New Zealand Green Fern Beer

 The brewery was really neat, all throughout our chat, customers were coming in and filling up all sorts of containers with beer, they would fill anything with beer. You can buy a flag-on which is about a one litre or a rigger which is about a 2 litre. The brewery is known for their "green fern" beer which is entirely organic so we opted for a few varietals including green fern. We had a light meal after Matt's strenuous liquid lunch and spent the night at the local holiday park.

Matt and Cynthia (to be continued) 

New Zealand Miner's Brewery

 This particular stretch of beach really reminded me so much of the West Coast of Ireland. We drove back to town and after hunting down a simple sandwich (you would not believe how hard these are to come by) we went to the Miner's Brewery.

This is the real stuff, no poser beer here, and they take their work very seriously. The chap that served us was friendly as ever so we talked to him for awhile while Matt drank as quickly as possible (free "tastings" - he was chugging).

Matt and Cynthia (to be continued) 

New Zealand Westport

 We slept in a wee bit today and leisurely made our way to the town of Westport. Our plan was to drive along the entire West Coast of the South Island. Westport is known as an "authentic" New Zealand township and it proved to be very cute. It looked as if it might rain so we made straight for another seal colony and lighthouse just outside town. 

The seals were quite saucy and it was just fun to watch them play. The lighthouse was not too impressive so we snapped off a few pictures and made our way to the other side of the sea lookout which turned out to be spectacular.

Matt and Cynthia (to be continued) 

New Zealand Motueka

As soon as we arrived, Matt drove like a shot straight to the grocery where we bought thick steaks, onions and peppers to grill and, of course, mac and cheese. We went back to the holiday park at Motueka, chilled one of the bottles of wine and had a fantastic dinner. 

My grooming/beauty regiment (don't laugh, I've been in the woods for 5 days!) took about 2 hrs while Matt entertained himself with a good book. Very happy.

Matt and Cynthia (to be continued) 

New Zealand 78 Totaranui

 Today was our last day on the track and, even though we had had a great time, we were so excited to get back to our van and real food and hot showers (ahhhhhhhh, the luxury). We had a pretty short walk back to Totaranui (home of the sand fly) where we would catch the water taxi/ cruise we had arranged with Wilson's Experience. We positively bounced back down the mountain and arrived early for our departure. We lay on the beach for about an hour until our taxi arrived and then happily boarded for the relaxing three hour cruise back.

Matt and Cynthia (to be continued) 

New Zealand 77 Star-Gazing

 But they were great fun and we had a really good time just talking to them about the different things they had done. The funny thing is, we never even got their names. It turned out to be a late night as we eventually went outside and star-gazed (the stars out here are amazing with no pollution and all different because we are in the southern hemisphere). They were familiar with the constellations and pointed out several to us. We went to bed late after a really awesome day.

Matt and Cynthia (to be continued) 

New Zealand 76 Super-Human

 But to add to it, he had biked clear across the United States coast-to-coast by himself as a "break" after graduating high school. They were currently hiking the entire A.T. Track that we were doing plus the inland A.T. track in the same amount of time that we were taking to do the first portion. I think Matt and I both felt a bit inadequate and very much in awe, I know I did (they looked like regular people but they were obviously super-human). 

Matt and Cynthia (to be continued) 

New Zealand 75 Really roughing it out here

 After they ate, we all sat around the fire with candles and talked about various travels. I was well into my "we are really roughing it out here" bit and I was lamenting the fact that Matt and I were not used to carrying so much weight and the walk was really hard when the two of them just looked at each other. 

They smiled and he said, "well, we are just on our way back up from having biked across new Zealand". "oh" I said. Turns out this pair biked from the very northern tip of new Zealand clear to the absolute bottom of the south island in two months while carrying all their gear and camping equipment on the bikes. Matt and Cynthia (to be continued) 

New Zealand 74 Nonchalant

 This thing shot flames 3 feet into the air without even being turned up to high; she literally smoked us out of there. She had some sort of pathetic aluminum shade which she placed around the cooker as a "screen". Yeah, okay, it didn't really screen much of anything. They were so nonchalant about the whole incident (they nearly burned down this hut made entirely of very old wood; it would have incinerated in minutes upon contact) that we all just looked at each other and had a good laugh.

Matt and Cynthia (to be continued) 

New Zealand 73 Flames shooting to the ceiling

 We jumped up in a panic just as the fire alarms (all of them) began to go off. The kitchen was completely filled with smoke and the guys were running around opening doors and windows trying to clear the air. Once the smoke was under control the alarms stopped their incessant bleating and we were able to determine what had happened. The girl was trying to use what she called a "gas cooker" and what Matt and I call a blow torch.

Matt and Cynthia (to be continued) 

New Zealand 72 Whoooooosh

 I was so impressed; I could hardly believe they had actually walked all that way (20+km) with the tremendously heavy packs they were carrying. This young couple from Holland was such a trip; I turned out to be so glad they showed up. About 5 minutes after they arrived, the girl began to make dinner.

Matt and I continued to play cards, not really paying attention, until whoooooosh!, we turned around and there were flames shooting all the way to the (entirely wood) ceiling.

Matt and Cynthia (to be continued) 

New Zealand 71 They were so weary

 It was a very romantic setting and I was thrilled when the ranger showed up around 6pm to let us know that only one other couple was booked for the night and they weren't there yet.... ...Matt and I ate quickly and began playing cards in front of the fire by candlelight when the other couple literally drug themselves in around half 7. They were so weary; apparently they walked all the way from Bark Bay but had to wait until 3pm for low tide at Awaroa (the crossing we had made this morning).

Matt and Cynthia (to be continued) 

New Zealand 70 Whariwharangi

 We hung around about 2 hours but we could easily have spent the whole day there. Alas, we still had to get to our hut and set up shop for the night so we had to move on. We made it to Whariwharangi Hut around 2pm and this hut, though the only one without beachfront property, was by far my favorite. It was an old homestead so it felt like "Little House on the Prairie". It had an ancient pot-belly wood stove and Matt chopped fire wood while I took a COLD shower.

Matt and Cynthia (to be continued) 

New Zealand 69 - The Results Are So-So

 By the time I got to the top I realized I had to descend "into" the seal colony (which means I would have to ascend to get back) so I dropped my pack right there and made my way down. If anyone wanted my clothes, they could have them. By the time I got down, Matt was making lunch so I began to seek out the seals. They weren't hard to find and so darn cute. I must have taken about 200 pictures but the light wasn't great (they lie in the shade) so the results are so-so.

Matt and Cynthia (to be continued) 

New Zealand 68 - Separation Point

The sand flies (these buggers bite) were monstrous so we applied our repellant as advised by the trusty DOC and continued on our way. The walk today was, scenically, one of the best, and we were headed for a 1.5 hr detour to a place called Separation Point where there was a seal colony. The climb up Separation Point was a difficult one, all the more so with the weight and I told Matt to go ahead so I could bitch about it under my breath all the way up. Quite therapeutic.

Matt and Cynthia (to be continued) 

New Zealand 67 - Totaranui

The sky at sunrise was phenomenal, by far the very best sunrise I have ever seen in my life. The walk ahead of us today was a long one, the guide estimated 4.5 hours which meant we would be walking for at least 6 hours (I would love to know who these people are that walk it in 4.5, I guess the same people that hike Tongariro in 6 hours). We made really great time today, we were at our halfway point (Totaranui, home of the pesky sand fly) by half 9.

Matt and Cynthia (to be continued) 

Bali 1226

 

Bali 1209

 

Bali 1153

 

Bali 1148

 

Papua 074

 

Papua 073

 

Papua 3067

 

Papua 3059

 

New Zealand 66 Our "torches" were an absolute joke

 We got ready, packed up and ate in the dark (our "torches" were an absolute joke but we did not know they were lousy until right about now!) It was very cold this morning and we had to cross barefoot because the water never fully recedes, there are many places at least ankle deep. The shells were everywhere and very sharp and our feet were numb from the cold, cold water. But the crossing was so amazing.

Matt and Cynthia (to be continued) 

New Zealand 65 - Day 4 - Whariwharangi Hut

 Anyway, we made our way back to the hut and I went straight to bed while Matt chatted it up for awhile with some Canadians (girls) making hemp bracelets. Again, whatever, I was exhausted.

We awoke at 5am sharp because low tide was at 4am and we had to cross by 6am at the latest.

Matt and Cynthia (to be continued) 

New Zealand 64 Awaroa

 
He crossed barefoot with the water at his waist holding his 50 kilo pack above his head for a solid ten minutes with shells cutting his feet the whole way. He said it was "all good". Whaaaaatever.

So these tides are pretty serious business and we had to face the same crossing the next morning but with enough sense to rise early and cross at low tide.

Matt and Cynthia (to be continued) 

New Zealand 63 "high tide"

 The rise and fall is so dramatic that if you are more than 2 hours beyond the appointed time, you either wait 12 hours for the next fall or cross up to your neck in water, not a safe thing to do as the current is very, very strong. We met a man at Torrent Bay who conveniently ignored the Awaroa tidal crossing warnings because, in his words, "a man can only wait so long".

Matt and Cynthia (to be continued)