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5:00pm, Tue 04 May 2004 : New Zealand #4
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Hi all,
Its been a while hasn't it? I seem to have been stuck in driving mode and will
soon complete the tourist loop in South Island - left me a bit giddy I guess...
I think in my last I had just made the South Island.
South Island.
Picton.
This small port town hums at odd hours of the day, aligning with the arrival and
departure of ferries to the North Island - the rest of the time there is barely a
pulse, especially with the onset of Winter. From here you can do the 61km
Queen Charlotte track - 3-4 days of walking along the penisula from a spot
where Cookie stopped in 1770 (he covered a lot of ground in that year!) This is
definitely the Champagne backpackers hike - forget the metho stoves, packet
pastas, and lugging a pack. There are hostels along the track, and the ferry
transfers your pack every day... so pack as much booze as you can fit in!
Meanwhile the hostels are superb and filled with the other 1/2 dozen hikers that
you have seen during the day. Lochmara Lodge is particularly fine with its
wooden lodge rustic thing - overlooking a beautiful bay - with windows that
open all the way across the front! This will be about day 3, so you and the
other hikers have become a tight knit team and shun the overnighters that have
arrived by boat.
To top off the Picton experience going on the sailing charter, where by days
end you have crushed your pinkie and completely blackened the nail, and take
over the sail tuition of the land lubbers onboard - much to the delight of the
skipper.
Nelson.
Travelling counter clockwise around the South Island seems to be the most
popular. This takes you through lovely Nelson. Lock the doors and drive through
at high speed intending to make it to the North West tip - Golden Bay and
Farewell Spit.
Golden Bay.
Is trapped behind a single road that has over 300 bends in its climb over the
range that locks in the hippies to the west. On arriving at the Farewell Spit after
a long day, you will be talked from taking the 4 hour bus tour on the spit, and
instead check out the sand from the visitor centre and do some walks on the
Northern most tip of the island. Before long you are on the beach and about to
have the most delightful (yes delightful) experience of the whole holiday - as
there will be seal pups in the rock pools. You stand just feet away from these
little critters as they chase each other, roll in the sand and sit up to pose on the
rocks for a memory card full of photos.
Takaka.
Pull back to hippy town to rest before the 300+ turns to escape, but find that
a north island mate is in the area with car problems ... and a drinking problem.
Enhance the 300+ turns by driving out the windy Abel Tasman for a look at the
beach, the beauty, the sand, the wind whipped waves, along with the raft of
hikers dragging themselves around this national park penisula on a 4 day
outing.... You are seeing them about day 3 - so keep clear for fear that the lack
of meat in their diet has turned them into cannibals.... the smell is not so great
either... You can see why they walk it though - it is beautiful.
Back in Takaka is the best bed you have found, which calls you for an
afternoon nap.
You will then meet with the friend with the problems for a couple of beers at
the popular Mussell Inn. 20km out of town, this rustic charmed pub brews its
own and a "handle" of each leaves you dizzy and unsure about how to get
home.... Beware of the local kiwi chick with the fabbled chip on both shoulders -
shes fixing for a fight about possums being something that Aus & Eng should
fix or traditional rights, or what ever a stupid aussie white and his stupid white
english mate have to say. And absolutely everyone else has been sooo friendly!
Drive to Punakaiki.
Escape on the 3rd day from Golden Bay and collect 3 young czech girls who
are delighted that you are going to their destination, is stead of the first place
they mentioned just 30 minutes down the road. Impress further by having the
CD player and norah jones.... Be sure to use the opportunity to learn some
czech - It sounds like aussie slang "g'day yeah" slurred is "where is " in czech.
Punakaiki.
By this time of the week it is Saturday and head to the local pub to meet the
local couple of hundred. Whisper "Go Brumbies" at the bar to get the attention
of all of them! :-) Then go hide in the corner so as to not make things worse -
not really they were happy to have an Aussie to stir.
The township is barely a sand bar amongst some sheer cliffs with some
fantastic river gorges.... and the blow holes just down the road. The walk up
the gorge is amazing, but the blowholes even better. The rough seas send
waves deep under the rocks and drive salt spray high into the air inland -
soaking unwary tourists without rain coats, expensive cameras and small
children ... much to the delight of those already soaked... :-)
Franz Joseph.
Keep winding down the coastal cliff face roads to the glacier tourists traps of
Franz Joseph and Fox glaciers. They are spectacular. Hook up with a brit
couple who are booked for the award winning, definitely the best way to do
the glaciers "Heli-hike" where you fly in, walk for 2 hours and fly out. Attend the
office at the appointed time to find that low cloud is stopping tours in the
morning. Return in the afternoon for a similar story. Stay overnight, install a
hangover and attend the next morning to find the natural enemy of low cloud -
"high wind" is now stopping the much adored heli - hike... ( Has this tour ever
been successfully completed I wonder???). Option yourself into the last
available seat with an Aussie family for the heli tour and touch down. Which is
cheaper and less effort - but not qiute the same experience I suppose...
Fill your memory card with pictures again as you loop around the two ice blocks
and past Mt Cook and Mt Tasman. Touch down at the top for a look around and
pose with the chopper. It is stunning and worth every sent of this $$-ive option.
Next up, make for Wanaka, collecting some English lads on the way... but they
are a bit on the nose from their 3 day hike.... Re-evaluate decision to collect
hitchhikers. :-)
South Island Weather.
It is said that the alps on the west coast of the island drive bad weather along
the west coast, leaving it drier on the east coast.... as lows bring in fronts from
the deep south... The weather also moderates during the winter. My own
theory is developing that a fair part of the strong winds whipping up seas and
cloud is due to the mostly anti-clockwise motion of tourist be they travelling at
speed in cars, campers or buses.... Strong winds develop about the vehicles
and merge to create a vortex that drags in the bad weather from the sea!!
Further weight to the theory comes with the abating of the weather in the off
season - winter - less traffic - mild weather!!
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Quote
from Ghandi
I
do not want my house to be walled in on
all sides and my windows to be stuffed.
I want the culture of all lands to be blown
about my house as freely as possible.
Pretty much my life... and I love it.
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Says
it all : "Sailing" by Christopher Cross
It's not far down to paradise
At least it's not for me
And if the wind is right you can sail away
And find tranquility
The canvas can do miracles
Just you wait and see
Believe me
It's not far to never never land
No reason to pretend
And if the wind is right you can find the joy
Of innocence again
The canvas can do miracles
Just you wait and see
Believe me
Sailing
Takes me away
To where I've always heard it could be
Just a dream and the wind to carry me
And soon I will be free
Fantasy
It gets the best of me
When I'm sailing
All caught up in the reverie
Every word is a symphony
Won't you believe me
It's not far back to sanity
At least it's not for me
And when the wind is right you can sail away
And find serenity
The canvas can do miracles
Just you wait and see
Believe me |
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Guide
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www.ccy.com.au/area
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P: 0407 15 13 11
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