We got out early today to see what the rest of the town looked like and then headed over to our hostel to leave our backpacks and go hiking. Karamea is the end of the line on the west coast and has the feel of a frontier town. It's isolated from the rest of the country and likes it that way.
We stayed at the Rongo Backpackers and from the moment we entered we knew we had gone down the rabbit hole and through the looking glass. We were transported back in time to a place that might never have existed but if it did it would have been the ideal version of 60's counterculture. The place is run in large part by volunteers and has a real commune feeling. You're right in the center of Woodstock as it was meant to be, organic farming and art all over the walls and ceilings.
We met Brian the manager who checked us in and said we could leave our backpacks in the corner unattended while the rooms were cleaned and we were hiking. We decided to take them with us and leave them in the trunk but later got hooked into the no locks on doors, tune in, drop out atmosphere of the place real quick.
The hostel has an organic garden you're welcome to use and an oriental garden in the back with orchids, ginkgo trees, japanese lantern trees and magnolias. The stove and fireplace go all day both to keep the place warm and along with solar panels on the roof to supply the hot water.
We left to walk around the Opara Basin and some of the largest arches in the Southern Hemisphere but like everywhere else in New Zealand the climate changes around every corner and after a few miles on a gravel round we started gaining elevation and the ice stopped us from going any further.
That was not problem because one of the long hiking trails - the Heaphy Track - is just up the road and stays close to the coast where the weather is much more temperate. To walk the entire trail takes five days but we just started at the trailhead and walked for a few hours. We had a quick lunch by the ocean at a spot where someone had carved a tiki statue and headed over the to walk. It starts at the ocean, hemmed in by a large headland with crashing surf. A quick walk up a small river and over a suspension bridge and just a few minutes from the icy road we're back in the jungle, with the snow capped Southern Alps in the background.
A warm Gulf Stream like current makes it possible for a species of palm trees, the Nikau Palm, to grow here. We left the main trail for a walk through the palms and headed straight into another case of nature gone wild. It was like walking through a movie from the 30's or 40's where they would have thrown together every species of plant to show the jungle. If Marvel Comics had a jungle series this would be it - everything on steroids.
Back on the Heaphy Track we walked along with waterfalls on the inland side and ocean on the other. It opened onto a huge beach with huge waves that almost made it difficult to hear each other. We met a guy from North Carolina going to college for a semeter in Christ Church who had been on the trail for four days. Other than him, we met no one.
Getting back to the hostel we talked more with Brian. He first came to the hostel a little over three years ago after leaving a job in Aukland and felt "revitalized" after three days. He headed south for a while, worked with a carpenter and then when he had two week break came back. That was three years ago and whether he gets paid or just has free room and board I'm not sure. He runs the community radio station from a shack out back and they have movies every friday night in a garage with old couches and chairs. They suggested that we do a show. Didn't have any Rolling Stones music so we opted not to.
There was another worker, a girl from Southern California who is working her way around the world and may head to Australia next.
Paul. the owner came by and stayed to chat. He lives close by and keeps a farm for chickens and more vegetables. When he started the place it was a derelict shack, once a maternity ward for the two room hospital next door. Somehow people heard about it and just showed up to help. Ever since people come by to volunteer - carpenters and electricians are always welcomed.
We all sat around the fireplace chatting and trying to keep warm. It has a large common room with a great dining table for eating but everyone hovers around what little warmth there is. This isn't all that uncommon, there's very little central heating in New Zealand. We haven't seen any anywhere we've stayed - the national motto for the winter months should be "put on your coat and stay awhile."
Paul, who looks like Errol Flynn as a farmer in his 40's is waging a campaign against poisoning possums by dropping pellets. It's made in the US and 90 percent of it is used in New Zealand; we buy their mutton in return. He was dressed in an old wool sweater and wool hat and Brian was barefoot, how I don't know, with baggy drawstring pants over old long johns with a flap hat that just about covered his ponytail. Deb, a woman from South Africa who yes, was travelling around the world for a few years, had made supper for everone joined us. She follows festivals around Australia and New Zealand to meed other travelers and may stay in a place for a few months to work. She just came from up north where she rented a bus converted into a house for 50 dollars a week.
It was time to get warm for real though so we headed to our room, turned on the little electric radiator and got under the covers. A shower tonight, or the next day was out of the question. It wouldn't take long though to convince yourself that you were on the right side of the looking glass here, the place really works.
toots here...rainbow people and hopping along with the white rabbit.
brian wasn't really brian.. he had a pony tail but that was a hair piece.. the rest of his tennis outfit hung in the kitchen... a secret life as a tennis player.,. yes, it was daniel nestor hiding out... after his big doubles win at wimbledon he needed and randr and karamea was the place... no tennis for you buster... just tend to that fire and keep us warm...firestarter....next to the fire on one of the 2 tiny stools was where we had to sit, cause the fire never reached the couches and chairs straight from the 50's and 60's..
just like that lady who ran the grocery store with her son and daughter, all with same sweaters on.. the work outfit... and her friend.. the ladies hummed to "mockingbird hill " as it came on the radio... that's when our eyes rolled... not only humming but singing... they are aliens.. just like the hydroponic tomato plants that were covered like tobacco plants... there were big green things under it... aren't aliens green...???
brian did tell us that they once had a cow... part of his ultimate sustainability... but... someone shot his cow by accident.. there were two in the field.. slaughtering one for meat... got the wrong one...
the house was painted in rainbow stripes... alot of visitors helped in this project.. it did stand out on the street... of pretty normal looking homes...but the yard of cactus and other flowering plants and trees made it stand out from the rest....
no rap on brians radio program.. silly music and anything but rap... folk etc... weekly comedy show.. we heard one... john cleese and some kiwi comedians... also a place in town, around the corner next to grocery store where musicians played every saturday night.
paul, the owner who used to work in japan for 10 yrs in a very small room without windows.. no wonder he left... now he owns 80 acres and has the dream of oneday having a woodstocky music festival here.. only problem says brian is that the field was in a swamp... sooooo .... if you cant get in over the mountain pass you can be helicoptered in.. and you may never leave... you can stay at rongo's with the rongolians..... goin' back to the 60's man....
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Friday, July 11, 2008
Off to the west coast July 5th
We got up early to fix eggs and head on to the west coast but the stove wasn;t working. The South African women knew what to do - of course - and microwaved hers. I guess it worked but it looked more like gruel than eggs so we passed on that. While she was microwaving she went on about the roads - no shoulders, can;t take pictures, "Harold, watch the road!", "Oh no, it might snow, pull out the chains!"
Harold loves South Africa - he's the type who would say he doesn't like driving in snow here, but in South Africa the snow isn't slippery. Went back to the bakery and got a baguette for the road, which turned out to be a good idea.
The scenery is still breathtaking and we're just about to turn onto the road over the pass to the coast when we notice that there's a truck and cones across it and a few cars and trucks in line. It's snowing and the pass is closed - it has been since midnight and they don't know when it will open. We settle in and start to wait. Of course it's sunny where we are, some of the first we've seen but it must be awful in the passes to be closed this long, or so we think.
We get a real collection of characters waiting with us. There's a truck driver who walks around with shorts that are too tight and too short with pearly white legs, black socks and black shoes - he's "black skiivy guy". The ubiquitous Germans are next to us - one of them is "butt crack guy" - striped underwear that slid way down over his black tights.
The gossip starts spreading about road conditions - the whole west coast is closed for two days, the pass will be closed for another day and night, if they let you go you need chains. All this from a simple statement from the road guy who is the only one who knows anything and all he says is "they're working on it."
We finally get the go ahead about 2:30 and it's off to the races. Everyone had been milling around, talking, kicking a soccer ball, playing catch and suddenly something changed. Someone pulled away from the crowd and started sauntering over to their car. A few started walking a little quicker and then broke into a jog. Everyone left standing ran back, started their cars and peeled out. We almost had a few accidents ran at the starting line.
We were near the front and kept jour place. A few people passed but we wanted to keep our place ahead of trucks and vans. It was supposed to snow again and we wanted to get over the passes.
Why it took so long to clear we couldn't figure. A few inches of snow for a few miles. They used road graders, not snowplows so they take forever to get to wherever they have to go and then they spread liquid de-icer and gravel - they call it grit - instead of sand. These were the New Zealand Alps though and it was beautiful.
When we hit the valleys we made time. They're like Montana or Wyoming - big fertile plains with cattle surrounded by steep mountains and rivers running down the middle. You keep waiting for Hoss and Little Joe to gallop past on their horses. We just kept going, we weren't going to get caught again. We knew we wouldn't make it as far as we wanted but we'd get close.
The low passes were find - green ferns and moss covering cliffs that come right to the road with small waterfalls splashing on the windshield. We got to the town we wanted to stay in but noticed a smell and then a sign - "Coal Town, visit the Coal Museum" Well it took about two seconds to decide to go on to Karamea and try to reach it before it got too dark.
There's a warm current here that changes the vegetation. Palm trees line the road along the coast and the mountains come down to them - just like Hawaii. But go past the coastal range and it's snow on the peaks, with Swiss valleys and fields. All of a sudden the beach road turns into what they call the bluffs. Back to the jungle but enough altitude to make it icy. Icy, dark, narrow, twisting roads. It beats breathing coal dust all night.
Finally got to Karamea but had no idea where to find the hostel. There was a small food store still open and a very nice Stepford woman let us use the phone to call the hostel - it was full. They recommended a motel they own but we called around to a few others to check prices. They were all the same so we headed down the road and picked the wrong one - it was the only one with lights on, what did we know. There were stinky splashy bed covers and a heater on the wall that warmed up the top 6 feet of the room - it had high peaked ceilings. All we needed was some sleep so we just got all the covers we could find and went to sleep.
extra stuff
how could fb forget that the guy at the smelly place had a connection with federer.... his friends mother cut rogers hair when he was a little boy.. fed that is.... and the hubby was a mate of feds dad... thats important..
did watch a great rugby game at that place.... never watched a whole game before.. really fast and fun ... wellington won.. they beat south africa.. poor harold..... but the "wellington all blacks"... team name.... were the victors..... .....
Harold loves South Africa - he's the type who would say he doesn't like driving in snow here, but in South Africa the snow isn't slippery. Went back to the bakery and got a baguette for the road, which turned out to be a good idea.
The scenery is still breathtaking and we're just about to turn onto the road over the pass to the coast when we notice that there's a truck and cones across it and a few cars and trucks in line. It's snowing and the pass is closed - it has been since midnight and they don't know when it will open. We settle in and start to wait. Of course it's sunny where we are, some of the first we've seen but it must be awful in the passes to be closed this long, or so we think.
We get a real collection of characters waiting with us. There's a truck driver who walks around with shorts that are too tight and too short with pearly white legs, black socks and black shoes - he's "black skiivy guy". The ubiquitous Germans are next to us - one of them is "butt crack guy" - striped underwear that slid way down over his black tights.
The gossip starts spreading about road conditions - the whole west coast is closed for two days, the pass will be closed for another day and night, if they let you go you need chains. All this from a simple statement from the road guy who is the only one who knows anything and all he says is "they're working on it."
We finally get the go ahead about 2:30 and it's off to the races. Everyone had been milling around, talking, kicking a soccer ball, playing catch and suddenly something changed. Someone pulled away from the crowd and started sauntering over to their car. A few started walking a little quicker and then broke into a jog. Everyone left standing ran back, started their cars and peeled out. We almost had a few accidents ran at the starting line.
We were near the front and kept jour place. A few people passed but we wanted to keep our place ahead of trucks and vans. It was supposed to snow again and we wanted to get over the passes.
Why it took so long to clear we couldn't figure. A few inches of snow for a few miles. They used road graders, not snowplows so they take forever to get to wherever they have to go and then they spread liquid de-icer and gravel - they call it grit - instead of sand. These were the New Zealand Alps though and it was beautiful.
When we hit the valleys we made time. They're like Montana or Wyoming - big fertile plains with cattle surrounded by steep mountains and rivers running down the middle. You keep waiting for Hoss and Little Joe to gallop past on their horses. We just kept going, we weren't going to get caught again. We knew we wouldn't make it as far as we wanted but we'd get close.
The low passes were find - green ferns and moss covering cliffs that come right to the road with small waterfalls splashing on the windshield. We got to the town we wanted to stay in but noticed a smell and then a sign - "Coal Town, visit the Coal Museum" Well it took about two seconds to decide to go on to Karamea and try to reach it before it got too dark.
There's a warm current here that changes the vegetation. Palm trees line the road along the coast and the mountains come down to them - just like Hawaii. But go past the coastal range and it's snow on the peaks, with Swiss valleys and fields. All of a sudden the beach road turns into what they call the bluffs. Back to the jungle but enough altitude to make it icy. Icy, dark, narrow, twisting roads. It beats breathing coal dust all night.
Finally got to Karamea but had no idea where to find the hostel. There was a small food store still open and a very nice Stepford woman let us use the phone to call the hostel - it was full. They recommended a motel they own but we called around to a few others to check prices. They were all the same so we headed down the road and picked the wrong one - it was the only one with lights on, what did we know. There were stinky splashy bed covers and a heater on the wall that warmed up the top 6 feet of the room - it had high peaked ceilings. All we needed was some sleep so we just got all the covers we could find and went to sleep.
extra stuff
how could fb forget that the guy at the smelly place had a connection with federer.... his friends mother cut rogers hair when he was a little boy.. fed that is.... and the hubby was a mate of feds dad... thats important..
did watch a great rugby game at that place.... never watched a whole game before.. really fast and fun ... wellington won.. they beat south africa.. poor harold..... but the "wellington all blacks"... team name.... were the victors..... .....
Thursday, July 10, 2008
We hit the South Island July 4th
We woke up early to miss the truckers' strike and headed out in the dark in an unfamiliar city. We figured just keep the harbor to the right and we'd be ok - it worked and we got to wait about two hours until we could board in a dark industrial park.
The boat was like a cruise ship - we learned later it used to cross the English Channel. We had a seat in the cafe right at the bow and watched the truckers tie up the city. Next to us was a couple who let us borrow their newspaper. They were testing each other on the sports quiz and we found out he's a Yankees' fan and follows the Minnesota Vikings. He loves ESPN - subscribes to it on cable. What are the odds of meeting someone in New Zealand who knows who Joe Girardi is and knows Dante Culpepper's stats?
They knew all about walks all over the South Island and saved us from going to the information center where I was sure to get lost and bore the workers silly.
We headed west along the coast on Queen Charlotte Drive again with cliffs on one side and small villages and the ocean on the other. Once we headed inland the valleys were all vineyards and orchards.
We got to our town - Motueka - and asked about hiking in Abel Tasman Park. It turns out we'd have to take a $52.00 boat ride - each - to hike back to town for 3-4 hours. It sounded beautiful but everywhere we looked was like some sort of fairy land so we decided against it.
Any dissapointment over that was made up by the fact that we got into town on the opening night of their festival of lights. This is a one street village that had pineapple sized lights strung across the street. We bumped into a couple of old gents who said it would take the politicians about 30 minutes to flip the switch so come back around 6:00. It wasn't only lights across the street - there were small blinking lights like palms trees and floral displays above the one story shops and every store had something in it - reindeer, little trees and sleds among others. It turns out that they are celebrating the days getting longer and have to have something to do in the winter. Christmas is in the summer and the days are long and any displays just don't quite make it that time of year.
We were serenaded by bagpipe players of the Motueka Pipe Band and a four woman vocal group like Meghan's called the Nancies. On our way back to the hostel we passed a bakery that had just put out a sign for half price pies and quiches - this is like some movie town.
This was the first hostel where we met a lot of other adults. A couple from South Africa, another from Budapest with a small son and quite a few Asian women on their holiday work visas. Everyone makes a mad dash for the kitchens in these hostels - a lot like Filene's Basement and their annual bridal gown sale. There was a German guy baking cookies from scratch and some fancy meal, one of the Asian women was boiling a whole chicken for soup and we had our little bowl of pasta.
extra spice,,, harold.. and maude?? no not really, but he was harold
we were sort of prepped for the milford sound on this trip... the ride went through smaller mountains but it still looked a little like fiordland.. and picton was our alaska town....
ferry ride served food constantly .. for sale... movies,, raiders and iron man... 12 bucks... guess what we skipped the movie... been there done that..
harold was the south african man,, his wife.. ?... but she interrupted him alot and seemed to know everything about everything... she insisted on going over the mountain road.. it might snow he said... no worries, she said.... we can get to christchurch faster.... well, harold had been scarred for life when caught in a snowstorm in north carolina, somewhere in the mountains... since then he has carried chains in his car when travelling out of south africa... this time he sprung for chains for $100 bucks.. if they let any cars go over these mountains they will only let those who have chains...
harold cooked his fried eggs very slowwwwwly.... barely on warm....... says his kids taught him this trick.... never saw a man enjoy eggs like he did.... never left the stove... swiped his toast in his perfectly cooked eggs and we never saw him again til morning.... he admired everyone who cooked in that kitchen... especially the german fella with his pasta and veggies,,, baked... he said.. thats the german way to cook.... nice man that harold.... he got told to shush when trying to interrupt his wife... he shrugged, kept talking... hahahahaha
life fairbs said that kitchen was as busy as filenes at wedding gown sale.. but i said,, at least they didnt throw knives at each other like one of the places i worked.... no names mentioned.. but ... it is multicolored , half circle, and comes out after a summer rain... i did quit that job..
The boat was like a cruise ship - we learned later it used to cross the English Channel. We had a seat in the cafe right at the bow and watched the truckers tie up the city. Next to us was a couple who let us borrow their newspaper. They were testing each other on the sports quiz and we found out he's a Yankees' fan and follows the Minnesota Vikings. He loves ESPN - subscribes to it on cable. What are the odds of meeting someone in New Zealand who knows who Joe Girardi is and knows Dante Culpepper's stats?
They knew all about walks all over the South Island and saved us from going to the information center where I was sure to get lost and bore the workers silly.
We headed west along the coast on Queen Charlotte Drive again with cliffs on one side and small villages and the ocean on the other. Once we headed inland the valleys were all vineyards and orchards.
We got to our town - Motueka - and asked about hiking in Abel Tasman Park. It turns out we'd have to take a $52.00 boat ride - each - to hike back to town for 3-4 hours. It sounded beautiful but everywhere we looked was like some sort of fairy land so we decided against it.
Any dissapointment over that was made up by the fact that we got into town on the opening night of their festival of lights. This is a one street village that had pineapple sized lights strung across the street. We bumped into a couple of old gents who said it would take the politicians about 30 minutes to flip the switch so come back around 6:00. It wasn't only lights across the street - there were small blinking lights like palms trees and floral displays above the one story shops and every store had something in it - reindeer, little trees and sleds among others. It turns out that they are celebrating the days getting longer and have to have something to do in the winter. Christmas is in the summer and the days are long and any displays just don't quite make it that time of year.
We were serenaded by bagpipe players of the Motueka Pipe Band and a four woman vocal group like Meghan's called the Nancies. On our way back to the hostel we passed a bakery that had just put out a sign for half price pies and quiches - this is like some movie town.
This was the first hostel where we met a lot of other adults. A couple from South Africa, another from Budapest with a small son and quite a few Asian women on their holiday work visas. Everyone makes a mad dash for the kitchens in these hostels - a lot like Filene's Basement and their annual bridal gown sale. There was a German guy baking cookies from scratch and some fancy meal, one of the Asian women was boiling a whole chicken for soup and we had our little bowl of pasta.
extra spice,,, harold.. and maude?? no not really, but he was harold
we were sort of prepped for the milford sound on this trip... the ride went through smaller mountains but it still looked a little like fiordland.. and picton was our alaska town....
ferry ride served food constantly .. for sale... movies,, raiders and iron man... 12 bucks... guess what we skipped the movie... been there done that..
harold was the south african man,, his wife.. ?... but she interrupted him alot and seemed to know everything about everything... she insisted on going over the mountain road.. it might snow he said... no worries, she said.... we can get to christchurch faster.... well, harold had been scarred for life when caught in a snowstorm in north carolina, somewhere in the mountains... since then he has carried chains in his car when travelling out of south africa... this time he sprung for chains for $100 bucks.. if they let any cars go over these mountains they will only let those who have chains...
harold cooked his fried eggs very slowwwwwly.... barely on warm....... says his kids taught him this trick.... never saw a man enjoy eggs like he did.... never left the stove... swiped his toast in his perfectly cooked eggs and we never saw him again til morning.... he admired everyone who cooked in that kitchen... especially the german fella with his pasta and veggies,,, baked... he said.. thats the german way to cook.... nice man that harold.... he got told to shush when trying to interrupt his wife... he shrugged, kept talking... hahahahaha
life fairbs said that kitchen was as busy as filenes at wedding gown sale.. but i said,, at least they didnt throw knives at each other like one of the places i worked.... no names mentioned.. but ... it is multicolored , half circle, and comes out after a summer rain... i did quit that job..
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Wellington here we come. July 3rd
Today we're just headed to Wellington to find a room for the ferry the next day. It started out nice today - the sun came back - and yes, it's a beautiful drive. We wound our way through Scottish moors and the foothills of the Rockies in Montana.
A big problem here is that the roads are so narrow and windy that there is just no way to safely take pictures. There are no turn outs or scenic overviews. The shoulders, if there are any, consist of a white line and a narrow strip of asphalt wide enough for a box turtle to pull over. Toots has been taking pictures from the car and we'll have to see if they come out.
We may a wrong turn in a town called Bull. We kept going for about 15 miles until we hit a small town and a dead end at the ocean. You can't tell small rural roads from the main thoroughfare here so if you get off the "big" road you can go miles without having a clue.
The directions to the hostel in Wellington sounded simple but we wound up circling around until we found it. We stopped a block away and when we opened the door almost flew into the harbor. This is supposed to be the windiest city in the world and we're not going to argue with anyone about that.
The hostel is huge, clean, warm; something we notice whenever we run into it, and our room looks out over the harbor and hills that look like San Francisco - Toots will tell you about that.
There's a museum in town so we walked over. It's free and a great one - art, science and natural history. The art wing had exhibits by New Zealand artists, Moari art, European painters of the twentieth century and a number of prints by Albrecht Durer. Volcanoes, birds, whales and the ocean filled the science section.
toots....
the town of bull.... it seemed that alot of places put bull in front of or after the name of the place... for ex. we are a socialbull. town.. .... bullbank..... keep your bullmoney here... bullbakery,bullcafe... get it...
we walked up the pedestrian path to get to san francisco.... 107 steps exactly and 107 down... san fran is the sister city and it looks it... harbor and all.. except for the wind.. that is chicago... the houses terraced into the hills... quaint, some small single story cottagy look, or skinny duplexes.. . seems like alot of houses have roofs like ours but squished down to one floor....
met some gals in the lavatory.. all dressed up, going out on the town.. they really dress up here... black cocktail dresses , to the nines...... they said they were going on cable car to botanic gardens and that it was a great city to go out in.. lots of young people i guess..... later that evening one woke us up sobbing in lounge right next to our room.. and someone got sick... when they saw me get up to go to the ladies room the sobbing one left.. oh well...
areas for kids to use their skateboards ... practice in the concrete bowls... and a swimming facility.. huge.. and a tip top store .. thats it folks... next ... the cruise to picton and all its glory....
As we were headed back to the room the receptionist told us we had to leave real early for the ferry. Truckers all over New Zealand are protesting the high price of diesel and will block our way. We set the alarm for 5:00 and will see what happens.
A big problem here is that the roads are so narrow and windy that there is just no way to safely take pictures. There are no turn outs or scenic overviews. The shoulders, if there are any, consist of a white line and a narrow strip of asphalt wide enough for a box turtle to pull over. Toots has been taking pictures from the car and we'll have to see if they come out.
We may a wrong turn in a town called Bull. We kept going for about 15 miles until we hit a small town and a dead end at the ocean. You can't tell small rural roads from the main thoroughfare here so if you get off the "big" road you can go miles without having a clue.
The directions to the hostel in Wellington sounded simple but we wound up circling around until we found it. We stopped a block away and when we opened the door almost flew into the harbor. This is supposed to be the windiest city in the world and we're not going to argue with anyone about that.
The hostel is huge, clean, warm; something we notice whenever we run into it, and our room looks out over the harbor and hills that look like San Francisco - Toots will tell you about that.
There's a museum in town so we walked over. It's free and a great one - art, science and natural history. The art wing had exhibits by New Zealand artists, Moari art, European painters of the twentieth century and a number of prints by Albrecht Durer. Volcanoes, birds, whales and the ocean filled the science section.
toots....
the town of bull.... it seemed that alot of places put bull in front of or after the name of the place... for ex. we are a socialbull. town.. .... bullbank..... keep your bullmoney here... bullbakery,bullcafe... get it...
we walked up the pedestrian path to get to san francisco.... 107 steps exactly and 107 down... san fran is the sister city and it looks it... harbor and all.. except for the wind.. that is chicago... the houses terraced into the hills... quaint, some small single story cottagy look, or skinny duplexes.. . seems like alot of houses have roofs like ours but squished down to one floor....
met some gals in the lavatory.. all dressed up, going out on the town.. they really dress up here... black cocktail dresses , to the nines...... they said they were going on cable car to botanic gardens and that it was a great city to go out in.. lots of young people i guess..... later that evening one woke us up sobbing in lounge right next to our room.. and someone got sick... when they saw me get up to go to the ladies room the sobbing one left.. oh well...
areas for kids to use their skateboards ... practice in the concrete bowls... and a swimming facility.. huge.. and a tip top store .. thats it folks... next ... the cruise to picton and all its glory....
As we were headed back to the room the receptionist told us we had to leave real early for the ferry. Truckers all over New Zealand are protesting the high price of diesel and will block our way. We set the alarm for 5:00 and will see what happens.
To Turangi and Tongariro National Park.
The mountains dissapeared overnight and we woke to rain and fog. It's a straight drive to Turangi and we were hoping to get there early and have time for a few walks in the mountains where they filmed the movie.
We got to the information center and the woman, Rhonda, couldn't believe we wanted to go out in the rain. She showed us a few short walks right in town along the river and up by the trout center - this is, according to a sign in town, the trout center of the world. After a few questions she finally told us how to get to the national park and the mountains but couldn't imagine we'd be able to get there. It felt like she was sending us out the door with a binky saying "go walk by the river like nice little children." (That's Toot's line)
Well we did head up to the national park and tried a few trails that were just too icy and snowy but as we headed down below the snow line, but not rain line, we saw a sign and parking spot for another trail. We had our rain gear on so damn it, we were going to walk somewhere. This turned out to be the Whakkapappanui Trail and it was, of course, beautiful. We started on a small suspension bridge into a mixed semi-tropical forest with hardwoods, evergreens, short palms, hanging vines and large ferns. With a little snow just off the trail and in the forest it was unlike anything we'd seen so far.
This hostel had heat and we couldn't see our breath in any of the common rooms. The owner, Roger and his wife retired and couldn't hack it. He built the hostel himself and then a few years later added a large climbing center with walls for every level of climber. They've been married for 43 years and have never stopped moving. Roger sounds just like Michael Caine when he's playing a working man role and his wife when not helping 100 kids suit up for climbing, comes into the hostel and keeps the fire going.
toots
bjorn borg was actually at the hostel.. i know it was him.. he was very quiet and had long hair and he had a tennis racquet.. no not really.... no racquet... but he was quiet and had the demeanor of bjorn... he ate peanut butter and jelly and i know bjorn loves p and b sandwiches... he watched movies all day and read and got on the internet.. he wasnt a brave soul like us... we were out walking in the rain....i said.. hey bjorn, good day for movies eh... he looked up .. nodded..grunted... it was bjorn alright....
we couldn't resist a sign that said.. maori village.. turn here..... well it might have been during summer months.. must have taken down the little houses.... but the maori fence went all around the property.. a fence i loved... made of very thin 5 ft high straight branches... close together.. and one long branch connecting them ... about one-third from the top... this spot looked perfect for a maori village.. overlooked the ocean.. looked south seas, which it is..... and hawaii... palm trees, green green grass with abit of a rolling hill... wanted to lie down on it and look at the tall palms, but the rain was pelting and we thought maybe we are not supposed to be here...so we left.... next off to the rugby winners town.... wellington
We got to the information center and the woman, Rhonda, couldn't believe we wanted to go out in the rain. She showed us a few short walks right in town along the river and up by the trout center - this is, according to a sign in town, the trout center of the world. After a few questions she finally told us how to get to the national park and the mountains but couldn't imagine we'd be able to get there. It felt like she was sending us out the door with a binky saying "go walk by the river like nice little children." (That's Toot's line)
Well we did head up to the national park and tried a few trails that were just too icy and snowy but as we headed down below the snow line, but not rain line, we saw a sign and parking spot for another trail. We had our rain gear on so damn it, we were going to walk somewhere. This turned out to be the Whakkapappanui Trail and it was, of course, beautiful. We started on a small suspension bridge into a mixed semi-tropical forest with hardwoods, evergreens, short palms, hanging vines and large ferns. With a little snow just off the trail and in the forest it was unlike anything we'd seen so far.
This hostel had heat and we couldn't see our breath in any of the common rooms. The owner, Roger and his wife retired and couldn't hack it. He built the hostel himself and then a few years later added a large climbing center with walls for every level of climber. They've been married for 43 years and have never stopped moving. Roger sounds just like Michael Caine when he's playing a working man role and his wife when not helping 100 kids suit up for climbing, comes into the hostel and keeps the fire going.
toots
bjorn borg was actually at the hostel.. i know it was him.. he was very quiet and had long hair and he had a tennis racquet.. no not really.... no racquet... but he was quiet and had the demeanor of bjorn... he ate peanut butter and jelly and i know bjorn loves p and b sandwiches... he watched movies all day and read and got on the internet.. he wasnt a brave soul like us... we were out walking in the rain....i said.. hey bjorn, good day for movies eh... he looked up .. nodded..grunted... it was bjorn alright....
we couldn't resist a sign that said.. maori village.. turn here..... well it might have been during summer months.. must have taken down the little houses.... but the maori fence went all around the property.. a fence i loved... made of very thin 5 ft high straight branches... close together.. and one long branch connecting them ... about one-third from the top... this spot looked perfect for a maori village.. overlooked the ocean.. looked south seas, which it is..... and hawaii... palm trees, green green grass with abit of a rolling hill... wanted to lie down on it and look at the tall palms, but the rain was pelting and we thought maybe we are not supposed to be here...so we left.... next off to the rugby winners town.... wellington
On to Area 51, July 1st
Another early day after saying goodbye to Craig and we headed south. It's pretty much a straight shot to Taupo but we did stop off in Karanganake Gorge. This was the site of a gold rush back in 1875 and the river drops off into a steep gorge with a few trails and tunnels where they dug for gold running all around it. The more interesting path was one that led up into the hills along a stream. We're starting to get into one of the areas where they filmed the Lord of the Rings and they could have done some of it here. It's all dark green with small waterfalls and pools and evergreens and small palms and huge fern trees. Moss hangs from a lot of the trees and flowers pop out from the side walls of the trail. Just as we were about to head back a small boy came running through with a couple of dogs - he could have been Frodo and we wouldn't have been surprised.
The landscape keeps changing dramatically. Within ten minutes of leaving the gorge we hit three continents - California, the South American rain forest and the Yorkshire Dales in northern England. If you blindfolded someone and told them to look out every now and again they'd think you were in a space ship able to travel from one country to another in just a few minutes.
A few miles down the road we saw a few of the mountain peaks from Lord of the Rings - snow covered and one with three peaks.
We got to Taupo and found our hostel, a sort of California/Florida split level motel with a courtyard. A lot of kids but clean and a heater in the room. Taupo is a new town built up around a huge lake formed by a volcano eruption 1800 years ago. The blast was stronger than Krakatoa and Mt St Helens combined. Like Toots said, it's nice, but has a strange feel to it. It's all one story, streets layed out in quandrants until you head out along the lake where all the houses are still single story, modern and square - a lot like Farenheit 451.
toots here again...
we were told that you could or someone could drop Singapore right into this lake.. that's how big it is... at least 30 miles long...
there was a couple young girls that signed us in ... they told us they left london because it distressed them... and they are happy in taupo.... i know they are aliens...
and we saw many juicy rental cars and lime green vans.. with their logo all over it.... two girls pulled up to this hostel parked and slept right there in the van.. went inside for showers and they were watching dodgeball.. the movie... then to the van.. in the morning when we left we saw the van all steamed up.. oxygen breathing humans inside...
our tiny tiny room... was like a japanese compartment to sleep in.... and the heater could be turned on for a maximum of 30 min. at a time.. being small it worked... but it ticked for 30 minutes,,sort of lulled us to sleep... surprisingly it didnt keep us awake..tick, tick, tick... tick.. tick tick.. need i go one.... off to see the wizard..... roger...
The landscape keeps changing dramatically. Within ten minutes of leaving the gorge we hit three continents - California, the South American rain forest and the Yorkshire Dales in northern England. If you blindfolded someone and told them to look out every now and again they'd think you were in a space ship able to travel from one country to another in just a few minutes.
A few miles down the road we saw a few of the mountain peaks from Lord of the Rings - snow covered and one with three peaks.
We got to Taupo and found our hostel, a sort of California/Florida split level motel with a courtyard. A lot of kids but clean and a heater in the room. Taupo is a new town built up around a huge lake formed by a volcano eruption 1800 years ago. The blast was stronger than Krakatoa and Mt St Helens combined. Like Toots said, it's nice, but has a strange feel to it. It's all one story, streets layed out in quandrants until you head out along the lake where all the houses are still single story, modern and square - a lot like Farenheit 451.
toots here again...
we were told that you could or someone could drop Singapore right into this lake.. that's how big it is... at least 30 miles long...
there was a couple young girls that signed us in ... they told us they left london because it distressed them... and they are happy in taupo.... i know they are aliens...
and we saw many juicy rental cars and lime green vans.. with their logo all over it.... two girls pulled up to this hostel parked and slept right there in the van.. went inside for showers and they were watching dodgeball.. the movie... then to the van.. in the morning when we left we saw the van all steamed up.. oxygen breathing humans inside...
our tiny tiny room... was like a japanese compartment to sleep in.... and the heater could be turned on for a maximum of 30 min. at a time.. being small it worked... but it ticked for 30 minutes,,sort of lulled us to sleep... surprisingly it didnt keep us awake..tick, tick, tick... tick.. tick tick.. need i go one.... off to see the wizard..... roger...
We're still in Thames June 30th
Before going to the right hostel we walked around town. Another cowboy town with the overhangs and sideways parking. We went to two bakeries to sample the pies. One quiche was great - voted among the best in New Zealand and the sausage roll was right up there too.
Once we got to the other hostel we entered a different galaxy. This used to be an old hotel and true to the cowboy look of the town there was a shootout back in the 1800's. The owner, Craig, and his mother run it and have a whole crew of people who clean and keep it up. There's a nice common room with a pool table, tv and books. The kitchen is clean and the whole place is warm. This may be the only building in New Zealand with some kind of central heating. Our room has towels - unheard of so far - and two pillows. Who are the inhabitants of this planet? We could learn many things from them.
We went for a few walks in the National Park on the Coromandel Peninsula. The trails take you through beatiful tropics in a valley between two steep mountain ranges. The diversity is just amazing.
We got to talking with the hostel owner and found out the place is on the market. He has a lot of problems with kids - I'll let Toots fill you in on that. One of his workers is a young woman from the UK. She's been travelling since high school - she's twenty three now and will head home soon to make some more money and hopefully move to New Zealand. A lot of young people come here for the work visa - you can stay a year and work wherever you want or can. Most seem to find jobs at hostels where you work for three hours and get free room and board, a lot like Wwoofing on farms. They stay as long as needed or until they want to see somewhere else, go online and find another hostel that needs help.
toots here with more tidbits....
okay... craig also does huge bus tours through europe and russia.. the expensive ones... but he did tell us that if we email him before we get to russia he would connect us with tatiana who give tube tours in moscow.. he says they are great...
craig told us stories of all the kids that try to get into the hostel for free, even though most use their parents' charge cards... for them to stay in a dorm room it is under 25 bucks and they still try to get in free or get free internet, free whatever... most aggravating is that one will pay and the van waits outside and after 10ish that person will try and let his gang of van people in ... craig is on the lookout though and because he calls them on this they whine and say they will give him a bad review in backpacker world... perhaps this is why he is trying to sell... too bad because it is a nice one... not all places have this problem because it's not a real destination place where people stay... one night and off to next place... some of these vanigans sleep on his stoop... they are demanding and abit spoiled... craig refers to his place as faulty towers... but that was funny... this isnt't..hey, and alot of the kids are american... one group came and said they were with green peace and deserved free everything.. ha.... good luck bubba
they have a box of free stuff here... food too if needed.. but we didn't need any... we had our pasta to make 100 different ways... going for the sardine sauce next.. rah.. your recipe... but i did find an extra fleece... much better than mine.. ha.... and there were nice hiking shoes too.. but i have shoes and so does my husband the shoemaker... hahahaha..... later... craig off to russia and we are off to taupo... sounds finnish eh... but taupo is really "area 51".... stay tuned....
Once we got to the other hostel we entered a different galaxy. This used to be an old hotel and true to the cowboy look of the town there was a shootout back in the 1800's. The owner, Craig, and his mother run it and have a whole crew of people who clean and keep it up. There's a nice common room with a pool table, tv and books. The kitchen is clean and the whole place is warm. This may be the only building in New Zealand with some kind of central heating. Our room has towels - unheard of so far - and two pillows. Who are the inhabitants of this planet? We could learn many things from them.
We went for a few walks in the National Park on the Coromandel Peninsula. The trails take you through beatiful tropics in a valley between two steep mountain ranges. The diversity is just amazing.
We got to talking with the hostel owner and found out the place is on the market. He has a lot of problems with kids - I'll let Toots fill you in on that. One of his workers is a young woman from the UK. She's been travelling since high school - she's twenty three now and will head home soon to make some more money and hopefully move to New Zealand. A lot of young people come here for the work visa - you can stay a year and work wherever you want or can. Most seem to find jobs at hostels where you work for three hours and get free room and board, a lot like Wwoofing on farms. They stay as long as needed or until they want to see somewhere else, go online and find another hostel that needs help.
toots here with more tidbits....
okay... craig also does huge bus tours through europe and russia.. the expensive ones... but he did tell us that if we email him before we get to russia he would connect us with tatiana who give tube tours in moscow.. he says they are great...
craig told us stories of all the kids that try to get into the hostel for free, even though most use their parents' charge cards... for them to stay in a dorm room it is under 25 bucks and they still try to get in free or get free internet, free whatever... most aggravating is that one will pay and the van waits outside and after 10ish that person will try and let his gang of van people in ... craig is on the lookout though and because he calls them on this they whine and say they will give him a bad review in backpacker world... perhaps this is why he is trying to sell... too bad because it is a nice one... not all places have this problem because it's not a real destination place where people stay... one night and off to next place... some of these vanigans sleep on his stoop... they are demanding and abit spoiled... craig refers to his place as faulty towers... but that was funny... this isnt't..hey, and alot of the kids are american... one group came and said they were with green peace and deserved free everything.. ha.... good luck bubba
they have a box of free stuff here... food too if needed.. but we didn't need any... we had our pasta to make 100 different ways... going for the sardine sauce next.. rah.. your recipe... but i did find an extra fleece... much better than mine.. ha.... and there were nice hiking shoes too.. but i have shoes and so does my husband the shoemaker... hahahaha..... later... craig off to russia and we are off to taupo... sounds finnish eh... but taupo is really "area 51".... stay tuned....
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
tidbits by toots
forgot a couple things.. that british girl that we met who travelled around the world with her boyfriend who hopped over to japan.... sounds like a soap... well,, he earned the money to go by using or selling stuff on ebay.. dont know what but he made a bundle.. his friend did too.... he sold roman coins... hmmmmm did a light go off....
and when driving along the beautiful highways signs appear out of the blue.. they are big and a subdued orange so as not to startle too much as what they say is pretty startling... for example.... "your driving too fast" crash....... and "the wait for the ambulance is 30 minutes"... plus others... on the lighter side.. they thank you for being tolerant for waiting for the construction or any delays..
and who could forget the giant hedges... they are about 30 feet high... cut into big hedges.. yes, to shield the wind ... as it blows off ocean or through the valley.... they are awesome...
last but not least,,, the coffee...... they are called.. flat white... and long black.... fb has come to the other side now... he is a flat out flat white.... for now... cause the black puts hair on his hairy chest... it tastes like a double expresso boiled with three tablespoons of turkish coffee... hey wait a minute,, do we know someone who likes this..... mattttttt
no more tidbits.. onto the next day in the life of us........
one more... no traffic lights... sort of say hello at the round out... or excuse me.. nod.. people seem to know when to go... right thru intersections.. no lights... they are all psychics..... and no charges for parking... no meters.. they park at angles... // pretty civilized these kiwis...
and when driving along the beautiful highways signs appear out of the blue.. they are big and a subdued orange so as not to startle too much as what they say is pretty startling... for example.... "your driving too fast" crash....... and "the wait for the ambulance is 30 minutes"... plus others... on the lighter side.. they thank you for being tolerant for waiting for the construction or any delays..
and who could forget the giant hedges... they are about 30 feet high... cut into big hedges.. yes, to shield the wind ... as it blows off ocean or through the valley.... they are awesome...
last but not least,,, the coffee...... they are called.. flat white... and long black.... fb has come to the other side now... he is a flat out flat white.... for now... cause the black puts hair on his hairy chest... it tastes like a double expresso boiled with three tablespoons of turkish coffee... hey wait a minute,, do we know someone who likes this..... mattttttt
no more tidbits.. onto the next day in the life of us........
one more... no traffic lights... sort of say hello at the round out... or excuse me.. nod.. people seem to know when to go... right thru intersections.. no lights... they are all psychics..... and no charges for parking... no meters.. they park at angles... // pretty civilized these kiwis...
Heading Further North June 29th
Caroline, the Irish woman suggested we head north to a town called Ahipara and stay at a hostel called the Endless Summer. Evidently the Tasman Sea and the Pacific meet and the colors and waves are great.
We headed out early and started driving to the ferry across the harbor. No one on the road except a cow weaving down the center. Looked like he'd been on a bender the night before and was thinking " I could swear I left the car somewhere around here."
The ferry is about the size of our living room and could fit six cars - there was only us and one other. The town, Rawena, was nice - curvy streets, trees, old wooden buildings. The harbor was surrounded by mountains and as we went across on our 15 minute ride the sun came out to hit the peaks. The ferry guy, a real nice Maori, said come aboard and off we went.
The road to Ahiparra was again beautiful and twisting. Farmland, mountains and jungle all in a matter of a few miles. Once we got to Ahiparra though the scenery changed completely. Ocean yeah, but an ugly strip of buildings with the Endless Summer boxed in by a couple of them and the ocean view had to share a good look at a grafitti'ed bath house. The hostel was fancy but sterile, the owner a thirty something yuppie, and afraid of our boots - no shoes, boots or sandals are allowed over the threshold. We took a quick look around said we might be back and decided to head back south. We had to go through Kataia to get money - remember it's the only town in the area that has a bank or ATM - and decided maybe Dargaville wasn't such a bad place after all.
It got nice again as we headed down the island. Everything is green and tropical or green and farmland or green and forested. We kept driving hoping to make a town called Thames, it's supposed to have some good hiking and would put us south of Auckland. There had to be a way to miss the Berlin Turnpike this time and we found it.
We got to Thames after 9 hours on the road and had to pick between two hostels. We chose the closest and easiest to find - it was the wrong choice. Nice people running the place and an interesting woman who was near the end of a round the world trip with a boyfriend who was in Japan for a wedding. The rooms were cold, the bathroom was freezing and the windows wouldn't close. Germany was playing Spain for the Euro finals and the TV room was filled with people wearing jackets, hats and gloves.
We decided to spend another day in town and check out the other hostel. It was like going from the Little Rascals' playhouse to Hearst's castle - and all for the same price. More on our day there later.
toots here... here's the filler... hopefully not a repeat... the rains came that day.. it rained on and off.. off and on.... hard , soft... all different ways... as fb said when we got to ahipara we noticed it was all beach... beautiful and 90 miles of it.... bye the bye .. do u all know that gas is over 6bucks a gallon... just a side trip there.... we didnt really want to walk beaches.... we wanted to hike the bush but the lady said.. tooooo mudddy... u cant do that and wear those boots in here.. those boots were made for the porch..not for walkin.... of course we wouldnt track bad stuff in there... common sense methinks... so we pointed our el cheapo mazda rental south and headed for thames... a great town... pronounced teems..... tomorrow will be very exciting... we are staying another night... tomorrow...... craig cassidy and his gang...... stories abound......
We headed out early and started driving to the ferry across the harbor. No one on the road except a cow weaving down the center. Looked like he'd been on a bender the night before and was thinking " I could swear I left the car somewhere around here."
The ferry is about the size of our living room and could fit six cars - there was only us and one other. The town, Rawena, was nice - curvy streets, trees, old wooden buildings. The harbor was surrounded by mountains and as we went across on our 15 minute ride the sun came out to hit the peaks. The ferry guy, a real nice Maori, said come aboard and off we went.
The road to Ahiparra was again beautiful and twisting. Farmland, mountains and jungle all in a matter of a few miles. Once we got to Ahiparra though the scenery changed completely. Ocean yeah, but an ugly strip of buildings with the Endless Summer boxed in by a couple of them and the ocean view had to share a good look at a grafitti'ed bath house. The hostel was fancy but sterile, the owner a thirty something yuppie, and afraid of our boots - no shoes, boots or sandals are allowed over the threshold. We took a quick look around said we might be back and decided to head back south. We had to go through Kataia to get money - remember it's the only town in the area that has a bank or ATM - and decided maybe Dargaville wasn't such a bad place after all.
It got nice again as we headed down the island. Everything is green and tropical or green and farmland or green and forested. We kept driving hoping to make a town called Thames, it's supposed to have some good hiking and would put us south of Auckland. There had to be a way to miss the Berlin Turnpike this time and we found it.
We got to Thames after 9 hours on the road and had to pick between two hostels. We chose the closest and easiest to find - it was the wrong choice. Nice people running the place and an interesting woman who was near the end of a round the world trip with a boyfriend who was in Japan for a wedding. The rooms were cold, the bathroom was freezing and the windows wouldn't close. Germany was playing Spain for the Euro finals and the TV room was filled with people wearing jackets, hats and gloves.
We decided to spend another day in town and check out the other hostel. It was like going from the Little Rascals' playhouse to Hearst's castle - and all for the same price. More on our day there later.
toots here... here's the filler... hopefully not a repeat... the rains came that day.. it rained on and off.. off and on.... hard , soft... all different ways... as fb said when we got to ahipara we noticed it was all beach... beautiful and 90 miles of it.... bye the bye .. do u all know that gas is over 6bucks a gallon... just a side trip there.... we didnt really want to walk beaches.... we wanted to hike the bush but the lady said.. tooooo mudddy... u cant do that and wear those boots in here.. those boots were made for the porch..not for walkin.... of course we wouldnt track bad stuff in there... common sense methinks... so we pointed our el cheapo mazda rental south and headed for thames... a great town... pronounced teems..... tomorrow will be very exciting... we are staying another night... tomorrow...... craig cassidy and his gang...... stories abound......
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