Home Sweet Home

Well, since the happenings of my last post - which ended with a trip to Cathedral Cove on Sunday 28 September - halloween has come and gone, Americans stuffed themselves silly on turkey and side dishes, and Christmas is now a week away! What have I been up to?......

Well - I spent Monday 29 September exploring a bit more of the town of Thames. As I walked down the mainstreet I could see the mangroove trees that marked the edge of the estuary on one side and on the other side I could see the the towering green mountains that confined the town to it's lower slopes. As I walked, I couldn't help but feel similarities between Thames and Juneau, Alaska (a place I lived for 8 years and will always feel a bit like home to me). They are both fairly small towns.... the internet says Juneau had 30,737 people in 2006, while Thames had only 6,756 (with approx 25,941 in the Thames/Coromandel area). Wow - I had no idea that Juneau was that much larger than Thames! Hmmm, Juneau does sprawl A LOT... So, I guess Thames is more comparable to Downtown Juneau... Anyway..... Both towns are bordered by water on one side and mountains on the other; and both are steeped in mining history. Obviously they have differences too, but the major difference is that I can leave Thames anytime I want!!! No plane or ferry ticket required!

So, as I was pondering these similarities it occured to me how much I liked the feel of the town. Plus, I already knew someone here! I then recalled something I had told several people when they had asked what I was going to do in NZ - I said "I will either find a job I like and settle in that town, or I will find a town I like and find a job there." So... I decided that maybe I should try finding a job in Thames! I liked the town, I liked the mountains..... I had found out that both the jobs I was really, really, really hoping for on the S. Island had opted not to hire me (despite the fact that I had made it to the final rounds of consideration). Needless to say, that really, really bummed me out - especially since they were both guiding jobs. So - Monday night I told Dave about my thoughts on looking for a job in town. He was more than excited at the prospect of my staying in town (as he was already quite sweet on me).

On Tuesday, 30 September, I took a bath (my first since leaving the states) and considered my job options. I was far from optomistic. I hadn't even been hired in jobs for which I was qualified! How was I going to get a job when I had no experience (ie cafe work)? However, I got nicely dressed and headed out. My plan was basically to walk the main street and look for help wanted signs. Figured that was as good a plan as any! Well... long story shortened..... Within an hour of setting out from the house I was hired at a local cafe and told to start training the next day!

I must admit, I was extremely unsure about it. It happened so fast and I still wasn't sure that I didn't want to try my luck on the S. Island. I wasn't sure I was ready to settle down. I was only supposed to be in Thames for a couple weekends - on a "vacation from my holiday"! However, since I was hired by the first place I tried, I figured that might be a sign of some sort. I had been getting really antsy to get a job; and trying my luck in a more touristy town (Thames isn't a destination, it's more of a "stop and rest on your way up the peninsula" town) would probably be a lot more difficult with my lack of experience! So - why look a gift horse in the mouth - I took the job in a town where I had a friend, was close to water, was close to forests, and was centerally located for travelling to destinations cities in 2 hours or less. Plus, I was going to gain some invaluable experience in a field that could provide me with ample job opportunities in NZ and Australia with a work permit.

So - life since then has just been life. I've had some weekend adventures that I probably should've blogged about -but I'll just have to post a massive holiday update summing up the last 3 months of 2008 here in NZ! But for now, I would like to share some images and details about the place I currently call home........

The Town

This church was built in 1898 - wooden gothic

Two wood pigeons (endemic birds).

Thames viewed from lookout above the town. the estuary appears to be at mid tide, some water on the mudflats, but the mud is still visible.

Again, Thames viewed from a mountain lookout. The river can be seen snaking from inland on the left and entering the estuary on the right.

Dave at the Thames war memorial.

The town from the war memorial lookout, the wooden gothic church is in the middle.

Thames at night from the mountain lookout.

The Imperial Bar - where Dave and I met...... Awwwww.

The Cafe

Margaret, (on the right) is the manager that hired me and Ann (on the left) is our mid-morning to late afternoon short order cook.

My Avocado Pie on Display! I may not have brought experience with me, but my avocado pie was so successful that I had to make 2 pies in one week after it was introduced!!!

Margaret found the avocado pie recipe so easy and versitile to use that she created many other flavors: berry, mango, and banana (though the banana pie has been around NZ for years, as a Banafi pie)

Mango "cheesecake" (no cream cheese in it) based on my avocado pie in the bottom or the cabinet - Margaret can be seen through the cabinet.

The House

Centerally located in the downtown Thames area, Dave owns a house that rests at the bottom of a dip in the foothills of the bush covered mountains. It has 3 bedrooms, 1 toilet, 1 bath, a kitchen/dining room, and a large lounge. While the living area takes up 1 floor, 2 sheds/garages and crawl spaces/storage areas are located underneath.

It has a small front yard that is home to a currently blossoming jacaranda and silk tree.

The backyard has a feijoa, orange, tangerine, plum, and lemon tree; as well as a small deck, a BBQ, and a wood shed.

Orange Blossom and lady bug

Lady bug on orange Leaf

Bee and lemon blossom

Dave taking out a bush, making room for more parking. Inside the fence stands a butchered feijoa tree.

Feijoa flower, before the tree was mercilessly trimmed.

The Cats

Koshka: A sweet little girl that enjoys playing with clothes pins, brings live skinks into the house while bragging, and likes to curl up next to me throughout the night.

Jinx: A good natured and rotund fellow who prefers string for playing, brags about the dead birds he leaves in the hall (uneaten), and who is very much a papa's boy.

Dave

Dave works at Peninsula Joinery, as a cabinet/bench maker - mostly for kitchens, but also for vanities, wardrobes, etc. I consider him a computer geek, but he argues that he is not a geek - despite the fact that he constantly builds, tweaks, and rebuilds his 3 computers. He is a self-described "petrolhead", meaning he really, really likes cars. While he now works in the carpentry trade, he once considered becoming a mechanic. He even has a certificate in automotive technology. This enthusiasm for working on cars has been more than useful for me! Dave replaced my alternator shortly after I arrived here and is currently doing some work on it so it can get it's WOF (warrent of fitness - certifying the car is safe). The money I have saved from his help is definitely in the hundreds of dollars! But it's not just because I'm his girlfriend that he fixes my car. Dave is known for giving a hand to anybody that needs it. He readily helps his friends and family fix their cars, shelves, computers, etc. Basically - he's a really good guy!

A Pohutukawa bench Dave built.

Dave standing with his Rimu bench (pohutukawa bench on left)

Oh - and the ants!! I made a comment in one of my last blogs that they would be mentioned in an upcoming story. My mom has been waiting patiently since :-)

Shortly after arriving at Dave's, and before he changed the alternator in my car, we parked my car in his shed (garage) and Dave sprayed the entire car with ant killer. It supposedly works to kill car spiders (which almost all NZ cars have). We were very much hoping it would work on ants too! Unfortunately, when Dave started working on my alternator I took another tour around the car....... Yep - ants all over. The pics aren't near as fantastic as I would like, but they should prove that yes - ants to reside on my car! The good news? I haven't seen them wondering around on my car for the last few weeks. I'm greatly hoping that they left the car and joined the millions of ants in the one or two colonies living on Dave's property - ha ha ha, I uprooted a nest (with eggs) when I dug out Dave's mailbox.

Rotorua to Thames

Sunday: 21 September

Since both Bobbie and Rachel have jobs and they were only escaping for the weekend, they had a bus to catch at noon on Sunday. Dave drove us around town one last time before we spotted a gelato stand. Wow, that was some good ice cream! Fig and Honey? Who would have guessed? We had just enough enough time to finish our double scoops before waving Bobbie and Rachel onto the bus. I had no idea when the next time I would see them would be, or if I would even see Bobbie before she left with her boyfriend for S. America, but I had lots and lots of pictures of a fantastic weekend that would be remembered for a while.

After hugs all around, Dave and I decided to pick up some food stuffs and head to Blue Lake. Yes, we had just been there the day before with the girls, but this time we were going to walk around the lake. I had hoped that when we arrived at noon, with the sky high overhead, the blue versus green colors of the lakes would be more prominent (as Dave says they were when he was a kid). However, both lakes looked the same as they had the day before - at least from the viewing area. However, when driving around Blue lake one can definitely see a blue color. Green lake? Well, since it's private property you can't actually get a good view, so I can't say...

The walk around Blue Lake was nice and mellow. I had found silver fern frond on the path of a trail a few days before my arrival in Rotorua, but hadn't been able to find a living specimen (mostly because I was looking to low - it's actually a tree!). So, with Dave's help, I found my first live example of a silver fern!! As the picture shows, I was quite a dork in my excitement! The flash really brings out the white of the frond undersides! The rest of the walk was spent talking, striking goofy poses, and watching a helicopter move things from one area to another.

After our walk around the lake we were both keen to explore more of the Redwood forest. However, responsibility got the best of us and we decided to head back to the hostel while we still had day light left. After all, Dave still had to teach me how to change a tire!

Okay - yes, I did theoretically know how to change a tire, but I had never actually changed a tire! So, with Dave (a total petrol head and amateur mechanic) coaching me where I had problems (i.e. I knew how the jack worked, but had no idea where exactly on the car it went) and giving me advice and tips, I proceeded to change a "flat" tire. And it's a darn good thing we went through the exercise! I knew my car had a spare tire, I could see it under the car. I'm sure if I had been pressed to figure out how to get it out from under the car I would have eventually realized that the tire cage was held up by a hook. I'm pretty sure that, after lots of cursing and gravel scraping on my back, I would have even figured out that the hook was attached to the nut on the top of my car under the carpet. However, it was MUCH nicer (and cleaner) to have Dave tell me how to lower the spare. The bolt was a bit tight, but Dave eventually managed to get the tire to lower. I then proceeded to really get my hands dirty (and I mean dirty - that spare must have had a good 50 thousand kms of dirt on it!) and successfully changed my first tire!!!

I then repeated the process to change the tire back. I proceeded to put the spare tire in its cage and screw the bolt back up. However, the bolt wouldn't budge! Dave wrenched on it until he succeeded in bending the hook and not raising the tire cage! Wow, it was a really good thing that we had gone through this exercise! What a hassle I would have had by myself! (Although, I was, at this point, an AA member..... Hey, no - not an alcoholics anonymous member, jeez... an automobile association member - the NZ version of AAA in the US). However, I obviously couldn't drive around with my spare tire cage half raised. Luckily, I had already told Dave of my intention to visit him in Thames the next weekend. My coming to visit meant that he could find me a new (well, used) hook to replace the stuck and bent one. In the meantime, he wrenched on everything enough to lodge the thing in place for the time being and I hit the hardware store the next day for wire and wire cutters with which to wire up the cage if it loosened.

Monday: 22 September
Monday morning I was back to being the lone traveler. It would have been easy to turn my wheels south west to see more of the N. Island (Mount Taranaki/Egemont in particular). However, I was still holding out hope for one of two jobs on the S. Island and figured I had enough time for a short (2 hour) trip back to the Coromandel for a few days of free rent and high speed internet. So, I decided to explore a bit more of the Rotorua area first.

There are plenty of walks around Rotorua, but the selection for camping seemed somewhat limited, particularly since I didn't have a boat to access several of the sites. I had decided I wanted to check out Tarawera falls,but then found that I would have to pick up a permit. It was only sheer laziness, and the fact that driving to the falls was pretty out of the way, that I decided to just walk to Humphries Bay instead - maybe hit the falls afterwards.

So, I drove to Lake Okataina, parked my car, and packed my bag. The trail followed Lake Okataina for most of the way before taking me over a ridge and down to Lake Tarawera. It was shortly after coming over the ridge that I had the biggest shock of my life! (well, maybe not of my life - but I did nearly jump out of my skin!)...... I was walking down the flat, narrowish path hauling my overpacked bag (Dominic had made the journey too), and checking out the pretty bush when I rounded a corner and encountered a massive animal in the middle of the trail!!! Okay, so maybe not MASSIVE - but considering I was under the impression that the kiwi was the biggest animal around..... it was pretty darn big!!!! What was this big brown thing that stood on it's back legs, came ups to at least my waist, and - as it turned and hopped away - had a long tail!?! I had only caught a glimpse of the beast before it hopped off. Yes - hopped! What the...? Wait, rabbits don't get anywhere near this big.... Rabbits don't hop on just their back feet..... Rabbits don't have long tails... and, most importantly.... Rabbits don't get to the size of a big dog!!!!!!!!

I couldn't believe what I had just seen! My mind was spinning! Had I just passed through some worm hole? What country was I in? I knew I hadn't just seen a kangaroo - it was way to small. But, I thought wallabies were only found in Australia! What in the heck were they doing in New Zealand?!?

Somewhat confused, I continued on to the Humphries Bay campsite. I must admit I was slightly disappointed when I hit the site. It is a free (supposedly one night only) site, but there was relatively little flat area and the total site was very small - and the outhouse was quite disgusting. But - since it was free, I really can't complain much! Plus, the bay itself is extremely beautiful. My pictures don't do the colors justice. The sandy shore had a red tint to it, even when it wasn't sunset, but the water was a beautiful turqoise blue! The water was so clear that you could see the shore running out into the water until the red disappeared into the turquoise. Absolutely stunning!

For some silly reason, when I was packing for the trail I only planned to hike in, camp, and hike out. However, while i was on the trail it occurred to me - I could hike in, camp out, hike to Tarawera Falls and back, camp again, AND THEN hike out. Granted - the site was a 1 night only camp, but it wasn't exactly high season..... Luckily I had been wise enough to pack spare rations (as all people going off in the bush should - in case you fall, break an ankle, and have to wait for days before people realize your missing).

Tuesday: 23 September

The next morning I got a pretty early start. The trail meandered through bush and past lake shore. I hadn't been hiking terribly long when I encountered a person in spandex and short shorts running towards me! What the? Apparently I wasn't in such a remote area afterall! Wow - make me feel slack!

Eventually the trail was no longer following the lake, but followed the lovely, clear blue stream the lake drained into. I passed so many little clearings that dared a person to just jump into the crystal water - particularly in one area that had the ropes on the trees for jumping off of! I continued down the trail until I came to a small - but very fast flowing - waterfall that ended in a big, beautiful series of loud, white rapids. I had lunch and messed around with my camera before continuing down the trail. I came to another clearing that would look perfect for swimming - except for the sign saying "Danger". Apparently the stream I was following turned into an underground river in this area! Swimming was not advisable, as you might get sucked into this underground entrance! Crazy.

I followed the trail yet further. I found an amazing view looking out over a green valley of bush. I could hear the birds and the roar of water. I followed the trail down into the valley or a bit and then, finally, I saw it!!!

Tarawera falls is AMAZING!!! This underground river just emerges out of a the side of a cliff! It reminds me of "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" - at the end, where they escape the mines being persued by a flood of water. They are hanging onto the ledge and these wooden beams are piercing the mud around them and the water is literally shooting out of the cliff wall before plummeting to the ground..... Yeah - that's what Tarawera falls was doing. There were several opening and each had a gush of water spitting straight out before gravity took hold and the mass of water fell a long, long way down to the rocks below. Really, really cool.

After sitting and watching the falls for a bit, and after looking at the descriptive marker done up in tiles, I headed back the way I came..... Once I made it back to the lake, I saw a mist was starting to set it back where my tent was set up. So much for stopping at the wharf for a stretch and a break... I managed to make it into my tent just before small raindrops began falling!! Sweet! I did a few stretches, at a small meal, and crashed out. Except for a 1/2 hour lunch/photo break I had been walking for 7 hours straight! Still, that was at least 2 hours faster than the signs had led me to believe I would be walking!

Wednesday: 24 September
After a pretty easy hike out I relaxed by my car while I had a small lunch and unpacked my bag. I was pretty proud of myself that I still had food left over and, despite staying an extra night, hadn't needed to use my "emergency food".

After drying my tent out in the breeze, catching up on some text messages, and enjoying being out of my hiking boots, I started off down the road again. The Lake Okataina area is covered in trails, so I took the time to do a couple quick loop trails. One trail took me to a beautiful waterfall and passed by a fallen log that had a shelf mushroom on it that was big enough to sit on - it even looked like a bench! The other trail passed by two twin lakes, literally right next to each other but in their own volcanic craters.

It was barely passed noon by the time I finished the 2nd trail. While I could have spent the rest of the day on the various trails, I was quite ready to just sit on my bum for a bit and do some driving. Since I had Thames as my eventual destination, I decided to take some roundabout roads. While I was rounding the top of Lake Rotorua, I passed by a bunch of black swans on the shore. I also saw a few puff balls with them...... goslings??? I had a hard time believing that the swans would already have laid and hatched thier eggs - spring had just barely sprung! I turned around and went down to the parking area. None of the swans minded me, until I got out of my car! Of course, I forgot I already had my camera on so I had to wait while it turned itself off and then turned on again. By that time, the swans and goslings had nearly hit and entered the water :-( ARGH, I was annoyed with myself, but I managed to get some good pics anyway.

I continued driving with a vague campsite/waterfall in mind. Now - Thames is really only a 2-3 hour drive from Rotorua (hence Dave's ability to meet me there), so by the time I turned up a road that was going to take me over the Kaimai mountains to another campsite I was really only an hour away..... I looked at the black clouds..... I looked at the steep road I was driving up..... I wondered if the waterfall I was going to check out was worth the gas I was using get there only to have to backtrack..... I thought about sitting in my car, after dark, reading a book with a headlamp.... And then, I decided "screw it - I'll just head to Thames now. It's where I want to be, so why waste time."

So - I turned around at a viewpoint (not a bad view over the valley) and headed back to the intersection that led to the Coromandel Peninsula. I decided to stop and check out Wairere Falls on my way up. It was a waterfall that Andy and I had vaguely tried to find, but ended up finding a trail in the town of Te Aroha (I cannot give you ANY hints on how to pronounce that town... I can barely pronounce it, let alone pronounce it correctly - all i can say is just blend all consenants and vowels together in one quick breath). Anyhow - I drove an old road for ages, paralleling the massive range of the Kaimai's, before noticing signs for the fall. I kept watching the mountains and suddenly I realized that I was looking at what must be Wairere Falls. There was a big gash of rock that split the bush and water was spilling over the rock face. The wind was strong enough that I could see the water blowing off into the bushes! It was quite a neat sight. I considered walking up to the falls - but then saw that it would be a 90 minute trip to the top. I would have enjoyed the short 60 min. walk to the lookout, but wasn't up for much more. Since I couldn't go to the look out and not go to the summit, I decided to save the whole walk for a weekend excursion with Dave.

So - I took some pictures, got in my car, and headed to Thames. About an hour later, I pulled up in front of Dave's house with every intention of having a nice week long "vacation from my holiday". I planned on getting some free internet time, a little work on my car done, a few weekend hikes, and then I planned on continuing my backpacking ways..........

I spent Thursday and Friday totally enjoying having a house to myself with WiFi. I met Dave at work on Thursday (25th) and walked through town together - spring was in full show, with the trees flowering and the sun coming out.

On Friday (26th) I met Dave at work again, but this time I took the bush path at the end of his road - discovering what roads it connected with. Dave, his dad, and one of his mates had started meeting up at The Salutation pub for happy hour on Friday's. So, we headed down there, only to find that his mom, and her coworkers, as well as his brother (just arrived from the S. Island for three weeks) were there also! It was quite a lot of fun. Eventually we all ended up back at the parents place for pizza and more beer (his dad makes great homebrew!) before us kids continued having a night out on the town..... Long story short - it was a very fun, very long night. Dave and I were walking home from an "after hours" (after bar close) party in time to catch fresh doughnuts from a bakery that was just opening (6am maybe?)..... Yeah - good night :-)

Dave had planned on having a BBQ Saturday (27) night - so after a small sleep, we did a bit of shopping and crossed our fingers that the weather would hold. It didn't... I don't think either of us were to disappointed to have a quiet night of watching rugby on the couch together.

Sunday: 28 September

The weather on Sunday was far better than what was around on Saturday and we were well rested too. So we decided to check out "Cathedral Cove" - a "must see" of the Coromandel, and a place that Dave had never been. Luckily, the weather was nice - so that meant that we got to take out Dave's "baby" - a V8 Holden Commodore Calais (Holden is an Australian company similar to Chevy in the states.....Here; instead of Ford vs. Chevy, it's Ford vs. Holden - especially in the V8 Aussie races!). The V8 only comes out on sunny days, as Dave put a lot of time into installing the body kit and he put a lot of money into the paint job (cherry black - looks black in pictures and some lighting, but deep purple in other lighting).

Anyhow - Dave and I packed up a picnic and hopped in the car. I figured Dominic (my teddy bear) deserved a day out too, so we strapped him into the back seat. Yes - with Dave's driving Dominic definitely had to be strapped in! Dave isn't a bad driver in the least, but he is fast - as I had experienced once before on a drive in the V8. We started off from Thames, driving North up the west coast of the peninsula. We then passed over the mountain range, stopped in at a town or two with nice beaches, and continued down the east coast of the peninsula. We had lunch on a the beach at Whitianga - a nice town with a very beautiful bay. We then continued on to Cathedral Cove.

The cove was really nice; I would recommend it. It's a sandy beach with lots of cool rock islands that have been carved into crazy shapes. The beach is pretty much surrounded by cliffs - with trees somehow finding root and growing off them!?! The name comes from the massive hole that goes through one of the cliffs - create an arch that extends over the beach and into the water. I'm not sure you can pass through the arch at high tide without getting your feet wet, but we managed to avoid the waves and pass through to the other side. We sat on the rocks for a bit and found the giants face in the island we were looking at..... can you see it too?

After leaving the actual "Cathedral Cove" we followed the trails to a few of the other coves - stingray bay and gemstone bay. One of the bays - gemstone maybe? - had an actual underwater trail for snorkelers! Crazy! It was definitely not warm enough to jump in though - even if I had brought my snorkel gear. We then returned to the car and continued our round trip journey of the peninsula. We arrived home well after dark, having stopped for snacks on a cold windy beach after missing the sunset (we were on the east coast afterall).

TUI BIRDS - at carpark of Cathedral Coves