Abel Tasman National Park

Hi All,

We've arrived at the Northern part of the South Island in a town called Motueka which isn't far from the trail head for the Abel Tasman National Park. We're leaving to hike the coastal track tomorrow. It is a three day hike and we're planning to forgo the hut situation for a tent instead. That way, we will avoid strangers snoring in your ear (the bunks in the huts are just a bunk room, so, you can be attempting to sleep near a total stranger who has a snoring problem!) however, we will take a chance in the weather department! So, say some fair weather prayers for us. The weather has been impeccable the entire time we've been here, so, let's hope it beats out Murphy's Law!

We spent most of the day in Nelson getting things arranged for our hike and we spent the night in Murchison after a pretty drive from the West Coast. We spent some time checking out beaches near Hokitika and they were gorgeous. It was too chilly for a swim and too messy for a surf, but, you could see Mt. Cook and Mt. Tasman from the seashore - how beautiful! We stopped at the Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers on our way up the West Coast. Both were pretty well socked in with clouds but we caught a closer glimpse of the glaciers than we could see at Mt. Cook. The glaciers are moving 100,000 times slower than an average river. Cool and strange to think about. We could have gone on a hike on the glaciers, but, since Peter spent months on glaciers near Mt. McKinley and the stupid hike cost in the 100's, we opted for the self-guided tours. I hate being cold, anyhow!

We stayed in Wanaka from Peter's wonderful skydive expedition until Wednesday (11/28?). We hiked a bit in Mt. Aspiring National Park. It was a very windy hike up the valley to the hut and we had intentions of hiking further up to another hut that had a superb view of the Rob Roy Valley. However, about 6 other hikers were headed to that hut and it accommodated only 6. So, we stayed at the first hut and opted for a short - completely uphill - close to Cascade Saddle. It was worth it b/c when we got to the viewpoint, the clouds dispersed from the peak of Mt. Aspiring. We got gorgeous views of the valley and the peaks around us. We met two Kiwi women at the hut who were a HOOT! We chatted up with them and had an enjoyable time. We were feeling kind of low energy the next morning - remember the aforementioned snoring strangers information I provided - and we headed back to the car park. We took a short hike up to check out the Rob Roy Glacier and it was truly impressive. It is retreating at a rate of 10-20mm per year and from the looks of it, it's not long for this world. There's not much left of it. After returning to Wanaka for the night, we tried a Mexican place for dinner that was suggested to us. Unfortunately, the food was good, but, neither of us would characterize it as "Mexican cuisine." Even the margaritas were weak.

On Wednesday morning, I awoke at 8:15 to see Peter walking up the driveway of the Caravan park. It was strange, because I assumed he'd left the van to go to the bathroom. He was approaching the van from an angle that wasn't from the bathroom, but, rather from the office of the Caravan Park. Weird!? He informed me straight away that we were to be at the entrance of the park at 9:00 to meet Steve (?) of Wanaka Paragliding!!!! I was jolted awake - but not very awake it seems b/c I just got dressed and ate breakfast as if I were meeting Steve (again ?) of Wanaka Walking Tours in 45 minutes. Peter knows me well. Spring it on her, give her no time to think too much about it, and you'll get results.

Off we went with Steve and his helper - Stacy (?) - to Treble Cone Ski Field. With a few words of wisdom and instruction, Steve and I hurled ourselves off the side of a mountain into the air. And it was...MAGNIFICENT! I wasn't scared at all, really! I was just in awe of the beauty of seeing the world from such a vantage point. The mountains were imposing, Lake Wanaka was shining calm in the distance, and the hill we climbed around Diamond Lake looked like a bump and a puddle. It is hard to describe, but, it felt as if we were flying but it wasn't loud like on an airplane. It was calm and freeing and I would do it all over again. We flew over to see a waterfall - from the TOP! What a view! As we approached, a hawk buzzed about a meter from us to keep us away from her nest. Amazing! Steve let us do a few spins which were cool.

Then, we had to land. That's when I started to get a bit twitchy. The ground wasn't soft and was probably less soft if you were hurling - albeit gently - toward it. The figures that looked like ants began to take the shape of sheep and deer more distinctly and I could see fencing and fence posts. Ouch! There was our van, too. That would be rather hard to land on. Luckily, Steve had a plan and before I had more time to think about landing, we touched down fairly easily. The only catch was that when he put the glider down, it ended up in a pricker bush. That was unfortunate. Peter was driving toward our landing site and approached me with a bit of worry as he saw the glider in the bush and the look of concern on my face. He said he couldn't tell if I was smiling or crying as he approached. He was delighted that I was smiling. As was I. It was a super, once-in-a-lifetime experience and I highly recommend it. Really! Peter had a chance after me but he still prefers skydiving. He even said at one point that paragliding was scarier than skydiving. I know, I'm one hardcore girl!

Hope you're well and Happy December!

Love,

K & P
xoxo

Lake Wanaka

Hi All,

We arrived in Lake Wanaka yesterday afternoon and had a look around. But, not before Peter went SKYDIVING! I'll include his commentary below. I think that I thought about it too much and therefore I kept my feet firmly on the solid ground. I kept thinking how it would feel as I was hanging out of the plane door at 15,000 ft. Even standing on the ground thinking about it made my stomach queasy, so, I figured that feeling would be magnified by about 10 million if I were in the plane. Additionally, I was afraid I might lose control of my basic bodily functions and that would be highly embarassing for everyone involved. So, I left it for Peter to conquer the skies alone. He didn't seem nervous at all, more excited. From what he's told me and from what you'll see below, he had a blast! I'll try to get some photos in here from the event.

We had a mellow day in Wanaka yesterday and the wind this morning is pumping - Peter says it's a 4.2 day and he's puzzled about why no one is windsurfing on the Lake in town. Maybe later. We're heading out for another backpacking trip tomorrow so I'll write more when we return.

Hope all is well.

Love,
K & P

Peter's commentary about his skydiving experience...

Yesterday we woke up in Dunedin, which is pronounced done eeeeeee din and checked the surf, as we had a great day surfing the day before only to find it not looking so good. So we hopped into the van and headed for Wanaka. A 3 hour drive later (the book said 5.5 so we were excited to be there in 3) we arrived at the Wanaka airport. Dropped into the Sky dive Wanaka office and made a booking for.... 1. We had about an hour to kill... So we headed into Wanaka for a quick bite to eat. We headed back to the airport. I put on the clown suit and harness and prepared to jump. We packed into a little plane and took off. The flight up was a bit cramped, think 8 people in the back of a small station wagon, but I had a great view and the mountains, rivers, lakes and planes were amazing. We could see Mt Cook, the tallest mountain in NZ and also Mt. Aspiring which is a perfect pyramid. It took about 15 minutes to climb up to 15,000 feet which was our jumping altitude. The first time I checked the altimeter because I thought we were pretty high we were at 4,000 ft. As we climbed we momentarily leveled off at 12,000 feet and two people hurled themselves out the plane. The door shut again and we continued up. At 15,000 feet everyone else jumped out of the plane which left just me and the guy strapped to my back. We smiled for the wing mounted camera. (you can see the picture at http://www.skydivenz.com/) and the did a back flip out the plane. As you jump you have to scream as your breath sort of leaves you otherwise and you forget to breathe in. Hanging out the door before we jumped and the first 5 seconds of free fall was a bit scary. Once you stabilize in the free fall position it doesn't feel like your falling at all. It feels like you are floating. It is actually pretty calm and peaceful. The ground doesn't rush at you, I actually was looking around at the mountains and the guy strapped to my back would spin us around so we got the full 360 view. 50-60 after we jumped the chute pulled and we were then cruising down. When the chute came out I was surprised at how gently it slowed you down. No yank at all. After a few turns we were down on the ground with a perfect landing. When I landed the guy asked how it was. I said maybe I shouldn't have done it because now I'm going to have to do it again!

Thoughts on the Routeburn/Caples Great Walk

Nov. 20, 2007

The last leg of the Caples Track left me feeling a little conflicted to be truthful. I was excited to complete our trek and tuck into our cozy van after a hot, yummy meal and a shower. At the same time, we'd been completely immersed in the wonder and shelter of Mother Nature for five days. It was quite fantastic and humbling. Walking offered a natural rhythm that gave solitude and community without commercial assaults. We were able to soak in the wonders of this magnificent country without interruption. While I was a little apprehensive at the start - as it was I who insisted we rent trekking poles, rain gear, etc... - I had an amazing time.

The scenery was like nothing I'd ever seen before. New Zealand has offered an unparalleled experience of the natural world in all it's splendor and beauty. The walk truly reminded me about what is basically important in the world - peace, joy, love, companionship, challenge, beauty and grace. I became reconnected with these truths by merely plodding along at my own pace and paying attention to water droplets on a spiderweb hanging in the dark, mossy hole in a tree.

This walk reminded me of the importance of turning off the TV, putting down the cell phone, setting aside the workload, turning to someone you love and taking a walk in the world or in your backyard. I think it helps you to reconnect with the body and soul of what's important in life.

Hope all is well.

love,
k & p

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hi All,

We've made it along the Great Walk, and I've got commentary to include in the blog when I've got my journal with me. I'll stick it in here sometime soon. Suffice it to say that we had an AMAZING time backpacking on the Routeburn/Caples Track. The weather turned out to be fantastic - only one cloudyish day out of five. We felt as if we had beautiful scenery whiplash from trying to look at all the views that surrounded us. It was truly a highlight of our trip. We then drove to Milford Sound which is on the SW coast of the South Island. This area is full of fjords and they run boats down the fjord and into the Tasman Sea. Again, we had a wonderful day weatherwise to enjoy the countless waterfalls, wildlife and inordinately tall walls of rock on either side of the waterway. After our tour on the boat, we hightailed it to the Hollyford Valley to stay at Gunn's Camping ground. Delightfully, we were joined by a GADZILLION sand flies. I awoke last night to scratch the remaining bites for approximately 30 minutes. The gift that keeps on giving.

Gunn's Camping ground was quite quaint and by that I mean odd. It is run by a Charitable Trust and has a stale smelling museum as an added attraction. Additionally, for some reason, there are about 30 pieces of burnt toast hanging from a clothesline outside the camper's kitchen. I didn't read the sign however, because the sand flies were feasting on my ankles so I had to move on. The views were fantastic however and it was neat to stay there since we could see the place from above - looking quite tiny, like Monopoly buildings - as we were on our backpacking trip. Very cool.

We cruised out of Gunn's in the early morning after learning quite swiftly that the sand flies do not abate during the morning hours. We drove up the eastern coastline a bit and ended up in a spot called Curio Bay which is in the Catlins National Conservation area. The beach was quite gorgeous and we saw a number of dolphins swimming with a few folks in the sea. Very cool! Then, we ended up in Dunedin on the Southeast coast yesterday. We were recommended to go on the Tewani Gorge Railway for a tour by some folks we met in our travels, so, we did in the afternoon. It was pretty scenery and an interesting way to see the less traveled areas. But, it lasted four hours and that was approximately 2 hours too long. Oh well. For our Thanksgiving dinner - which was yesterday - we had pizza. But, we ate a lot and we were full like we would be at home for Thanksgiving. The only thing missing was football.

This morning, we went to St. Claire Beach to have a look. The waves were pumping and the sun was shining. It was nice to get into the water again. I must confess that even with our wetsuits on, my feet were icebergs! By my last chance wave, I could hardly stand up b/c I couldn't tell if I'd put my feet on the board! Anyway, it was a good time. It has become a bit overcast this afternoon, but, we just fueled up at the Used Bookstore so we'll be all right!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! We miss you and we love you all.

xoxo,

Kerry & Peter

Great Walk Bound

Hi All,

It's been a few days of mostly cloudy/showery with short breaks of sun for us in Queenstown. Our first day here, we hiked up to the top of the gondola - Bob's Peak - and were treated to mostly sunny glimpses of Queenstown and the surrounding areas. We also did the "luge" activity while up there. It was like an alpine slide, but, not a slide. It was like a sled with wheels and tricycle handlebars that motored down a wideish sidewalk. It was fun and not too adrenaline draining. Speaking of adrenaline, it turns out that skydiving is mucho expensive, i.e. $400.00 per person! And then if you want a photo of the momentous occasion, it is an additional $150.00. OUCH! So, I think we'll put that aside for now and concentrate on other adventures.

Yesterday, we checked out the views from Coronet Peak and the tiny and cute town of Arrowtown. It also had an interesting heritage walk that taught us about the Chinese Immigrants that contributed to the gold mining boom of the area. We booked our Great Walk along the Glenorchy/Caples Track and went to the Dux du Lux Brewery for a beer. It was raining again, so, that seemed like a viable indoor activity that didn't involve the four walls of our gorgeous van! Anyway, we found that it was "Pub Quiz" night - we could have used a lot of help! - as our team (Peter and I) that we called "Oregone" - came in dead last. We wouldn't have but the team that was losing worse than we were left after round 5. Dangit! Oh well, it was free humiliation and they even had a "Best Joke" round at the end and we heard some good ones! Additionally, the World Netball Championships are being held in Auckland now and we got complete coverage on a big screen at the pub. It is interesting to watch a game that kind of looks like something you are familiar with (basketball) but then unfamiliar things occur within that familiarity. For example, there's no dribbling allowed and as soon as you get within shooting distance of the basket (with no backboard) you just get to shoot and no one can block your shots. If you miss the shot, you get to try again. Very interesting...

Today, we picked up our tickets for the Great Walk Excursion. It is basically a 5 day/4 night backpacking trip that crosses some mountainous land and some land near the fjordland areas of this region. It should be fantastic and I am saying little prayers for clearer weather every second! So the Great Walk System was set up by New Zealand's Department of Conservation. It allows you to hike on these spectacular trails and then bunk in these huts that are managed by the Department. So, we'll hike about 11 km tomorrow and bunk down for the night in a heated, dry building with bunk beds and a cook stove with about 25 of our closest friends. I hope no one is a big snorer! We will stay in huts like this for the first 3 nights. On the fourth night, we're completing the circuit of the trail on a part that isn't considered "Great" so there are just simple huts to use. We're looking forward to it and we'll be sure to take lots of pictures.

Speaking of pictures, we've posted quite a few (mostly from Bali and Western Australia) on our Flickr account. I invited you all to view our photos on Flickr. If you didn't get an invitation or if it doesn't work properly, let us know and we'll try to remedy things. We've put all of our photos to this point on CD, so, after we get back from the trekking I'll try to get them uploaded to the Flickr account also. I think it will make things a bit more interesting when you can see the places that I've been babbling about all this time!

Hope all is well.

Love,
K & P

P.S. I got my nose pierced. My Mom says it's just the small stuff, right?! :) Love you, MOM! Remember, it's not permanent!

Kiwi Country

Hi Everyone!

Many thanks for reading along as I write. It is awesome to hear your comments each time I hear from you! It is a lot of fun to write about what we're seeing and doing especially since I have a fairly captive audience!

We made it to New Zealand on Wednesday morning. It was an overnight flight from Perth. This flight was more taxing than our flight from Seattle to Taipei. We were exhausted. It was cold, windy and blustery when we arrived and that didn't help our state of mind. We picked up our rental camper van and were on our way to explore Christchurch. After getting a lot turned around (we were the lucky owners of extraordinarily crappy maps from the rental place) we found the central city and a spot to eat breakky as we were famished. The city centers around a church and cobbled square and is flanked on one side with a river. We saw a man with a snappy hat navigating down the river in a gondola - cool. After eating, we couldn't believe that it was only 10:30 am b/c did I mention how tired we were? Anyway, we eventually found a park to situate the camper next to for a long winters nap. When we awoke it was 3:30pm so we were off to find a campervan park, some groceries and a shower. We found all of these things and managed a dip in a hot tub and a movie that evening.

On Thursday, we were off for Lake Tekapo. The drive out there was gorgeous. The scenery is breathtaking almost all the time. I wonder if we'll become "view fatigued" by the end of our time in this country. But, truly it is the most beautiful place I've ever been. The countryside we drove through was dotted with sheep. There were rolling green hills and lush valleys. The hills eventually gave way to craggy mountains - some with snow (sometimes LOTS) on top. Lake Tekapo is a small holiday village on the south end of the lake. The lake is a crazy blue due to glacial till (Peter's teaching this science dimwit a thing or two!). We hiked up to Mt. John and were treated to a 360 degree view of the area - lake giving way to mountains giving way to hills and valleys and more smaller lakes. We found a good hiking place just outside of town with a sweet view of the lake through some trees. After a short nap (for Kerry) we were up at 10:30 pm for the "Earth and Sky Tour" offered at the Mt. John Observatory that we'd passed by on our hike earlier. The tour was fantastic and kind of strange as it was conducted completely in the dark. Peter and I had to hone our night vision. It was a challenge at the beginning since I was just waking up from my nap! We were treated to a clear night and were able to see constellations that I'd only heard about. We saw Jupiter and Mars and we even saw the International Space Station passing by! How cool. We also used the telescopes to get a closer look at a few nebula and the third star on Orion's belt. Another good science learning time for me! However, by 2am, I was ready for bed and kind of cold. Additionally, the tour guide was highly annoying and wasn't very good at explaining things. Oh well, she was doing her best, right?!

The next day, we groggily awoke at 10:00 and were off to Mt. Cook/Aoraki. Again, the drive was spectacular. The van is automatic so, I can just drive and admire the scenery rather than be frantic about being in the correct gear, finding the correct gear, and not stalling out. Fantastic! Anyway, we arrived to Mt. Cook just after lunch time and we were off for the Hooker Valley hike. It was a three hour endeavor all together and it was worth every second. The trail was rocky and crossed a small river over two swing cable bridges but it was easy walking. The thing we noticed right away was the SUN. Even when the air isn't that warm, the sun is intense. All because the hole in the roof is over New Zealand. We were applying and re-applying sunscreen the whole way. The Hooker Valley trail ends at the toe of the Mt. Cook Glacier ( I can't remember the name of the glacier) but it was fantastic. Mt. Cook was almost completely covered in snow, the craggy top looked majestic in the sunlight and the blue of the ice was amazing. As we were sitting on the shore of the small lake near the glacier skipping rocks, a few chunks of the toe fell into the water. AWESOME! Peter assured me that this occurrence was "GEOLOGY IN ACTION!" Very amazing.

We awoke the next morning to overcast skies that quickly gave way to that bright shining sun. We chose a new hike that was called Sealy Tarns. A tarn is a groove in rock where water collects. This hike was no bullshit. It was practically uphill - might I add steeply uphill - for one hour. Whoa Nelly, it was a leg burner. It was like a Natural Stairmaster. But, as is usually the case, the views from the top were AMAZING! There were patches of snow around the tarn and we could see Mt. Cook and the surrounding mountains from a new perspective. As we were taking it all in, patches of snow fell from the mountain like an icy waterfall. The sound it makes is really quite loud - like muted fireworks. Again, "GEOLOGY IN ACTION!"

We were off to Queenstown after a quick lunch in our camper (we need to name her, so we truly become one with her, any suggestions? Blanca is taken.). On our way here, we came to a gorge area that was full of vineyards - hills and hills of grapes. Queenstown is a bustling place of 8,000 residents, which seems small but it has the feeling of a city because there is a lot going on. It is called Queenstown b/c it is considered a town fit for a Queen, which isn't far off. There is a huge lake in the center and mountains on either side. There is a pedestrian mall with lots of shops. Alongside the lake are picnic areas and grassy fields to relax and play in. If it were a bit sunnier and warmer, I'm sure we'd be in on that program. This is considered the birthplace of the Bungy Jump so this town is also known for the adrenaline seeking crowd. Peter is trying to get me to Skydive. I'm almost sold. I'm sure you'll be posted on the final decision.

Hope all is well with all of you! Miss you!

Kerry & Peter

xo

Whale of a Day in Australia!

Hi Everyone!

We've made it back to Perth yet again after a fun, sunny, and relaxing trip to the Margaret River area of Western Australia. After our friends, Matt & Jen, departed for work/school we were off to Yallingup to see if there was surf. There wasn't. So, we went for a short run along the placid shores of Dunsborough. After heading back to Yallingup to see if there was any surf yet, we gave it a go. It was windy, choppy and not that great, but it was fantastic to be in the water and we had the place all to ourselves since it wasn't anything to speak of. In the afternoon, we continued on to Busselton and walked the 2km jetty. It is quite in need of repair but it was a good brisk walk. There was an ice cream shack at the start of the jetty and after 4 kms we figured we'd reward ourselves. Much to our dismay, the shack closed at 5 o'clock. We arrived at around 5:10 to no ice cream! :( Anyway, we found a nice caravan park with a jumping balloon - very cool and fun - and a hot tub. After a good laugh on the jumping balloon (it was kind of like if you took a plastic, rectangular parachute and laid it on the ground over a hole that you could pump air into) we retreated to the hot tub.

We met a couple in the tub who were also on their honeymoon. They were primary teachers from Switzerland on leave from their positions. We carefully inquired about their names -- it was uncanny! The woman's name was K - A - R - I - N! And her husband's name was Christain. Not the same but a lot was the same, don't you think?! They had just done a Whale Watch off the coast of Dunesborough and were raving about it non-stop. So, this morning on our way back to Perth, we went for the Whale Watch. It was AMAZING! The part of the coast off Cape Naturaliste is known as sort of a Whale Superhighway from August through November and it didn't show any slow traffic today!

Along with a group of Year 6's from a School Group, which just meant a lot of shrieking, we embarked upon the search for whales. After a short trip out, we spied a few Blue Whales about 50 m out from the boat! After a few surface blows, they vanished to the deeper water. Then after a few more minutes, a humpback calf broke through the surface of the water, twirled above the frothy brine and landed with a huge splash just in front of the boat! It was fantastic! We saw the calf's parents offer a few blows of slow surfacing - they are massive! We swung back toward the shore and spotted a few New Zealand seals. As we slowly made our way back toward shore and more shallow water, we were sure the show was over. But, we spotted a few more humpbacks straight ahead. There were at least two adults and they showed their enormous flukes for what seemed like a long time. Gorgeous - the stuff we've only seen on TV! As we turned around to try to follow them, they seemed gone. But, then the two adults surfaced 25m from the ship! And again, the young calf treated us to an airborne twirl into the sea. It was quite an amazing day admiring the power of the natural world. The captain of the ship said that it has taken about 20 years for the creatures to even be curious enough to come close to a boat. I was glad that they were curious and safe in our presence. It was an experience we'll never forget. Of course, taking photos of the whales proved to be challenging. We'll try to post them tomorrow if we've got time.

After a quick lunch, we were back on the road toward Perth. Weren't we lucky that to get there we had to go right past Dunsborough and the very same ice cream shop we missed out on yesterday! Of course, we made a short detour to indulge our sweet tooth and the sugar buzz kept us going all the way back to Jen & Matt's house.

We're headed to Christchurch tomorrow evening. I'll try to post some other pieces from our Australian adventure if we've got time tomorrow.

We hope you are all well! Miss you!

K & P

Marvelous Margaret River

Hi All,

We made it safely to Margaret River on Tuesday evening. After sorting out Matt & Jen's van and renting a replacement, we managed to get here around dinner time. It is a beautiful spot and reminds us of Hood River - it's a spot a lot of Perthites come for vacation in the summer and it gets quite bustling. The surrounding area is full of National Park Land, green rolling pastures featuring sheep, Holsteins, and deer, and tons of vineyards. Also, it boasts a river and long amazing coastline. Peter is in heaven with the surfing possibilities. He's been each morning since we arrived. I am holding out until the conditions meet with my ability level. The first morning as we were looking for surf, we saw a guy deftly get barrelled at Surfer's Point. I'm not yet the barreling type, so, I've been reading a great book - The Time Travelers Wife - and doing some writing on the beach. Not too shabby!

This evening we're meeting our friend's from Perth in Busselton (north of Margaret River) in a rental house they've procured for a HIGHLY reduced rate from one of Matt's co-workers. It will be a lot of fun, I'm sure.

Hope all is well! Missing you!

Kerry & Peter