Walking, Tramping, ...which is it?

Alan asked me after a post about the Queen Charlotte Track [See:Tramping the track] if a track is a trail. I answered too quickly. There are actually four levels of "whatever-ing" in New Zealand. Who knew!? Here it is according to Lonely Planet, but we saw this similar classification system in brochures and flyers as well:

Path:  Easy, well-formed, barrier free for wheelchairs OR constructed to "shoe standard" (hiking boots/ shoes not required). Suitable for people of all ages and fitness levels. This would be like the beach path at Ship Creek along Hiway 6 near Greymouth.

The path at Ship Cove

Walking track: Easy, well-formed, constructed to "shoe standard" (as above). Suitable for people of most ages and fitness levels.The bit on the Kepler might fit this description, but then we were only on the last couple of km of it. Or maybe Abel Tasman [ See: Abel Tasman] and [Abel Tasman], given the wide range of people we met along the way.

The Kepler Track near Te Anau; east end

A beach walk on the Abel Tasman

Tramping the Hinewai Track

Tramping track: Requires skill and experience; constructed to boot standard. Suitable for people of average physical fitness. We are debating if our Abel Tasman was this standard or just a walking track???? but we can do this! Our hike out from Akaroa on the Hinewai Reserve was too tough to be a walking track, but we did it!

Route: Requires a high degree of skill, experience and route-finding ability. Suitable for well-equipped trampers. We don't go here, and we don't go where we aren't supposed to go either! We are responsible trampers...uh walkers, Um...

At Franz Josef

More from Christchurch

Well, actually I'm sitting in front of the TV at Margaret's watching The Good Wife, and trying to catch up on five years of the serial. We got home this morning, and after a couple of hours (not an exaggeration) in customs, we are home, watered, walked and fed. The next few posts were written in NZ but we had almost no connectivity after we left Lincoln, so I'm catching up here on the posts.

So here it is, Christchurch, Part 2

Then it was off to explore Christchurch. At first is was just interesting. And then the weight of it hit the pit of my stomach. There are construction fences and signs everywhere, disruptions in traffic, empty lots surrounded by wire, cranes, half-demolished buildings everywhere. It's chaotic, with blocked streets; wind gusts send up clouds of dirt and debris. I certainly understand why locals want to avoid the downtown area. Heartbreaking, depressing, devastating—this is how they describe their beloved city, some of them hard hit by the quake, others experiencing mostly the aftermath and a deep sense of loss. 

Lunch time on the construction site

Christchurch construction

Another of many

Empty lot; more destruction

In Cathedral Square new, inspiring projects bump up against despairing loss. There is an amazing living archway teaming with succulents and flowers. From underneath you can observe the Cathedral in its state of semi-demise. Everywhere there are signs of the project plans to revitalize and restore the square. There is a chess set, art on the construction walls, kids riding skateboards. The tram rumbles by, faceless cameras poking out the windows, aimed squarely on the historic cathedral.

Living wall, artful construction site at the Cathedral

The Cathedral

Planning for a new Cathedral Square

Cathedral construction site

From the square we walked on to New Regent Street where we found lunch, and Gandalf,  a local activist. New Regents has small shops on the street level and flats above, so that small business people can afford to operate. Many were empty, and so were most of the chairs outside the cafes, but there were signs of hope here. Gandalf was talking up his case against “them” for having demolished so many buildings. Later I noted a poster that indicated that 232 historical buildings had been demolished. Gandalf and co. would like to see more restored and fewer destroyed. It seems to be a fairly strong political movement, and the Cathedral is at the centre of it. 

Resting on "lawn" furniture in the street

New Regent Street

The trolley turn-around in New Regent Street

From there we made our way to Re-Start, the pop-up container shopping district. It's a bustle of activity. There are lots of shops and shoppers—all desperately needed to support the local economy. 

 Re-Start Streetscape

Container coffee shop

Re-Start Streetscape

Shopping abundance

Re-Start Streetscape

Donated flower pots outside Ballantyne's Department Store

Farewell Starbucks

Our final stop was the temporary cathedral, dubbed the Cardboard Cathedral. Again, containers formed the base, but the structure is mostly built from cardboard and local wood, and features a large glass window over the entrance that reflects coloured light onto the simple interior. Check out this and other architectural works by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban. 

Street art enroute to the Cardboard Cathedral

White chair installation; one for each life lost

Interior of the Cardboard Cathedral

Cathedral interior

Containers form the base of the temporary Cathedral

As we walked through Re-Start this afternoon a busker described Christchurch as the "International Capital of Resilience and Tenacity". The despair they must feel, and the hope and promise of the future of this city is in the hands of its officials obviously, but it's clear that its artists, musicians, community organizers and ordinary citizens are working hard to bring life back into the downtown, and to reclaim their Christchurch .

Our day in Christchurch

We started today (Friday) at a tiny local art gallery in Lincoln, named for Liffy, the town's first library and the town's Irish namesake. It's a one room gallery, today featuring three local artists including a potter. The volunteer for the day, whom we caught sweeping up and preparing the tiny room for visitors, took time to tell us about each artist, and about the work. One of the most memorable pieces was four white rectangular canvases, each painted with strokes of black outlining the various behaviours of cows during the 2011 earthquake. He described—and the artist had illustrated--how some clustered together, presumably for safety and reassurance, while others were isolated. Some, he pointed to, engaged in bizarre behaviour such as storming a fence (to get out) or collapsing in despair on the ground. The canvases themselves were torn, and he told us the artist had bought them because they had been damaged in the earthquake and she felt it fitting that her work be painted on them. As he described the painting, and pointed out its features, it was apparent that the reaction of the cows was not unlike that of the people who experienced that defining event three years ago. It was a fitting introduction to our day in Christchurch.

We started in the Botanical Gardens. The gardens themselves are a small part of a large park much like Central Park or Golden Gate Park. They look natural, but obviously carefully planned and we spent a lot of time among the pink, blue, mauve, purple, rose and white hydrangea, cameras clicking. A well- planned herbaceous border was in summer bloom (click, click, click). 

Out of internet time at the Auckland airport--more later.

Down Under January 2014 | A lazy summer day

After yesterday's over-indulgence we needed a restful day and the weather cooperated to provide for one. It was hot--as hot as we have had since we got here nearly three weeks ago. We slept in (yeh!). Margaret poached eggs. We have the greatest gluten free bread possible from Vogel's--six seed--which even Margaret can eat. Finally we headed out in shorts and Tees (a skirt for me finally) and headed toward the north side of the peninsula today where it was hot and muggy. After a short white (that's coffee for those who aren't familiar)--tall for me--and a bit of discussion, we thought we would try a short hike out Camp Road that was written up in my new, used trail guide to New Zealand. I guess I should call it a tramping guide--anyway, picked it up at a very cool used book store in Omarau.

Up and over more fences along the Adderley Head track

We drove out Camp Road, a very steep and narrow, graveled,  one-lane country road, toward Adderley Head, and then parked for the walk. That's almost as far as we got. There were two lovely beaches at low tide, and kids playing in the water. Unfortunately we are not that brave. The track was dry, poorly marked, and very exposed to sun and heat, which neither of us was needing today. And to add to that, it was private land, and we just were not sure we were supposed to be there.


So...what's a girl to do. We turned around, drove back to Diamond Harbour, found a great cafe, and sat down to a perfect lunch on the most perfect patio overlooking gardens and Lyttleton Harbour, with amazing gf food, and of course, NZ wines. A Sauvignon Blanc for me, which I am learning to like, and a Chardonnay for Margaret, which is she is learning to like.

We (heart) gf cafe in Diamond Harbour

Patio at Gibson Cafe Diamond Harbour

The surrounding park area was just too inviting, and with a zero tolerance for drinking and driving I had no choice but to stretch out in the park to read and nap. I don't recall finishing a single page of my book. It was such a good idea I guess, that I woke to find Margaret a few feet away, e-reader closed, eyes shut. We woke up just in time for coffee and dessert! Almond cake with lemon icing...

We drove back along the Lyttleton side, a deep water harbour that was severely damaged by the earthquake. I think it was probably the second quake, shortly after Christchurch was struck, based on what we have learned. It's very hard to hear people talk about their losses, and their sadness at what has happened to downtown Christchurch. We haven't been there yet, but we will spend Saturday in the city, seeing for ourselves. It's clear that people want to tell their stories. This morning at the motel, Margaret chatted with a man who is living upstairs from us in a two bedroom apartment, while his house in Christchurch is under repair. That's after 3 years. This afternoon at the cafe we chatted with a couple who said that the locals just don't want to go downtown anymore--it's too hard to think about and witness again and again the destruction. Watch future posts for more on this.

We cooked our own dinner tonight. Lamb rump steaks that we bought in Akaroa yesterday and the butchery (hah), with garlic and rosemary, and Margaret pulled off a great au jus to go with them. We had left over beat salad, mixed with fresh greens, feta, and anything else we could find in the fridge. And the last of the wine...I guess there's none for breakfast! Alas.

Tomorrow we will head out for Christchurch but first there is a Farmers' market here in Lincoln, and the woman I spoke of above is a volunteer at an art gallery here so we will drop in there. There is wine in this part of NZ (and olives and cheese) so we will likely have a stop-and-go day of checking out the local fare. My kind of traveling!

Down Under 2014 | We could have driven...

We could have driven to the parking lot by the beach, walked the 1 k or so in, had lunch, walked out, and got in our car and driven home. But we would have missed all of this, in no particular order...

Otanerito Bay

The view from the top

At the starting gate

On the one-person-at-a-time bridge

Up and over the fence she goes

Up close and personal with the sheep

Near the farmstead

Pooped

The view back to the bay from near the top

Look up--way up!

Down Under January 2014 | Akaroa and Hinewai Hike

Sitting here on my bed, sipping a icey cold white wine, which I'm hoping will ease the pain that prevails throughout my ENTIRE body: feet, ankles, legs, shoulders, butt, hands—it all hurts. The wine is good though. Waipara Hills Pinot Gris. There are smelly hiking tees, shirts, and socks in a pile on the floor, which I do not have the energy to put in the laundry bag, Dishes are in the sink—all this will have to wait for morning.

We headed out to Akaroa today, a 70 km drive up and over a pass on the Banks Peninsula. This is all close to Christchurch and the traffic in was mainly buses; fortunately we were going out. Akaroa, despite its name, is a French-themed village on the south side of the peninsula and sits on a huge inlet with its stunning torquoise blue waters and numerous bays, islands and inlets. The French thing is a bit pretencious, but the history of Akaroa has something to do with France, and the girl in the Info Centre was authentically French, although she may be the only one in town who does. There were two big cruise boats offshore, hence the large number of buses on the road. I had in mind a 4 k walk around town and out along the coast, but Margaret had a different idea so we headed up to the Hinewai Reserve for a (supposedly) 6 hour, 6 k hike through the Reserve.

The drive itself is worthy of note. There are no shoulders, and for the latter half or so, no centre line. The views across the peninsula are spectacular but of course it's almost impossible to see them, totally impossible if you are the driver, which I was. When we finally reached the Info Centre for Hinewai, we discovered a real gem. The reserve is owned by a Trust and the 1250 hectares are managed privately for the protection of the land, flora and fauna. You are allowed to do anything there as long as it doesn't interfere with the goals of the Reserve—the rules include no bikes, no vehicles of any kind, no smoking and no billie-boiling. All of the way-finding signage,which is extensive, is hand carved in old wood, and there are similar signs identifying trees and shrubs throughout the area. The highest point is 806 m. (which we did not attempt) and the lowest is Otanerito Bay where we stopped for lunch.

We started at the Visitor Centre--several buildings including a house for the manager--but we saw no one. We headed out to the west, for a tough 2 hours of downhill—tough because it's steep and the terrain under foot requires a lot of attention. I was grateful that I had thought to bring one hiking stick. There are waterfalls and cataracts, one lane/one-person-at-a-time bridges across streams, a homestead which is nearly abandoned but not entirely, and a constant chorus of bird songs to keep you entertained. There is a white pine estimated to be 600 years old rising to 30 m. The end of the downhill stretch is Otanerito Bay, which is on private land, (a working farm), where you can get up close and personal with the sheep. The beach is rocky but a great resting spot; the headlands are all private—dotted with sheep—and the Bay is as far as you can go.

With our trusted detail map in hand, we explored our options for the return trip. You are already surmising that it was a tough climb up, right?. Well you're spot on as they like to say here. Rather than the route that brought us down, or the one we had originally set out to follow (we estimated it to be the longest) we opted for what we predicted would be shorter but steeper. We were right. The Kereru track is all woodland which, given the heat of the day, was a blessing. As we followed the creek up its path, steps built into the hillside helped us through the steepest parts. But it was unrelenting. You just climb and then you climb some more sometimes over tree stumps, watching always for trees in your pathway (one of which jumped out and hit me in the head!). The Jules Knob, which is just above where we connected with the Mikimi track to take us west again back to the parking lot, is at 370 m so I estimate we climbed about 350 over that section of the homeward lap. It was satisfying to reach the top, but short-lived, because the parking lot is at nearly 500 m so we still had a long climb to go. The final 40 minutes are across the grassy knoll and open to the winds and sun, but afford long views of the bay and the surrounding hills. Except for a short stop when Margaret collapsed on the hillside in need of a break, it's just a slow walk up a long hill. 

 

Down Under January 2014 | Leaving Queenstown

Change of plans--

It took us a few days to make a decision but we've cancelled our flight to Auckland. Well, I suppose postponed would be more accurate. For any one who needs to know where we are check the itinerary page for an updated one. The long and short of it is that we are spending an additional five days here on the south island and scrapping our time in Auckland, in favour of Christchurch and the Banks Peninsula. Yesterday, we bailed out of Queenstown which we concluded was too, too young and extreme for us (extreme sport that is0, and headed over the mountains to the east coast. We both love the water, so it wasn't hard to decide which way to go—into the Mt. Cook area, or to the coast. We arrived in Omarau late afternoon with lots of time to explore and get checked in to a motel.

The REALLY big deal is that we had a chance to see penguins in Oamaru,—a couple of yellow-eyed from afar, but at least a hundred little blue penguins up close. At this managed colony you can watch them coming into the beach and making their way up the bank, pairing up, lining up, filing through a narrow passageway to the colony, and wiggling their cute little butts across the grass as they find their nests. Mating and breading are mostly over and there are chicks in the nests, which you can hear, but not see. Both male and female feed the young regurgitated food from their day of fishing at sea.

The blue penguin is the smallest of all—only 10 cm in height—and weighing in at 1 kg. No, that's not a typo—just 1 kg. A raft of about 10 or 12 penguins (that's the name for a group of penguins, but say r-I-f-t as the kiwis do) will approach the beach swimming hard like underwater torpedoes, then sprint on two little feet to beat the next wave and get ashore. On the way up the rocks they stop and clean and preen every nook and cranny while also cooling down, before climbing their way like little paddlers up the bank. It's the cutest thing to watch. They've channeled them into one passageway under a low fence, so they all go in the same direction toward the colony. Their social behaviour is curious—they queue up, waiting for something (who knows what a penguin thinks) and then rush through in groups to the bushy area where nests have been constructed for them. Unfortunately no photos are allowed, so check here for pics of this event. But the best is when they start to “socialize”. It does sound like a great party, with prolonged grunting and squealing (no, not that—mating is over) and we could hear them a kilometer away as we walked into town. Who knew?

This afternoon we travelled north and stopped at Timaru for a couple of beach walks and lunch. Caroline Bay is touted as the best beach on the south island and it is certainly the best we've seen. The wind was cool, so no lazing around, but there is a great park with an outdoor apiary—you walk inside where they are both cages and birds flying freely (just be careful not to let anything escape) and we had a great time watching the parrots, 'keets and cockatoos, budgies and some pheasants. We tried two stages—three if you count the walking—of the adult fitness trail but that was too much like work!

Tonight we are in Lincoln, south of Christchurch, an small town (the Ag university is here) not even on the map, at a motel that was rebuilt following the second earthquake--with a perfectly equipped kitchen. Margaret is tired of eating out, so she says she will cook for the next few days! From here we will be able to explore the Banks Peninsula including Ataroa and then move on to Christchurch for our last two days. We'll fly home directly from there.

Down Under January 2014 | Queenstown

In Queenstown tonight, and although it is a scenic town on the edge of a spectacular lake, we are not impressed. It's crowded--we were warned but for the first time it's actually true. But I can see where it could be fun. There are street performers and various vendors out on the boardwalk, lots of cafes and  al fresco seating. We walked to the end of the road in the wind ( I have on windburned cheek tonight) and through the gardens. Dinner was fine, but not memorable. The shopping here could be good, but I expect the prices are inflated. It's a bit like Banff or Canmore. An adventure centre for sure. They've branded themselves with extreme sports (bungy jumping was invented here) and there are crazy jet boaters out on the water, zip lining, biking, and an endless list of other adventures to sign up for. An old steam ship cruises the lake.

There's an international cadre of young travelers working the cafes and bars. NZ has a travel work program that allows them to stay and travel for a year (only) and then if they can get sponsored one additional year after that. That's it. No more. So many of the people we meet are from elsewhere.

Help wanted, Queenstown

Yesterday's trip out to Doubtful Sound was definitely a good choice over Milford which we opted not to take in at all. We started with a short drive to Manapuori and then a 30 minute  trip on a catamaran across the lake to the underground power plant (we opted out of that tour as well). That's an amazing story of how to save the environment and still meets demands for power, but we didn't think we needed a tour. The water drops from the lake straight down into the earth about 150 m  where it passes through the turbines to generate power, then is piped 10 km toDeep Cove on Doubtful Sound where it drains.  Amazing. There is very little to see above ground, and a very controlled and manageable situation for the lake and the surrounding communities.

 A short bus ride takes you up and over Wilmot Pass  with it's long view of the sound (Carol in her new Icebreaker vest!) and then down to Deep Cove where we boarded our cruise boat, also a catamaran.

The view from Wilmot Pass to Doubtful Sound

These are big boats-- very stable and quiet. The trip out the Sound is at times very cold and windy, and we did get out to the Tasman Sea or just shy of it, and checked out the seal colony. Again, lots of babies feeding and learning to swim.

Doubtful Sound

Last man standing, Doubtful Sound

The winds can be pretty extreme, so everyone rushes out to the deck when it's calm, and then all but the brave and sturdy hang in through the windy bits.

By windy I mean really windy. I could hardly stand on the deck at times. We had a bus load of Chinese tourists, and the most amusing part of the trip was watching the hoards disembark the bus, cameras in hand, and line up in front of any viewpoint or site and take over the space, posing and clicking, clicking and posing. We pretty much had to wait our turn! On the boat, it was the same. The boats are great though, and the commentary, and they serve beer and wine, and hot chocolate with marshmallows. It's really very comfortable. They've had lots of rain here, so many of the waterfalls were full--seems they are dependent on rain to keep them flowing. When it's dry there are fewer; more when it's rainy. And apparently, if you go out in a storm, the water just pours down the mountains everywhere. I'd like to see that. In all, not spectacular--we were hoping for wildlife--but worth the trip. We went with Real Journeys and the service was great.

We've decided to check out of here tomorrow rather than stay for three days, and aren't sure yet where we will head tomorrow. Maybe for the east coast. Off to bed early; the wind and rain have tired me out!

Down Under January 2014 | Making our way to Fjordland

I started this post on the way down Crown Range Road yesterday from Wanaka, and if you are keeping up you will know that I was a wee bit distracted by the road. This morning we are in Te Ana-au, getting packed up for a boat and bus ride to Doubtful Sound, followed by a cruise on the Sound. The trip to here, from that pass, was pretty uneventful, but we did have a bit of a shopping spree at The Wool Press in Arrowtown where Tom from France (travelling and working in NZ) helped us try on every piece of Icebreaker Merino wear he had in the store. We came away well supplied for the windy day ahead. Unfortunately it's all torquoise, so from here on out we will look like mom dressed us as twins.

To retreat back to the start of this bit of our trip....Our hosts in Blenheim very wisely suggested we break this north-to-south drive up a bit, and we are so glad we did. It was a hairy few days of driving—a combination of slaloms and downhills with parts of it marked as slow at 25km per hour and easy rain intermittent with outright downpours, followed by very hot sunny periods.

From Nelson we went up and over the Buller Pass in pouring rain and stopped only for a walk across the gorge on a swing bridge. At Hokitika (Hoki for short) we stopped for dinner at the Beachfront Hotel then headed out of town for a peaceful overnight stay at Mirror Creek. Hoki is a bit of fun, so we headed back there for the morning--picture coffee and fudge on main street, shopping at the local artists' cooperative, and groceries with wi-fi. Back on the road we stopped for a picnic lunch between rains at Mahinapua Lake then drove on to Franz Josef where we got our local info and then checked in to our b and b. With long days (sunset near 930) we were able to walk up the glacier walk before dinner and then found a bit of Asian Fusion. Try pan fried calamari with lime sauce and a green curry with Jasmine rice. And we weren't expecting much from the food!.

Thursday morning we were up and out early and again on the advice of our host (can't beat local knowledge) we drove up to Lake Matheson, turning off just before Fox Glacier. The highlight, he said, is the coffee. But the real treat is the view of Mt Cook and the surrounding range. Lake Matheson boasts “reflective views” in its calm waters and it's true. As the clouds lifted over the course of the morning, we got lucky and caught an unobstructed view of her snow-capped peak—it's the highest mountain on the island.

From Fox Glacier it's up and over to Wanaka. This isn't the toughest leg of the trip but it's tough enough. Another slalom on four wheels in parts, followed by a downhill then another GS! For a moment I actually saw the speedometer approach 100k, and the road at least 500m ahead, but those times are rare on these roads. But no one is in a rush, and we've seen no accidents, and very little to suggest it's a problem. It's good to slow down; even if it seems we are in a rush, the travel is really at a slow pace and very relaxing. The scenery is spectacular, the weather is warm and the days are long. Nothing like home this time of year.

Time to fix a lunch and pack for the trip ahead.

Down Under January 2014 | On the road again

I`m writing this with my netbook on my lap as Margaret drives another twisting narrow road between Wanaka and Queenstown. You should hope at tis point that I edit well because my eyes ar frimly fixed ont he road ahead. Think the old road to Marmot basin, with no shoulders and lots of traffic going both both ways. Or maybe the Fraser canyon because half the vehicles are pulling boats. It`s dry and sagey like Kelowna or perhaps Kamploops (this is for sure a lake distrircit) , there we go, the summit and an incredible view. Time for a stop. Oh my gosh....

Down down down we go, feet braced, eyes ahead. It's farmland I guess, maybe grazing for sheep and cattle. Somewhere in here there are ski fields as they call them, but we haven't seen any sign of them. There is white foxglove along the side of the road, and pink and purple as well—although these look more like lupins. It's getting greener as we come down off the mountain, and now the lake—or another lake--is laid out before us. Big sheep—and lots of them, so that answers that question. Whew, I think we are mostly down. Margaret has just finished a bacon and egg pie offered to her by a traveller at the lookout, but I'm ready for coffee and a second breakfast. Slowed to 15 for another hairpin bend (M says she prefers the innies to the outies)—there's a beautiful valley below us, nothing but (very strong) wooden fence post style railing beside us, rocks held back by wire mesh on the mountain side. I could walk down this hill faster than one can drive it—oops there's someone walking up it! Whew, down and on the road to Arrowtown. I need to go to the bathroom; M says she went on the way down.

Sending this from Chop Shop in Arrowtown.

Down Under January 2014| Abel Tasman Day 3

It's now two days later and I remember nothing of this last day, except for the long passage across low tide and a happy ending in Tot. We did meet up with a friend of a friend, Rutha, and had a great visit with this amazing woman from Wyoming. She spends her winter's in NZ. I need to figure out how to do that! Here's some pics.

Another golden sand beach on the Abel Tasman

Margaret on another golden sand beach on the Abel Tasman

Margaret Carol and Rutha

Approaching Tot

Fellow traveller along the Abel Tasman