Arthur’s Pass National Park and Akaroa (Banks Peninsula)

Gregory takes the front seat and navigator duties on the drive over Arthur's Pass. We crossed the entire South Island (from Gremouth to Christchurch) in a little over 3 hours to avoid the foul weather.

Precarious passing on Arthur's Pass (The truck on the left is broken down.)

A misty day over Arthur's Pass

Driving towards Christchurch (away from the poor weather on the west coast), we eventually found the sun.

Self-portrait

Meeting one of the locals at a pottery shop we popped into on our bush walk in Akaroa (Banks Peninsula).

A pose in my purple shirt while we tramp the Purple Peak Stock Route above Akaroa

Mike and Gregory tramping over the hills above Akaroa.

Gregory leads the way.

I love this picture of my guys.

Cricket being played in the park at Akaroa

A bit about the Maori (pronounced mow-ree) taken from the Akaroa Museum. Note: Aotearoa (a-o-tear-o-a) means Land of the Long White Cloud.

Val and Gregory toasting pine nuts in Tamari (good soy sauce)

Akaroa SERVAS host Val Parker

View from the hilltop Tourist Drive on the day we departed Akaroa

A little information on the formation of the Banks Peninsula (taken from the Akaroa Museum)

Gregory met Kurt (also 9 years old) at the Chequered Flag Cafe & Bar in Rangitata (on our way from Akaroa to Timaru). We stopped for afternoon tea and Gregory decided to show Kurt the iTouch. Kurt's reaction was, "Wow. You guys have everything in America." Kurt's parents Cor & Helen own this motorcycle-themed place and we had a great time chatting with them.

After a visit to the “i” site in Gremouth it wasn’t a hard decision to change our schedule and head back towards the East Coast. It would be socked in and rainy for the next several days and even if we made our way down to Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers we wouldn’t be able to see a thing. So, we made a call and lined up a host in the Banks Peninsula at Akaroa and headed towards the fair weather. It took us about 3+ hours to drive up and over Arthur’s Pass and into Christchurch. It seems unbelievable that we crossed the entire country in only several hours! The visability over Arthur’s Pass wasn’t great and the fog hung in the folds of the mountains but this made for special views as well and the rain produced some spectacular waterfalls. I would quickly roll down the window and snap my photo then bring the camera in for a wipe down as Mike navigated the two-lane mountain roads. At one point we came to a semi-truck that was broken down in the left lane (remember Kiwis drive on the left) and had another passing around it on the right just in front of us. That was a bit hairy with the narrow slick roads and steep drop offs to the right. At the top of the pass we stopped to use the toilet (not the bathroom as we say in America because the Kiwis separate the toilet room and the bathroom, used for bathing, which is quite nice until you need to wash your hands and have to go over to the bathroom for that) and we came upon backpackers waiting out the rain in the facilities block while their drenched wee tent was pitched outside looking quite forlorn. We were happy to be able to get in our Bluebird and find the sun just over the pass. This area reminded me a bit of California in the summer months with the dry grasslands scattered with patches of greenery and the scattered rock formations that look as if a volcano had thrown them across the land.

After a brief stop in Christchurch we made our way to Akaroa and were greeted by breathtaking views of the bay that was formed by volcanic activity. Our SERVAS hostess Val was kind enough to give us accommodation in her bed and breakfast since she was having a visit with her sister Bet (Elisabeth). What stimulating conversations we had with these ladies! We talked of everything from crop circles (saw a video) to health and religion and the future of our planet. Val is 81 (Bet is 92) and is a testimony to a healthy lifestyle. She is vegan and has had a health shop (one of the first in New Zealand) and a health food restaurant (The Sunflower Centre in Fairlie) and is a health practitioner and does massage. She prepared us some of the most delicious meals I’ve eaten since we’ve been in New Zealand and they were entirely vegan (no meat or dairy). Somehow I felt that we were meant to cross paths with Val to refocus on the importance of diet and feeding the mind as well. The saying goes that if you haven’t got your health you haven’t got anything. We bought her cookbook at the shop in town and I plan to try out her recipes.

After a good sleep Val sent us on a steep hike up the hills of Akaroa for outstanding panoramic views of the long harbour with its volcanic origins. When Gregory started grumbling about the hike we said if Val can do this at 81 you can make it surely! We made our way into town, watched a bit of cricket in the park, went out along the pier and back to the Akaroa Museum where we learned about the early whalers, French and German immigrants from 1840 and the settlers. There was an interesting exhibit that told the story of Frank Worsley who was born in Akaroa and is famous for the role he played in Shackleton’s 1914 Antarctic expedition.

Once again we had a lovely tea with Val and Bet and stayed up until all hours visiting. In the morning she took the time, with Gregory, to toast some pumpkin seeds, in Tamari (good soy sauce), and sent them with us to snack on and she also gave us some of her delicious salad dressing. We feel blessed to have met this inspirational lady. I hope I am holding up as well as she is when I’m 81! She is still busy in her health practice and still does massage. She is quite a dynamo.

Pancake Rocks

Kiwifruit for breakfast! Not long after we'd arrived in New Zealand Gregory said, "I haven't had any kiwis yet!" We learned you can't just say kiwis here, you must say kiwifruit because a Kiwi is a New Zealander and there is also the native Kiwi bird!!

Irimahuwhero Viewpoint (near Pancake Rocks)

Gregory finds a "Pancake Rock Chair"

Mike and Gregory enjoy the view of these spectacular striated limestone formations that have been eroded by the sea.

Incredibly Special!

Nikau Palm (Double click on description below to learn more)

Gregory enjoying the view at the Pancake Rocks

Windswept Posies

Cabbage Tree (Double click below to read more...)

We made our way down the West Coast from Gentle Annie, through Westport and on to the Punakaiki Pancake Rocks. These striated limestone formations are formed by the erosion from the sea and are as spectacular as I remembered. It was a must-see on my list for Gregory. They are supposed to be at their most stupendous at high tide, as the sea comes rushing in through the blowholes. We missed high tide by just a couple of hours but still enjoyed the magnificence of these rock formations.

Mike and I both commented how different it felt from 15 years ago. There now is a large “i” site (information centre) and gift shop and all of the walkways are well paved with railings. Later we were told that since there have been some accidents with tourists that have been a bit too eager to get off the track and too close to the drop offs, the country has made a huge effort to make various tourist attractions as safe as possible. For us it takes away from the experience a bit but I can see how it is necessary. It just goes to show that you can’t go back. Enjoy the unspoiled treasures while you can!

It had been a gray day for the most part but the sun came out in the afternoon affording us spectacular views as we made our way down the coastline. In the evening it was socked in again and we had a wet stay in the Kiwi Camp at Greymouth but we had our first campground with a spa! We had a soak and hot showers and I was early to bed for the rainy night in the tent but Mike and Greg stayed up in the kitchen for a bit and gave tips to other travelers!

More Golden Bay and Gentle Annie

Our buddy John, from Pakawau camp, gave us green lipped mussels and a tour of Golden Bay

New friends Sarah and Paul (originally from London) now live in Nelson, New Zealand with their boys Zak and Harry with whom Gregory became fast friends (see below).

Gregory, Zak (6) and Harry (4)

Motueka Library

Taylor Gold Pears and Gala Apples $2 a bag!! The orchards are loaded right now!

Our First Cabin Stay - Reading with Friends

Riverview Campground Cabin (On the Buller River near Murchison)

Buller Gorge Swingbridge - The Longest in New Zealand (Note: Flying fox zip line to the right that Mike and Greg came back on.)

Jet Boat Ride (Seen passing below us as we crossed the bridge.)

Greg and Mike ready for their Tandem Comet Line flying fox (zip line) ride across the Buller Gorge.

Gentle Annie

Afternoon Tea with the Sandflies

Mike frying up some rig (shark) under the protection of his head net.

Gentle Annie Campground

Sunset at Gentle Annie

A Cheeky Weka explored our camp at Gentle Annie.

Written March 20, 2010 (posted Mar. 30)

We were all reluctant to leave Pakawau (Golden Bay) after 5 relaxing days but no one more than Gregory because he had some friends to play with. He, Zak and Harry became fast friends. They chased each other about, spied on the parents, played cards, made mobiles out of shells, roasted marshmallows, played in the waves and their mom Sarah broke out her beautiful art supplies and we all got creative. Sarah, Paul and their sons live in Nelson but immigrated to New Zealand many years ago before the boys were born. They have been very happy with their decision and enjoy their life in New Zealand.

Sarah gave us some recommendations for books/authors that she and the boys like and one was a British author named Enid Blyton. She has been around for ages but Sarah said the kids just love her. Before we left camp Gregory traded a book he had for one an Enid Blyton and he devoured it in one day. Since then we have been on the look out at every used bookshop and op shop (St. Vincent de Paul “Vinnies”, Salvation Army, Hospice, etc.) for these books. She has a couple of series. One is called The Secret Seven and another is The Famous Five (which I understand was a TV series). We are so pleased that Gregory enjoys reading and we can all climb into the tent at night with our headlamps and have a good read. He keeps trying to read in the car but we keep saying look out the window at the spectacular scenery! Reading in the car does tend to make him a bit carsick though, especially on the winding roads, so that sort of gives him a break.

The other day we were visiting with our Akaroa hostess, Val, and I mentioned how pleased I was that Gregory has downtime to just read and relax. In America (as well as elsewhere I imagine) kids tend to be entirely over scheduled and with the TV and video games so readily accessible it seems kids don’t tend to just have the time, or make the time, to read for the pleasure of it. Life just seems to have a good balance right now with time for studies, time for reading and journal and time to explore new surroundings and meet people from around the world.

When we left Golden Bay we made our way to the west coast, driving through Westport and then north along the coast to Gentle Annie just beyond Seddonville. It is nearly to the end of the sealed road and is a peaceful seaside enclave with grassy camps set amongst hedges of agapanthus (pretty blue and white flower heads), pink lilies, roses and other flowers. One particular flower called Queen of the Night had a most intoxicating scent that is particularly fragrant in the evenings. Lucky for us the camp host gave us a little tip about a nighttime bush walk where we could see glowworms. (Many places charge to take you on a nighttime boat trip to the glowworm caves so we were particularly thrilled that we could see them while avoiding the tourist trap.) Though I had been yawning through dinner and we were all a bit tired, at around 8:30 PM, I convinced the boys to pile into the car and make the short drive to Chasm Creek to go on a glowworm hunt. As we walked down a narrow track of this old railway bed with only our headlamps to make the way and Gregory clung to my hand pronouncing it a bit scary while Mike proceeded to make ghoulish groans to scare him further. After walking for about 10 minutes we spied the a few green glowing specks on the steep wall face to our right. Hooray! We’ve seen glowworms! Even still we decided to continue a bit…

After we’d tramped a bit further we came to a tunnel and as we crossed through the entrance (getting dripped on a bit in the process) we were greeted by the amazing sight of hundreds of tiny green glowing masses on the roof of the cave. We slowly made our way down the tunnel intermittently turning on the headlamps to make our way and then turning them off to observe the glowworms in all their glory. It was a thrill.

I would venture to say that that thrill probably didn’t compare to the thrill that Gregory and Mike got when they rode the Tandem Comet Line over the Buller River Gorge! This flying fox (zip line) was something else! The Buller Gorge Swingbridge is the longest in New Zealand and we crossed this as jet boats full of passengers whizzed past us far below. Then, after a brief hike Mike and Greg had their ride of a lifetime. Gregory got to sit in the front and I took video as he shouted with delight the whole way across. They get you on the fees for these things but this was one case where we felt the $45 dollars (NZ) was well spent.

Golden Bay and Abel Tasman Coast Track

Gregory gets some good photos on the Abel Tasman Coastal Track

Crossing Awaroa Inlet at the turnaround point on our Abel Tasman tramp

The return trip across the inlet was a bit deeper once the tide started to come in.

Returning to Totaranui camp after our tramp on the Abel Tasman along with new friends Lars and Mette from Denmark

Mette, Lars and Gregory playing cards

Mike investigates the noise in our wheel and dislodges gravel from our recent drive on unsealed gravel roads.

Pakawau Camp on Golden Bay...seaside tenting!

Calamine soothes the mean sandfly bites.

Gregory finds a lump of coal on Pakawau beach along with many starfish, mussels, cockles, oysters and scallop shells!

Morning stroll on Pakawau Beach

Stu and John were headed out fishing and later brought back a load of green-lipped mussels that they shared with us!

Feast of steamed green mussels, mussels sauteed in garlic and butter, thresher shark and rig shark all complements of our new friends at Pakawau.

Sunset at Pakawau

One of John's three kittens, Mischief or Miss Chief

Gregory totes his nikau palm frond "sled" out to the sand dunes at Wharariki Beach via a 20 minute Hilltop Walk.

Wharariki Beach

You can't get much closer than that!

Gregory just loved watching the fur seal pups who were putting on quite a show for us!

Near Cape Farewell, the northern most tip of the South Island

Now that is one MASSIVE cave! (Mike, Gregory and our new friend John make the descent...)

John snapped this shot of us from inside the cave...

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

I haven’t written in over a week because I’ve been savoring every moment of the sun, sand and scenery of the northern part of the South Island. We are currently in Pakawau on Golden Bay with plans to stay a fourth night. It was a favorite spot when we visited in 1995 (we stayed 5 days) and the same holds true today. Our grassy campsite overlooks the sea that lulls us to sleep each night. At times the waves are crashing so loudly you think they might engulf the tent yet when the tide is out they are just quietly there. Night before last we did have a bit of a restless sleep for there were gale force winds that we thought might carry us away. It kept us up most of the night. I’d just nod off and be snapped out of sleep instantly extending my arms to hold the roof of the tent. No worries though because my husband very professionally staked the tent out to perfection. Gregory slept through most of this mind you and only awoke when Mike reentered the tent after getting out to move the car to block the wind. He awoke and said, “What’s happening!?!” We just had to giggle and told him it had been blowing this hard for several hours. It didn’t faze him much and he nestled back into his bag and was asleep again soon. We heard there had been a cyclone off the coast that brought these winds.

We’ve met the best people here at Pakawau. Margaret and Bruce are campers here on holiday from Australia and we’ve enjoyed the nicest conversations. They’ve kindly offered to have us stay with them when we arrive in Sydney (they live just outside the city) and to keep a look out for a camper van for us.

John rents a cabin here at Pakawau camp and is a “feller” a bit ahead on his job (he cuts the lumber and another crew does the cleanup) so he has been kind enough to show us around a bit. He gave us some nikau palm fronds to use to slide down the dunes at Wharariki Beach and met up with us for the hike. The sand was a bit damp from rain the previous night so the “sleds” didn’t work out quite as we hoped but the views were stunning and Mike and John had a visit up on the dunes while Gregory and I explored the coastline. We found 5 seal pups in the shallows of a cove and got within a few feet of them. They were really putting on a show for us. There was one pair in particular that were quite playful “rolling around” in the water and posing on the rocks. It was so delightful to just watch them in their natural environment. Once back up on the dunes Gregory found that he could touch the edge of the dune just at the top and start this avalanche of sand. It worked likewise if disrupted from the bottom of a dune where the sand would give way little by little until in reached the ridge. This kept us entertained for quite a while and Gregory didn’t want to leave, however, we eventually rejoined John and Mike and tramped back over the hilltops to the car park (about 20 minutes) and drove on a ways to a spot John wanted to show us. As we entered the car park we were prepared to begin tramping when John invited us into his 4-wheel drive and took us over the hilltops and through two farm gates on a road where “unauthorized vehicles not allowed” though it is obviously not strictly enforced. Everything is pretty laid back here! When we reached the peak of a rise we tramped down the other side, across narrow planks that had been strategically placed across streams and crevasses, and down to an empty beach with a MASSIVE cave and spectacular cliffs layered in sandstone and conglomerate rock. At first we thought we’d see no seals but after exploring the cliffs and caves we found a couple of adult females sunning themselves (we kept our distance because they can bite) and a few playful pups swimming in some underground caverns. Once again we were delighted to have yet another of New Zealand’s stunning beaches all to ourselves. The paddocks we crossed to reach our destination were dotted with sheep and an iconic wading bird, called the Pukeko (swamp hens), that can been seen all over New Zealand feeding in the grasslands.

I have to mention that when we first met John he and the camp manager Stu had just come back from a fishing trip with a boatload of green mussels and gave us a bucketful which we steamed and then sautéed in plenty of garlic and butter. They were delicious. To top it off he gave us a sampling of smoked snapper and about six, inch and a half high Thresher Shark steaks and several good-sized chunks of Rig (another type of shark that feeds exclusively on crab). We cooked it all up, along with everyone else in camp, and we had a fish feast!

Last night after coming back from exploring the dunes and beaches we met Jamie and Ricki who are from the UK and we all ate our supper in the “dining room” (along with John and Kevin, another friendly local resident) while we chatted about where our travels have taken us and where we hope to go. Inevitable destinations were shared and since we’re all traveling along the West Coast next we hope to cross paths again. They’ve just come from 4 months in Southeast Asia and will go to Australia on April 3^rd with plans to work for a bit to raise further capital for continued travel.

Prior to our arrival in Pakawau on Golden Bay we spent a couple of days at Totaranui on the Abel Tasman Coastal Track. Totaranui is a DOC (Department of Conservation) site and though we had to travel many kilometers of dirt track to get to it, we found the facilities to be very nice. The ablution (amenities) blocks were complete with toilets, showers (cold but hey they were showers!) and great basins and hand-operated ringers for laundry. We tidied up when we first arrived and then had some time on the glorious golden sand beaches (we did more swimming than sun bathing, due to sand flies) and we encountered a rather large stingray in the shallows. Fortunately, a gentleman had been following it down the beach and taking photos therefore warned us of its arrival! Gregory followed it down the beach and warned a couple of fisherman and a swimmer. (Again we had almost the entire beach to ourselves!) This was the first camp where fires were allowed so we had a great roaring fire and visited with Phil from the Isle of Mann who was traveling by motorcycle. The advantage of staying up past dark is witnessing the billions of stars that blanket the clear night sky. I must admit that the skies of New Zealand put on the grandest display I’ve seen in my lifetime.

On our second day in Totaranui we hiked about 11 km (6.8 miles) of the Abel Tasman Coast Track. It winds along under a canopy of dense forest including tree ferns, nikau palms and manuka rising enormous heights above the sea and dumps you down on to golden beaches where you tramp along only to rise back up into the forest and meander along until you reach another inviting beach. We brought a picnic lunch that we thought we might enjoy on the beach but the sand flies had another idea and we ate quickly and swiftly got moving again. We tramped for about two hours to reach Awaroa Inlet where we had planned to arrive at low tide so we could make the crossing and come back before the tide came in again. Crossing the inlet was an experience with thousands of tiny cockles crunching under our feet as we crossed streams of water to reach the Awaroa Lodge (a hut that houses those who spend 3-4 days hiking the entire coast) and then made our way back. Gregory wanted to go back around the coast rather than up through the forest and we headed that direction, since we’d talked to others who said it was doable with a bit of rock scrambling, however, with only about three feet exposed to the waterline and the tide rising rapidly I said no to that idea. [We were told that this was the fastest rise and fall of the tide in New Zealand at four meters (13 feet) in an hour.] As it was, the water was up to our thighs when we crossed the inlet. The whole tramp took about four hours and we were so proud of Gregory that he completed it. There was a bit of complaining on the way out but as is usual the return portion seems to go easier. We met a nice young couple from Denmark, Lars and Mette, who were on their third day of the track and carrying 50-pound packs. We crossed paths on the way back and invited them for a fire that evening where we enjoyed swapping stories. They too are traveling for an extended length of time. The next day as we were off they planned to have a rest day and then turn around and hike three days back along the Abel Tasman to Marahau, their jumping off point three days prior. Oh to be young again!

Also at Totaranui we had the pleasure of meeting Thurid and her husband Allen along with their two young children Ken and Asta who are from Germany. Thurid and Allen actually met while bicycle touring in New Zealand and are now back with their children. Steve and Susie (from the UK) were also camped out with them and had their two little girls with them, Lolo, just a wee tot, and Aiya their 4-year old. It was so nice to visit with other families who are traveling and of the same mind set as we are.