Back in Canada, almost home

The last legs of this journey are pretty boring. So you can skip this if you want. But you never know...


In the Auckland airport, I had a couple of hours to watch the rain, orrr.... I could have a little snack. Typical of this blog, and as people who know me know, this meant food. My brother asked if I could attach pictures of some of the wonderful food I've been eating in NZ, and it was something I hadn't really thought of. Fish and chips on the beach didn't seem interesting enough, so my camera had been left in the car. But I managed one last little meal, and this one definitely met the criteria for a photo opp.


Now, I realize that the presentation lacked a little something, and the water wasn't exactly vintage (although it was New Zealand's finest spring mineral water). But the sandwich was darn near gourmet. Chicken, (roast, not processed), brie and cranberry on whole grain bread. And the banana was perfect, no blemishes anywhere and exactly the right ripeness. So what if the atmosphere was a little, uh, bright? The view was of the rainy runway, and I was watching planes taking off and landing, definitely rivalling some of the finest harbour and mountain views of the past couple of weeks. ;)

Finally we get the boarding call, and it's off to Vancouver. Too bad that there isn't much to see between Auckland and Vancouver other than water and cloud. Good time to sleep.
So now I'm back in Canada, and after a good long walk and some sushi, it's time for more sleep.
Having explored another country so far from home has given me a much different perspective on what is accessible, what is adventure, and how much there is to explore right here at home. Especially after seeing the Rockies under sunny skies today, instead of the rain I had the last time I was here, only days ago. I tried an Okanagan Merlot tonight, probably not the best one, but I'm sure that there's the possibility of a wine country tour in the works for BC in my future.
After all, I don't have room in my luggage for any more wine this trip. A couple of bottles snuck in there from Marlborough, NZ...

Farewell Auckland

My final day here in NZ dawned warm and sunny - the best day yet for weather. Couldn't believe it, as I'm sure that in a couple of days, it won't be that nice. I finally get the full tour of Westview, and a superb lesson in wine growing and the NZ wine industry. The more I learn, the more I'm curious - I never realized there was so much involved in making wine. Westview grows grapes, which are used by other wineries to make wines. Bridget and Gary take me to each different grape and clone, and I get a chance to taste each grape, and see how close they are to the taste of the wine. The grapes are almost ready for harvest, especially the Pinot Noir.

Bridget has put together a beautiful lunch on the patio, which we enjoy thoroughly - cheddar muffins, fresh veggies, and some lovely Sauvignon Blanc that was made from their grapes.

Then I get a mini tour of a couple of other local vineyards, and try about 15 different wines - talk about a learning experience! Now I know what a Pinot Noir is supposed to taste like, a good Savvy from a not so good one, and what makes each one different.

Then it's my final goodbyes to my wonderful, generous, interesting and fun friends as I board the plane in Blenheim that will take me here to Auckland. The flight over Marlborough Sounds is absolutely beautiful, but the whole North Island is clouded over, and we arrive in Auckland in the rain. It has waited my entire time here to get yucky, so it will be easy to sleep on my way to Vancouver. See you soon!

Seals and Whales

Yesterday I left my camera at home, and had a real tourist vacation day - I went shopping with Bridget. I think I managed to get enough souvenirs without going over my weight limit on the way back. There are so many things here that are unique to this place, that it would be quite silly to go home without at least a sample.

New Zealand is a land of many wonders. Geologic oddities, flora and fauna that is found nowhere else, and one of the few places in the world where some species can be found all year round. I've learned so much, and have so much more to learn. I hope that in some small way I can bridge the 12000 km gap between home and here by sharing my adventures of the past few days. There is still so much more that could be written here, so far this has been such a brief synopsis. Let me know if you want to see more.

Today my friends took me back to Kaikoura - I passed through here on the scenic train last week - so that I could go swimming with the seals. The weather had not been cooperating the past few days, with strong sou'westerly winds, cold and rain. But today, the forecast is for calmer winds, even though there has been a very early snow on the mountaintops. We decide to go for it, so Bridget packs a lovely picnic lunch and off we go. Along the way, we can see that the sea is indeed fairly calm, but with a bit of swell. There are surfers out close to Ohau. Although the waves are not really high, they do curl, and it's a thrill to see this, a new experience for me.

Disappointment hits when we get to Kaikoura and learn that the seal swim is cancelled today due to the high seas. There are lots of other options however, and we decide to go on the whale watch, which is still going on, albeit with seasickness warnings. No worries. We have a few hours to kill before our tour at 3:30, so back up the coast we drive to see a seal rookery that we had passed earlier. If I can't swim with them, I can at least get a few shots.

We're in luck, there are at least a hundred fur seals laying on the rocks sunning themselves. Mom and Dad seals are mostly sleeping, and the pups are playing in the pools formed by the rocks and waves, or chasing each other about like little children do. We see two little pups chasing each other in circles, just like puppies. The surf crashes over the rocks around them, and it's a scene from National Geographic.

Bridget knows of a walking track close by that will take us to the top of a cliff looking out over the ocean, where Gary and I can get lots of pictures of surf breaking over the rocks. The walk itself is not long, but it starts going up the cliff at a very steep rate, and the sights of the harbour below, the low tide baring interesting shist formations, and are those penguins on that rock?, mean that it takes us about 40 minutes instead of the estimated 25 to get to the top on the other side of the peninsula. We see a perfectly formed lenticular cloud, which is only found near mountains. And stunning vistas of surf and rock.

The hike down takes about 15 minutes, so we have time to stop and see some trees that I haven't seen before, but we're not sure what they are. Gary has heard this is a Norfolk pine, but I admit I would need to look it up to be sure.

The boat for the whale watch starts off having a bit of trouble with kelp in the jets. But eventually they clean it out and off we go to find a whale. On the way, we see terns, albatrosses, and shearwaters. Albatrosses? Wow, that was a bonus. Two different kinds even. Off in the distance is a pod of Dusky dolphins, and they seem to be moving our way. Then we hear the call that a whale has been spotted and we will move in for a closer look. It is huge - a sperm whale that is about the same size as our boat and it's sister ship, just off to our left. All we can see for the most part is the dorsal fin and the spout, especially since the swells are quite high. It stays floating close to the surface for a few minutes, then goes for another deep dive, with the fluke giving us a final wave.

Just as the whale dives, the dolphins reach us, and start swimming around very close to the boat. They jump and somersault and put on a real show for us. It's hard to get pictures there are so many, at least 50. They're beautiful, with markings similar to orcas, and seem very friendly. They swim close to the boat for at least 15 - 20 minutes, then it's time to go back. What an experience to have seen all these amazing creatures in their natural habitat - no trainers, or glass walls of an aquarium, or cage bars at a zoo.

We finish the afternoon with a large order of fish and chips (sorry, no pics) and take it down to the beach to eat while we watch the sunset. The wind has died, it's nice and warm, and the seagulls surround us, hoping for an easy snack. Sorry, none left. Best fish and chips I've had in years.

The final piece de resistance is a cloudless, moonless night when we get back to Westview, and the night sky is brilliant with stars out here where there is no light pollution. Gary shows me the Southern Cross, and the Magellanic clouds - two things you can't see in the sky in the northern hemisphere. It's easy to imagine how the early explorers could navigate using the stars - they could actually see them. I notice Orion (here it's the Tipping Pot because he's upside down), and see three stars in the constellation I've never see before. Gary explains this is Orion's scabbard. What a way to end an amazing day!

Flying and Sailing

Wow, the time is just flying by - and Monday (NZT) sees me boarding a plane back up north to Wellington to meet with my friends again and hopefully see a tiny bit of the capital while I'm here. Now that I can see Queenstown airport without the mist and rain, I'm in awe that I flew in on an Airbus A320 on a runway that sits neatly between two mountain ranges. This little plane took off just moments before I took this shot.

I'm really looking forward to seeing Bridget and Gary again, and meeting some of their musical friends (and watching a top 10 international chorus rehearsal). But even before that, the flight to Wellington itself turns out to be incredible. Miles and miles of remote mountains and wilderness, which I find out later is created due to a fault line. After landing, I hear that that there was a small (5.5) earthquake in Fjordland the day before, which I likely didn't feel because I was either in the gondola or on the luge.

One of the things I had hoped to do while here was to see Mt. Cook, which I had from a distance a few days ago. Since then, it has not been completely visible from ground level, due to the clouds. But the flight from Queenstown goes right over the mountain. The captain announces that we are flying at 21000 feet, and the height of Mt. Cook is 12000 ft (plus), and as we pass over it feels very much like we could just reach out and touch the Tasman glacier on top. New Zealand has over 3500 glaciers, and while we can see several of them as we fly over this mountain range, the Tasman is the largest. I couldn't fit it all in this frame of the summit. After seeing this incredible sight, the rest of the flight seems markedly anti-climatic.

After my friends picked me up from the airport, we have a few hours before the chorus rehearsal. The day has turned out to be absolutely beautiful, sunny with a light breeze, and very warm. I'm glad I wore shorts. We find a little cafe (this whole country is full of them, and the coffee here beats Starbucks and Timmy's by a few hundred miles), and have gelato, cake, and coffee till it's time to pick up our hostess for the night - Joan. Very relaxing, sitting by the Wellington harbour, watching the rowing club move sculls around, and sipping a flat white. Wellington is a real artisan town, and already I know that I will need to come back and spend more time here. The New Zealand School for the Fine Arts is just down the pier, and Joan's house is full of local artists' works.

We find another cafe for supper, then it's off to rehearsal. What an incredible chorus! This group of about 45 young men (mostly collegiate and college age, some not old enough to shave) have an incredible sound, blend of voices, work ethic, and ability to pick up everything Gary gives them to work with. I get goosebumps listening to them, and now my list includes going to the next BHS international contest to hear these young gents perform.

Tuesday morning arrives way too early, and it starts by walking down to the beach (2 min. from Joan's house) and getting our coffee from a wagon on the beach. It's divine. Our first stop is Te Papa, an amazing cultural museum that includes the only colossal squid on display in the world (and it is colossal!), and an earthquake experience (you enter a small house and an "earthquake" hits it, very interesting!). Today, they have a "Taste of Treasures Tour", which includes a guided tour of some of the Maori artifacts and a small taste of traditional Maori food. Perfect! Our guide turns out to be Maori, and several of the artifacts are from her family. She is delightful, and very knowledgeable, and the tour is very complete with descriptions of everything from the facial tattooing (moko) to the meeting houses, and finally, a taste. The tea (of course I bought some) is an herb that is said to be so strong in nutrients and anti-oxidants you should only drink it twice a week, is flavoured with ginger and lemongrass. The bread, which is made from potato flour, all that was available during the depression, is served with a pesto paste and pine nuts. The biscuit is served with makura honey - different from any other honey I've tasted. What a treat!

Unfortunately, we can't stay any longer, as we have to walk several blocks to the train station, where we board the shuttle to the ferry. The Interislander is considered to be one of the most beautiful ferry rides in the world, and will take us from the North Island to Picton, on the South Island. It's an incredibly windy day to cross Cook Strait, and the boat lists to one side for most of the way (significantly listing) until we reach the Marlborough Sounds. For a long time, it seems as though the ship will just keep going until it crashes into the hillside, and then, off to the left, we can see an opening - narrow, but an opening all the same. It's soon apparent why this ride has the reputation it does. The water is blue-green, the hillsides are green and yellow, and the sky is sapphire blue. Sailboats dot the area, along with salmon and mussel farms. Occaisionally we see houses, but they are dwarfed by the hills around them.

From Picton, it's an easy 20 minute drive back to Westview, where my adventure began. I've convinced G&B to let me take them somewhere nice for dinner, and wow, do they find a nice place. As everywhere here in NZ the wine is superb, and the food and service here is 5 star. Entrees included crayfish ravioli with scallops (including their roe - another new experience!), and antipasti plate full of wonderful taste treats and a few other goodies. I chose the veal and risotto for my main - incredible. And dessert was a selection of apricot treats - mousse, sorbet, meringue and tart. I really need to come back here again!

Lord of the Rings Day - and more

This was an unplanned day, waking without any real sense of plan. I decided to browse the local activity guide for things that really jumped out. Bridget and Gary had recommended the gondola ride to the top of a nearby mountain, and the luge ride at the top. Sounds like a blast. But that will only take an hour or so. Then something caught my eye. A few minutes and a quick call later, and I'm booked for an afternoon in an off-road vehicle touring some of the remote locations they used to film Lord of the Rings.

But first, to the top of the mountain. And there I found the ideal tool for the navigationally challenged. I'm only 5000 km from the South Pole? Wow. The luge track is cement, not ice, and the luge sleds have wheels and brakes. But it's still a lot of fun to go ripping down the mountainside, doing hairpin turns, ducking through tunnels and trying to do belly-floppers on the bumps.

Next, it's the Kiwi Bird Sanctuary, which was at the bottom of the gondola ride. Although you can't get pics of the rare kiwis, you can sort of see them in the red light of the darkened buildings in which they're housed. They really are amazing. Hopefully, they will be able to get rid of all the stoats, rats and possums here and the kiwi and other flightless birds on the islands can make a real comeback. As a bonus, there are a number of other rare birds at the sanctuary, like this duck with an attitude.

The weather couldn't be better for the safari ride, and Fran is a wonderful guide. She takes 5 of us in the Safari 4WD up to Glenorchy, a small town of about 300 about 45 km from Queenstown. Not far from there the road becomes a gravel track, and we enter Mount Arising National Park. There are still a few houses, and the Dart Stables, which is the most expensive real estate in New Zealand - dozens of movie scenes and commercials have been filmed here, and there's a crew here today.

But most interesting is the sign that says "Cattle Stop". I ask if this is where passengers wait for their ride to the rest of the tour, since buses can't get up this road. Not that cattle are the easiest things to ride. Fran chortles and asks if she can use that one on other groups (the Kiwi sense of humour is very Canadian). Then we see the real reason for the sign.

And of course, we have to stop.

Fran points out glaciers as well, noting that it's very easy to see the blue in them today. That, and the fact that you can see the edge of the glacier and how thick it is, is how you can tell if it's a glacier or just snow on the mountain. These are definitely glaciers.

Many of the filming locations for LOTR were so remote that the main actors had to be flown in by helicopter. Like Mt. Pluto, which was used as Zirak-zigil, where Gandalf finally smote the Balrog. We also see Ithilien, and parts of Amon Hen. Of course, there were 163 sites, and we can only see a few of them today. But the highlight of the trip is having our afternoon tea in Lothlorien.

Now that I have an official LOTR Location Guidebook, I can also pick out places I've seen in the past few days that were used in the movie(s). And I find myself this evening dining on the patio of Pier 19, right on the harbour, bluff oysters on the half shell and rack of lamb with fig sauce and dukkah spice, and looking at the Mountains of Mordor.

I have to get ready to fly to Wellington tomorrow. Right after I stop to enjoy this fabulous sunset over the Misty Mountains.

Day 5 - already? Queenstown...

There was fresh snow on the mountaintops this morning, and the air was fresh - a typical autumn day for me weather-wise, but the locals were shivering, saying it was way too early for this cold weather. However, I had promised myself a couple of days ago that I would take my time driving back up to Queenstown, and take in the incredible view, especially north of Kingston, and this seems the perfect weather for that. The road is one of the few that I've seen that actually hugs the mountainside, with rocks on one side and Lake Wakatipu on the other. This is a main highway, yet it's made primarily of tar and chip, and is only two lanes (one on the bridges). In some places, the speed limit is 35 kph, rather than the standard 100. As you can see, it's probably warranted.

I finally arrive in Queenstown, a couple of hundred pictures later, and find myself in a place that seems somewhat European, with narrow, winding, steep streets, and "No Vacancy" signs everywhere, especially along the most scenic areas. I find a reasonable place (a hotel suite, complete with kitchen and within easy walking distance of the core, for a very reasonable rate, and what the heck, I'm on vacation, I deserve a couple of nights with a jacuzzi tub!), and book it for two nights. There is so much to explore here, so I better get going! It's already after 1 p.m.

As I drive out of Queenstown to explore the countryside, I happen across one of the little one-lane bridges that are so common here. Crossing the bridge, I notice how high up it is, and the beautiful blue water in the gorge below. The parking lot on the other side of the bridge is for one of the many jet-boat adventures I'd heard about. I walk over to the bridge and take a few shots, noting how narrow the gorge is, and yet how shallow the water. Then I realize that this is the water that the jet boats are skimming along at very high speeds. I simply must check this out after watching one do a 360 almost right beneath the bridge. http://www.shotoverjet.com/

And now that the weather has warmed up and the sun is out, it seems like the perfect time. What a blast! We scoot along at about 35-50 knots in some places, and the boats are designed to be able to stop almost as quickly as they accelerate, using impulsion (instead of propulsion) technology. We spin around inches from the rock walls, and in less than a couple of feet of water. I have a video that I'll post to Facebook but if you click the link above, and then click the video right on the home page, you'll see what it's like.

After the ride, I decide to head up to Arrowtown, a small, historic village that was recommended to me, especially for the drive. Passing signs like "Alpaca Poo $2.00/bag", I finally find the village, and it is crawling with people. Cars line both sides of every street, all the way to the edge of town. People are walking or cycling everywhere, and I decide it's not worth it to find a parking spot, but can return tomorrow. I find out later that there's a special cycling race going through there today, and the village will be empty tomorrow. One of many things to put on the list.

On the way back to Queenstown, I find a great spot to shoot "The Remarkables", a range of mountains that is exceptionally beautiful for their ruggedness. The highest peaks are over 2300 meters high. It's the darkest range in this shot.

OK, time for tea (or dinner). I check in to the hotel, and then grab my camera to explore the town itself. The walk to the town centre is short and all downhill, but I question my sanity when I look back up at where I've come from. I have to walk back again, after all. But it's worth it. Downtown Queenstown is a happening place, and if I wasn't so tired, I would consider joining one of the bar crawls. But for now, I just want to eat, then go back to my room. Uphill. As I overheard one person say, "In Queenstown, everything is uphill". Well, everything except the harbour I suppose. But that's for tomorrow.

Doubtful Sound - no doubt

This was a day of new perspectives. Almost a paradigm shift. Seeing a part of the world that hasn't changed really since it was first discovered by the Europeans (Cook - the Maori didn't bother with this area as it was too cold and too hard to get to), was quite an eye-opener. Doubtful Sound, other than the odd tour boat, remains untouched by man, and always will due to the fact that it is a National Park and thus protected. Let me start at the beginning of the day.

The sound of pouring rain woke me before the alarm, so I laid in bed a little longer. By the time I had my shower and was ready to leave for Manapouri to pick up the ferry, the sun was out. It was quite cool (8 C) and the wind chill was probably closer to 0 C. A bit of low cloud over the mountains, which will hopefully burn off, but might make the light interesting for taking pictures.

Driving along the road to Manapouri, I find myself having to remember to breathe, as each curve in the road reveals a bigger, more beautiful scene. It seems impossible not to believe in a higher power when faced with such evidence.

We board the ferry that will take us across Lake Manapouri, about a 45 minute ride, to West Arm. This is the site of the Manapouri power station, which we will tour later, and that's a story in itself. From the West Arm landing, buses will take us across Wilmot Pass and down the other side of the mountain to the top end of Doubtful Sound. Another, larger boat, will take us through the Sound and out to the Tasman Sea.

I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.