Final Thoughts on New Zealand

We had a lovely time in New Zealand. We saw such a beautiful and widely varying landscape that we only scraped the surface of outdoor activities we wanted to do. Most of the hostels we stayed in were very comfortable: well-equipped kitchens, cozy wood fireplaces, and even free warm chocolate cake! People were incredibly friendly and helpful, especially the rental car guys who quickly organized a car for us a day early when we got our North/South Island schedule mixed up. We liked it so much that we would probably consider moving there if it was closer... maybe even still will, Rich threatens. Without further ado, here are some - admittedly biased - final thoughts on New Zealand:

- The country is pretty empty. The stereotype that there are more sheep than people in New Zealand holds true - 10 per person. While a "city" may not be more than a town by our standards, this also means that huge swaths of national forests and long stretches of golden beaches are also very quiet. Time and again we marveled at how some idyllic spot would have been completely built up and invaded by tourists if it was in the U.S. or Europe.

- Since we don't own a car any more, it's been a long time since we've been on a road trip. Old habits die hard, and we did get some funny looks when we would park and walk 20 minutes into town. Parking lots would practically overwhelm us with choices. Rich enjoyed driving, particularly on the left side of the road. Roads were not as busy in the winter as we've heard they can be with summer tourists. This could make a big difference since what passes for a motorway in New Zealand usually only has 1 lane in either direction, and getting stuck behind a slow camper van or RV favored by holidaymakers could really add on to your travel time.

- New Zealand felt much more English. It helps that some parts of the countryside looked like they had been transplanted from the South Downs where Rich grew up. Food-wise also, meat pies and sausage rolls and curries abound. Funnily enough, many fish and chips shops also do Chinese food, and the scones are often made with dates instead of raisins. Since we happen to quite enjoy British cookery (despite its detractors), it was great to get these tastes of home.

- Although many would argue that more progress is still needed, it was interesting to see how integrated the indigenous Maori people and Maori culture was. The national anthem sung at the rugby match has both Maori and English lyrics, all New Zealand schoolchildren learn some Maori, and a solemn and moving haka was performed by infantrymen to salute the bodies of three New Zealand soldiers brought home from Afghanistan.

- Things often don't turn the way you think they should. We would normally expect to lock a door by turning the knob towards the side of the the door opens, e.g. clockwise, if the door is hinged on the left and opens on the right. This frequently is not so in New Zealand. To make things more confusing, it can be inconsistent. Rich came back from the shower in the men's room to tell me that hot water is towards the right, and when I go, its towards the left in the ladies'... in the same hostel! Sadly, we got nowhere on the myth that the toilet flushes in the opposite direction in the Southern hemisphere because, in eco-conscious New Zealand, they were all low volume toilets, which shoot in multiple directions!

Kaikoura, Part II, and Christchurch (New Zealand)

After our exhilarating experience swimming with dusky dolphins, we were already happy to give Kaikoura our seal of approval. But there's a bit more to see - actual seals! All the tourists know about the seal colony on the beach, but a short drive outside of town and a shorter walking trail brings you to a semi-secret waterfall and pool where the youngsters from the colony frolic and play. While their mothers are out hunting at sea, these pups are learning to socialize in the relative safety upstream. Their adorableness is almost overwhelming.

We can't say much about Christchurch, the biggest city on the South Island. Earthquakes and severe aftershocks in 2010, 2011, and 2012 destroyed large parts of the city, most significantly, the historic building downtown. All around are construction sites and looming cranes, and a huge chunk of the center is roped off as a no-go red zone. After 2 hours of driving around looking for a hotel room, we gave up and headed straight towards the airport. A motel in the outskirts would have to do, and Christchurch would have to wait until next time. We played a round of miniature golf for fun and did some last minute shopping before catching our flight out of New Zealand at 4 o'clock in the morning. 

Kaikoura (New Zealand)

Zigzagging across New Zealand is not an ideal route, but we headed northeast anyway because we didn't want to miss Kaikoura. In a country chock-full of beautiful views, this stunner was worth the detour. Shimmering, turquoise waters surround the peninsula, and the waves crashing on the big, dark boulders make for a striking contrast with the snow-capped mountains in the distance. A deep underwater canyon and an upwelling of currents off the peninsula combine to attract a variety of marine life... and the tourists who flock to see it. There is an easily accessible seal colony, over a dozen species of albatross, and crayfish the size of lobsters! Whale-watching though is what really put Kaikoura on the map since since sperm whales can be seen year-round not far off shore and humpbacks reliably pass by in the winter. Rich and I, however, planned to get a little closer to our marine life of choice than just a boat ride and a pair of binoculars. We were going to swim with dolphins!  

Wild, dusky dolphins hang out in big pods off the coast near town. Dark on the top (hence the name "dusky") and lighter on the underside, these guys are about our size and famous for their acrobatics. You can go out on a dolphin-watching cruise, and if the conditions are right, swim with them, too. Donning the mountain of neoprene apparel (wetsuits, hoods, gloves, etc.) wasn't going to dampen our enthusiasm... even though it should have clued us in to how cold it would be. We boarded the vessel and went searching. Once located, the crew carefully monitors the wild dolphins' behavior to decide if they are up for a closer encounter. For example, are they curious about the boat, circling back toward it or playing in the wake? If so, the skipper gives the signal to jump in with them. Sadly, in 3 hours on the water, we only saw one small pod with about 6 dolphins. They quickly shied away so the crew aborted the swim just as our feet touched the icy water. Even though pulling out showed how much the company respects wildlife and is concerned about safety - for which we totally applaud them - we couldn't help but still feel a little heartbroken. Especially on the heels of our failed glacier heli-hike. The good news was that the company offered us a deal that meant we could try again the next morning without any additional cost!

Taking them up on the offer, we were well-rewarded for our persistence. Scarcely 15 minutes into our second cruise, the skipper told us to suit up because we were about to converge on a large pod of over 150 dolphins! Slipping right into the teeming waters, the temperature at 10 C (or 50 F) was a shock. You soon forget this in the excitement and chaos of realizing that dolphins - DOLPHINS! - are streaming all around you. No touching is allowed, but honestly, it's so crowded that most of the time you worry they will run into you. Singing or making sounds (slightly challenging with a snorkel shoved in your mouth), diving down, or swimming in circles attracts their curiosity. It's actually a little disorienting. The cold water, the adrenaline, and singing "here fishy fishy" while swimming in ever-tighter circles to try to keep pace with a marine creature is pretty hard on the human body. But how many people can say they looked a dolphin in the eye and played with it for a while? It was frickin' amazing!! Eventually, the pod outswam us. So we hauled ourselves onboard, the crew steered the boat back up to the front of the pod, and we were right back in the action again. And repeat. For a total of 5 times. What a truly awesome - and I say that in the truest meaning of the word - experience!      

Arthur's Pass and Oxford (New Zealand)

Once you start heading down the west coast of the South Island, there aren't really too many options to cross over back to the east coast. Arthur's Pass seems to be the main highway through the Southern Alps. The transition from the wetter rainforests in the west to the drier sub-alpine east makes for dramatic landscapes. Kea, a species of mountain parrot, attack camper vans of unsuspecting tourists who appreciate the photo opportunity initially and then realize the birds are tearing at their door seals. The Devil's Punchbowl trail is a nice opportunity to stretch your legs along the way and check out another waterfall.

Not far out of the mountains, Oxford doesn't even exist in the guide books, but the nice little village is home to more family. Rich's cousins own a small farm, and we got to admire the gardens and meet their Clydesdale and Lipizzaner horses. The Shetland ponies followed us around, but it was the alpacas that really stole our hearts. With no regard of personal space, they stick their furry faces right up in yours, look deep into your soul with their big eyes, and give you a solemn sniff to greet you. Hilarious!

Greymouth and Franz Josef (New Zealand)

About 4 hours southwest of Abel Tasman National Park lies Greymouth. A quick glance around reveals its claim as the biggest city on the west coast doesn't really mean much, but after days in the backcountry, we were pretty happy in any place with a real bed and hot showers. The old mining settlement on the Grey River is home to a few shops showcasing quality jade carving. The green stone is highly prized in Maori culture, and though occurring naturally in this region, trade and the working of it is tightly regulated in New Zealand.

One thing we've enjoyed here is the availability and variety of craft beers. Restaurants and pubs around New Zealand prominently display their allegiance to different breweries, and you can be sure going into one that the full range from that brewery will be on tap. Monteith's is one of the most popular, and Greymouth just the happens to be the home of the original brewery. At first, the 30 minute tour seems a little pricey at 20 NZ dollars (= 10 pounds or 15 €), but then you get a 12 oz. pour of a brand new beer, tickets for an additional 3 glasses on-site, and a coupon for a free pint off-site. The brewers are experimenting in 3500 liter batches, and as visitors to the brewery, we got to try the new india pale ale and a truly fantastic apricot hefeweizen. Their black beer and winter ale also were quite tasty, and Monteith's Original – the oldest recipe and still the biggest seller – gets a thumbs up from us, too. After all the free alcohol, it's a good thing the in-house cafe also serves hearty fare like a luxurious seafood chowder.

Three hours further south of Greymouth is glacier country. There are two to choose from – Franz Josef and Fox. We had booked many months in advance and were very eager to hop on a helicopter and be whisked up onto the blue ice. Unfortunately, just as we started to suit up, the heli-hike was cancelled due to low cloud cover and poor visibility. We were gutted! The consolation prize – a free walk to the face of Franz Josef glacier – was much less impressive so we washed away our tears with a visit to the hot pools in town. Later, we blew some of our substantial refund on a lovely dinner of New Zealand lamb shanks and stayed to cheer on the national rugby team in a 22-0 defeat of their rivals, the Australian Wallabies. The All Blacks team are the pride of New Zealand, capturing the most recent Rugby World Cup in 2011, and it was great to see their awesome skills and watch them perform the haka (a traditional Maori warrior challenge) on their home territory.

Abel Tasman National Park (New Zealand)

Abel Tasman National Park, smallish by this country's standards, is located on the north coast on the South Island. We were there to hike the Coast Track, which has been designated one of New Zealand's 8 Great Walks. The entire track can be done in 3 – 5 days for backcountry hikers. Water taxis at several points and a bus at one end make it very accessible, and therefore, also popular with day visitors. The well-maintained trail itself is not very strenuous or technical. Marshes lead upward to the native bush of scrub land and rainforest. Secluded waterfalls and majestic tree ferns delight the eyes and add more beauty to the landscape. Isolated, golden sand beaches meet turquoise waters and white granite outcroppings. In summer, we've heard it can feel like a traffic jam on the track, but in the winter, we practically had it all to ourselves. Seeing half a dozen other hikers on the trail one day felt busy, and another night we were alone in a hut that sleeps 32 people. The huts are reserved through the Department of Conservation (or DOC), and though pricier than we're used to in North Carolina, they all had thick mattresses, wood stoves, and the hallmark of civilization – flush toilets with seats and toilet paper!

The one factor that does make the Abel Tasman Coast Track challenging is the tides. There are several spots along the trail where you need to cross tidal streams or estuaries. This involves a lot of head-scratching as you compare tidal charts, sunrise and sunset times, the estimation of your own speed (laden with your pack), and how deep you're willing to wade in chilly, often fast-flowing waters. At one point, several groups of hikers were sitting around for over an hour on a sandfly-infested beach waiting to cross a 3 meter stream. Eventually, boots came off and everyone rolled up their pants in their impatience to keep going. Further complicating these issues, we found the DOC estimates for completing a trail section to be, shall we say, ambitious… to the point where we started referring to them as “in New Zealand time” (= it will take us 1.5 times longer).

We did see a wide array of New Zealand fauna as well. Coastal birds like oyster catchers, cormorants, and ducks made regular appearances in Abel Tasman. Our favorite little birdies though were the fantails, which flit around picking up insects in the soil disturbed by our passage and flashing their white fan-like tails. The waters around Abel Tasman are part of the Tonga Island Marine Reserve so we got to check out some seals and blue penguins from our water taxi on the way back. The 3.5 days we spent in Abel Tasman National Park was a real change from the rest of our trip, and we really enjoyed this gorgeous corner of the country!

Wellington, Nelson, and Motueka (New Zealand)

If Rich thought Auckland felt like a proper city, Wellington is where all the cool kids must hang out. We didn't get to spend much time there, but the center seemed to have a lot of cool restaurants and bars filled with the artsy fartsy and hipster crowds. There's a film school, and it's the base of the New Zealand film industry. You can visit the Weta Workshop, too, responsible for much of the special effects and costumes in Lord of the Rings, Chronicles of Narnia, and other films.

Te Papa, the Museum of New Zealand, has to be the best free museum ever! Although, like everywhere downtown, you do have to pay for parking. The exhibits are well-organized, creatively presented, and highly interactive. With New Zealand's location in the Ring of Fire, the awesome power of nature features prominently, including experiencing a mock earthquake inside a house. There are exhibits highlighting the flora and fauna with an outdoor native bush area and a scary, preserved colossal squid  (that's the real name). You can learn more about Maori and New Zealand history and culture even stepping inside a whare, or a traditional Maori meeting house.

We had a smooth crossing on the ferry from the North Island to the South Island. Later we heard horror stories detailing rougher ones with 3 meter swells, and the boat running out of the entire supply of seasickness bags. Passing the misty, forested outcroppings of desolate smaller islands in the Marlborough Sounds reminded us of the approach to Vancouver Island in Canada.

After picking up our South Island car, we headed straight for Nelson in the dark, finding it to be quite a charming town by daylight. The little shops all seemed to be staffed by friendly people, and we got to catch up with another friend in a nice pub that inexplicably was playing an old North Carolina favorite tune “Wagon Wheel.”

The road out of Nelson towards Motueka is quite picturesque as, in addition to the ubiquitous sheep on the hill, it is also wine country. Pinot Noir grows particularly well in the Upper Moutere region, but the wineries also produce Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Gewurtraminer, and Riesling from grapes sourced locally or elsewhere in New Zealand. Wine tastings were very reasonable, ranging from free to 4 tastes for 2 New Zealand dollars (= 1 pound or 1.50 €). Such generosity tends to lubricate the wallet, and we picked up a nice reserve Pinot Noir from the Woollaston vineyards for later and had a nice lunch from the wood-fired oven at Kahurangi Estates. Other stops along the wine route also included a glassblower's gallery, a fruit stall selling bags of kiwifruit (kiwis are only the people or the flightless bird in New Zealand), and a woodturner's studio with a gnarled, cross-eyed old man with the air of a chatty grandad.

Waitomo and New Plymouth (New Zealand)

Two hours west of Rotorua is the village of Waitomo, famous for its limestone caves and glowworms! These bioluminescent beauties are the larval stage of a fungus gnat. They produce a mucous-y silk that hangs down in strands to catch their prey of small flying insects, which are attracted to the lights in the dark. You can view the caves on a relaxed walk-and-boat ride or you can go what I'm calling the EXXXTREME ENTOMOLOGY way. Donning thick wetsuits, neoprene socks, and very fetching white boots, we headed into the caves armed with headlamps and inner tubes! We had to do a practice jump beforehand – backwards off a platform into the freezing waters 3 meters below and landing on our inner tubes. An Irish couple didn't fare well in the practice run (Rich said you could've mistook the guy's cold shock for a heart attack), and they backed out completely once they saw the rushing waters in the first cave. Heavy rains in the area meant the water levels underground were very high. One section called “the limbo” was really more of a duck and dive job since there was less than 6 inches of head space between the water level and the rock above. Caving with the inner tube was actually a little cumbersome because if you weren't actually on it, the fast currents will drag it – and you – even more. The currents did make for some fun tubing, especially through the narrow passes where we joined up in a chain and turned off our headlamps to enjoy the starry sky-like glow of the worms. The ambiance was made complete by our group's rendition of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” in the echo-y caverns. We all managed the jumps and slides fine, and the guides challenged us to a game of “Find the Exit” by going dark and following only the trail of the glowworms above, floating solo until we all eventually emerged into the sunlit rainforest. Awesome!

New Plymouth, another 2.5 hours southwest of Waitomo, is usually not a place for tourists. A good-sized town, or “city” by New Zealand standards, it is mostly known as the home of the oil and gas industry. We were there, however, to visit friends. Oddly enough, one of Rich's friends from college  (a Brit) and one of my friends from grad school (an American) both just happened to have moved to this exact corner of New Zealand this year. We had a stroll along the waterfront (where volunteers were scanning the coast for missing and presumed drowned climbers) and peeked into the local museum. We tried several times to get a shot of the nearby mountain Taranaki (so perfectly cone-shaped, it's sometimes a movie double for Mt. Fuji) though the persistent rain and clouds were conspiring against us. But mostly in New Plymouth, we enjoyed the simple pleasures of life: an excellent tea and scones in a cafe, the ancient art of prowling for secondhand CD's in a record shop, and drinking good beers (Rich's friend unveiled a particularly fine stout he homebrewed).

Rotorua (New Zealand)

A flight attendant recommended waiting until daylight to drive the 2.5 hours southeast from Auckland to Rotorua in order to appreciate the scenery. We had to admit it was a pretty good rendition of idyllic pastoral beauty. Rich thought it looked like England, but stretched on the z-axis. Blue skies – check. Rolling mossy green hills – check. Fluffy sheep and placid cows dotting said hills – check. As one person put it to us before, it's almost too perfect to be real. All it needed was a Christmas nativity or a model train set in order to convince us otherwise. No wonder director Peter Jackson decided to use one spot in the area for Hobbiton in the Lord of the Rings films. To cap it all off, we saw 4 rainbows in one day!

Rotorua is the one of the North Island's biggest tourist destinations. It is one of the world's most concentrated and accessible geothermal sites, and we checked them out a couple of ways. Wai-o-tapu is a park of multi-colored geothermal pools and geysers. The pools, rocks, and even plants are covered with layers of strange residues, e.g. reds for iron oxide, yellows or greens for sulfurs, etc. While most of these areas are too hot to even walk on (use the platforms for safety), there are other pools which you can sink right into at the spa in town. The rotten egg smell seems to pervade all of Rotorua, but somehow you manage to forget this and all your other cares in the steaming mineral baths overlooking the serene lake and surrounding hillsides.

Rotorua and the lake are important places for the indigenous Maori people. You can visit Maori village sites to learn more about the culture. Although most Maoris live integrated into modern life, the presentation showcased such important aspects like traditional greetings, songs, warrior canoes, and weapons training. Although obviously directed towards tourism, it doesn't feel forced or inauthentic. It's clear that the people are eager to share and preserve their culture. Visitors most look forward to the hangi, the traditional special meal buried and cooked over coals for hours. The lamb and chicken were very tender, the potatoes and kumara (a type of sweet potato) were wonderfully smoky, and the inclusion of stuffing showed the influence of British settlers. Yum!

Auckland (New Zealand)

The curse of the discount airlines struck down our plans to reunite in Auckland for a day of sightseeing. With Julie stuck in Sydney for an extra 24 hours, I was forced to go it alone. Unfortunately, being accustomed to being under her boot, I was unable to fully let my hair down and spent most of the day walking around aimlessly.

The decision to walk rather than drive got some strange looks from the hostel staff, but I'm glad I did. The half hour walk to the city centre was a nice one with good views of Auckland and the iconic sky tower all the way in. I also stopped in at a Asian-run Italian coffee shop that baked pastry shipped frozen from France. To my surprise, it was the best coffee I've had so far this trip. They also recommended I go to the port to check out the seafood market (see Julie's previous post regarding Asians and seafood). Although it was nice to see, it made me appreciate how lucky we are in Barcelona to have bigger seafood markets in every barrio!

My only other adventure was going to the Auckland Art Gallery. The new gallery (completed in time for the 2011 Rugby World Cup) showcases the best of Kiwi contemporary art. A big surprise came while I was puzzling over the toilet seat glued to the ceiling next to a row of framed O's. A tall, well dressed, and very excited man (who later turned out to be the museum's curator) came running through the exhibits telling people to get upstairs as quickly as possible. An award winning performance artist was coming on a surprise visit and about to do an impromptu show! I sauntered upstairs trying to pretend I was too cool be be excited about such things. Only when I got there did I read that this artist tries to “explore the relationship between artist and audience.” I think it's clear to everyone what that means. Yes, we would be called upon to “do stuff.” I hid quietly in the corner and prayed that she didn't pick me for some kind of embarrassing act, and prayed harder that the person next to me wasn't some kind of secret performer that was about to jump up and cause the crowd to look in my general direction. Fortunately, I was let off the hook, free to ponder the artist-audience relationship that arises from shoulder wrestling to the strains of an upside-down string quartet. Hmmmmm.

All in all, I had an interesting day in Auckland by myself. I was glad to pick Julie up later that evening, though, so we could continue our adventures together.