Moving Day

Monday is moving day. We’re heading from the east coast of the South Island to the west, from the Pacific side to the Tasman Sea coast. It began raining as we left Christchurch, the first foul weather of the trip. The steady rain gave way to a light mist as we snaked up the mountains and into the low cloud cover, a surreal drive into the sky.

We stopped in Arthur’s Pass National Park for a short, but steep hike up to the base of Devil’s Punchbowl Falls, a spectacular hundred meter falls made even more dramatic by the morning rain. The path took us within about thirty or forty meters from the foot of the falls, and we soaked up the mist.

From NZ Developed

Bridal Veil Falls was a short but tricky hike through the damp and shaded mountain forest. We didn’t get nearly as close, as the path to the base of the falls was under repair and going was a little muddy and slick. Still, we got a great view of the falls and the tall peaks dotting the skyline of the park. All around the paths and up into the hills, streams burst into waterfalls, spilling over the sides of the canyons and bluffs.

We drove through Arthur’s Pass (955 meters above sea level) after a quick picnic lunch. I used the small gears on our little Toyota hatchback to safely navigate the sixteen percent (!) grade going down into the valley; we were now officially on the West Coast.

From NZ Developed

The scenic overlooks provided dramatic views of the rushing river and many tall, skinny waterfalls that sprouted from the cliffs after the rain.

From NZ Developed

At one stop, a few kea birds were causing a scene -- the curious parrots are famous in New Zealand for their playful antics and thieving ways. One bird made off with a picnicker’s bag of bacon; another chewed at the antenna and rubber piping on their car.

From NZ Developed

Pushing along up the scenic highway 6 along the rugged Tasman coast -- not many swimming beaches or surfers here, the surf is much too rough and the coastline is more rocky than the peaceful sandy beaches of the Pacific coast’s inland coves -- we reached Punakaiki by mid-afternoon, well-ahead of schedule.

From NZ Developed

Punakaiki is the only place in the world with formations of pancake rocks, stacked layers of limestone that do indeed look like flapjacks. We snapped a couple of photos, stopped for a coffee and hit the local grocery store to pick up steaks and potatoes for a Valentine’s Day cook out.

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We rolled into Hokitika with plenty of time to prep food in the hostel’s large and well-equipped kitchen and grill a great meal on the hostel’s back deck before heading to the beach to catch one of Hoki’s amazing sunsets -- just enough cloud for the sun to bounce glowing oranges and reds before dipping below the horizon, leaving a soft, dusky blue light, a great end to our first V-Day together. I don’t know if we’ll ever top it.

From NZ Developed

Honeymoon Blooms

We wanted to splurge on a nice hotel in Christchurch to officially mark our honeymoon, and the Heritage Suites did not disappoint. It had a nearly full kitchen, complete with oven, a full dining room table and a master bedroom loft -- I never thought I’d be in a hotel room with our own staircase. Our suite was in a refurbished government building constructed near the turn of the century. The building fell into disrepair in the seventies and eighties and was nearly razed, but citizen lobbying coupled with a committed developer saved the original building. The detailed woodwork and stained glass were restored and the old offices were transformed into hotel suites.

We got an early start on the 13th, heading away from Cathedral Square, the center of downtown Christchurch, across the Bridge of Remembrance and along the banks of the river Avon. Even early on a Sunday morning, the punters transported tourists downstream toward the city center; like many things European, the Kiwis have adopted this Venitian custom while incorporating their own twist.

From NZ Developed

Christchurch is known as the Garden City, and the well-manicured public flower beds and landscaping certainly lived up to the billing.

From NZ Developed

We spent the morning wandering the Christchurch Botanical Garden, enjoying the subtle scents of roses and the vivid pinks, oranges and yellows of the dahlias and begonias.

From NZ Developed

From NZ Developed

From NZ Developed

From NZ Developed

From NZ Developed

From NZ Developed

We hit the Arts Center, which is housed in what used to be the Christchurch University, just before lunch. The Sunday arts market in the courtyard just outside the center was bustling as crowds mingled between the outdoor vendor tents and the inside rooms, each specializing in a certain artistic trade like pottery, jade carving or woodworking. Street performers were out in full force, as it was the International Busker Festival weekend; one particularly jolly sword-swallower in a kilt entertained a large crowd with jokes and blush-worthy innuendo.

Back at the hotel, we took a break for a well-deserved nap before showering and dressing up for a honeymoon dinner on Christchurch’s Strip, a couple block stretch of bars and restaurants with outdoor eating areas. A delicious steak and seafood meal ended with a flourish, a fantastic interpretation of tiramisu. We headed for the Dux de Lux, a local award-winning microbrewery, to sample a few offerings before making our way back through Cathedral Square and calling it a night.

From NZ Developed

From NZ Developed

Tomorrow we’re back on the road -- we’re heading up through the Southern Alps via Arthur’s Pass for a hike to several waterfalls, before driving up the west coast of the south island to Punakaiki, home of the world’s only pancake rock formations.

Hiking & Hot Springs

We made a delicious home-cooked breakfast and packed a picnic lunch for our morning hike around the Kaikoura peninsula. The hike started at Archer’s beach on the eastern edge of the peninsula and worked its way up the steep bluffs, where we had a commanding view of the small city and its long shoreline.

From NZ Developed

Just to the north of the lookout was the site of a Maori pa, or fort, on the top of a steep, trenched hill. Although there aren’t any remnants of the wooden walls or fortifications, the dug-out steps and ditches that were a key pat of the fort’s defenses are still visible. From there, the track followed the ridge along the bluffs overlooking several bays and inlets, some with groups of seals stretching out to catch some rays.

From NZ Developed

The hike on the top of the ridge, like many in New Zealand, covered both state and private land; along the way, we dodged cow pies and crossed sheep fences.

From NZ Developed

From NZ Developed

Around the south side of the peninsula, we steadily descended into Kairkoura’s South Bay harbor -- I much preferred the approach by land than by sea, that’s for sure. Then, we crossed the isthmus through a scenic wooded path and headed back along Kaikoura’s eastern shore, stopping to admire the wooden sculptures dotting the beach. The two-hour-plus hike was just what we needed; a few days in the car and some touristy activities and we were ready to experience more of the New Zealand wilderness by foot.

From NZ Developed

Of course, as soon as we itched our hiking scratch, it was back into the car. But we didn’t head straight to Christchurch. We decided the night before to to a small detour to Hanmer Springs on the advice of our sea kayaking guide. Even though we only drove about ninety minutes out of the way, we were deep into the remote southern backcountry; we only passed a handful of cars, got no cell reception and wrapped the car around narrow mountain roads, with nothing but a few feet between the road and steep cliffs.

From NZ Developed

Thermal pools are the main attraction in Hanmer Springs. Our sore backs and thighs got some well-needed rest while we relaxed in pools of different temps and featured minerals. Definitely a worthy detour.

We arrived in Christchurch later that night, just in time for us to unpack the car, open a bottle of wine, and plan the next couple of days before heading to bed early, exhausted from the long day of traveling. All of our activities in Christchurch will be within walking distance, so we’ll leave the car parked for the whole next day, thankfully. Tomorrow will also mark the halfway point of the trip -- still hard to believe we’ve done so much, yet have an incredible array of activities still planned.

Wine, Whales and Water Part II

The drive down NZ SH1 from Blenheim to Kaikorua is one spectacular coastal view after another. The sea was rough, with a twenty to twenty-five mile per hour wind blowing in from the southeast, and waves crashed and foamed along the ragged and rocky coastline. Halfway to Kaikoura, fifty or sixty seals were perched along the bluffs and the pups were active, waddling and hopping along, honking at their playmates. We stopped for a few choice pictures, but had to move on quickly to make our whale watch tour.

From NZ Developed

After a day and night of drinking wine, the winding roads along the Pacific coast were working a number on both of our stomachs. When we checked in at the whale watch tour ticket booth, the warning was out: high winds meant rough seas, and rough seas meant a severe seasickness warning. The gift shop had anti-seasickness capulets for sale. We each bought one, and crossed our fingers.

We boarded the eighteen-meter catamaran after a short bus ride to Kaikoura’s South Bay Harbor. The harbor’s unique geography makes it a popular destination for migrating whales. About three miles off shore from the shallow harbor, the sea floor drops to more than 1,000 meters deep and more, a giant refrigerator for shrimp, krill, squid and other treats for humpback, orca, and Kairkoura’s most famous marine residents, the sperm whale. Although January is the best time of year to view migrating whales, a sperm whale was spotted earlier in the day, meaning our chances of seeing a whale were nearly perfect.

A half-hour cruise up, down and through the growing sea swell (just keep your eyes on the horizon, the guide said, and you shouldn’t get sick), we came to a quick stop. Other watch boats and planes began circling close, and soon, the tell-tale spout of air broke the ocean surface and we could see the back humps and blowhole of the sperm whale, equally long as our boat and over twice as heavy. He stayed on the surface for fifteen minutes, re-oxygenating his blood and digesting his most recent catch; it’s too cold to do it in the deep sea where he catches his prey. One last breath and he slowly arched his back, dipped below the surface and spread his tail in the air.

From NZ Developed

The captain then took us towards shore for a chance to view Kaikoura’s other famous marine mammal, the dusky dolphin. Before long, the ocean was teeming with both dusky dolphins, and the more well-known common dolphin, which apparently aren’t all that common in Kaikoura. Lucky us! It’s tough to say how many, but we guessed nearly 100 dolphins swimming around the boat, jumping, diving and flipping in the air. Quite the show!

From NZ Developed

From NZ Developed

With the tour already beating our expectations, we headed out to see again to get another view of the whale, back against the now much rougher seas. Several passengers lost their sea legs, so to speak, and the horizon was getting much more difficult to follow; the sounds and smells of land-lubbers losing their lunch on the high seas only made it tougher. Thankfully, we had only a short cruise before catching another siting of the whale, this time much closer. After another fabulous tail display before a long dive, we headed back to shore. I practically kissed the dock.

From NZ Developed

We stayed in a beachside hostel in Kaikoura, but after a long day of traveling and the exhilarating tour, we couldn’t muster the energy to be social. The en suite kitchenette was much more interesting; after eating out at cafes for every meal for a week, we were never so happy to see a hot plate and our own fridge. We enthusiastically shopped the local grocery store and hacked together a nice home-cooked dinner and breakfast, which put us in a great mood. Tomorrow, it’s more hiking and a drive south to the center of New Zealand’s English-cultural influence, Christchurch.

Wine, Whales and Water: Part I

Once we left artsy confines of Nelson, we were on our own for a bit with no hotel booked for the two nights between Nelson and Christchurch. We headed east over the northern vestiges of the Southern Alps mountain range and down into the broad, fertile flatlands of the Wairau River valley and the heart of the Marlborough wine region.

From NZ Developed

We hired bikes from our hostel in Blenheim and headed out of town (against the wind) to Renwick, a small town surrounded by wineries on all sides. We started at the world’s first carbon-neutral winery at Groves Mill and sampled some of their award-winning Riesling, which surprised us both by being one of our favorites of the day.

From NZ Developed

We enjoyed an excellent vineyard lunch at Wairau River Winery before making our way to the best stop of the day at Vavasour, where we bought two bottles. Then it was a race against time; most wineries are only open until 430 or 5 and we got a bit of a late start, thanks in no small part to the wind in our face on the ride there. We missed a couple of spots, but ended with a great private tasting back in Blenheim, just a few blocks down from the hostel.

From NZ Developed

Back at the hostel, we watch the sunset on the back porch overlooking the river and chatted with the many international travelers staying there. Dutch, French, German, English English and American English could all be heard on the deck over grilling lamb and sausages. We met some excellent travelers from Denmark and shared stories from the road and back home. It was really interesting to hear what people from other countries think about the US, especially our politics. It's humbling how much attention is paid to happenings in the States and how limited my knowledge is of other places and systems. We stayed out quite late, enjoying the unique view of the southern sky and constellations, and more of that fabulous Marlborough wine. All in all, a terrific experience.

After a full day and night of drinking wine, we were off to a slower start the next day on our way to Kaikoura, a small town on the eastern shore. We rolled into town just in time to catch our whale watching tour and what a show!

[to be continued....]

To the South

When we originally planned the trip, our short stay in the north was supposed to be a warm-up of sorts. We though we might be slow to adjust and jet-lagged, and didn’t plan too many activities in advance; we had so much fun, it’s hard to believe that our trip is really just getting started.

The trip through the Rotorua Airport was quite a contrast to flying in the US. After a short check-in, we basically walked right onto the tarmac and into the plane. No security points, no x-rays; didn’t have to take our shoes off even. A friendly sign at baggage check reminded politely: if you have weapons, pack them in your suitcase. The short flight between the islands had some spectacular views of the Marlborough Sounds, and not a cloud in the sky. Too bad the camera was stowed; I’ll make sure to have it on the return flight.

Our hotel in Nelson was in a great spot on the coast with a panoramic view of the mountains and Abel Tasman National Park in the distance.We wandered around the city centre and were almost transported back to State Street in Madison -- lots of art shops, yoga centers and cafes. We even briefly gawked at a little confrontation between a street cop and a vagrant, who was on the phone with his lawyer explaining calmly, “I’m downtown Nelson and my civil rights are being violated by the local police.” Just like home.

From NZ Developed

After lunch we headed to the Nelson Cathedral, famous for its art deco architecture but perhaps more well-known for the contentious design process and construction. Many wanted to combine the traditional features of cathedrals with more contemporary design elements; traditionalists were having none of it. Construction was finally completed in 1965, forty years after ground was first broken.

Then it was time for a hike up to the ‘Centre of New Zealand’ hill in the middle of Nelson. It may not be the actual center, but the hill was one of the first surveying landmarks used in the South Island, and has been commemorated as the centre ever since.

From NZ Developed

The next day, we woke up early and got breakfast to go; in NZ that means meat or veggie and egg pies from the local bakery. Definitely better than an egg McMuffin.

We spent the day on a guided sea kayaking trip through Abel Tasman National Park. Most of the land that makes up the park today was once private land, and there are still a few towns and private tracts of land throughout the park. Back in the twenties and thirties, farmers and loggers stripped the land of nearly all the ancient forest; it was only after the National Park was established in the 1940’s was natural vegetation allowed to grow back. The tour was great; there was only one other couple from New York, also celebrating their honeymoon, in the group with us. The city slickers had tough time keeping up with us -- maybe we aren’t that out of shape!

From NZ Developed

At lunch, our guide Joey took us hiking inland to a cave at the top of a small waterfall. We rock-hopped up and across a frigid fresh water stream and falls to a hidden cave where the water poured in from above. All in all, we spent about six hours on the water, including some time observing the a seal colony on a small, rocky island just off the coast.

From NZ Developed

We got a bunch of great tips from our guide; we’re excited to check out some of the waterfalls and other scenic sights he recommended on the west coast next week. He also practically made us promise to go to Ferg Burger in Queenstown when we’re there at the end of our trip. Though he did say if we order some mammoth burger contraption -- two half-pound patties, a “few good layers” of bacon, two eggs and a bunch of cheese -- that we shouldn’t order the chips to go with it. No kidding.

Tomorrow we head toward wine country. We’ll be biking through the Marlbourough wine region sampling their famous sauvignon blancs. We’re also staying in hostels for the next two nights and we’re looking forward to being budget travelers and meeting other folks from around the world.

[I'm a little behind on posting, just too much other fun stuff to do! I've changed the dates on some posts to reflect where we were in NZ on the date for each.]

The Kiwi Experience

We left the sunny beaches of the Coromandel late Sunday morning and headed inland southwest toward the Maori cultural hub of Rotorua. We grabbed a quick bite along the way at a cafe where we sat outside and fed the frisky sparrows a few bites of our leftover chips. Winding around the countryside, we admired the life of the New Zealand cattle, who lazily munch on open grass plains with hardly a fence or a barn in sight.

The trademark sulfur smell of ‘Rotten-rua’ wafted off the many hot springs dotting the town as we took an afternoon walk through the city. We started in Government Gardens, snapping some shots of the well-manicured flowerbeds and croquet courtyards before heading north along the lakeshore through War Memorial Park, where we side-stepped baby black swans and lots of other tourists.

From NZ Developed

We quickly showered and dressed for our first guided experience so far, a trip through a native Maori village, complete with authentic games and crafts before entering the intricately-carved Maori temple to take in the raucous song and dance of the island’s indigenous people. Then it was time for the hangi, the Maori meal prepared in a dug-out earth oven, using super-heated volcanic rocks and cloths soaked in water to cook the chicken, lamb, veggies, bread and pudding. During dinner, we met a splendid retired couple from Scotland who regaled us with stories from their travels around the world in Chile, the Galapagos, South Africa and Spain to name a few. We’ve practically already booked our next few trips on their advice. On the way home from the hangi, the bus was filled with folks from all around the world and we took turns singing songs from our native countries -- I’m sure the wine from dinner helped!

From NZ Developed

The next day, we headed to Rainbow Springs Wildlife Park to check out some of the indigenous (and introduced) wildlife. The park also operates a kiwi sanctuary and hatchery. The famous flightless bird are seriously endangered; the population of kiwis has dropped from several millions a few decades ago to an estimated 20-30,000 today. Kiwis are an ancient bird, having lived on both the north and south islands free from competition as far back as 80 million years ago. Now possums, dogs, ferrets and other introduced predators are the birds biggest threat -- a kiwi egg laid in the bush [the dense NZ forest] has only a five percent chance of hatching and growing to adulthood. Unfortunately, we couldn't take any pics of the kiwis, as they're very sensitive to light and sound. There were plenty other subjects throughout the park, though.

From NZ Developed

From NZ Developed

After our morning tour of the park under a welcome cloudy sky, we headed back to town for lunch. We happened across the Whiskey & Pig Pub and caught most of the Super Bowl with a tour bus of folks from the States. A few afternoon drinks turned into a relaxing night on the town in Rotorua, including dinner outside as the sunset and an amazing bottle of Pinot Noir from Central Otago, a southern region of the South Island known for excellent red wines -- we’ll actually finish our trip with a day long tour of Otago later this month.

Tomorrow it’s off to the airport to catch a flight to Nelson to begin our whirlwind tour of the South Island.

World Famous in New Zealand

Our photo uploading abilities are limited for the time being. Until we get to a hotel in where we can snag reliable (and inexpensive) wi-fi, we’re only able to post a couple pictures per day. More to come when resources allow.

I started the day at about 530a local time, quietly working my way through tiny Pauanui to the eastern beach to catch a few shots of the sun rising. Clouds prevented any spectacular shots, but it was incredible to think I was among the first on the globe to experience the new day.

In our old age, we’ve come appreciate the value of waking early, even on vacation. We hit the local bakery by 730a and, after packing a day-bag, were on the road for Hahei beach and Cathedral Cove by 8. What we thought would be a simple drive up the Pacific coast quickly took on the feel of a rally race as we weaved and ducked, navigating one hairpin turn after another on what is surely the most serpentine road I’ve ever driven.

From NZ Developed

After almost an hour drive to cover just 30 km, we reached Hahei beach, the starting point for what we hoped would be highlight-filled hike to the picturesque Cathedral Cove. The remnants of last week’s Australian cyclone had other ideas, however, as heavy rains forced the New Zealand conservation department to officially close the trail. A hand-written sign at the the trail head said the path was passable “at your own risk,” but it wasn’t to be. When faced with an eight- to ten-foot drop onto the beach from the outcrop above, we thought we could get down but weren’t exactly sure how to get back up, and we ended up tucking our tails in defeat.

Were it not for that disappointment though, we would have missed the highlight of our day at Stingray Bay. Just around the bend from Cathedral Cove, we swam in the chilly but refreshing turquoise waters in the shallow inlet, surrounded by towering stone cliffs on three sides.

From NZ Developed

After a short break for lunch and a taste of the “world famous in New Zealand” Lemon & Paeroa (sort of a Sprite & ginger ale mix that was begging for a shot of Bacardi Limon), we made our way to Flaxmill Bay for another short hike before heading back to Pauanui a bit early, eager for ice cream and some time off our feet. Tomorrow we’re off to Rotorua, known for its hot springs and the prevalence of the native Maori culture. Is it too soon to say we never want to leave?

From NZ Developed

On the ground

Driving on the left side of the road is truly one of the strangest sensations. All familiar reference points are useless. Each passing oncoming car feels like a game of chicken. Since the left side of my body operates at approximately a kindergarden level, operating the parking break and transmission is a mental exercise. Worst though, is the mind-twisting conspiracy hatched by the diabolic engineers of foreign cars when they swapped the position of the turn signal and windshield wiper control lever. Our first few turns were indicated not by a polite flashing of yellow light but a furious swishing and honking of wipers jumping across dry glass at high power.

Soon enough, though, we were cruising out of Auckland headed east, toward the Coromandel peninsula. It wasn’t long before the bustling four-lane motorway gave way to a progressively narrow two-lane mountain road that twisted its way up, down, around and through the lush New Zealand bush. Gigantic ferns (or trees with broad, fern-like leaves, not sure exactly yet...), several towering at twenty, thirty, maybe even fifty feet tall covered the steep hills with a dense canopy, while shorter shrubs and grasses in a thousand shades of green filled the space underneath. We arrived in Paunaui on the east side of peninsula before our room was ready, and at the suggestion of the wonderfully-friendly host, took an afternoon hike along the beach on the Pacific coast. In just two days, we dipped our feet in the far eastern reaches of the Pacific in Los Angeles, and the western side in New Zealand.

From NZ Developed

We caught dinner in Pauanui’s sister town, Tairua, before driving up Paku Drive to the head of a short trail to the peak of Mount Paku, a volcano that last erupted about 80,000 years ago. The quick but vigorous hike led to spectacular views of Pauanui, Tairua and the Alderman Islands.

From NZ Developed

So far, so good, and this is just day one! Tomorrow, more hiking, maybe swimming, a (sort-of) home cooked meal in a our motor lodge, and more sunscreen. Definitely more sunscreen.

Beating the snow

Laura is a judicious weather-watcher; she always keeps me up to date on the 36-hour and five-day forecast, upcoming storms or extra-cold snaps. When she got her iPhone last year, the Weather Channel app was the first installation; I say she missed her calling as a meteorologist. The constant updates on the chance of rain or the sunny outlook for the week is usually a source of gentle ribbing from me.

But the days of doubting our in-house weather woman are over. Late Saturday night, Laura noticed a winter weather advisory for the coming week. The early forecasts weren't great -- four or five inches of snow each on Monday and Tuesday. Our flight out of Madison on Wednesday wasn't yet in jeopardy. She kept checking and the forecasts only got worse, with weather.com posting on Sunday night that the upcoming storm could be "colossal." We figured our chance of flying out of a colossal snow storm weren't all that great, and went to work right away trying to work out a way we could get out of Madison ahead of the storm -- we were ready to hop on the Mega Bus from Madison to Minneapolis, which wasn't supposed to be too badly affected by the storm, to catch the second leg of our flight to LA.

Thankfully, we didn't need to do anything too drastic. We changed our flights to early Tuesday morning, with no fees. I thought, at the time, my boyish charm and wonderful phone presence convinced the Delta agent to help us out in our time of need, but turned out most major airlines were letting folks switch flights without any charges. And good thing we switched, too. Most flights out of Madison after noon today were cancelled; same with O'Hare and Milwaukee. If we didn't leave when we did, there's a good chance we'd be stuck, either wasting days stuck in the states that we should be spending in New Zealand, or worse...

So here we are in sunny Los Angeles, a day early. Tomorrow, we head to the beach for some bumming and people watching before (finally) catching our flight to Auckland at 9:30 Wednesday night.

[Today's pics aren't ours...too much traveling and not enough good photo chances. Hopefully we'll have some photo updates tomorrow.]