Kiakoura Weekend

By the second weekend in May, I was so sick of travelling and doing stuff. I mean, a person can only take so much driving and hiking, exploring, having fun and experiencing stuff, right? I mean, it’s ONLY New Zealand. I deserved a weekend off where I could be an American and just lounge snacking, playing games and watching tv while popping back a few beers. Right? BHWHAHAHAHA! JUST KIDDING!

This weekend was different from most, Saturday was 4-wheeling with the Butler crew in Kaikoura, and then Sunday the girls and I took a free bus courtesy of Ilam back up to Kaikoura for the day.

Thought This Was Me... But it's Nicole.

So we pull up to the 4-wheeling place and pile out. The guy looks at us, mostly girls, and starts telling us the rules and how to drive blah blah blah. Then asks a question, I see Damon raise his hand and it seemed like a good idea, so up went the hand. Apparently I signed up for driving a manual ATV (all terrain vehicle). Then we split up into the 10 people in the automatics, and then Damon, Kyle and myself on the manuals. The guy asked who had driven an ATV before, both the guys raise their hand. Then he asks who had driven a manual anything before, again the guys raise their hand. Looking concerned (for a good reason I’m sure) the guy then looked at me obviously asking with his expression... What in the world are you doing here?! I sheepishly looked at him and suggested ‘I’m a quick learner?’ Good enough for him! Honestly, it wasn’t that hard and I thought I picked it up really quickly. And I did! Everyone was really impressed with my mad skillz. In no time I was zipping around like an old pro.

View From a Bluff

Us three with the manuals were allowed to drive in the front of the rest because we were more skilled (that was the assumed part...). Let me tell you, thankfully I was where no one could really see me because I was grinning like a idiot. Just sitting there smiling and laughing and having the time of my life. It was so gratifying having so much control and shifting gears flying up hills, splattering mud, whipping around corners and bounding down hills. We rode for a while and then stopped at the top of a hill where we waited for the others. It was a great view, overcast, but impressive none the less. We were on a bluff overlooking the area around Kaikoura. Then back down the other side and through a stream where we stopped for a bit of tea. On the way back, we went through a large flat expanse where we were allowed to push the ATV’s, and ourselves, seeing how fast we could and would dare to go. The three of us embraced it and picked our speed up to a crazy pace of 66 kilometres and hour! What a thrill for sure.

Zipping Along at Sunset

After that thrill ride, nothing could really compare in excitement. Well, at least for that day I suppose.

The Ilam trip to Kaikoura was great. All you did was sign up, show up and ride. We originally planned to split up. Kristen and Alexis wanted to climb Mt. Fyffe while Juli, Emily and I walked the peninsula hike. But the base of Mt. Fyffe was too far away so w all ended up just staying together. We spent a good bit of time at Seal Reef just checking out the seals and taking pictures. Then walked the 30 or so minutes to the town itself. There we did a spot of shopping and ended up on the rocky beach.

Alright Seal!

Blogger Didn't Like My Sideways Photo

The day ended up being extremely laid back and relaxing. We sat on the beach playing with driftwood making words, playing with the smooth rocks and just talking. Then we explored the beach itself, poking through the piles of debris and wood playing with the sea life. There were these turnicates (sort of like sponge/sea cucumber/plant things) called sea tulips that Alexis lovingly dubbed ‘whale testicles’. We spent a good bit of time throwing those around and playing baseball with them. The highlight of the day was when Alexis threw one at Juli while Juli was making a video of the area saying how much she loved it. Amazingly I was also taking a video and captured the whole thing! It’s a beautiful sight. Juli being adorable, saying how much she loves it here, then she turns and see’s Alexis. What are you doing, she asks. Then Alexis, like a baseball player, whips the whale testicles at her. Juli screams, tries to duck and fails. Thus a chase ensues complete with Kristen waving a stick out of joy hitting it on the ground like a caveman, Emily falling over laughing, and Juli awkwardly trying to chase Alexis on the unstable surface. You have to watch the video to enjoy it half as much as we did at the time and still do reliving the moment. One of the funniest moments EVERRRR.

'Whale Testicles' or... Sea Tulips

And that was what turned out to be my last trip to Kaikoura. A wonderful memory indeed.

Brady Bunch Family Photo

The Wet West Coast

Back in early April, or perhaps it was even late March, my flatmate Alexis asked me if I wanted to go with her and a few other people from her program on an adventure (yes, anything and everything in New Zealand is an adventure!) out to the West Coast. She said there would be a boat tour, hiking part of a great walk, and exploring the towns of Queenstown and Wanaka. Of course I said I was in! Why would I pass down a chance to romp around New Zealand?! Sign me up.

Remarkables Mountain Range at the Airport

About a week after I got back from the North Island ( and week into our second term to my parents chagrin) we got onto a tiny plane with propellers and flew a short 45 minutes (compared to almost 7 hours!) to Queenstown domestic airport. There Alexis, Drea, Alex and I pushed all our gear into a tiny forest green car and drove into QT to Nomads hostel. Somehow we were all upgraded to a more private room! Instead of about 32 beds, there were only 6 in this room. And in the end, no one even joined us. We spent the afternoon exploring the town and then hit the bars that night. But apparently nothing really happens on Saturday nights. Still, we had a lot fun with each other.

the Remarkables at Sunset

The past week the entire West Coast had been pummelled with torrential rain. Queenstown was flooded as were a lot of other places up and down the coast. Luckily we thought of talking to the DOC in regards to the trail we wanted to do (the Routburn) and if it was okay. The ladies there told us that they had heard many of the trails in the Fjordlands were flooded out and our best bet was to talk with that DOC. So early we went and drove an hour and a half to the Fjordlands DOC centre. And as was predicted, the Routburn along with every other trail in the area was closed. They had been helicoptering people out all week and it was far too dangerous to go. As we were trying to figure out what to do, a family came in that had just done a trail called the Hollyford track, and it was completely do-able! New plan! We were warned though that the weather was calling for more heavy rain that night.

Walking the Hollyford Track

The Hollyford track was just inside the national park and was fairly easy. Unfortunately we only had time now to go the 2 ½ hours to the first hut, Hidden Falls Hut. But it was better than nothing. The trail started off with a large swing bridge, the river underneath didn’t seem too swollen; there also wasn’t too many clouds in the sky. About 45 minutes in, we heard rushing water, more than was usual for a small stream. As we turned the bend we saw the trail disappear beneath and broad rushing stream. About 50 meters away from us was bridge that was above the mess, but until that the trail was all washed out. Alexis using her gazelle like legs was able to leap from rock to tree to bush to rock and finally bridge, as was Alex. But Drea and I were stuck with our shorter than the rest legs. Eventually we decided to take the sneakers off and roll up the pants. The water was freezing, but the crossing was heaps more manageable!

Bridge Crossing

After that, it was easy tramping. Tons of foot bridges, Drea counted about 100 in total. Granted, these bridges were maybe 2 feet long, but there were at least 20 significant bridges. We saw some sweet waterfalls and the river we walked besides was beautiful!

Hidden Falls Hut

We got to the hut just as the sun was setting. I chopped/sawed some big sticks and we tried to get a fire started, but it was far to damp. While we ate our meagre dinner of 2 minute noodles, we talked about our game plan.

Alexis: “Guys, I won’t be able to sleep tonight, you know me. Camping equals not sleeping. And I really don’t want to tramp in the rain”

Alex: “I don’t think anyone does...”

Alexis: “Right, so as soon as I hear rain we are hiking out of here. I don’t care if its 6 am or even 5 am.”

Drea and I: “Umm... okay, sure?”

So after a few hours of cards and tea, off to bed we went.

***Sound of Rain***

Alexis: “GUYS! It’s raining!”

Alex: “Are you sure it isn’t the wind?”

Alexis: “Of course I’m sure, let’s go. Time to pack up”

Drea: “What time is it?”

Alex: “2 am”

Me: “Hell no.”

Alexis: “I guess 2 am is pretty early”

So about 3 hours later we all get up and start making breakfast. At this point it was pouring and getting worse by the minute. But it was super dark outside and we only had 2 headlamps. We finally decided to leave when it was a bit lighter out. Finally by 8 am it was bright enough that we could walk without tripping over each other.

Even though we were all bundled up in fleeces and raincoats, the rain was unceasing! Within a half hour my jacket lost its awesome water repelling abilities and I quickly began absorbing water like it was my job. Soon after that my shoes followed suit. I guess it wasn’t that bad though, I mean I was cold anyway so the wetness didn’t really matter. And with my shoes now soaked I didn’t have to actively avoid puddles and could plough through them without care. We were all worried about the state of the stream that was flooded over the path already the day prior, but surprisingly it was seemingly no worse! Getting back to that car was perhaps one of the best things ever! And thanks to Alexis’ breakneck walking speed (which was pretty much jogging for Drea and I) we made it back in about 2 hours!

After stripping down in a port-a-potty and changing into somewhat dry clothes, we got on our way to Milford Sound for our much awaited boat tour.

The drive was incredible. The rain had somewhat abated and the clouds were dissipating. All along the steep cliffs by the road, dozens of tiny braided waterfalls were appearing. It was a sight to see for sure. The road that leads to the Sound encounters a huge blockage of solid cliff. Back in the 40’s or so a crew blasted their way through creating a one lane tunnel. The tunnel is so long that there is a traffic light that aids in telling motorists when it’s their turn to drive through. Each pass is about 15 minutes elapsed. One across its a series of switchbacks down the mountain and into the ‘valley’ area.

The town of Milford is hardly a town because it seems like no one lives there. It’s a hotel (I think...) an airstrip, a small sandwich shop and of course the dock area. We arrived just in time to make some sandwiches out of squished bread and peanut butter and jelly. While we were sitting there by our tiny car a Kea appeared. Keas are awesome parrots that just sorta hop around bugging people and scrounging for food. You have to be careful because they’ll steal or eat your sneakers and anything else rubber! We saw one or two chewing at the rubber lining of windshields and of course tires.

Kea

The boat cruise was really nice. We just sat on the deck with our cameras while the boat started off into the sound and guided us through the many waterfalls and mountains that dotted the landscape. The prominent feature is Mitre Peak, which you see right as you start off from the dock. It’s named so apparently because of its resemblance to the hat of the Pope (a Mitre). Personally, I couldn’t really see it. Perhaps because I couldn’t imagine a mitre or maybe because I couldn’t see the mountain through the mist and rain. Even though it was misty and cloudy, Milford was still as beautiful as ever. I dare to say even more so because mist hanging lazily and almost dreadfully over the place. Like a thick wool blanket, softening the harshness of the place. The rain also added rainbows. I think that in that 2 hour tour I saw more rainbows than I’ve seen in the past 10 years or so. The copious amounts of rain also added so many waterfalls and strengthened the ones that exist even in dry times. It was so dreamy boating through Milford, with the fog, sun shining at times through the thick clouds creating rainbow, the braided falls covering the rock faces. When we got to the mouth of the sound, you could see the raging Tasman sea with a storm coming in. The waves were huge and angry, hitting our boat splashing up the sides. On our way back, we were greeted with a huge brilliant rainbow over the boat station. It was a lovely tour indeed.

The Main Waterfall

Looking Back into Miford

Milford Sound is an amazing place ecologically. A fjord is a valley greeted by glaciers next to the ocean. It’s characterized by the steep slopes of jagged rocks that plunge deep into the sea. At some points, Milford was 1,200 feet deep! In combination with the immense depth and huge amounts of fresh water literally pouring in from the surrounding country side, there is a distinct layer of fresh and salt water. In the fresh water, you find eels and fish, then like a cement wall there are salt water creatures. In the nooks and crannies of the sound you find rare black corals thriving. In the sound are dolphins, penguins, seals and sometimes whales I heard. But all we saw was one lone, tired looking fur seal nestled in the rocks.

Miter Peak Through the Mist

That night we drove all the way from Milford Sound, past Queenstown and another hour north to Wanaka. By the time we got into town, it was nearing 2 am. Knowing this was going to be the case, we called and cancelled our campsite hours ago and planned on just camping on the side of the road. There was really no where outside of Wanaka, so we drove through to what we through was outside the town limits. We kept driving and driving getting more and more tired. Finally we saw a boat launch that seemed off the beaten trail. There were a few no camping signs, but we were desperate and figured it was so late and we’d be off with the sun into town, so there was not much to worry about. We were as discrete as possible, using only one headlamp when absolutely necessary. We tried to conceal our car and camp under/behind a large tree.

A few hours later, I got a bad feeling and woke up. I was getting ready to get back to sleep when I heard a car rolling down the road. Bad. Very bad. I woke Alexis up as the car pulled up beside us. A light shone in our tent. But unlike last time (in the North Island) there was a voice.

Man: “Hullo in there! Anyone home?”

Me: “Yes, is there a problem?”

Man: “Yup, you’re camping here. Didn’t you see the signs?”

Alexis: “No, we came in just a few hours ago”

Me: “Yea, we had been driving for a while and needed a place to sleep. Sorry.”

Man: “Well you picked the wrong place. You see this lake is our drinking water, we don’t want anyone polluting it, there aren’t any bathrooms here. You all need to pack up and leave. I could fine you up to $500 each for this. But I won’t. You need to get out of city limits and sleep in your car. If I catch your, or the cops do, you won’t be so lucky a second time.”

Us: “Yes sir.”

As soon as he left, we all packed up. Still have no idea if he was legit or not, a cop, a ranger, a person. Who knows? We never got out of the tent to see him. But out of town we went, grudgingly. And wouldn’t you know it, just a few feet from where we were camping on the side of the entrance was a port-a-potty. Bleh.

That morning the first order of business was to find a place to sleep that night. The I-site gave us a deal on a mom and pops hostel down the road where we could put our stuff right away. It was a cute little place, and there were only two people in the entire place yet. The plan was to kayak in Lake Wanaka for a hour or so then do a hike nearby. But apparently it was ‘too windy’ to go kayaking, so we scratched that plan. The two hikes nearby that were within reason were Iron Hill (really easy) or Mount Roy (medium difficulty). We headed back to the hostel to get ready.

There we met our bunk mates. There was Brandon and Zach, the two Americans who had been volunteering in the North Island and now travelling, and the ‘Chec guy’. A tall built guy in his late 20’s that meant business. Brandon was a recent college graduate in his year before grad school as an enviro major and Zach was in his gap year between high school and college. The Chec guy was planning on climbing Mt. Roy as well, but he disappeared before we could plan anything with him. The boys weren’t sure what they were doing. So we got ready and headed out to the store to pick up some lunch and then headed off. Mt. Roy was a few miles outside of town, and as we were driving we saw two people hitching. We decided to pick them up, and low and behold... the Americans. We convinced them to climb Mt. Roy with us and our party of 4 became a group of 6.

Mt. Roy was on a sheep farm, though it wasn’t being grazed at the time. It seemed to be a pretty short hike straight up, nothing to hard... famous last words?? Of course that was the day I got stomach cramps and what turned out to be a few miles of switch backs climbing practically the same height of Mt. Fyffe really kicked my butt. But let me tell you, the view was amazing and totally worth it. Not much to see on the way up, but the whole area just opened up. You could see Lake Wanaka spreading out into the mountains with Aspiring Peak and Aspiring National Park in the near North. We didn’t have much time at the summit because the sun was setting and we set off down the mountain at a quick pace.

Almost to the summit!

Back at the hostel, we met up with the Chec who had already done Mt. Roy and the neighbouring peak! We didn’t even see him. He told us that he basically ran the entire thing. Most people I wouldn’t have believed, but this guy was in amazing shape and he looked like he could have climbed any mountain in about twelve minute’s time easily. Incredible. That night was spent cooking an awesome pasta dinner and just sitting around with the other people that had filled up the hostel while we were gone. The thing I love about hostels are the people. They’re all similar in the fact that they want to travel, explore, grow, learn and have fun. But everyone is so different with their culture. There was a fellow who I think was a Spaniard who couldn’t afford a car. So he just strapped everything on his bike and back and rode around! Bananas.

We had an early morning because we had to get the car back and catch our plane home early. But what an incredible experience our West Coast had been! From the bars of Queenstown, to the flooded trails of the Hollyford and the waterfall covered cliffs of the Milford Sound. Then illegally camping in Wanaka and climbing mountains with strangers. What a crazy couple of days indeed.

Want more picture?? Check them out here!

North Island Adventure

It was our final week of break. Hard to believe that this was our final week of April already. It was decided that we were going to go explore the North Island and see what it had to offer.

Day 1

The easiest way to get to the North Island was to fly from Christchurch to Auckland, once there we would pick up our car and be on our merry way. We flew in on one of the last and latest flights, arriving in Auckland around 8:45pm. This was to late for us to pick up our car, so the plan was to find the car in the lot, get in through the back door and grab the key from under the mat. Already we were nervous about this car, we were driving a 4 person car with a hatch back that had enough room for 1 piece of ‘large’ luggage (according to the website). Here we were with 4 people (Damon, Nicole, Juli and myself) and Emily to meet up with us in a few days. We all had our tramping packs and everyone but Damon had a book bag. Wonderful. But little did we know...

9:00 pm: Get to the car, its locked. We check the entire lot to make sure the little green locked Honda Getz was ours. It was. We were sad.

9:15 pm: Damon and I leave the girls to find someone for help

9:20 pm: Finally get a hold of afterhours airport support on the phone. The lady tells us to hold on and that a security officer would meet up with us soon to check our rental papers and go from there. Here is a conversation between the mystery lady and I.

Mystery Lady: “How many of you are there, and what are you dressed so we can find you.”

Me: “Um, well I’m in a grey jumper and my friend is in a green jacket.”

ML: “Ah yes, you have red hair.”

Me: I just stop and look around, obviously I see no one around. “Yea... I do have red hair... where are you?”

ML: “Don’t worry about that, we’ll be there soon”

9:30 pm: Nothing. Still waiting

9:40 pm: Phone rings, Damon answers. They’re looking for the registration number, Damon says we don’t have it. So the people check out their security cameras looking for our little green car.

9:50 pm: They call back saying they couldn’t see it and if we could get it. Turns out registration number means license plate number... In the end they find and call the owner of the car dealership to figure out whats up.

10:00 pm: They call back and say that the key is suppose to be at some sort of information center. Of course that information is long closed and very locked up. They try to find someone in the building to open it.

10:15 pm: A portly man shows up with a key, unlocks the room, finds our key. Huge miscommunication between the car company and us. Actually, there was no communication at all.

10:16 pm: We hear “Liz Fulton, please call the service desk IMMEDIATLY” we run. Pick up a phone, its not the right one. We hear “Liz Fulton, please call the service desk with the phone at the service desk..to you right... IMMEDIATLY” we run again. On the phone was the same lady we had been talking with.

Mystery Lady: Hello Liz, we were just wondering how you were going to get all of your luggage into that tiny green car of yours.

Me: Well, we haven’t figured that out yet, but we really don’t have a choice. Maybe tie onto the roof?

ML (with other in the background): Bwhahah!!

Me: Yea, and we’re picking up another person in a few days in Te Anu.

ML (with others again): BHAWHHAHAHAHAHHHAHAHAHH!!! You’re kidding!!!

Me: No... not really....

ML (still with others): HAHAHAHAHAHAH.

ML (after she’s finished laughing): Well, I was wondering where you were all staying tonight

Me: Well, we weren’t really sure... more than likely we’ll end up on the side of the road camping or in a park somewhere.

ML: Ah, well if you all wouldn’t mind waiting for 15 minuets until I got off work, you all could stay at my place. It’s on your way tomorrow (we had told her our travel plans in casual conversation).

Me: Um, wow, yea that would be amazing, definitely, where should we meet you?

We make plans to meet, exchange numbers and learn her name which is Vy.

After our crazy encounters with the airport help desk and security, we trudged back up to our tiny green Honda Getze where Damon stuffed all of our luggage haphazardly into the car. Shortly thereafter, Vy met up with us and we began out drive out to the country. She seemed nice enough, but we were still a bit wary though very grateful for a dry safe place to sleep. When we pulled off the highway and onto a dirt road I’ll be honest, I was almost regretting my decision. We pulled up to a farm house on a hill, and instantly a large dog ran at the car. But Vy said not to worry, that he was just excited. Little did we know that this big guy was only one of 6 dogs we’d encounter. My personal worries quickly dissipated upon entering the house which inside was incredibly charming. Most houses in New Zealand are only single story. But this house was incredibly tall and the rooms were very open and inviting with beautiful wooden rafters. As we settled in Vy showed us around quickly and said she’d see us in the morning.

Group Shot (my pained look is because I fell jumping off a table after setting the timer)

Day 2

We all slept wonderfully that night and woke up refreshed and ready. As I backed the car out of the driveway, the one large dog broke free of Vy’s grip and ran seemingly full force into our tiny green car. THWACK! The dog was fine, but surprisingly, the car was not. There was a nice dent in the side. But this was something that we would later attend to. For as of now, we had adventuring to do!

A Team.... AWAY!

Driving

And away we went. Off along the West coast of the North Island. Happily crammed into a cute little car. The drive was nice of course, a little terrifying when on one side was a drop into the ocean, and the other side was another lane. There was not much wiggle room for sure. The North Ilsand was far different from what we were used to driving wise. It was more winding, more lush, more hilly, less mountain-y. Reminded me of home. Green rolling hills, pastures with sheep and cattle. The horizon was not as impending with towering snow capped mountains, but it was still very nice.

Our first stop was the Cormendal Pennisula. This was Juli’s number one place in NZ to visit, but none of us really knew what to expect. Before we got to our first stop, Cathedral Cove, we stopped for ice cream. I had more than likely the best ice cream I have ever had (except for maybe that time when my dad picked me up at bio camp, remember that dad?). Today I had maple and walnut. Holy moley, it was like a Canadian inspired party in my mouth. The weather was a little chilly which always makes ice cream hard to enjoy to its fullest, but this was incredible.

Anyway, we continued on after our ice cream snack and finally after following signs (which I commend NZ for, in general things are really really well marked. Everything has an arrow pointing in the CORRECT direction) we found ourselves in a parking lot overlooking the most amazing blue waters I have seen in a while. The walk down to the cove itself was an easy 45 gaunt. We stopped frequently to admire the views and absorb the sun. The path went down quite a few stairs and then we found ourselves emerging onto a beautiful shaded enclosed white sand beach. Around the coved beach were sheer cliffs over which trees and vines hung down giving the place a surreal feel. To our left was the famous Cathedral Cove. This arch was formed over millions of years of erson and gave way to a beautiful soaring arch. When you walked through it, you came out to a more open area where the sun was amazing. In the waters we say a stingray, but it was gone almost as soon as we saw it. Unfortunatly it was far to cold to go swimming, and we had to be content with just laying in the sand or dipping our feet in. But trust me, we weren’t that upset at this activity by any means.

Looking out onto Coromandel Pennisula

After a while, we had to keep moving so we could make it to our next destination, Hot Water Beach. The cool thing about this little stretch of sand is that it is situated just above geothermal activity. So when the tide is low, you dig a hole in the sand and the water is heated. Presto! Personal hot pool! We didn’t have the best experience though, we arrived too late and the tide was a bit too high to be able to get anything significant. What little hot water could be found was dominated by the Asian tour group that had pulled in at the same time we did. We found a little hot area though, and if you dug your feet in and didn’t mind getting splashed with freezing water, you could actually feel the really really hot rocks and water. The mix of heat and cold was really weird and I wish that we could have timed our day a bit better to fully experience Hot Water Beach because I hear when you do it right, its bananas.

Our next day travels were to take us to Rotorua. But before we got there we needed a place to spend the night. Rotorua is a very built up and touristy place. So that means for us that there is little chance that we’d be able to find a place to camp for free. We decided that we could just drive towards Rotorua and find a place along the way. We ended up outside of a small Podunk town where the people at the gas station didn’t even know where they were on a map. I looked on the map and saw that there were some regional parks outside of town and usually park = acceptable place to pitch a tent for free. Reluctantly we headed off. At first we couldn’t find it, but then the road appeared and we were getting close. All of a sudden though our paved road turned into a dirt road and went up this sketchy as road. The road abruptly ended into a small clearing with a trail head for a 2 hours loop trail. With dogs barking a little close for comfort in the too near distance we set up our tents. The back of the tents were against a barbed wire fence and Damon pulled the car in front of them. We settled in for a uneasy night of sleep.

Sometime in the early morning, around 4:30 am, I hear a car rumbling up the road. I wait for a moment to make sure that I’m not making this up and freaking myself out, but it was most defintally a car. Who at this time would be driving up this sketchy road that leads to nowhere except one loop trail. I grab Damon’s shoulder and utter, ‘There’s a car, wake up’. That boy sat straight up completely awake which looking back I think freaked me out even more. The car’s headlights shine right into our tent and the car is on the side of the tent that I was on so I start scooting in my sleeping bag behind Damon. The car idles for a minute or two then shuts off with the lights still on. I’m getting further and further behind Damon scooting like scared caged animal to the furthest corner away from the mystery threat. Then the lights turn off and the door squeaks open and the crunch of a large man with large boots step out. At least that’s what it sounded like. I have a death grip on Damon and I’m sure I was shaking like a leaf in the wind. We held our breath as the steps got closer and closer. When the headlamp shone in I think I just about fainted. Then the light turned off and the footsteps stopped. If anything would have startled me at that moment I would have had a heart attack and died, I’m sure of it. An eternity went by, nothing happened. No screams, yells, shots, songs, birds, nothing. Then Damon did the bravest thing ever, I swear, he got out of the tent. Reminded me of a prairie dog poking out a hole. I was ready to have to chase down a killer, but there was no one there. Just a car that wasn’t ours. No one. It was so weird. Falling back to sleep was very hard.

Day 3

That morning we woke up to some rouge dogs wandering around. The car was still there with pretty much nothing in it and no new people. That night was possibly the strangest thing ever. Nicole and Juli didn’t hear anything that night which was strange. But we were off and away quite readily.

We ended up in Taupo pretty late in the evening, just in time to get some dinner and find a camp site. The lady at the i-site claimed that this site was only 30 minutes away. But it was more like 45 minutes away ... but at least we were safe and didn’t have to pay (though we broke even with the gas money).

That day we did a bunch of touristy stuff such as Huka falls and Craters of the Moon. Huka Falls were really impressive. The water was so blue and all of a sudden just channelled into the canyon opening out into some impressive falls and a huge pool. About 200,000 litres of water, enough to fill 5 Olympic pools every minute fall over the falls every second. The name of the falls is Maori for foam. We then ‘hiked’ up the river until we came to natural hot springs that were open to the public. Not to be clique, but we tested the waters. And the waters were HOT! Awesome. But we didn’t have our bathing suites nor did we want to hike back wet. A parking lot was nearby, so we hiked back with the intentions of getting the car, changing and coming back. But by the time we got back, we realized that we didn’t have much time until Craters of the Moon closed. So we went there first.

Huka Falls

Craters of the Moon is a neat little attraction that is marketed to be the Moon on Earth. There was always some geothermal activity in the area, but not to the extent as today. In the 50’s, a power station was built nearby. It reduced the pressure in the hot water system. Because of this the geyser that once existed died out but the heat really increased causing hydrothermal eruptions that formed all of the craters.

The hot pools were amazing after though. I was the only one who didn’t have a bathing suit and I ended up just going in with shorts and a t-shirt. Not to be harsh, but surrounded by all these bikini clad youth, I felt like the fat kid at the pool who swims with his shirt on. It was relaxing though, the hot water poured out in a tiny water fall, maybe only a few feet high, and seeped into the other inlet. The original water was far too hot to handle (yet another clique) unless you sat more at the mouth where the ice cold river water mixed.

After our relaxing time at the river, we dried off and went to pick up my fellow red head, Emily. She had flow in that day form Chch and then caught a bus. Picking her up went without a hitch. After a short dinner we then headed down that long and winding road along Lake Taupu on our way to Rotorua.

Day 4

Rotorua is known as the Maori capital of the New Zealand and of course the world. We were all aware that it would probably be pretty built up and touristy, but a trip to the North Island wasn’t complete without this stop. We pulled into town and the area smelled like sulphur, very reminiscent of Yellowstone National Park. When we got there we went to the i-site to see what was up. As expected everything you had to pay for. 50 bucks to see the single geyser, 10 bucks for a corn maze, 100 to Zorb (which is a giant human hamster ball you go down a hill in). So you get the idea. We ended up spending some time in the public thermal park down the road where we could soak our feet in a natural hot pool Amazingly we ran into my flatmate Gaines and he told us about some nice lakes down the road. The Blue Lake and Emerald Lake.

Evil Duck

There were any attractions on the lake and we simply sat and enjoyed the beautiful scenery. While I was making my lunch of instant pumpkin soup (which is the best soup everrrrrrr) and pb&j. While I was making my sandwich Nicole and I noticed a ‘herd’ of ducks moving in for what would soon feel like a kill. There were just a few at first, nothing big. But soon they started flying in, swimming in, waddling in. Like a hoard of zombie, but not without purpose. And their purpose was to get a hand out. Nicole and I (for the first time ever?) were not interested. No way were they getting of our precious kai, food was pricey and we were on a budget. This budget did not account for the feed the sad hoard of duck fund either. These ducks were not ordinary ducks though, no, they were much more than that. These were bread hungry ducks and they would do anything they could to get their greedy mitts... or beaks? on our food. They just mobbed us! No chance for escape for they had us surrounded. In a rash act I coaxed one close and went in for the grab. My though process was that if the ducks see we take no prisoners then they would back off. But these guys aren’t like the Musketeers, it’s all for one and none for all. There was no love lost for the prisoner and seeing opportunity a surprisingly small duck came from behind and grabbed a whole slice of bread. He had to have known what was up because he was out of there in no time. Because the bread was so big and him so tiny he couldn’t fly away and had to resort to a frenzied waddle. He put a good fight but when he went into a bush he got stuck and had to drop his cargo. In triumph I grabbed said slice and raised it in victory. Damon who didn’t see any of this asked what happened; I dropped my arm to my side and was in the middle of telling him when another cheeky bugger pulled Steve Irwin on me.

Steve Irwin? What’s that you may ask? Well dear readers picture this. Remember on those Irwin adventure shows when Steve baby would flaunt his croc whispering skills? Dangling a juicy T-Bone over the pit of doom. Then just as you think nothing happens out of the depths launches a gigantic reptile grabbing the meat and falling with a splash back into the water. That is a Steve Irwin. But instead picture a duck, bread and myself.

After that fiasco we drove around a little more with the time we had left. We never found a beach or pier for Green Lake, but there was the buried village! The buried village is the New Zealand equivalent to Pompeii. Of course the price was crazy so we just read the few plaques around.

The next day was the day I was looking forward to, the day we did Tongariro Alpine Crossing! First we had to get there. As was per course for this trip, we had no plans for lodging and we were just going to wing it. The travel lodges were crazy expensive, just to pitch a tent it was almost $20 a person! So free camping it was. But this terrain was much different from the rest of the North Island. The parking lot inside the park boundaries explicitly said no camping, and the brush all over the area was so thick. Eventually we found an access ‘road’ for some telephone poles. We were all freaked out about brining attention to ourselves so we hid the car and set up tents asap without headlamps. To add another sense of fear to the mix, off in the near distance was a choir of children singing. No lie, we all heard it and holy taco was it terrifying. No one really slept well that night.

Day 5

So the Tongariro crossing is a Great Walk of New Zealand. It’s extremely popular, even more than the Able Tasman I believe. We’ve read and heard that during peak season there are so many people trying to hike the crossing that it looks like a scene from March of the Penguins. But we went in the off season. The day started out grey and misty, but we were still going for it. The hike isn’t a loop trail and its not sensible to do a there/return trip. So what you do is park your car at one end and then hire a seat in a bus that drives you to the opposite end.

18.5 kilometers here we come!

When we woke up, the weather was awful. It was grey with low clouds. Not looking good at all. But we had gotten this far so we were bound and determined to continue on! The crossing was pretty basic. It started off really easy, nice and flat along a boardwalk. But then it turns into small steep stairs that go straight up. I was really wiped when we got to the top. And no view for Liz, just a giant cloud. We couldn’t even see Mount Ngauruho! For those of you who are Lord of the Rings buffs, Mount Ngauruhoe was the stand in mountain for Mount Doom. It was really surreal though. The entire area is on an active volcanic area. The latest eruption was about 30 years ago. So all around you there are no trees, shrubs, grass, not really anything at all; just heaps of volcanic rock and coloured soils creating an intense alien landscape that is enhanced by the eerie mist.

Crazy Moon Walk!

But as we reached the apex of the climb, Sunset Crater, the clouds cleared and the landscaped opened up into the typical, but never uninspiring, kiwi landscape. We started down and the first things we saw were the emerald lakes. But to get to them we had to go down a killer scree slope (or talus slope, basically a bunch of loose gravel). These beautiful vivid lakes were where we spent our lunch. Then on our way out of the creepy moon scene, we passed Blue lake (original name, right?) which was a huge deep coloured blue lake.

Sunset Crater

The hike down was really neat because you could clearly see the gradation from the alpine ecosystem, to sub alpine all the way down into lush rainforest. That was something I was never ever really able to experience. I would have really liked to explore the ecotones more closely, but it looked like it was going to storm and we wanted to get off the mountain system as quickly as possible.

Emerald Lake

While hiking this trail, we met some neat people. There was the older (out of shape) dad from New Hampshire who was out to prove his college aged son studying in Wellington that he could do the trail, without his help. There was the young German/French couple madly in love who took a million pictures of themselves. And my favourites were the older ladies. There were two who were running buddies (they ran marathons all over the world and were in their late 60’s!) and the Hash House Harriers. The Hash House Harriers are basically what I want to be someday. These ladies were older, late 60’s as well. And they told us that the Hash House Harriers was basically an international tramping/running/drinking/social club. AWESOME? I think so. There as then the two guys in their 30’s from Christchurch who were on holiday from their farm. It was great because we saw these people all the time. Either they were our speed, we caught up to them while they rested or vice versa.

All I can say was it was a really gratifying feeling knowing that I had hiked 18.5 kilometres (11.5 miles) in just a few hours. This tramp was one of my favourites thus far and in the end, pretty much the best tramp I did. I can see why this is one of the most popular great walks around. I can only imagine how amazing it was on a clear sunny day.

That night we decided to stop being stingy and we went to a campground. It was a really cute little place that had some natural hot baths and mineral pools that we could soak in. Not to mention unlimited hot water. Best way to end an intense hike?? You bet. Worth every single penny.

Day 6

The next day we woke up in good time and headed off to Matamata. Matamata is a really tiny town with nothing really in it. So why were we headed there? Because Matamata is better known as Hobbiton. Peter Jackson found this quaint little farm nestled outside of Matamata that was a perfect place to set up the town where Frodo lived. New Line Cinemas’ policy is that sets are completly removed, and no trace is ever left behind. But in the case of Hobbiton, tear down was delayed 6 months because of torrential rain. It was only partially dismantled. And in that 6 month time, the owners of the farm were able to convince the studio to allow them to keep the remaining set (only plain white facades remained) and allow tours to be set up. So after drawing up a contract that included the sets never being reconstructed, no LOTR re-enactments by the owners and no photos allowed, they were allowed tours.

Hobbiton!

But for $60, I wasn’t about to go tour it. But Juli and Damon really wanted to. So Matamata, here we come. Nicole, Emily and I just spent the day relaxing and enjoying local baked goods. Nothing exciting, but still fun.

That night we drove all the way back to Auckland where we spent the night with our dear friend Vy! We bought her a cake and a card as a thank you. But when we arrived, we found that Vy’s mother had backed us a much superior cake. It was a great night where we sat with the family trading stories and showing some pictures. But we had to leave early the next morning to get Nicole on her early flight home for an exam.

Day 7

When we arrived in the North Island, we saw that there was a Denny’s. So of course we had to go there for breakfast to see how it compared. And to be honest, with some minor menu changes (like beans on toast) the whole thing was identical to the US version. After dropping Nicole off, we explored Auckland. Upon recommendation from Lonely Planet, we did a walking tour of the city. There aren’t really any land marks around, but it was fun to get out there and see the buildings and architecture. Get this, out of all the amazing food there was in Auckland, and after having Denny’s for breakfast, we ended up getting lunch at one of the 5 Wendy’s in New Zealand. And guess what... it tasted just like US Wendy’s with the exception that they didn’t serve chocolate frosty’s (much to Damon’s dismay).

Then we drove to One Tree Hill. This is a pretty famous area. The monument at the top, which used to be a tree and is now an oblique, is actually the grave of John Campbell. John Campbell is an important Kiwi political figure and often called the father of Auckland. The monument is to show his admiration to the Maori people. The park was simple, and is often found with parks in New Zealand was also a working farm. It’s still so odd to see sheep in the middle of one of the largest cities by area in the world.

Looking out over Auckland

That night was early and spent in a sheep pen. It was a legintamet campground... I swear!!

So overall, I think that we did a really good job at seeing the North Island in only one week. It was a crazy week for sure, but a really great one : )

Want more eye candy? This is the North Island and because the crossing was SO EPIC, it has its own album.

21st in Queenstown

A 21^st birthday lives in on in infamy for most people. Not going to lie, I was worried about having this milestone birthday in a country which has a drinking age of 18. But I think everyone was determined to make sure that everyone’s 21^st was awesome.

My birthday fell in the middle of break. My friends were pretty much scattered all over the South Island in various groups. Damon and I were in Christchurch, Nicole was with her aunt in Greymouth, and everyone else at Mt. Cook. So we decided that Queenstown would be a great place to congregate and celebrate. I was nervous for sure about if we would all be able to come together at the same time in a place none of us had been yet with minimal snafus, but we were going to try.

Damon and looked at our various options for getting to Queenstown. There was car, plane and bus. Plane was definitely out of our price range. So we turned to cars. Our previous adventure had cost us a pretty penny in gas, so we scoured the internet for cheap cars taht we could get for the next day. The prices were outrageous of course. But then we found it. The cheapest car rental ever. I couldn’t believe it and had to call the agency to make sure. Can a $1 car rental really exist?! Yes, yes dear reader, it can and it does. At least in New Zealand. Apparently what it was, was a ‘relocation’ rental. Basically someone did a one way car rental from Christchurch to Queenstown, and the car people needed that car back in Churchurc by t he 17. That is where we came in. For a dirt cheap price, we move that car for them, paying only for gas. It was beautiful, oh so beautiful.

But a few problems popped up. First you had to be 21 to rent a car. BINGO! Guess who would be turning 21 when she rented the car?? Yep. Lined up perfectly. But new problem, the car was a manual (stick shift) and I didn’t know how to drive one of those. But luckily Damon did. We just had to figure out how I was going to get the car out of the lot. But we would figure that one out when we got there. For now we had to find a way from Churchur to Queenstown. What’s up Atomic Shuttles. Getting you from A to B for 50 bucks. We were good to go.

The next morning we woke up bright and early to catch our bus. When we go on, there were hardly anyone on the bus and we could really stretch out. It was wonderful. The ride was very nice, I could just sit there listening to music and enjoying the country while we drove on (the bus ride was about 6 hours long). Damon and I played a lot of Cribbage, Uno and other card games. Before we knew it, we were in Queenstown!

Driving

Well, riding I suppose

We had a few hours to burn until the others got there. They had done the Mulluer Hut tramp at the base of Mt. Cook. Queenstown is a really great little town. It reminded Damon and I of Colorado, Jackson Hole for me. There was a spectacular mountain range called the Remarkables behind the town and Lake Wakatipu in the front. Pretty amazing to look. Always a view. A majority of the stores were really nifty as well, cute and artsy.

Founder of QT

Hopefully, if all went well, everyone would meet up at a famous restaurant called Fergburger. This was a crazy hole in the wall place recommended by everyone you talk to. It started off a bunch of years back, literally in a crappy alley way. But the building was condemned or something along those lines and moved into a much nicer location. The hours are bananas, and definitely cater to the younger drinking cliental. They open at 9am (perfect after a night of drinking) and close at 5am (perfect for a night of drinking).

Right about the time we were all suppose to meet up, the texts came in. We’re here and will meet you soon. Beautiful. I still can’t believe that it went off without a hitch. We all came together, tired and hungry to descend upon the amazing deliciousness that was a Fergburger. They were HUGE. Like face sized burgers. They came in amazing flavours too. I went for orginal. But there were types like southern swine (burger with bbq and bacon) sweet Bambi (deer with plum chutney) the Cod Father (fish burger) The Bun Laden (don’t really remember) and many others.

The taste of love.

We all finished in record time, and that is when I had my first official drink of the my life. It was just a Speight’s beer. A lager brewed in the Dunedin area. But it was actually pretty good. I was pleased. While we were sitting there, a guy came up and asked us if we were lanning on going out that night. And we loked at him and said “as a matter of fact we are”. He said great and gave us some wristbands that gave us half priced drinks at a place called the World Bar. We were pretty excited for this night.

First shot!

We started off our Queenstown bar tour and a place called Monty’s where we had some beers and listened to some sweet acoustic music. Then we moved on to the World Bar for half price ‘teapots’. The World Bar has a pretty distinct hipster vibe to it. It was pretty fun with some electro dance music playing on the dance floor. Their gimic is that they mix the shots in a teacup. Then they give you this teapot with a few shot glasses and you go from there. It was actually a lot of fun and really good. We had some called Ginga Ninja (which ended up tasting like alcoholic L&P or really gingery ginger ale) Smoochable (a butterscotch apple, very sweet) and Illusion (a fruity punch one). Sad days though, no one really got drunk properly as should be done on a 21^st because we had just consumed a half a pound of fresh greasy burgers. But that didn’t matter. We all had fun dancing. The last bar was Winnie’s. There was another really nice band there, and every few minutes, the roof would open up and allow the smoke from the fireplace to clear out and cool the bar down. So much fun.

My loves

After a while though, it was time to head back and find a place to crash. We ended up camping outside of Queenstown at a place called Lake Hayes. Turns out there was a no camping sign there, but we made out just fine. Sadly we had to part ways because the boys and Emily were going to Milford area, and Nicole and her aunt were off to some other awesome adventure. Now it was time to figure out that whole car situation. But lady luck was smiling upon us. The Budget lady said that they had upgraded us and if this was okay with us. Of course it was!! And the car we had was awesome, it was a sweet as SUV. That car drove really nice if you were wondering.

Lake Hayes

The drive back was really nice. We stopped by the place where people bungi jump and the LOTR shooting location of the Anduin River. It was from the scene when Frodo leaves the group. We also saw Mt. Cook which was AMAZING. Mt. Cook is the mountain the Sir Edmund Hilary practiced on before he climbed Mt. Everest. Badass point for New Zealand. It’s the tallest point in New Zealand at a height of 3,754 meters. We really want to get back there and climb part of the mountain to Mueller Hut. Fingers crossed!

LOTR Recreation

Mt. Cook

So overall my 21^st was great. It got to a part of the country I hadn’t been yet, met up with my friends and had a great dinner. That night wasn’t particularly crazy, but who wants to try to sleep drunk in a tent? I want to thank my friends again for a great birthday and my family back in the States for remembering me and sending their love! Thanks guys!

For more pictures, simply place mouse HERE and click!

P.S. I thought that I would link the video that I’ve seen dozens of times when I fly. Its hugely popular and is one of the most viewed videos on YouTube. It’s from Air New Zealand and is their safety video. Its so popular because the people in the video are naked with their uniforms painted on. It took me a few views the actually catch they were naked, but it’s hilarious. Boy do I love New Zealand. Click here for the link!