10.2.08- 10:15am Wanaka

After leaving the lake yesterday morning the two of us drove into the town outside Fox Glacier to try to find a shower. In Australia it seemed many hostels would let a person use their showers for just a few bucks, but yesterday when we stopped at a holiday park they wanted $15 per person. We left and tried a nearby hostel. The woman working there got quite uppity and said “this is a hostel, we don’t do that here”. We resorted to splashing off in the sink of a bathroom connected to an information desk.

At that point we were scuzzy and hungry (being about 2pm and not having eaten since the night before) and were getting sick of the little tourist town, yet decided to suck it up and go see Fox Glacier up close. New Zealand has dozens of glaciers, but Fox Glacier and Franz Joseph Glacier are special in that they are very low-lying, accessible, and come down into temperate rain forest. The 30min walk to the glacier, winding between sheer cliffs and cutting through what looks like jungle, once again made me feel like a large tyrannosaurus or giant ape would be around the next corner. The glacier itself was pretty impressive: stratified with the upper layers of ice sky blue, and the bottom a dirty brown. The bad part, however, was trying to ignore the dozens of helicopter tours flying overhead.

When we left Fox Glacier we pulled to the side of the road and ate our oats/cereal milk/yogurt meal while sitting on a big rock overlooking the cliffs, watching the cars and helicopters go by.
We drove down south through the forests and between the mountains (the Southern Alps), stopping at the Gates of Haast (a bridge hanging over the Haast River), Fantail Falls, and a few other points to stretch and take a few pictures. The landscape stayed hilly and mountainous the entire time, but as we headed inland the greenery slowly disappeared until we ended up in Wanaka, which is just as mountainous yet dusty and brown—Overgrazing? Drought? Or just too far inland to get as much water?

We stopped at one hostel, which was fully booked, and were directed to a very large and unpleasant holiday park, where we camped. It was probably the only place with available accommodation (the town of Wanaka seemed pretty full) and not too expensive.

We set up camp next to a fellow from Canada (B.C.), probably the only person at the holiday park not from France or Germany, then cooked dinner (we got to finally test out our ‘billy’), showered (wooo!), and went to sleep on the nice hard ground (once again, only a thin tarp separating us from dirt and rocks).

This morning I decided to let Seth’s legs do all the work and I am just bumming around and getting some writing done. I don’t know what we will get up to today, but hopefully we will have time to explore Mt. Aspiring National Park, which is right outside of Wanaka.

9.2.08- 10:20am Lake Matheson

I am writing from a picnic shelter in front of Lake Matheson and I have a great view of Mt Cook (the tallest mountain in New Zealand), Mt Tasman, and Fox Glacier. Tourists (most of whom are German), pass by left and right :P

Seth and I camped out last night then drove down here to go running around Lake Matheson. It is recommended to visit the lake in the calm early morning because it reflects, like a mirror, the two large mountains and glacier. After doing a lot of walking yesterday my legs don’t feel like working so I cut the run short and now I am waiting for Seth to return from his ‘glacial adventure’.

Yesterday morning we got up early to run up a lookout that provides a view of the Greymouth region. Not only was the climb too steep (it was more like using a StairMaster and less like actually running) but the clouds pouring over the mountains obscured most of the view.


When I returned from the ‘run’ I was able to use the internet (at Noah’s Ark Hostel) for the first time in a week. There are many places that offer internet, but those that have wireless are quite expensive (about $10NZ/hr- or about $8USD), or don’t have USB ports so I can upload photos. It was good to use it for a few minutes yesterday morning, but now I am getting antsy to connect again, since I still have bills to pay, need to vote, and want to send out emails, particularly to my parents who are in South America (though it also makes me anxious to get work done because it reminds me I am falling behind in my writing!!).

We had a quick lunch—the usual meal we have twice a day, which is a mixture of cornflakes, raisins, peanuts, honey, and oats with hot water and milk, with a side of yogurt, of course—then walked to town to stock up on more sunscreen and insect repellent.

After checking out of the hostel (it really was very cute!) we drove a few hours south, along the coast, to Okarito, which has a population of 30 people but can boast a very large lagoon. We went to check out the historic one-room school house-turned YHA Hostel that Seth stayed in when he came through Okarito 10 years ago. It was definitely one-room—bunks and cooking area and common room all in one! It didn’t even have a shower!

We couldn’t decide if we should stay there or sleep at the campgrounds, which were very cheap yet crowded with campervans. Since the hostel was empty we used their cooking facilities to make tea and warm up some courgettes (zucchini), baked beans, and canned tomatoes (another daily staple). I then went to talk to the YHA manager to see if she would give the two of us a deal but she said we couldn’t even stay there because it was fully booked… even though there was NO ONE THERE (even this morning when we passed by it was still unoccupied). Hmmm…

We took a walk up an old trig overlooking the lagoo (the walked looked just like scenes from King Kong, then I remembered that the newest version, by Peter Jackson, was filmed in NZ), came back to pitch our tent, then drove out to the lagoon/‘kiwi habitat’. We meant to go to the lagoon to watch birds but the road split and the path we took actually went up a another stinkin’ lookout. By the time we made it down most of the second track it was very dark and the sandflies were getting pretty aggressive, so we turned around, but stopped to listen for kiwis (NZ’s national bird- flightless, nocturnal, and endangered) along the way back to the car.

We made a second attempt to find a kiwi out by the track where we walked earlier in the day. We planted ourselves near a possible kiwi trail and sat in the dark (almost a new moon) for about 30min then realised we would probably only see one with lots of luck. Feeling tired anyways, we went back to camp and slept on the very rocky ground—we only have one sleeping bag to share so we unzipped it and used it as a top blanket, so there was no bottom sheet, only tarp :o(

This morning we left Okarito and drove about an hour south to the glaciers (Franz Joseph and Fox). We never did make it to the lagoon, ergh.

8.2.08- 10:40am Greymouth

Over the past few days we worked our way towards the northern end of the South Island and are now heading southwest.

On the morning of the 5th (Tuesday) Seth and I took a nice long run through South Bay (Kaikoura), and since it wasn’t raining we had a better chance to look around and explore the suburbs and shore.


We checked out of the holiday park and took off for Nelson, a larger town located on the northern coastline. Along the way we stopped at a Warehouse in Blenheim to buy raincoats and a billy (pot) for when we go trekking. I hate buying more crap to carry and have to worry about, so hopefully they will be very useful, and hopefully the raincoats won’t leak (they were pretty cheap :o( ).

In the afternoon we arrived at Tasman Bay Backpackers, which was a typical hostel—busy, colourful, yet well organised. They even cooked hot brownie pudding every night at 8pm (which we unfortunately missed out on this first night because we arrived at 8:06pm from taking a walk downtown). That night, after we were deprived of pudding, I finally got a little tiny bit of work done on my thesis, and Seth got to practice his guitar. I just wish we had more time like that to relax and catch up on things; it really helps to get focused and organised.
Wednesday the 6th we took a nice long run up a giant hill/mountain thing to the Centre of New Zealand. It is supposed to be the geographical centre of the country, but it seemed a little too conveniently located at the top of a hill with a beautiful view of the ocean. We ran along the mountain ranges (which are used for sheep grazing) for a while before heading back. After brunch we walked into town to grab a coffee and do some work but it was apparently a public holiday, Waitangi Day, so most shops had a 20% surcharge (Conor, from Dash, warned me about this!). We settled for ice cream instead and headed back for the hostel.

In the afternoon we took our carefully planned splurge activity (we decided before we left Australia that we would do one or two bigger outings—limited to one or two since we are on a budget) which was horseback riding. I haven’t been riding since a family trip to Costa Rica, which was about 5 years ago, so I was really aching to go. Seth hadn’t been much (even though he grew up around horses out in the country), but he seemed to have a good time. It was just the two of us with the guide (who looked remarkably similar to my childhood best-friend, Dahlia, who loves horses) and she took us through some great trails up to a look-out and through very green forests. It was well worth it! To top off the day, we made it back to the backpackers just in time for brownie pudding!

Yesterday, Thursday the 7th, we started off by running along the river that runs out of Nelson, following it along the suburbs then later a few farms, between the ranges. We then had brunch, stocked up on a few more groceries, even visiting the one Asian shop in town (in honour of Chinese New Year, I suppose), before heading south (inland) to Nelson Lakes National Park. We did a quick 1.5 hour walk through some forests at Lake Rotoiti, and noticed it happened to be sunny yet rather hot, for the first time in a while. We continued driving west, towards the coast, and made a quick stop to view the Lyell Cemetery (Lyell is an old mining ghost town from the late 1800s), then just missed Westport on the coast, and oriented ourselves south. The drive (which was supposed to be pretty good) wasn’t much at first but once the scrubby beach plants parted and the sun began setting over the cliffs and coastline it became very striking. We took a rest break at Punakaiki’s Pancake Rocks—limestone rocks that formed layers and were carved by waves. We even noticed some of New Zealand’s awkward, flightless birds, which were rather friendly and no doubt very accustomed to the human hand.

We arrived in Greymouth last night around 9:30pm, and checked in to a very cute and quiet (finally!) hostel called Noah’s Ark. It was previously a convent, and now converted to a backpackers--with animal themed rooms! We stayed in the sheep room, and wonderfully enough they were the black variety; I just love back sheep :o)

**I don’t have any photos from the past few days ready yet, but since this was the first computer I found with a USB port I decided to take it- I will try to have pictures up soon!

From Canberra to Kaikoura: 4.2.08- 11:30pm Kaikoura

The week and a half leading up to our departure from Johns was a real whirlwind. I really felt the heat, trying to organise a place to live (with no luck), working every other day at Dash, duty tutoring for a few days for Doryan (and helping to check in a big conference), pounding out stats for my thesis, desperately trying to organise this big trip, squeezing in two more experiments at Lake Ginninderra after thinking my fieldwork was over, and packing up the entire flat and moving it to BoZo. That’s right, Seth and I moved EVERYTHING into my tiny little office at BoZo—I just hope my office-mate, Monica, doesn’t mind too much and that the department manager doesn’t notice! Luckily, most everything was able to fit into the shelves and is not extremely obvious to passers by.

My office

Late at night on Jan 31st, we finished moving nearly everything out of Johns then booked return flights and bus tickets and placed an online request to hire a car. We checked out of Johns at 8:30am on Feb 1st and nearly missed our bus to Sydney (thanks to Seth nearly forgetting his guitar!), but finally made it. It was at that point I realised we were officially homeless and on a bus heading out of town…

We spent the day in Sydney looking for hiking gear. Luckily, there are about 7 or 8 decent outdoors shops in a row. Unluckily, we did not buy what we needed online or in the US and everything costs much more than it should. We did, however, find a great pair of boots for Seth and a 38L pack for myself. We then went to Leichhardt and met up with Shelden, Carmen, and Carlos, and went out for a pizza dinner with Shelden and Carlos. It felt good to be able to relax for a little while, even though Seth and I were extremely tired from lack of sleep and stress.

Carmen and Carlos

The next morning (Feb 2nd) was our flight, and Seth woke up at 4am for his daily run, though somewhat abbreviated. A bus, train, plane, and shuttle later, we made it to Christchurch, NZ. This is the largest city in the South Island (pop. 350,000, about the size of Canberra) and looks more like England than the most English city. We had a brief tour of the town centre and headed over to a youth hostel I found online. It stood out because it was once a prison and operated from the mid 1800s until 1999. Since it is relatively old it is a heritage building and has to be somewhat preserved and protected. The Jailhouse Accommodation had a great atmosphere, was well run, and seemed very unique. I think Dad would really get a kick out of it!

The Jailhouse Accommodation

Seth and I spent the afternoon walking back into town. The city centre felt disorienting, partly because the Avon River winds through it and forks in the middle, and the roads are designed around it. Christchurch is comparable to Canberra, but has a nicer feel—it seems more personable and community-oriented.

We found a super cheap mega grocery store called Pak and Save and brought back some food to cook at Jailhouse for a late dinner. We spent the rest of the evening reading up on NZ and brainstorming itinerary ideas.

On Feb 3rd we had to wait until 2pm to pick up our rental car, so we went for a nice run along the river into the city centre. I was reminded of how clean and well kept the city is and stopped to take a few pictures along the way. I really enjoy running when travelling because we can explore and cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time, but also see much more clearly than if zipping around in a car or on a bike.

After the run and a quick breakfast, we walked back to town to do the suggested walking tour in our Lonely Planet and we ended up in the Arts Centre, where there are lots of booths, arts, crafts, foods, and some performers. I really like these market/fair environments because you not only get some people-watching, but you can also get a taste of some of the local culture (and some of the local tourist-traps!).

Christchurch, New Zealand

Seth left the markets and found more outdoor supply shops, and finally found decent hiking socks for under $20. At 2pm we rushed over to pick up our car at Omega Renal Cars, only to find out they cancelled our booking. They apparently sent an email the day before (when we were on the plane from Australia and could not read it) that they did not have a car for us, after they sent a very explicit email confirming the booking. We were completely shocked! They would not have another ‘budget’ (cheap) car in for several weeks and the only other car they could offer was not available for 24 hours. The manager would not be in until the next morning and could not be contacted on the weekends, so we were out of luck (though we WILL be back, and still angry, in a few weeks before we leave NZ). We called another rental place that had low rates but they were also all out of budget cars. Enraged and feeling somewhat helpless, we walked into Avis Rental Cars to tell them our issue, even though we knew they would be way too expensive to rent from. The woman there was extremely sympathetic and graciously helped us contact other small, budget rental car places that we did not know about. One place, Better Rentals, gave us a discounted rate which was a little lower than our initial car at Omega. However, the car itself is a real beater and seems somewhat suspicious—it has markings on it that say it is a Toyota (Starlet--Carat), and the man says it is a 1999, but I’m not sure about either of those claims… I just hope it gets alright fuel economy, or at $1.70 (NZ) per litre (nearly $5 US a gallon) we will be spending a whole lot on petrol!

On the way to Kaikoura

The whole car fiasco set us back about 2 hours and we didn’t leave Christchurch until nearly 6:30pm. We headed north for Kaikoura, a city on the coast known for its stunning wildlife, including seabirds (even albatrosses!), seal colonies, whales, etc. We arrived at 9:30pm and nearly everything was closed, including backpackers. The place where we initially wanted to stay closed at 7:30pm, so we checked out a holiday park where we could pitch our tent. We were surprised to find it would cost $35 to stay in our tent but use their facilities (only $5 less than if we were to stay in a real hostel), so took our chances to try to find someplace that was cheaper and still open. Down the road was A1 Holiday Park, and they let us stay in a shed-like creation for $38 per night, if we stay for two nights. The facilities (bathrooms and kitchen) are pretty rugged, but the little shed is new and all ours.

The Shed

Busy little downtown Kaikoura

This morning (Feb 4th) was cold and drizzly. After weeks of sleep deprivation we finally got to sleep in a little. When we got up Seth took off for a run and I explored the little bustling town of Kaikoura (pop. 4000). It was packed with foreigners like myself and just buzzing, but thankfully the stores were not typical tourist yuppie shops and were pretty down-to-earth. Seth returned and we walked back into town to use the pay phone. We wanted to call a hostel in Golden Bay, Shambhala, and confirm that we could stay a few nights in exchange to work. According to its website, it boasted serving homemade muesli, holds yoga classes twice a week, and provides other attractive features. Once again we were let down. The guy there, John, gave away our jobs and we would have to find alternative accommodation. (It is probably a good thing we won’t be staying at Shambhala, Seth said John sounded a bit high when he was trying to talk to him).

In town we noticed a pub that had a sign outside that read: “Super Bowl now showing”. It took a while to click but I realised it was, at that moment, Super Bowl Sunday back in the US. We were curious and couldn’t resist poking our heads in, only to find a dozen or so people lounging around, watching the Big Game. I didn’t even know who was playing but watched about 30 seconds of game-time, which is about 30 seconds more Super Bowl than I have seen in the past 4 years. I did it for nostalgic reasons.

It continued to rain throughout the afternoon but we disregarded that and drove to the Kaikoura peninsula to watch the seal colony and perhaps spot a few interesting birds. We were not there too long and got a good, cold soaking so we retreated and called it an early day. I am pretty disappointed that we were not able to talk full advantage of this ‘wildlife mecca’, but it was good to spend a wet, chilly evening inside and writing. However, now that it is really late, I won’t have time to get any thesis work done, which was the major condition that was placed on me going on this trip! Maybe tomorrow…

Kaikoura Peninsula