There is a pretty standard conversation that you have with other while traveling.
"Where you are from?"
"Chicago, in the States"
"How long are you in New Zealand?"
"Two weeks!"
"Two weeks?! That's not enough to see New Zealand"
"Oh, well how much time to you have in New Zealand?"
Here are some of the answers we received:
Barbara from the Check Republic: "Only one month"
Chris and Stacy from Michigan: "3 weeks"
Retired pharmacist from England: "6 weeks, then it's on to Australia."
We were thrilled to be able to put two consecutive weeks together for a vacation this year. Last year, we were only able to get away with one. But all these folks were right. Two weeks were not nearly enough for New Zealand, but thanks to Jen's expert travel planning we were able to do more in those two weeks than I think most do in a month.
We last saw Barbara trying to hitch a ride out of Milford Sound. We had a comfortable ticket on a bus. Chris and Stacy were on their way to Queenstown to figure out what they were going to do next. It can be great fun to travel without solid plans all the way along, but having bookings and reservations allowed us to maximize every bit of those two weeks and milk all of the New Zealand out that we could.
Speaking of milking the trip, we had quite a bit of time after we returned out car and got checked in to Air New Zealand, so we wandered around the Antarctic Center near the airport. There is a big visitor center complete with snow and ice machine that we skipped (we were headed back to Chicago in November after all) but we peeked into the US's Antarctic passenger terminal and clothing distribution center. There was a group of people getting briefed for there departing trip the next day. Out on the Airfield there was a giant C-17 Globemaster in it's final preparation for takeoff. We got the joy of seeing this beast of an airplane take off and head south to the frozen continent. We briefly considered extending our trip, but decided we hadn't brought enough clothes.
Our last night in New Zealand was spent on a farm south of Christchurch. We had an interesting night and breakfast that included a cold room and fresh bacon from the farm that still had the poor pigs little hairs sticking out everywhere. We got a tour of the little farm via 4 wheeler. The widowed owner riding expertly sidesaddle on the machine.
We spent our final couple of hours in Christchurch. We caught the tail end of the Sunday service at the Anglican Cathedral that anchors the city. It was neat to slip into a church halfway around the world and find comfort and joy in the familiarity of the liturgy of the meal.
We then walked down to on open air craft market to unload ourselves of the extra kiwi in our pocket (yes it's the name for the bird, people, fruit, and dollar) on Christmas gifts and souvenirs.
Thanks for traveling with us. It's fun to know that people have been reading along. A lot of the posts were dashed off in quite a hurry while we went from one thing to the next, but I hope they have been coherent and enjoyable.
Until the next trip ....
Doug & Jen
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Saturday, November 21, 2009
The Road
The posted speed limit in New Zealand most places is 100 kmph. The about the equivalent of the standard US 65 mph, but rarely have we been able to maintain such a speed. Here are the things that slow us down.
1) Elevation and curves. I've been grateful for my training at Chicago Indoor Racing for the hairpin turns we frequently find ourselves careening around. I swear some of them are tighter than the switchbacks going up the McKinnon Pass on the Milford Track.
2) Azaleas. A few days ago we kept marveling at the brilliant pink and red flowers we were seeing. We pulled over to photograph one such bush. I was startled out of the viewfinder by a friendly gentleman. I asked him what the beautiful bush was that we were looking at. His response: "It's an Azalea. We've got 142 of them back in our garden. Do you want to have a look?" He and his wife walked us around their magnificent little paradise with flowering trees and bushes everywhere. Three fish ponds, one with a bridge that he built, but she won't walk on, round out the garden. They had no sign or anthing else to attract visitors, but when we signed the guestbook there had been a steady stream of 5-10 people a week who go through their garden. Drawn only by the flora itself.
3) Greenstone. We pulled off in Ross the other day just to stretch our legs and get a drink. We stepped into the little studio of a jade craftsman. (We had to ring the bell to get in). We browsed his shop as he worked, then he brought out some of his masterpieces for us of have a look. The chef d'overe of this master's work was a piece he called the tree of life. It was a garden of Eden inspired 3 dimensional carving with multiple layers of work. We bought a bit of smaller Jade pieces from him. When it came time to pay, he couldn't take a credit card directly, but instead handed me a deposit slip. We stopped at the next major town, got cash from an ATM and deposited in his account. This still baffles me. I don't even think the guy ever got our name. He just trusted us to make the payment at our leisure.
4) Seals. This morning we came across a big orange sign with picture of a sea lion on it. Sea Lions, in the road? Sure enough all along the next couple of miles of pacific coast road sea lion were hauled out on the rocks or swimming around just offshore. I never actually saw one ON the road, but we had to pull off so that I would stop running off the road looking at them.
It is these unexpected little things that really make a trip memorable. I'm so thankful for them when they pop up on us!
1) Elevation and curves. I've been grateful for my training at Chicago Indoor Racing for the hairpin turns we frequently find ourselves careening around. I swear some of them are tighter than the switchbacks going up the McKinnon Pass on the Milford Track.
2) Azaleas. A few days ago we kept marveling at the brilliant pink and red flowers we were seeing. We pulled over to photograph one such bush. I was startled out of the viewfinder by a friendly gentleman. I asked him what the beautiful bush was that we were looking at. His response: "It's an Azalea. We've got 142 of them back in our garden. Do you want to have a look?" He and his wife walked us around their magnificent little paradise with flowering trees and bushes everywhere. Three fish ponds, one with a bridge that he built, but she won't walk on, round out the garden. They had no sign or anthing else to attract visitors, but when we signed the guestbook there had been a steady stream of 5-10 people a week who go through their garden. Drawn only by the flora itself.
3) Greenstone. We pulled off in Ross the other day just to stretch our legs and get a drink. We stepped into the little studio of a jade craftsman. (We had to ring the bell to get in). We browsed his shop as he worked, then he brought out some of his masterpieces for us of have a look. The chef d'overe of this master's work was a piece he called the tree of life. It was a garden of Eden inspired 3 dimensional carving with multiple layers of work. We bought a bit of smaller Jade pieces from him. When it came time to pay, he couldn't take a credit card directly, but instead handed me a deposit slip. We stopped at the next major town, got cash from an ATM and deposited in his account. This still baffles me. I don't even think the guy ever got our name. He just trusted us to make the payment at our leisure.
4) Seals. This morning we came across a big orange sign with picture of a sea lion on it. Sea Lions, in the road? Sure enough all along the next couple of miles of pacific coast road sea lion were hauled out on the rocks or swimming around just offshore. I never actually saw one ON the road, but we had to pull off so that I would stop running off the road looking at them.
It is these unexpected little things that really make a trip memorable. I'm so thankful for them when they pop up on us!
Marine life
Yesterday, we found ourselves kayaking in Abel Tasman National Park on the northern tip of the New Zealand's Southern Island.
Unlike our other kayaking adventures on vacations (in which we've encountered pouring rain, guides with dimentia, & very little wildlife), this kayak was actually successful. To begin, the weather was fantastic, which certainly helps when you're in the sea in a rather tiny vessel (which to its credit, is much more stable than you'd first think.)
We kayaked with two guides (because one was being assessed to make sure she was worthy to take groups out on her own. Get this: Kayak guides here have to have a 2 year diploma. Crazy, eh?) & a German couple (More than any other nationality, we've encountered lots of Germans here.)
We took a water taxi from the check in point a few miles to Torrent Bay where we got a quick kayaking lesson (Including how to pull off our kayak skirts with our eyes closed in case we flipped & found ourselves trapped upside down, under water in the kayak, a thought which immediately sent me into a panic. Mom - you can stop worrying now. We never needed to do this.)
Once done with the lesson, we bundled up & set out to sea, following the rugged coastline of Abel Tasman National Park into several bays & lagoons. Along the way, our guide pointed out various birds & brush to us, which was interesting. I was also consistently amazed at the clarity of the water. In the lagoons, you could see clear to the bottom without a problem. We also saw a pod of dusky dolphins swimming in the distance.
After about two hours of paddling, with aching shoulders, we stopped for lunch @ a beautiful beach. Lunch was provided for us & was pretty random: A veggie bone, quiche, a chicken leg, apple, orange, & a toastie (a chocolate covered marshamallow bar. Yum!) Thankfully, lunch ended (which meant the German man had to put on more clothes than just his speedo) & we resumed paddling.
After lunch, we paddled to Pinnacle Island & saw New Zealand Fur Seals, which in this case turned out to be sea lions (though they're still called fur seals. Strange.) Apparently, sea lions have external rather than internal ears as well as split flippers rather than one unified tail. Immediately, we noticed that these sea lions were much larger than the tiny little seals we saw in Doubtful Sound, though we were also much closer to these guys in our kayaks than we were in our big cruiser on the Sound. We sat & watched the sea lions for a while, though in my opinion, we could have stayed much longer. During that time, we saw a female sea lion exit the water & head toward a large male, who immediately got up & started growing at her.
From Pinnacle Island, we had a failed attempt at sailing in the kayaks. We got everyone together & the boats connected & a sail ready & then just like that, the wind stopped (for the first & only time all day.) A wee bit disappointing.
We then kayaked back to Torrent Bay, where the water taxi came to pick us up. We had a few minutes there to wander & were fascinated by watching the tide go out. Such a powerful force that changed the landscape so quickly.
Today, we drove a few hours along the east coast to go whale watching. Unlike in Alaska where we watched the humpbacks, today we saw the sperm whale. Such a large, magnificent creature. We also saw a pod of dusky dolphins (much closer than the ones yesterday). This pod was quite playful - jumping & leaping from the water.
As I watched the wildlife both yesterday & today, I couldn't help reflect on the fact that I know you can see this stuff in zoos, but man - is it ever special to see them in the wild. They are such a testimony of God's power, creativity, & magnificence.
Unlike our other kayaking adventures on vacations (in which we've encountered pouring rain, guides with dimentia, & very little wildlife), this kayak was actually successful. To begin, the weather was fantastic, which certainly helps when you're in the sea in a rather tiny vessel (which to its credit, is much more stable than you'd first think.)
We kayaked with two guides (because one was being assessed to make sure she was worthy to take groups out on her own. Get this: Kayak guides here have to have a 2 year diploma. Crazy, eh?) & a German couple (More than any other nationality, we've encountered lots of Germans here.)
We took a water taxi from the check in point a few miles to Torrent Bay where we got a quick kayaking lesson (Including how to pull off our kayak skirts with our eyes closed in case we flipped & found ourselves trapped upside down, under water in the kayak, a thought which immediately sent me into a panic. Mom - you can stop worrying now. We never needed to do this.)
Once done with the lesson, we bundled up & set out to sea, following the rugged coastline of Abel Tasman National Park into several bays & lagoons. Along the way, our guide pointed out various birds & brush to us, which was interesting. I was also consistently amazed at the clarity of the water. In the lagoons, you could see clear to the bottom without a problem. We also saw a pod of dusky dolphins swimming in the distance.
After about two hours of paddling, with aching shoulders, we stopped for lunch @ a beautiful beach. Lunch was provided for us & was pretty random: A veggie bone, quiche, a chicken leg, apple, orange, & a toastie (a chocolate covered marshamallow bar. Yum!) Thankfully, lunch ended (which meant the German man had to put on more clothes than just his speedo) & we resumed paddling.
After lunch, we paddled to Pinnacle Island & saw New Zealand Fur Seals, which in this case turned out to be sea lions (though they're still called fur seals. Strange.) Apparently, sea lions have external rather than internal ears as well as split flippers rather than one unified tail. Immediately, we noticed that these sea lions were much larger than the tiny little seals we saw in Doubtful Sound, though we were also much closer to these guys in our kayaks than we were in our big cruiser on the Sound. We sat & watched the sea lions for a while, though in my opinion, we could have stayed much longer. During that time, we saw a female sea lion exit the water & head toward a large male, who immediately got up & started growing at her.
From Pinnacle Island, we had a failed attempt at sailing in the kayaks. We got everyone together & the boats connected & a sail ready & then just like that, the wind stopped (for the first & only time all day.) A wee bit disappointing.
We then kayaked back to Torrent Bay, where the water taxi came to pick us up. We had a few minutes there to wander & were fascinated by watching the tide go out. Such a powerful force that changed the landscape so quickly.
Today, we drove a few hours along the east coast to go whale watching. Unlike in Alaska where we watched the humpbacks, today we saw the sperm whale. Such a large, magnificent creature. We also saw a pod of dusky dolphins (much closer than the ones yesterday). This pod was quite playful - jumping & leaping from the water.
As I watched the wildlife both yesterday & today, I couldn't help reflect on the fact that I know you can see this stuff in zoos, but man - is it ever special to see them in the wild. They are such a testimony of God's power, creativity, & magnificence.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Kiwi Hunt
Last night found us in search of another you-can-only-do-it-here kind of experience. Kiwi is the name for fruit and people both in New Zealand, but it all come from the elusive flightless kiwi bird.
They are nocteral animals, so you don't tend to just run in to them while walking about. We drove 30 minutes from Frans Josef to the little seaside town of Okarito, and just before dusk, met our guide Paul. We checked over our gear, and made me leave behind my shotgun (Nikon D-40 with 200mm zoom lens) because in accordance with the agreement the tour company has with the NZ DOC, you are not permitted to shoot the kiwi.
It's just as well. It was far better to see the kiwi than shoot it. Our guide took us down a trail and spread us out just 20 meters from a known kiwi burrow. It was about 30 minutes before sunset when he got us set.
And then we waited and listened.
and waited and listened some more.
We watied for the Kiwi to come to us. In our waiting time, we were instructed to listen to the sounds of the forest. Listening to everything that was not a kiwi, so that when we heard the kiwi move, we would know it for sure.
And sure enough, 15 minutes or so after the sun set, we heard the rustling-thunking of the bird in motion. This brown Okarito kiwi was not particulaly stealthy. Once we had a bead on the bird, we huddled together near where we expected the kiwi to come out.
Then with a couple of rustle-thunks, there she was. Brown and much larger than either of us had imagined the kiwi to be. The long beak sniffed at us briefly, then poked back down into the ground sniffing for worms and grubs. In a matter of only a few seconds, it was over, and the hungry bird moved on down the hill.
It was one of those experiences of waiting and preparing and staying alert, all for a few wonderful seconds. I can certainly see why this bird has captured the imagination of the kiwis (the people now) and why it is proudly the national bird.
We saw one of the only 400 living brown Okarito kiwi alive in the world in the one place on the one Island they inhabit. What a creation!
They are nocteral animals, so you don't tend to just run in to them while walking about. We drove 30 minutes from Frans Josef to the little seaside town of Okarito, and just before dusk, met our guide Paul. We checked over our gear, and made me leave behind my shotgun (Nikon D-40 with 200mm zoom lens) because in accordance with the agreement the tour company has with the NZ DOC, you are not permitted to shoot the kiwi.
It's just as well. It was far better to see the kiwi than shoot it. Our guide took us down a trail and spread us out just 20 meters from a known kiwi burrow. It was about 30 minutes before sunset when he got us set.
And then we waited and listened.
and waited and listened some more.
We watied for the Kiwi to come to us. In our waiting time, we were instructed to listen to the sounds of the forest. Listening to everything that was not a kiwi, so that when we heard the kiwi move, we would know it for sure.
And sure enough, 15 minutes or so after the sun set, we heard the rustling-thunking of the bird in motion. This brown Okarito kiwi was not particulaly stealthy. Once we had a bead on the bird, we huddled together near where we expected the kiwi to come out.
Then with a couple of rustle-thunks, there she was. Brown and much larger than either of us had imagined the kiwi to be. The long beak sniffed at us briefly, then poked back down into the ground sniffing for worms and grubs. In a matter of only a few seconds, it was over, and the hungry bird moved on down the hill.
It was one of those experiences of waiting and preparing and staying alert, all for a few wonderful seconds. I can certainly see why this bird has captured the imagination of the kiwis (the people now) and why it is proudly the national bird.
We saw one of the only 400 living brown Okarito kiwi alive in the world in the one place on the one Island they inhabit. What a creation!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Doubtful Sound
James Cook named the fiord because when he first sailed by it, he was doubtful he would be able to sail out if he went in. Lucky for us, our 40 meter diesel-powered "Fiorland Navigator" didn't care too much which way the wind was blowing.
Getting to doubtful sound is an adventure in and of itself. A coach picked us up in Te Anua and delivered is to a dock on Lake Manipori. We cruised across that lake to the a dock at the other end, where we boarded another Coach which took us up over Wilmont Pass and dropped us at our final transportation and overnight home.
The fiords are magnificant, but the real joy of the ride was the wildlife. New Zealand has it's own breed of fur seals and we saw hundreds of them. These seals are ridiculously small compared to something like the harbor seals you can find off the west coast of the US. They are the kind of thing that you want to wrap up and cuddle with at night. It's their warn and cuddly fur that nearly did them in as they were hunted to near extinction before they were finally protected.
We also got a great look at New Zealands Crested Penguins. The two species can best be contrasted by their mating habits. The male fur seals arrive on the rocks in November and fight each other for a slab of granite. Once they have staked out their territory, they wait and defend it until the females arrive in about a month. One fur seal then gathers a harem of up to 10 females. The penguins on the other hand mate for life. We found the happy couple just peaking out of the cave that housed their love-nest. They are again, like the seal, very small: under two feet.
Doubtful sound has a resident pod of bottlenose dolphins that buzzed by the ship just as we were sitting down for the afternoon soup (they fed us a lot, making up for our calorie deficit on the Milford Track).
After failing to get a good picture of the dolphins because of the potato-leek dripping on my chin, I remembered a lesson I learned a couple of years ago in Alaska: A vacation isn't media generation. Traveling with a new SLR has made my a bit obsessive about getting great photos. But in a place like Doubtful Sound, the pictures take themselves. So I reinstuted an old rule for myself. See first, then take a picture. So you'll have to forgive me then for this awful picture of us on the boat.
Jen will make a scrapbook, and well post some photos on Facebook, but the trip isn't and never was about the pictures.
The 'Navigator' moored for the night as it sent us off Kayaks in Precipice Cove. Alone (with 25 others) and without a camera I got a great chance to just be and soak in the surroundings. Jen took a ride in the little tendercraft they launch off the back of the ship.
For all that, my favorite part of the boat cruise was gearing up in our Gore-Tex and going out on the top deck while it rained. Especially when the boat was cruising into the wind.
So one additional bit of excitement on the way back. There was about 6 inches of snow overnight on the pass between Doubtful Sound and Lake Manipori. Jen took this picture of me while we waited for the bus driver to put on the chains.
Getting to doubtful sound is an adventure in and of itself. A coach picked us up in Te Anua and delivered is to a dock on Lake Manipori. We cruised across that lake to the a dock at the other end, where we boarded another Coach which took us up over Wilmont Pass and dropped us at our final transportation and overnight home.
The fiords are magnificant, but the real joy of the ride was the wildlife. New Zealand has it's own breed of fur seals and we saw hundreds of them. These seals are ridiculously small compared to something like the harbor seals you can find off the west coast of the US. They are the kind of thing that you want to wrap up and cuddle with at night. It's their warn and cuddly fur that nearly did them in as they were hunted to near extinction before they were finally protected.
We also got a great look at New Zealands Crested Penguins. The two species can best be contrasted by their mating habits. The male fur seals arrive on the rocks in November and fight each other for a slab of granite. Once they have staked out their territory, they wait and defend it until the females arrive in about a month. One fur seal then gathers a harem of up to 10 females. The penguins on the other hand mate for life. We found the happy couple just peaking out of the cave that housed their love-nest. They are again, like the seal, very small: under two feet.
Doubtful sound has a resident pod of bottlenose dolphins that buzzed by the ship just as we were sitting down for the afternoon soup (they fed us a lot, making up for our calorie deficit on the Milford Track).
After failing to get a good picture of the dolphins because of the potato-leek dripping on my chin, I remembered a lesson I learned a couple of years ago in Alaska: A vacation isn't media generation. Traveling with a new SLR has made my a bit obsessive about getting great photos. But in a place like Doubtful Sound, the pictures take themselves. So I reinstuted an old rule for myself. See first, then take a picture. So you'll have to forgive me then for this awful picture of us on the boat.
Jen will make a scrapbook, and well post some photos on Facebook, but the trip isn't and never was about the pictures.
The 'Navigator' moored for the night as it sent us off Kayaks in Precipice Cove. Alone (with 25 others) and without a camera I got a great chance to just be and soak in the surroundings. Jen took a ride in the little tendercraft they launch off the back of the ship.
For all that, my favorite part of the boat cruise was gearing up in our Gore-Tex and going out on the top deck while it rained. Especially when the boat was cruising into the wind.
So one additional bit of excitement on the way back. There was about 6 inches of snow overnight on the pass between Doubtful Sound and Lake Manipori. Jen took this picture of me while we waited for the bus driver to put on the chains.
All in all, it's an experience that I'm doubtful we'll forget anytime soon.
Ice Caves & Other Fun "Features"
In 2006 when Doug & I were in Alaska, one of the highlights of our trip was taking a guided hike on Exit Glacier in Seward in which we donned crampons & walked on the glacier for about an hour.
When we decided to come to New Zealand & learned that we could do this here - we thought, "Absolutely!" Since we enjoyed it so much in Alaska, we decided to sign up for the full day glacier hike here, which promised at least 4 hours on Franz Josef Glacier.
It turns out - 4 hours is a LOT of time to be walking around on a glacier. (I think we were actually out there even longer than that... However long it was, my feet thought it was about an hour too long...)
That said - what a day!
The day began by breaking the 55 of us on the full day tour into smaller groups according to the pace we were planning on traveling. Still not fully recovered from the Milford Track (You should see my legs & feet - they're a series of bruises, blisters, & miscellaneous bumps!) we elected to travel in the middle of the road 3rd group, which went not too fast, but not too slow.
After strapping on our crampons, we marched up to the terminal face of the glacier & proceeded upward via the steps painstakingly carved out of the ice by the Glacier Guides, day after day. The steps were steep & exhausting, but got us onto the glacier immediately.
After reaching the top of the steps, we were given an ice ax, which certainly made us feel important (& gave the appearance that we knew what we were doing!), & then we continued upward to where the interesting ice features currently were. As glaciers are constantly shifting, so too is the location of their interesting features (caves, tunnels, falls, streams, etc.)
We walked on top of the ice, through glacial rivers, surrounded by 30 ft tall ice on either side. We climbed up & up & up & shimmied down stairs guided by ropes, through impossibly narrow passage ways that at times, I doubted our ability to fit through.
Eventually we reached my favorite feature, an ice tube. As we crawled through this tunnel like structure, I was riveted by the color of the ice: a brilliant, indescribable blue.
From there we ascended to our high point, from which we had an amazing look up @ the ice fields (frequented by helicopters full of tourists seeing the glacier the easy way) & below @ the glacier we hiked over & at the mountains on either side of us. Strangely, the Franz Josef Glacier is surrounded by New Zealand Rainforests - which makes the whole thing seem a little surreal.
After that, we began our descent, which proved much easier than our ascent. About midway down, we stopped & went through an ice cave. It was pretty amazing to climb through this cave made out of ice, with a river flowing below you. (And I admit - I was thoroughly relieved to make it through without having fallen into the stream...)
We also crossed over the rocky moraine of the glacier, something that finally enabled us to understand all the moraines in Wisconsin that have been carved out by glaciers.
All in all - it was another fantastic, yet exhausting day.
BTW - Upon reflecting further about the Milford Track & continuing to process that experience we realized there is MUCH we left out of that blog post, so make sure you ask us for details when we return home! There is much to tell!
When we decided to come to New Zealand & learned that we could do this here - we thought, "Absolutely!" Since we enjoyed it so much in Alaska, we decided to sign up for the full day glacier hike here, which promised at least 4 hours on Franz Josef Glacier.
It turns out - 4 hours is a LOT of time to be walking around on a glacier. (I think we were actually out there even longer than that... However long it was, my feet thought it was about an hour too long...)
That said - what a day!
The day began by breaking the 55 of us on the full day tour into smaller groups according to the pace we were planning on traveling. Still not fully recovered from the Milford Track (You should see my legs & feet - they're a series of bruises, blisters, & miscellaneous bumps!) we elected to travel in the middle of the road 3rd group, which went not too fast, but not too slow.
After strapping on our crampons, we marched up to the terminal face of the glacier & proceeded upward via the steps painstakingly carved out of the ice by the Glacier Guides, day after day. The steps were steep & exhausting, but got us onto the glacier immediately.
After reaching the top of the steps, we were given an ice ax, which certainly made us feel important (& gave the appearance that we knew what we were doing!), & then we continued upward to where the interesting ice features currently were. As glaciers are constantly shifting, so too is the location of their interesting features (caves, tunnels, falls, streams, etc.)
We walked on top of the ice, through glacial rivers, surrounded by 30 ft tall ice on either side. We climbed up & up & up & shimmied down stairs guided by ropes, through impossibly narrow passage ways that at times, I doubted our ability to fit through.
Eventually we reached my favorite feature, an ice tube. As we crawled through this tunnel like structure, I was riveted by the color of the ice: a brilliant, indescribable blue.
From there we ascended to our high point, from which we had an amazing look up @ the ice fields (frequented by helicopters full of tourists seeing the glacier the easy way) & below @ the glacier we hiked over & at the mountains on either side of us. Strangely, the Franz Josef Glacier is surrounded by New Zealand Rainforests - which makes the whole thing seem a little surreal.
After that, we began our descent, which proved much easier than our ascent. About midway down, we stopped & went through an ice cave. It was pretty amazing to climb through this cave made out of ice, with a river flowing below you. (And I admit - I was thoroughly relieved to make it through without having fallen into the stream...)
We also crossed over the rocky moraine of the glacier, something that finally enabled us to understand all the moraines in Wisconsin that have been carved out by glaciers.
All in all - it was another fantastic, yet exhausting day.
BTW - Upon reflecting further about the Milford Track & continuing to process that experience we realized there is MUCH we left out of that blog post, so make sure you ask us for details when we return home! There is much to tell!
Sunday, November 15, 2009
33.5 Miles
The Milford Track is all behind us now. It was the kind of experience that just fills all of your senses to the point of overload and is impossible to describe afterwards to people not there. In fact, we are still processing the experience, but we'll do our best.
Our first day we hiked a mere 3 miles through Beech Tree Forest along the Clinton River to Clinton Hut. It was a breathtaking hike with beauty surrounding you. Everywhere you looked - gorgeous.
Now when we say hut, you're probably imagining a little lean-to covered with palm leaves. Not at all. These "huts" are nicer than some of the places we've lived. Three large, dry, and clean buildings with running water, flushing toilets, and propane. A backpackers paradise, really. Well done, New Zealand Department of Conservation (DOC).
Clinton Hut was run by Ranger Ross, a wiry, 55ish, story-telling man. He took us and our new 38 closest friends on a nature walk & eagerly showed us around his forest, pointing out trees, making Doug try some fresh pepper (straight off the tree), & pointing us in the direction of the glowworms, the evening's entertainment. That night, he gave us our first "hut talk" & went over the next day's route, making sure to highlight all the places we might see the elusive blue duck, an endangered bird found only in New Zealand's Fiordland. He also brought in his "pets"- a dead stout & a baby stout caught in their traps. The goal: Eliminate the stout (a rat-like creature that runs rampant & enjoys killing just to kill) to save the blue ducks.
At Clinton Hut, we also had our first glimpse of the others trekking with us. The DOC carefully regulates how many people go on the Milford Track each day, granting only 40 permits per day. Of the 40 of us on the trek, we figured out that their were 10 nations represented including England, New Zealand, China, Malaysia, Australia, & the Chezh Republic just to give you a taste. English was the common language (in varying degrees, though strangely we've discovered we don't always understand what the Kiwis are saying. For example: Ranger Ross kept talking about the white alpine flares. Only after he finished talking did we finally figure out he was talking about the alpine flowers.) This was a part of this trek we thoroughly enjoyed: Hiking independently during the day but then connecting with people afterwards.
Day two of the trek was our Blue Duck day. We hiked nearly 11 miles from Clinton Hut through a valley, along a stream, through several avalanche paths (the trek crosses 56 of them), up the first part of the pass, to Mintaro Hut. We stopped several times through the day @ all the places where Ranger Ross had told us Blue Ducks might be lurking. Thanks to his brilliant demonstration of what they sounded like, we were able to spot two pairs, one of which touched down in the stream right in front of us. Later that day, we also saw some wekas, another somewhat rare New Zealand Bird.
Day three we hiked the 9 longest miles of our life from Mintaro Hut, over the pass, to Dumpling Hut. It rained a bit in the morning, but the weather cleared, giving us a brilliantly gorgeous day. The 1st part of this trek was a 500 m ascent, back & forth several steep switchbacks. Every step we took was excruciating & yet the views were incredible. When we finally we reached the top of the pass, we were rewarded with a fantastic view of the Clinton Valley, which we hiked through the day before. We also took a much needed lunch break during which we had to defend our packs from the Kias. This giant parrot is incredibly ballsy, approaching people & their packs, trying to wreak havoc. It was quite funny hearing the ranger's "kia" stories - recounting how they steal people's boots, trekking poles, & really anything they could get their claws on.
Once we arrived at the top of the Pass, we assumed that the hard part of the day was over. Little did we know - the descent was far more excruciating than the climb. Down 900 m of back breaking, knee jerking, ankle twisting trails, though I use that term loosely. Making things worse, we had to take the emergency trek rather than the normal trek due to the avalanche danger (which we both saw & heard during the trip). This trek was far steeper than the normal route, but again, it yielded amazing views. As we neared the bottom, we also walked along a constant cascade of waterfalls. Just beautiful!
Day 4 we hiked the remaining 11.5 miles from Dumpling Hut to Sandfly Point where the boat picked us up. Thankfully, this trek was quite level (much needed after the day before.) We hiked along streams, by waterfalls, over several suspension bridges, & through gorgeous rainforest. And we hiked in the rain - which though it may not sound fun, enabled us to see the rainforest in all its glory. The New Zealand rainforest is indeed a glorious, mystical place.
After arriving at Sandfly Point, we took a short ferry back to the Milford Sound Ferry Terminal where we boarded a Milford Sound Cruise. Though rainy & wet, we were really glad we got to see the Sound. Waterfalls abounded EVERYWHERE. We've never seen anything quite like it...
In just a few minutes we're leaving for Doubtful Sound, which some argue is even more spectacular than Milford Sound. We shall see!
Until then!
Our first day we hiked a mere 3 miles through Beech Tree Forest along the Clinton River to Clinton Hut. It was a breathtaking hike with beauty surrounding you. Everywhere you looked - gorgeous.
Now when we say hut, you're probably imagining a little lean-to covered with palm leaves. Not at all. These "huts" are nicer than some of the places we've lived. Three large, dry, and clean buildings with running water, flushing toilets, and propane. A backpackers paradise, really. Well done, New Zealand Department of Conservation (DOC).
Clinton Hut was run by Ranger Ross, a wiry, 55ish, story-telling man. He took us and our new 38 closest friends on a nature walk & eagerly showed us around his forest, pointing out trees, making Doug try some fresh pepper (straight off the tree), & pointing us in the direction of the glowworms, the evening's entertainment. That night, he gave us our first "hut talk" & went over the next day's route, making sure to highlight all the places we might see the elusive blue duck, an endangered bird found only in New Zealand's Fiordland. He also brought in his "pets"- a dead stout & a baby stout caught in their traps. The goal: Eliminate the stout (a rat-like creature that runs rampant & enjoys killing just to kill) to save the blue ducks.
At Clinton Hut, we also had our first glimpse of the others trekking with us. The DOC carefully regulates how many people go on the Milford Track each day, granting only 40 permits per day. Of the 40 of us on the trek, we figured out that their were 10 nations represented including England, New Zealand, China, Malaysia, Australia, & the Chezh Republic just to give you a taste. English was the common language (in varying degrees, though strangely we've discovered we don't always understand what the Kiwis are saying. For example: Ranger Ross kept talking about the white alpine flares. Only after he finished talking did we finally figure out he was talking about the alpine flowers.) This was a part of this trek we thoroughly enjoyed: Hiking independently during the day but then connecting with people afterwards.
Day two of the trek was our Blue Duck day. We hiked nearly 11 miles from Clinton Hut through a valley, along a stream, through several avalanche paths (the trek crosses 56 of them), up the first part of the pass, to Mintaro Hut. We stopped several times through the day @ all the places where Ranger Ross had told us Blue Ducks might be lurking. Thanks to his brilliant demonstration of what they sounded like, we were able to spot two pairs, one of which touched down in the stream right in front of us. Later that day, we also saw some wekas, another somewhat rare New Zealand Bird.
Day three we hiked the 9 longest miles of our life from Mintaro Hut, over the pass, to Dumpling Hut. It rained a bit in the morning, but the weather cleared, giving us a brilliantly gorgeous day. The 1st part of this trek was a 500 m ascent, back & forth several steep switchbacks. Every step we took was excruciating & yet the views were incredible. When we finally we reached the top of the pass, we were rewarded with a fantastic view of the Clinton Valley, which we hiked through the day before. We also took a much needed lunch break during which we had to defend our packs from the Kias. This giant parrot is incredibly ballsy, approaching people & their packs, trying to wreak havoc. It was quite funny hearing the ranger's "kia" stories - recounting how they steal people's boots, trekking poles, & really anything they could get their claws on.
Once we arrived at the top of the Pass, we assumed that the hard part of the day was over. Little did we know - the descent was far more excruciating than the climb. Down 900 m of back breaking, knee jerking, ankle twisting trails, though I use that term loosely. Making things worse, we had to take the emergency trek rather than the normal trek due to the avalanche danger (which we both saw & heard during the trip). This trek was far steeper than the normal route, but again, it yielded amazing views. As we neared the bottom, we also walked along a constant cascade of waterfalls. Just beautiful!
Day 4 we hiked the remaining 11.5 miles from Dumpling Hut to Sandfly Point where the boat picked us up. Thankfully, this trek was quite level (much needed after the day before.) We hiked along streams, by waterfalls, over several suspension bridges, & through gorgeous rainforest. And we hiked in the rain - which though it may not sound fun, enabled us to see the rainforest in all its glory. The New Zealand rainforest is indeed a glorious, mystical place.
After arriving at Sandfly Point, we took a short ferry back to the Milford Sound Ferry Terminal where we boarded a Milford Sound Cruise. Though rainy & wet, we were really glad we got to see the Sound. Waterfalls abounded EVERYWHERE. We've never seen anything quite like it...
In just a few minutes we're leaving for Doubtful Sound, which some argue is even more spectacular than Milford Sound. We shall see!
Until then!
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Write a blog post, did ya?
There is an interesting speech patern used in New Zealand that keeps freaking me out. It happened this morning on our bus ride to Te Anau.
"Everyone bring your lunch, did ya?"
My first thought was "Crap I didn't bring a lunch, but I should have."
In Queenstown, a guy in a backpacking shop asked.
"Got your walking stick, do ya?"
To which I thought "Yes! I got my trekking poles, I'm awesome!"
It turns out this is really just a simple way of asking a questions. There is no expected right or wrong answer. It's just how one asks a question.
Enjoy my post, did ya?
"Everyone bring your lunch, did ya?"
My first thought was "Crap I didn't bring a lunch, but I should have."
In Queenstown, a guy in a backpacking shop asked.
"Got your walking stick, do ya?"
To which I thought "Yes! I got my trekking poles, I'm awesome!"
It turns out this is really just a simple way of asking a questions. There is no expected right or wrong answer. It's just how one asks a question.
Enjoy my post, did ya?
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Bob's Peak
Hi All -
Today we're writing from Te Anau, the backpacking capital of the world & the starting point for the Milford Track. We arrived here a couple hours ago after a two hour busride from Queenstown, where we spent last night.
Upon arriving in Queenstown, we checked into the delightful Balmoral Lodge owned by the very hospitable, Les. Our room had a spectacular view of the lake - a view that really made us just want to sit by the window & relax.
Despite that, we knew it was important to combat jetlag & to get out & about. We walked about a mile into Queenstown & enjoyed the local shops. Doug has already begun trying on New Zealand cowboy hats, which I'm pretty sure we'll leave with before the trip is over. After, we went up in the Skyline Gondola to Bob's Peak, a great vantage point in Queenstown from which we got to enjoy the gorgeous views. Queenstown is truly one of the most spectacular places we've ever been, though from what we've heard, it will pale in comparison to the places we're headed on the rest of the trip. Also at Bob's Peak, we enjoyed "luging". Quite fun, though I didn't go quite fast enough for Doug's liking.
After, we had a tasty dinner @ the Fishbone Bar & Grill. Kind of an eclectic place. We both tried fish we'd never heard of before & greatly enjoyed it. Though, I'm sure the fact that it was preceded by 5 meals in the airport or on airplanes made it ever better.
Tonight we're headed back to our B&B to get everything squared away for our "tramp" tomorrow. We've got some rearranging today to lighten our load & our B&B hosts are being kind enough to allow us to stow our extra luggage with them until we return, which is quite nice. They've also got an outdoor sauna, which I think will feel splendid after the Milford Track.
Tomorrow morning, we leave for the Milford Track. I am both frightened and excited by this journey. I have no doubt it will be hard (& the weather is quite veritable this time of year so we could be in for anything) but the views are also supposed to be out of this world. To give you some idea of what we're in for:
Day 1: 3 mile hike to our 1st hut
Day 2: 10 miles hut, including about an hour ascent @ the end to our 2nd hut
Day 3: This is the grueling day: 8.8 miles. Up ~500 meters, over a mountain pass, and then down about 800 meters on the other side. If we still have energy, we're supposed to check out the Sutherland Falls - New Zealand's largest, most impressive falls. At that point, though, I'm pretty sure you're going to be dragging me to my cot & not much else.
Day 4: 11 miles hike; Boat from Sandfly Point to Milford Sound; Milford Sound Cruise & then 2 hour bus back to Te Anau.
In all likelihood, you won't here from us again until Sunday (though there's a chance we'll post Saturday night after returning from the track, depending on our fatigue.)
Keep us in your prayers!
See you on the flip side -
Jen
Today we're writing from Te Anau, the backpacking capital of the world & the starting point for the Milford Track. We arrived here a couple hours ago after a two hour busride from Queenstown, where we spent last night.
Upon arriving in Queenstown, we checked into the delightful Balmoral Lodge owned by the very hospitable, Les. Our room had a spectacular view of the lake - a view that really made us just want to sit by the window & relax.
Despite that, we knew it was important to combat jetlag & to get out & about. We walked about a mile into Queenstown & enjoyed the local shops. Doug has already begun trying on New Zealand cowboy hats, which I'm pretty sure we'll leave with before the trip is over. After, we went up in the Skyline Gondola to Bob's Peak, a great vantage point in Queenstown from which we got to enjoy the gorgeous views. Queenstown is truly one of the most spectacular places we've ever been, though from what we've heard, it will pale in comparison to the places we're headed on the rest of the trip. Also at Bob's Peak, we enjoyed "luging". Quite fun, though I didn't go quite fast enough for Doug's liking.
After, we had a tasty dinner @ the Fishbone Bar & Grill. Kind of an eclectic place. We both tried fish we'd never heard of before & greatly enjoyed it. Though, I'm sure the fact that it was preceded by 5 meals in the airport or on airplanes made it ever better.
Tonight we're headed back to our B&B to get everything squared away for our "tramp" tomorrow. We've got some rearranging today to lighten our load & our B&B hosts are being kind enough to allow us to stow our extra luggage with them until we return, which is quite nice. They've also got an outdoor sauna, which I think will feel splendid after the Milford Track.
Tomorrow morning, we leave for the Milford Track. I am both frightened and excited by this journey. I have no doubt it will be hard (& the weather is quite veritable this time of year so we could be in for anything) but the views are also supposed to be out of this world. To give you some idea of what we're in for:
Day 1: 3 mile hike to our 1st hut
Day 2: 10 miles hut, including about an hour ascent @ the end to our 2nd hut
Day 3: This is the grueling day: 8.8 miles. Up ~500 meters, over a mountain pass, and then down about 800 meters on the other side. If we still have energy, we're supposed to check out the Sutherland Falls - New Zealand's largest, most impressive falls. At that point, though, I'm pretty sure you're going to be dragging me to my cot & not much else.
Day 4: 11 miles hike; Boat from Sandfly Point to Milford Sound; Milford Sound Cruise & then 2 hour bus back to Te Anau.
In all likelihood, you won't here from us again until Sunday (though there's a chance we'll post Saturday night after returning from the track, depending on our fatigue.)
Keep us in your prayers!
See you on the flip side -
Jen
Monday, November 9, 2009
Clean Boots
As we packed Friday night and Saturday morning, Jen kep asking me "Are you going to clean our boots?" One thing lead to another and before I knew it we were walking out the door with dirty boots. Jen even yelled at me for trying to put on dirty boots inside the house, so I had to sit in the entry way to put them on.
Lucky for us, the New Zealand department of Biosecurity took care of it for us. Who knew that good old Midwestern topsoil is a biohazard in New Zealand? We got through immigration and had to check "yes" to the line asking us if we had any dirty boots on us. We were then ushered into a special biohazard area where they stripped us of the offending footwear and took them back into a super-secret sanitization chamber. They returned to us 10 minutes later in plastic bags with shiny-black soles. I asked the officer when he returned why he hadn't shined the uppers as well. I mean, what kind of service is that? After seeing the look he shot back, I didn't push my luck any further.
So after 24 hours of travel we are on the ground in New Zealand. All things considered, the flight was comfortable. Personal TV screens with our choice of movies past & present, 2 meals, wine, and champaign to celebrate the morning. We've got 3 hours or so to grab breakfast, then catch our final leg to Queenstown where the adventure begins in ernest. We're hoping Jen's ear will pop sometime during that time, too. All of our bags made it over safely. I was quite relieved to see them inching along the baggage claim track.
Let's take a moment to reflect on modern jet travel. I'm reading the memior of a Navy Aviator in WWII. He made no less than 3 trips to the Pacific Theater, the journeys stretching for weeks. I just made that trip and more in 12 hours.
See you in Queenstown!
Doug (with Jen)
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
The plan
Dear Friends & Family -
In less than a week, Doug & I will be heading to New Zealand - a dream vacation that we've been looking forward to & planning for over a year now.
Here's our itinerary:
Saturday, Nov. 7: FLY to Queenstown, New Zealand via LAX & Auckland.
Monday, Nov. 9, 11:40 a.m: Arrive in Queenstown, New Zealand; Sight see in Queenstown; Overnight in Queenstown
Tuesday, Nov. 10: Bus transport from Queenstown to Te Anau; Overnight in Te Anau
Wednesday, Nov. 11: Day 1 of the Milford Track; Overnight @ Clinton Hut
Thursday, Nov. 12: Day 2 of the Milford Track; Overnight @ Mintaro Hut
Friday, Nov. 13: Day 3 of the Milford Track; Overnight @ Dumpling Hut
Saturday, Nov. 14: Day 4 of the Milford Track; Overnight in Te Anau
Sunday, Nov. 15: Overnight Cruise in Doubtful Sound
Monday, Nov. 16: Travel to Franz Josef Glacier; Overnight in Franz Josef Glacier
Tuesday, Nov. 17: Glacier Ice Hike on Franz Josef Glacier; Overnight in Franz Josef Glacier
Wednesday, Nov. 18: Hike @ Westland National Park; "Kiwi Hunt"; Overnight in Okarito
Thursday, Nov. 19: Travel to Motueka; Overnight in Motueka
Friday, Nov. 20: Full day sea kayak adventure in Abel Tasman National Park; Overnight in Motueka
Saturday, Nov. 21: Whale Watch in Kaikoura; Travel to Christchurch; Overnight in Christchurch
Sunday, Nov. 22: Explore Christchurch; Travel home via Auckland & San Francisco; Arrive in Chicago @ 8 p.m.
Jen
In less than a week, Doug & I will be heading to New Zealand - a dream vacation that we've been looking forward to & planning for over a year now.
Here's our itinerary:
Saturday, Nov. 7: FLY to Queenstown, New Zealand via LAX & Auckland.
Monday, Nov. 9, 11:40 a.m: Arrive in Queenstown, New Zealand; Sight see in Queenstown; Overnight in Queenstown
Tuesday, Nov. 10: Bus transport from Queenstown to Te Anau; Overnight in Te Anau
Wednesday, Nov. 11: Day 1 of the Milford Track; Overnight @ Clinton Hut
Thursday, Nov. 12: Day 2 of the Milford Track; Overnight @ Mintaro Hut
Friday, Nov. 13: Day 3 of the Milford Track; Overnight @ Dumpling Hut
Saturday, Nov. 14: Day 4 of the Milford Track; Overnight in Te Anau
Sunday, Nov. 15: Overnight Cruise in Doubtful Sound
Monday, Nov. 16: Travel to Franz Josef Glacier; Overnight in Franz Josef Glacier
Tuesday, Nov. 17: Glacier Ice Hike on Franz Josef Glacier; Overnight in Franz Josef Glacier
Wednesday, Nov. 18: Hike @ Westland National Park; "Kiwi Hunt"; Overnight in Okarito
Thursday, Nov. 19: Travel to Motueka; Overnight in Motueka
Friday, Nov. 20: Full day sea kayak adventure in Abel Tasman National Park; Overnight in Motueka
Saturday, Nov. 21: Whale Watch in Kaikoura; Travel to Christchurch; Overnight in Christchurch
Sunday, Nov. 22: Explore Christchurch; Travel home via Auckland & San Francisco; Arrive in Chicago @ 8 p.m.
Jen
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