On the plane now, headed from Queenstown to Auckland. Yesterday we wrapped up the final touches - returning the campervan, paying our final diesel tax, checking in for the flights and preparing our baggage at the hostel.
I ventured out on my own to find a good, hot meal yesterday evening. I ended up at Speights Ale House after much deliberation. Once I saw the lamb and venison dishes on the menu, I knew I had found the right place.
I had definitely mis-stereotyped Speight's as "the Budweiser of New Zealand." Although it does seem to be the popular, or at least the most heavily marketed, it deserves its own distinction. They still brew their beer in wooden fermentation vats lined with beeswax, and I was surprised to see the several different styles of beer they brewed. After I tasted the Porter, I decided to venture no further...it was a very nice, full bodied beer. With that, I had an amazing lamb dish paired with a wonderful salad and a side of boiled potatoes. Dinner was definitely New Zealand style, as I sat and watched my first full Rugby game - the Force vs. the Blues (I think). Those guys are massive, even the kicker. I was quite amazed at how sportsmanlike the player seemed - definitely less showmanship than what I'm used to seeing in the NFL.
Late night was not exactly what I had in mind, but after a great trip, I just decided to go with the flow and try to enter the evening with a more open mind.
Jude had previously met our bunkmates, who expressed to him they would be watching the tele in the evening.At first I kind of laughed, realizing that I had no desire to watch television anyhow. There certainly wouldn't be any fights over the remote control :).
I came to find out the girls were from Birmingham, England, ant the television program - the marriage of Prince William and Kate - was culturally, for them, a huge deal. I was a little more humbled once I realized this was the first princess since Dianna.
Nonetheless, after tramping through the country side of New Zealand, watching aristocracy driving Bentleys and Range Rovers was a bit of a bore. I was much more interested in the people around me. Christian was originally from Mexico. He went to high school in Chula Vista (very close to where we live), and he had spent the last 4 years in Austrailia. Christian was kind enough to share his bottle of Stoneleigh Pinot Noir with me after I offered Blue cheese and crackers to the room. Soon, more and more people joined us, and there was pretty good conversation in the room. I mostly enjoyed the jokes and sarcastic comments in between a couple of glares from the Brittish girls. Three people from France joined, a guy from the Phillipines, a girl from the Netherlands, a guy and 3 others also from England, and 3 others at the end of the night that I hadn't met. I left the evening enjoying the company, and had a fair appreciation for what was happening for these lads culturally, even if it didn't touch me in the same way.
Our plane is still on the runway. A good bit of time has passed, and the captain announced that we are waiting for another jet to land. Jude is sitting in the middle, next to the young girl who took his window seat. Turns out the girl is quite an arm wrestler :).
After all the late night noise from the drunken young travelers in the city streets below our hostel, this morning has been quiet. One young gentleman we picked up on the bus ride to the airport. After commuting with him to the airport, I watched him check in baggage from behind the counter as we received our boarding passes. Then later he assisted us outside to the plane and asked me to turn off my camera. You get get the feeling, even at such a micro level, that the locals are much more in touch with the various things going on within their community.
We've taken to the air now. I'm watching as Jude attempts to negotiate taking some video footage around the little girl. It's time for me to wrap up my holiday, and start planning what to do with all the photos, videos and inspirations I've captured from my place of realized dreams.
Cheers,
Ryan
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
Our last fully day in NZ...
I didn't journal last night. I was too busy enjoying "the money spot." We found this amazing place to park the van for the night, alongside a blue green, rushing river named the Cluthe River, right off the 8A outside of Luggate. This place had the prettiest red bridge I have seen in New Zealand. Set that afront the vivid blue sky of late, the orange autumn trees, the golden blanket of leaves on the ground, blue-green water, a variety of local birds, and thick early morning fog...and you have arrived at "the money spot" (which is a touch misleading since we didn't have to pay a dime to stay there :). I must have spent 2 hours last night by the river, just sitting, drinking my last 2 beers, taking in the entire length of the sunset, and every lumen it had to offer.
Yesterday was quite an excellent day. The morning hike, the Sawyer Burns, was the medication Jude had been seeking to relieve the stuffy symptoms. He said he could have spent all day up there, overlooking Lake Hawea. Luckily, we didn't, or we would have missed the beautiful water at the "Blue Pools" north of Wanaka.
The title of the place was somewhat misleading, as it was definitely more of a river or stream than a pool. Of course, the title made no difference to the sandflies, whose equation is simply "Water + Low Altitude + Tourists = Happiness." I almost wonder if the sandflies were put here on purpose as a means of tourist control - ensuring that no individual or group would overstay their welcome. Those little buggers really keep you moving :).
The sights at the Blue Pools completely made up for the color we missed at Hokitika Gorge - it's what I imagine the Gorge was supposed to look like, had we not just experienced prolonged rainfall prior to our arrival, which had muddied up the water, similar to the appearance of the glacial runoff.
I also found time for my 3rd shower since we've been in the van - just as pleasant as each before. The older man at the etablishment laughed at the sight of my pure satisfaction after using their well-above-average facilities.
Morning at the money spot brought loads of fog. For a while, we figured it was just going to be an overcast day. But as the van reached 5-10k outside the location, we could clearly see the wall of fog that developed across the entire length of the river. I was really neat looking - contrast to the bright, clear & sunny day around it.
Refueling now. The mail man/woman just pedaled by on a motored bicycle, with a red milk crate attached to the rear, filled 3/4 of the way with envelopes and small packages. I imagine my emergency money from the bank might have been delivered by such transportation.
To a wonderful final day in the beautiful countryside...
Cheers,
Ryan
Yesterday was quite an excellent day. The morning hike, the Sawyer Burns, was the medication Jude had been seeking to relieve the stuffy symptoms. He said he could have spent all day up there, overlooking Lake Hawea. Luckily, we didn't, or we would have missed the beautiful water at the "Blue Pools" north of Wanaka.
The title of the place was somewhat misleading, as it was definitely more of a river or stream than a pool. Of course, the title made no difference to the sandflies, whose equation is simply "Water + Low Altitude + Tourists = Happiness." I almost wonder if the sandflies were put here on purpose as a means of tourist control - ensuring that no individual or group would overstay their welcome. Those little buggers really keep you moving :).
The sights at the Blue Pools completely made up for the color we missed at Hokitika Gorge - it's what I imagine the Gorge was supposed to look like, had we not just experienced prolonged rainfall prior to our arrival, which had muddied up the water, similar to the appearance of the glacial runoff.
I also found time for my 3rd shower since we've been in the van - just as pleasant as each before. The older man at the etablishment laughed at the sight of my pure satisfaction after using their well-above-average facilities.
Morning at the money spot brought loads of fog. For a while, we figured it was just going to be an overcast day. But as the van reached 5-10k outside the location, we could clearly see the wall of fog that developed across the entire length of the river. I was really neat looking - contrast to the bright, clear & sunny day around it.
Refueling now. The mail man/woman just pedaled by on a motored bicycle, with a red milk crate attached to the rear, filled 3/4 of the way with envelopes and small packages. I imagine my emergency money from the bank might have been delivered by such transportation.
To a wonderful final day in the beautiful countryside...
Cheers,
Ryan
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Some day of the week...
Man, last night was a doozie. It was one of the best nights of stargazing I've had. The Milky Way sliced through the center of the sky. In the middle was a black, cloud-like formation, darker than any of the surrounding sky void of stars.
The interesting thing about stargazing here is that the stars seem to emit quick flashes of light. I hesitate to use the word twinkle because it is too soft...this is a more noticeable flickering. Jude agreed...more so than either of us have ever seen. I'd guess it was due to the relatively clearer air quality, but I can't say for sure.
Between the gazing and the long exposures, both my big toes HATED me. I see now how toes commonly get frostbite. Even though my feet were dry, the wetness icing on the outside of my boot must have chilled my feet rapidly. After I snuggled into my sleeping bag, it took about 15 minutes before I could feel the first signs of my big toes escaping numbness.
The night's sleep was poor at best. The chill had us both wishing we'd stayed at the south end of the lake. In weather like this, the heat from the sleeping bag is too much, and not enough all at the same time. You cover yourself whole and you are warm, but your air intake lacks the oxygen your lungs desire. Meanwhile the top of your bag gets moist with breath. You remove the bag from your face and well...that goes without saying. The only way I could finally drift off was to place a second pillow on my forehead with nose and mouth exposed. The was enough to regulate me.
Morning was equally as cold - even with the sun out. We took a short hike to Kea Point, which is about all I could bare. The sweater that I am, the thing I wanted was a long hike, leading to wet clothes in this weather - a discomfort I don't want to imagine.
Even so, the mountains were awe-inspiring. We landed a perfectly clear day. Not a cloud in the sky! (a first since we've been here). We marveled at the various glaciers, and the entire ridge line, which was now exposed to us for the first time.
Ewww...I just received some disheartening news... Tonight is supposed to reach -1 or -2 degrees Celsius here on Lake Hawea, an area I would expect to be much warmer than where we were last night. I don't even want to know how cold it must have been at Cook.
Anyways...back to the day...
I finally saw the whole of Mt. Cook, which is quite impressive. The range really does look a lot like the Swiss Alps. The mountains shoot straight up from the flat valley floor.
We motored along past Lake Pukaki and towards Central Otago. On the way, we passed several early model vehicles. The landscape began to change from alpine to arid. The low, golden mountains were a beautiful contrast to the equally vivid blue sky.
Eventually, we reached the picturesque autumn hills of Central Otago. Upon entering, I saw a sign...something along the lines of "Home of Icebreaker," so I knew I had to stop to check out the local selection of Merino wool.
Sheep here may be a dime a dozen, but a finished Merino garment is more like 2000-3000 dimes. In the back of 'The Merino Shop' I found balls of dyed Merino wool. I was so happy to find something from the trip I could send to Grandma; something I knew she would enjoy. She's quite the seamstress, even these days - she's always been very active. The wool is just lovely - as soft as you could possibly imagine. I purchased one neutral-colored possum yarn, and one colorful Merino yarn - Navy, greens and purples.
Wanaka is the type of place my mother would fall in love with. If her dream is "to live by the lake," her dream is in Wanaka - she just doesn't know it yet. :)
The place was having the opposite affect on Jude, who wanted nothing more than to escape the tourists gathered there. So, we set out for a hike, which would have been mildly ambitious (given that we left Wanaka after 4PM), but it became a moot point when we couldn't find the trail head.
As Jude took a second look at the maps, I relieved myself in nature's restroom, only to see a herd of sheep across the lake stampeding down a dirt road, providing one unfortunate driver with a wait at New Zealand's only traffic jam - the sheep crossing.
Strangely enough, our destination led us down that same dirt road, and we got to experience the herd up close and personal. It was so funny. As we slowly moved along, one by one, the sheep jumped from the road, downward beyond our view. From such a perspective, the sheep appeared to be happily jumping off a cliff, almost in a single-file line. No longer could I possibly count sheep...I'd keep myself up laughing.
We returned from a pleasant walk on the north side of Lake Hawea. I got to introduce myself to several cattle, and 1 strange sheep who thought he was a cow :). Hell, I think even the cows thought he was one of there own.
It's weird entering a herd of cattle. They're ALL checking you out, from the time you arrive til the time you leave.
Moo,
Ryan
The interesting thing about stargazing here is that the stars seem to emit quick flashes of light. I hesitate to use the word twinkle because it is too soft...this is a more noticeable flickering. Jude agreed...more so than either of us have ever seen. I'd guess it was due to the relatively clearer air quality, but I can't say for sure.
Between the gazing and the long exposures, both my big toes HATED me. I see now how toes commonly get frostbite. Even though my feet were dry, the wetness icing on the outside of my boot must have chilled my feet rapidly. After I snuggled into my sleeping bag, it took about 15 minutes before I could feel the first signs of my big toes escaping numbness.
The night's sleep was poor at best. The chill had us both wishing we'd stayed at the south end of the lake. In weather like this, the heat from the sleeping bag is too much, and not enough all at the same time. You cover yourself whole and you are warm, but your air intake lacks the oxygen your lungs desire. Meanwhile the top of your bag gets moist with breath. You remove the bag from your face and well...that goes without saying. The only way I could finally drift off was to place a second pillow on my forehead with nose and mouth exposed. The was enough to regulate me.
Morning was equally as cold - even with the sun out. We took a short hike to Kea Point, which is about all I could bare. The sweater that I am, the thing I wanted was a long hike, leading to wet clothes in this weather - a discomfort I don't want to imagine.
Even so, the mountains were awe-inspiring. We landed a perfectly clear day. Not a cloud in the sky! (a first since we've been here). We marveled at the various glaciers, and the entire ridge line, which was now exposed to us for the first time.
Ewww...I just received some disheartening news... Tonight is supposed to reach -1 or -2 degrees Celsius here on Lake Hawea, an area I would expect to be much warmer than where we were last night. I don't even want to know how cold it must have been at Cook.
Anyways...back to the day...
I finally saw the whole of Mt. Cook, which is quite impressive. The range really does look a lot like the Swiss Alps. The mountains shoot straight up from the flat valley floor.
We motored along past Lake Pukaki and towards Central Otago. On the way, we passed several early model vehicles. The landscape began to change from alpine to arid. The low, golden mountains were a beautiful contrast to the equally vivid blue sky.
Eventually, we reached the picturesque autumn hills of Central Otago. Upon entering, I saw a sign...something along the lines of "Home of Icebreaker," so I knew I had to stop to check out the local selection of Merino wool.
Sheep here may be a dime a dozen, but a finished Merino garment is more like 2000-3000 dimes. In the back of 'The Merino Shop' I found balls of dyed Merino wool. I was so happy to find something from the trip I could send to Grandma; something I knew she would enjoy. She's quite the seamstress, even these days - she's always been very active. The wool is just lovely - as soft as you could possibly imagine. I purchased one neutral-colored possum yarn, and one colorful Merino yarn - Navy, greens and purples.
Wanaka is the type of place my mother would fall in love with. If her dream is "to live by the lake," her dream is in Wanaka - she just doesn't know it yet. :)
The place was having the opposite affect on Jude, who wanted nothing more than to escape the tourists gathered there. So, we set out for a hike, which would have been mildly ambitious (given that we left Wanaka after 4PM), but it became a moot point when we couldn't find the trail head.
As Jude took a second look at the maps, I relieved myself in nature's restroom, only to see a herd of sheep across the lake stampeding down a dirt road, providing one unfortunate driver with a wait at New Zealand's only traffic jam - the sheep crossing.
Strangely enough, our destination led us down that same dirt road, and we got to experience the herd up close and personal. It was so funny. As we slowly moved along, one by one, the sheep jumped from the road, downward beyond our view. From such a perspective, the sheep appeared to be happily jumping off a cliff, almost in a single-file line. No longer could I possibly count sheep...I'd keep myself up laughing.
We returned from a pleasant walk on the north side of Lake Hawea. I got to introduce myself to several cattle, and 1 strange sheep who thought he was a cow :). Hell, I think even the cows thought he was one of there own.
It's weird entering a herd of cattle. They're ALL checking you out, from the time you arrive til the time you leave.
Moo,
Ryan
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Feet envy
Well, here I am at the base of Mt. Cook freezing my tail off, with plenty of time to write. The mountain range in front of us is absolutely stunning! These mountains are referred to as the Southern Alps. Appropriately named...a Frenchman we met told us how similar they appear to the French and Swiss Alps.
At sunset, on the very top of the Summit, I could see the wind continually gusting a fine veil of snow over top of the ridge. As the sun set behind the mountain, the backlighting produced a pink glow there at the top, where the snow continued to blow, and remind me how lucky we were to be down below protected from the wind. It's a shame I couldn't capture it with my camera equipment...a big zoom is the only thing that would have done it justice.
Speaking of camera gear, we have a clear night tonight...possibly the first I've seen since our 3rd night on the Routeburn Track. I'm hoping to capture some star trails tonight, but without the North Star, I don't really know where to point the camera to get those beautiful circles. Guess it'll just be trial and error out in the cold.
Back to yesterday...
The limestone(henge) was awesome. I can only imagine that on a fine day, that place would be crawling with Rock Climbers - very good rock climbers I might add. The holds in the rock were invisible to me. As you are going east across Arthur's Pass, these rocks appear - seemingly out of nowhere - and only stick around for about 5-10k. The other thing is that the landscape is smooth with rolling hills. Only these rocks interrupt the flowy landscape. Jude said "Don't forget to write about Castle Rock if you didn't yesterday" just now. Strangely enough...that's exactly what I'm writing about. Apparently, that place was a highlight for Jude as well. Castle Rock seems to be the most well recognized of the Limestone Tors. It sits atop a hill...far enough in the distance, and so shaped that you could very easily mistake it for a castle.
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And back to today...
We woke up a bit late this morning at Lake Tekapo. Why not? :) After all that 'going', we need a little bit of 'staying' I think. I had a nice hot shower, drying myself off in the freezing cold temperatures. Its the kind of experience that makes your body say "Come on sucka, the blood's pumping. It's time for a hike!" And since it is only wise to listen to your body, I put on some layers and headed up the steep path to Mt. John, the greatest observatory site in all of New Zealand (as written on the sign at the top). Also, there was an old U.S. spy center where they tracked satellite activity from the late 60's through the late 80's. Cold war anyone?
Another interesting fact was how the telescopes operated. I believe the concept was called "gravitational magnification." Basically, the scope focused on a far away star, while another star was adjacent to the intersection of the line of sight. Apparently the gravity around the intersecting star creates a magnification effect so the scope can see the far away star more closely than it could on its own. I still wonder if that same concept is why the moon and sun look larger to us when they are on the horizon of the earth. The last time I Google'd the topic, a source stated that it was just an optical illusion. Whatever...I like the sound of "gravitational magnification" :).
At the top of Mt. John was a spectacular view of the turquoise, Lake Tekapo and the other neighboring lakes, as well as a view of the Alps, whose peaks were covered in clouds at this point in the day. Out of place was this award winning bistro, at the top of the mountain, next to the observatory. The food looked absolutely delicious!...but I said "no thanks" and opted for my navy beans and vienna sausage in a can. The "All Day Breakfast," it said on the label. Well, it wasn't the first poor decision I've ever made :). Anyone who knows me knows they hooked me with the word "breakfast." Not to mention claiming that this wonderful canned substance could provide breakfast around the clock.
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Back at the van, I found out that Jude's cold was beginning to worsen. He advised that he needed to take it fairly easy. With that said, my aspirations for hiking Mueller Hut were finally and instantly tossed aside. We probably didn't have any business up there at this time of year anyways.
We refueled and headed off for Mt. Cook. We probably got 60-70k down the road when I saw this amazing little pulloff at the south end of Lake Pukaki. The changing level of the lake had left the stones of the shore in many interesting, loose ridgelines. I snapped a couple of shots and turned around to see Jude, which at first glance appeared to be making snow angels in the loose rock. At second glance, his fully stretched limbs looked more like a frozen jumping jack. He was out cold; basting in the sun. I decided to let him be. The sun works wonders for a cold sometimes.
I setup my camera on the shore for a time lapse series. My new misison: Build an arch out of the flat rocks by the lake. I must say - building a stone arch is MUCH harder than it might appear. At one point, I had it complete, but 'stop' is a word I've never quite understood. I found this perfectly shaped equilateral triangle rock and thought "this would make the coolest keystone!" Or the quickest disaster. After 2 more solid, but unsuccessful attempts at this primitive architectural feat, Jude showed me the trick - use little rocks to shim and stabalize the foundation. Genius!...but still not a piece of cake. Go ahead...try it! :)
It was around 4PM when we left that spot...much more relaxing than the touristy hot pools we were recommended.
The drive into Mt. Cook was spectacular. Those mountains are just perfectly shaped A's rising from the flat valley floor (which happens to be a golden color this time of year). Luckily, the clouds parted, and we could see the famous cap shape at the summit of Mt. Cook.
Well, it's probably dark enough now, I'm going to go try to snap some star trails while Jude's feet...rest in his socks, covered by socks, covered by another pair of socks, underneath long johns and pants, covered in a sleeping bag, wrapped with a down comforter...lying within the confines of the van. In about 2 minutes, I'm going to wish I were Jude's feet.
Cheers,
Ryan
[P.s. After closing my journal and getting up to leave, Jude peeped "my feet are freezing!" I laughed about as hard as I did the whole trip. I opened the journal back up and read him the last section. He got in a good laugh as well :)]
At sunset, on the very top of the Summit, I could see the wind continually gusting a fine veil of snow over top of the ridge. As the sun set behind the mountain, the backlighting produced a pink glow there at the top, where the snow continued to blow, and remind me how lucky we were to be down below protected from the wind. It's a shame I couldn't capture it with my camera equipment...a big zoom is the only thing that would have done it justice.
Speaking of camera gear, we have a clear night tonight...possibly the first I've seen since our 3rd night on the Routeburn Track. I'm hoping to capture some star trails tonight, but without the North Star, I don't really know where to point the camera to get those beautiful circles. Guess it'll just be trial and error out in the cold.
Back to yesterday...
The limestone(henge) was awesome. I can only imagine that on a fine day, that place would be crawling with Rock Climbers - very good rock climbers I might add. The holds in the rock were invisible to me. As you are going east across Arthur's Pass, these rocks appear - seemingly out of nowhere - and only stick around for about 5-10k. The other thing is that the landscape is smooth with rolling hills. Only these rocks interrupt the flowy landscape. Jude said "Don't forget to write about Castle Rock if you didn't yesterday" just now. Strangely enough...that's exactly what I'm writing about. Apparently, that place was a highlight for Jude as well. Castle Rock seems to be the most well recognized of the Limestone Tors. It sits atop a hill...far enough in the distance, and so shaped that you could very easily mistake it for a castle.
And back to today...
We woke up a bit late this morning at Lake Tekapo. Why not? :) After all that 'going', we need a little bit of 'staying' I think. I had a nice hot shower, drying myself off in the freezing cold temperatures. Its the kind of experience that makes your body say "Come on sucka, the blood's pumping. It's time for a hike!" And since it is only wise to listen to your body, I put on some layers and headed up the steep path to Mt. John, the greatest observatory site in all of New Zealand (as written on the sign at the top). Also, there was an old U.S. spy center where they tracked satellite activity from the late 60's through the late 80's. Cold war anyone?
Another interesting fact was how the telescopes operated. I believe the concept was called "gravitational magnification." Basically, the scope focused on a far away star, while another star was adjacent to the intersection of the line of sight. Apparently the gravity around the intersecting star creates a magnification effect so the scope can see the far away star more closely than it could on its own. I still wonder if that same concept is why the moon and sun look larger to us when they are on the horizon of the earth. The last time I Google'd the topic, a source stated that it was just an optical illusion. Whatever...I like the sound of "gravitational magnification" :).
At the top of Mt. John was a spectacular view of the turquoise, Lake Tekapo and the other neighboring lakes, as well as a view of the Alps, whose peaks were covered in clouds at this point in the day. Out of place was this award winning bistro, at the top of the mountain, next to the observatory. The food looked absolutely delicious!...but I said "no thanks" and opted for my navy beans and vienna sausage in a can. The "All Day Breakfast," it said on the label. Well, it wasn't the first poor decision I've ever made :). Anyone who knows me knows they hooked me with the word "breakfast." Not to mention claiming that this wonderful canned substance could provide breakfast around the clock.
Back at the van, I found out that Jude's cold was beginning to worsen. He advised that he needed to take it fairly easy. With that said, my aspirations for hiking Mueller Hut were finally and instantly tossed aside. We probably didn't have any business up there at this time of year anyways.
We refueled and headed off for Mt. Cook. We probably got 60-70k down the road when I saw this amazing little pulloff at the south end of Lake Pukaki. The changing level of the lake had left the stones of the shore in many interesting, loose ridgelines. I snapped a couple of shots and turned around to see Jude, which at first glance appeared to be making snow angels in the loose rock. At second glance, his fully stretched limbs looked more like a frozen jumping jack. He was out cold; basting in the sun. I decided to let him be. The sun works wonders for a cold sometimes.
I setup my camera on the shore for a time lapse series. My new misison: Build an arch out of the flat rocks by the lake. I must say - building a stone arch is MUCH harder than it might appear. At one point, I had it complete, but 'stop' is a word I've never quite understood. I found this perfectly shaped equilateral triangle rock and thought "this would make the coolest keystone!" Or the quickest disaster. After 2 more solid, but unsuccessful attempts at this primitive architectural feat, Jude showed me the trick - use little rocks to shim and stabalize the foundation. Genius!...but still not a piece of cake. Go ahead...try it! :)
It was around 4PM when we left that spot...much more relaxing than the touristy hot pools we were recommended.
The drive into Mt. Cook was spectacular. Those mountains are just perfectly shaped A's rising from the flat valley floor (which happens to be a golden color this time of year). Luckily, the clouds parted, and we could see the famous cap shape at the summit of Mt. Cook.
Well, it's probably dark enough now, I'm going to go try to snap some star trails while Jude's feet...rest in his socks, covered by socks, covered by another pair of socks, underneath long johns and pants, covered in a sleeping bag, wrapped with a down comforter...lying within the confines of the van. In about 2 minutes, I'm going to wish I were Jude's feet.
Cheers,
Ryan
[P.s. After closing my journal and getting up to leave, Jude peeped "my feet are freezing!" I laughed about as hard as I did the whole trip. I opened the journal back up and read him the last section. He got in a good laugh as well :)]
Monday, April 25, 2011
Lake Tekapo (TEK-a-poe)
Late Easter Monday...
Finally...a destination. It has been a long 3+ days on the road driving through rain and muck. The turquoise waters of Lake Tekapo instantly revived our spirits. That and the throught of exploring the Mt. Cook area tomorrow without much more road time.
I got a bit of a geology lesson tonight from the guy manning the desk at the holday park here. He asked me "Do you know why the water is so blue?" "Because of the glacier..." I said in a questioning tone. "It's the glacial flour" he said (mind the fact that it took me three tries to understand he said neigther 'flare' nor 'flower'). He went on to explain that the weight from the top of the glacier forces the glassier down ever so slowly. Water acts somewhat as a lubricant and as the ice moves, it is the grinding between the rock and ice which produce the 'glacial flour.' The particles are so fine that they actually become suspended in the water. When we see the water, what we're seeing is the sky reflecting off those particles! Of course, none of this occurred to me as we arrived in the twilight, after the sun had set and I first laid eyes on the beautiful turquoise water. The man at the desk explained "The color varies depending on the weather. Clear skies result in a more vivid blue, clouds like tonight you see more of a softer turquoise. Sometimes, when the light is just right, it's green!"
Okay, I must admit...the celebratory beer - the Moa Trippel (9.5% ABV) has me a little tipsy at the moment. Man, 1 beer and I'm out :). I'd probably be better off recalling the events of today, tomorrow, when I am more sober and less sleepy.
I'll end by saying that talking to Linda, my parents, and my Grandma this morning really kicked things off in a good way. I miss Easter with all of them. Secondly, the climber's oasis at the 'Limestone Tors' was epic. That place was just plain magical, even in the crappy weather. Finally, getting to wherever you're going can be a real pain in the ass sometimes...so when you get there...enjoy it. Don't let anything distract you from getting the most out of the place you longed to be.
Living my dream here in New Zealand...
Cheers,
Ryanhttp://www.ThePhotoBus.com/p560286331/e3fd139a5
Finally...a destination. It has been a long 3+ days on the road driving through rain and muck. The turquoise waters of Lake Tekapo instantly revived our spirits. That and the throught of exploring the Mt. Cook area tomorrow without much more road time.
I got a bit of a geology lesson tonight from the guy manning the desk at the holday park here. He asked me "Do you know why the water is so blue?" "Because of the glacier..." I said in a questioning tone. "It's the glacial flour" he said (mind the fact that it took me three tries to understand he said neigther 'flare' nor 'flower'). He went on to explain that the weight from the top of the glacier forces the glassier down ever so slowly. Water acts somewhat as a lubricant and as the ice moves, it is the grinding between the rock and ice which produce the 'glacial flour.' The particles are so fine that they actually become suspended in the water. When we see the water, what we're seeing is the sky reflecting off those particles! Of course, none of this occurred to me as we arrived in the twilight, after the sun had set and I first laid eyes on the beautiful turquoise water. The man at the desk explained "The color varies depending on the weather. Clear skies result in a more vivid blue, clouds like tonight you see more of a softer turquoise. Sometimes, when the light is just right, it's green!"
Okay, I must admit...the celebratory beer - the Moa Trippel (9.5% ABV) has me a little tipsy at the moment. Man, 1 beer and I'm out :). I'd probably be better off recalling the events of today, tomorrow, when I am more sober and less sleepy.
I'll end by saying that talking to Linda, my parents, and my Grandma this morning really kicked things off in a good way. I miss Easter with all of them. Secondly, the climber's oasis at the 'Limestone Tors' was epic. That place was just plain magical, even in the crappy weather. Finally, getting to wherever you're going can be a real pain in the ass sometimes...so when you get there...enjoy it. Don't let anything distract you from getting the most out of the place you longed to be.
Living my dream here in New Zealand...
Cheers,
Ryanhttp://www.ThePhotoBus.com/p560286331/e3fd139a5
Easter Monday - Hokitika Gorge
The mornings here on the west coast are certainly transformational. A shade of blue is cast among the skies and land alike. It is quite easy to notice this is the wettest part of the island. As time passes in the morning, the clouds seem to be courting with the land. Clouds take the shapes of the mountain tops, while the mountains seem to be reaching for the clouds - a perfect pair. Somewhat prone to sweating as it is, in this humid climate I am a perpetual wet, sticky mess...albeit with a smile, admiring the plants and landscapes that thrive here.
Everywhere we go, there is beautiful, brightly colored orange lichen. It is on the rocks, fences, houses, roads, and all the metal work on the swinging bridges. It is a perfect compliment to the blues and greens all around us. Miami Dolphins fans would inevitably feel a subtle sense of familiarity, which could comfort them during football season as television is practically unavailable.
As I sit in the van, back from the short hike through Hokitika Gorge, I circulate the air to cut the humidity. The radio comes on for a brief moment, and I hear a man with a strong Aussie / Kiwi accent proclaim his love for the Boston Red Sox. Man, these crazy people are everywhere! Continually reminding me of the people I befriended back at "university."
Back to the road...
Cheers,
Ryan
Everywhere we go, there is beautiful, brightly colored orange lichen. It is on the rocks, fences, houses, roads, and all the metal work on the swinging bridges. It is a perfect compliment to the blues and greens all around us. Miami Dolphins fans would inevitably feel a subtle sense of familiarity, which could comfort them during football season as television is practically unavailable.
As I sit in the van, back from the short hike through Hokitika Gorge, I circulate the air to cut the humidity. The radio comes on for a brief moment, and I hear a man with a strong Aussie / Kiwi accent proclaim his love for the Boston Red Sox. Man, these crazy people are everywhere! Continually reminding me of the people I befriended back at "university."
Back to the road...
Cheers,
Ryan
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Lost at Lake Kaniere
Too tired to journal much tonight. We got lost trying to find Lake Kaniere campground. Another long day of driving through the long white cloud, which is west coast New Zealand.
The coast north of Greymouth was beautiful! Kind of like Canon Beach, Oregon in a way. It was a treat after following miles and miles of farmland up the coast. The furtheset north we drove was to Pancake rocks. Albeit a crowded tourist destination, the rock formations were pretty neat, and the blow holes were better than those I'd seen in Hawai'i.
Today we met our second endangered bird of the trip, the Kiwi bird. They look almost like a duck, and don't seem like the most intelligent of creatures. They made their homes in the flax plants along the coast. Just today, we finally found out what those plants were. Ever since our journey through Routeburn Track, we've been seeing these plants all over the place. They grow almost like Agave, and produce tall, black seed pod stalks from their center. They seem to grow to about 6-8 ft tall.
Tomorrow, we will wake up early so Jude can wish his grandmother a happy Easter, who is back on the east coast in the states. Then it's off to see the beautiful blue waters of Hokitika River.
Goodnight
Ryan
The coast north of Greymouth was beautiful! Kind of like Canon Beach, Oregon in a way. It was a treat after following miles and miles of farmland up the coast. The furtheset north we drove was to Pancake rocks. Albeit a crowded tourist destination, the rock formations were pretty neat, and the blow holes were better than those I'd seen in Hawai'i.
Today we met our second endangered bird of the trip, the Kiwi bird. They look almost like a duck, and don't seem like the most intelligent of creatures. They made their homes in the flax plants along the coast. Just today, we finally found out what those plants were. Ever since our journey through Routeburn Track, we've been seeing these plants all over the place. They grow almost like Agave, and produce tall, black seed pod stalks from their center. They seem to grow to about 6-8 ft tall.
Tomorrow, we will wake up early so Jude can wish his grandmother a happy Easter, who is back on the east coast in the states. Then it's off to see the beautiful blue waters of Hokitika River.
Goodnight
Ryan
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Kingfisher #2
The cheapest beer I could find in the New Zealand store turned out to be quite good. It reminds me of Heineken, only half the price and made in India. The beer is absolutely hitting the spot after our relatively long excursion through the Franz-Joseph. The Franz-Joseph glacier (glassier), was our last stop of the evening. With our expectations low from the day's previous events, Franz-Joseph was quite the surprise. It was still raining when we entered the park, but once I saw the hikers walking the full stretch between the flats and the glacier, it just didn't matter any more.
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During the 1 to 1.5 hour hike, we passed countless numbers of waterfalls (most I would say were over 200 ft. high). At one point, I watched in amusement as a group of 4 guided hikers offered themselves mercilessly to the bottom of one of the falls. I guess some people welcome the opportunity to get slapped on the head with countless buckets of water...it looked so painful...they were having the hardest time just standing up. Anything for the the right photo opp. I guess.
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Once we reached the foot of the glacier, Jude and I quickly found the guide paths up the rocks, which led us to a much better view of the glassier. I think to fully appreciate such a wonder of the earth, you'd have to see it up close, in all its lively dangers. But this trip, I was content with the view from the rocks.
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All of the tours had ended, and we were 2 of about 10 people left in the gigantic park. Our persistence had finally paid off. I enjoyed perfectly diffuseed light (shooting pictures of the waterfalls). Jude directed my attention to the sunset that had miraculously found its way through the clouds...lighting up the upper peaks and glassier a brilliant shade of red. Sometimes hell is worth the heaven in the end. We enjoyed the sunset to its fullest extent. Then we helped a German bump start his campervan, and found our way to a holiday park just outside the city.
Tonight's journal wouldn't be complete without describing the transformation taking place inside the campervan. Albeit a tiny little space, Jude and I are finding simple ways to be courteous to one another. We are becoming used to our shrunken environment and finding way to make it work.
With total satisfaction, I'd say that 80% of our day kind of sucked, and about 20% was excellent enough to say that today was a good day...here on the wet, western coast of South Island, New Zealand.
Cheers,
Ryan
During the 1 to 1.5 hour hike, we passed countless numbers of waterfalls (most I would say were over 200 ft. high). At one point, I watched in amusement as a group of 4 guided hikers offered themselves mercilessly to the bottom of one of the falls. I guess some people welcome the opportunity to get slapped on the head with countless buckets of water...it looked so painful...they were having the hardest time just standing up. Anything for the the right photo opp. I guess.
Once we reached the foot of the glacier, Jude and I quickly found the guide paths up the rocks, which led us to a much better view of the glassier. I think to fully appreciate such a wonder of the earth, you'd have to see it up close, in all its lively dangers. But this trip, I was content with the view from the rocks.
All of the tours had ended, and we were 2 of about 10 people left in the gigantic park. Our persistence had finally paid off. I enjoyed perfectly diffuseed light (shooting pictures of the waterfalls). Jude directed my attention to the sunset that had miraculously found its way through the clouds...lighting up the upper peaks and glassier a brilliant shade of red. Sometimes hell is worth the heaven in the end. We enjoyed the sunset to its fullest extent. Then we helped a German bump start his campervan, and found our way to a holiday park just outside the city.
Tonight's journal wouldn't be complete without describing the transformation taking place inside the campervan. Albeit a tiny little space, Jude and I are finding simple ways to be courteous to one another. We are becoming used to our shrunken environment and finding way to make it work.
With total satisfaction, I'd say that 80% of our day kind of sucked, and about 20% was excellent enough to say that today was a good day...here on the wet, western coast of South Island, New Zealand.
Cheers,
Ryan
Putting the Rain in Double Rainbow
Falling asleep to 'I Might Be Wrong' just couldn't have been any more right. Radiohead is good at sending me to dreamland.
After a good night's sleep, we awoke to a double rainbow! And just the beginning of lots...and lots...of rain.
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Today was a day full of dynamics. Jude decided to drive, and went through a grueling several hours drive...through twists and turns, incline and decline, on roads that were meant for cars the size of a Geo Metro (although we were passing full on tourist busses in our oversized vw campervan in the pouring rain. You could just sense the rain changing the mood of our trip. Jude talked about aborting the planned loop in favor of back tracking, and shortening the route.
After a drenched 30 minute walk on the rocky beach and getting eaten by sand flies, I can pretty much guarantee that thoughts of the Routeburn Track came flooding back into both our minds...and how much better of a time that was.
One savior was the iPod my dad bought me for my birthday. There are virtually no radio stations we could pick up on the west coast of South Island. Beck and The White Stripes blaring through the tiny built in speakers of the iPod in the front of the campervan was quite nice - an encouraging soundtrack for the rain.
After a loooooooooong drive, we arrived at Fox Glacier sometime just before 4PM. Fox was quite a dissappointment. There was a no-pass barrier setup to prevent walking traffic from advancing far from the entrance walk to the glacier. I overheard one of the DOC workers explain that a rock slide that had occurred amidst the pouring rain. There are reminders everywhere that we are in a dynamic landscape. The water flowing from the base of the glacier was quite impressive. We took some videos from the swinging bridge and moved on.
The next stop, Lake Matheson, was another bit of dissappointment. Supposedly, the reflection of Mt. Cook - New Zealand's tallest mountain - on the still water is breathtaking. The mountain must have been buried deep behind the clouds, but from the pictures shown at the tourist center, I'd say the vista probably looked more like a tourist snapshot opportunity, than it did breathtaking. I guess I won't know for sure unless I come back to see it on a finer day.
The farmland in the neighboring area was somehow refreshing for me. It's excellent to see animals enjoying open pasteurs, wondering around, adding personality to the landscape.
After a good night's sleep, we awoke to a double rainbow! And just the beginning of lots...and lots...of rain.
Today was a day full of dynamics. Jude decided to drive, and went through a grueling several hours drive...through twists and turns, incline and decline, on roads that were meant for cars the size of a Geo Metro (although we were passing full on tourist busses in our oversized vw campervan in the pouring rain. You could just sense the rain changing the mood of our trip. Jude talked about aborting the planned loop in favor of back tracking, and shortening the route.
After a drenched 30 minute walk on the rocky beach and getting eaten by sand flies, I can pretty much guarantee that thoughts of the Routeburn Track came flooding back into both our minds...and how much better of a time that was.
One savior was the iPod my dad bought me for my birthday. There are virtually no radio stations we could pick up on the west coast of South Island. Beck and The White Stripes blaring through the tiny built in speakers of the iPod in the front of the campervan was quite nice - an encouraging soundtrack for the rain.
After a loooooooooong drive, we arrived at Fox Glacier sometime just before 4PM. Fox was quite a dissappointment. There was a no-pass barrier setup to prevent walking traffic from advancing far from the entrance walk to the glacier. I overheard one of the DOC workers explain that a rock slide that had occurred amidst the pouring rain. There are reminders everywhere that we are in a dynamic landscape. The water flowing from the base of the glacier was quite impressive. We took some videos from the swinging bridge and moved on.
The next stop, Lake Matheson, was another bit of dissappointment. Supposedly, the reflection of Mt. Cook - New Zealand's tallest mountain - on the still water is breathtaking. The mountain must have been buried deep behind the clouds, but from the pictures shown at the tourist center, I'd say the vista probably looked more like a tourist snapshot opportunity, than it did breathtaking. I guess I won't know for sure unless I come back to see it on a finer day.
The farmland in the neighboring area was somehow refreshing for me. It's excellent to see animals enjoying open pasteurs, wondering around, adding personality to the landscape.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Good Friday in New Zealand
Suiting, today was a day of grief. At night, Jude stayed mostly awake, afraid that he would miss the early paragliding appointment. Sometime in the middle of the night, I awoke to hear the soft, unrealistically pleasant voices of chidren's cartoons. Originally, I had thought it was Dora the Explorer, but Jude explained it was Franky and Friends..
On the other side of the four-person bunk, I slept a solid, slightly intoxicated sleep. The night before introduced me to three of the finest beers I've tasted so far in New Zealand: the Moa Harvest (a.k.a. "Breakfast Beer"), the Moa Belgian Trippel, and the Green Man Limited Release Whisky Bock.
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As Jude left for paragliding, I enjoyed a nice relaxing morning at the Absoloot Hostel. I had a nice breakfast chat with Linda over Gmail, only to find pictures of our house after Roxy and Otto TP'd the place. It looked like the aftermath from a big fraternity party for dogs.
Later, I went out to the streets to go shopping for myself and Linda. Since we would be leaving for our 8-day campervanning trip, it seemed wise to do the shopping in the slightly larger town. On the list was: 1) A greenstone necklace for myself - to keep the memories from the Routeburn Track always in front of me, 2) Wool for Linda, and maybe something pretty.
I was surprised to find much of the Merino wool in New Zealand was coming from China. Any that was not had a price tag that would make you gasp. Soon I found my necklace - cheap, simple, and greenstone - exactly what I had wanted.
My first purchase for Linda was a beautiful blue/grey wool scarf. I was immediately drawn to it - it has beautiful color and is one of the softest things I have ever touched. The only hesitation was the word 'possum' on the tag. "Who wants to wear something that reminds them of a filthy animal?" At least...I imagine...that will be the second thought that crosses her mind.
The night before, Jude and I ran across our first New Zealand possum. They are a lot different than back in the states. Linda would be happy to know they're quite cute actually - almost like little kangaroos. The other benefit to the scarf is that the possum is an unwelcome pest in New Zealand. It is foriegn, and a predator to several endangered native species. Anyhow, it's a cool scarf.
I also wanted to get her some kind of jewelry. She seems to really enjoy the jewelry I buy her. And not just opening it, or the thought. She wears them proudly. I pretty much never tell her that I notice, but it's a little reminder to me everytime of how much she loves me. I figured that greenstone would be the obvious choice. After all...it's green, it's here in Kiwi land, there's a wide selection that's decently priced, and it's green (the important thing). For whatever reason, I just couldn't find one that said "I am special." When I found myself hesitating, I left the jewelry shop.
At some point I entered 'The Design Shop.' I found this pair of totally unique, silver earrings that were just plain koo. I thought "Will she think they're weird? Would they get tangled in her hair?" But I finally decided to listen to my first impression.
Along the way, in my string of purchases, my debit card kept getting declined. Luckily, I still had cash and a backup credit card, but I knew I needed to check it before I left Queenstown.
On the back of my debit card is a line that reads 'If outside the U.S. call collect at [XXX.XXXX.XXXX]'. When I spoke to the operator, she told me "this number has a restriction against collect calls." "Excellent!" I thought "Now what?" Another collect number was provided on my credit card (of the same company), but when I gave that a try, I found it was also restricted. Luckily, I had purchased a $5 calling card in Milford to call the bus company (which I didn't end up using). You want to know how far that $5 calling card will take you in New Zealand calling the states? 29 seconds. I called that "restricted" number on the back of the card and had enough time to collect a legitimate collect call # from the bank.
I called the new collect number, and was then transferred to Debit Card Services. From there, I was transferred to a California-specific department (maybe they thought we spoke a different language), then was transferred to the Fraud department. After the fourth episode of providing my name, card number, and driver's license number, a guy - pretending to act like a human being - went on to tell me that there was nothing wrong with my debit card. "Sure, I guess if you don't want to buy anything, it is just as good as any other piece of multi-purpose, rectangular plastic in my wallet. This one even happens to be a vibrant shade of red, which might remind me to stop trying to use it. Maybe he's right." I thought "There's nothing wrong with the card."
I was eventually able to help the fraud expert navigate his computer and find my account. He said "Oh, your card was subject to a mass compromise. We closed that account, but don't worry, we'll have another out to you in 2-3 days." I should have just played along, and tried to pull the old pizza delivery guy trick. "Well, it wasn't here in 2-3 days as you promised, which obviously means that you guys will have to forgive any debt I owe you." When I reminded him of my location, he put on his superman uniform and told me he could do it. "Okay, I need to be straight with you," I said. "I'm in South Island, New Zealand. We're going to be in the woods in 2-3 days, far away from anyone with a cell phone or postal box. Unless you guys plan to fly in on a small plane and parachute down to hand me the card, I ain't getting it in 2-3 days."
He finally did me the favor of recognizing that he couldn't help me, and transferred me to Member Services, who transferred me to the elite Emergency Situations department. You would think from listening to the guy that transferred me that I was getting ready to enter the Four Seasons of telephonic customer service.
At the Four Seasons, the young man told me he could have a wire transfer setup to me in 1-2 hours. When I said "Okay, if you can get me my money in 1-2 hours, I'll sit around here and wait for you." He retracted, "Well, we can have it setup in 1-2 hours, but I have no idea how long it will take to get it to you once it is setup." I said, "Okay, I'm done now. I am going to cut my losses in time speaking with your many departments and hope that my credit card will get me through this mess." I told him "You know, you guys are telling me that you identified the issue and blocked my card on the 8th of April. On the 11th, I called you guys to put a travel alert on the very same card. No one bothered to tell me it wouldn't do me any good since the card was not going to continue working." I decided "Some companies are just too big to WORK."
Well, it's getting late now. Jude is finally nearing sleep, which is good. Today was the first time I've ever seen him truly cranky. The small cabin in the back of the campervan has no room for cranky.
Good night
Ryan
On the other side of the four-person bunk, I slept a solid, slightly intoxicated sleep. The night before introduced me to three of the finest beers I've tasted so far in New Zealand: the Moa Harvest (a.k.a. "Breakfast Beer"), the Moa Belgian Trippel, and the Green Man Limited Release Whisky Bock.
As Jude left for paragliding, I enjoyed a nice relaxing morning at the Absoloot Hostel. I had a nice breakfast chat with Linda over Gmail, only to find pictures of our house after Roxy and Otto TP'd the place. It looked like the aftermath from a big fraternity party for dogs.
Later, I went out to the streets to go shopping for myself and Linda. Since we would be leaving for our 8-day campervanning trip, it seemed wise to do the shopping in the slightly larger town. On the list was: 1) A greenstone necklace for myself - to keep the memories from the Routeburn Track always in front of me, 2) Wool for Linda, and maybe something pretty.
I was surprised to find much of the Merino wool in New Zealand was coming from China. Any that was not had a price tag that would make you gasp. Soon I found my necklace - cheap, simple, and greenstone - exactly what I had wanted.
My first purchase for Linda was a beautiful blue/grey wool scarf. I was immediately drawn to it - it has beautiful color and is one of the softest things I have ever touched. The only hesitation was the word 'possum' on the tag. "Who wants to wear something that reminds them of a filthy animal?" At least...I imagine...that will be the second thought that crosses her mind.
The night before, Jude and I ran across our first New Zealand possum. They are a lot different than back in the states. Linda would be happy to know they're quite cute actually - almost like little kangaroos. The other benefit to the scarf is that the possum is an unwelcome pest in New Zealand. It is foriegn, and a predator to several endangered native species. Anyhow, it's a cool scarf.
I also wanted to get her some kind of jewelry. She seems to really enjoy the jewelry I buy her. And not just opening it, or the thought. She wears them proudly. I pretty much never tell her that I notice, but it's a little reminder to me everytime of how much she loves me. I figured that greenstone would be the obvious choice. After all...it's green, it's here in Kiwi land, there's a wide selection that's decently priced, and it's green (the important thing). For whatever reason, I just couldn't find one that said "I am special." When I found myself hesitating, I left the jewelry shop.
At some point I entered 'The Design Shop.' I found this pair of totally unique, silver earrings that were just plain koo. I thought "Will she think they're weird? Would they get tangled in her hair?" But I finally decided to listen to my first impression.
Along the way, in my string of purchases, my debit card kept getting declined. Luckily, I still had cash and a backup credit card, but I knew I needed to check it before I left Queenstown.
On the back of my debit card is a line that reads 'If outside the U.S. call collect at [XXX.XXXX.XXXX]'. When I spoke to the operator, she told me "this number has a restriction against collect calls." "Excellent!" I thought "Now what?" Another collect number was provided on my credit card (of the same company), but when I gave that a try, I found it was also restricted. Luckily, I had purchased a $5 calling card in Milford to call the bus company (which I didn't end up using). You want to know how far that $5 calling card will take you in New Zealand calling the states? 29 seconds. I called that "restricted" number on the back of the card and had enough time to collect a legitimate collect call # from the bank.
I called the new collect number, and was then transferred to Debit Card Services. From there, I was transferred to a California-specific department (maybe they thought we spoke a different language), then was transferred to the Fraud department. After the fourth episode of providing my name, card number, and driver's license number, a guy - pretending to act like a human being - went on to tell me that there was nothing wrong with my debit card. "Sure, I guess if you don't want to buy anything, it is just as good as any other piece of multi-purpose, rectangular plastic in my wallet. This one even happens to be a vibrant shade of red, which might remind me to stop trying to use it. Maybe he's right." I thought "There's nothing wrong with the card."
I was eventually able to help the fraud expert navigate his computer and find my account. He said "Oh, your card was subject to a mass compromise. We closed that account, but don't worry, we'll have another out to you in 2-3 days." I should have just played along, and tried to pull the old pizza delivery guy trick. "Well, it wasn't here in 2-3 days as you promised, which obviously means that you guys will have to forgive any debt I owe you." When I reminded him of my location, he put on his superman uniform and told me he could do it. "Okay, I need to be straight with you," I said. "I'm in South Island, New Zealand. We're going to be in the woods in 2-3 days, far away from anyone with a cell phone or postal box. Unless you guys plan to fly in on a small plane and parachute down to hand me the card, I ain't getting it in 2-3 days."
He finally did me the favor of recognizing that he couldn't help me, and transferred me to Member Services, who transferred me to the elite Emergency Situations department. You would think from listening to the guy that transferred me that I was getting ready to enter the Four Seasons of telephonic customer service.
At the Four Seasons, the young man told me he could have a wire transfer setup to me in 1-2 hours. When I said "Okay, if you can get me my money in 1-2 hours, I'll sit around here and wait for you." He retracted, "Well, we can have it setup in 1-2 hours, but I have no idea how long it will take to get it to you once it is setup." I said, "Okay, I'm done now. I am going to cut my losses in time speaking with your many departments and hope that my credit card will get me through this mess." I told him "You know, you guys are telling me that you identified the issue and blocked my card on the 8th of April. On the 11th, I called you guys to put a travel alert on the very same card. No one bothered to tell me it wouldn't do me any good since the card was not going to continue working." I decided "Some companies are just too big to WORK."
Well, it's getting late now. Jude is finally nearing sleep, which is good. Today was the first time I've ever seen him truly cranky. The small cabin in the back of the campervan has no room for cranky.
Good night
Ryan
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
The light hours...
Back at the lodge after my cruise through Milford Sound. Mason Jennings is playing now while I type. A nice touch.
Wow, it is COLD on the water. There were times I wondered if I'd get frostbite if I stayed out any longer. It's been an hour and 15 minutes since the cruise and my ears are still cold.
Waiting for the bus now. It's 11:13AM computer time (12:13PM New Zealand). My bus comes at 2:15PM, and then it's a 4 and a half hour trip back to Queenstown, where I meet Jude at the grocery store at 7:30PM.
Jude must still be on the bus back to Queenstown. He left at 9:30AM, so he should arrive around 2PM. He's planning on going Parasailing, which should be fun. He said it was a bit cheaper than it would be at Torrey Pines. I imagine he will be flying tandem, so not too much to worry about there. I just hope he gets some photos and videos. I'd love to see it secondhand.
The cruise was nice. I went by foot to the wharf again (which is about a 20 minute hike). A guy from India that now lives in NYC stopped and picked me up on the way. After I gave him directions to the wharf and to the petrol station, I think he felt guilted into asking me for a lift. When I said "Okay" he soon after said "Well, that wasn't too far. I should have just left you there to walk." New Yorkers have a funny way of showing affection.
Back to the cruise...
So, I got on and went straight to the nose of the boat. We left the wharf just before 9AM. Because we were the first boat, the water was nice and calm. I froze for a bit, but met some nice folks from Minnesota, and a couple from Argentina. Man, this guy had the coolest eyes. He looked like that child (now grown-up) from that famous national geographic cover (with the red hood and the bright green eyes). Had I not felt way too silly asking, I would have taken a photo of him as well. Nonetheless, we had some great conversation. Turns out he just got back from a track as well, and had the same beautiful, snowy conditions we had on ours that one day. He gave me some great tips about the glacier (glassier) hikes. Apparently the "half-day" trip spends 3 hours on the trail; 1 hour on the glacier. Whereas, the the full day trail spends a fair amount of time on the ice; goes much higher, and gets out of all the nasty, grey ice. Looks like we'll be signing up for the full day. Also funny, this couple said they were also doing the same hike we're going to be doing around Mount Cook, "Mueller Hut", that we'll be doing; likely around the same time. Maybe we'll meet again.
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On the cruise, there wasn't really much wild life to be found. Go figure, the animals were smart enough to realize that it was "bloody cold" outside and to seek shelter elsewhere. I got some good shots of the waterfall, and this one that I absolutely LOVE. It has one of the mountains catching the sunlight taking up the majority of the frame on the right, and in the wee distance on the bottom left you can see other fjord-scaped mountains layering in shades of blue against one another. I used a polarizer, so all the bush is vivid green, and the sky vivid blue. Ah...more Mason Jennings. This time "California". Ha...how nice.
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Well, I hiked back to the Lodge. Since I was here yesterday, the staff knows my face. I don't think they will suspect I am no longer a "lodger," which is excellent because the sand flies, unlike dracula, love to suck your blood during the light hours. With any luck, that one girl will come back and play another mini-concert in the common room. Otherwise...I'm sure I'll find good ways to use the next hour.
One of the Hut Wardens on the Routeburn Track told us about this video called Shadowlands. They have it here in the gift shop and was very tempted to buy it, but I looked on Amazon and saw they have one used for 12.99 US (here it's $35 NZ); plus it would just be one more thing to haul back. The cinematography looks pretty amazing. I think it'll do a great job of showing you where we are.
Okay...I'm off now...
Cheers,
Ryan
Wow, it is COLD on the water. There were times I wondered if I'd get frostbite if I stayed out any longer. It's been an hour and 15 minutes since the cruise and my ears are still cold.
Waiting for the bus now. It's 11:13AM computer time (12:13PM New Zealand). My bus comes at 2:15PM, and then it's a 4 and a half hour trip back to Queenstown, where I meet Jude at the grocery store at 7:30PM.
| The only way into Milford Sound by automobile, the tunnel was built with pick axes and man power. A few men died while building this tunnel; the result of avalanches from the steep terrain. |
If you look carefully, you can see evidence
of the manmade chisel work!
Jude must still be on the bus back to Queenstown. He left at 9:30AM, so he should arrive around 2PM. He's planning on going Parasailing, which should be fun. He said it was a bit cheaper than it would be at Torrey Pines. I imagine he will be flying tandem, so not too much to worry about there. I just hope he gets some photos and videos. I'd love to see it secondhand.
The cruise was nice. I went by foot to the wharf again (which is about a 20 minute hike). A guy from India that now lives in NYC stopped and picked me up on the way. After I gave him directions to the wharf and to the petrol station, I think he felt guilted into asking me for a lift. When I said "Okay" he soon after said "Well, that wasn't too far. I should have just left you there to walk." New Yorkers have a funny way of showing affection.
Back to the cruise...
So, I got on and went straight to the nose of the boat. We left the wharf just before 9AM. Because we were the first boat, the water was nice and calm. I froze for a bit, but met some nice folks from Minnesota, and a couple from Argentina. Man, this guy had the coolest eyes. He looked like that child (now grown-up) from that famous national geographic cover (with the red hood and the bright green eyes). Had I not felt way too silly asking, I would have taken a photo of him as well. Nonetheless, we had some great conversation. Turns out he just got back from a track as well, and had the same beautiful, snowy conditions we had on ours that one day. He gave me some great tips about the glacier (glassier) hikes. Apparently the "half-day" trip spends 3 hours on the trail; 1 hour on the glacier. Whereas, the the full day trail spends a fair amount of time on the ice; goes much higher, and gets out of all the nasty, grey ice. Looks like we'll be signing up for the full day. Also funny, this couple said they were also doing the same hike we're going to be doing around Mount Cook, "Mueller Hut", that we'll be doing; likely around the same time. Maybe we'll meet again.
On the cruise, there wasn't really much wild life to be found. Go figure, the animals were smart enough to realize that it was "bloody cold" outside and to seek shelter elsewhere. I got some good shots of the waterfall, and this one that I absolutely LOVE. It has one of the mountains catching the sunlight taking up the majority of the frame on the right, and in the wee distance on the bottom left you can see other fjord-scaped mountains layering in shades of blue against one another. I used a polarizer, so all the bush is vivid green, and the sky vivid blue. Ah...more Mason Jennings. This time "California". Ha...how nice.
Well, I hiked back to the Lodge. Since I was here yesterday, the staff knows my face. I don't think they will suspect I am no longer a "lodger," which is excellent because the sand flies, unlike dracula, love to suck your blood during the light hours. With any luck, that one girl will come back and play another mini-concert in the common room. Otherwise...I'm sure I'll find good ways to use the next hour.
One of the Hut Wardens on the Routeburn Track told us about this video called Shadowlands. They have it here in the gift shop and was very tempted to buy it, but I looked on Amazon and saw they have one used for 12.99 US (here it's $35 NZ); plus it would just be one more thing to haul back. The cinematography looks pretty amazing. I think it'll do a great job of showing you where we are.
Okay...I'm off now...
Cheers,
Ryan
All my friends are birds...
Last night was fairly uneventful (besides the important stuff like getting our clothes clean and dry). Turns out you had the right time when you asked me what time it was here. This computer (in fact all the computers here) are exactly 1 hour earlier (so Jude and I ended up missing the last ferry). No worries though. I decided to take the first small boat which leaves at 8:50AM (7:50AM computer time).
At sunset, Jude and I went down to the wharf. We missed the shuttle because we were on the phone rescheduling everything, but it was a nice walk down. I ended up going down to the water and getting some pretty great photos of the fjords. Luckily I couldn't find Jude, which afforded me to find this cool spot where these trees had drifted up from the lake. I kept yelling for him, but all I heard was some bird like whistle. I kind of had a feeling it was him, but after 3 tries I figured he'd finally let me know where he was. Wrong. I decided to head to the Pub and on the way I hear "You ready?" from the tree tops. Jude makes a pretty good bird.
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After a couple "Black Beers" and some bad pizza, we played some darts and caught the shuttle back for the evening.
Well here it is, 7:30AM (6:30AM computer time)...looks like the breakfast cafe is open...I bet you know where I'm headed.
Cheers,
Ryan
At sunset, Jude and I went down to the wharf. We missed the shuttle because we were on the phone rescheduling everything, but it was a nice walk down. I ended up going down to the water and getting some pretty great photos of the fjords. Luckily I couldn't find Jude, which afforded me to find this cool spot where these trees had drifted up from the lake. I kept yelling for him, but all I heard was some bird like whistle. I kind of had a feeling it was him, but after 3 tries I figured he'd finally let me know where he was. Wrong. I decided to head to the Pub and on the way I hear "You ready?" from the tree tops. Jude makes a pretty good bird.
After a couple "Black Beers" and some bad pizza, we played some darts and caught the shuttle back for the evening.
Well here it is, 7:30AM (6:30AM computer time)...looks like the breakfast cafe is open...I bet you know where I'm headed.
Cheers,
Ryan
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Satisfaction is...
A bus rescuing you from sand flies at the end of a 4 day trail...
The padded seats as you look out the windows at the fjordlands around you...
The pre-made sandwich at the lodge (that is anything but another dehydrated meal in a bag)...
A long, hot shower with the mini scrubber your wife bought you...
The pure sight of a washer and drier...
The trash can to conveniently dispose of your "rubbish"...
The beer at the front desk (even if it doesn't taste like the IPA you'd expect from the label)...
After being outside and bouncing between huts for 4 days, it's amazing how much satisfaction you find in all the little things you would normally take for granted.
What a hike!
Turns out the huts are just a tad closer together than what I had thought. Maybe I confused the Kilometers for Miles, or maybe I was just so excited that I didn't pay enough attention. Whatever the case, I would say it was a hike made for 3 days. However, the 4th gave us plenty of time to explore the various side trails, take lots of photos, and meet all kinds of interesting people from all over the world.
It's amazing how like-minded all these folks are from their different backgrounds and locations all over the globe. And the few differences make for good comedy, whether we're talking about how the Aussies say [Feesh and Cheeps], the New Zealanders...where everything is "Koo", or how an American pronounces pretty much anything...compared to the Europeans, Aussies, and Kiwis that make up the majority here. I've gotten the impression that some of the locals just want to hear us talk...they seem very amused by our accents.
More about the trail...
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So, the first day we got bussed to trailhead by a pretty sarcastic Kiwi. He was so excited to be a bus driver. He referred to it as a dream job..."it's pretty much one of those where you just have to wait around until somebody dies. I'm so lucky." Anyways, we started off the hike with a Kiwi named Simon who taught us the expression "Sweet As", which pretty much means "I hear you" or "I agree with what you're saying." Pretty soon after the cameras came out, Simon went on ahead. Jude and I snapped pictures of the various bridges, and the beautiful turquoise blue river. Wow! When we got to the cabin, Jude and I left our packs and went off on a side trail that took us through this beautiful golden meadow and river nestled between the mountains. I got to test out my boots, and yes...they are in fact Waterproof, which was very comforting to find out. We found a couple of duck mates, one with a black head, one with a white head, that were pretty entaining. Also later that day, we learned about the Sand Flies. Man, I have a feeling they are the sole reason the people here invented the expression "bugger". They suck your blood like mosquitos, and are absolutely everywhere in the valleys in Fjordland. I haven't counted but I bet I have 40-50 bites so far. Anyhow, that night Jude and I got excellent rest as we were the only two in the hut.
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The next morning we woke up and packed off for more uphill to our next destination - Routeburn falls hut. When we arrived, it was freezing cold. We quickly changed out of our wet clothes (it rains a lot here) and struck of a game of Rummy in the common area. We got terrible sleep that night - we shared the place with about 20-30 others. At some point in the night we heard this loud THUD next to us and then another BANG and a SCREAM. It sounded like someone fell off the top bunk. Anyways, we never did find out exactly what happened, but people were pretty wrestless after that.
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The next morning we woke up to a fresh layer of snow. It was absolutely beautiful. And the view from the hut overlooked the mountains and previously-golden valley we had hiked through the day or so before. Jude and I got an early start that morning. We enjoyed tramping through all the new snow...and making the first tracks. Although I did break one of my hiking poles, which was a bit of a bummer. About 2-3 hours after we took off, we reached the "saddle" where the wind was really going wild. We took a quick break in the shelter, but realized we needed to keep moving. We hesitantly made our way up "Conical Hill" which is the absolute highest summit near the trail. It was a cold, icy, slippery way up, but the top rewarded us with views clear across Fjordland. It was so unusually clear, we could see past the Tasman Sea, all the way to the Ocean, and could see the waves breaking on the sand bar. From there we had a really long day of hiking, and even though we were descending...it felt like we were always climbing...and climbing large stone stairs for that matter...which made the pack feel that much heavier.
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The fourth day was an easy one, and we got to the hut just before the downpour, which lasted all night. The early morning greated us to a full moon on the lake, and pretty soon we reached the end of our hike.
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Well here we are now, at Milford Sound. From the Valley the Mountains look unbelievably huge...they are SO FRIGGIN STEEP. They're no where near as tall as the Rockies, but they look perceivably look bigger - just because of how quick they rise from the valley floor. You can even see the glacier (pronounced "glassier") on the peaks. Jude is out building piles of stones and getting eatin by Sand Flies, while I finish my second New Zealand beer.
I love you all and will write soon. Wish I had a way to upload some of the photos...
Cheers
The padded seats as you look out the windows at the fjordlands around you...
The pre-made sandwich at the lodge (that is anything but another dehydrated meal in a bag)...
A long, hot shower with the mini scrubber your wife bought you...
The pure sight of a washer and drier...
The trash can to conveniently dispose of your "rubbish"...
The beer at the front desk (even if it doesn't taste like the IPA you'd expect from the label)...
After being outside and bouncing between huts for 4 days, it's amazing how much satisfaction you find in all the little things you would normally take for granted.
What a hike!
Turns out the huts are just a tad closer together than what I had thought. Maybe I confused the Kilometers for Miles, or maybe I was just so excited that I didn't pay enough attention. Whatever the case, I would say it was a hike made for 3 days. However, the 4th gave us plenty of time to explore the various side trails, take lots of photos, and meet all kinds of interesting people from all over the world.
It's amazing how like-minded all these folks are from their different backgrounds and locations all over the globe. And the few differences make for good comedy, whether we're talking about how the Aussies say [Feesh and Cheeps], the New Zealanders...where everything is "Koo", or how an American pronounces pretty much anything...compared to the Europeans, Aussies, and Kiwis that make up the majority here. I've gotten the impression that some of the locals just want to hear us talk...they seem very amused by our accents.
More about the trail...
The next morning we woke up and packed off for more uphill to our next destination - Routeburn falls hut. When we arrived, it was freezing cold. We quickly changed out of our wet clothes (it rains a lot here) and struck of a game of Rummy in the common area. We got terrible sleep that night - we shared the place with about 20-30 others. At some point in the night we heard this loud THUD next to us and then another BANG and a SCREAM. It sounded like someone fell off the top bunk. Anyways, we never did find out exactly what happened, but people were pretty wrestless after that.
The next morning we woke up to a fresh layer of snow. It was absolutely beautiful. And the view from the hut overlooked the mountains and previously-golden valley we had hiked through the day or so before. Jude and I got an early start that morning. We enjoyed tramping through all the new snow...and making the first tracks. Although I did break one of my hiking poles, which was a bit of a bummer. About 2-3 hours after we took off, we reached the "saddle" where the wind was really going wild. We took a quick break in the shelter, but realized we needed to keep moving. We hesitantly made our way up "Conical Hill" which is the absolute highest summit near the trail. It was a cold, icy, slippery way up, but the top rewarded us with views clear across Fjordland. It was so unusually clear, we could see past the Tasman Sea, all the way to the Ocean, and could see the waves breaking on the sand bar. From there we had a really long day of hiking, and even though we were descending...it felt like we were always climbing...and climbing large stone stairs for that matter...which made the pack feel that much heavier.
The fourth day was an easy one, and we got to the hut just before the downpour, which lasted all night. The early morning greated us to a full moon on the lake, and pretty soon we reached the end of our hike.
Well here we are now, at Milford Sound. From the Valley the Mountains look unbelievably huge...they are SO FRIGGIN STEEP. They're no where near as tall as the Rockies, but they look perceivably look bigger - just because of how quick they rise from the valley floor. You can even see the glacier (pronounced "glassier") on the peaks. Jude is out building piles of stones and getting eatin by Sand Flies, while I finish my second New Zealand beer.
I love you all and will write soon. Wish I had a way to upload some of the photos...
Cheers
Ryan
Friday, April 15, 2011
First taste: Queenstown
Hi everybody,
Thanks for all the emails. First of all...sorry Lin for the delay...we've mostly been running errands all day preparing for tomorrow's backpack...but we've also managed to mix in some fun.
So Auckland seemed okay. The weather was about like San Diego right now, and for getting a ticket / fine for the jerky...I must say that was the most pleasant experience of getting in trouble I've had so far. The staff were all very nice and genuine. But there wasn't much to see coming in, or at the airport.
On the contrary, the flight from Auckland to Queenstown was beautiful...especially when we were within about 30 minutes of landing. The rigid mountains sprinkled with snow, and the gigantic washes in the valleys of the mountains almost looked like glaciers...they must get SO much rain here. Then, we see this gigantic turquoise lake, and part of it was being diverted into an aqueduct (I have video...it's absolutely beautiful). Anyways, we landed, and got off the plane directly outside (wasn't that SO much better!). The air in Queenstown just smells good...it's so refreshing here, and the backdrops of mountains are gorgeous.
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Once we got the pertinent stuff taken care of...we just started walking. I bet we walked 4-5 miles, partly up some pretty steep terrain. I just can't get enough of it. It's fall here. All the trees are gorgeous. And when I say all the trees...there are SO many different trees and plants here...I see something new like every 10 seconds that I've never seen before. They have these gigantic 50 foot tall trees that are raining golden leaves...and then some of the biggest pines I've ever come across.
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On our little hike out in the wilderness, somehow we happened upon this old power station. It was like the Street Art Meca of Queenstown. There was like 500 ft. of painted walls (yes Lin, I took pictures to share :)). It was so strange, but very rewarding from a venture we had no idea where it would lead.
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Tomorrow's the big day. We start the backpack I've been dreaming of for several years. We have everything packed, and our bus leaves at 8AM NZ. Jude is up in bed, and I'm having some weird New Zealand beer (Moa - Five Hop Barrel Reserve). Tomorrow it's supposed to rain, so I feel pretty content with all my rain proof purchases prior to leaving. Sunday's supposed to be the worst...I guess we'll finally see what it's all about.
Man, goods here are EXPENSIVE. I looked at getting an extra battery for my camera. It was $140 NZ...I think that's about $110 US. Maybe if I new more about U.S. tariffs and trade it would make more sense, but anyways...if you come here...come prepared.
Honestly, I think all of you would fall in love with this place. It's an interesting melting pot of really nice, just genuine people. There is a little adrenaline in the air...all these young bucks are nervous and excited about their "bungy tomorrow".
Well, good night. I love all of you. It'll be 4-5 days before I write again. Just know I'm having the time of my life, and the stories, pictures and photos I bring back are absolutely priceless.
My internet says '50' seconds.
Tootles.
Ryan
Thanks for all the emails. First of all...sorry Lin for the delay...we've mostly been running errands all day preparing for tomorrow's backpack...but we've also managed to mix in some fun.
So Auckland seemed okay. The weather was about like San Diego right now, and for getting a ticket / fine for the jerky...I must say that was the most pleasant experience of getting in trouble I've had so far. The staff were all very nice and genuine. But there wasn't much to see coming in, or at the airport.
On the contrary, the flight from Auckland to Queenstown was beautiful...especially when we were within about 30 minutes of landing. The rigid mountains sprinkled with snow, and the gigantic washes in the valleys of the mountains almost looked like glaciers...they must get SO much rain here. Then, we see this gigantic turquoise lake, and part of it was being diverted into an aqueduct (I have video...it's absolutely beautiful). Anyways, we landed, and got off the plane directly outside (wasn't that SO much better!). The air in Queenstown just smells good...it's so refreshing here, and the backdrops of mountains are gorgeous.
I'll save all the errands we did because they're just not all that exciting. But we did go to Fergburgers. This was the original burger joint that inspired the owner of Bareback Grill. That place was Hoppin'. Probably the busiest place in all of Queenstown. I had a New Zealand Deer burger, with some kind of Thai plum sauce and Fries with Aioli...too good.
Once we got the pertinent stuff taken care of...we just started walking. I bet we walked 4-5 miles, partly up some pretty steep terrain. I just can't get enough of it. It's fall here. All the trees are gorgeous. And when I say all the trees...there are SO many different trees and plants here...I see something new like every 10 seconds that I've never seen before. They have these gigantic 50 foot tall trees that are raining golden leaves...and then some of the biggest pines I've ever come across.
On our little hike out in the wilderness, somehow we happened upon this old power station. It was like the Street Art Meca of Queenstown. There was like 500 ft. of painted walls (yes Lin, I took pictures to share :)). It was so strange, but very rewarding from a venture we had no idea where it would lead.
Tomorrow's the big day. We start the backpack I've been dreaming of for several years. We have everything packed, and our bus leaves at 8AM NZ. Jude is up in bed, and I'm having some weird New Zealand beer (Moa - Five Hop Barrel Reserve). Tomorrow it's supposed to rain, so I feel pretty content with all my rain proof purchases prior to leaving. Sunday's supposed to be the worst...I guess we'll finally see what it's all about.
Man, goods here are EXPENSIVE. I looked at getting an extra battery for my camera. It was $140 NZ...I think that's about $110 US. Maybe if I new more about U.S. tariffs and trade it would make more sense, but anyways...if you come here...come prepared.
Honestly, I think all of you would fall in love with this place. It's an interesting melting pot of really nice, just genuine people. There is a little adrenaline in the air...all these young bucks are nervous and excited about their "bungy tomorrow".
Well, good night. I love all of you. It'll be 4-5 days before I write again. Just know I'm having the time of my life, and the stories, pictures and photos I bring back are absolutely priceless.
My internet says '50' seconds.
Tootles.
Ryan
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Just landed: Auckland, New Zealand
Off to a shaky start. Got fined at Biodiversity for forgeting to declare that I had beef jerky. You were right mom. That's some expensive damn jerky! :)
The flight was really nice. The seats were super comfy, well reclined. All the seats came with a screen in front of you, and a retractable remote control (built into the armrest)...we got free Movies (great recent selection), TV, Radio, Music, Video Games. And the food was actually pretty good too. They really know what they're doing. We get on the plane at 12PM...then they feed you supper at 1:30AM (at first, I was like...what the heck...why would I eat now). Then I realized that it was 7PM New Zealand. Right off the bat they were trying to mitigate jet lag. And I will say...it worked well. I feel pretty good today.
Anyhow, the weather is warmer here in Auckland that I expected. All is well...love you all.
Cheers,
Ryan
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