One of my favorite spontaneous things we did: jumped into a freezing river in the afternoon and rode that current all the way home. Just outside of Hokitika on our way to Glacier Country.
Showing posts with label South Island. Show all posts
Showing posts with label South Island. Show all posts
Thursday, April 21, 2011
The Tunnel Trail
From Top to Bottom: (1) Dan at the beginning of the Tunnel Trail,
(2) There must have been a million cicadas - it was unbearably loud,
(3 - 6) Dan and I traipsed around various tunnels with and without paths,
saw incredible foliage, and even spotted a fantail bird.
(7) The exit tunnel on a beautiful day.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
The Palace Backpackers
From Top to Bottom: (1) Dan asleep in our room,
(2) The boys leaving the Palace our last morning,
(3) The porch on the side of our room,
(4) Our balcony,
(5) The walkway up to our balcony from the driveway.
(2) The boys leaving the Palace our last morning,
(3) The porch on the side of our room,
(4) Our balcony,
(5) The walkway up to our balcony from the driveway.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Camping on the Beach
On our drive down the coast through Paparoa National Park we discovered that the DOC campsite (Department of Conservation) we were headed for actually was much further away and we wouldn't make it there that night. So we thought we would look for camping signs or perhaps a free place to stay on the side of the road.
We drove past a huge pasteur that led out to the beach and the boys spotted three campervans sitting at the end of a long road, literally parked right on the beach. So we headed down the road to see if people were just surfing or if they were going to be camping on the beach for the night and if we could find a spot for our tent and car.
"Free camping" or "Guerilla Camping" is something that we're pretty big fans of but it happens to be a hot topic issue here in New Zealand on the South Island. Almost everyone on the South Island seems to be a pair or trio of tourists in a campervan with no toilet driving the islands as we are. But they camp on beaches or on pasteurs and they just shit on the land and peace out. To put it plainly. So obviously New Zealanders are getting upset. We've done an excellent job finding and using public toilets and making sure never to litter and to leave our camping spots as we've found them but I can certainly say not everyone follows those rules of conduct.
We discovered three Germans, two Parisians, and a family of Kiwis (from Auckland) all camping out on the beach for the night in their campervans. The kiwis had a huge firepit going with benches made from beach wood (as well as a palm branch bed) and they invited us to cook and chat with them while the sun set over the ocean. It was amazing. Tim drove off in search of water and actually ended up driving across several fields to find this house and ask them for water and it turned out to be the people whose land we were free camping on! They gave Tim water and sent him on his way - but asked him to drive on the driveway.
He returned to the beach just in time for the most gorgeous sunset of the trip and for a dinner of rice, beans, zucchini, onions, garlic, potato, carrots, and broccoli with teriyaki sauce and a big salad for dessert. Yeah we camp in style. We stayed up late eating and talking with everyone and when the family went to sleep, the boys broke out the cigars and we chatted with the Germans about working in New Zealand while enjoying the warmth of our huge fire.
Westport and The West Coast
We arrived around midnight at a campsite located at an old Railway station stop on the side of the highway. It was packed with campervans and tents but we plopped down on a patch of grass under a full moon. When we woke in the morning we discovered literally hundreds of gnats swarming around us and Adi: it was disgusting and we've never moved out of a campsite so quickly!! We drove away with the windows down to flush out the gnats and stopped about an hour later for breakfast beside the Iron Bridge overlooking the Buller Gorge. I was picking wild blackberries above a waterfall when I somehow slipped and turned my ankle: I was litterally standing one second and then on my hands and knees the next. Although initially I was terrified I'd sprained it, it seemed alright so we jumped back in the car and pushed onwards to Westport, a larger South Island town on the coast.
It should be noted that the South Island towns are SIGNIFICANTLY smaller than North Island ones. There are only 800,000 people living on the whole of the South Island and only 4 million people populating New Zealand all together. So a "large" town on the South Island consists of a few cross streets along a main road with one gas station, library, and grocery chain.
We plunked down in the Westport library to use their free internet and skype with our respective mothers. We ended up needing a good five hours to sit and catch up on our lives and in that time my ankle swelled up and I hobbled down to Subway to steal a bag of ice. Mike and I managed to get yelled at twice in that library (My mom: "Who the hell was that dick?!" Love you mommy) before pushing out of town with new groceries.
As we drove, our exhausted spirits were suddenly lifted as we turned a corner to be greeted with The West Coast and these beautiful waves crashing against the shore. We were driving along the coast in Paparoa National Park and we were in paradise. It was very similar to driving along the Pacific Coast Highway in California but we were in New Zealand and that makes absolutely everything better.
It should be noted that the South Island towns are SIGNIFICANTLY smaller than North Island ones. There are only 800,000 people living on the whole of the South Island and only 4 million people populating New Zealand all together. So a "large" town on the South Island consists of a few cross streets along a main road with one gas station, library, and grocery chain.
We plunked down in the Westport library to use their free internet and skype with our respective mothers. We ended up needing a good five hours to sit and catch up on our lives and in that time my ankle swelled up and I hobbled down to Subway to steal a bag of ice. Mike and I managed to get yelled at twice in that library (My mom: "Who the hell was that dick?!" Love you mommy) before pushing out of town with new groceries.
As we drove, our exhausted spirits were suddenly lifted as we turned a corner to be greeted with The West Coast and these beautiful waves crashing against the shore. We were driving along the coast in Paparoa National Park and we were in paradise. It was very similar to driving along the Pacific Coast Highway in California but we were in New Zealand and that makes absolutely everything better.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
The South Island: Camping to Nelson
From Top to Bottom: (1) Catholic Church in Nelson,
(2) Sunset!,
(3) Mike napping in Nelson,
(4) Anglican Church in Nelson,
(5) Bridal party entertaining us during lunch,
(6) Lunch in the trees,
(7) The road to our campsite,
(8) Crystal clear stream,
(9) Our campsite our first night on the South Island.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Inter-Island Ferry: North Island to the South Island
From Top To Bottom: (1) Sunset on the South Island,
(2) Me soaking up the wind and the view,
(3) Sunset or "Magic Hour",
(4) Pulling out to sea!,
(5) Leaving Wellington's Port on the North Island.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Wellington and The Inter Island Ferry
After we left Foxton Beach we had an enjoyable sunny drive down to Wellington, complete with some Salvation Army shopping and cold drinks from tiny towns along the way. The weather was amazing and we were excited to see Wellington. I'd be told that Wellington was much like Portland or Seattle and that I would love it. I'd say that Wellington is more like San Francisco and Portland had a baby and that I am in love with it.
We only had half a day in Wellington and since the weather was perfect, Mike, Dan and I strolled around the Botanical Gardens while Tim fetched some groceries for our ferry ride that night. We had some good discussions about equality, feminism, and LGBT rights. It was interesting to hear the boys opinions and sometimes a little frustrating but our discussion was handled with grace and I'm grateful that it was a mature discussion that everyone left on a positive note. I think Dan and I discuss things in a simliar manner and I enjoy seeing what he thinks about certain topics Pre-College Years. The gardens were fantastic: there were so many beautiful trees and it was kind of humurous how many times we would be in the middle of a heavy discussion and we would just start taking photos or climbing trees without stopping what we were talking about. I hugged and kissed many trees and the views of the city were great.
Afterwards, we spent time looking for and finally finding a place with computers and internet and briefly caught our mothers on Skype (hi mom!). We rushed off to the Inter Island Ferry which was absolutely awesome. Our Ferry ride was about 3 and a half hours long and began at 6:30pm so we caught an epic sunset as we arrived in the sounds of the South Island. We shared seats and a table with a chatty and interesting Canadian couple, Deb and John, who are traveling the world together and doing many tramping tracks throughout New Zealand. They are both professors and have taken a whole 14 months off from work (which Deb was able to do over a 5 year plan where she received 80% of her paycheck for 4 years and then the remaining 80% her 5th year while traveling). We chatted,ate tuna fish sandwiches, read up about Nelson, and laughed at the Jungle Book playing on the television.
As we entered the sounds of the South Island during the end of sunset, I returned up to the Top Deck of the ship (floor 9) to enjoy the weather, the sunset, and the incredibly green sight of the South Island. I felt as if I was entering Jurassic Park (Mike: "If I were the Captain of this ship I would play Jurassic Park. Hey kids, what's down there in the holding cell? There's a reason we have so many sheep on this ship!"). Tim, Dan, and I chatted with an American father from Arizona (maybe the 5th American I've met down here) who moved to Nelson, New Zealand a year and a half ago with his family when his wife got a job down here. The lights of Picton were shining as we pulled into port, rushed to the car, and set foot on South Island land! Yes!
Now we just needed to find a campsite...
We only had half a day in Wellington and since the weather was perfect, Mike, Dan and I strolled around the Botanical Gardens while Tim fetched some groceries for our ferry ride that night. We had some good discussions about equality, feminism, and LGBT rights. It was interesting to hear the boys opinions and sometimes a little frustrating but our discussion was handled with grace and I'm grateful that it was a mature discussion that everyone left on a positive note. I think Dan and I discuss things in a simliar manner and I enjoy seeing what he thinks about certain topics Pre-College Years. The gardens were fantastic: there were so many beautiful trees and it was kind of humurous how many times we would be in the middle of a heavy discussion and we would just start taking photos or climbing trees without stopping what we were talking about. I hugged and kissed many trees and the views of the city were great.
Afterwards, we spent time looking for and finally finding a place with computers and internet and briefly caught our mothers on Skype (hi mom!). We rushed off to the Inter Island Ferry which was absolutely awesome. Our Ferry ride was about 3 and a half hours long and began at 6:30pm so we caught an epic sunset as we arrived in the sounds of the South Island. We shared seats and a table with a chatty and interesting Canadian couple, Deb and John, who are traveling the world together and doing many tramping tracks throughout New Zealand. They are both professors and have taken a whole 14 months off from work (which Deb was able to do over a 5 year plan where she received 80% of her paycheck for 4 years and then the remaining 80% her 5th year while traveling). We chatted,ate tuna fish sandwiches, read up about Nelson, and laughed at the Jungle Book playing on the television.
As we entered the sounds of the South Island during the end of sunset, I returned up to the Top Deck of the ship (floor 9) to enjoy the weather, the sunset, and the incredibly green sight of the South Island. I felt as if I was entering Jurassic Park (Mike: "If I were the Captain of this ship I would play Jurassic Park. Hey kids, what's down there in the holding cell? There's a reason we have so many sheep on this ship!"). Tim, Dan, and I chatted with an American father from Arizona (maybe the 5th American I've met down here) who moved to Nelson, New Zealand a year and a half ago with his family when his wife got a job down here. The lights of Picton were shining as we pulled into port, rushed to the car, and set foot on South Island land! Yes!
Now we just needed to find a campsite...
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