“Kia Ora,” as the Maori say here (“hello or welcome”)!
Keshia and I promised a lot of people a travel blog of sorts. And as promised, here is an attempt at one.
It was 26 times the earth rotated around her sun that I originally conjured up a plan to cycle the South Island of New Zealand. The plan never came to fruition. Being honest with myself, it was more a dream than a plan, lacking any means of executing it. But 26 years later an adaptation of that trip has come to life. Instead of solitude and silence, I have my wife for companionship; instead of chainwheel drive and human propulsion, I have a small caravan (camper van) for comfort.
Before the trip could begin, we had to get here. And what a combination of delays, layovers and missed flights it took to accomplish that end. All in, it took 31.5 hours to get from Atlanta to Chicago to Auckland to Christchurch. So we arrived a little sleep deprived and drowsy. But that wasn’t enough to suppress our excitement. As we approached New Zealand from the airplane, we stole glimpses of snow-covered mountain tops, flood river basins, sweeping ocean coastlines and the rugged terrain New Zealand is famous for. That was enough to wipe the sleep from our souls.
While what we saw in the airplane verified some of what we knew, how much more New Zealand had to offer turned out to be a welcome shock that opened our hearts and imaginations.
The first leg of our journey took us from Christchurch, across the Southern Alps and along the west coast of the South Island. To pass the Southern Alps we had to navigate Arthur’s Pass, an unpredictable winding and weaving road offering momentary yet fantastic glimpses of tall cliffs and mountains, thundering rivers and dramatic waterfalls. For me every turn of the steering wheel produced a new wonder. For Keshia, as the driver, she saw her white knuckles applying an ungodly amount of pressure on the poor and unsuspecting steering wheel and the treacherous, unforgiving road unfold ahead. Following that we arrived on the west coast of New Zealand’s South Island. When you take the long sandy beaches, rugged rocky archipelagos, sheer cliffs and huge coastal mountains and adorn them in rainforest, waterfalls, rivers and wildlife, any attention on missing things in Arthur’s Pass was quickly forgotten. And as we worked our way south, the mountains went from large to huge, bearing glaciers and catching the eastbound clouds as they sweep in from the ocean. On a hike up Robert’s Point Track to the Frans Joseph glacier we were treated with one of the only places in the world where glaciers empty into rainforests. The feeling was overwhelming. The dampness of the rainforest filled our lungs and muddied our legs while the arctic air blowing off the glacier chilled our bones. It was a collision of forces that dazzled our curiosity and left us with a feeling of awe. While hiking the Okarito Coast Trail, we encountered a Department Of Conservation Ranger carrying a hatching Okarito Kiwi egg, the most endangered of the Kiwi; it was utterly amazing. On another hike we saw a family of sea lions sprawled upon wave beaten rocks along the ocean side. We found ourselves swimming in lakes, traversing suspension bridges over gorges and rivers, staring into blowholes and immersing ourselves in the wonders of the coastline, rainforest and mountains. The trip could have ended there, and we’d have been satisfied. But the trip kept going, offering different and equally amazing experiences; the sensations of awe unbendingly awaiting us.
The second leg of the trip saw us travel back across the Southern Alps and weave our way through rolling mountains and hills. Long glacial lakes filled the valleys while sheep, cattle, even deer and elk grazed the endless bounty from their farms. Up and up we climbed in elevation until we eventually landed at base camp: Mt Cook, New Zealand’s highest peak. In high elevation new wonders awaited us with open arms. Our first night we were watching sunset from Kea Point when we first encountered a crashing sound and what appeared to be water cascading down the steepest side of Mt. Sefton. This impromptu waterfall lasted but 15 seconds. It wasn’t long before we witnessed this phenomenon again, and then again, probably every 20 minutes or so. It came from glaciers retreating in their summer melt, but instead of a steady flow of water, the waters path would get impeded by chunks of snow and ice, creating a temporary dam. As the pressure mounted behind these bungs of snow and ice, the release was a fantastic cacophony of snow, ice and water treacherously flashing down the steep precipices. Mt. Cook, Mt. Sefton and the other peaks in this cluster are littered with glaciers, dozens of them. Their melt on display as rivers, creeks, ponds, tarns, lakes, etc., rendering the bluest blues imaginable; teal to turquoise to baby to royal to impossibly vibrant and so on. We awoke one morning at dawn and hiked to Hooker Glacier and Lake early so we’d have it alone and to ourselves. When we arrived we were stunned by the sight. As we approached the lake, there on the other side was Hooker Glacier calving icebergs. From small chunks of ice floating up to shore to mammoth grounded bergs being hammered relentlessly by arctic wind driven waves, it was a spectacular sight! The west side of the New Zealand’s Southern Alps are a pretty efficient rain curtain, capturing the rain and blocking it from the east side. But some of heavy clouds would drift esthetically over the towering peaks and eventually one day enough accumulated and precipitation found us. That day we hiked and explored, got quite wet, had an early dinner then called it an early night. At around 3:00 in the morning Keshia wakes me up with instructions to look out at the night sky. Out of our caravan we stepped, naked save our undies, shivering and marveling in the arctic air as the remnants of rain clouds lingered leaving a veiled haze between us and the sky. But the brilliance of the stars stabbing through that haze took our breath away, revealing the Milky Way and what seemed like a trillion other stars. Unfamiliar constellations dazzled our imaginations and filled us with wonder. Stargazing was emotionally redefined in that moment and we didn’t even have a clear sky. Can’t leave the high country and not mention the Kea, the world’s only alpine parrot; unfortunately highly endangered. Seemingly every color of the rainbow on display with the stroke of its large wings; its powerful vocal chorus filled the air like horns blaring on a military morning. It’s the mischievous behavior however that delighted the most. Early morning we awoke to a pack of Kea wreaking havoc on the campsite, pulling the tape off a bicycle handlebar, plucking the rubber gasket off of the neighbors car; if left alone it would have severed the guy lines on our neighbors tent; the Kea even landed on our roof looking for something to bite off (upon which I got a great photo). They are likened to the raven for their intellectual capacity but are in a class of their own when it comes to naughty behavior. The Kea is my new favorite bird! We have a lot in common.
The third leg of the journey took us to the Southlands. This region being distinguished by beautiful coastline, wildlife, small independent farms, vineyards, orchards and finally the enormous rock guards or fiords of Fiordland’s National Park. It was about this time we began our affair with our camp food. It started innocent enough. “I’m tired of instant coffee, let’s stop at that cafe and get a cappuccino.” Isn’t that how all adulterous behavior begins? In these small, off the beaten path cafes, we discovered just how fresh and creative New Zealand is with food. From lamb pies to gluten free vegetarian lasagne to cashew-apricot-chicken pizza, not only were the flavors fantastic, but everything is local farm-to-table. This one time we stopped “for a coffee” at this this old converted schoolhouse. We ended up getting lunch — Cheaters — and talking to the owner. He pointed out what field the cow came from before he hand made the patty. The herbs used to finish the dish were picked from the garden minutes before our food landed on the table. We’ve concluded one could come to New Zealand and just do a food tour. There is more to the Southland’s than cheating on your camp food. The Fiords, mountains and lakes of this region are on a scale of monoliths and Gods. The dense rock consisting of igneous and metamorphic rock hold their towering steepness from bottom to top, all the while cloaked in New Zealand’s temperate rainforest. The spectrum of emotions this region evokes is enormous and diverse. We honestly spent most of the time lacking words, just pointing in awe, repeatedly saying, “OH, MY GOD!” I won’t spent much more time talking about the Fiordland’s, as words and pictures don’t do it justice, it’s one of those things you must see in person, like the Grand Canyon.
The fourth and final leg of the journey took us up the middle of the country and retuned us to Christchurch. Our pace slowed significantly here as we rendezvoused with family in Queenstown and Wanaka, just beginning their New Zealand holiday. GG Pops (Grampa Randy) treated Keshia, Krista, Bobby, Wade, Cindy and me to a gondola ride and luge circuit up Ben Lomond Mountain. Thanks GG! That was a blast. After this we slowly, reluctantly said goodbye to this magnificent land, brimming with culture, adventure, life and awe and ended where we began in Christchurch.
With several months of backpacking Asia still to come, we weren’t able to bring our camping, or as they say here, “tramping” equipment. Same goes for our camera. We never explored the North Island. So there be a New Zealand, part two. But for now, part two of this adventure is the Philippines.
“Haere Ra,” as the Maori say here (goodbye or farewell)!
