Otahake Hot springs--Dec.13-15

Our next big adventure….we set off towards Arthur’s Pass (which is a stunning drive through the Southern Alps) The road construction through this pass was quite the engineering feat in 1864 by Arthur Dudley Dobson he was a man well ahead of his years! It was only recently in the last 6 years that the road was rebuilt to allow larger trucks and construct actual two way bridges rather than the traditional one way bridges that you get! (which are quite freaky) okay enough with the history lesson! I saw my first Kea (Mountain Parrot, which is the largest alpine parrot) I guess they are quite the nuisance, and are too smart and strong for their own good. Supposedly, up on the ski fields, they will rip the rubber away from your window shield (or wind screen as they call it here) so that when you drive away your whole window will fall in on you! They also rip your window wipers right off…and steal small children (ha, just wanted to see if you were awake…or if you were sleeping through the biology lesson) Okay on with our adventure…it always seems to be an adventure before we even get to the start of our planned adventure…of course I am always notorious for being late but Steve… is a staller…so the two of us make quite the pair trying to get anywhere!! Of course there is always things to do, people to see before we leave and of course we have to stop by the local shop for the very much needed meat pie(not individual…oh no..much cheaper to buy the family size!!) before you go on a hike. So we finally got to the trail head, we actually parked Steve’s truck at a farm house for $5 a night, which worked out quite nice!!

We started out on our tramp and the first thing we had was a river crossing, quite a big river (Otira River) and very cold! We then headed toward the bush hoping to find the little orange markers that would send us on our way! It was quite an interesting hike: beautiful scenery, my first swing bridge, and about 12 river crossings! Some of the river crossings were very swift moving water we had to link up and hold on to each others packs to get across safely. We made it to Lake Karapataka, which is a neat little lake formed by a rock slide which blocked a river once in its day creating a lake. Once we were in the gully that we needed to be in we basically followed our nose…..we had several more river crossings depending on the terrain up the river and all for what you may ask….how about all natural hot springs!! It was GREAT!! There was a little island, which we camped on and to the left of the island was very hot thermal hot springs!! We spent a couple of hours digging and creating a pool for ourselves so that we were able to enjoy them all night long! It was awesome!!

The next day, we explored the river for a bit, but was distracted by a very cool little beach area where we decided to sun tan….then it was back to camp to create even better pools for ourselves…..The only really annoying little bugs they have here, are sand flies…they are awful! They bite without making any noise and they are sooooo itchy!! They seem like little blonde girls! So I have a few bite marks (and when I say few…I mean a lot!) even though I wore plenty of bug spray!! In this trip I saw a real live possum, a wiker (flightless NZ bird), a Tui (very cool song bird…quite rare) and of course the Kea (which if you remember from above is an alpine parrot). The trip back was great as well, we took a bit of a different route back to the truck but made it back safe and sound! All in all, great trip, beautiful weather and had a great time!

Mt. Somers--Dec. 7-9

Now the fun begins! My first real tramping trip (this is what they call hiking here) It is quite interesting all the precautions they take here for their trampers. DOC (Department of Conservation) are the people in charge of all the different hikes(there are tons of them!!)…which are all very well marked! You pretty much have to be prepared for all types of weather because the weather changes very quick here…one minute sunny and the next misty and cold….Before you go on a tramp, you always let someone know where your going and when you will be out…you also leave all your emergency contact info and medical stuff. Then at the trail head (beginning of trail) you have to write in the intentions book (which is basically a log book) in this book you put your names and what your plan is and when you will be off the trail. As you go along the trail you fill in the log books at the different huts, so that if something happens to you they can retrace your path.(the they people…are the SAR people…Search And Rescue) When your done the hike obviously you fill in the log book at the end saying your out and off the trail, then you call the person you left your info with…so they know your out and safe. Now being a rather virgin NZ tramper…I thought this was a little ridiculous in how much pre-caution is taken for a trip…I mean really how can you screw up…the trail is all marked, it is basically a path and there are huts along the way!!

So we headed south from Christchurch near the center of the island or as they call it here inland…where we met up with a family friend of Steve’s, she dropped us off at the trail head, because I guess it is common to get your vehicle broken into, because the intention book indicates how long you will be gone for! (there are hooligans in every country I guess!!) Off we went…..I was quite excited for my first real trip into NZ bush…..WOW it is stunning the views you get when you get off the highways and away from civilization. There were panoramic views every where you stood! It was absolutely breath taking at times…most of the tracks and trials are old mining roads….and it is really quite interesting how they made some of these tracks through the crazy terrain. We hiked in to the first hut, which was called Woolshed Creek Hut, it was a massive brand new hut (quite state of the art). We dropped our gear and then went exploring around the area, lots of little gullies, rivers and waterfalls. We found a swimming hole and decided to take the icy glacier plunge…it was freezing but very rejuvenating and quite refreshing after a days hike. We made it back to the hut to cook and play a couple hands of cards. The next day we woke up to the sun shining but a bit cool, we were off to the second hut. We hiked down to the rock caves, which were basically really huge rocks that had fallen and were quite magnificent (supposedly there were scenes from Lord of the Rings shot here). We made a very steep ascent to the saddle which is basically a pass between two mountains. The weather socked in on us (meaning it snuck up on us and took a turn) It turned very misty and foggy…it was crazy how fast it happened…I started to understand how easy it would be to get lost or loose your way off the trail, there are stories of people who actually had to make human chains because they couldn’t even see in front of their own face let alone find a little orange marker in the distance. It obviously wasn’t that bad, but it was interesting to say the least…it was a bit of a disappointment because it put a damper on the scenery…but before you knew it we were at the 2nd hut, known as Hut Pinnacle. It was a cute little place, looked more like the traditional huts supposedly. It was basically one room with a fireplace in the middle…bunks around the walls and a kitchen area at one end. I think it slept 10 people. The stove we had was stocked with coal…so I had my first coal lesson and how to get it going and started with not very much wood….Steve was quite the teacher…he was being stubborn (or some type of a boy scout ) and was trying to start the fire with no paper….well he finally gave in and used a little bit…but when that didn’t work…dumping a bit of cooking gas…always seems to do the trick!! So much for the boy scout way! We had the fire roaring before long and heated the little place right up! I gentleman by the name of Malcolm made his way up the trail and was quite pleased I am sure to arrive to a warm hut! He was an interesting bloke (guy) he managed a major farm in the area. (They call them Stations here) He was up at the hut because I guess there was going to be a race the next day and he was acting as a race marshal and SAR guy. We had great conversations and played cards through out the night!

The next morning we woke up to……SNOW!! It was great…I was so excited to see snow, I just had to make a snow man! We got all dressed up and started to make our way out. The scenery was great with all the snow, but as we dropped down the mountain we were back to warm weather! I was excited to have my first river crossing. It is quite funny because you will be hiking along and then there will be a river, and a little orange marker on the other side…you basically find the best path and stomp on through the river…boots and all! On our way out of the hike we stopped by Sharplin Falls, which was a little side route that took you too some cute little water falls. Then we walked about a mile down the road to where Steve’s truck was and we were all done! The whole trip could have really been done in 2 days or less but it was nice that we took our time and I was able to really take in all the scenery…it was a great beginner tramp’in trip for myself! Too put things in perspective….the race I mentioned earlier….well they did the same trip we did, the fastest guy doing in under 2.5 hours….hahahha we did it in 3 days…..(but we also had 15 kilos on our backs)

Gore Bay...Dec.2-3

This was Steve’s and I first camping trip, and my first look at the scenery while we drove North from Christchurch about 1.5 hours to our destination. NZ camping is quite different then camping back home…basically it is an open field or lot and you just pitch a tent…..no real trees or privacy, but it makes it good for meeting people! The camp site was by the ocean so you could hear the waves on the beach during the night. Another different thing here, is that the kiwi’s don’t really have camp fires….there are no pits for fires even at campsites! I was surprised by this….It was a pretty relaxing weekend…I tried setting up my hammock but with the lack of trees it made it difficult…(The weather was quite windy so where there were trees you wouldn’t want to hang out….cuz you would be blowin all over the place!) but we figured we could tie one end to the truck and if we pulled the truck forward we could make it tight enough….well it was a bit too tight, I was laying in it…and then one of the ropes snapped and I found myself with a sore arse. We met up with some other random people from Christchurch (this is the city I am living at) and Steve and I played Scategories with them all in their massive tent…it was an interesting evening!! We also met up with a couple from Holland and it was interesting hearing about their travels. The next day we wondered along the beach and explored around the rocks. All in all it was a good little weekend get-a-way.

The trip to NZ--Nov.25-28

It was hard to believe that I was finally stepping on a plane to make my way to New Zealand….I have been talking about this trip for some time now and finally the day came! I sure appreciated the cards and farewell wishes from all my family and friends….thanks! I even had quite the exit party at the airport with the Brentwood house hold…thanks guys!! And of course Aunty Dale to send me on my way… I was lucky to get on the plane with 2 very over weight and I am sure that my hockey bag was well over the size limit…..as well as my bike for only a $50 charge….I thought I was going to be charged a lot more!! So the trip started out great….

My first trip was to Los Angeles and it was very ironic because I sat beside a gentleman from Foam Lake, SK. He was on his way to an international rig site in New Guinee! so we were sharing our excitement of our first over sea adventure. He bought me my first beer of the trip!

Once I arrived to LA I had a bit of a wait, and then I was on my way to Taipei….My first LONG airplane ride…..it was quite funny because I sat beside a lady who was from LA and it turned out we were the only blondes on the whole flight! Everyone thought that we were traveling together and that she was my mom. It was quite funny! So the airplane…. WOW lets just say that one does not get bored….even me!! There is so much too do…I didn’t even want to sleep. First they give you hot towels to wipe your face, and then they give you stylish purple socks with a toothbrush and paste!! Once your in the air….this is when the fun begins…..everyone gets their own channel changer and TV! Any movie you could dream of is playing at your finger tips, plus all the songs you want (you can create your own play lists and everything), video games where you can challenge different people on the plane, mind bogglers and trivia questions! (I really didn’t figure this all out until the end of the trip, I couldn’t get past all the movies) The plane food was great as well….did I mention that there is all the wine you can drink…MMMMM. Once we arrived in Taipei (14 hours later) we had about an hour delay where we could get off the plane and walk around the airport, so we did. Then it was back in the plane for another 4 hours to Singapore.

Once in Singapore I had a 9 hour delay in front of me, so the first thing I did was use the fun squatting pan in the bathrooms! HAHHA it was quite funny….people looked at me funny while I took pictures….they should be thankful I didn’t ask them to take pictures of me using it!!

I then decided to check out the free tour of Singapore….price was right so I decided this was a great idea! It was quite interesting they just took us around on a bus and then gave us a bit of boat ride in a really disgusting river! But the sites were cool and I met a few people as well. Palak, actually just graduated from Auckland University in New Zealand and he was heading back home to India. So we hung out together at the airport, he bought some beer and we played pool and toured around the airport. Needless to say 9 hours went by quite quick! I then jumped on an other plane to my final destination Christchurch, NZ….WOW this is really for real!

I was so exhausted I pretty much slept for most of this trip….but then the little TV and remote caught my attention and I was back to watching movies. I sat beside a very cute elderly lady from Ireland, she was adorable and had great expressions that always caught me off guard. We became buddies and now I have a place to stay in Ireland if I ever go there! The trip went fast and before I knew it 12 hours later we were in Christchurch, NZ my final destination!

I was the first to the immigration desk to find out that someone messed up on the computer when they were filling in my visa and had me there for only a month! So lucky I had all my paper work and passport visa to prove that I actually did have a year visa…little mix up but not that big of a deal. I was then off to customs to see if I could get into the country…which almost didn’t happen! Funny little story, you know how I said I was the first into immigration…well I was the last to leave customs!! Hahah…..my bike that I decided to take last minute, well it was still caked with mud from my last mountain biking trip and a note to others make sure your stuff is clean before going into another country! I spent over an hour cleaning my bike with an officer in the bio-hazard room. It was great….we were scrubbing and scrubbing till finally he said….that is good enough! (it still was kind of caked with mud…but I think he was tired of scrubbing!) we then went to where the rest of my stuff was and I said, well do you want to check the rest of my stuff…and he said NOPE just go…….enjoy our country!! I said I sure will!!! I walked out to meet my friend Steve….who was waiting patiently for me to walk through the doors! I MADE IT…..40 some hours later!!! (I guess this is the trip you get when you go for a cheap route….but hey I got my money’s worth!!)