We're happy to be home! Our dogs were expertly cared for by Katie and they are happy, healthy and kind of excited to see us. They are still giving us sideways glances every now and again - rightfully so!
We arrived without incident from Auckland in L.A. Unfortunately, going through Customs in LA, I panicked when the officer asked me for the capital of Oregon. In my haste to answer the questions and continue on, I answered, "Portland!" His response was "Try that one again." Peter was looking at me with a rather befuddled look on his face. I finally got the answer correct "Salem!" and we proceeded on to Portland. Katie and Austin picked us up and it was fantastic to see the Giron clan again. It is amazing how quickly children grow and change!
We reconnected with the Lake/Giron/Bruha folks at "Pump it Up!" and Austin's 5th Birthday party. It was a lot of fun! Peter and I have been practicing our hops at the various "jumping pillows" in New Zealand, so, when the Pump it up workers weren't looking, I did my front flip trick. My neck is still a bit sore. The jumping things weren't as forgiving as the ones in NZ. I found out the hard way! The party was tons of fun and it was great to catch up with everyone!
We arrived in Hood River on Saturday morning and after opening mounds of mail and doing loads of laundry, we were off for dinner at the Taqueria with our friends - Tracy, Tyler, JJ & Andy. Fantastic to see them and to eat good Mexican food! Our friends, Matt, Jen (from Perth) arrived yesterday afternoon and we hosted a Thanksgiving meal for all of us and our friends Erin & Rob, since we missed it. Peter made an EXCELLENT meal. I did a good job of cleaning up afterward!
We are looking forward to a relaxing and fun time home until we're off for Matt & Jen's wedding in Puerta Vallarta on the 30th. It should be a blast.
Hope all is well!
Love,
K & P
Monday, December 17, 2007
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Home on the Range...
We're heading home today from a very drizzly Christchurch, NZ. It's been raining off and on since we arrived yesterday a.m. At least we're back in training for the West Coast winter except we'll have to readjust our temperature gauges in Portland. We're excited to head home but the trip on the plane is long and it's a bit like time travel. We leave here on 12/13 at 8:00pm and we arrive in Portland on 12/13 at 7:14 pm. Weird!
After a short surf in Kaikora for Peter - I was nursing a hurt hand from kayaking - we hightailed it to Hanmer Springs. The town is built around a few ski fields in the winter and a hot springs resort year-round. We camped at a mellow spot and we enjoyed the hot springs the next day after a short forest walk. The area around Hanmer Springs is heavily logged, but, they seem to be doing a lot of re-planting. At mid-day, we headed out to take in the views of Arthur's Pass. Unfortunately, the fog and sideways rain had set in deep, so, we settled for an early night and hoped for sunshine to dry things out for a hike the following morning. No such luck. The rain and grayness continued with gusto. We called it at 9:00 a.m. and headed out for the Banks Peninsula which is just south of Christchurch.
Gorgeous option! We drove to Arakoa which was originally a French Settlement and it still retains a bit of a European feel, i.e. streets are labeled "rue" and businesses have French names. It is right on a little bay full of boats. We checked out the town and went for a hot, steamy walk in the hills surrounding the town. It was muggy and 90 degrees! Lovely change from Arthur's Pass! After lunch, Peter rented a surf board and we were off to the eastern shore to find a surf break. It wasn't much of a break, but, after a windy drive, we arrived at a completely deserted and amazingly beautiful beach. It was magic. We had a nice dinner in town and then slept like babies!
We've been in the big city just tying up loose ends and preparing for our departure this evening. We did a bit of shopping yesterday and caught a movie to get out of the van/rain. As it continues to rain and we've got an 8:00pm flight, we're going to check out the Canterbury Museum.
New Zealand has been an ultimate time. It is such a gorgeous place The scenery is beautiful from every angle. The folks here seem to have a good balance/attitude about life. They appreciate and play in their gorgeous surroundings. It is a place we feel lucky to have visited and we hope to return one day. This country is magic.
See you soon.
Really!
xo,
K & P
After a short surf in Kaikora for Peter - I was nursing a hurt hand from kayaking - we hightailed it to Hanmer Springs. The town is built around a few ski fields in the winter and a hot springs resort year-round. We camped at a mellow spot and we enjoyed the hot springs the next day after a short forest walk. The area around Hanmer Springs is heavily logged, but, they seem to be doing a lot of re-planting. At mid-day, we headed out to take in the views of Arthur's Pass. Unfortunately, the fog and sideways rain had set in deep, so, we settled for an early night and hoped for sunshine to dry things out for a hike the following morning. No such luck. The rain and grayness continued with gusto. We called it at 9:00 a.m. and headed out for the Banks Peninsula which is just south of Christchurch.
Gorgeous option! We drove to Arakoa which was originally a French Settlement and it still retains a bit of a European feel, i.e. streets are labeled "rue" and businesses have French names. It is right on a little bay full of boats. We checked out the town and went for a hot, steamy walk in the hills surrounding the town. It was muggy and 90 degrees! Lovely change from Arthur's Pass! After lunch, Peter rented a surf board and we were off to the eastern shore to find a surf break. It wasn't much of a break, but, after a windy drive, we arrived at a completely deserted and amazingly beautiful beach. It was magic. We had a nice dinner in town and then slept like babies!
We've been in the big city just tying up loose ends and preparing for our departure this evening. We did a bit of shopping yesterday and caught a movie to get out of the van/rain. As it continues to rain and we've got an 8:00pm flight, we're going to check out the Canterbury Museum.
New Zealand has been an ultimate time. It is such a gorgeous place The scenery is beautiful from every angle. The folks here seem to have a good balance/attitude about life. They appreciate and play in their gorgeous surroundings. It is a place we feel lucky to have visited and we hope to return one day. This country is magic.
See you soon.
Really!
xo,
K & P
Friday, December 7, 2007
Dreamy Kayaking, sort of...
We have left the Queen Charlotte Sound behind us and we're in Kaikora - a small peninsula on the northeast coast. We're making our way slowly back to Christchurch to make our flight on Thursday. On the drive over here this afternoon, we ended up following the coastline for a fair bit of time. We saw tons of NZ fur seals lazing on the rocks along the way. Very cool. Kaikora is a cute little town and there are mountains to the inland - some with a bit of snow left - and the coast. We walked into the town square after parking the car and they were having some kind of Christmas Bazaar. It was quite bizarre! It was full of families with kids dressed up like it was Halloween. Strange.
We had a blast on our kayak trip. The winds died down a bit from our first day in Picton, and the wind was mostly at our backs on the trip out to explore the inlets. Sally, a Brit of about 50 yrs of age who splits her time between NZ and Turkey! - was our guide. It was just the three of us all day. Sally showed us around and gave us lots of tips about tandem sea kayaking. She shared all that she knew about the forest and birds we saw along the way. She was great. We paddled for about two hours and stopped for tea. Then, more paddling and a lunch stop at a dock blocked from the wind. After lunch, Sally departed for Picton Port and Peter and I were on our own. It was such a cool way to see the scenery. The water was a gorgeous greenish blue. The sun came in and out all day. Mostly it was in, and I was surprised to find that we both had a bit of sunburn despite the conditions and the sunscreen.
We paddled to the next inlet - Lochmara Bay - where we found our abode for the evening aptly named Lochmara Lodge! It was this paradise built on a hillside beside the water. There were sheep, gardens, sculptures, docks, rope swings, jellyfish, a cafe, glowworms and bird rehab areas. Not to mention a hot tub and our cushy room that had a dreamy view of the water and the hills on the other shore. It was really cool. I was really glad to stop paddling. Really glad. Extremely relieved, truthfully. My left arm was a bit sore and I found that my right hand wasn't working up to it's true potential. So, we put the kayak securely on shore and rested in our cool room. We walked around the property to check out all of the aforementioned amenities. Then, we had our best meal in NZ in the cafe. The cook was from West Virginia! Go figure.
We slept well and were out paddling again by 8:30 this morning. My arms were touch and go, but, Peter was a rock solid paddler throughout our trek. In one inlet, we spotted some action in the water and paddled over to find about 40 dusky dolphins swimming around our kayak. It was amazing! We checked out a few more inlets and then suffered a bit through a huge, HUGE, long, windy crossing back to the port. We were glad for the experience - it was special - but we were equally as glad to be standing successfully on shore.
We're (I'm) extremely tired and old righty is stiff and left arm is sore. A word to the wise, if you're going to paddle for two days in a kayak, practice a bit first to break yourself in. Ouch.
Hope all is well with all of you!
Miss you!
love,
K & P
We had a blast on our kayak trip. The winds died down a bit from our first day in Picton, and the wind was mostly at our backs on the trip out to explore the inlets. Sally, a Brit of about 50 yrs of age who splits her time between NZ and Turkey! - was our guide. It was just the three of us all day. Sally showed us around and gave us lots of tips about tandem sea kayaking. She shared all that she knew about the forest and birds we saw along the way. She was great. We paddled for about two hours and stopped for tea. Then, more paddling and a lunch stop at a dock blocked from the wind. After lunch, Sally departed for Picton Port and Peter and I were on our own. It was such a cool way to see the scenery. The water was a gorgeous greenish blue. The sun came in and out all day. Mostly it was in, and I was surprised to find that we both had a bit of sunburn despite the conditions and the sunscreen.
We paddled to the next inlet - Lochmara Bay - where we found our abode for the evening aptly named Lochmara Lodge! It was this paradise built on a hillside beside the water. There were sheep, gardens, sculptures, docks, rope swings, jellyfish, a cafe, glowworms and bird rehab areas. Not to mention a hot tub and our cushy room that had a dreamy view of the water and the hills on the other shore. It was really cool. I was really glad to stop paddling. Really glad. Extremely relieved, truthfully. My left arm was a bit sore and I found that my right hand wasn't working up to it's true potential. So, we put the kayak securely on shore and rested in our cool room. We walked around the property to check out all of the aforementioned amenities. Then, we had our best meal in NZ in the cafe. The cook was from West Virginia! Go figure.
We slept well and were out paddling again by 8:30 this morning. My arms were touch and go, but, Peter was a rock solid paddler throughout our trek. In one inlet, we spotted some action in the water and paddled over to find about 40 dusky dolphins swimming around our kayak. It was amazing! We checked out a few more inlets and then suffered a bit through a huge, HUGE, long, windy crossing back to the port. We were glad for the experience - it was special - but we were equally as glad to be standing successfully on shore.
We're (I'm) extremely tired and old righty is stiff and left arm is sore. A word to the wise, if you're going to paddle for two days in a kayak, practice a bit first to break yourself in. Ouch.
Hope all is well with all of you!
Miss you!
love,
K & P
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Gale Force Winds in Picton!
We've heard that there has been some weather in the Pacific Northwest (lots! of wind) which ended up as 1/2 foot of snow in VT. Well, here in Picton, it is incredibly windy! There was a huge, fairly sturdy looking silvery Christmas Tree at the end of the shopping district street yesterday. This morning, it's in a mound on the ground of the park behind it! LOTS OF WIND! Picton is a port on the northeastern tip of the South Island. It is near the Queen Charlotte Sound and many other inlets that are surrounded by forested hills. The port serves as the main gateway into and out of the South Island. The Interislander runs a few times a day to Wellington and back again.
We arrived yesterday from the Abel Tasman National Park and our Great Walk over there. The walk wound up the coastline along gorgeous beaches and along rather flat terrain. A few climbs close to the shore offered peeks at deserted, yellow sandy beaches. The land was rather dry and the forested area looked much different than our time on the Routeburn. Much less lush. The areas around Abel Tasman were once heavily logged and so it's kind of a mixed bag of flora and fauna. It was a fairly easy walk except that the first day out we walked 21kms. We were a bit exhausted and glad to get to Bark Bay Campground. We actually met a couple who were kayaking around the Park from Portland, OR - small world. We were happy to chill out and eat some dinner and get to bed early. Around 1 o'clock in the morning, we were awakened to the sound of something rifling through my backpack which was outside the tent next to the picnic table. Peter sprang into action to identify the intruder. With the help of my headlamp and some scary noises that sounded like hissing, Peter saved our food from becoming snacks for the Possum Family of Bark Bay. We relocated our packs into the fly of the tent and carefully laid the cooking pan/lid on top of the packs so as to frighten the possums should they try to reconnect with our cuisine! Not long after we tried to settle back to sleep, our cooking pans were knocked off the packs. This action called for more hissing by Peter and thankfully, that was all the hospitality we were offered from the Possum Family.
The next morning, we headed out tired but resolved to keep on the track. On our hike to Awora Campground, we followed along more track surrounded by varied vegetation and lots of quick peeks at the ocean and shoreline. We had to make two water crossings that depended on the tidal schedule, so, I think that we were huffing along at a good pace. We crossed Onetahuni (sp?) Beach with no problem and were met by about 30 people being dropped off for a kayak trip by the various Water Taxi operations. We carried on and took the shore route along to Aworoa Crossing. There was a private Lodge and Cafe along the route as well as a number of private homes. We arrived at a vast desert that was the route to the campground. It was like it was a desert. We watched the tide come swiftly in later in the afternoon. It came in so quickly and covered a lot of land. We couldn't see the true ocean from the campground, but the inlet was enormous. Thankfully, we passed an uneventful evening of restful sleep and we were even able to forgo the fly to cover the screened roof of the tent so we could stargaze a bit.
Due to the tidal schedule, we had to wait until 11am to continue on the track. As we were leaving, about 20 middle school level students were making their way across to Aworoa. This track was quite well traveled! We made it to the beach at Totaranui by 1:00pm. We were planning to continue walking to the end and hike back to this spot to be picked up the next day. But, we'd had enough and we called the Water Taxi company. We arranged with them to pick us up a day early and we were glad to be back in the van. The ride back to the car park at the start of the trail was cool because we had to stop along the way to pick up other clients. That way, we could see the way we walked from a different perspective. I think that we were pleased with the walk, but, not as "wowed" as we were by our walks near Mt. Aspiriring and the Routeburn.
As I mentioned, we're in Picton now. It is very windy. Extremely windy. We've booked an overnight kayak trip in the Queen Charlotte Sound for tomorrow and Saturday. I'm super psyched to go, but, I think we'll have to skip it if the wind continues like this. It'd be like we were on a kayak treadmill paddling in place!
We hope all is well with all of you. We are coming home in one week! Time sure flies when you're having a blast. We're sad to go, but, we're excited to see you all!
All our best!
Love,
K & P
We arrived yesterday from the Abel Tasman National Park and our Great Walk over there. The walk wound up the coastline along gorgeous beaches and along rather flat terrain. A few climbs close to the shore offered peeks at deserted, yellow sandy beaches. The land was rather dry and the forested area looked much different than our time on the Routeburn. Much less lush. The areas around Abel Tasman were once heavily logged and so it's kind of a mixed bag of flora and fauna. It was a fairly easy walk except that the first day out we walked 21kms. We were a bit exhausted and glad to get to Bark Bay Campground. We actually met a couple who were kayaking around the Park from Portland, OR - small world. We were happy to chill out and eat some dinner and get to bed early. Around 1 o'clock in the morning, we were awakened to the sound of something rifling through my backpack which was outside the tent next to the picnic table. Peter sprang into action to identify the intruder. With the help of my headlamp and some scary noises that sounded like hissing, Peter saved our food from becoming snacks for the Possum Family of Bark Bay. We relocated our packs into the fly of the tent and carefully laid the cooking pan/lid on top of the packs so as to frighten the possums should they try to reconnect with our cuisine! Not long after we tried to settle back to sleep, our cooking pans were knocked off the packs. This action called for more hissing by Peter and thankfully, that was all the hospitality we were offered from the Possum Family.
The next morning, we headed out tired but resolved to keep on the track. On our hike to Awora Campground, we followed along more track surrounded by varied vegetation and lots of quick peeks at the ocean and shoreline. We had to make two water crossings that depended on the tidal schedule, so, I think that we were huffing along at a good pace. We crossed Onetahuni (sp?) Beach with no problem and were met by about 30 people being dropped off for a kayak trip by the various Water Taxi operations. We carried on and took the shore route along to Aworoa Crossing. There was a private Lodge and Cafe along the route as well as a number of private homes. We arrived at a vast desert that was the route to the campground. It was like it was a desert. We watched the tide come swiftly in later in the afternoon. It came in so quickly and covered a lot of land. We couldn't see the true ocean from the campground, but the inlet was enormous. Thankfully, we passed an uneventful evening of restful sleep and we were even able to forgo the fly to cover the screened roof of the tent so we could stargaze a bit.
Due to the tidal schedule, we had to wait until 11am to continue on the track. As we were leaving, about 20 middle school level students were making their way across to Aworoa. This track was quite well traveled! We made it to the beach at Totaranui by 1:00pm. We were planning to continue walking to the end and hike back to this spot to be picked up the next day. But, we'd had enough and we called the Water Taxi company. We arranged with them to pick us up a day early and we were glad to be back in the van. The ride back to the car park at the start of the trail was cool because we had to stop along the way to pick up other clients. That way, we could see the way we walked from a different perspective. I think that we were pleased with the walk, but, not as "wowed" as we were by our walks near Mt. Aspiriring and the Routeburn.
As I mentioned, we're in Picton now. It is very windy. Extremely windy. We've booked an overnight kayak trip in the Queen Charlotte Sound for tomorrow and Saturday. I'm super psyched to go, but, I think we'll have to skip it if the wind continues like this. It'd be like we were on a kayak treadmill paddling in place!
We hope all is well with all of you. We are coming home in one week! Time sure flies when you're having a blast. We're sad to go, but, we're excited to see you all!
All our best!
Love,
K & P
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
