Sorry I haven't had much to say recently, it's been a quiet period after all that ridiculousness in the south. I've just been cruising around, taking in the sights and chilling out for a few days now. I've slowly sauntered up from the Canterbury plains area to Blenheim, which is in Marlborough (where all that wine comes from).
The Canterbury plains are a bit like the fens, flat, fertile farming land. They do have a couple of notable differences though. If you sit in the middle of the plains, it is about half an hour to the beautifully blue pacific ocean in one direction and about half an hour in the other direction to the southern alps and winter ski fields. I can't help but feel that they may have more to offer than the fens!
I've now travelled pretty much the whole east coast and it's spectacular for most of the way - the sea is clean and lovely and the beaches (mostly with black sand) are empty. Up here in Marlborough it is what you would expect of a wine region. It is very warm and dry, with acres of green vinyards running up to the feet of the hills, which are covered in grass the colour of straw. I'll be here until Monday, when I will head off to the hills and some greenery again.
Sorry there have been no photos posted for a while, but internet access in these areas is not easy to come by, let alone finding someone who is happy for you to start downloading software and plugging in your camera. I hope to find somewhere in the next week or so, but we'll see . . .
Ok, I'm off to the pub to catch more super 12 rugby, have fun everyone.
February 26, 2005
February 21, 2005
Mt. Sunday
Ok, since your not bored of the rings stuff yet (apparently), I'll tell you about Mt. Sunday. First of all, it's pretty remote. The trip up there involved about 50kms of high country gravel roads, which is an unusual experience on a road bike. It became increasingly obvious why most people pay someone to drive them up there in an off road 4 wheel drive vehicle. However, I'm sure that my sense of achievement in finally getting there, must have overshadowed their whole experience!
The place itself is really quite magical. It's like nowhere else I've ever been. It feels like an immense wilderness and the sensation of wide open space makes you feel very small indeed. I was lucky to arrive before the organised trips headed up there and had the place to myself.
So after the interesting road journey, it was time to head across country from the gravel road to Mt. Sunday. It's not the one hour walk I had heard about, more like half an hour. However, the neccessity to wade through knee deep, fast flowing freezing rivers had not quite been made clear to me! So there I finally sat, wet legged eating my packed lunch on the spot where Edoras had been built for the films. I have to tell you, the journey was well worth it. The views are amazing, as is the whole area. I can't get photos onto the blog from this computer, but even if I could, they will never do it justice.
So now I am back to my tiki touring and working my way around a whole bunch of small towns in the Canterbury area. It's a lovely relaxed kind of place with that end of summer feeling hanging in the air. The combine harvesters are out in force and the evenings are getting cooler, must be slowly getting towards time to head back to the northern hemisphere! Not quite yet though, more to do . . .
The place itself is really quite magical. It's like nowhere else I've ever been. It feels like an immense wilderness and the sensation of wide open space makes you feel very small indeed. I was lucky to arrive before the organised trips headed up there and had the place to myself.
So after the interesting road journey, it was time to head across country from the gravel road to Mt. Sunday. It's not the one hour walk I had heard about, more like half an hour. However, the neccessity to wade through knee deep, fast flowing freezing rivers had not quite been made clear to me! So there I finally sat, wet legged eating my packed lunch on the spot where Edoras had been built for the films. I have to tell you, the journey was well worth it. The views are amazing, as is the whole area. I can't get photos onto the blog from this computer, but even if I could, they will never do it justice.
So now I am back to my tiki touring and working my way around a whole bunch of small towns in the Canterbury area. It's a lovely relaxed kind of place with that end of summer feeling hanging in the air. The combine harvesters are out in force and the evenings are getting cooler, must be slowly getting towards time to head back to the northern hemisphere! Not quite yet though, more to do . . .
February 18, 2005
Canterbury tales
Arrived in the Canterbury high country this afternoon and am camped out in a small town called Methven. I decided when leaving Nelson, that instead of doing the sensible thing and nipping up to the Marlborough Sound while I was there, I would head back down country to Greymouth. I wanted to travel over the southern alps via Arthurs Pass and get back into the mountains.
Well, the best laid plans of mice and men, etc etc - If only I had done some planning in fact. As it turns out, the weather in Greymouth was appaling. Raining cats and dogs? More like raining sheep and cattle. You know that Hollywood rain which appears in films, when the weather goes from bone dry to tropical rainstorm in a split second? Well, that's what it was like, for a day and a half (the tropical rainstorm bit). Glad I got a decent tent!
So this morning the skys cleared and I made a run for it, up and over Arthurs Pass and down into Canterbury. The trip over the Pass was beautiful, big mountains with snow capped peaks, but warm and sunny down in the pass. The weather on the eastern side of the mountains is appreciably warmer and I feel much more relaxed now!
Tomorrow I am planning to go off for a trip out to Mt. Sunday. For those people already bored with the Lord of the Rings stuff, sorry, but this is far too good an opportunity to miss. Mt. Sunday was the location for Edoras and one of the most spectacular pieces of scenery in the films. I hope it lives up to expectations! I know that quite alot of the road out to the location is gravel back road, so it's going to take a while to get there, even before the one hour walk from the road to the location itself. Might be a packed lunch day!
Apart from that, not too much to tell, although I feel I should tell you about the cricket match that was on tv last night (it was raining in Greymouth remember!). Now I'm not usually one for cricket, but this was entertaining. Australia and NZ were playing their first ever game of a format called twenty20, which is played in England. NZ decided to play in a beige outfit which had not been used since the 1980's. As a tribute, many of the NZ players also grew ridiculous facial hair (moustaches and side burns) and wore 1980 towelling hats or John McEnroe headbands to complete the look. This is a professional team, one of the best in the world, playing an important international and they turned out looking like they were going to a fancy dress party, just for the fun of it. They didn't win the match, but they and the crowd of 29,500 obviously had such a good laugh that in these days of over paid and over serious professional sports, the whole episode just has to be applauded. I can't imagine many (if any) other international sports teams taking a similar approach, which is a great shame. May be sport would be better off if more professionals could have a laugh once in a while.
Ok, well that's enough for now. I'll be back in a couple of days and will try to get more photos up at the same time. Take care everyone.
Well, the best laid plans of mice and men, etc etc - If only I had done some planning in fact. As it turns out, the weather in Greymouth was appaling. Raining cats and dogs? More like raining sheep and cattle. You know that Hollywood rain which appears in films, when the weather goes from bone dry to tropical rainstorm in a split second? Well, that's what it was like, for a day and a half (the tropical rainstorm bit). Glad I got a decent tent!
So this morning the skys cleared and I made a run for it, up and over Arthurs Pass and down into Canterbury. The trip over the Pass was beautiful, big mountains with snow capped peaks, but warm and sunny down in the pass. The weather on the eastern side of the mountains is appreciably warmer and I feel much more relaxed now!
Tomorrow I am planning to go off for a trip out to Mt. Sunday. For those people already bored with the Lord of the Rings stuff, sorry, but this is far too good an opportunity to miss. Mt. Sunday was the location for Edoras and one of the most spectacular pieces of scenery in the films. I hope it lives up to expectations! I know that quite alot of the road out to the location is gravel back road, so it's going to take a while to get there, even before the one hour walk from the road to the location itself. Might be a packed lunch day!
Apart from that, not too much to tell, although I feel I should tell you about the cricket match that was on tv last night (it was raining in Greymouth remember!). Now I'm not usually one for cricket, but this was entertaining. Australia and NZ were playing their first ever game of a format called twenty20, which is played in England. NZ decided to play in a beige outfit which had not been used since the 1980's. As a tribute, many of the NZ players also grew ridiculous facial hair (moustaches and side burns) and wore 1980 towelling hats or John McEnroe headbands to complete the look. This is a professional team, one of the best in the world, playing an important international and they turned out looking like they were going to a fancy dress party, just for the fun of it. They didn't win the match, but they and the crowd of 29,500 obviously had such a good laugh that in these days of over paid and over serious professional sports, the whole episode just has to be applauded. I can't imagine many (if any) other international sports teams taking a similar approach, which is a great shame. May be sport would be better off if more professionals could have a laugh once in a while.
Ok, well that's enough for now. I'll be back in a couple of days and will try to get more photos up at the same time. Take care everyone.
February 14, 2005
Stuff and things
Here I sit in sunny Nelson (there was thunderstorm yesterday though) with not much to tell you. I'm all recovered from my little jaunt, although it may be some time before my feet forgive me for the abuse they took. So since I haven't done much I thought I would give you a quick lesson in Kiwi.
As far as beer goes, there are beers for areas. One of the beers which creates more feeling than others is Speights (pride of the south). In the north island, I heard the phrase "drink Speights, lose your mates" whereas in the south of the south island I was told to "wash my mouth out" for speaking of drinking anything else. I also heard a pub philosopher say "the mouth of a perfectly happy man is filled with beer". Quite liked that.
If you want to be understood, here are a few stock words and phrases you will need:
She'll be right - it'll be ok
Bugger - general dismay or dissapointment
Choice - very good
Tiki tour - wandering around (decided I'm a tiki tourist)
Good on ya - general approval
Dairy - a corner shop
Handle - glass of beer
Pie - staple food, usually meat, available everywhere
Howzitgoin - standard greeting
Wash out - road sign, part of the road has fallen down the hill
Gravel road - raod sign, road ahead is like a bad farm track
and my favourite . . .
Sweet as - seems to means just about anything good
So, that's all for the moment. I'll go away and do something now, so that I've got something to tell you about next time. Have a fun time everyone.
As far as beer goes, there are beers for areas. One of the beers which creates more feeling than others is Speights (pride of the south). In the north island, I heard the phrase "drink Speights, lose your mates" whereas in the south of the south island I was told to "wash my mouth out" for speaking of drinking anything else. I also heard a pub philosopher say "the mouth of a perfectly happy man is filled with beer". Quite liked that.
If you want to be understood, here are a few stock words and phrases you will need:
She'll be right - it'll be ok
Bugger - general dismay or dissapointment
Choice - very good
Tiki tour - wandering around (decided I'm a tiki tourist)
Good on ya - general approval
Dairy - a corner shop
Handle - glass of beer
Pie - staple food, usually meat, available everywhere
Howzitgoin - standard greeting
Wash out - road sign, part of the road has fallen down the hill
Gravel road - raod sign, road ahead is like a bad farm track
and my favourite . . .
Sweet as - seems to means just about anything good
So, that's all for the moment. I'll go away and do something now, so that I've got something to tell you about next time. Have a fun time everyone.
February 12, 2005
Hard Yacker
If you don't understand the title, get your handy Kiwi phrase books out, or just keep reading and it will become apparent. As promised, I have been off on a five day tramp taking the Abel Tasman Coastal Track on my way out and the Abel Tasman Inland Track on my way back to make a loop walk. Just to give you some idea, each of these walks is classified as 3 to 5 days, therefore you would have to say, 6 to 10 days total, but I stuck to my plan of 5 days.
From the moment I put my pack on my back, it was obvious that it was not going to be an easy amble. Clothes for 5 days for all weathers, food for 5 days, cooking gear, tent, sleeping bag and all of the rest of the stuff you might just need all adds up to quite a lot of weight on your back. The first couple of days were pretty easy going really. The Coastal Track is very well used and is more like a path than a track. The scenery is beautiful, in what I would imagine to be a kind of carribean way. Golden sandy beaches, gently lapped by bright turquoise waters. The sun shone all day and the only discomfort was aching feet from pounding the rock hard path for about 6 hours a day. I camped out by the beach for those first two nights, in campsites which had drinking water and all kinds of luxuries!
On the third day I would be finishing the Coastal Track and heading onto the Inland Track. At this point I will repeat for you what I wrote in my notebook at the end of the day, since it sums up the day pretty well!
"Left Totaranui at about 9:15, eschewing the short cut to the inland track, instead I went via Wharewharangi. Got there about 12:20 and left at 1:20 after having food and boiling some water (to purify it). Crossed Gibbs Hill and rested and ate at Pigeon Saddle, left there at 4:30. On the way to Awapoto Hut (the first hut on the inland track) my feet started to hurt really badly, water was running low and my thighs were cramping. With the sun going down behind the hills, it was starting to get dark in the bush already and I started to worry. Although I knew the hut couldn't be too far now, every step hurt and with about 100ml of water left, I couldn't drink too much. I guessed that the hut must be at the top of the hills (since it's the only helicopter access). I kept struggling upwards, following the track past lots of false peaks. Eventually I called out, to see if there was anyone at a hut nearby, no answer. I decided to go on until only a couple of mouthfulls of water were left and then I would dump my pack on the track and walk on without it. Just as this was about to become necessary, I saw the sign for the hut, which was only five minutes away."
This is a part of what I wrote, but gives you a flavour! As is turns out, the Inland Track is very, very hard work. The following day I was trapped at the next hut, literally soaked to the skin, while a fierce storm raged all afternoon and into the evening. On day five, my last day, I put my wet clothes back on and headed off for a seven hour trip through a wet and slippery forest, trudging up and down hill through water still cascading down the hill sides.
I should point out that I did not see a single person from the moment I started the inland track until the last point of shelter, about 2 hours from the end of the track. The last person to go through the huts on the track had passed through 5 days before me.
So there you have it. Mission accomplished, but not without a few scares and alot of effort.
Would I do it again? Not in a hurry.
Did I learn anything? Amongst other things, I learned that there is more than one definition of remote. Although I was not far from "civilisation" the only way in or out for me was the track. If I had been injured, it probably would have been days before anyone found me. An interesting thought!
So, anyone fancy a quick stroll . . . .
From the moment I put my pack on my back, it was obvious that it was not going to be an easy amble. Clothes for 5 days for all weathers, food for 5 days, cooking gear, tent, sleeping bag and all of the rest of the stuff you might just need all adds up to quite a lot of weight on your back. The first couple of days were pretty easy going really. The Coastal Track is very well used and is more like a path than a track. The scenery is beautiful, in what I would imagine to be a kind of carribean way. Golden sandy beaches, gently lapped by bright turquoise waters. The sun shone all day and the only discomfort was aching feet from pounding the rock hard path for about 6 hours a day. I camped out by the beach for those first two nights, in campsites which had drinking water and all kinds of luxuries!
On the third day I would be finishing the Coastal Track and heading onto the Inland Track. At this point I will repeat for you what I wrote in my notebook at the end of the day, since it sums up the day pretty well!
"Left Totaranui at about 9:15, eschewing the short cut to the inland track, instead I went via Wharewharangi. Got there about 12:20 and left at 1:20 after having food and boiling some water (to purify it). Crossed Gibbs Hill and rested and ate at Pigeon Saddle, left there at 4:30. On the way to Awapoto Hut (the first hut on the inland track) my feet started to hurt really badly, water was running low and my thighs were cramping. With the sun going down behind the hills, it was starting to get dark in the bush already and I started to worry. Although I knew the hut couldn't be too far now, every step hurt and with about 100ml of water left, I couldn't drink too much. I guessed that the hut must be at the top of the hills (since it's the only helicopter access). I kept struggling upwards, following the track past lots of false peaks. Eventually I called out, to see if there was anyone at a hut nearby, no answer. I decided to go on until only a couple of mouthfulls of water were left and then I would dump my pack on the track and walk on without it. Just as this was about to become necessary, I saw the sign for the hut, which was only five minutes away."
This is a part of what I wrote, but gives you a flavour! As is turns out, the Inland Track is very, very hard work. The following day I was trapped at the next hut, literally soaked to the skin, while a fierce storm raged all afternoon and into the evening. On day five, my last day, I put my wet clothes back on and headed off for a seven hour trip through a wet and slippery forest, trudging up and down hill through water still cascading down the hill sides.
I should point out that I did not see a single person from the moment I started the inland track until the last point of shelter, about 2 hours from the end of the track. The last person to go through the huts on the track had passed through 5 days before me.
So there you have it. Mission accomplished, but not without a few scares and alot of effort.
Would I do it again? Not in a hurry.
Did I learn anything? Amongst other things, I learned that there is more than one definition of remote. Although I was not far from "civilisation" the only way in or out for me was the track. If I had been injured, it probably would have been days before anyone found me. An interesting thought!
So, anyone fancy a quick stroll . . . .
February 06, 2005
Up north - down south
After a few days travelling up the west coast I am now back in the north of the lovely south island. The west coast was just a chilled out relaxing place to go. Didn't really do much, except go for walks in the forests, chill on the deserted beaches and watch the Wellington Sevens rugby tournament (2 days) with the locals in a pub.
Now I'm just outside the Abel Tasman national park and tomorrow I'm off tramping again. This time, for those who know the area, I am doing the Abel Tasman coastal track, but then going straight on to the inland track. That makes five days walking with my loaded rucksack on my back, complete with food for five days and my tent! It should be quite hard going given the temperatures and the fact that I've given myself quite a lot of ground to cover everyday, but it'll be a challenge after too much time doing not much.
I hope you like the new photos, and thanks for all the comments and emails I am getting. It's really good to feel like I'm still in touch, especially while I'm all alone in the south island! Keep them coming, even though I won't have internet access until I get back from the tramp.
In case you are wondering, the picture of the bridge shows a bridge which is not only one way, meaning traffic from one direction has to give way to traffic from the other, but it is also shared by the trains, who all the road traffic give way to! It's and odd set up and slightly unnerving, but seems to work. By the way, this is not the only one I have come across.
So anyway, sorry I haven't got lots of exciting news about sharks, bungy jumps or helicopters this time, but I'll see what I can do in the next couple of weeks. Be good one and all.
Now I'm just outside the Abel Tasman national park and tomorrow I'm off tramping again. This time, for those who know the area, I am doing the Abel Tasman coastal track, but then going straight on to the inland track. That makes five days walking with my loaded rucksack on my back, complete with food for five days and my tent! It should be quite hard going given the temperatures and the fact that I've given myself quite a lot of ground to cover everyday, but it'll be a challenge after too much time doing not much.
I hope you like the new photos, and thanks for all the comments and emails I am getting. It's really good to feel like I'm still in touch, especially while I'm all alone in the south island! Keep them coming, even though I won't have internet access until I get back from the tramp.
In case you are wondering, the picture of the bridge shows a bridge which is not only one way, meaning traffic from one direction has to give way to traffic from the other, but it is also shared by the trains, who all the road traffic give way to! It's and odd set up and slightly unnerving, but seems to work. By the way, this is not the only one I have come across.
So anyway, sorry I haven't got lots of exciting news about sharks, bungy jumps or helicopters this time, but I'll see what I can do in the next couple of weeks. Be good one and all.
February 03, 2005
Likey Hikey (Heli Style)
So I've been sauntering up the west coast from Wanaka and now I'm in Hokitika. It's been sweltering recently with the last few days hitting well over 30 deg C in the shade. It's been so hot that I've even had to forego bare feet and get my jandals (flip flops) on, because the pavements and roads have been too hot to walk on. I'm not complaining mind you, the west coast is usually the wettest part of NZ with only a few sunny, dry days per year.
So what do you do when it's this hot? Obviously you jump on a helicopter and get out hiking on a glacier! Sweet as . . . (as the kiwi's say). A very, very odd experience, but well worth doing. I chose to grace the Fox glacier with my presence, since it is the less visited of the two main glaciers. The helicopter ride up was excellent, with lots of tight banking turns and close up views of waterfalls. The so called helipad on the glacier was just a small fairly flat area of ice - interesting. So anyway, on with the crampons and away we went for three hours ambling around on a huge flow of ice, which is currently travelling down the valley at a rate of 1 metre per day, with lush rain forest covering the valley sides all around us and views out to the deep blue Tasman sea, only a few kilometres away. Nice and cool up there, but still t-shirt and shorts weather!
Tomorrow I will head off again, still heading north, but haven't decided on my next destination yet. I can leave that decision until the tent is packed away and the rucksack is full.
More photos will appear when I find an internet cafe (although I'm currently in a camping/fishing shop) where I can connect up my camera and download the necessary software.
Take it easy and I'll be back before long.
So what do you do when it's this hot? Obviously you jump on a helicopter and get out hiking on a glacier! Sweet as . . . (as the kiwi's say). A very, very odd experience, but well worth doing. I chose to grace the Fox glacier with my presence, since it is the less visited of the two main glaciers. The helicopter ride up was excellent, with lots of tight banking turns and close up views of waterfalls. The so called helipad on the glacier was just a small fairly flat area of ice - interesting. So anyway, on with the crampons and away we went for three hours ambling around on a huge flow of ice, which is currently travelling down the valley at a rate of 1 metre per day, with lush rain forest covering the valley sides all around us and views out to the deep blue Tasman sea, only a few kilometres away. Nice and cool up there, but still t-shirt and shorts weather!
Tomorrow I will head off again, still heading north, but haven't decided on my next destination yet. I can leave that decision until the tent is packed away and the rucksack is full.
More photos will appear when I find an internet cafe (although I'm currently in a camping/fishing shop) where I can connect up my camera and download the necessary software.
Take it easy and I'll be back before long.
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