NEW ZEALAND (S.) - KAIKOURA... beauty of black & white rock beaches!

Kaikoura –
I woke up to spend the early morning silence in the darkness of Cathedral Square in Christchurch, before catching the bus super-early to head north to Kaikoura. The Cathedral is lit up so beautifully – fostering a special chance to enjoy being solo in the square without the crazy cris-cross of people during the height of daytime.

The drive to Kaikoura was mostly along the coast line. From 45-minutes out, we could see the peninsula that we would call ‘home’ for the night... where fur seals colonize and sperm whales cruise around not too far offshore!

De, Mags, Lucy (my Irish friends) and I chose to pile ourselves into our 4-bed dorm at Dusky Lodge together. Too much fun already! …and as luck would have it, I had even more excitement awaiting me at the reception desk, where I met Jalvo, a new Brazilian friend. He and I happened to have been on the same bus from Christchurch all morning, but didn’t meet until this time. We decided to discover what there is to do in Kaikoura other than whale watching… we tried giant crayfish for lunch with our friend Kelly, walked along the big black & white rock beach lining the waterfront, and took to the hot tub with a group of our friends at the lodge just after sunset. Oddly enough this lodge has a Thai restaurant tucked into a covered area out back, so most of us brought take-away tubs up to the main kitchen for dinner. Most of us left the lodge just before 10pm to venture to the Strawberry Bar (Irish Pub) for the All Blacks rugby game v. the Wallabies (New Zealand v. Australia – need I say more?)… oh, craziness! I love New Zealand rugby!

NEW ZEALAND (S.) - 'NZ Roadblocks' & CHRISTCHURCH

If you can imagine rounding the corner at 100Km's/hr and to find a TRADITIONAL New Zealand road block... A HERD OF SHEEP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OH MY! What a sight! I was sooooooooooooo impressed! Brings life into a very simple perspective... precious!

Christchurch was rainy, but still very charming. The architecture - their little side streets, and their main church & plaza... I found a great locals' coffee shop (C-1 Coffee) with Mags before we ventured to the local museum to check out the antarctic research station exhibits - which were WAY cool! ;)

NEW ZEALAND (S.) - Wedding Crashers!!! The journey to Lake Tekapo

After a quick run up the "World's Steepest Street", Baldwin St. in Dunedin, we jumped on the bus en route to Lake Tekapo. Stopping off at the Moreaki Boulders - which are a natural phenomenon along a rather deserted and extremely beautiful beach along New Zealand's eastern coast (of the South Island, that is.) Also along this scenic journey was Mt. Cook - the highest mountain in New Zealand!!! Ohhhhhhhhh, how I was wishing it was summer and that I had my trekking boots strapped on! Mt. Cook has such a striking experience - especially with the turquoise lake in front of it! After driving some roads we technically weren't allowed to be on with a vehicle of our size ;), we arrived in Lake Tekapo and ended up spontaneously crashing a wedding at an adorable little church that sits lakefront - and in this moment I was thinking of how INSANE it is to try and be wearing a wedding dress in these frigid and icy conditions - crazy things that love can do to our mind!!! And to top off a beautiful day, what can be better than a little ice skating - especially when you're entertained by a group of guys who have gained 'confidence' from the local pub for hours before putting blades below their feet...my friend Mags and I were most certainly entertained! Afterwards we had a gathering of 20+ backpackers on couches inside our lakeside lodge to hide from the freezing cold weather and watch movies together! This was a good down-time stop for a lot of us...

NEW ZEALAND (S.) - OTAGO PENINSULA – Wild, Wild, Wildlife!

As I sat in a little mini-bus traveling my way out to the tip of the Otago Peninsula (an extension of Dunedin, and the town of “Portobello”,) I was envisioning the pleasure of enduring this same journey via bicycle or kayak… the water of the harbor was still as glass, which reflected the boat sheds picture-perfect. The little two-lane road that winds its way to the end of the peninsula allows for a very enjoyable mini road-trip… as its shoulder is not so existent, nor forgiving – it will pretty much dump you into the harbor if you miss the curve! Thrilling! ;)

At the end of the peninsula is the Royal Albatross colony – it is so fascinating to sit on the edge of the grassy cliff, enjoying a ginger beer, and have a seagull-looking bird with a 3m (6+ft!) wing-span fly overhead! It was a special treat to spot one, on multiple draft cycles – as these are glider birds, and they need the wind to fly (they don’t really have the wing hinging system to do as much flapping as your average bird!) – and there was next to no wind this particular day. The conservation center at the top of the peninsula had a camera overlooking a baby albatross’ nest, and its furry little self was just chilling there – they can’t fly when they’re first born, so they have to wait for their mama to bring them food. I was relieved to know that people are actually working to protect these soon-to-be monster-size birds from being disturbed. J

This was only the beginning, as I traveled over dirt roads and around a very shallow lagoon (filled with kekaus (dark blue birds w/bright orange beaks,) harriers (predator birds, like hawks,) geese, kingfishers (small, striking little birds with teal wings) and pied-stilts) to the other side of the peninsula, to a local man’s property. His large sheep & cow farm sits atop a grassy point that is absolutely breathtaking. With deserted beach coves and rocky tide pools settled on each side below, it is a gem. Opening and closing several chained gates (to keep the farm animals in the right spot,) we worked our way down the steep grassy tiers to a steep gravel staircase that led down to the edge of the rocks and tide pools on one side… and there were tons of baby and mama fur seals camped out. Some of the young seals were playing in one of the deeper tide pools – floating on their backs and spinning around past one another. An adorable baby was nursing right in front of me… and became a little timid when it recognized that it was being watched… speaking gently to it, it cried back, along with its mom and a few from the colony. We slowly retreated, as to keep things calm and not make the seals too nervous. What’s amazing here is that the waves are crashing with such a strong force, that they often times sweep away some of the little ones… talk about a cold, rough life!

Hiking back up to the top of the point and then down the other side to the beach, we arrived to the sand just before sunset. I had my first chance ever to spend time observing sea lions up close & personal in the wild. I’ve seen them in the wild – but never playing around and chilling on the beach, nor chasing me back at points! The males are MASSIVE!!!! – they could easily flatten me! There were only a couple females and about six males on the beach and in the natural dunes at the back. Two males were teamed up chasing one of the females around – she was not too happy about this (and I don’t blame her!) They’d bite, bark, chase, roll, pin… time and time again. Many times we had to move over or retreat rather quickly to avoid getting caught in the middle of the chase! They were getting a kick out of having us for a visit… they kept looking over, and at moments would ‘speak’, confront or follow us!

As if this experience wasn’t already fascinating enough, the yellow-eyed penguins were making their way out of the water and onto the steep, grassy cliff-side at the end of the beach! Hiding out in a little cove to watch them (as they’re very shy) we watched at least 10 or 11 of them, most often in pairs, waddle their way from the water… too frickin’ adorable for words!!

The blue penguins in this area couldn’t be seen, as they hide out until nightfall. They were hiding in their little sand-dug coves right beside where we walked!

To top off this amazing wildlife encounter, we were able to enjoy this beach cove throughout sunset… the pink clouds, crashing waves and ¾ moon were phenomenal!

NEW ZEALAND (S.) - JOE’S GARAGE and the journey to DUNEDIN

After 3 nights, I was now enjoying my 3rd morning in Queenstown… an early morning that is… as I still have not seen Queenstown in daylight!!! UNREAL! With all of the activities beckoning on the outskirts, most visitors take off for day trips before sunrise and return after sunset. I was determined to find the locals’ coffee shop on my final morning in Queenstown… I knew it was called Joe’s something, and was located on a dark alley-like street… and such was the case! Joe’s Garage – tucked quietly away from the crazy-tourist scene… the people, the coffee, and atmosphere provided an exceptionally pleasant start to my day. As I was just getting ready to leave, I recognized a familiar jacket… it was my new Magic driver, getting his cuppa jo for the road… so I knew I’d have to make a brisk walk back up the hill out of town center to gather my things and be ready when he arrived (and I’m sure he wondered how I was going to do so!)

Scoring my fave spot during our road journeys – front seat – we were off to Dunedin… a very short drive in comparison to the past few road-trips, and lengthy journey to Milford yesterday. The sun was rising, the snow-capped mountain peaks were beginning to glow in soft pink at their tips, and the lakes and streams were still as glass… GORGEOUS!

Visiting with a few of my new friends in the Tin Goose Café in Cromwell, during a break from the road, we shared stories from our days in Queenstown. All of us arrived and left together, without any plan to do so. After leaving Cromwell, I saw golden, stringy-like trees roadside for the 1st time. The burnt orangish/red trees are all over New Zealand, but these golden ones were unique! We passed Clyde Dam shortly before arriving in Alexandra (the town facing the most extreme temps in New Zealand – 15 winter to 45 summer… yikes!... that’s like FL & upstate NY all in one!) The drive follows the South Island’s longest river, which reflected the mountains lining its edges beautifully. We passed many sheep, apple orchards, and vineyards along the way too. The perfectly bright sunshine and calm winds enhanced an already lovely journey.

Continuing on we entered lush, green hillsides, filled with many fluffy and shorn sheep. Passing through Lawrence, and arriving in Dunedin, it was much larger than I ever anticipated. All of the rather negative things I had heard about the area proved to be not-so-true. Yes, the nightlife, and adventure scene is not as prevalent, but it certainly has an entertainment scene, the largest student population in New Zealand, and a beautiful harbor and coastal setting. There is more kayaking, cycling, mountain biking, walking and other activities available than what meets the eye.

Dunedin is a Scottish colony, so its architecture is filled with this style, and most of the stone used to construct the local homes and buildings was hailed from Oamaru (just up the coast.) In the city center, it is set up in a double octagon… which is not only unique, but fun for exploring. Cinemas, cafes, and some niche businesses fill the streets, and then Princess St., the Main St. intersects the center of the octagon, and Stuart St. makes the cross “T” leading down to the most photographed New Zealand building – the rail station. Just on the outskirts of town is the “World’s Steepest St.” – Baldwin St. I thoroughly enjoyed my walk up it… however, I doubt that it is actually steeper than most streets in San Fran, or some of the mountain roads I’ve winded my way up in the past – hmmm???

NEW ZEALAND (S.) - WINTERFEST 2007 – Queenstown

At -6degrees Celcius outside, you know that everyone must have a good reason for wanting to brave the cold and take to the streets of Queenstown after dark. How about some great bands on stages wharf-side and village-central, and a lil’ bit of fireworks to top it off?! Everyone had a reason to join in for a little dancing in the streets… cuz you’ll otherwise F-REEZE!

After catching the tail-end of the fireworks over the lake from the opposite side (I was still on my journey back from Milford,) I met up with Jack & Weronica and a couple new friends stage-side in the center of Queenstown. We danced a bit and then at the completion of the band’s performance we hid in the warmth of the World Bar for a brew (and so I could finally grab a quick meal.) A couple friends (from the night before, who had been on the Conitki Tour w/Jack) joined us, and we ventured down the street.

Altitude, a local club, was far more hoppin’ than the teapot shot scene at World Bar… and accumulated quite a crowd for late-night dancing. It was almost like a backpacker bus ‘spring-break’ party scene, to describe it. All it took was the start of some table dancing, and I said my “Tchaus” to my new friends and was on my way back to Pinewood Lodge to catch some zzz’s.

NEW ZEALAND (S.) - MILFORD SOUND… Fiord!!!!!!!!!!!

Cruising out of Queenstown just before sunrise, the winter white peaks lining Lake Wakatipu’s edges highlighted the wonder, as the lights of Queenstown sat in a nice little patch behind us, which grew smaller & smaller, the further we traveled.

Te Anau (nearly 2hrs from Queenstown, by road) is the gateway town prior to Milford, and offers some stunning views from its lakeside as well. Geared up with some warm beverage “take aways” we began our journey over the hill (formed from the glacier thousands of years ago) that would drop us into the past-glacier valley… and Fiordlands National Park. This (now) paved journey is unreal! For nearly two hours more you wind your way through stunning scenery and massive mountain peaks looming overhead. Mirror lakes, river chasms, and valley expansive views are beyond fair description. With only one way through the mountains (unless you care to undertake a winter mountaineering experiencing over the sketchy saddle, as early explorers did,) is to pass through a very long, dark, icicle ridden tunnel… wild! The tunnel sits about 1000ft (about 300m, situated at 1200m) above the valley floor (900m,) so there’s quite a switchback drive awaiting you on the other side. The energy and excitement from this landscape will leave anyone “peaked” (local kiwi term for psyched) for a boat trip through Milford Sound… which is actually a “fiord”, not a sound, as it was formed by a glacier (sounds are not glacier formed.)

Anywho, technicalities don’t matter! THIS PLACE IS MAGICAL!!!! I had luckily read from another traveler’s writing to experience the sound (no pun intended) of Milford Sound, via boat. Encompassed by even more amazing mountain peaks, cliffs, ridges, and other rocky outcroppings, I felt myself overwhelmed with an even deeper respect for nature. Mitre Peak is the tallest mountain peak in the world from sea level… and it is one spikey tower of jagged, sharp, snow-capped ridgelines. Fur seals, dolphins, and other wildlife graced us with their presence as we traveled through the turquoise blue waters below waterfalls casting rainbow mist and sunlight casting shadows in various spots throughout this narrow water gap leading out to the Tasman Sea. Upon reaching the wide mouth meeting of the Tasman Sea, we were suddenly exposed to all of the wind elements that the mountains had been sheltering us from for nearly an hour…. Ch-ch-ch-chilly!!!! Whitecaps and headwinds overtook the peaceful sun-decking experience, and quickly ‘called’ for windbreakers, mittens and a retreat into the warmth of the Milford Sovereign’s well-windowed cabins. The sun was in full-shine, not a cloud in the sky… the dolphins were playing in a group alongside the boat… and I was in pure bliss… once again, inspired.