New Zealand is Beautiful!
Saturday April 18, 2009 9:21 PM
April 17 2009
What to say when there is so much I can say. Which stories do I choose to share through these emails and which do I leave out. I just watched a pretty sunset and am now sitting in our van parked on a beach lookout in the Catlins of the south island of New Zealand. I have been in New Zealand for two and a half weeks now, doing and seeing many things. I suppose the best thing to do is start from the beginning.
I flew into Christchurch on the afternoon of April Fool's Day. My host for the few days I was in Christchurch is a Kiwi named Craig. He picked me up from the airport and because he didn't know exactly what I looked like, he asked another woman if she was me before I came out of the airport. She had the perfect response, “No, but I can be Hillary if you give me a lift into town.” All three of us ended up driving into central Christchurch to have a coffee together before Craig dropped her off at her hostel. An excellent first impression of New Zealanders for both of us.
During my stay in Christchurch I did a number of things. The first night I went bowling and hooker spotting, that is, we drove through the “red light” district of Christchurch and pointed out all the hookers we could spot. I took advantage of the luxury of a full kitchen instead of just van facilities by cooking a few tasty things for my hosts. I attended a couchsurfing meeting at a Mexican restaurant that actually had decent looking food for being so far from Mexico; I didn't eat anything more than chips and salsa but the plates I saw going around the room looked tasty. I purchased a few warm weather clothing items at discount, which included a $2 “hobo jacket” (the zipper broke after a week of use, but it did keep me warm while it lasted), a $2 fleece vest (yep, I am a vest wearer now), shoes, three long sleeve shirts and a pair of thermals and wool socks (which I haven't and won't use while in NZ but better to be prepared and not need them than the opposite). One of the last things I did in Christchurch was participate in International Pillow Fight Day. I was super excited to be in the right place at the right time! I heard about it a few days prior and was amped up for the event. When it happened there were less than twenty of us but it was a blast!
My travel partner for this south island adventure is a fellow couchsurfer named Paul. We found each other on the site, our schedules matched well enough so we decided to split the cost by renting a campervan and exploring the country together. Once we had our campervan, which ended up a bit more difficult than expected due to the Easter holiday that neither of us remembered nor anticipated would cause us any trouble, we headed north up the east coast. The next day consisted of a short exploration around Kaikoura then a 6 hour hike up the 1607 meter high Mt. Fyffe.
That first week on the road consisted of wine tasting in the Marlborough region where they specialize in Sauvignon Blanc. Driving between Picton and Havelock on Queen Charolette Rd where the views of the Marlborough Sounds are astounding. Hiking in Able Tasman National Park along Goat Bay. Seeing the Te Waikoropupu Springs, said to be the clearest springs. Seeing Harwoods Hole, the biggest cave in the southern hemisphere. Seeing many waterfalls. Seeing the gorgeous Hokitika Gorge in the morning and wishing it was a hot afternoon so I could swim in the aqua blue water. Hiking, cooking delicious food in the van and saying “wow” “that is so pretty” “how beautiful” and other similar things more times than I can count. It was a fantastic week!
The second week included seeing Franze Joseph Glacier, a glacier that is strangely located in a rain forest. Decided to camp for a night in the wrong place as when the rain stopped the mosquitoes entered our van en mass. I was bitten maybe twice, Paul on the other hand was bitten a few more times; including two bites on his lips that became so swollen that it looked like he had been punched. Camped another night on the summit of the highest paved road in New Zealand with a great view out over the valley that holds Queenstown. While in the Otago region, where they boast about their Pinot Noir, we decided to go wine tasting again. On our way to the first winery we picked up two young female Kiwi hitchhikers. We told them we'll take them to Cromwell if they don't mind stopping a few times before we get there to go wine tasting. It turned out to be quite a fun time. They had never been wine tasting before and one of them, Ana, took a great liking to it immediately. She had thought that people only made up the flavors in wine, so they could sound sophisticated or something. Then she tried multiple good wines in a row and found that in truth each wine does taste different, sometimes by a lot, sometimes by a little. Taking them along made it even more fun.
Still in the second week we headed to Milford Sound. I found the hype about it led to a bit of disappointed, same as the Eiffel Tower. However the two hour drive from Te Anau was so beautiful that it didn't matter. Let me clarify, Milford Sound is pretty, but I was expecting more by all the talk. In the Clifden Caves I got the glowworm cave experience that I wanted, and for free! I wish I had had someone to explore the caves with because the part that I saw was really cool; well worth the short diversion off the main road. I walked among 1000+ year old Totara trees. Saw Lake Huaroko, the deepest lake in New Zealand that actually goes below sea level. And again lots of hiking, cooking delicious food in the van and saying “wow” “that is so pretty” “how beautiful” and other similar things more times than I can count. Then we went to Invercargill.
The Lonely Planet guidebook says that Invercargill is mostly avoided by travelers, or else they just stop by to restock provisions before continuing to other places. I however had a very positive experience in Invercargill. While we were in Queenstown I met a potter at the weekend market (a pottery maker that is, not a relation to Harry Potter). John invited us to his place when we pass through Invercargill. Originally we had planned on skipping the city, but with the invitation and being a little ahead of schedule we decided to give the city a try. This turned out to be a very good decision. John is another very accommodating and generous Kiwi; the type of person that you are glad to have encountered. He showed us around his studio where he not only makes his pottery but also produces the clay he works with from clay he digs out of the ground. His house is filled with pottery that he has made over the years as is his kitchen where all his plates, bowls, cups, dishes, etc. are pottery creations. Eating at his house was a dream come true for me! I could hardly contain my enthusiasm about using these pottery creations for everyday use (not that I tried to contain it). When I was growing up my mom had a set of pottery dishes that she kept in a cabinet, never to be used. I wanted to use them many times but it was always put off to another day. That day never came with that set, but now here in New Zealand that dream finally became reality. He even gave me a pair of cups to take home! Aside from the pottery I also learned a few things, like an intro to wool spinning (fun once you get it going but very tricky when you're a novice) and a few tasty recipes to take back home with me.
We started exploring the Catlins today, including a visit to Slope point, the southernmost point of the south island of New Zealand. There are small islands that are most southerly but other than those, that is the most southerly you can get on a mainland before Antarctica. Pretty cool I think. Tomorrow is the first day of week three. I can't wait to see what is in store!
Adventures in New Zealand
Sunday, May 3, 2009 1:55 PM
May 2
I have arrived in the North Island and oh what a journey.
Where I left you last time was sitting on a beautiful lookout in the Catlins after dark, it was the fourteenth day of my south island road trip. I am not laying in a most comfortable bed in Opotiki. Before I get into the more recent events though I should recount the in between moments, well at least a few of them.
After waking up to a beautiful sunrise in the Catlins that Saturday morning that started week three of south island road trip, we headed to the trail head for the Catlins River Walk. This hike is said to be a five hour way one trek. I could have done it in five hours return but it took me five and a half hours for the whole thing which included a 15 min break at end of the path before I headed back to the beginning. It was a great hike; the path is not man made in the sense that it is packed down with rocks as many paths are, but instead it is maintained as a dirt track filled with tree roots and stairs. This keeps you alert as to where you are stepping plus makes for much better scenery, in my opinion at least. During this hike I didn't see one other person, it provided me with some excellent think time. That night we camped at Cannibal Bay, the name of which makes you think it might be a place better avoided. Thankfully however we didn't run into any cannibals :-) The next day we headed to Dunedin.
When you travel you are bound to meet people from different parts of the world. Most of the time they flow by like the water in a river but there will also be those that stay long enough to exchange contact information in the hopes of staying in touch, and perhaps even seeing each other again one day. Last year while I was in Panama I met a Kiwi girl named Ayla, before we parted ways we exchanged our contact information. Naturally then, finding myself in her home country and planning a route through her city (Dunedin), we arranged to see each other again.
During my visit to Dunedin I stayed with Ayla and her four flatmates. Being students themselves they lived on a street right next to the university along with many other students. The living dynamic they had is one of the best I have seen yet. They all got along really well; they even shopped for food together splitting the bill and often ate dinner together.
My first full day in Dunedin I woke up very early, before anyone else in the house. It was a full day of attending a psychology class with Joe, where I learned about Walter "ice pick" Freeman. (An interesting story if you have some free time to research him.) Walking around the city then having a few drinks and an amalgamation of food for dinner followed by a few games. After everyone else went to bed I found myself still awake: first and last one awake. I think this was because I was stocked up on sleep from going to bed so early in the van and getting nine or ten hours of sleep each night.
The next day we took a day trip to see the albatross. They are massive! I had seen photos of them before but until I saw them in person I really didn't comprehend just how big a bird they are.
The next couple days consisted of driving to Mt. Cook, hiking and driving back to Christchurch. When we got to Christchurch I headed back to Craig and Anthony's flat (the same people I had stayed with three weeks prior) and Paul went his own way. My South Island New Zealand road trip had ended (aside from the drive up to the ferry).
I found myself lucky with timing as I was able to be in Christchurch on a very important day for New Zealand: ANZAC day. I woke up at 4:45am to attend the dawn service in Cathedral Square. It was quite something to see a few thousand people gather together before the sun has even shown her face. Many of these people had red poppies pinned to their shirts. Upon asking what the significance of the poppy is I was told that the numerous dead bodies from the battle were left on the field creating excellent fertilizer for the poppies of the next season. Google before and after photos. At the end of the day I cooked buckwheat sweet potato pancakes and pear ginger pie for a Breakfast For Dinner mini party. If, during your adult life, you haven't eaten breakfast foods for dinner you are missing out. It is especially fun when you're with friends; though that is how it goes in general with eating.
Sunday the 26th of April is the day I rented a car by myself for the first time ever! I thought it was exciting, and still is in fact as I drive around in my snappy Mazda Familia rental car. My drive around the south island included 4229 kilometers, yet to see how my north island adventure will compare.
After I signed the papers, was given the keys and said good bye to Christchurch I headed north to catch an evening ferry to the north island. Just outside the city I came upon two hitch hikers and of course I picked them up! Clara is from Germany and Mac is from New Zealand. It made the drive much more fun having them along. We stopped at a few wineries for tasting; again I introduced this novel activity to a pair of hitch hikers. Then hurried up to Picton for my 6pm ferry crossing on which there were a couple of stowaways. I arrived on the north island of New Zealand in the city of Wellington around 9:30pm. It had been quite an eventful day to begin my north island adventure.
The next day wasn't nearly as eventful as it was quite rainy day in Wellington. I explored the Te Papa museum, which is a perfect thing to do on a rainy day in Wellington. Took care of some photo uploading for your viewing pleasure (www.snapfish.com sign in with email: shiroi_2000@yahoo.com and password: roadtrip) then cooked a tasty pumpkin curry for my hosts Natalie and Drew.
From Wellington I headed to Martinborough and the surrounding area for some wine tasting but also found my way to an especially good chocolate shop. They have some crazy flavors! Chilli, chilli lime, rose, earl grey, geranium, rose and pepper, sea salt, cracked pepper, ginger, coconut, and the list goes on. Mostly they were dark chocolate but they also had some with milk or even white chocolate. All of which were available for tasting! It was amazing. I think dark chocolate with lemongrass and dark chocolate with cardamom were my favorites.
I slept in my car that night. Found a parking spot by the beach in Napier and gave sleeping in the car a try. I have to say, it wasn't that great. This car is just not meant to be slept in. I managed by changing position many times but it isn't something I wish to continue doing for the next couple weeks. Which has brought me to the conclusion that I should attempt to couchsurf more often that I had planned on, even though I don't have a cell phone and figure out what I am doing on a day by day basis. I figure it will work when it does and when it doesn't, I can manage in my car.
After a day of wine, cheese, olive oil and various other treat tasting in the Hawk's Bay region I drove up to Gisborne. The next morning Helen and I drove out to the Rere Rock Slide which was awesome! There is a big rock slope that has a grade of about 45 degrees over which the river flows. It isn't exactly smooth so it is best to have something to slide down on top of. Despite the fact that we were there at 10 in the morning and it wasn't exactly hot I jumped to it. After sliding down three times on top of an inner tube with lots of laughs and excited yelps I had random clumps of thick green algae clinging to my body in various places. Well worth the drive out and cold skin that made itself apparent once the adrenaline settled down.
Upon leaving Gisborne I drove up the east coast, stopping off at East Cape, the most easterly point in New Zealand. When I got to the cape it was raining, but hey I didn't drive all the way there for nothing! So I put my jacket on and hiked up the trail to the light house. When I was done there I headed to Opotiki, which is where I am now.
Whew! This email took way too long to write! Hopefully I won't wait so long next time and therefore won't have as much to write :-)
More stories from The Land of the Long White Cloud
Tuesday, May 12, 2009 8:11 PM
I have been writing notes about what I want to write about in this email on a notepad I have. There is a LOT to say! I think I will have to cut some things shorter than I would like and omit a few others - just to save you from sitting in front of this screen for even longer than you are already about to. Also, because I have written some of these things down once I forget whether or not I have typed them up for you to read. Therefore you may have read a few of these things once before. Feel free to skip it over, or reread it.
ROAD SIGNS
Both Australia and New Zealand have copious amounts of road safety signs. They differ quite a bit though. In Australia the signs mainly consist only of words, such as “Survive This Drive Arrive Alive” and “Take A Rest And Refresh” and “Tired Drivers Die. Take A Break” and “Drowsy Drivers Die.” I saw a few signs in Australia with photos that were very graphic like a pedestrian being hit by a car; those signs however were typically in bus stops and not posted on the side of the highways. New Zealand also has signs with these words but they are more often than not complimented with pictures and the style varies by region. Some areas have pictures are cartoon characters, like a kiwifruit wearing sun glasses accompanied by the words “Sun Strong? Shades On.” Other areas are more dramatic, like a picture of an ambulance with a paramedic with the words “Who's going to drive you home?” or a picture of a driver hitting the steering wheel with their face with the words “Buckle up.”
FOOD
It is Feijoa season right now. (In the states these fruits are called Pineapple Guava but I have never seen or eaten one.) Since my introduction to Feijoas two weeks ago I have eaten SOO many! More than I could even try to look back and count. My first one was in Wellington in a fruit salad. The flavor for me was take it or leave, nothing too special. My host in Gisborne had a tree in her yard so there were plenty to be eaten. I ate one, then another and the flavor really started to grow on me. During my two days stayed with Helen and Biddy in Gisborne I ate about two bowls of these tasty feijoas and they gave me a bag of them for the road. In Opotiki I made a feijoa crumble with these feijoas as well as ate them by themselves. On my drive to Taupo I bought a 2 kilo bag for $2 then on my drive back to Opotiki I stopped twice to pick up feijoas from road side trees. When I arrived back in Opotiki two other people had brought bags of feijoas as well so there were plenty to go around! We made two feijoa crumbles and I still had some to take with me to Kerikeri. I finally ate my last feijoa yesterday. I am crossing my fingers that customs will allow me to bring in the bottled feijoas I made.
I have also eaten a LOT of avocados in the last two weeks. When I left Gisborne I stopped at a fruit and veg shop that had cheap avocados, so I purchased six small ones for $2. Then in Opotiki I was staying with Grant, who is an avocado farmer. I was eating them a lot on bread and rice cakes or with salad. Then I got to reading Grant's avocado cook book. Did you know that avocado and banana go extremely well together? Try this smoothie, it is delicious:
place in a blender:
one avocado
one banana
2 teaspoons honey
about 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I was using vanilla bean so the flavor will be a bit different with extract but still tasty)
at least one glass of milk.
Blend and enjoy!
The less milk you put in the thicker it will be, so just add more milk to get the consistency you desire. Remember though, the more milk you add the more the milk flavor will be apparent and the flavor of the banana, avocado and vanilla will drown, so just taste it along the way.
THE WORLD IS SO SMALL
If you pay close enough attention, the world really is quite small. Sometimes when you aren't even looking you realize this. Here are two recent examples of what I mean. One: When I was walking along the beach at Cathedral Cove I met some people from Mt Aukum, California. Mt. Aukum is a small town right near the small town where I grew up. Two: One of my hosts, Grant, has been on the river that I work in California. He enjoyed it so much in fact that he named his orchard after one of the rapids.
PLACES TO SLEEP
People keep telling me that I am brave or courageous to be traveling by myself. I think that comment has a bit to do with my gender and not just the fact that I am solo. I don't really think of myself as courageous. Though I guess it depends on your definition of courageous. My good friends as dictionary.com define courage as "The quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear" With that definition I suppose I do have courage because I see myself as having more of a lack of fear than a sense of courageousness.
I have been using couchsurfing.com pretty successfully here on the north island. Though of course schedules don't always match and with day by day planning it can be difficult. When I headed towards the Coromandel Peninsula I didn't know where I was going to sleep that night. A hostel is always an option I know, but I figured I would just sleep in my car again. The closer I got to my destination the more I knew that I really didn't want to try to sleep in my car another night; I would much rather sleep the whole night through in a comfortable bed, or at least somewhere flat so that I can stretch out. It was suggested to me a few weeks back to just stop at a farm and offer a trade: a bit of work for a spot to sleep. I figured this would be the best time to try out this idea.
I started looking for a suitable place to ask. But how do you pick a suitable place? What makes this one look more likely to accept me than that one? I had no idea. I drove by a few then came to an area that had no farms. At first I thought that is just my luck, I decide to try this then I run out of places. But of course I came to another area of farmland. I passed one that had a little swing set and slide. I thought that might have been a good place to stop because they have kids so maybe they'd be more likely to accept, then again, maybe that would make them less likely to accept a stranger into their home. I don't know how to pick a place that would be more likely to accept me! I started getting a little anxious. Then I passed a farm with a house about 200m up a gravel road on a bit higher ground with a good sized pile of bailed and wrapped hay. I passed it and thought, “That looks like a good enough place... I should go back.” So I turned around and drove slowly up the gravel road. As I got closer I got more nervous. What should say? How would be the best way of presenting my request? What if they say no? What if they say yes? I figured even if I have to ask ten different places, one of bound to say yes so if they say no here I'll just head down the road and ask someone else.
When I got close to the house a man and a woman (whose names I soon knew to be Andrew and Wendy) were outside obviously busy but curious who was driving up to their house. As I got out of the car they came over to find out what I was up to. They had a skeptical sort of look on their faces; they later told me that they expected me to be trying to sell them something. Our conversation went something like this:
“Hi. I'm Hillary.”
“I'm Andrew.” With a hand shake.
“I'm Wendy.” Another hand shake.
“I was wondering if I could trade a bit of work for a spot to sleep tonight?”
They look at each other, not really knowing what to say
“Well I don't know. What do you think?”
“I don't know. I guess that sounds alright. Yeah, okay!”
“Okay”
“Awesome! Thanks!”
They then gave me a pair of coveralls, good warm socks, gumboots (aka rain boots) and a wool jacket to wear while we herded in the cows. I jumped on the back of a quad with Wendy and we brought in the cows. About half way through it started to rain so we were pretty wet by the end. All the while Wendy told me about cows and how things go on the dairy farm. The next morning I got to help milk the cows. Overall it was a very educational experience. I think I slowed them down a bit more than helped them, but they seemed to enjoy telling me about how things work. There is heaps more I could say about my experience on the dairy farm but instead of going on about it I'll just state that I am fortunate to have chosen their farm to stop at. I am glad to have met these sincere and trusting people.
HIKING
I have done a fair bit of hiking during this trip, especially on the south island. All have offered beautiful scenery. The majority of these hikes have been among trees. The Tongariro Crossing hike is completely different though. A lot of the hike is barren and when you reach the top there is ice on the ground and a freezing wind and tears at your clothing. For this hike I finally got to use those thermals I purchased in Christchurch! The hike was amazing though, especially walking through the crater; it was like walking on another planet. Thankfully I choose a time to go when the path isn't packed with tourists; there were still a good many other people there but I am told that the foot traffic is getting quite low as the weather is getting colder.
A POINT OF CONCERN
This has been mentioned to me and I have observed it in both Australia and New Zealand. The birds of prey like to get a free meal by eating road kill. This is becoming a point of concern because the new generation is not learning how to hunt. Also I have seen a number of these birds dead on the road, which is no wonder because they wait till last possible second to move away from the dead carcass, if they move at all. Then when they do finally fly away from it they are not very swift and often fly the wrong way (in front of, instead of away from, the car).
GREEN KIWIS
Nearly every house I have been to here in New Zealand has some sort of green waste program i.e. feeding kitchen waste to animals or composting it. Kelly, my host in Taupo, had an interesting program worked out. His kitchen was located in the corner of the house, therefore had windows on two walls. Out the window above the sink is where vegetable scrapes was thrown, where it landed in a planter box to decompose. Out the window above the counter is where leftovers were thrown, where it landed on the ground to be eaten my his dogs.
A FEW COMPARISONS
In New Zealand toll free numbers start with 0800 vs. in the USA starting with 1800
In New Zealand (and Australia) when you put a pot of water on the stove to cook noodles or something you bring it to “the boil” vs. in the USA you bring it to “a boil.”
In New Zealand they have relief teachers vs. in the USA they have substitute teachers.
BATHS
I want to get this finished and sent but I promised I would mention my wonderful baths I have had recently. So I will be brief in description.
When I have a house of my own I am definitely creating an outside bath heated by fire. I had the opportunity to use one of these baths a few times and it is amazing! Especially with a nice glass of wine while it is raining, wow.
You just fill the bath about half way, light up a fire in a hole you have underneath the bathtub and wait for the water to get hot. Then you add as much cold water as you like to get the temperature just right. It stays warm for hours because of the coals underneath it. Just make sure to have something to sit on (i.e. a rub mat or flat piece of wood) or else you'll burn your bum!
Home
Sunday, May 24, 2009 6:53 PM
I have arrived home safely after my six months of adventure in Australia and New Zealand. Before I returned to northern California I took a weekend layover in Los Angeles, California. I saw a few friends I haven't seen in much too long and had an enjoyable time. I even got to see a gang of paparazzi accosting a famous person! After Los Angeles I headed to Santa Cruz for a few days then up to the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, where I grew up.
I have heard a number of times about getting a culture shock upon returning home from living in another country. I don't remember experiencing that when I returned from Europe and I don't have it now either. Mostly it feels like I didn't even leave, more like I was just here last week instead of half a year ago. There is one big adjustment I am getting used though: driving. After driving on the other side of the road for six months I am finding myself doing the same things I did at the beginning of my time in Australia. When friends were driving me in Los Angeles I kept thinking that cars were on the wrong side of the road and they weren't cutting a corner tight or wide enough, then I would realize that it was alright because I am back to driving on the right side of the road, not the left. In Santa Cruz it wasn't so bad because I am so familiar with the roads and had been back a few days. I finally drove a friend's car after being back for a week (I don't have a car). Don't worry, I didn't have any trouble remembering where I belonged on the road. I did however have trouble with the turn signal because it is on the opposite side.
Anyway, for the next four months I am working as a white water rafting guide on the South Fork of the American River and perhaps the Middle Fork as well. I have set up my camp for the summer and I'm happy to be back.
Take care!
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