Old New Zealand
February 14 - April 7, 2009
Somewhere over the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand, my plane to Auckland experienced a disruption in the normal space-time continuum. The time warp was obvious when I disembarked the plane and stared at a mid-20's girl dressed in cowboy boots, black leggings covered by a short flowery skirt, a pink boob-tube top, and a hairstyle that indicated she was very confused about which current era she was actually experiencing. As I was soon to discover, it seemed much of New Zealand was caught in a similar conundrum. In general, the Kiwis enjoy an extremely laid back, simple, healthy, and beautiful lifestyle, ignoring the modern world desires of a fast-paced life full of distractions and stimulation. This is either the reason or the result of why many of the younger generations have fled to Australia or beyond for the lure of excitement and opportunity.
Even politically, New Zealand has held firm to its beliefs of a simple natural world, and has woven the traditional Maori culture deep into the lifestyle. New Zealand has managed to do something that the North Americans and Australians have not, by respecting the land of those who were there before them (this would probably not be the case had the Maori not been such fierce warriors). The current government denied the presence of American nuclear submarines in their waters, and are content standing up to the pressures and political terrorism as a result of denying such a request. New Zealand stands for its balanced lifestyle of nature, culture, and simplicity.
In many ways New Zealand is a geographically-compressed version of Canada, but with increased thermal activity and lots more sheep. The natural beauties of New Zealand offer almost endless opportunity for adventure, exploration, and adrenaline (which is thankful, because you won't find that in any of the cities). My Dad and step-mom Judy had decided to join me for a portion of my world travels, and New Zealand was a far-flung destination my Dad always wanted to see. They decided against the culture shock, spicy cuisine, and cost-effectiveness of Asia, and opted for the relative mental safety, natural beauty, and familiarity of culture in New Zealand. What my Dad hadn't considered was the fact that New Zealand is a renowned destination for extreme adrenaline addicts.
In contrast to the conservative destination, my parents rented a completely un-conservative spray-painted trippy hippie van, into which was stashed 2 sets of golf clubs, 17 pairs of nearly identical beige pleated pants, and myself and my backpack. For the next 5 weeks we navigated the Kiwi's awkward/cryptic/non-sensical/absent street-sign strategy (the term 'strategy' is used quite generously) as we explored New Zealand from tip to tail of the north and south islands. We drove without schedule or plan past lush rolling grassy hills, alongside beautiful stone fences, on the edge of stunning rugged cliffs, around twisted roads that hugged the coastline, past piles of NZ pie shops, and of course through herds of sheep. Everyday brought new experiences, new adventures, and here is only a beginning list of the highlights:
The North Island (map)
1. A well-needed relax with Chris and family on their organic Kiwi farm.
2. Actually seeing my Dad and Judy in Auckland, as I wasn't entirely convinced that they actually boarded the plane, and if in fact they did, or whether they survived the experience.
3. Elderly Kauri Trees thrusting from the earth like massive fists.
4. Hot Water Beach and digging for thermal pools in the sand.
5. Partying with Chris at the WAY cool Cuba Street Carnival in Wellington.
6. Hiking Tongariro, one of the best single day treks in New Zealand.
7. Golfing at a 5 star course, but losing more balls than there were holes.
8. Mildly redeeming myself by hitting a 550 yard drive down 90 Mile Beach.
9. Sleeping in a hippie van under the stars while the ocean waves crash in.
10. Going to a Miss Chief burlesque show in Auckland with Patricia!
11. Very narrowly escaping death, perhaps by less than a foot) from a collision with an absent-minded concrete-truck driver.
Auckland, NZ. This panorama was taken when Patricia (whom I'd met at the yoga/meditation centre in Guatemala) showed me around Auckland for a couple of days.
Cuba Street Carnival, Wellington, NZ. Chris and I went on a mission down to see this very cool event. It was held at the same time as Mardi Gras, and certainly outdid the La Ceiba Carnival in Honduras (which was the biggest carnival between Rio and New Orleans). Wellington is a very cool city that appreciates the artistic talents. The costumes, free music, body painters, and parade were completely off the hook!
Cuba Street Carnival, Wellington, NZ. These fish people swarmed through the parade as one of the very cool costume themes!
Auckland, NZ. My Dad and step-mom Judy proudly displaying their hippie rental van!
North Island, NZ. My parents working in the 'kitchen'.
North Island, NZ. The beautiful green rolling hills somewhere near Whale Bay near Whangarei, where the WH is pronounced as PH... interestingly, this pronunciation makes the town of Whakapapa much more dirty sounding.
North Island, NZ. Hmmm... is this a kiwi roadblock, or are these Kiwi speed bumps?
Cape Reinga Lighthose, NZ. This is the most northerly point in New Zealand, and is a very sacred place for the Maori culture. Then someone built a lighthouse upon it.
Cape Reinga Lighthouse, NZ. Wondering where I should go next... Tokyo? London? Los Angeles? Vancouver?
Northland Forest Park, NZ. Tane Mahuta, the majestic and breathtaking father of the Kauri trees of New Zealand. Photos will never do these trees justice, as you will have to experience simply being in their presence.
Hot Water Beach, Coromandel Peninsula, NZ. The thermal activity miles below the surface still allows people to feel the heat by digging in the sand. Make your own personal hot tub next to the ocean! One butt-cheek is freezing cold, while the other is burning hot! Pretty wild!
Whitianga, NZ. I spent a day relaxing on the beach and experimenting with some stop-action photography, which one day I may or may not compile!
Tongariro National Park, NZ. I got dropped in the early morning fog to start the popular Tongariro Crossing. This pass is often inaccessible due to extreme weather, and I lucked out on my first try.
Tongariro national Park, NZ. The sun was just rising as I started along this ~20 km hike, which I later added an additional 7 km walking along the highway while waiting for a hitchhike back to the hostel!
Tongariro Crossing, NZ. As I crossed over the peak and ran down the scree slopes, these emerald jewelled lakes caught the sun perfectly.
The South Island (map)
1. Witnessing the power of the oceans at the blowholes at the Pancake Rocks.
2. Letting my mind wander at the fantastic Nelson bookstore called Possibilities.
3. Skydiving from 15,000 feet, 60 seconds brain-numbing freefall in Wanaka for my Dad's 65th birthday.
4. Hiking through the freezing wet caves on Franz Josef Glacier.
5. Driving with Ritch along the crazy Skipper's Canyon road outside Queenstown.
6. Respecting the vastness of the universe while at the Mount Cook Planetarium, seeing Saturn's rings through a telescope, and learning about navigating with the Southern Cross.
7. Kayak-surfing with the dolphins and a big sea lion in the frigid waters of Curio Bay.
8. Sleeping under the stars so unbelievably bright that the Milky Way was clearly visible as a splash of lights across the sky.
9. Boating through the incredibly steep and high hills of Milford Sound.
9. Sheep. Those damn sheep. They are deceptively fast and agile. Now I know why velcro gloves were invented!
10. The crazy Lost Gypsy Gallery, brimming with beautiful and ingenious gadgets and mechanisms made from bits and pieces of junk, displayed in an old locomotive.
Any Field, South Island, NZ. These sheep are everywhere on the South Island. And, lucky for them, they are FAST... Lucky, because of the Kiwi mentality down here... there is actually a Perfect Woman Contest which tests the woman's ability to change a truck tire, open a beer without an opener, and using a chainsaw... with that sort of feminine definition, I might also prefer a sheep! :)
The Caitlins, NZ. This is some really tough work, and makes me happy I got an education.
Curio Bay, NZ. As I was kayak-surfing the frigid water of Curio Bay, the dolphins (or are they porpoises) were following and jumping out of the waves all around me. Even one very large sea lion happened to sneak up on me and really make my heart jump!
South Island, NZ. My dad's 65 birthday... not just around the corner, but right then and there! I'm pretty sure he had no clue what was in store for him!
Wanaka, New Zealand. After opening his birthday card, my dad was less than excited about the 0.1% chance he stood of actually accepting his birthday present from my sister and myself. Looking for a way out, he turned to my step-mom for an escape plan, but she was in on it and excited to go herself! After taking my dad to the flight zone, my dad found a tandem diver that had somewhere in the vicinity of 15,000 jumps, so my dad felt this guy had figured out what he was doing...
Wanaka, NZ. This is my dad plummeting down from 15,000 ft for a 60 second freefall before gently gliding to the ground. I told my tandem guy to give me a good ride, and he proceeded to spin us so hard that I could feel my eyeballs loosening in their sockets!! Very very very cool!
Moeraki Boulders, NZ. I'm not sure how I managed to make this jump after my dad had 'treated' me to a Chinese massage therapist session which had me screaming in pain and nearly crippled afterwards. I think it was my dad's revenge for making him jump out of an airplane!
Franz Josef glacier. Stuck in a wet and freezing crevasse surrounded by the blue glow of the ice.
Franz Josef Glacier, NZ. Oh yes, and a few of us actually wore shorts! ;)
South Island, NZ. Picniking along the roadside!
Milford Sound, NZ. We had to be prepared for all sorts of weather in New Zealand, and it was thankful we had at least 17 pairs of beige khaki pants aboard our hippy van!
Queenstown, NZ. A short drive from Queenstown, this is the stunning view from a new and quite luxurious golf course named Jack's Point. I didn't have the opportunity to go lose all my golf balls here.
