Postcard From New Zealand: May 2010

Hello all!

I write to you tonight from the seaside town of Riverton in Southland, New Zealand. As Jamie and I have continuously said throughout the past four days, "this is the furthest south we've ever been (and probably will ever go)." The trip has been going smoothly thus far and we have been sticking to the itinerary I posted quite religiously. The only variation we've made is skipping the stay in Queenstown and continuing on to the charming lakeside town of Te Anau, allowing us to split up some of the drive from Milford Sound to Dunedin and to drive as far South as Bluff, which is on the route for tomorrow.

We left 67 Brougham Street before the sun came up to bus to the airport for our 8:20 flight to Christchurch. Its probably a good thing it was so early because I generally can't display emotion before about 9 am and my mind hadn't registered how very sad it was to say goodbye to Wellington. However We managed to tear ourselves from our mattress on the floor and make it to the airport with time to spare. In Christchurch we were introduced to our home and transport for the week and must admit we were a bit disappointed: let's just say the new model is no Leland (not even a Leland II!). The van has over 300,000 kms on it and is teeeeeny compared to Leland's ample interior. Also it handles like a turtle. We're getting on alright with her though considering she is the only home we have in New Zealand now.

From Christchurch we continued on with plans of sleeping in Twizel and bypassing Mt. Cook altogether. As we drove though I decided we probably had enough time to see the glaciers I'd heard so much about and we took the one way highway to Mt. Cook National Park. Before the sun went down we took a walk up a rocky hill completely surrounded by 22 of the 27 highest peaks in the country. We eventually came to a summit of sorts overlooking some very sad looking glaciers. Because of global warming the infamous glaciers have shrunk beyond repair. We realized the trip was worth the drive when after a yummy dinner we looked up to find one of the brightest night skies either of us had ever seen making visible hundreds more stars than we even knew existed.

We drove on bright and early eager to refuel both our stomachs and the campervan. After sorting ourselves out in Twizel, we drove the three hours to Wanaka, which we'd heard so much about. I was hoping to have enough time to walk one of the tracks the guidebook listed as "just outside town" but was sorely disappointed when the campsite attendant told us we'd be driving an hour before finding one. Nevermind, we spent some time by the beautiful lake in the center of town, checked the movie times at the unique theatre Jamie's brother, Ben, had told us about, and decided to walk the 90 minute loop to the summit of Mt. Iron, overlooking Lake Wanaka. Feeling revived and empowered we returned to our deluxe campsite complete with free wireless and sauna. We ventured back out to catch a screening of "Mao's Last Dancer" and were delighted to find the cinema as kitschy as Ben had described. The seats were an assortment of old airline rows, comfy armchairs, and even a bright yellow VW Bug convertible decked out with multicolored cushions. Wanaka certainly did not disappoint.

We woke up the next morning disappointed to see grey skies and rain for miles around, but the weather didn't deter our excitement for the day's activity: Bungy Jumping the 43 meters off the historic Kawarau Bridge! We rolled into the Bungy Center about 20 km outside of Queenstown a couple hours early to prepare ourselves for the voluntary insanity. After watching both my brothers successfully complete their Bungies in Taupo, I thought I'd get the best of my nerves, but that familiar feeling crept upon me and I found myself insatiably thirsty and a bit shaky. Jamie on the other hand, seemed to keep his cool and was nothing but smiles upon viewing the drop. For the next couple of hours we checked out the shops and lake in Queenstown hoping the weather would clear and amazingly, it did! Feeling better about the fact that I wouldn't be jumping into freezing rain, we prepared for our jump. It's hard to say exactly what happened in the moments before we stepped off the platform, but I'm sure they told us a certain way to jump or what to do when we reach the bottom. Whatever they may have said, I didn't hear any of it and with a hurried countdown, we took the dive (me first, then Jamie). Jamie had opted for a "water touch" but unfortunately the chord came a few inches short of the surface and he came back to land dry. All in all it was an exhilarating experience and though expensive, definitely worth it.

After some additional souvenir shopping in Queenstown we decided to drive on to our next stop, Te Anau. There we found another charming lakeside town and after setting up camp we took a stroll down to the water. Again, the night sky was incredible and after some serious stargazing we returned "home" to watch a movie and sleep. We were up bright and early the next morning eager to start our jorurney on the Te Anau-Milford Highway. We booked our Milford Sound Cruise which promised astounding views of waterfalls, mountains, and seals and thanks to our Campervan rental company's 2 for 1 voucher, one of us rode free. The drive up was as lovely as promised even in the rain. Just a short walk from the highway we saw reflective lakes, waterfalls, and rare birds such as the kea.The most amazing thing about Southern New Zealand is the absence of people (except tourists of course). Much of the region is protected by the Department of Conservation which means people can't build, log, or farm on the land. We often drove an hour without seeing another car or human which makes for a refreshing sort of isolation. Our cruise was pleasant, made better by the fact that the sun came out just as we departed land and made for some very photogenic rainbows. We did see waterfall after waterfall, the biggest of which prompted a crew warning to either stay inside or be prepared to get sprayed.

Hopeful to see some sort of civilization before dusk we continued South from Te Anau with plans to stay at a campsite outside the large town of Invercargill. We found lovely little Riverton and had a pleasant pub meal by the water. I believe that pretty much brings you up to speed of course by the time you read this we may even be home as internet access is far less common down here. Anywho, enjoy it when you can!

Postcard From New Zealand

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

NZ Travels Part II

Monday, May 3, 2010

South Island Adventure Plans!

Adventurers

Playlist From New Zealand

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