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Kiwis and Kangaroos
a travel blog by
exumenius
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Across Cook Strait - Night 83
Havelock
,
New Zealand
I awoke sharply at 6:30 full of piss and vinegar,
Back of the Ferry
ready to meet the new year head on - regardless of the fact that I finally crawled into bed around 3am without a modicum of sobriety. My body’s internal clock functions precisely in spite of imbibation and/or exhaustion…or maybe because of it. I finished packing, cleaned my room and headed up the stairs of Kowhai House one last time. Jake, Shirley and I were all booked on the 1pm ferry to Picton, so I had some time to kill, wisely enjoying the last few hours of free internet I’ll likely see on this trip. Around 10 with stuffed rucksacks in tow, our triad slowly descended the Normadale grade for the last time. Surely life in general has its first and last times for everything, however, sometimes it seems as if travels is nothing but.
The Marlborough Sound
We arrived at the Bluebridge Ferry terminal plenty early, even in spite of the strange “who’s on first” encounter between an elderly asian female and the bus driver at one of the stops. Frustrated, he finally just charged her two dollars and agreed to drop her off wherever she wanted, provided it was along his route. Boarding for foot passengers began at 12:30, however vehicles were let on earlier, so by the time we got up to the deck all the outside seating had been taken, which was a real shame considering it was a perfectly sunny day with temperatures around 80 and little to no wind. As such the crossing was very smooth and quite scenic once we entered the Marlborough Sound.
The City of Picton is located at the terminus
The City of Picton
of one of the long arms of the Marlborough Sound. Surrounded on all sides by towering green mountains that plunge directly into the sea, Picton is blessed with natural beauty that rivals its strategic economic position as the main entry point to the South Island. A nice little downtown area surrounded by hostels, hotels, and a large marina make it a pleasant place to spend a lovely summer day.
Being a public holiday, the bay was filled with sailboats, kayakers, and the occasional jet ski. Think a slightly toned down Lake Union or Shawano Lake on any given summer weekend. I checked into The Villa, a quirky little hostel around 5 pm. The place had been highly recommended on Hostelworld and didn’t disappoint. A large backyard complete with tree house-like lounge, a hot tub, and a clean kitchen. One of the best places I’ve stayed here in the South Pacific.
I had enough daylight for a hike, so I took off down the Snout Trail which runs along the bay for a few miles then heads down into the neighboring town of Waikiau and loops back to Picton. I returned around 7:30 and on my way to the grocery store ran into Jake and Shirley. They were staying at the YHA just down the street, however, unfortunately they will be doing the South Island in a clockwise direction in two weeks, while I’m taking a month in the opposite direction. That is the great part about the South Island, with the Alps running down the spine, there are essentially on two ways to see the place, clockwise or counterclockwise. We bid adieu and will hopefully cross paths again in Greymouth on the 9th. After some dinner and reading in the tree house, it was an early night as I was running on just over 3 hours of sleep from the night before.
What I Learned Today: Along with being New Year’s Day today is also the first day of the second, more exciting portion of my travels, as well as the half way point of my whole trip. Though I’ve learned through time that resolutions and other large life changes generally do not work for me, (slow, gradual alterations are superior in both short and long term results) today has offered me a completely clean slate with which to pursue life. A bright blue sky, a new island to explore, nothing at all that I ‘must’ do, a perfect empty space of life that I can fill with whatever I please.
written by
exumenius
on January 1, 2008
from
Havelock
,
New Zealand
from the travel blog:
Kiwis and Kangaroos
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On to Havelock - Night 84
Havelock
,
New Zealand
I awoke refreshed and took a short morning jog around the
Picton
Harbor
. Though only 6:30, the docks were busy as guide boats, diving rigs, and fishing trawlers prepared for the day. It has always seemed to me that people in the marine industry are early risers…perhaps I have a future in such work. I spent the remainder of the morning reading and relaxing in the hammock back at the hostel. At 11:30 I packed my bags and wandered down to the ferry terminal to catch my bus arriving at 12:15.
The Villa in Picton
The ride to
Havelock
was a short one, less than an hour. I was the only person stopping in the small town, the rest carried on to Nelson for the night.
Havelock
, the gateway to my Nydia Track hike, is located on one of the farthest south inlets of the Marlborough Sounds. A resorty place, it reminded me of Cecil, WI, but with towering mountains and a faint whiff of sea salt. The YHA where I was staying is an old school building that has been converted into a hostel. Family owned, it has a very calm feel to it, aided by the fact that there were probably only a dozen of us staying the night. I took a tour of town (20 min), stopped at a museum fundraising yard sale, and gathered some supplies and groceries for the hike. If you are looking for excitement and other people between 18 and 30,
Havelock
is not the place for you. It has the same sort of youth vacuum that is seen in so many small towns throughout the world.
What I Learned Today: Ferry terminals, airports, train stations all seem to radiate a certain sense of kinetic energy that never fails to bring a smile to my face.
written by
exumenius
on January 2, 2008
from
Havelock
,
New Zealand
from the travel blog:
Kiwis and Kangaroos
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Nydia Track, Day 1 - Night 85
Havelock
,
New Zealand
Kaiuma Creek
The water taxi for Shag Point, our drop off location, left at 10am. There was only one other hiker with me today, a 40 year old woman from Wellington named Teresa. On board the boat was an elderly couple with their grandkids headed for a holiday home somewhere in the Sounds, as well as a young couple doing some camping in one of the inlets. We were the first ones off. Our stop was little more than a gravel bar along a cliff. The captain pulled up as close as he could and we jumped off the bow (that’s the front) onto land. I cleared the nearly 4 foot gap, Teresa didn’t, but luckily her waterproof boots held and she didn’t have to start the hike with wet feet.
Nydia Bay from the Saddle
The Nydia Track doesn’t actually start until deep in Kaiuma Bay, so we had to hike it 5 kilometers along a gravel road just to get to the start of the track. After that it was up and over a small 700 foot hill, down into the valley and then back up to the Kaiuma Saddle at just over 1,000 feet of elevation.
Te Mahoerangi Resort
It wasn’t an overly difficult climb, but the sun beat down on us – aided by the low growth of the gorse forest – and temperatures hovered about 30 (low 80s) without a hint of wind. We stopped at the saddle for lunch and were met by an elderly couple who had come up from the Te Mahoerangi Backpackers, our intended destination, for a day hike. A few stream crossings, some cattle sightings and two hours later we arrived at Te Mahoerangi.
As we walked into the yard it reminded me of the scene from the movie The Beach where Richard and Co. waltz into the island village. Random people were scattered about the grounds doing odd chores, fixing grounded boats, or inspecting fishing reels. And surprisingly, young people too…though the only one who had the looks for Hollywood was the new manager’s wife, a blond darling of about 30. The buildings were all constructed of pine and by the looks of it fairly well built. Te Mahoerangi is off the grid so all power at the moment comes from a diesel generator; a solar unit is scheduled for installation later this year. The place is fairly new, the grand idea of a hippy couple who started the project, let it fester and now have moved onto to a new scheme on d’Urville Island. In the mean time they’ve hired a young, more business minded couple from Wellington to run it. They’ve upped prices and taken away a few of the perks, we were told by some guests who had been here before, but, overall, they’ve greatly improved the place and have turned it into a profitable business venture (Note: it is still a non-profit which donates all proceeds to environmental causes). I guess progress comes with a price.
A needed nap in the books, I spent the evening touring the bay and reading through their huge collection of old National Geographics. For dinner, the lodge kitchen offered a pumpkin something soup and salad for $35. I enjoyed my own tuna alfredo. At 10pm the generator was shut down, so it was light’s out and bed time for all.
What I Learned Today: Lying down to take my afternoon nap I was completely exhausted. I fell asleep immediately, although it was a strange sleep in that I knew I was sleeping but yet I was partly conscious. I felt as though I could control my dream in a way. It only lasted twenty minutes or so, but I awoke completely reinvigorated and of amazingly clear mind. Perhaps this was a strange sort of fatigue-induced meditation session…I don’t know, but I know this isn’t the first time it has happened to me and it is always caused by a good day of hard work, immediately followed by a nap.
written by
exumenius
on January 3, 2008
from
Havelock
,
New Zealand
from the travel blog:
Kiwis and Kangaroos
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Nydia Track, Day 2 - Night 86
Havelock
,
New Zealand
The Nydia Bay Pier
I arose around 7am, had a short breakfast and packed my bags. The sign said 5 ½ hours hike to Duncan Bay (where our shuttle is meeting us), so we had plenty of time. After a bit of reading, I left Te Mahoerangi around 8:15, Teresa decided to stay for awhile so I pushed on alone. The weather had pulled a complete 180. Low clouds clung to the hills and breeze off of the water necessitated long sleeves. Much better hiking weather than yesterday.
The trail crossed a few bridged creeks and
Duncan Bay
the front yards of some vacation homes for about a mile before it began to rise gently. Continuing on this soft gradient, I arrived at the Nydia Saddle two hours later. On one side beautiful Nydia Bay, on the other the equally scenic Tennyson Inlet. Though the views were similar, the north side of the saddle was not reached by Browlee’s logging 80 years ago and thus held old growth forest; the Nydia Bay side, unfortunately, had been cut and was in various states of regeneration. Another two hours downhill and the Duncan Bay pier and parking lot
Our Hike
signaled the end of the track. The 5 ½ hour estimation was a bit off. By this time, however, the clouds had lifted and sun again shone bright. Since I was three hours early for our shuttle, I ditched my pack in the woods, took off my boots and headed for the beach to read and nap.
Tennyson Inlet
Bruce showed up at 3 to give us a lift back to town. The hour long drive took us up and over another steep saddle and then down into the Rai River valley curving around and over the Pelorus River and finally back into Havelock. As it turns out Bruce is the new proprietor of the Havelock (Rutherford) YHA and is also making improvements to the place. In the backyard he has been busy constructing new wooden bunks and has moved the official town information centre to his office. Next up: refitting the now unused second story of the old school building into loft apartments. His work seems to have a purpose and an ease to it. Secretly, I want to stay and help, but the road calls.
What I Learned Today: The tiny village of Havelock is the boyhood hometown of two the world’s greatest physicists, Ernest Rutherford and William Pickering. Rutherford, who attended school in the very building in which I am sleeping, went on from these humble beginnings to co-invent, with Geiger, the first radiation measuring device. He was also responsible for developing the original particle collider. Pickering was once head of the U.S. Jet Propulsion Lab and co-designed the first successful American satellite. All this from a town of less than 500 people…imagine even one genius coming from Nichols, WI or Thorpe, WA.
written by
exumenius
on January 4, 2008
from
Havelock
,
New Zealand
from the travel blog:
Kiwis and Kangaroos
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Havelock to Nelson - Night 87
Nelson
,
New Zealand
I wandered the side streets of Havelock for my morning walk and stumbled upon the Havelock Cemetery. A brief investigation showed that no one had been buried here since 1996. Many of the old tombstones had tipped over, likely the end result of some juvenile prank, yet the lawn was freshly mowed around said toppled stones. An odd mix of overall apathy and diligent landscaping maintenance all mixed in.
In case you are wondering why I’m writing
The Pelorus Bridge
about a graveyard, its because that’s about as exciting as it gets in Havelock on a Saturday morning if you aren’t somehow involved in the marine industry. Unfortunately my bus wasn’t due until 1pm, so I had plenty of time to reflect on the serenity of small town life until then. Shortly after boarding we stopped at the Pelorus River wayside for a toilet stop; the majority of the bus having been riding since Picton. The Pelorus River travels through a bit of a gorge at this spot allowing for a picturesque bridge high above the deep water and plenty of swimming pools below. As is common with such bridges, every year or two a drunken youth misjudges the wind and ends up diving into the rocks, instead of the water, below.
The Geographic Centre of New Zealand
We arrived in Nelson, the so-called Sunshine Capitol of New Zealand at 3pm. I’ll be calling the Paradiso Hostel home for the next two nights. The place is located on the outskirts of Nelson, a city of 60,000. The Paradiso has a sprawling front yard with pool, hot tub and volleyball court – Erin, you’ll be pleased to know that the games were serious picnic ball…I could not bring myself to partake. In the back parking lot is a Thai food trailer offering huge portions for $7. They weren’t kidding about the portion size. Easily the cheapest meal I’ve purchased in New Zealand yet. Just outside of town is the geographic center of New Zealand. Being a bit of a geophile, I made the 45-minute hike to see the moment marking the center of the country. I spent the evening grocery shopping and drinking wine and talking travel in the hot tub with a British girl, a Swedish woman and a Dutch couple.
What I Learned Today: Due to the dominance of soccer on the European continent, it is often easy to pick out European youths on the volleyball court strictly by their abysmal hand eye coordination.
written by
exumenius
on January 5, 2008
from
Nelson
,
New Zealand
from the travel blog:
Kiwis and Kangaroos
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Kayaking Pepin Island - Night 88
Nelson
,
New Zealand
Glen, a guide from the Cable Bay Kayak company, picked me up at 8:30 and gave me a lift to their home base, just a short, 20-minute drive north of Nelson. The sky was overcast and a bit windy, hardly the picture perfect kayaking weather of yesterday. Our half day trip would take us up and around Pepin Island, lunch at a beach, and back the way we came in the afternoon. Often half-day groups are able to circumnavigate the island, however, today’s tides would prevent us from doing so.
Lunch in the Cove
There were 12 other kayakers beside myself. We would be taking double kayaks, with the exception of the group leader, Nick, who was outfitted in a sleek single yellow Necky. Since I was one of the only ones with any
Pepin Island
experience, I was matched up with a novice, Elise, a young girl from Israel, who was deathly frightened of the rough seas and didn’t talk (or paddle) a whole lot. I think most of her energy went toward trying to balance herself and hang onto her paddle.
Pepin Island Kayaking
They way out to the beach was against the wind and swell and was a difficult paddle, especially when pushing yourself and a chubby teenager through the chop. Early on, we paddled through some low, elongated caves, narrowly escaping the crashing surf. This was easily the most fun I’ve had kayaking; Elise, on the other hand, was white in the face. About two hours after we started we pulled into a hidden cove for a lunch break. On the way back to the landing we spotted a number of fur seals and some great gliding albatross(es)…how do you pluralize albatross? Upon returning to the landing, I jumped in the cool Tasman Sea for a quick swim, I had, after all, worked up quite a sweat pushing all that dead weight around.
The afternoon was employed by my favorite pastime; getting lost in a new town. I wandered the streets of Nelson, strolling down the river walk, up through Church Hill (a cathedral befit for a city ten times the size graces the top of the hill), and finally to the Infocentre where I was able to hook up to
Downtown Nelson
some wireless for long enough to update my journal. Nelson has a good bit of history and the town pulls out all the stops to pitch it as a tourist destination. Also, rather strangely, alongside the historical markers are markers explaining the history of the largest trees in the immediate vicinity. It seems as if the local council, shamed by the denuded hills and logging history of the area, imported rare trees from all over the world and planted them in the town center. The fruits of their forsightfulness now bear, among other arboreal delights, a 100-year old California Sequoia, an 80-year old Turkish Oak, and some variety of palm trees from Brazil.
What I Learned Today: Nearly every Kiwi I’ve talked to since arriving here on the south island holds a number of interesting jobs in order to make ends meet. Perhaps it is the fact that I’ve existed primarily in the tourism realm, however, I think that the adequate social safety net is also a serious factor in the overriding sense of entrepreneurialship I find ingrained in these people. Just imagine how many Americans would start new business ventures if they didn’t have to worry about health insurance. Were I a skeptic, I would attribute big industry’s (and laissez-faire Republicans in general) opposition to state health care is that the fact that it would create thousands of new, smaller and more flexible competitors eager to take market share in every niche possible.
written by
exumenius
on January 6, 2008
from
Nelson
,
New Zealand
from the travel blog:
Kiwis and Kangaroos
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Wet Ride to Greymouth - Night 89
Greymouth
,
New Zealand
Pancake Rocks at Punakiaki
As soon as we left Nelson the rain came down in buckets and hardly let up for the entirety of the day. Lefty, the bus driver, made the obligatory stops at the view points, but the sweeping vistas were obstructed by clouds and the only ones to leave the comfort of the bus were those with weak bladders. Around 1pm, we rolled into Panakaiki, home of the world famous pancake rocks. The rain had slowed to a slight mist, so we all made a mad dash around the walkway to view the sea stacks, blowholes and the oddly formed pancake rocks. Some form of sedentary rocks, local geologists have a number of theories on their origin, but no solid proof.
In order to pass the time on the drive we played “The Roadkill Game.” Basically, everyone throws in a dollar and guesses the number of dead animals we will pass along the way and the closest without going over gets the pot. Sitting near the front, I was the first one to proffer a guess. Knowing that New Zealand has no native mammals, I figured that roadkill would not be all that prevalent and ventured a guess of 19. Everyone after me guessed higher. The final count was 42.
We finally arrived in Greymouth at 5 pm
Enjoying our Free Beer at Monteith's
amidst a torrential rain. About the only touristy thing to do in town in the Monteith’s Brewery Tour. The eight of us from the YHA piled into the shuttle bus around 6 for our trip to the sacred origin of Monteith’s Original Ale. Our tour group was quite large, about 35 people, but with the promise of free beer at the end everyone moved along in an efficient manner and didn’t ask too many questions. The brewery in fact is very small and pales in comparison to places to like Red Hook in Woodinville. Also, surprisingly, much of their processes are still done by hand, such as packing the 6-packs and cleaning the brew vats and those things that are mechanized have been built by hand by the local Edison, an engineer/inventor of some fame (whose name eludes me). Finally, after listening to the enthusiastic tour guide ramble on about the sterility processes and the overall superiority of their product we arrived at the bar. Everyone was allowed a taste (about 4 oz.) of each of the seven varieties of beer that they produce. At the end we were each given to opportunity to fill our glasses with our favorite flavor. It was at this point that the tour guide committed a grave mistake; she left the taps unmanned and wandered into the gift shop. The wrong thing to do with me, a pair of Irish guys and a gaggle of German girls standing nearby. We attacked the open taps like polar bears on a seal colony. Downing beer as fast as we could, I certainly got my money’s worth.
Pouring a Pint at Monteith's
Also included in the tour package were a BBQ dinner and a pint of beer at the les s than luxurious Crown Hotel in downtown Greymouth. The meal was quite weak, but the pint was enormous, thus satisfying all but the vegetarians who had to pay extra for their meal. Lefty joined us down at the hotel bar for some storytelling and revelry. Around 11pm we realized that we were the last ones in the bar and were kindly asked to leave so that they could close up. I closed down a bar in Greymouth, New Zealand; check that off life’s list of things to do.
What I Learned Today: There are some places that seem so dour, so beat down by the passage of time that they are best seen in an absolute downpour. Greymouth is such a place.
written by
exumenius
on January 7, 2008
from
Greymouth
,
New Zealand
from the travel blog:
Kiwis and Kangaroos
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Franz Josef...the Glacier - Night 90
Franz Josef Glacier
,
New Zealand
Buckets of rain greeted us in the morning as the foul weather in Greymouth continued. The Magic Bus was nearly full, having picked up a number of add-ons who had just journeyed over Arthur’s Pass by train. Our first stop was in Hokitiaki, the center of the Greenstone (Jade) mining business in New Zealand. Additional pit stops were made in the small gold mining town of Ross, where one could pan for gold in the town hall, $6.50, and at some roadside Redneck museum where you could see a live possum for $4. I neither panned the gold nor pet the possum. Each segment of the Magic Bus trip is filled with these small diversions, mom and pop businesses hoping to get a few dollars from enough bored bus riders to stay in business. It appears the Redneck Museum wasn’t doing too well, as it was being offered for sale for $300,000. More importantly, these small stops allow everyone to stretch their legs and use the bathroom.
The Glacier
Lefty also like to play little games on the bus to pass the time as well. Since we had a few beers together at the bar last night, he knew me fairly well, and this gave him the opportunity to nominate me as the contestant for today’s game, Blind Date. Basically I got to sit in the front of the bus and read a number of questions to which contestants answered on pieces of paper and then I read through the answers and picked my “date.” The questions are a bit ridiculous and only five people turned in responses. The winner ended up being an Irish girl named Sandra. More on her later. Though admitted a foolish game, it was advantageous to be the contestant since instantly everyone on the bus knew who I was and made the night out at the bar much more fun. Even small bits of fame can be quite enjoyable.
We arrived in Franz Josef, a quaint little
Southern Alps
alpine town, around 1pm. Much of the bus had paid a ridiculous fee to go on a half day hike up on glacier. Having been on plenty of glaciers in my day, I wasn’t about to cough up $100 to trudge alongside Japanese tourists and obese Australian women to see a little bit of moving ice. Instead I took a long, five hour hike to the foot of the glacier myself for free. The glacier itself is quite ugly at the terminus, given the rocks and dirt that litter the area. The entire scene, however, the ice coming down from the frozen peak all the way into the green valley with the gray, water rushing out from the bottom is almost too beautiful for words.
Danger Calls
That evening we had all agreed to meet at the Blue Ice Café for drinks. A good portion of the people that had been on the bus the last few days showed up. Lefty managed to get us a few free shots. The Blue Ice has a happy hour from 9-10pm in which beer are $3 a pop. Something about paying for drinks with coins really makes me happy. Amidst drinking games and general conversation the night wore on and we all got drunk. I had made a point of it to wander on the down the table and meet my “date”, Sandra. Nearly the whole end of the table was Irish and had been traveling together for some time. Sandra was a nice enough girl, but to be honest a bit on the boring side and I wasn’t really into her. Being the drunken wanderer that I am, I gradually left the Irish scene and went to go talk to the cute Canadian girl
The Blue Ice Bar
from Toronto whose computer I had fixed in Greymouth. A bit later two of the Irish blokes chastised me for “blatantly hitting on another girl while my date was watching.” One of them asked me if I even found Sandra physically attractive, which in my drunken state I answered honestly “No.” They became a bit pissy and headed back to the table. I guess they didn’t understand that it was just a game. Oh well, fuck them. Somewhere in the background a local band was murdering Sublime.
On the walk home I realized that I think some pretty strange shit when I’m drunk. I vividly remember looking up at the Southern Cross and thinking to myself (likely out loud) “Bury me in Franz Josef when I die.” What a weird time to be thinking about death.
What I Learned Today: Today I had one of those moments where time seems to stand still and you are at complete peace with the world. Sitting at the Chateau Franz on a wooden swing, drinking wine and reading Puzo with the sun setting over the ocean to my left and the towering spires of Mt. Cook and the Southern Alps to my right I paused and thought to myself, “Wow.”
written by
exumenius
on January 8, 2008
from
Franz Josef Glacier
,
New Zealand
from the travel blog:
Kiwis and Kangaroos
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Who is Alex Knob? - Night 91
Franz Josef Glacier
,
New Zealand
The low, thick clouds nor the hangover were
Franz Josef from Above
enough to deter me from attempting the Alex Knob hike this morning. I set off on foot down the long road to the trailhead sometime around the 8am hour. About halfway down the 5km road an elderly Australian couple pulled over and offered me a ride to the trailhead; I graciously accepted. A trip to New Zealand just wouldn’t be complete without a little bit of hitchhiking. The trail was rather primitive and steadily rose up the hillside, offering little in the way of views. About two hours into the hike I had probably gained about 2000 feet of elevation when finally a sweeping vista of the Franz Josef Glacier appeared around a corner. Twenty minutes later I was up into the clouds and visibility began to decrease with each step upwards. I sat down for a quick snack and decided to cut my losses and
Along the Alex Knob Trail
head back down for the clouds hadn’t given the slightest hint of breaking. I was hoping to get to the advertised sub-alpine meadow high above, but the hike seemed to drag on and my alcohol-induced dehydration was beginning to set in. Oh well, as they say, “The journey is the reward.” On the way down I took a small detour to lunch by the lake. (Sidenote: I believe that using the word ‘lunch’ as a verb is annoyingly pretentious.)
I arrived back in town around 3pm by which time the clouds had cleared. Determined not to waste the rest of the improving day, I returned to my room and promptly took a glorious nap. The evening was spent on domestic chores such as laundry, packing and dinner preparation. Half of the guys in my room headed down to the bar, however, my quota of two nights straight had been reached so I gladly stayed behind and read for a bit.
High Above the Glacier
What I Learned Today: Sometimes the early bird does not get the worm. For the umpteenth time in my life I’ve gotten to the peak of a hike during immense cloud cover in the morning only to find the day much improved by the time I’ve gotten back to the parking lot as I never have the patience to wait it out. I guess being an early riser is my cross to bear.
written by
exumenius
on January 9, 2008
from
Franz Josef Glacier
,
New Zealand
from the travel blog:
Kiwis and Kangaroos
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Welcome to the Otago - Night 92
Te Anau
,
New Zealand
Lake Matheson
Our journey today took us down the narrow coastal highway down to the town of Haast, the southernmost town on the west coast of New Zealand. After this, the land gives way to the Fjordland national park, an area no self-respecting engineer would even dream of building a road. The way to Haast is amazingly scenic, with views of snow covered peaks to the left and the cerulean blue Tasman
Southern Alps
Sea off to the right. We must have crossed at least a dozen short, fast moving glacial streams along the way. Because of the terrible rains that befall this area, the bridges here are incredibly prone to washing out. As a result the local councils don’t put a lot of money into building what they see as a temporary structure. This means that all the bridges are one lane only and limited to one vehicle at a time. A few of them even share the crossing with a railroad going right down the middle of the road.
The bus made brief pit stops at Matheson Lake and Roberts Point along the way for some photo opportunities. Two hours after leaving we made the hard left at Haast and headed up the Haast River valley to the pass. Very quickly the road becomes wicked steep. Our pace slowed to about 40kmh for a number of miles. The full bus ground on faithfully, all the while Cameron, our driver, unflinchingly pitched the upcoming adventure activities in Wanaka and Queenstown. After 45 minutes of painful climbing we inched over the Haast Pass and out onto the Otago Plateau. The vegetation quickly changed to an arid scrub brush, the hills passing from the verdant green of the western rain forest to the daub brown of the highlands. It was somewhat akin to driving from the Oregon Coast to the high plains of Wyoming in just under an hour.
After a dangerous drive along Lake Wanaka, our tired coach finally pulled into town around 3pm. With most of the bus going straight through to the glimmering lights of Queenstown, only a handful of us brave souls disembarked in the small, lakeside community of Wanaka. The minute I stepped off the bus, I was glad I made this detour. The weather had been picture perfect, mid 80’s, not a cloud in the sky. The lake shimmered blue and reflected the snow covered peaks in the background. The Purple Cow hostel, my accommodation for the next two nights, looked out over the lake. As usual, the first thing I did after checking in was to go on a reconnaissance mission to scope out the place. The natural beauty of Wanaka is unquestionable; it is simply top shelf. My walk revealed, however, a slight stench of affluence rising. For the first time on the South Island I saw new subdivisions full of ultra-modern second homes. What was likely once a quaint downtown is rapidly being transformed into a kitschy, pseudo strip mall of Billabong stores and upscale jewelers. Make no mistake, it is nothing as gross and blatantly bourgeois as say, Whitefish, MT, but it is definitely a place undergoing some radical changes. From what I gathered from the locals, nearby Queenstown has simply become too pricy for most New Zealanders, so they’ve begun to move down the road to Wanaka. It appears that the great pendulum of haute living has commenced its swing and likely within five years it will take nothing less than a 6-figure income to call this place home.
What I Learned Today: The benefit of being on a lax timescale such as I am is that I can afford to stop at the little out of the way places and I can also afford to once in awhile just take a day off, lay on the grass, read a book, basically, relax, without feeling that I’m wasting a day. Even slightly reducing a small portion of travel to everyday life can sometimes go a long way to keep the spirits up and the body lively.
written by
exumenius
on January 10, 2008
from
Te Anau
,
New Zealand
from the travel blog:
Kiwis and Kangaroos
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