Christchurch. This turned out not to be a problem, as we found we were able to see (or too poor to see) everything worth seeing in less than 24 hours.
It took us about 4 or 5-hours (by train) to get to Christchurch, where we disembarked and made our way to our backpackers. It was called “Jailhouse Accommodation,” and that’s exactly what it was: a defunct prison. Our room was a cell (though the bars had been replaced with a heavy iron door (or the door was always there, not sure)). The inside of the place looked like the prison from the movie “The Green Mile.“ While this was somewhat entertaining, it was also kind of creepy. Plus, this hostel was so remote from any services travelers might need, that we spent about 45 minutes walking to a grocery store, and another 45 back. This is quite far to walk when you’re hungry and mostly through an industrial area. Also, since it was after 5:30 p.m., everything was closed (in NZ, everything closes “late,” which means at 5:30 p.m.).
Anyhow, the next day, we walked from the prison through a beautiful park (forget the name). Christchurch is very British. They have a beautiful, though small, river called the Avon (I think) that winds through the city. There were little punts taking people for rides up and down the river. There’s also a nice cathedral. We wandered through the downtown in the morning, ate some lunch, and went shopping. (By the by, if you are in the market for clothes, do not go to NZ to buy them. Clothes there are ridiculously overpriced. Literally, $90NZ for a t-shirt. Seriously. This is not one of those times when I’m exaggerating, as I recognize I am wont to sometimes do. No, a T-shirt costs about $70US. A shirt-shirt will run you a good $120NZ. Re-donk-u-lous.) There were several street performers in the main square, whom I think were arriving for an international street busker festival that Christchurch hosts yearly which was to start in a few days’ time. In the later afternoon, we went back to the hostel to meet the owner of the rafting company for a three hour ride further inland. More on the ride and the rafting later.
We had planned to spend a few days in Christchurch, but the outfitter we had planned to go whitewater rafting with let us know they would need to pick us up a few days earlier than expected, so we really only had one day in Christchurch. This turned out not to be a problem, as we found we were able to see (or too poor to see) everything worth seeing in less than 24 hours.
It took us about 4 or 5-hours (by train) to get to Christchurch, where we disembarked and made our way to our backpackers. It was called “Jailhouse Accommodation,” and that’s exactly what it was: a defunct prison. Our room was a cell (though the bars had been replaced with a heavy iron door (or the door was always there, not sure)). The inside of the place looked like the prison from the movie “The Green Mile.“ While this was somewhat entertaining, it was also kind of creepy. Plus, this hostel was so remote from any services travelers might need, that we spent about 45 minutes walking to a grocery store, and another 45 back. This is quite far to walk when you’re hungry and mostly through an industrial area. Also, since it was after 5:30 p.m., everything was closed (in NZ, everything closes “late,” which means at 5:30 p.m.).
Anyhow, the next day, we walked from the prison through a beautiful park (forget the name). Christchurch is very British. They have a beautiful, though small, river called the Avon (I think) that winds through the city. There were little punts taking people for rides up and down the river. There’s also a nice cathedral. We wandered through the downtown in the morning, ate some lunch, and went shopping. (By the by, if you are in the market for clothes, do not go to NZ to buy them. Clothes there are ridiculously overpriced. Literally, $90NZ for a t-shirt. Seriously. This is not one of those times when I’m exaggerating, as I recognize I am wont to sometimes do. No, a T-shirt costs about $70US. A shirt-shirt will run you a good $120NZ. Re-donk-u-lous.) There were several street performers in the main square, whom I think were arriving for an international street busker festival that Christchurch hosts yearly which was to start in a few days’ time. In the later afternoon, we went back to the hostel to meet the owner of the rafting company for a three hour ride further inland. More on the ride and the rafting later.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Kaikoura, New Zealand -- A Visit to a Seal Colony
After our tramp, Violet and I spent a few days just hanging out and cleaning our clothes in Nelson, New Zealand. It was sunny, and we mostly walked around town and visited shops. After leaving Nelson, we headed back to the town of Picton, where we caught a train down the east side of the South Island. A three-hour train journey brought us to the town of Kaikoura.
Kaikoura looked a lot like the towns of the Pacific Northwest in the US -- grayish skies, pine trees along bluffs, and surf. While Kaikoura is well known for whale-watching, we opted not to do that. We had heard from an Irish woman that you pay $100 a person, after which they take you out on a boat that is sonar-equipped for a few hours trying to find whales. During that time, you may only see a whale’s tail or catch a glimpse. As budget travelers, that was more than we could spend for a few hours’ excursion during which we might not get our money’s worth. Instead, we decided to do a hike that included a visit to a seal colony. It was too late to do it that night, so instead we went and ate some delicious chowder (plus a beer for me) at a little café in town. We also decided that if we ever open a backpacker hostel, it will be called Bronwie’s Flophouse and that there will be a lice check on every guest. I don’t want to offend any Kiwis, because NZ is beautiful and its people are wonderful, but we came to the conclusion that there must be a lice epidemic there, because every shop we went in carried six to eight different brands of lice shampoo. I went in a drugstore that didn’t have _soap_. But it _did_ have multiple kinds of lice shampoo. I got to where I began purposely checking out the lice shampoo stock, just out of curiosity. Further confirming our suspicion, when Violet developed a sunburn on her scalp and sought out some dandruff shampoo, the woman assisting her began their discussion by asking Violet if she was “sure [she] didn’t have any gremlins,” while giving a point to her head and a little scratch. For the record, both Violet and I left New Zealand without any lice infestation striking us.
So, after an evening (lice free) at a backpacker hostel that was built in a local landmark (a renovated 1800s post office), we got up early to hike to the seals. It was incredible! The scenery was beautiful and there were many seals. We learned later (in Milford Sound) that seals are nocturnal, so they mostly sleep during the day. Here are some photos of the Kaikoura scenery and of some of the seals in the colony. Also you will see photos from the hike after the sea colony, which took us up a huge bluff and through some pasture land. Sorry for the pictures not following the story, but it's tremendously hired on a wireless connection with a teeny computer to make this look purty.
See how close Violet is to the seals?
There were also sea gulls. And huge pieces of kelp.
Kaikoura looked a lot like the towns of the Pacific Northwest in the US -- grayish skies, pine trees along bluffs, and surf. While Kaikoura is well known for whale-watching, we opted not to do that. We had heard from an Irish woman that you pay $100 a person, after which they take you out on a boat that is sonar-equipped for a few hours trying to find whales. During that time, you may only see a whale’s tail or catch a glimpse. As budget travelers, that was more than we could spend for a few hours’ excursion during which we might not get our money’s worth. Instead, we decided to do a hike that included a visit to a seal colony. It was too late to do it that night, so instead we went and ate some delicious chowder (plus a beer for me) at a little café in town. We also decided that if we ever open a backpacker hostel, it will be called Bronwie’s Flophouse and that there will be a lice check on every guest. I don’t want to offend any Kiwis, because NZ is beautiful and its people are wonderful, but we came to the conclusion that there must be a lice epidemic there, because every shop we went in carried six to eight different brands of lice shampoo. I went in a drugstore that didn’t have _soap_. But it _did_ have multiple kinds of lice shampoo. I got to where I began purposely checking out the lice shampoo stock, just out of curiosity. Further confirming our suspicion, when Violet developed a sunburn on her scalp and sought out some dandruff shampoo, the woman assisting her began their discussion by asking Violet if she was “sure [she] didn’t have any gremlins,” while giving a point to her head and a little scratch. For the record, both Violet and I left New Zealand without any lice infestation striking us.
So, after an evening (lice free) at a backpacker hostel that was built in a local landmark (a renovated 1800s post office), we got up early to hike to the seals. It was incredible! The scenery was beautiful and there were many seals. We learned later (in Milford Sound) that seals are nocturnal, so they mostly sleep during the day. Here are some photos of the Kaikoura scenery and of some of the seals in the colony. Also you will see photos from the hike after the sea colony, which took us up a huge bluff and through some pasture land. Sorry for the pictures not following the story, but it's tremendously hired on a wireless connection with a teeny computer to make this look purty.
See how close Violet is to the seals? 
Here is a picture of part of the colony, so you can get an idea how many seals there were. This is just one section. The seals are the black skinny splotches.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Tramping in Abel Tasman National Park
On the South Island in the northernmost part (referred to as the “Top of the South” by Kiwis), there is a huge bay called the Tasman Bay, on its western side is a national park called Abel Tasman National Park (named after the first European to lay eyes on the south island; Tasman did not actually make landfall, because he got scared off by some Maori warriors, but no matter). We had arranged in advance for a 3-day “tramp” (New Zealand-speak for “hike”) in the park. The company we went with provided guides, nightly lodging, all meals, and ferried all of our belongings except our daypacks on ahead to the lodge where we would spend the night. We decided to do this rather than try to camp on our own (which is allowed, and the NZ Department of Conservation provides “huts” for hikers to cook and sleep in). We went with a company called Wilson’s Abel Tasman Experience (I think that’s right), and were extremely pleased with them.
The first morning, January 13, we got picked up by bus and taken to Wilson’s office where they gave us a briefing and some gear (water bottles and cups, plastic bags, lunch), after which we drove to the last “town” outside of the park: Marahau (pronounced Mare-a-ho). From there, we began our tramp. There were 5 hikers in our group, all women, not counting our guide Lyla. There were also 11 people, who had selected a Wilson’s tour that had them kayaking for the most part, with a bit of hiking (not for me after the arm-wrenching experience on Taupo). The kayaking group joined us at night and for certain hikes. Lyla, our guide, was a veritable hiking machine. She was 56 years old, but she would walk through an estuary at low tide with no shoes on, over thousands of broken mollusk and clam shells. She also could race up a large ridge (--mountain--) far faster than any of the rest of us. While we tramped, Lyla told us things about the plants, animals, and history of the area. She was terrific. I took a picture of her trucking up the trail, but it turned out very fussy. Just picture Glenn Close but extremely tan, barefoot, and friendlier.
The first day was only about 4 hours of hiking. We arrived at a lodge in a place called Torrent Bay at about 5 p.m. One really interesting thing to me was that the high and low tides left certain bays and other water-covered portions of the park crossable by foot during low tide. So, we actually walked across an estuary to get to the lodge at Torrent Bay. It was bizarre to cross the muddy land, knowing that in a few hours, it would all be four or five feet underwater. The ground was littered with shells from mussels and other crustaceans. After arriving at the lodge, we promptly took showers and then got to eating the tasty dinner the lodge staff made for us. The beds were comfy and the food was good. I slept very well.
After a hot breakfast the morning of January 14, we tackled our big day of hiking. It was basically a little bit more 8 hours of walking, but we had about an hour stop for lunch and a swim. The hiking was more difficult than the first day, with three large ridges to summit and then descend. The tallest probably took 45 minutes to get up (so 45 minutes of going steadily uphill) and 25 to get down. By the end of the day, I was very tired and stiff. I was glad to reach the lodge.
The lodge we stayed at on the evening of the 14th was a replica of a home originally owned by ancestors of the Wilson family. It was named Meadowbank. It was very pretty. Lovely to reach after a hard day of hiking. Here are some photos of the lodge and the view from in front of it which I took the morning of the 15th.
On the 15th, the weather was the most beautiful it had been for the whole tramp. We had an easier day of hiking, with only 2 ½ hours of hiking in the morning. After the hike, a boat picked us up to take us back south, but with a stop for lunch, a swim, and an optional hike to a lookout point. Having seen a lot of beautiful lookouts, we opted to just swim and eat lunch.
In total, we hiked (errr, “tramped”) over 20 miles, probably close to 25. I still haven’t gotten straight exactly how to convert from kilometers to miles. It was a very challenging hike for us city dwellers, but it was also quite peaceful and unbelievably beautiful. Pictures follow for your viewing pleasure.
Below, a view of a turqouise bay through the trees.
The first morning, January 13, we got picked up by bus and taken to Wilson’s office where they gave us a briefing and some gear (water bottles and cups, plastic bags, lunch), after which we drove to the last “town” outside of the park: Marahau (pronounced Mare-a-ho). From there, we began our tramp. There were 5 hikers in our group, all women, not counting our guide Lyla. There were also 11 people, who had selected a Wilson’s tour that had them kayaking for the most part, with a bit of hiking (not for me after the arm-wrenching experience on Taupo). The kayaking group joined us at night and for certain hikes. Lyla, our guide, was a veritable hiking machine. She was 56 years old, but she would walk through an estuary at low tide with no shoes on, over thousands of broken mollusk and clam shells. She also could race up a large ridge (--mountain--) far faster than any of the rest of us. While we tramped, Lyla told us things about the plants, animals, and history of the area. She was terrific. I took a picture of her trucking up the trail, but it turned out very fussy. Just picture Glenn Close but extremely tan, barefoot, and friendlier.
The first day was only about 4 hours of hiking. We arrived at a lodge in a place called Torrent Bay at about 5 p.m. One really interesting thing to me was that the high and low tides left certain bays and other water-covered portions of the park crossable by foot during low tide. So, we actually walked across an estuary to get to the lodge at Torrent Bay. It was bizarre to cross the muddy land, knowing that in a few hours, it would all be four or five feet underwater. The ground was littered with shells from mussels and other crustaceans. After arriving at the lodge, we promptly took showers and then got to eating the tasty dinner the lodge staff made for us. The beds were comfy and the food was good. I slept very well.
After a hot breakfast the morning of January 14, we tackled our big day of hiking. It was basically a little bit more 8 hours of walking, but we had about an hour stop for lunch and a swim. The hiking was more difficult than the first day, with three large ridges to summit and then descend. The tallest probably took 45 minutes to get up (so 45 minutes of going steadily uphill) and 25 to get down. By the end of the day, I was very tired and stiff. I was glad to reach the lodge.
The lodge we stayed at on the evening of the 14th was a replica of a home originally owned by ancestors of the Wilson family. It was named Meadowbank. It was very pretty. Lovely to reach after a hard day of hiking. Here are some photos of the lodge and the view from in front of it which I took the morning of the 15th.
On the 15th, the weather was the most beautiful it had been for the whole tramp. We had an easier day of hiking, with only 2 ½ hours of hiking in the morning. After the hike, a boat picked us up to take us back south, but with a stop for lunch, a swim, and an optional hike to a lookout point. Having seen a lot of beautiful lookouts, we opted to just swim and eat lunch.
In total, we hiked (errr, “tramped”) over 20 miles, probably close to 25. I still haven’t gotten straight exactly how to convert from kilometers to miles. It was a very challenging hike for us city dwellers, but it was also quite peaceful and unbelievably beautiful. Pictures follow for your viewing pleasure.
One of many beautiful bays we saw, above and below.
Below, a peaceful creek/river near a more forested part of the walking track.
Below, one of the various gorgeous lookouts from the track.
Below is a swing bridge that we crossed that extended over a river/creek, like the one above. The swingbridge was quite fun.
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