Rumor Mill

For those of you who check my blog on a regular (or not so regular) basis, you might have wondered what's happened to me over the last few weeks. I apologize greatly to my faithful fan base, and will admit that my time of late has been occupied by some social excursions which did not seem worthy of transmitting to the public masses. I've also been traveling for a fair number of days over the last week and a half (once four hours north to Hamilton*, once four hours south to Wellington), denying me of consistent internet access. However, if you really want to know what's going on in my life, all you need to do is plug into the local hospital grapevine. Apparently the gossip running through the halls says that I'm staying another year in New Zealand, have signed a contract to work in the Emergency Department, and am getting married. Granted, there is some very loose basis of truth to these rumors in that I have looked into extending my work visa and have gone on a few dates with one particular New Zealand male. However, I would only stay for an additional six months, certainly would not switch from working at my current clinic to the hospital, and last I checked, there was no circular object surrounding my left ring finger (nor will there be any in the foreseeable future). It's a wonder that they haven't made me pregnant...with twins! You have to love small town gossip.


*Life lessons I learned on my trip to Hamilton:
1. Being an American does not get you out of a speeding ticket. Yes, that's right, after 15 years of driving, I finally got my first speeding ticket. Or, more appropriately, I finally got caught speeding. Woops. The one upside is that any demerit points won't go on my American license. Just in case, perhaps I'll slow down for now.

2. Panadol cures all. For those unfamiliar with New Zealand drug names (which undoubtedly most of you are), Panadol is the same as Tylenol. However, through a phenomenal pharmaceutical marketing campaign, you'd think Panadol was God's gift to medicine. It's used for everything from high fevers to post-operative pain management. During this particular trip to Hamilton, I was sitting around with a few friends and one remarked, "I had a good feed and a panadol and I'm ready to go!" If it weren't illegal, I'd ship a whole case of it back with me to the states.

3. If you're ever in a tracker accident, don't jump off the tracker. Okay, this may not seem that relevant, but I heard several stories during this same night of talking with friends of people who had been in tracker accidents and decided to jump off, only to have the tracker run over them. I just thought I'd pass on the information in case any of you decided to go into agriculture business.

4. New Zealand is an inherently random place. I can't tell you how many times I've been driving through the country only to find some historical or other point of interest in the middle of nowhere. Previously I've mentioned several random cafes and shops with thriving businesses that will have no surrounding civilization for miles. In this particular instance, the point of interest was a public bathroom designed by Austrian-born artist and ecoarchitect, Friedensreich Hundertwasser. Admittedly, it is a rather impressive structure decorated with ceramic mosaics and brightly colored bottles with grass and plants on the roof. However, it's located in a wee Kiwi outback town (close to where Hundertwasser lived) with a population that probably doesn't exceed 300, and who's entire economic subsistence relies on the tourism derived from this loo being the most photographed toilet in New Zealand.

Wearable Weather

Okay, given that it's taken me almost as long to relay the tales of our South Island tour as it did to actually take the tour, I will wrap up the last two segments in this blog entry. Phew!

We left Hokitika under sunny skies, opting for the scenic route up to our next stop, Nelson. The extra hour in travel was well worth the time. Winding along the coastal road we were greeted by more rainbows and waterfalls, courtesy of the previous days rain. Passing through Greymouth, the largest town on the West Coast, with a population of only 13,500, we made our way up to Pancake Rocks. Located within Paparoa National Park, it consists of a series of limestone rocks that have gone through a long layering and weathering process to look like none other then stacked pancakes. Quite amazing in their own right, the weathering process has also created several blowholes that produce a waterworks spectacular when hit at high tide, as we had the fortune of doing. Coated in a fine mist of sea salt we then ventured further north to Westport, the main town on the northern end of the West Coast. With little to capture the average passer-by, it did provide a luncheon spot for us at a small cafe called Freckles, where Leslie tried another kiwi culinary classic, the meat pie. Turning inland, we gradually made our way over the winding road through the mountain ranges, taking a short stop at Buller Gorge Swingbridge. Recognized as New Zealand's longest swingbridge, measuring 110 meters, it crosses over to the site of an old faultline, the epicenter of a 1929 earthquake that shifted the ground 4 meters. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to traverse this landmark. Leslie found herself more comfortable writing postcards at the picnic tables.

We made it into Nelson under sunny skies. Unfortunately, this would be the last we would see of the blue wonder. Reportedly the warmest and sunniest spot in New Zealand, it was nothing but cold and rainy for us. Oh well, we're both from Seattle, we could deal with the adverse conditions. In the morning, we took an intended short hike up to the geographic center of New Zealand. Unfortunately, we got a little lost and our 45 minute hike turned into a 2 hour tour of Nelson's accompanying farmland. In the afternoon, determined to find out why this is such a favored calm water location, we drove out to the pebble beach outcropping that shelters the coastline and saw...rocks. Let's say, our beach experience was less then ideal on this trip.

The final day, we woke to returning sunny skies to guide us on our trip out of Nelson back to the North Island. We opted for the scenic route along the Marlborough Sound, finding ourselves on the most tortuous road yet with multiple viewpoints of the turquoise tinted water, glistening from the sun. Leslie would again claim several near-death experiences as she watched the road disappear down sheer cliffs at multiple hairpin curves. I, again, would claim none.

Fortunately, the sunny skies and calm weather made for an extremely enjoyable, and flat, crossing back across Cook Strait into Wellington. Basking in the sun on the ship's deck, we enjoyed the final bits of our cheese and crackers and a few more glasses of wine, writing postcards detailing our adventures to friends and family at home.

The last night was spent in Wellington, watching the World of Wearable Arts show. A spectacle of design, it had it's origins in Nelson. Due to venue size, it has since moved to Wellington, much to the dismay of Nelsontonians. It is a fantastic display of designers ability to turn everyday, ordinary objects (including magazines and shirt collar stays) into wearable art. Although, we both found the performance artistry almost more impressive then the designs themselves.

Thus ends the tale of our South Island Tour. 2000 kilometers of adventure shared by 2 friends over nearly 2 weeks, spanning 2 islands in a gorgeous country known as New Zealand. Nothing could be better.

Green with Envy

Leaving Christchurch, our trip turned west toward the renowned West Coast region of the South Island. A recommended destination point by every New Zealander I consulted, it is composed of rugged, rocky coast juxtaposed against sweeping hills that lead to high alpine peaks. It is nothing but magnificent. Getting there required traversing Arthur's Pass along the original route used by Maoris to reach the Westland. Substantially updated since it's first use, inclusive of well-paved roads, it provides a beautiful drive through Arthur's Pass National Park with it's plentiful pine trees and bountiful waterfalls. We stopped for a short bite to eat and a tour of DOC visitor's center at the top. It details the history of Europeans first attempts to cross this rugged path by carriage up through the modern day construction of the newly finished Otira Viaduct which substantially shortens the length and time of passage, although still at a 16% grade.

Hokitika was our ultimate destination. Located approximately half way down the West Coast Region's coastline, it is the major center for the working of greenstone (New Zealand jade). There are a multitude of stores where one can peruse the workings of local artists, watch the actual creative process in action, and even take a turn at creating your own greenstone jewelry. Despite this major tourist attraction, Leslie and I found several other things to explore in the area. We toured the Eco Centre, an aquarium style set-up, showcasing a variety of native fish, turtles, crayfish, kiwis, and the star attraction, enormous long-finned eels. Much to my delight, Leslie choosing to bypass the spectacle, standing as far away from the tank as possible, we arrived in time to watch them feed the eels. It's a gentle reminder that one should never swim in eel-infested waters. We also drove out to Hokitika Gorge where I discovered that Leslie has a mild fear of swinging bridges. (A slight problem given that almost all trail bridges in New Zealand and swinging.) It was worth overcoming the hurdle, as we were greeted by the beautiful blue-green waters of the Hokitika River lined by the gorge walls covered in vibrantly green foliage, and more waterfalls. Hokitika was also where Leslie took her turn at left-sided driving, contributing her 2 km to our 2000 km trip. On the second night, we fumbled through pitch blackness (having forgotten to borrow a flashlight from reception) to visit the glow-worm dell. Tiny invertebrates, they shine like twinkling lights in the dark, suspended by self-made sticky threads. Unfortunately, the weather did not allow a beach visit while in Hokitika, our closest observation from the veranda of our log cabin accommodation. That would have to come during the next leg of our trip...

Intermission

For those waiting to read about the rest of our South Island Tour, more will come shortly. The weather turned nice today after several nasty days of wind and rain and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to head up to Mt. Ruapehu for a final spring ski on the fresh snow. Weather: sunny and clear (enough that I could see our beautiful volcanic Mt. Taranaki from the middle of the island). Snow conditions: brilliant. Ah.

A little bit of England

Our next stop was Christchurch. By far the largest city in the South Island with a population of approximately 350,000, it is home to nearly half those living on the island (with the total population of this southern side being less then 1 million). Don't be dissuaded by the size. Anything 5km outside the city center is still considered suburb.

It is a relatively young city, only established in 1850. It's also considered the most English of NZ's cities, manifested by the multitude of cathedrals (including the one that marks the city center) and Gothic architecture. All of which adds to its charm.

Planting ourselves in a hotel right along the central Cathedral Square, we took this two night stop to stretch our legs and left the car in the carpark. Combining the two historic walking tours from our guidebooks, we found ourselves strolling along the Avon River to the Antigua Boatshed, down the Spanish mission-style storefronts of New Regent Street, past the Saturday market, into the Canterbury Museum, and through the blooming Botanic Gardens. It's a wonder we didn't don English costume and drink a spot of tea. Instead, we settled for a pint of Speights (the South Island beer) and an outside patio to watch the Canterbury rugby on the big screen.

Mountain High

Having cultured our palates, Leslie and I set off down the eastern shore towards Christchurch. We had no definite accommodation plans, figuring we would stop at one of two places for the night, whichever struck our fancy. There is a noticeable difference when driving the coastal roads of the South Island versus the North. You are literally on the coast. Right side high towering mountain ranges, left side drop to the sea. If you ask Leslie, sometimes that drop was a little too close for comfort. (She will claim four near death experiences. I will claim none.)

On the advice of our Seresin Cellar Door host, we stopped at a place called "The Store" for lunch. Typical of so many New Zealand cafes, it is right smack in the middle of nothing. Claiming to be a "Pacific Coast Experience", at first glance it looks like any other quaint cafe/novelty store. Walk out the back door and you realize why it can make this claim. Miles of crystal clear, blue Pacific water greet you with open arms. Phenomenal.

Hopping back in the car, we drove the short 45 minutes to our first potential stop for the night: Kaikoura. Known for its whale-watching expeditions and excursions that allow you to swim with the dolphins, both of us found the wee town a bit touristy. Given that Leslie was not keen to swim with mammals, and no two-legged mammals were available to guide such an excursion even if I had wanted to go, we decided to drive on to our next potential stop: Hanmer Springs. Touted as a geothermal hot spot with established pools in the middle of the central mountain ranges, we found Hanmer Springs more memorable for the drive to get there then the actual spot. Flanked by fields of glorious green pastures dotted with thousands of roaming sheep and lambs prancing on newly found legs, we soon realized why New Zealand gets its reputation as a land of awe-inspiring beauty, actually stopping in the middle of the road at one point to watch this idyllic scene unfold along the hillside with background music composed of baaing lambs heard from afar.

We used our stop in Hanmer Springs as a relaxing refresher for the days ahead, each partaking in a series of beauty treatments and short walk to overlook the town. In combination with the preceding days drive, we couldn't be anything but rejuvenated for the next segment of our trip...

Viticulturists

After recovering from our seaward experience, we awoke to a beautiful, sunny, windless day in Blenheim. One of the many perks of our accommodation, Antares Homestay, was the free use of their bikes to tour the area (custom made saddles to transport wine included). The conditions could not have been more prime for our cycling experience. After a hardy breakfast and brief visit with a French couple that was sharing our accommodation, we set off to accustom our palates to the wines of the region.

Marlborough is one of several wine growing regions in the country. Known mainly for its white wines such as sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, and riesling (favorites of mine), it also produces a decent pinot noir (a boon for my red-favored drinking friend, Leslie). Home to Montana Winery, notable for giving international recognition to New Zealand wines, Marlborough is the country's largest wine-producing area with over 50 wineries. You can imagine how difficult is was to narrow down our selection. Fortunately, our first stop, at Seresin Winery, found us greeted by a women who spent an hour discussing the different wineries of the area and making excellent recommendations, not only for other wineries to try, but also for food and future accommodation on our trip down the East Coast. We paid her in kind by purchasing several bottles of wine and lime-infused olive oil.

Over the next five and a half hours we made our way to six other cellar doors, purchased numerous bottles of wine, and had a brief intermission for lunch at the highest winery in the area, Highfield Estate. Basking in the sun of the afternoon, enjoying a glass of wine to accompany some excellent food, while overlooking the acres of vineyards that seemed to extend into the surrounding mountain ranges in one seamless transition, it was hard to get up and move into the second act of the day. This evidenced when our "brief" intermission turned into an hour and a half break.

I think we both decided that if our trip had ended at this point we would have been happy. Fortunately, there was much more to come...

Arrival and Departure

Okay, so I may have lied a little bit in my last blog. Yes, it was 2 friends who traveled. Yes, we really did drive 2000 kilometers. And, yes, we did really take over 700 pictures. (We were a little trigger happy. I will trim it down for your viewing.) But, in reality, we were travel partners for 13 days. I wasn't counting Leslie's arrival and departure days. Yet they add to the adventure and story...

From the very beginning of my arrival in New Zealand, a close friend of mine from Seattle was determined to make the trans-Pacific journey to visit me. She, Leslie, decided September would be the perfect time since it marked the month and year of her 30th birthday. Really, good you beat celebrating such a monumental event in the land of wine and beauty? She arrived on a Monday morning after 19 hours of travel, looking relatively refreshed. First stop: a local cafe for a cuppa. She had to be inaugurated into the kiwi culture. After touring the shops of New Plymouth (we are females after all, we're bound to shop), we settled for a late lunch at the museum cafe overlooking the coast. Enjoying our first, of many, glasses of New Zealand wine we planned out travel attack for the next day. Destination: South Island.

Miraculously Leslie managed to stay awake until the late hour of 9pm. With a 19 hour time difference, it felt like 2am to this Seattlite. After some last minute packing (including the numerous types of cheese purchased at the local dairy), we were out the door twelve hours later heading south to Wellington to catch the Interislander Ferry. A large vessel by Washington ferry standards, it carries a surprisingly small number of passenger vehicles. Space is occupied by the larger semi-trucks that rely on this shuttle service to transport goods across the country. Given it's large size, the vessel is relatively stable. In rough waters, all bets are off. While neither of us are prone to sea sickness, our vestibular sensors were maximally tested on this first voyage across Cook Strait.

We managed to arrive safely (after consuming a few carbonated beverages to settle the gastric juices) and drove the short 20 minute leg from Picton to our first nights stay in Blenheim, the heart of Marlborough wine country. As the clouds parted, giving sight to the last rays of the setting sun and the first of many arching rainbows, we fell into bed with visions of cellar doors dancing in our heads...