The Sun Came Out and It Didn't Go Away, No, It Didn't, It Didn't Go Awaaaaaay

Lazy morning in Twizel. Surprisingly the sun was out and stayed out for most of the day. Studied guide books over breakfast in search of my next destination and found it on the east coast. Will travel to Oamaru tomorrow and stay 2 days.

Rolled out of the hotel by 11 AM and just kind of drove around the area.
Twizel once was just a temporary outpost built for workers creating a large hydroelectric project. It was due to be bulldozed once the project was completed but a number of residents decided to stay and lobbied to create an actual town.

I meandered on the outskirts of town until I found the reservoir and canal which direct massive mountain runoff from the Southern Alps into a hydroelectric complex further down the line.  Followed the canal upstream for a while, taking photos until I realized I needed to return to the hotel to get my tripod if I were to steady my lens in the buffeting winds coming off the mountain range. The canal road eventually led me back to the main highway which proceeds north to Mt. Cook National Park. Weather reports indicated strong winds and periodic rain but I figured, "What the hell, that's why I'm here. What's a little rain?" And it was just the right amount of rain. Clouds make for far more interesting and dramatic images. You might say they add just the right amount of atmosphere. Literally.

Anyway, I spent the day in Mt. Cook National Park, first along the road skirting Lake Pukaki and then in the park itself. If the supposed similarity with Alaska is what helped spark my interest in traveling here, this was positive proof of just that. The landscape is huge and stupendous. I made my way to Mount Cook village where there are numerous lodges for backpackers and mountaineers who ascend into the snowy heavens. From there I hung a right onto the gravel road toward Tasman Lake.
All the maps and atlases have warning signs that say "No rental cars on this road".
Being an inveterate scofflaw I, of course, proceeded directly down that road.
When I arrived at the carpark from which numerous hiking trails proceed, all I saw were rental cars.
Guess I ain't so special after all.

Took a 15 minute hike straight up to an overlook to view Tasman Lake and the rapidly melting Tasman Glacier which in just 20 years has receded at least a couple of miles from its previous position. The best part of the hike was getting pelted with rain and hail for a few minutes. That sure made it memorable. And, of course, the unbelievably epic view of the glacier and cloud topped mountains towering over it.

From there I turned around and made my leisurely way back to Twizel.
I had a fantastic day and for those of you who think I celebrated the New Zealand November 30th as my birthday, then this certainly was a great way to do that.
But I'm actually going to wait until my legitimate North American birthday rolls around tomorrow and treat myself to a lovely dinner in the quaint coastal town of Oamaru.

OK. All for now.
Here are some pix from today.

Rainy Day, Rain All Day...

Had a "To Do List" morning, with some laundry chores, getting the rental car, shopping for more supplies and replacing a beloved Giants sweatshirt that got left on the tour bus.
And oh yes... relearning how to drive on the wrong side of the street. (It's positively sinister!)

Buying a cooler at the local Walmart equivalent was a bit of a shock.
The first one I liked had a price sticker reading $99!
OK, that's only $81 US but still... FOR A COOLER?
(Or an "Eski" or "Chilly Bin" as it's known in these parts.)
And nothing special at that!
Finally found a smaller one for $50 with a discount that brought it down to $35 US.
I can live with that but it's slowly sinking in how expensive NZ is.
$6.50 US per gallon of gas is just the tip of the iceberg.
But... WTF... I'm on holiday (as it's known in these parts).

Finally got out of town at 11:30 AM and headed along the east shore of Lake Wakatipu, enroute to Glenorchy, situated at the northern tip of the lake.
My objective was some wild country even further north, which stood in as Isengard for LOTR.
Alas, I was not to reach Saruman's fortress realm for, behold, a great and terrible storm was descending and threatened to sweep me aside with merciless vengeance!

In other words, the long predicted rains were coming in from the north.
And dat shit was fierce!

I got about halfway up the lake before I realized I was dealing with gale force winds.  Tried to get out of the car to take a photo and the wind was so strong, I could barely push the door open! When I finally succeeded, the wind almost knocked me over. It put me in mind of that one reporter who gets left behind as the hurricane comes ashore and fights to stand upright while "reporting live from Miami Beach!!!" I had to crouch down to get out of the wind and creep back to the car. Yikes!

After a couple more photo stops, I turned around, drove back into and then right out the other side of Queenstown.  Spun the radio dial, found a local rock station and rocketed out of town on the Gorge Road. And who should come blasting out of the car speakers ? None other than that other Jersey Boy, Bruce Springsteen.
All the way on the other side of the world!  Sheesh! What are the odds?
And what song was it?  "Born To Run", of course!
What a perfect send-off.

"Baby this town rips the bones from your back, it's a death trap, it's a suicide rap, we gotta while we're young, 'cause tramps like us, baby we were born to run!"

And run I did, the storm nipping at my heels and catching me from time to time.
Stopped in Arrowtown, a cute-and-kitcshy NZ Gold Rush era settlement that looked very much like any of the cute-and-kitschy California Gold Rush towns found in the foothills of the Sierra. Too many tourists and too much downpour drove me out of there pretty quickly.

After that, I pointed my nose toward Twizel in the Mackenzie Country, about 120 miles to the north. With stops in Cromwell and Omarama, I continually flirted with the storm and often only had mere minutes to get out of the car and take a few quick snaps before rain would suddenly come dancing down on my head.
By and large, I only came up with a few usable photos from today's journey.

Twizel is a speck of a town, a mere way station for fly fishermen plying Diamond Lake and backpackers and climbers intent on traversing and scaling the heights of Mt. Cook, about an hour distant. My hotel is rather pedestrian but thank (insert Deity here) there is a wonderful upscale cafe just across the street.
Dinner tonight consisted of Pumpkin and Coconut Soup, then Beef Bourguignon Pie with a side salad, and finished off with Sticky Date Pudding with Roasted Walnuts, Butterscotch Sauce and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. I would have taken a photo if I weren't so vehemently opposed to Hipstamatic "look at what I'm eating" food porn.

Tomorrow I'll read the weather reports and concoct a day trip to someplace where it will not be raining.

OK. All for now.  Here are a few scant pix from today.

First There Is A Mountain, Then There Is No Mountain, Then There Is.

Today's journey to Milford Sound has convinced me that New Zealand is, in point of fact, Middle Earth.  Just from the little I've seen so far, I cannot imagine any other country where LOTR could have been filmed.

From craggy, menacing granite peaks to 1000' foot cascading alpine waterfalls to vast, lush green valleys and everywhere in between, this island has it all. I've only been here 3 days and may already be approaching majestic panorama overload.

Today I traveled to Milford Sound on a tour bus leaving Queenstown at 7 AM.
This part of the country, was carved out by glacial movement and wide, deep river valleys nestled between peaks on either side were ubiquitous. After passing through endless sheep, cattle and deer country, the passage to Milford Sound proceeds through Fjordland National Park. The route up and over the mountains to the fjords first follows a series of rivers and lakes bursting with green, purple, yellow and blue foliage.

Only later did I learn that the Scotch broom and lupines were all brought here by European settlers. Beautiful as these may be, the lupines at least, are considered to be a noxious weed, clogging up waterways and impossible to eradicate. That's how it is with much of the flora and fauna in New Zealand. It seems that 80% of the native bird population was hunted to extinction in short order by introduced predators such as possums and, of course, that most voracious predator of all, homo sapiens.

All manner of animals, trees and vegetation were brought onto this once pristine, virgin land in order to suit those who carved it up and shaped it in their own image. It's not by chance that whole swaths of countryside appear as if they have been deposited intact from the British Isles.  But it's in the mountains, which cannot really be shaped much to anyone's liking, that I found the most dramatic and impressive landscapes yet. As a skier, I have an deep and almost spiritual connection with such environments. As we began our ascent on the narrow, serpentine road up toward the summit pass, my heart was racing.  At numerous stops along the way, passengers were allowed to disembark to revel in the natural beauty and drink deep of both crystalline mountain streams and cool, bracing air.

The cruise on Milford Sound was the capstone to the day, as we spent well over 2 hours out amidst the peaks rising from the sea, encountering penguins and sea lions along the way.  It did not rain and was, instead, a gorgeous, sunny day which allowed most travelers to remain on deck in shirtsleeves.
There were a few waterfalls but none of the thundering variety which accompany a downpour. I was at peace with trading a dry day for a little less natural drama.

The return trip was a straight shot with only one pit stop. Many of the riders chose to nap for significant portions of the drive. I was too excited and as the bus went around this turn and that to reveal  one jaw-dropping view after another, I kept snapping photos all the way back to Queenstown. How those folks could sleep thru it, I'll never know.

Anyway... tomorrow I depart Queenstown to ultimately land in the town of Twizel, near Lake Pukaki and the access road to Mt. Cook, New Zealand's highest peak.
I wanted to be in high terrain on my birthday to observe a starlit sky but rain for the next couple of days now seems certain. I will base out of Twizel for a couple of days and if the road to Mt. Cook is not agreeable, will make day trips 2 hours east to the coastal towns of Oamaru or Timru or even as far as Christchurch.
My hope is that the weather will clear by the 2nd or 3rd day and I can proceed from Twizel for a day hike on the flanks of Mt. Cook for my birthday or at least the day after that. And perhaps the evening will yield an ocean of stars.

OK. All for now.

Here are some photos from today's trip.
As before, click on the thumbnail photos to expand the image to full-size.

High Aspiration

In anticipation of another rainy day, I got up and out by midmorning to catch some views before the storms rolled in (which they never did).

Rode the Skyline Gondola to an observation platform overlooking Queenstown from 1500 feet above the lake. I briefly considered hiking up the Tiki Trail to the platform but my legs were a little cranky this morning so I decided to ride in style.
It was well worth $22.
The panoramic view of Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu, set beneath the towering Remarkables mountain range is quite dramatic.
Yes, the mountains are called The Remarkables. And they are.
As you will see in the photos below.
(BTW, be sure to click on any photo thumbnail to expand images to full size.)

After admiring the view for some time, I was struck with a sudden whim to walk down the mountainside along the Tiki Trail. How hard could it be going downhill?
I soon found out.

The descent is about a mile of steep switchback hiking trail through alpine forest. There are flat stones and other various footholds advantageous for those hiking uphill but heading down is another matter.
When you've left the hiking boots at home and are scuttling about in running shoes it takes a bit of finesse not to twist an ankle.The knees take a bit of a beating too.
By the time I made it back into town my legs were pretty sore.

This is the second time I've gone galavanting off  without bringing along any water or energy bars. In both cases it would've been a good idea. I hope to have learned my lesson.

At the foot of the Tiki Trail is the local Queenstown Cemetery. I lingered for a while and was struck by just how many Irish are planted there. As we know, Ireland was a rough place for many of its inhabitants in the 19th century. They sure came a far piece to make a new start.  To come this far by sea, this far inland and upland to hew gold nuggets and a life out of the mountains...well, it's an oft-repeated tale but it sure takes plenty big oysters to accomplish.

Anyway, most of my afternoon was spent traipsing up and down the streets of Queenstown gathering food supplies and other items for the upcoming marathon road trip. I will pick up my rental car in another day or so and anticipate spending many hours behind the wheel. I'm glad that I've been able to get in some good solid exercise beforehand.

But first...

Tomorrow I'm up at the-crack-of-the-crack-of-dawn to board a group tour bus to Milford Sound.  It's a 12 hour round-trip which includes a two-hour boat ride through what I'm told is one of the the more epic environments on the planet. In this case, I'm actually supposed to wish for some rainfall because it feeds the massive waterfalls that tumble into the sound.

OK. All for now.
Here are some photos from today. Please note that I rode the gondola up the mountain again for some sunset shots. And yes, I took the gondola back down this time.  I may be stupid but I ain't (entirely) crazy.

The Youth of A Thousand Summers

A 13 hour flight had me arriving in Auckland at 6 AM local time.
Made my connecting flight with only five minutes to spare.
Landed at Queenstown airport at 9 AM, and stepped out into some brisk alpine air.
 Arrived at my hotel at 10 AM and was very lucky to be able to check right into my room. Took a break and then ambled out into town.

FYI, my original plan was to check into a hostel.
In doing so, I thought I might pick other travelers brains about what to do and see and get a little social interaction going. The place where I had planned to stay was recently rated the #1 hostel in New Zealand. At the last minute, however, I read the fine print which indicated the average age of their visitors is 27.
Further research yielded a review that said, "If you're over 30, staying here may make you feel ancient".

Now, I certainly may still think I'm 21 but thank (insert Deity here) I'm no longer quite as stupid as I was at that age. The last thing I need on this trip is to feel fossilized.
A quick change of plans and I'm now ensconced in a nice little place on the edge of town with a hot tub and kitchenette. Much better.

I may still wind up in a hostel when I'm out in a remote mountain pass for the night but my addiction to Wi-Fi may ultimately force me into motels/ hotels for the duration.

ANYWAY... A cloudy overcast Queenstown morning morphed into a clear, bright and sunny afternoon that was positively summerlike by 2 PM.

Since weather predictions are for rain over the next few days, I decided to strike while the weather was hot. Instead of lollygagging around my hotel I decided the best cure for jet lag would be a 16 mile mountain bike ride on a gravel trail around part of Lake Wakatipu. About 10 miles into the journey I realized I was in over my head. The elevation and dehydration threatened to knock me for a loop. Found a convenience store and replenished my precious bodily fluids which at least enabled me to limp back into town. But I'm beat!  Pretty certain that I will sleep deep and soundly tonight... which may indeed be the cure for jet lag.

Sat along the water's edge for sunset and listened to groups of merry hostelers whooping, hollering sharing drinks and laughs on the beach. Perhaps that's what I was somehow seeking with my notion to stay at a hostel. But those days are gone, old pal.  Oh, to be young, footloose and fancy-free again.
But then again...NOT.

ANYWAY... supposedly this area is also well-known for star-gazing. Since it is my fervent wish to have a peak star-gazing experience I sat by the lake until 10:30 PM, waiting for the last bit of light to die and the stars to emerge. However, it appears that is still hours away. if there's still no action by 11:30, I'm off to bed.

In closing, allow me to share a few nice images from today's walkabout.

What Lies Ahead?

World Turned Upside Down, Turned Upside Down.

As the Bay Area edges into Winter, I depart this evening for the Land Down Under, which is fast approaching Summer. Except for a recent couple of days' rainfall, Northern California has been exceptionally pleasant lately, with warm, sunny days and mild, beautiful evenings. The 3 days on/ 3 days off cycle of rain we are normally accustomed to at this time of year has not materialized. Dire predictions warn of possibly the driest year on record. While this may potentially bring great hardship to California crops and drinking water supplies, it cannot be denied that the clear, dry weather has been quite wonderful.

Meanwhile, in New Zealand, the long-term forecast for much of the South Island is: Rain, Rain, Rain.

Temperatures should range between 48 and 70 degrees with daily storms and showers on the menu for at least the next 7-10 days.
Y'know... Like San Francisco (usually) in the winter!
All the rain gear I have not been using here in California is accompanying me and likely will be put to frequent good use. I cannot escape the irony of the situation.  I acknowledge it. But I'm not gonna say I "appreciate" it.

Am I whining before the fact?
Am I not taking in the Big Picture?
Am I making a sow's ear out of a silk purse because, after all. I'm still GOING TO NEW ZEALAND ON VACATION?
Yes, Yes and Yes.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, a family member is reminding me that it’s 19 degrees on the East Coast today. Hmmm... I get it. 60 degrees and rain ain't so bad by comparison. Maybe I should quit my bitchin' and enjoy the ride, huh?
Yeah. OK.

Save for my slight disappointment with the forecast,  I am indeed finally starting to get excited. Haven't had much time to think on it and get all worked up but as the BART train now approaches the International Terminal I will confess that it is finally sinking in. The fact that I don't have much planned out in advance induces some anxiety but, on the other hand, it also heightens the sense of adventure.
Who knows what lies ahead?
Guess I'll find out soon enough.

The Five and Dime Excursion

In just about 30 hours, I will be boarding a flight to New Zealand for my Five and Dime Birthday Excursion.  Following the lead of a dear friend (who did something similar)  I, too, want to wake up in a different country on my 60th. In this case, I will awake somewhere in the spectacular Southern Alps region. In fact, almost all of my peregrinations will take place on the South Island.

My original plans called for me to wind up at world-renowned Lake Tekapo on my birthday, November 30th.  Surrounded by mountains and far from the glare of city lights, Lake Tekapo's cloud-free skies make it the best place in the Southern Hemisphere to see the night sky.
I envisioned a nighttime hike up to the local observatory where I would luxuriate under a sea of stars.
Perhaps wisdom, enlightenment and a soul-shaking epiphany might visit me!

Perhaps I might get soaked to the bone.

Weather reports now indicate an excellent chance of rain for all the days leading up to and including my birthday.  I will monitor the situation but it's likely I will have to switch gears and come up with something else. This causes me some concern. I suppose I'll figure out some alternative but a memorable evening under the celestial canopy was my Big Plan.  If that falls thru, I might have Nuthin'.
Stay tuned.

Overall, I have no firm objectives for this trip. I'm pretty much gonna punt and see what happens. Vague plans to visit a few remote LOTR sites are on the docket but other than that, I'll be making it up as I go along. There will be a lot of driving. As I told another friend, I'm taking a break from Location Scouting to fly to New Zealand in order to drive around taking photographs. Truly a busman's holiday.

I've been intermittently plowing through guidebooks and I have a broad idea of what I want to see.
I'll start in Queenstown and after a group day trip to Milford Sound and the Fjordlands, I intend to work my way northward by car, perhaps crisscrossing back and forth over the central mountain range through numerous National Parks.  Weather will dictate where I go and when. Periodically, I'll return to civilization along both the west and east coasts, ultimately ending up on the beaches in and around Nelson and Abel Tasman National Park. 
The last day or two will be spent in the capital city, Wellington, on the southern tip of the North Island.

I aim to mix things up, staying in hotels, motels, Air BnBs and even a Hostel now and again.
I hope to meet some of the locals as well as more serious world travelers.
Camping was on the agenda for a while too, until I realized that… I'm gonna be 60!!!
Thus ended that brilliant idea. 

Anyway… I intend to make nightly entries to this blog, so if you are interested, please check in now and again.  
It can't hurt to have some people aware of just where I'm traipsing about on the other side of the Earth.