Rolling around on the high seas

So Christmas in Pahia, bay of Islands. One of tourist Meccas in NZ. People singing Christmas carols in park.  Christmas dawned bright and sunny but very windy. Water taxi to our hiking spot cancelled. Couldn't land. Plans changed by the minute. Suddenly on a boat with captain making announcement that is you're not a sailor, you should get off. John jumped up and headed for the gangplank. Too late, I thought about joining him. Boat was pulling away. First Christmas a apart from each other. We headed out to see the sights. Huge crowd on one island re-enacting first Christmas in NZ 200 years ago. Yachts. Multi million dollar homes. Rough seas. Very. People puking as we splashed and rolled with the swells. Further out. More rolling. I rode whole time in front, clinging to the bars. Skipper says to point when you see Dolphins. We do. Over and over. Sopping wet from splashing waves. Beefy Swimmers get in water and chase Dolphins. Cold cold. They follow our pointing. Lots of Dolphins. All day. Skipper says it was a particular lucky trip. For some. Our co-leader sat on floor inside playing solitaire. 19 year old. Argh. Stopped at island for lunch and a hike. She points to some trails and tells us we have 15 minutes. Hike?  Top of hill beautiful Puhutakawa tree in bloom with sheep underneath. Back on boat repeat. Dolphins. Puking. Touring outer islands. Terra firma and waiting John. Good. He had gone on several hikes with Adonis leader. Happy to have missed the boat. 

Active NZ north of Auckland

So we joined Active NZ who we went with 2 years ago. Like the last trip, the leader is more interested in adrenaline sports than we are. Young. We headed up to Opononi and the giant trees of the Waipoua forest. We were take. On a tour by a Maori named Bill as he sang to the various Kauri trees almost too big to believe. Oddly they are measured in board feet. BIG. 

We heard and saw a Morepork owl in the last light. As soon as you hear "more pork" you know what it is. The next day we went up the inlet to a boat that took us across to sand dunes where we were supposed to get our thrills sledding down on boogie boards. One or two slides was sufficient for everyone except the young leader. So we went walking up the sand dunes. 

Raining later in the day, we decided a hike and picnic in the forest was not a great idea. John looked at our map and found some hot springs close to where we were. So we bagged our other plans and went to the stinky muddy hot pools and soaked for quite a while. We found out later it was worse than difficult to wash the smell out of our suits and our skin. On to Pahia on the Bay of Islands. The Pacific side.

Auckland

We took the train from Wellington to Auckland. All day. Relaxing and fun. Got in so early our friend Bart wasn't there yet to pick us up. 

After he got us we went to his fabulous B&B to pick up Therese and a friend to head out to Kopio's for a fabulous Malasian dinner cooked by their friends. They brought champagne and wine to toast our anniversary and treated us to a real party. Lots of fun. 

The next day we met up with my brother  who happened to be in NZ at the same time. He was with his wife and son's family.  We did the coast to coast trail , meeting them at the domain which was about a kilometer into the 16 km trail. It was a great hike through quite a few lovely parks with their blooming Pahutakawa and Magnolia trees.  Lunch was at a Chinese restaurant where my brother's Chinese daughter-in-law did the ordering. We returned to town by commuter train. 

Moving downtown

After hiking from Booklover's B&B to the top of Mt Victoria (360 degree view)we changed bedrooms to downtown for one night. From a book collection that puts us to shame (thank goodness)' we had to move to Intercontinental high rise as Booklover's was over-booked. In all ways. Clutter to ultra modern systems that left us baffled. Riding in the elevator up and down. We had to ask a hotel worker how to operate the darned thing.  And the bathroom is so open you need to pull a shade down. Being downtown had its plusses as we are close to lots of attractions and could finally see the iconic beehive parliament building. And pick up on where we left off in the botanic garden. Off to Auckland tomorrow in the early AM by train. We will miss this beautiful harbor but it is raining again. 

Zealandia

We were reluctant to go to this attraction as it sounded like a commercial zoo. But loads of people recommended it to us so we got on the cable car and walked for about a half hour to see for ourselves. We found a well fenced valley where predators are virtually eliminated so that natives abound. It is true that Zealandia was started as a commercial venture but is now wholly nonprofit. So you hike through the bush on trails. Sometimes you run across a docent or a student doing some field work. Some trails are steep and slippery. A true rainforest especially with the weather we've been having. We saw another Saddleback (998 to go). Also Kakas (parrots), Tuis, Bellbirds, Hihis, Shags (cormorants), ducks, and more. Probably the biggest thrill was the Takahe. These were thought to be extinct but were found in a small colony in 1948. They are a bit bigger than a chicken and use part of their feet like an opposing thumb. Their feathers are iridescent. Although they have wings, they are flightless. 

Wellington

So we've been hanging around in Wellington for a few days. We took the ferry across an uneventful (considering it broke down the next day) and calm crossing.   The weather has been "winter" according to the locals. The first day we hiked around to get our bearings. As usual, we ran into various friendly Kiwis.   We took the cable car up the hill and hiked through the botanical garden. A few raindrops turned into a downpour towards the bottom of the hill. Taking refuge in a lovely greenhouse with a few others, we found out that they were now closed. Out on the streets again we made our way towards the harbor as that seemed the best way to our distant B&B. Going over bridges, we realized traffic was at a standstill. Glad we were walking even though our shoes squashed and our noses dripped. The next day it continued to rain as we walked around by "bush" (trails) to Oriental Bay in the south. We walked along the water into town to the huge Te Papa museum. It was jammed with vacationers and families with the same idea. We checked our dripping rain clothes at the cloakroom and had a leisurely time to enjoy the exhibits. Every time we looked outside,  we patted ourselves on the back for being so smart. Rain was sheeting down and blowing off the water. Finally the museum closed and the whole lot were turned out on the quay by the bay. The weather had cleared and the sun was coming out. Lovely. 

Little Blues and Queen Charlotte Track

Early Monday morning we headed on a launch in the Queen Charlotte Sound out to Motuara Bird Reserve. The goal was to to see Little Blue Penguins. We were surprised to find out that we were the only ones on the island. Maximum stay is 2 hours so a boat would fetch us then. A few other small groups did arrive a short time later. As we hiked up the path, we discovered little nesting boxes for the Little Blues. Some boxes were empty, some had only eggs (real? Or fake?) but 3 boxes had very annoyed penguins sitting on eggs. This was a thrill as the only Little Blue we had seen was dead. washed up with the tide in Abel Tasman. Bird life in NZ is really threatened due to introduced predators. So there is a serious abatement program going on. Traps abound on all NZ tracks. Amazingly enough, we saw an extremely rare (1000 left worldwide) bird which planted itself at our feet and squawked around a bit before disappearing into the dense bush. We had to ask a naturalist what it was. A Saddleback. 

The next boat was larger with a sound system that was understandable. It deposited us at Resolution Bay on the Queen Charlotte Track. The signs indicated a big detour so as not to shortcut through a private resort. But the signs (never in kilometers but always in time to hike) indicated we had plenty of time. We hiked steadily up to the saddle where we finally found a longdrop (out house), some picnic tables, and benches. We dawdled there feeding the Weka birds and ourselves. As we descended we found that we had very short time and a long hike to go to meet the boat. Oops. Hiking very fast we were lucky that the boat was a bit late or we would have missed it. Arghh. Exhausted, we sat upstairs in the wind and sun and winter jackets relaxing for the an hour or more to town.  Arriving in Picton, we were delighted to find our host waiting for us. Don't know how he found out we were on that boat (which we  barely were). Lovely dinner back downtown. Food here really good. 

Picton

We took the bus from Nelson to Picton. It was our first view of the marvelous Marborough Sound. Arriving late morning, we were dismayed to find Picton being blown by an icy wind. Also we found that our B&B was further from town than the map showed it. A mistake in the guide book. But our host has been mysteriously showing up since to chauffeur us around. Good host. We went back into town for lunch only to discover that we were going to see our second Santa Parade. He arrived in Nelson as well. These are funky parades that are mercifully short on schmaltzy Xmas music but long on funkiness. Seem to be promoting sunscreen which was being freely dispensed, and kids rugby teams. We moseyed across the bay to a boat that our guide said was a great place to drink beer on the deck. See below!

So we went for a trek on a track called the snout. "Only 3 hours" said the perky info lady. More than 3 hours later we still were away from the snout tip. She had for gotten to tell us that the time was from the car park, not from town. Exhausted we forgoed the tip and bought grocery supplies, thinking the unit had a burner. Creative John cooked steak, potatoes, and asparagus in a microwave. I was almost too tired to take a bite. 

Abel Tasman

We just spent 5 days and 4 nights up in Abel Tasman National Park. Touring with Wilsons.  We couldn't believe the incredible organization and quality you get with this company. Our little group was congenial and functioned perfectly together. One from NZ,  2 Aussies, 3 Swiss, and we 2 USA.  Halfway through the trip we were joined by a couple of men from France, one a travel agent. They were instantly part of the group. 4 of us were partially  traveling the coast by kayak and 6 by hiking. The coordination was amazing. We showed up on the same beach for lunch and breaks. Our 2 layover days were as a group. Exploring more beaches and long sloughs. The tides were huge with long tidal flats. Through backpackers had to wait at several crossings for the tides to go out. Tides, not weather, ruled our activities. One day it poured all day. We had kayaked in open boats up a slough at high tide, standing in driving rain for our hot drinks (we had been issued cups at the beginning). And eating our packed lunches. The return was tough.  Into the wind and driving rain. Laughing. But happy for a hot shower at the end. Sea kayaking was in closed boats which was important as the seas were pretty rough. The last 30 minutes on the last day was white caps and waves breaking over us. Kind of scary. 

First hike. 

The oyster catchers had it in for John.  He had invaded their nesting area. 

View from second lodge bedroom. 

RA

Sting rays hung around in murky water at beaches. 

One beautiful beach after another. 

Nelson

With no security, passengers for Nelson were ushered onto the Tarmac at Auckland domestic terminal. I stopped to take a picture of the ATR 72-600 and the guard ran up to me yelling "no iPhone" over and over. Once again I imagined handcuffs. I hustled off to the stairs to get up into the plane. Really smooth ride...gimmee rides in those. Arriving in a light rain in Nelson we couldn't figure how to get our luggage. We finally found it out by street. Wet. The cabbie into town was the usual friendly kiwi and told us that we had to take the track up to the "geographical center of NZ". The lady at our wonderful B&B told us NOT to fall asleep. This was a bigger chore than we bargained for. So we tramped up the steep track and marveled at the center being so conveniently located. We continued to walk around until an early dinner and bed. But John cheated: he fell asleep while walking. 

The center

Key to B&B

ATR

Tramping NZ

Traveling is full of the usual stressors and numerous encounters. After a day frought with traffic sig alerts and such, we arrived at John's mothers place too late for lunch but with a bit of time to visit with her and his sisters. Then on to airport where we got into a small but funny kerfluffle with TSA over my old Nikes. Apparently there is a section under the sole for a chip. They tore into the shoes to find my bomb - a small one - and returned when John decided they were too full of sand. He took one to a trash can to shake it, apparently losing the insole. So this trash can had an armed guard who accosted me as I tried to remove the filthy pink sand encrusted bit. Not allowed. Goes down many floors. Supervisor!  Supe!!  Supervisor secures his booth and marches over. I was visualizing handcuffs Che summarily lifted theLid but wouldn't deign to handle this squished pink thing. Shoes, back together, we left, giggling. 

Offending shoes

The Cirrus seats on the plane to Auckland were an improvement while Tom's friends on the same plane suffered in steerage.