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The Power Trip Down Under
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The Power Trip Down Under

I've wanted to see Australia and New Zealand, since my parents visited there a few years ago. I also wanted to get another continent under my belt, so I managed four weeks off of work to make my dreams come true. Read more
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  • Trip start
    October 26, 2006
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    Packed and anxious

    October 26, 2006 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 34 °F

    I'm packed and am sure I've forgotten something. It will come to me in the middle of the night, while I'm trying to sleep one last time on my comfy bed. I was slightly alarmed to find out Denver is under a winter storm warning and "hazardous winter weather conditions are imminent or highly likely." There's only 3-12 inches of snow predicted for tomorrow. Why didn't I become a weather forecaster? Anyway, it's not supposed to last through the afternoon, so the 8:25pm flight should be fine. It's the connections that become the problem. I am flying into LA, out to Sydney, then catching a flight down to Adelaide. I do not have fond memories of driving down to DIA, from LaPorte, for my trip around the world. DIA was shut down due to fog, and I had to wait another 24 hours to get out. I'm hoping to avoid a repeat on this international flight. We'll see....Read more

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    Set foot on Continent 6

    October 28, 2006 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 59 °F

    I made it to Australia. (A note to my sister...that's the sixth continent I've tramped. Looks like I'm ahead!) I traveled just over 24 hours to get to Sydney, then my plane was delayed to Adelaide. I finally arrived at my destination 28 hours after leaving DIA. Although, with the weather before I left, I'm just glad I made it. My good friend, Sharon, took me to the airport in Denver, and I reminded her that she could be going with me. She said she was glad she wasn't going because she had a bad feeling about it. "So you can tell the media, 'I just had a bad feeling, I mean, I'm sorry Dana died in the crash, but I'm glad I listened to my intuition.'" We laughed, but it made me a little worried about the flight, so you can imagine my delight when we touched down safely in Sydney! I had to hop a transfer bus to the domestic terminal to catch my flight to Adelaide. I believe in serendipity. I got on the bus and listened to the radio station. The B-52's came on, "Roam if you want to, Roam around the world..." And everything was all good.

    I am only spending the night here and will catch yet another flight tomorrow to Kangaroo Island. When I arrived at my hotel the clerk warned me that it was daylight savings time and I should mind my watch. The comment seemed absurd, since I had no idea what time is was and I felt as though I'd been travelling for days. Not to mention, Adelaide is on a half hour time zone. Does anyone really know what time it is?    Read more

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    Off to Kangaroo Island

    October 29, 2006 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F

    I left Adelaide early this morning to catch a flight to Kingscote, on Kangaroo Island. The flight was quick, and it took no time to get in my rental. I was relieved to see it was an automatic, given it will take enough energy just to stay on the LEFT side of the road. As I begin my drive, I'm grateful I'm starting my driving here. There is no one on the roads. And I mean no one. Then I jump. I'm completely startled the first time I see a car driving the opposite direction on the "wrong" side of the road. Unfortunately, there are so few cars, I'm startled every time I see one. I have to constantly think, "Stay left, stay left."

    I first go to the Emu Ridge eucalyptus farms. Fascinating how they make the oil. Saw some emus, too. I see how the theory was developed wherein birds are direct descendants of dinosaurs. I buy some gifts and head for Clifford’s Bee farm. There's no big, red dog, but lots of bees. Of course I do a lot of sampling, and I walk away full. Did you know that the taste of the honey is dependent on the type of flower from which the bee receives the nectar. I bought two bottles to bring home, which taste completely different. I've never noticed. I tried to drive down to a bay, but the roads were too bad to tolerate, and I'm just not that excited about the view.

    I head west and stop at Seal Bay. Way cool. They take you right down to the sea lions and I took about 100 shots. And I thought the Alaskan bears were interesting. This was an incredible experience. Did you know that a female sea lion stays pregnant for 17 months?

    I tear myself away from Seal Bay and head to Flinders Chase Park. This is a national park and where I have decided to camp for the night. In the parking lot of the Visitors' Center I see my first wallaby. He (could be a she) is very cute and none too shy. I snap a few pictures and take off for the Remarkable Rocks. The ocean view is breathtaking on the way. The rocks are actually an old ball of lava that welled up and has been eroding ever since breaking the surface. They are very old and very dramatic, sitting on the cliffs overlooking a sparkling blue sea.

    I drive to the Admiral's Arch from the Rocks. I take a hike then swing around to see that I've just walked over a limestone bridge, under which I am now standing. The limestone seems to drip into the air, and New Zealand fur seals sunbathe on the other side of the hole. I notice the sun is starting to lower, so I drive to my camping spot. I've secured a tent spot in the "bush" at a place called Snake Lagoon. After pitching the tent, I have a thought: "Brenda Reece lived in Red Rock Ranch, thusly named because of Red Rocks. Regina Marette lived by Woodmoor Lake, named because of the water. And I'm staying at Snake Lagoon." OK, so that was a bad thought. I end up taking a walk and see two kangaroos. They are small here because this species can't get too big on a little island. The walk is nice, and I return to The Lagoon. I've renamed it.    Read more

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    Kangaroo Island

    October 30, 2006 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F

    I slept dreadfully last night. Apparently the male koala's call, "is a shrilling yell, comparable to any scary movie." And they're not kidding. It was a blood curdling scream in the middle of the night. Thank goodness I read about this before I went to bed.

    I spent the day following a driving tour. Saw lots of cool things and ended at the Cape Borda lighthouse. The tour guide was terrific.

    I drove into to Kingscote to use the library's internet, change money, and eat some fish and chips. I leave here in the morning to Adelaide, then drive up the coast to Melbourne. Looking forward to some humanity. It has been quiet on the Island. Did get on the wrong side of the road today, with a car coming. Oops. Live and learn.    Read more

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    Halloween

    October 31, 2006 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 52 °F

    The answer is "Yes," they do have Halloween in Australia. I didn't see any trick or treaters, as I drove all day. I did, however, listen to great radio all the way across southern Australia. I drove from Adelaide to Warrnambool, which took about 8 hours. Most of the drive was two lane highway through pastoral lands. This area is having a bad drought, so most of the land is brown. I was going to drive to Portland tonight, but I was just too tired. I've made a good dent in the drive to Melbourne, so tomorrow won't feel so rushed. I'll be driving the Great Ocean Road tomorrow, which requires driving near cliffs and staying on the proper side of the road.Read more

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    Breathtaking Beauty

    November 1, 2006 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F

    I got an early start, which is a good thing. I definitely underestimated the time it would take to get to Melbourne via the Great Ocean Road (GOR). It's not so much the distance, as it is the stops one makes along the way. I pulled out of Warrnambool at about 8am and headed east. The drive is uneventful at the beginning. I came to my first car park and turned. Up to this point you could not see the coast from the road, so I was expecting the usual ocean, waves, beach view. As I crested the hill, I was stunned at the beauty of the area. Now I truly understand what "breathtaking" means. It is so incredibly beautiful that it stops you in your tracks. The ocean is colors of turquoise and dark blue, with limestone towers jetting out of the shallows, against a backdrop of clear blue sky. I'd seen pictures of the area, but they do no justice to the true nature. I spent at least 30 minutes, walking, smelling, staring. It is unbelievable. I must have gotten awfully lucky, as it's been a little cloudy since I've been here, and today is absolutely clear.

    I finally tear myself away, knowing this is a minor scenic outlook on the GOR. I can't even imagine how incredible the next 200 km will be. And I'm not disappointed. I spend most of the day with my mouth agape at the scenery. I do a lot of hiking and climbing to get the best photos, knowing that the uniqueness will not be reflected in the pictures. The most popular sight is the 12 Apostles. It is a group of limestone pillars along the coast. As I walk between a couple viewing platforms, something turns my attention to the outcroppings to the left. I look through my binoculars and see five penguins out on the ledge. Now there are a few hundred people around and I'm pretty sure I'm the only one looking at penguins. Finally, I stop a passerby with a really big camera lens and ask how strong the lens is. I point out the area, and sure enough, they really are penguins; and not little fairy penguins. These are full on "March of the Penguins" penguins. I watch them for a while, then it's off to more sightseeing.

    By the end of the GOR, I am really tired and realize that it is still a long way to Melbourne. Because my flight leaves early tomorrow morning, I really need to get there, so I head through the rainforest. I declined to stop at the waterfall stops, given I'm in a little hurry and knowing there will be time for many more of them in the next few weeks.

    I roll into to Melbourne at 7pm and am not camping. I find a hotel, do some laundry, and call it a night. I leave for Tasmania tomorrow morning.    Read more

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    Looking for the Devil

    November 2, 2006 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 55 °F

    I've made it to Tasmania. I am so grateful for the weather yesterday. It made the ocean viewing perfect. Today is cloudy with rain. I landed in Launceston this morning, got my rental car and found the internet cafe. Internet access is not so easy to find, so I thought I better catch up on some entries while I had the chance. Plus, with the weather, I'm not too excited to get moving. I had planned to hike and camp for the next five days. Hmm, might be changing the plans.

    I'll be meeting up with some friends at 1pm, then I'll head down the eastern coast. I had planned to camp at Freyicent National Park tonight, but I'll see how the weather goes.

    I'm on the lookout for Tasmanian Devils. They are nocturnal, so hopefully our waking hours will overlap at some point. Cheers!    Read more

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    Now That's a Penal Colony

    November 3, 2006 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 59 °F

    I got up early and hiked to Wineglass Bay. I was the first person on the trail (0646) and was the first one on the beach. I love these Aussies. There's no fooling around with them. The beach is on the other side of a steep mountain. They apparently don't believe in switchbacks, so it was stairs all the way up and over. Goodness, was I tired afterward. I rested on the beach for quite a while, then back up and over the mountain. The views are awesome. The rain was temporary yesterday, and the sun is back out today. I returned to my campsite, took a shower, and put on shorts for the first time on the trip.

    I drove down the eastern coast and arrived at Port Arthur around 3pm. Port Arthur is one of the first penal colonies in Australia, but it was for the worst of the worst. It was their SuperMax. Because the colony is on a peninsula, there was no way to escape other than to swim, which most couldn't, or run across a small landmass, but that was guarded with ferocious dogs and armed guards. There are approximately 30 buildings and ruins left. There was another island off the coast, Point Peur, which was the first juvenile prison in British history. It was actually focused on rehabilitation, teaching each juvenile a multitude of trades, providing education, and instilling morals through worship. The youngest offenders were 9 years old!

    I also bought the Port Author Ghost Tour, which was a little scary. After dark you walk through numerous buildings and the guide talks about ghost sightings. Apparently, one of the buildings was rated one of Australia's most haunted by the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Co.). No ghosts; but, I did get a little adrenaline going a few times.

    Tomorrow I'm heading into Hobart for the outdoor market and fish on the pier.    Read more

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    Geology and Fish

    November 4, 2006 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 63 °F

    A little advice: don't go on a ghost tour and then sleep alone in a tent. I freaked myself out all night, which was only made worse by the screaming koalas. Note to self...

    Before I left the peninsula this morning, I stopped to view a few rock formations in Tasman National Park. Because the coast is formed of limestone, the cliffs have eroded into many different forms. I went to Tasman's Arch, which is a hole that has worn into the interior. Hmm. Harder to explain than I thought. Anyway, it was a big hole with ocean waves banging through it. Then there was Devil's Kitchen, which was gigantic, with waves crashing way down at the bottom.

    Two great things about the drive today. I went through Dootown. Each house in Dootown has a little "doo" phrase on the outside. For example, there was "Just doo it," "Doo little," "Doo nothing," and "We doo love it." I think the inhabitants are called doodes. (OK I made that part up.) Also, I had to travel over a few hills, two of them stood out for me, "Break-me-neck Hill," and "Bust-me-galls Hill." Yep, that's what the signs said at the summit.

    I arrived in Hobart at about 10:45am. I had a hard time trying to find parking, as the Saturday market was in full swing. I parked by a hospital, then walked down to one of the parks. This particular park used to be a cemetery. It was neglected and eventually was overrun by vegetation. At some point the city decided to make it a nice park. You can view all the headstones on walls, like the Vietnam Memorial in DC. The park itself is quite nice with lots of green grass. I don't know what happened to the bodies.

    At noon, I met some new Tassie friends, who asked if I had been to The Female Factory. I said, "No, but I think that sounds great!" Jeannie explained that it was the remains of the first female prison in Australia; the female equivalent of Port Arthur. "Oh." I got directions anyway.

    I went down to the outdoor market, Salamanca Market, which has everything. I tried a oliebullon; didn't pronounce it, just pointed. It looked like a doughnut and seemed pure Aussie. It was a deep fried ball of not-so-sweet dough, with raisins in it. Not exciting, but an experience. I walked over to the docks, where they have floating fish stalls. These floating contraptions sell fish and/or cook it for consumption on the spot. I went for "flake and chips" and ate it on the waterfront. Yummy.

    I finished the walking tour, as laid out by Frommer. The area is very Victorian. Reminds me of Great Britain. The architecture is delightful, with many rose gardens and lots of lavender. I drove out to the Female Factory and walked around. The site is under archeological reconstruction and won't be open for tours until 2009. I guess I'll have to come again. What is here is fascinating. Which reminds me....I think I forgot to tell you about Port Arthur. When you first arrive, you draw a card, which later corresponds to one of the inmates. You then walk through an interpretive area, where you follow the sentence of the inmate. I got some one I'm sure I've met reincarnated. He just kept getting arrested. Then, when incarcerated, he'd steal commissary food, sneak cigarettes, etc. As you can guess, I ended up on the chain gang with eight pound weights on my ankles 24/7. Nice. It was a really intriguing display and they had histories for a lot of different prisoners.

    Anyway, I'm leaving Hobart this evening for Mt. Field National Park. It is part of a World Heritage site and apparently has some fabulous waterfalls. Cheerio!    Read more

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    Rain forests to rivers

    November 5, 2006 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 48 °F

    I spent the night in the Mt. Field National Park. It was so cold, I had to sleep in the car. Actually, it's been relatively chilly the whole time I've been here, so I wear my boots to sleep to keep my feet warm. I'm concerned I'm going to get foot rot, like a certain Greek bard, but so far, no fungus.
    Mt. Field is famous for Russell Falls and now I know why. It's a 10 minute walk into the rain forest before you see the two-tiered fall. The mist rises from the pool below, and you feel transported into prehistoric times. There are low-lying ferns all about and a heavy gum tree canopy above. Unfortunately, I could not get the whole falls into the view finder on my camera, so I have pictures of parts of the falls. Although impressive, they were not as enormous as Iguassu, in Brasil. I wander up to the lookout area and find the river feeding the massive fall is rather quite small; maybe 12-15 feet wide and no more than 2 feet deep. I was amazed it could create such a spectacle. I continued on the walking track to the Tall Tree Walk. The gum trees in the area are very old and almost match the height of the Redwoods in CA. These gums top out at 98 meters, while the redwoods highest are about 111 meters. Strangely, with that height, they do not have the girth of the redwoods, but that doesn't diminish their impressiveness. I continue on to two more falls, Horseshoe and Lady Barrouns, which are smaller but equally as rewarding.

    I left Mt. Field and headed for the Tahune Rainforest Airwalk. It took a couple hours, but I arrived in time to get into the visitors' center and buy my ticket. They have constructed a massive catwalk, about 100 feet above the forest floor, where you can walk around and study the canopy of the rain forest. There are two rivers, which converge here, the Picton and Huon, and the views from the catwalk are wonderful. The area had been logged significantly in the past, but there are some ginormous surviving trees, which stretch upward, beyond the catwalk, at least another 100 feet. Did you know that the gum tree has the hardest wood on the planet?

    I drove over to the coast to spend the night in Snug. It's close to Kingston, where I want to see the Antarctic exhibit tomorrow morning. Righty-o    Read more

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    Ramblin' Sheila reporting from the road

    November 6, 2006 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 46 °F

    I started the morning at the Australia Antartic Station. It is from here they stage all Australian expeditions to Antarctica. They have a small but interesting exhibit, and I had a spot of tea, while watching the informative DVD. They also had a stuffed emperor penguin, which they encourage you to touch. The outer feathers are very stiff, similar to straw, but underneath is a heavy coat of down. Their wings are reptilian-like, with the feathers being more like scales. Now that I've seen them up close, I'm thinking it may have been emperor penguins I saw at the 12 Apostles.

    I left the exhibit and headed to the Cadbury Factory. They had an opening on their 11am tour, and I bought the ticket immediately. I had read in a travel book, "don't miss this Willy Wonka-like tour..." Oh how right they were. There weren't any oompa loompas, but the rest was surreal. Huge vats of chocolate churned by obscure looking machines, boxes sealed by robotic arms, chocolate powder rolling its way to the vats on conveyer belts. It was awesome. I had a chance to sneak some bottled concoction, but I didn't. I heard a guy named Charlie and his grandpa got in big trouble for doing that. Unfortunately, they stopped giving samples during the tour, so now you have to wait until the end to get your free treats. It was worth the wait. Then, they let you shop in the factory store, which you can only enter, if you have been on a tour. I went wild! I don't know how much will make it home, but you'll be able to tell from my size! My tour guide was Shirley, and she had worked at the factory about 30 years. I suspect Shirley smokes a bit and has a nip once in a while. She was delightful, but I didn't get any of her jokes, although the Australians laughed. She answered my questions about the difference between chocolates: milk, dark, and white. Did you know that white chocolate is not chocolate at all. I guess I never noticed because I was too busy eating it! Dark chocolate has less milk and sugar than milk chocolate. So there you have it. Did you know all the Cadbury eggs, for Easter, are made at one plant that operates 11 months out of the year? Did you know Australians eat more sweets per capita than any other nationality? And did you know the chocolate bars here taste different than the ones in England? And it's not just different cows. They use sugar beets in England and use refined sugar in Australia.

    I had lunch at a pub recommended to me by Jeannie and her friends. I ordered the fish basket, thinking it was a little pricey. Holy catfish! I got so much food, I hardly put a dent in it. I identified shrimp and calamari, but the other 3 items were unfamiliar to me; however, I can eat anything if it's deep fried.

    I finished up the day with some shopping and some laundry. I'll be meeting Jeannie and her friends again tonight to hang out and chat. I leave early tomorrow for Sydney. Hopefully, I can find Nemo.    Read more

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    No Nemo but great views!

    November 9, 2006 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 54 °F

    I arrived in Sydney at 8am today. I'm staying at the Old Rectory, which must have belonged to the Catholic Church next door, St. Peter and St. Paul. I don't know how they harmonize without Mary, but that's another story. As soon as I got settled, I bought a day ticket for the trains, ferries, and buses. I went to Circular Quay (pronounced key) first. This is in the harbor with the Opera House. I jumped on the Manly ferry and took numerous pictures all the way around the Opera House, with views of the harbor and bridge. The weather is warm but cloudy, so hopefully some of the photos will be nice. The trip to Manly takes 30 minutes and the last is in the ocean. The boat was rocking so hard all you could see was water, then sky, then water, then sky. Good thing Kim hasn't met up with me, she would have been seeing lunch too! At Manly I disembarked, turned the corner, and got back on the boat. I love riding on the water.

    I started to notice that a whole lot of women, all ages, were dressed for the Easter Parade; lots of Spring dresses and fabulous hats or hair pieces with exotic feathers. Interesting. I finally made my way to the bridge and walked all the way across, then back down to the water for more photos of the Opera House, which was now in the sun. The rood was a magnificent white against the hazy blue sky. I experimented with my panoramic feature but have no idea how the pictures will look. When I was done, I walked around the neighborhood of Kirribilli. Nice homes. I later found out that I had walked by the Prime minister's residence. I walked across the bridge again to an area known as the rocks. As I came down some stone stairs, there was quite a commotion at the local pub; people were cheering and overflowing onto the sidewalk. I walked over and it found out it was the racing of the Melbourne Cup. It is a horse race of great import here and that's why the women were all dressed up. In case you care, Delta Blues won by a nose, and the finishing straight was exciting. Apparently the Melbourne Cup stops the nation each year, and there was serious celebrating, or consoling, going on at all the local pubs.

    I took another ferry to Darling Harbor, where I shopped and ate dinner. I then thought the train station looked close, at least according to the map, so I started walking toward it...and walking, and walking, and walking. I was about to sit down and cry, when I finally saw the station. I got on my train and dropped everything at the hotel. Then I dressed in my best clothes (that's not saying much) and headed to the show. I had bought a ticket to the first run of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert. It was described as the Australian Mama Mia. It was funny, as were some of the characters in the audience, and the music was great. I still like Mama Mia better, but it was wonderful entertainment.

    I got back to the hotel at 11:30pm. It's my first night on a mattress in almost a week, and I can't wait!    Read more

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    Koalas and Devils, oh my!

    November 10, 2006 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F

    Wow! It's amazing what sleeping on a mattress can do for your attitude. I was up and ready to go at 7am. I showered and grabbed the train to Circular Quay, where I had a ticket for the Opera House tour at 9am. The tour was interesting, and the inside is magnificent. The interior is all wood, save the concrete slabs of the massive roof(s). The Orchestra Hall is gorgeous; all wood with a 10,000+ pipe organ as the backdrop. Apparently there are only 6 people in Australia, who can play this organ. The original design was supposed to take four years and 7 million dollars. It actually took 14 years and 102 million dollars. Do you know how they made up the difference in cost? A lottery. In 18 months they paid the thing off. I think we should have a national lotto to pay off the deficit. Anyway, the hour tour was a good use of time.

    After the Opera House, I went to Featherdale Park, where I finally saw the elusive koala and Tasmanian devil. I took lots of pictures. There were also birds there, and now I'm convinced that I saw pied cormorants at the 12 Apostles, not penguins. Look them up and you can see how easily they can be confused (and my sister says there are no other penguins, other than fairy, in Australia).

    I made it back to the hotel for a nap and dinner. It's an early night, as I leave for the airport at 5am for my 7am flight to Auckland. Australia has been bery, bery good to me!    Read more

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    In the land of Mordor

    November 11, 2006 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 55 °F

    Got to the Sydney airport at 5:15am. I just about missed my flight, after falling asleep in the waiting area. I was the last one on the plane, so no worries. I got into Auckland at noon, after a two hour time change. The weather was terrible, and there were all kinds of hang-ups with my camper reservation. I didn't get the camper out of the company lot until about 3pm. There were squalls periodically that about blew me off the road, but I persevered and found a trailer park in Ranui, north and west of Auckland. The wind and rain came sporadically, but at least I had a place to stay. I called Kim to arrange pick up at the airport. I neglected to tell her about the weather, figuring she doesn't need to know that information. Hopefully tomorrow's weather will be better.Read more

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    Windy West Coast

    November 12, 2006 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌧 59 °F

    I got up and at 'em early today. I drove to the West Coast and walked around the Te Henga (AKA Bethell's) Beach. Many movie and television scenes have been shot on this beach. It is gorgeous, but probably even more beautiful when the wind isn't blowing 50 miles per hour. By the way, I saw the newspaper headlines, "Chaos Rains after Storm." So yesterday wasn't my imagination, Auckland had winds up to 150 km (about 90 mph). Apparently, they also shut down the airport for most of the afternoon, so now I'm glad I got up so early to get here. Anyway, it's still windy today, but nothing like the branch breaking yesterday. I drove south from Te Henga and hiked to the Karekare Falls, as well as the beach opposite the parking lot for the Falls. The travel book noted this was a very sacred area for the Mauri, and there were visible pas (fort areas) within the area to protect it. The waves are killer, dude, and some of the best surfing is in Piha. I went into Piha, hoping to get lunch, but they only have surfing there. I went back into Auckland for lunch and to find a place for the campa.

    I can't seem to post pictures, but I'll keep trying. You wouldn't want to see the rain right now, anyway!    Read more

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    Kim's here

    November 13, 2006 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 59 °F

    Kim got here safely this morning. She looked tired, but she was a trooper, most of the day. I got her on heavy doses of caffeine and started driving south. She experienced the same startle response, regarding the whole oncoming traffic issue driving on the wrong side of the road. I assured her she would get used to it...in a couple weeks. We drove to Waitomo, which is where we will be rafting in underground caves tomorrow. On inner tubes. Yeah. We took a small but productive hike through a rain forest area. It had incredible rock formations, with deep coverings of a variety of mosses, some dark green, some light, some leafy, and others prickly. We saw a lot of sheep and sheep poo. Almost tricked Kim into thinking it was lava rock, but she's not that tired! We're calling it an early night, since Kim can't keep her eyes open any longer, and I'm bored with myself. I was only funny for the first couple of days, now I'm kinda tired of myself.Read more

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    Kia Ora!

    November 14, 2006 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 66 °F

    Kim has now noticed the outside of the campa. The logo, Juicy Lucy, is plastered above the windshield, and there is a provocative, 1950's pin-up gal on the side. Lucy, I suppose. She finds the whole thing less amusing than do I, but I think it's just the jet lag.

    We have had an adventurous day. We arrived at the Black Water Rafting Co. at 8:45am for our 9am rafting trip. It's a bit rainy and overcast, so it's a great day to be underground. When our tour was called, we proceeded out to the courtyard to get our gear: full wetsuit, helmet (skid lid), booties, boots, and Erkel shorts. The suits were still wet from the day before, so it was quite chilly getting into them. Little did I know that my feet would not be warm again for another three hours. With our gear on, we took the bus to a little stream near the cave. Kim volunteered me to be the first to jump backwards, tube around me bum, 12 feet down to the stream. I did and landed upright! Wowee that water was cold, 6-8 Celsius. I haven't made the conversion yet because I'm not sure I want to know. We floated down to a ladder, got back out, into the bus, and to the cave. We will have to jump like that two more times, but in the cave, so they wanted to have us practice once without all the rocks. At the cave, Kim again volunteered me to go first. I did and landed upright! We spelunked down a corridor into an area of rushing water. The guide pointed forward and told me to keep going until I came to the fork. Uh, OK. So I tripped, splashed, and climbed around, inner tube on my shoulder, and Kim somewhere behind me. We got to the fork and the girl guide, Snappy, asked which way I'd like to choose. "That way sounds the loudest, hence the potentially funniest, so I choose that way." She gave me a nudge into the tube, and I floated into the darkness. We got to an area where we all grabbed the boots of the person behind us. We turned off our torches (flashlights) and laid back. On the ceiling of the cave were millions of glow worms, creating amazing constellations. We learned that they aren't actually worms, but it's harder to attract tourists when you call them what they are: maggots. We spent a few minutes in this area enjoying the light show. It looked just like the clear, night sky, but the stars were glowing green instead of white. Snappy turned on her torch and aimed it at the roof. From each glow worm, they extended about 30 little fishing lines to catch their food as it passes by the cave. Luckily, we were still a couple feet below the lines! We continued on jumping, floating, and climbing our way to the other end of the cave. Although the water was skin-numbingly cold, just my hands and feet were cold. Well, frozen is a better word. The whole trip was awesome, and although Kim had been apprehensive with the trip booking, she was very happy to have done it. A hot shower, hot soup and hot bagel awaited us, after the ordeal of getting cold wetsuits off.

    We drove to Rotorua, at times, in heavy rain. Kim is still having some issues with the traffic, but I have apparently gotten used to driving on the left. Often, she'll look up, gasp, then give me a very embarrassed smile. I think I'm doing well, I haven't driven in the wrong lane in a few days.

    In Rotorua, we went to the cultural show presented by Tamaki. They invite you to a traditional Maori village, where you wander around and observe them engaged in traditional activities, watch a dance and song performance, then have a hangi feast. The hangi is cooked in the ground for 4-5 hours, with white hot rocks heated from fire. The meat goes on the rocks first, then veggies, then dessert. They had cooked lamb, chicken, fish, as well as carrots, kamuris (not sure on the spelling but a sweet potato), and white potatoes. I tried everything but the chicken. It was all very good, then we had dessert. I passed on the traditional steam pudding and went straight to the pavlova. The American woman at our table told us that pavlova is the favorite dessert of kiwis (New Zealanders). Now I'm sure I must have been a kiwi in a previous life. This stuff was awesome. Kim said it was straight sugar, but I'm sure there were a few more ingredients. It was like a soufflé with kiwi fruit on top. Yum.

    We got home by 9:30 and are off to the south part of the north island tomorrow.    Read more

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    Free spa and massage

    November 15, 2006 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 59 °F

    We left Rotorua under cloudy sky and headed south. Kim was excited that the weather would be warmer, as it always is going south, then I reminded her that only applies to the northern hemisphere. Oops, we both keep forgetting everything is a little backwards from what we are used to. We drove a couple hours to Taupo. First we stopped at Huka Falls (no smoking) and walked the two hour trail. It was beautiful. The river meanders along the walking path. It is emerald and turquoise and clear enough to see ever pebble in the riverbed. Near the end of the trail are hot springs, then the Spa Park. As we looked around, we decided to go back, get the campa, and return with our swimsuits. The walk back brought a break in the clouds, and we had sun the rest of the day, which my sunburned back can attest to.

    Finding the park, via roadway, was more challenging than we had thought. Luckily, we got lost enough to find the best view of Lake Taupo and Mordor in the background. Lake Taupo is the result of the biggest volcanic eruption on record. The eruption created an incredibly large crater, which is now filled with Lake Taupo. It is surrounded by several other volcanoes, scenes of which can be found in the Lord of the Rings movies. We stopped and stared for a while, then continued to wander around before finding the park. We hurried down to the hot springs, threw off our clothes, and I stepped in to my ankles. Scalding, scalding, scalding!!!! I danced around a few minutes then hopped out. Kim, who I'm sure has hooves, got in and walked around. I went down stream to the little pool with the waterfall. It was cooler by then, so I sat down and relaxed. Kim made her way down, and I noticed she was a little red around the ankles. "I like it hot," she told me." "I like my skin attached," I reminded her. We hang out a while, then I head to the river. It is pretty chilly, but a wonderful temperature if you've been sitting in hot springs. There is a small fall, where the hot stream pours into the river. I stand under it for 20 minutes or so. It's like getting a massage, with really hot water. I finally get Kim's attention, and she comes down to try it, too. She stays 30 minutes. Before we leave, we sit in the area upstream. I found a pumice stone and start softening my little, beaten feet. When we were done, we were contented for having spent no money for the full spa treatment.

    We drove to Hell for lunch. It's a pizza chain, with such delicious creations, as Purgatory, Sloth, Wrath, Damned, and the mini pizza; 333. You can check them out at www.hell.co.nz or call at 0800-666-0001; however, their delivery area is limited.

    By the time we ate it was going on 6pm, and we had a lot of driving to do. If we don't get to Wellington tonight, we will tomorrow.    Read more

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    Neptune is upset about something

    November 16, 2006 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F

    I'm not sure where we stayed last night, but it was definitely rural. We headed off to Wellington, which took much longer than I had anticipated. We took our time, stopping often, and having fish and chips along the way. A couple hours out of Wellington, we ran into some bad weather that got worse. Kim was complaining about my driving until I explained it was the wind, and not me, that was doing the swerving. By the time we got to Wellington, my forearms were sore from my death grip on the steering wheel. It was hard to keep the campa on the road, especially when trucks passed in the opposite direction. I didn't think the wind in Auckland could be worse but I think this might be. The drive into Wellington takes you along the coast of the Tasman Sea, which was churning like a washing machine. When we came into Wellington, we were driving along the South Pacific; although calm, Neptune himself must have had a personnel vengeance for us, as he lashed rain and sea water, with the incredible power of hurricane force winds. But we would not be deterred. I really wanted to go to Te Papa, the national museum in Wellington. Despite the driving rain, we made it, and it was worth it. They had displays regarding the formation of the island nation, the landscape and animals, as well as the history of the Maori people and immigrants to New Zealand. The whole collection was quite nice and there were some fun, interactive displays, too. While we were there, Kim finally asked someone about the weather. Of course, "It's never like this," the nice volunteer said. I hope not. We got some hot coffee and made our way back to the campa. We arrived at the Holiday Park and strapped everything down for a potentially windy and rainy night.Read more

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    Today's Headline-"Gale Winds Ferocious"

    November 17, 2006 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 72 °F

    Yep, the winds could get worse than Auckland. The headlines today are all about the storm yesterday. The winds reached 160kph, and that's 10kph stronger than last week in Auckland, or the difference between 90 and 96mph. Nice. I thought it was a little concerning. Some poor guy was standing under a tree, which fell over and crushed him, but that was the only fatality.

    Anyway, we left our troubles behind and boarded the ferry at 8am, crossing to Picton. The crossing of Cook Strait, between the North and South islands of New Zealand, takes about 3 hours. The ferry is huge. We were parked with many other camper vans and several semi-trucks. That's a big boat! We took off on time and arrived as scheduled, then headed down highway 1 toward Christchurch.

    Our first stop was in Kiakoura. We went to the South Beach, but the hiking trail was closed. We were going to leave but thought we would try the hiking trail on the other side of the bay. It was lucky that we went back, as there is a fur seal colony there, and it was close to shore, due to low tide. We watched them play for a while, took a lot of pictures, then went back to the beach. As I turned around, the sky was just starting to clear, and above the ocean was a snow-covered peak. It was a great photo. Plus, we were ecstatic to see the sun. I think I'm starting to get scurvy (or whatever it is when you don't get enough sun).

    We also saw red footed seagulls, which reminded me of my dog. The rest of the day was spent in the campa, trying to enjoy the sunshine and the fabulous landscape. I think that New Zealand was once full of trees, and they all turned into sheep.

    We arrived in Christchurch at about 7pm and went straight to dinner. Kim picked an eclectic kind of place and we ordered a curry dish, which seemed simple enough. What we got, I don't know, but with vegetarian I wasn't too worried.

    I forgot! I got Kim in the driver's seat today. We both agreed it was best I continue to drive, lest we both start wearing Depends.

    Tomorrow we hope to get to Omoaru and see fairy penguins.    Read more

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    A Fungus Among Us

    November 18, 2006 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 46 °F

    Ahhhhhhhhh! I was making a spot of tea this morning, when Kim returned from the shower with a worried look on her face. "Look at this!" She pulled up her shirt to reveal red, welted spots on her stomach. Apparently they are on her back and legs, too. EEEUUUW. She thinks it's ringworm, but I think she stayed too long in the mineral pools in Taupo. Then again, maybe she is trying to manifest an excuse to avoid going on a 4 day hike in the cold, wet rainforest. Hmmm. Stay tuned........Read more

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    Penguins and more penguins

    November 18, 2006 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 50 °F

    After getting over the initial shock of Kim's skin condition, we headed into Christchurch for some shopping. We both purchased polar fleece jackets, anticipating another layer of warmth may be needed on our tramp. The weather is actually sunny'ish today, but rain is forecasted for this afternoon. We had lunch at a Thai take away, following a noon hour interaction with locals.

    By the time we finished lunch, it was almost two, so we sped south to Oamaru, where the penguins can be seen at dusk. We arrive at the Visitors' Centre by 5:35 and Kim is complaining of itching. I've already tried to calm her with Calamine lotion, but she's acting up again. The volunteer at the Visitors' Center informs us that all medical clinics close by 5:30. Bummer. I finally talk her into trying some Benadryl, so we get the address to the local Chemist (pharmacy). Before we leave, we purchase a tour of yellow-eyed penguins for 7pm and blue penguins at 8:30pm.

    I won't go into the pharmacy episode, where Kim is lifting her shirt and flailing about showing the pharmacist what exactly it is that has gotten her; but, he did agree with me, it's not ringworm but some type of allergic reaction.

    The yellow eyed penguins are specific to the southern part of New Zealand and live nowhere else in the world. There are about 26 living in this area, and 18 of them are breeding. We were allowed to get up close to one of the nests and see a grown penguin with its two chicks. They are about two weeks old and already about 6-8 inches tall, having tripled their weight since birth. I snap some photos, but I don't think the light was too good. Did you know that the yellow eyed penguins mate for life? When the parents have chicks, they spend alternating days fishing all day or sitting with the chicks all day, until the chicks can feed themselves. We spent about 45 minutes with the penguin, also seeing others in the area, but they were too far to get a good look.

    By the time we finished, the wind had kicked up, and it was getting very cold. We got back to the campa and put on additional layers before watching the blue penguins. There is an old rock quarry on the coast in Oamaru's downtown area. The penguins come ashore here every night at dusk. We waited and the first raft of them came to shore. They are much smaller than the yellow eyed. The yellow were about 70 cm tall, and these are easily half that, probably smaller. They rolled on shore with the waves, tumbling as the curl broke onto the sand. It looked painful, but they seem unconcerned. They made their way halfway up the shore and just sat around. Did you know that these penguins quack just like ducks? Anyway, it wasn't until the next flotilla came ashore that the first penguins ran up to the bush and into their nests. This happened with the next wave, as well, until all were ashore. Hearing the chicks in the bush, we turned our binoculars to watch the parental penguins feeding their young. Some were so hungry they attacked the parent to get the food, fighting off their sibling for more. We watched for quite a while, then decided it was time to go get warm. As we drove away, penguins were everywhere, all through town. We were very careful not to hit one, but I wasn't able to avoid the hobbit that crossed in front of me. It was just a little bump.    Read more

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    Earth pods

    November 19, 2006 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌙 50 °F

    We left Oamaru for Moerki. We arrived in less than an hour, due south of Oamaru, on the South Pacific coast. We were there to see some unusual rocks along the beach. The rocks were a ways down from the car park, so we strolled slowly along the water line, looking at the shells and little creatures. We found some fabulous shells and grabbed enough for every student in Ms. Wilks' class. They are small curly ones with vibrant colors. We must have walked about 45 minutes before we came to the rocks. They seem very out of place, as if someone dropped them there from another part of the world. The Maori believe they were food baskets from the great canoe that brought their people here from the original land of Hawaiiki. They are almost perfectly round and made of a hard clay, segmented by a quartz type of material. (I was really wishing I'd paid better attention in Geology class.) As the clay erodes the quartz becomes much more pronounced. Eventually, they break open, and there were several lying about the beach. It's difficult to describe but fascinating to see.

    After Moerki, we stopped in Palmerston for lunch. i had the old standby, fish 'n chips. And, as usual, they were great. From Palmerston we drove to Queenstown. Kim slept most of the way. I think the antihistamine is making her a little sleepy. Well, a lot sleepy, since she wasn't awakened by my driving!

    In Queenstown, we got set up at a Holiday Park, then went out and met some nice kiwis. We got home a little late. It is our last night sleeping in the campa, as we turn it in tomorrow. We'll miss the old cruiza. It's been good to us.    Read more

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    Travel Day to Te Anau

    November 20, 2006 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌙 50 °F

    We left the campa today with a fond farewell. I must say I am looking forward to a mattress tonight! We did a little shopping in the town centre, then boarded the bus for Te Anau. Te Anau is the staging area for the Milford track and the longer Kepler track. We had reservations for the Bella Vista hotel, and the private toilet and bed were a very welcome sight! We visited a Chinese restaurant and ate a great last meal, as tomorrow starts four days of freeze-dried food stuff. I've not felt well all day, so my headache and I hit the pillow early, while Kim stayed up late.Read more

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    Disappointment

    November 21, 2006 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 54 °F

    Well, we had to cancel our 4 day trek. I woke up very ill, with a puking, needle in the eye, wish-I-were-dead, migraine. Because the track is so regulated, you must leave on the date and time that you booked. Unfortunately, I could not recover that quickly and we had to make the very painful decision to cancel the whole trek. It was not a pleasant traveling moment, but one I hope I forget quickly. I was really wanting to hike this trail and had booked it in July. I suppose I should be grateful I didn't have a stroke, given that my head felt as though it would explode.

    By the end of the day, I was feeling a little more human, so we did get out and walk the first part of the Milford track. I at least got to go on one of the swing bridges I had hoped to cross on the tramp. Because we now have 4 days to blow in Te Anau (not a big town), we will do a day hike of Kepler track, and take a cruise on Milford Sound tomorrow and Doubtful Sound on Wednesday. It's not what I had planned but not a bad alternative! Oh well, I guess I'll just need to return again some other time to make the trek. Cheers!    Read more

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