New Zealand Adventures Arthur's Pass to Hokitika and South

Well howdy.  It's been a few weeks now in NZ.  So far my only complaint would be for the sandflies.  Those buggers really do suck!  I don't have much time to write, so please excuse any misspellings or goofy wording.  I have 9 minutes and 4 seconds, three seconds... left... anyway.  I started my travels again after a few days in Christchurch relaxing and spending time with my friend Natalie (former Devils Postpile Ranger and current Antarctica fuels person or Fuely) who was back in Christchurch for a few days, by backpacking through Arthurs Pass.  At first i thought up a great idea to walk from Arthurs pass over a hike called the three passes to the west coast of NZ, but large amounts of snow, a stupidly heavy pack and me just hiking/climbing (ice axe and crampons needed) what would be very technical terrain all added up to make me realize that was a bad idea.  So instead I enjoyed walking around, meeting some new friends in the backcountry huts and enjoying the sites.  I'll continue the tale under each photo.

 Beginning of the Arthurs Pass few days.  Pouring rain and high river crossings meant I was soaked!

 Here are some of the friends I mentioned.  That's Biana, Zev and Amit (Arez was in the other room).  This is one of the things about NZ and simply traveling alone that is so much fun.  YOu meet all sorts of people and these guys were great!  I learned a new Israeli card game or really a russian card game played by Israelies, called Durack or at least that's how it sounds.  I spent three days with these characters, enjoying the hike and eventual good weather.

 There ya go... the good weather.

 I left my new Israili friends to hike up this valley.  See those clouds and snow in the background... that's the three passes hike i mentioned... yeah, i started to doubt the intelligence of that idea about this time...

 So as my doubts rose about the pass, my excitement at least for hiking took off!  This was an incredible meadow I had the extreme pleasure of walking through for several miles on my way to my campsite.  I was the only person out there for hours and hours and hours....

 I nearly lost my mind walking through these gorgeous fields of lupin.  They were everywhere and so fragrent.  If the wind was right i could smell the flowers hundreds of feet before I got to them.  After leaving the meadow the hiking just mostly was in river bed and steep hillsides.  It got long and tiring and my pack amazingly seemed to be getting heavier...  I didn't get to a hut until about 7 that evening having started my day of hiking around 8am... yeah that was a long one.

 The next day I was pretty much decided i woun't try the three passes hike, but I had read about a cable car just around the corner from my hut I wanted to check out.  This looks like a great idea right?  Well i thought so... well until I actually stepped in and i started moving across the river.  It stopped not even halfway across.  I then took a closer look at the rusty cables and the long uphill battle I'd have to fight by hooking some sort of wrench to the cable and pulling the car the rest of the way... i decided to focus my efforts on getting back to the side of the river i started on and head back to the trail head.  It was back at the cabin before I left that I met a couple who actually ended up inviting me to their wedding in VietNam once the learned that's where I was heading in not too long.  Unfortunately the wedding was after my flight home... another lesson in why one should never book a return flight until they absolutely must return...

 Beautiful and cold swimming hole on the way out of the valley... sandflies do not encourage one to skinny dip and sunbathe for long...

After hiking around I made it to the west coast and a little town called Hokitika.  This is where I spent Christmas.  It was such a lovely and relaxing place to be.  This was me Christmas day.

In Hokitika on Christmas like everywhere in NZ everything shuts down.  Everything so really even eating becomes an issue. A local church decided to fix this problem by providing a travelers/community christmas lunch.  It was such an awesome and love filled afternoon.  Everyone was so friendly!  I met a great family that invited my traveling friend and myself to their house to spend that evening with their extended family. 

They showed us the Hokitika gorge...

Here's Steve and Helen.  Great people!

and Brian who decided that water was just too inviting to pass up... i was thinking the same but didn't have the proper swimming attire...

Brian and I along with Steve and Helens family out canoeing on a lake next to their lake house.  What an amazing eve!

Here's that great family i mentioned.

I don't have time to go into detail describing the rest of the photos... darn free library internet... so enjoy and I'll try to update soon.

Fox Glacier and me

Beautiful rocky beach.

I'm about to take another plunge into a wonderfully cold lake :) amazing

Camp for the night... serene 

Xavi liked it too

Now i'm off to enjoy a folk festival in the hills above Dunedin for a good 4 days or so.  Wish I had my horns with me, but i think i'll still enjoy dancin and relaxin as i listen to some good ol' pickin and a strummin.  Happy New Year!

First week in NZ plus a few last minute Ice pics

 Why not jam out on top of Ob hill?

 only a little cold...

Another member of Bear Brothers is found... and strength tested... thanks natalie

 

I actually met jacob on the plane from Dallas to Sydney.  He took one look at me and me one look at him and we both new the other was headed to Antarctica.  We didn't look all that dissimilar to what we look like in this photo, simply shorter beards.  Pleasure meeting you Jacob!

 

C-130, my ride back to NZ

 

Excited to see trees again!

 

 USAP (United States Antarctic Program) people are in red.  Kiwi (New Zealander program people) are in the orange and black.

 Very roomy inside... and very very noisy!

Gear return...

 

Saying goodbye to Kirstie

Last group photo before some of us split

 

Katie, Eric and I traveled together for about a week and as far as we know Katie only killed one bird.  Really, this bird probably wasn't killed but committed suicide.  

 

So it goes...

 

Why not camp next to a river as it pours into the ocean?

 

Absolutely... same river and ocean, simply now in morning light :)

 

Second night spent camping next to the ocean outside of Kaikura.  Awesome time, though a bit wet...

 

Rain in the distance... would later become rain soaking through my clothes...

 

 Met a man at a 2nd hand shop who when i told him I was from PA, he started singing Glenn Miller's song Pennsylvania 65000.  We then bonded since i told him of my time touring with Glenn Miller and he told us of a live music venue in town called the Strawberry Tree.  Quaint little place with a nice fireplace.  Katie and Eric giving me equally disturbing looks while enjoying the music. 

A fur Seal pup enjoying a dip.  We read about a waterfall pool where seal pups swam in.  Sort of a seal nursery.  No seals in the pool except for this little guy further down stream.  He was having a great time swimming and diving and twisting under water for the tourists. 

Katie at the waterfall... no seal pups

 

A fun argument between eric and katie: E "Move forward, they will get out of the way." K "I don't know, the farmers right there." E "move" K "ahhhh" E "trust me" K "AAAHHHHH"  made me laugh anyway... :)

 

katie and Eric rented a car from a company called Cheap and Cheerful... we later dubbed them Cheap and Fearful as the car was deciding to simply stop sometimes even when the gas was fully pushed... well despite car grumblings, we pushed through a long windy gravelly road in teh mountains to this beautiful and remote lake, Lake Tennyson.  We spent two nights in the area and absolutely loved it!  cold, but loved it!

 

Gorgeous morning

 

Such still water for a few minutes

 

Some sort of orchid!!!!  I love flowers...

Katie and Eric taking in the views.  Nice hike up and soon to be adventurous hike down.  Notice all the skin showing on katie and eric... few hours later that was a wonderfully funny red... well again, funny to me

Incredible

katie and eric took the thorn bushed slope down, i took a thorn bushed wet slippery stream with hidden waterfalls everywhere.  It was the most fun i've had in months!!! I was screaming and whooping with joy as i crawled along my belly at times to squeeze through the thorns and rocks.  

And how bout after such an intense hike down one jump naked into a lake, am i right or what?  notice i didn't put a naked photo up... you are welcome.

 

Eric about to ford dangerous water... not really, more like splash slowly through ankle deep refreshing water

A cabin we stayed in after the lake.  Nice to have a roof over our head.

 relaxin inside with a fire...

 beautiful flowers with a phone line!

I love this photo.  I think one can read many things into it :)

 

Crazy montanans found a hedgehog... a dead hedgehog

Last photo with these guys.  They headed north and i headed south.  I had blast traveling with them and hope we can meet up one last time before they take off for the states.  Who knows where that will be.