Hoki-freakin-tika and the Wild West of NZ

This could be a long post, so you might want to freshen your drink.

We did a road trip this past weekend that took us through Arthur's Pass in the Southern Alps, over to the west coast of the south island.  We had been told by everyone that the west coast was very different from the east coast and even more beautiful, and we were not disappointed.  For starters, we caught three days of the best weather we've had in our whole time here, so mother nature cooperated nicely.

The drive goes up and over the Southern Alps, through Arthur's Pass.  On the east side the Alps are barren and very grey because the climate is much dryer.  We saw about 50 miles of scenes like this:

Once through the top of the Pass, the climate and scenery changes dramatically, to miles and miles of this kind of view on the western slopes:

We did manage to make it over to the west coast after many stops for photo shoots along the way.  Once there, we turned south to the small beach town of Hokitika (Hoka-tic-a) and found our rental cottage.  The cottage is owned by a young couple whose primary business is making beautiful stone mats.  They sift the flat stones found on the beach to get a uniformed size and then glue them to a soft mat:

The uniform thickness and soft mat made them surprisingly comfortable, even to bare feet.  The owners used to live in the cottage we rented, so it was set up to be bright, airy and comfortable on the inside, with a great view of the beach right from our doorstep.

Getting near dinner time, we took the short drive into Hokitika to get "take away" and wine for the upcoming sunset.  While in town, we noticed that Hokitika felt a lot like the area in Florida where we rent a house most Mays--the Redneck Riviera of the southern hemisphere, so to speak.  It really felt like another world so we nicknamed it Planet Hoki-freakin-tika, and that tag stuck the whole weekend.  What a great little beach town!

We went back to the cottage and set our food out for dinner on the patio table, two steps from the beach

and we toasted, "Who's better than us?"  Right then and there--no one!

The next day we headed out to see the west coastline and Punakaiki, the famous "Pancake Rocks" and blowholes  The drive featured some winding roads that gave us great looks at the coastline.  This set of rocks is called the Apostles, but should be called "Rabbit Rocks."  Look closely and you'll see why:

The Pancake Rocks at Punakaiki were formed by millions of years of alternating sediment buildup, followed by sea erosion.  It's not hard to see how they got their name:

When the tide is high and the seas are up, the waves go between some of the stacks and shoot up from small holes in the rocks.  They make a big sound and shoot spray up a long way.  Punakaiki was quiet that day, but we did see some small blow hole action on some rocks just north of there, off Thompson's Track:

We headed back to Hokitika for a late lunch and then went out to Kaneiri Lake, not far away.  We had hoped to hike the lake, but it was late so we took a slow drive around it.  We came across Dorothy Falls at the far end of the lake:

Back at the cottage again, Mike took a nap while Terry scoured the beach for shells, greenstone, jade, and penguin tracks.  This part of NZ is well known for greenstone and jade, used to make jewelry by Maori artisans.  It is the only place in NZ were these stones can be found, but a lot of fakes are in stores across the country.  Terry did find a few pieces of greenstone, that has a soapy feel to it--but no jade.

We have been very anxious to spot some penguins in NZ--see an earlier posting about that.  Blue Penguins are known in the Hokitika area, but proved to be impossible to spot.  They are very shy and very nocturnal, crossing to/from the shore and their nests in the tall thick bushes on the shore only in the dark.  On our last morning Terry did see a few tracks, but that was it.  Sorry, Aliesa--no photos to send back to you.

We enjoyed an even better sunset the second night at the cottage, and then made an early start back over the Southern Alps on Sunday.  At one stop Terry got her best bird sighting--a group of five Kea that were at a rest stop, looking for handouts.  These are green parrots with irridescent reddish feathers on their tails that can be seen only when they fly.

The rest of the drive east to Christchurch was the same old expected spectacular vistas through the Southern Alps, so not much new to report that way:

We both agreed that this was the best weekend trip we've had in NZ.  We have a little less than 2 weeks left, and will probably not take any more 2-3 day trips.  We'll try to get back to Akaroa for a day trip and to Tekapo for a one-nighter, but plan to spend most of our remaining time in Christchurch, seeing more of the city and working on our long lists of souvenirs to buy for folks back home.

Mike and Terry

Life in Christchurch

We have posted so many stories and pictures about our travels that we have mentioned little about Christchurch, our home base for these 9 weeks or so.

CC is the second largest city in NZ, with a population of about 350,000.  It is known as the "City of Gardens" because of its large Botanic Garden, many large public green spaces, and the locals' love of gardening around their homes.  Nearly everyone has some size and type of garden where the live, and they love to show them off.  Right now at the end of summer they are reaping the fruits of their "veg" gardens with home-grown herbs and produce everywhere.

CC is also a college town, with the University of Canterbury and several smaller colleges.  UC is the third largest "uni" in NZ, with about 13,000 students--down from 16,000 since the earthquakes of 2011.  The campus shows signs everywhere of the earthquakes' (there were two of them) damage--many buildings are closed and waiting demolition, many have been demolished already, and some are being renovated as time and budgets allow.  The government has given UC $2.5 billion for reconstruction, but that is just a drop in the bucket of what's needed, and discussions about what should get first priority draw some heated debates.

We live in a small apartment ("flat") right off campus.  The location is excellent for access to campus, groceries, the bus line, and Saturday's Farmer's Market.

Our little front patio is great for wine and music in the evenings, but those times have been limited with the consistently bad weather we've had since arriving.  However, today (3/17) looks like this picture.  The flat has 2 bedrooms, a very small kitchen, bath/toilet, and a living room.  The kitchen also contains the washer & dryer, that challenges Terry every time she uses it.

We have not taken a lot of pictures of downtown CC, where the worst damage was from the earthquakes.  In all nearly 30,000 buildings were damaged or destroyed--most of them in the Central Business District.  The few that are still standing look like this one:

This is the Arts Council building--they took the steeple down so keep it from falling later.  The Avon River runs through the center of town, and is famous for its romantic punting rides.

The botanical gardens were mostly spared from the 'quakes, and feature a number of different habitats that represent various parts of NZ.  A few weeks ago they hosted a large international garden show that we enjoyed a lot.  It was not just flowers, with lots of landscaping exhibits, lawn sculptures,

and a very strange "Flower fashion" show that got a lot of laughs:

We have learned our way around a bit with the bus system, but hope to explore more of the city that way in our last weeks here.  To be honest, we have not taken a lot of pictures in the city because the weather has been so windy and rainy--but will do that as we can and insert them back in here later.

CC is a very friendly, pretty and comfortable city--it's just too bad that we are seeing it in its present state.

Mike and Terry

Rich Penguins, God's Bowling Balls on the Beach, Giant Lesbian Birds, Sea Lions on the Beach...and then it got Weird

Our original plans for this weekend were to spend it with some friends at their "bach" (vacation house) on Charlotte's Sound on the very northern tip of the South Island.  Those plans were changed when the weather report showed Cyclone Luci barreling down from the north and scheduled to hit Christchurch on Saturday night.  That would have given us a very bad day in the north, and a very bad 5-hour drive to get home in driving rain.  So, we opted to head south to the Otago Peninsula, about 200 miles down the coast, just out from Dunedin.  A good decision for a lot of reasons--not the least of which was the two best days of weather we've had all trip.  We are now back in Christchurch, waiting for Luci to hit with gale force winds and lots of rain.

We took our time on the way to Otago, stopping off to take pictures and see any sights than looked interesting.  First stop was Oamaru, to see the famous colony of Blue Penguins in residence there.  We went up to the counter to buy tickets to learn that the penguins can be viewed only two times a day--once in the morning as they head to sea to fish, and again around dusk when they come back for the night.  We were there in mid-day, so had no chance to see them.  However, we learned that it cost $29 each for "regular" viewing seats (think Fenway Bleachers to home plate from the birds) and $40 each for "Premium" seats (think one row behind the dugout) to see them waddle about 30 feet away. We think there was a "Private Viewing" ticket for $100 each that would have allowed us to get autographs.  And, no pictures allowed from any viewing area--apparently something about the birds' contracts and licensing rights, we guessed.  Luckily we weren't going to be there when they came out of the water, so it was an easy decision to get in the car and head down the road.

Shortly after that we stopped in Moeraki to see the strange Moeraki Boulders that are piled up on the beach.

There are about 50 of them, in a very short area of beach--the only place they are known in the world. Maori legend has it that they were ballast tossed from one of the Big Canoes during a storm and then washed up on the beach.  Pakhea (white guy) legend is that they are gutter balls from God's bowling alley.  They are eerily perfectly round--Mike's first guess was that they were formed by volcanic activity and heaved up by the sea to the shore.  Turns out they were formed inland and underground millions of years ago by something called 'concretion'--microorganisms sticking together to form the balls.  So, they actually fall from the cliffs above the beach when enough soil around them gives way.

What we hoped to be the highlight of the tour was exactly that.  We visited the Royal Albatross Center at the very far tip of the peninsula.  The center has been in operation for about 80 years, started by a local science teacher who wanted to protect the giant birds' eggs and chicks from any number of predators, including humans.  The Royal Albatross is the second largest bird in the world--an adult's wingspan will be more than 11 feet, with its head the size of a cantaloup.  Today the center is home to about 250 birds, only one of two places the birds nest in the world.  This year they have about 28 active nests.  The scientists there have ID'd and tagged every bird and keep meticulous records of all bird behavior.  One bird, apptly named "Grandma" lived to be over 60 years before going missing in the 1980s.

From the time a chick is born until it "fledges" (flies away the first time), the parents share the two main parental duties of keeping it safe in the nest and providing food.  One parent stays while the other heads to sea to bring back food.  This is no simple task, because at some point the chick will consume over 4 pounds of food daily.

We got a rare treat to see one male bird returning from his fishing trip and flying around the nesting area a couple times.

While this might not look impressive, this guy (we were told it was a male) was about 100 yards away when Mike took the picture and his wing span is the full 11 feet of an adult bird.

This year for the first time they have observed a pair of females sharing the care and feeding of a single egg, which is now a chick about 4 months old.  It would appear that these two birds have taken advantage of New Zealand's recent open marriage laws and are raising the chick together as a couple.  The tour guides call them "The girls" and have declared them the first and only lesbian bird couple known.

Later that day we took a riding tour up and over the crest of the peninsula, getting some spectacular views of the ocean and harbor, depending on the specific vantage point.  This is Sandfly Beach way below.

Later we went to Allan's Beach, a bit East of Sandfly, to do some walking and for Terry to test out the local shelling.

While Terry was shelling we came up on three different Sea Lions basking on the warm beach, and we heeded the warnings to stay away at least 30 feet.  Every one of these critters was at least 8 feet long.  As the saying goes, "Let sleeping Sea Lions lie."

But, if pricey penguins, bowling balls on the beach, large lesbian birds, and Sea Lions on the beach weren't strange enough, it really got weird at the Penguin Cafe when Mike ordered pancakes for breakfast:

You guessed it--a plate of four Penguin Pikelets, banana slices, syrup-infused cream, and garnished with powdered sugar!  It seems that the cafe has a press that forms these little bird-cakes into their cute, edible size and shape.  Whod'a thunk it?  They were so good that we both ordered them the next day.

So, we are now back in Christchurch, still tasting those pikelets, and hoping that Luci will not be the same type of damaging event we had here three weeks ago. 

Mike and Terry

Kaikoura

I just read Terry's entry into the blog (note to self: change the password when this entry is finished).

We had an uneventful week in Christchurch, with Mike being busy with some meetings and teaching and Terry doing her yoga and BAT (Butt, Abs and  Thighs) workouts at the university.  The weather remained sub-par for this time of year, but we avoided any more 100-year events, so that was good.

We were visited on Thursday by Pam Kulinna, a professional colleague/friend of Mike's, who is on sabbatical from Arizona State University, doing some research and teaching at the University of Auckland on the North Island.  Given the still-crummy weather forecast in CC for the weekend, we decided to take a road trip up the coast to Kaikoura, an old fishing and whaling town.  "Kaikoura" in Maori means "eating crayfish [lobster]" but at over $60 a pop in restaurants, there wasn't going to be any Kaikoura-ing for us.

We hired a car and left CC early on Friday.  Route 1 runs the length of the  (East) Pacfiic Coast on the South Island, and then turns West at the very top.  It has an ever-changing landscape of hills, rivers, plains, farms, coast, and the Southern Alps for the 150 or so miles from Christchurch to Kaikoura.  On the way up we stopped several times to take photos.  This one is in Gore Bay, a very small fishing village:

Terry and Pam soon discovered a mutual passion for shelling, so here they are action in Gore:

Once I could convince them to get back in the car we continued North and saw more of the beautiful coast as we headed to Kaikoura.

We rented a small bungalow for one night:

The bungalow was spacious and clean, located about 50 yards from the shore of Kaikoura Bay.  From the front portch, we got the view of the Southern Alps (top of this post) on one side, and a view of the cliffs of Kaikoura Peninsula to the other side:

Not too shabby for a last-minute find the day before.  Once we got settled and had lunch we drove a short distance to a seal colony on the rocky shore of the ocean.  We saw about 20 seals, with one wanting an up-close-and-personal view of us as we took about 200 pictures of him. Her?  Pam wanted to give it a name, so Mike suggested "Christmas."  You know, "Christmas...seal"

We then drove up to the road on top of the peninsula and discovered some great views of Kairoura, and some private homes, including one with its own observatory.

There is a public observation point on the top road, where we parked and climbed up a short water tower for a full view of the peninsula and town.  From there, not too far in the distance we could not believe our eyes--four (what we thought were adult) sperm whales were slowly gliding in the water and stayed in view for about 10 minutes--until Momma sperm whale came into sight!  She was 3-4 times larger than her calves, and easy to see without the aid of our binoculars.  Wow!  We had contemplated going out on a whale watching tour, but the rough seas and high cost kept us to a shore tour.  Funny thing, when we were watching the seals earlier, a group of people were complaining to us that they had spent $150 each for a two-hour boat ride, and didn't see a single whale.

We were really excited about our tour, and our luck in seeing the whales from dry land.  We came back to the bungalow for a Happy Hour and light dinner, but discovered that clouds had moved in and the mountains were no longer in view.  Other than that, it had been a perfect day.

On the way back to CC the next day we took a detour to Hanmer Springs, a bit inland.  The town features thermal springs, some of which were used for therapy for wounded soldiers returning from WWII.  Other than that, not much too see there, but we did enjoy a sunny ride most of the way back.  We came across a small winery that was have a car show of old English Fords--Zephyrs, and Zodiacs.  Terry spotted one produced in the year she was born:

Of course, the closer we got to Christchurch, the worse the weather became.  We ended the weekend with a great dinner hosted by Ian and Ann Culpan, in their lovely home.  Ian is Mike's sponsor for the Fellowship and has been a great host in every way.

We came back from dinner tired, so it was a short night.  Mike took Pam to the airport early this morning, and now we are catching up from the weekend and Mike is preparing a short presentation at the university for this afternoon.

Next week's tour will be all the way up to the Northern coast of the south Island, to an area that produces nearly all of NZ's white wines and has a lot of beautiful beaches.  So, check back in a week...

Mike and Terry

Let me set the record straight...

Terry here---Let me set the record straight:

Mike's cooked one meal, so I don't know how he considers that to be 10% of the time. Preparing a meal for himself involves either pouring yogurt into a bowl or opening up a boost, neither of which counts as cooking in my world.  He failed to mention that I've been the one to scrub the loo and shower which I understand he probably didn't notice.  To his credit he did vacuum, once, but only after I dug it out of the closet and figured out how to put it together.  It's all about the power tools!  As far as all the driving, I'm the designated co-pilot, trying to read the map, find nonexistent street signs and reminding him to stay left and look right, so I'm not just sitting back looking pretty and enjoying the scenery.

   

Now the good part:  It's 5:05 in the afternoon; it's still raining and the wind just picked back up.  I suggested to Mikey  (again) this morning that we should order groceries online and have them delivered (wine included)...so with it continuing to rain you can bet your bottom dollar he will be tramping in the rain to retrieve happy hour wine and dinner!  That’ll teach him….Cheers from NZ!

Antartic blast ends the CC Summer

It is Wednesday here.  On Monday evening we were watching the local weather and saw them describe the pattern for the coming 48+ hours.  Sorta like a Polar Vortex that's now part of the North American weather vocabulary, we are getting its Antarctic ugly twin here in CC--the problem is, it's freakin' summer, not mid-winter!

Overnight Monday into Tuesday the sucker set in with torrential rain and winds in the 50-60 mph range--steady, not gusts.  The gusts in the Port Hills have been measured at over 110 mph.  It has been raining and blowing since then--lots of street flooding, but fortunately few trees down and few power outages, so far. Temps have been running around 50 degrees, with a wind chill of around 30.

The worst of it for us was discovering yesterday that we did not have any wine in the apartment, as Happy Hour approached.  Recognizing that Terry has done all of the laundry, 90% of the cooking, and 95% of the dish cleaning, Mike did the right thing and bundled up for the half-mile walk to the nearest grocery store to get wine and the pasta that we needed for dinner.  He came back soaked and shivering, but with wine in hand.  To set the record straight, Mike has done all of the driving on our tours--from the wrong side of the car and on some white-knuckler roads.  So, he's not been a total slacker.

 It's now starting to taper off (2pm on Wednesday) but still cold, rainy, and windy.  And, guess what?  We are out of wine again, so it might be a repeat trek for Mike to the store.  The conditions are not quite as bad as last evening, but this all does beg the question of why he didn't stock up a bit more yesterday.

Mike and Terry

Catching up (Lake Pukaki and Aoraki/Mount Cook)

On the day after Lake Tekapo, we drove along the north shore of Lake Pukaki, on the way to Aoraki/Mount Cook.  Aoraki holds a special place in Moari legend as the place where the "Big Canoe" of first Maoris in NZ landed and started their settlement of Aotearoa (Maori for NZ).  Cook is about 13,000 feet high, and with its several surrounding lower mountains seems to take up the whole sky in every picture of it.

The drive up the north shore of Pukaki gave us better and better views of Aoraki around every turn.  The picture above is still more than 20 miles from the base of the mountain.  You can also see the light icy-green waters of the lake nicely.

Once at Aoraki, we did some hiking near a glacier next to the mountain.  Even though the mountain was "right there" (right of center in the photo below) we saw very little of it because of its trademark veil of clouds.  Near the end of the hike it began to rain and the lower clouds obstructed nearly everything in the background, so we turned back to the parking area.

The drive back to Lake Tekapo was through some of the MacKenzie country used for LOTR shoots, so we let our imaginations run wild thinking we remembered this spot or that spot from the movies. 

Our LOTR Shooting Scene guide book tells us that most of the movies were shot on private land, and very few exact locations are revealed so that they are not trampled on by, well, people like us.  Nice food for the imagination, just the same.

After a second night in the little hut on Lake Tekapo we headed back to Christchurch excited by what we saw that weekend, and wanting to see more and more.  We will spend the next weekend in Christchurch, and then head out the next two weekends on tours back to Akaroa and then all the way across the middle of NZ to the West Coast, which we hear is another whole kind of beautiful from what we've seen so far.

Look for more, soon.

Mike an Terry.