Taupo

Wow, it’s been a while since I’ve updated this blog. I haven’t had internet access for almost 2 weeks and I haven’t been writing a blog offline – so I’m going to do a couple of posts to get updated (so that I don’t have to write all in one sitting and so that my readers don’t start skimming through just to see the pictures). I’m also going to try putting in a few links here and there – since I haven’t done that in AGES.

Friday 12 September: Drive to Taupo
My last blog was posted very early Friday morning. Unfortunately, I was only able to catch a few hours sleep before someone came knocking on the door for a hostel room. After Maureen got her new tenet squared away we had a nice breakfast and exchanged contact info. I headed out of Hastings with only a few hours sleep, but a good cup of coffee and some porridge in my belly.

Taupo was only a few hours drive away and Andy was going to be working until 5 (well, not working really – but he would be at the horse races on company time until 5!). When I arrived at the Taupo turnoff I drove straight past it and headed towards a trail I had seen on my way to Hastings. I wasn’t sure where the trail lead, but I knew that it was in the woods and that was good enough for me. And man, was I ever right!

The Tangoio Walk was absolutely beautiful. It was just what I needed after a week in the city. I followed a creek through open woods and past a big green hill being grazed by goats. The sky was blue and the breeze was warm. I was so happy to be in the woods again that I was literally hanging off trees!

It was a short walk to reach Te Ana falls. The falls, though not extremely spectacular, blew me away at the time. I was just about shouting in awe as I watched the water cascade over a smooth cliff face and into a perfect pool below. On my way back to the fork in the trail I took the time to climb a tree or two (With such antics, it shouldn't be surprising that I don't get lonely in the woods!).

I followed the trail up to the Tangoio Falls. They were cool in the fact that they were big; but they were so far away that the little Te Ana falls were more impressive. I was undecided as to whether or not to follow the trail further towards the White Pine Bush. I knew the trail just ended in another carpark, but I decided I had the time and I certainly needed the exercise. Just after picking my way through a muddy section I was treated to a trail surrounded by green woody trees and lush fern and palm plants. Eventually I came around the mountain and could see the road (I had heard cars for a good while). I passed through the grassy clearing and into redwood grove! It was beautiful. The trees were SO tall and SO red. I don't think my camera can do it justice.

When the trail started to dip down and out of the forest and decided I would just end up in a carpark. So, for the first time in NZ, I left the trail. I could see a cleared mountain top through the open forest and decided it would be impossible for me to get lost. Part way up the hill I came across an old road. I figured following it would be easier than going straight up the hillside. I shouldn't have been surprised when the road rounded the side of the hill and I was greeted to an expanse of clear cutting. Wow - is that an ugly practice or what? I had been at the top of a clear cut only one other time - Prince of Whales Island in Alaska. At least the kiwi's left a pretense of forest surrounding the site.

After taking a few pictures I headed back the way I came. Through the lovely last stands of redwood, past the fern trees with fronds preparing to unfurl, and beside the gurgling stream accross which the goats were feeding. I ate lunch on the stream edge and then drove straight through to Taupo. When I arrived, around 4, I killed some time making phone calls and texts from the lakes edge and then headed to town. I sipped a red bull and water at a pub while I perused the paper and waited to hear back from Andy. I was just finishing my energy boosting beverage when Andy texted me with the bar he would be at. Andy and I arrived at "The Shed" at the same time so I bought our first round. He was already quite a bit ahead of me on the alcohol consumption - as his company had provided refreshments at the races. Fortunately, Andy had arrived at the races a few hours late. He was well behind some of the co-workers I ended up meeting. All lovely people, but some were a little more loaded than others. After the initial introductions and rounds of "oh, you and Andy are just friends - *wink wink*", I got on with everyone quite well. However, Andy and I left the group at large after 2 beers so that I could drive my car to his place. I was fairly certain the car would be safe, but I wanted to have all my gear nearby so I could just go home and crash after the night was over.

Man, on man - what a good call that ended up being: but that comes later.......

So, after Andy and I cabbed our way back to town we met up with a few remaining coworkers, had some free food, and then moved onto the "S.O.B". Andy's co-worker, Kirsty, knew the bartender and also knew that the bar was closing the next day. All booze had to go. I'm not sure how she managed, but somehow we ended up with a jug of vodka cocktail for $20! (a jug gives you about 4-5 drinks, drinks generally go for $7....). We probably didn't need the 2nd jug that Kirsty ordered for us, but since it was there..... Needless to say, the night was pretty fun. The band got more entertaining the further into the jugs I got, and I chatted with several nice people. Eventually, the bar was nearly empty with only us hard cases left. Everyone was intent on the music - probably 10 people sitting in a semi-circle, including the bartender and bar back. When the musicians finally got tired, we all milled around and chatted for a while before heading home. Andy and I caught a cab back to his house, I grabbed my sleeping bag from my car, and slept very, very hard.

Saturday 13: Walk about Taupo

I knew Andy wouldn't be having a good day when he heard him over the toilet before going to bed and again early, early in the morning. So, when I woke up around 8, I grabbed enough things for a morning out. I figured I'd find a place to eat breakfast and wander back around noon. I certainly didn't expect to end up circling the whole town and seeing coworkers again! If that had been the plan, I would have showered and worn something that wasn't pajamas!

The day was pretty uneventful really. I wandered around town, checked out the market, bought some food, and then found a river to follow. I had no idea that I was following the continuation of the Waikato River! I just knew that I found myself at the end of a trail, standing beside towering cliffs and looking up at a bungy jumping platform. No, I didn't do a jump. I was saving my money for something much more exciting - snowboarding a volcano! I walked back down the river and up to the streets that continued above the river. Pretty soon, I heard the sound of an announcer over loudspeakers and figured I was close to the "Day-Night Thriller" mountain bike relay. Andy's company (Cheal) was registered to ride for the full 12 hours! I wandered some of the trails along the river's edge as I gradually neared the event. I had heard it was one of the largest mountain biking events in NZ, but I guess I wasn't really prepared for the mass of tents. Weaving between the rows of tents was the relay course - or at least a section of the course. Each team could only have one rider going at a time, so as a rider passed his/her tent they could stop and give the electronic team tag to the next rider (although some crazys had choosen to do the entire 6 or 12 hour marathon themselves!!!).

I did eventually find the Cheal tent. Andy still wasn't there - though I had recieved a text from him around noon, he was alive and walking. I didn't know most of the people at the tent and the whole event was really quite boring for someone not participating in it, so I didn't stay long. I ended up wandering around the park somemore until meeting up with Andy. Andy wasn't real interested in seeing more of his coworkers or watching bikers pedal past a field of tents, so we headed back into town. We figured we would pick up his car and then get some dinner.

Imagine our surprise when, as we are walking through the parking lot, we find no car!!!!! Yep, that's right, no bloody car!!! Poor Andy! I felt really bad for him - though I was so very, very thankful that it wasn't my car that was missing! I was so glad I had taken the time to move my world elsewhere - as really, my entire life is in my car! Luckily, Andy has had a place for several weeks so most of his essentials were safe at home - and he had picked up a few more things from his car the night we drove mine home. Man, it was really lame. Really surreal. The dumb thing is, it was parked in the same parking lot as the police station! At least we didn't have far to walk to report it!

A picture of "The Yellow Submarine" (Andy's car) and "Jim" (my car) at the Thames backpacker on the Coromandel Peninsula (taken just before Andy and I went on our short road trip)

After talking with the police lady for a bit we decided to get some food and walk home (neither of us wanted to spend money on a cab, despite the fact that we were both really tired of walking). So, we popped into Burgerfuel (yeah, it's fast food - but it's not McD's, Burger King, or KFC) and I treated Andy to a dinner and tried my first veggie burger from the chain - Dang, those things are GREAT!

When we got home, we were both ready for a nap. We both wanted to watch the NZ vs AUS tri-nation rugby game, but it didn't start until 9:30! We had hours to go. I read while Andy did some follow up stuff with the police. We were both dozing by 8:30, so when 9 rolled around we just gave up and went to bed. I felt really lame for missing such a big game, but after a night of drinking and probably a total of 8 hours sleep in 2 nights - I really didn't care how lame I was. There was no way I would have been able to keep my eyes open through the game anyway. I found out the next day that it was a "bloody good game". NZ beat Aus for the cup 28-24!! Go All Blacks!

Sunday 14: SNOWBOARDING

While I was disappointed to miss the great rugby game, I was super glad to be well rested and refreshed Sunday morning. I woke up to sunny skies, but didn't want to get my hopes to far up - as I had been told that if you can't see the mountains accross the lake, then the conditions for snowboarding would be very poor (as you would be navigating in a white-out cloud conditions). I think Andy and I got up around 8, but I'm not sure. When we looked out his lounge window and across the lake, we found that we could see the snow covered mountains just fine!!!! We were going snowboarding!! Andy made up some porridge for breakfast and then we got our selves packed into my car. After stopping for gas, Andy offered to drive so I could watch the mountain get closer and closer.

Taupo (pronounced Toe-poe) sits on the edge of a massive lake (yep, lake Taupo) almost directly opposite 3 massive volcanoes: Tongariro (a flat mountain), Ngāuruhoe (the perfect picture of a cone volcano - made famous as "Mount Doom" in LOTR trilogy) and Ruapehu (a broad massive mountain that we would be playing on). Since we already had a late start to the morning, yet had plenty of time to make it to the resort before 1/2 day tickets were sold, we took our time reaching the mountain, stopping at various scenic lookouts along the way. We stopped at the little ski town of Whakapapa to rent our gear (boards, boots, pants, goggles, gloves), before driving to the Whakapapa resort (one of 2 resorts on Ruapehu). We had to park at the lowest parking lot - and even then we had to park on the side of the road. Supposedly they close the mountain when this parking lot is full -but they were parking lots of people on the side of the road. We caught a free shuttle bus to the top.

Oh man!! What an AMAZING DAY!!!! The pictures pretty much speak for themselves - blue bird day, hardly a cloud in the sky (I ended up with the red sunburned face and neck to prove it!). It was SO warm! This was the first time I've ever had board in just a T-Shirt!!! It was that hot! Though, once we finally reached the top, the wind did require putting my jacket back on. Despite the amount of people filling the carparks and milling around at the lodge, the mountain was relatively empty. We definitely had to stand in lines that, if I had come straight from Juneau, were quite long; but having been to Salt Lake City resorts during New Year's holidays, they weren't rediculous. In fact, one lift had a pretty good run (nice for Andy) and almost no line! I did put off going to the top, top for a bit, because everytime I looked at that lift I would think "I could be at the bottom and riding this lift again by the time I even get on that one!". I never did make it to the absolute top. Unfortunately, I've never used T-bar lifts and my one attempt earlier that day hadn't gone well - though I had a really great laugh. I was prepared to try again at the end of the day, after Andy had left me, but just as I arrived at the end of the very short line the lift stopped. After waiting around for a while, we were told that due to being so close to closing time, and to the fact that there was a semi-concious guy on the line, we would have to down the mountain from there :-(

All in all - the day was absolutely lovely. Andy is just learning to board and I didn't want to spend a whole lot of time by myself, so it was an easy day. I convinced Andy's to get an all mountain pass (I wouldn't let him just hang out on the lower mountain) and ended up dragging him up several lifts he hadn't been on. I think he found some new areas that were perfect intermediate slopes for him to practice on. He did get tired of falling a bit faster than I ended up getting tired of riding (I only had 2 minor, minor falls!!!) so I ended my day by doing several fast and fun runs - even caught some decent air once! I certainly didn't go all out on my only day on the snow. I had no intention of hurting myself or breaking my

camera, so I just enjoyed carving up a perfectly blank mountain (absolutely no trees to play in on a volcano) and laughing with (no, not always at) Andy. The snow was great too! The sun had warmed the runs up enough so they were soft and easily ridden. Some of the shady spots were still icy and crusty, so I am very glad that we didn't spend the time and money getting there first thing in the morning. It was definitely a day to remember, even coming close to rivalling swimming with dolphins (but not quite surpassing that experience!).

Down Time

Well – it’s kind of late here, but I figure I should make use of my last night of free high speed internet….. So I’ll try to make this entertaining and short (as if I can write a short blog! Ha ha ha )

Let’s see. I haven’t gotten any comments on my last blog – so people must not be outraged that I was hitching. My parents know I have no intention of making it a habit, so they were surprisingly okay with it! Yeah – I talked to my folks. It was really nice; had been ages since we’d talked. I got caught up on most all the news, but my phone died before we wrapped everything up. It would have been nice to continue talking to them about pointless things though (especially since it was on their dime!).

So – my last adventure ended when I got dropped off at my car after the Waikaremoana track. From there I headed to Wairoa. As soon as I had cell reception I sent a few text messages. One was to a friend back in Thames, letting him know that I had made it out of the track safe and sound and there was no need to worry about me (it’s always good to let at least one person know when to contact the search and rescue team!). The other text was to my friend in Mahia Beach, checking to see if I could buy her dinner and beer in exchange for a much needed shower. After a nice sunny picnic near the river and a text telling me to head right over, I returned to Mahia Beach (about 3 weeks after I had first visited).

When I’m travelling, I pretty much eat a vegetarian diet. I generally try to avoid buying takeaway meals (where I probably would buy the meat version of a meal) and meat just doesn’t travel well (since all I have for “refrigeration” is a chiller bag with 2 blue, plastic ice blocks – which only get frozen when I stay at hostels with freezers!). Actually, I think there has been only 1 time where I purchased meat to cook – and that was back in Auckland (during my 2nd week in NZ!). However, after nearly 4 straight weeks of a vegetarian diet (1 week travel since Tauranga restaurants, 2 weeks with Rob, and then almost a week of tramping where my only flesh product was canned tuna (mmmm, mercury – tasty and filling ;-)) I pretty much had visions of steak dancing in my head. For some reason, Tracey was thinking the same thing. When we got the pub menu that night (Thursday, 4 Sept), both our eyes went straight for the steak meal. We split the deliciousness of cow smothered in sautéed mushrooms and onions. Oh so tasty…... A few nights later, on my last night in town (Saturday, 6 Sept) we went to the pub again – and again we split the steak. Yep, it was that good! Only Saturday night we also split an entrée (which means appetizer here in NZ) of fried scallops….. Oh Man, my mouth is watering just thinking of their melty goodness……

The rest of my time in Mahia was pretty uneventful. Tracey and I had planned on checking out some beaches and taking pictures of “the rolling stones” – a bunch of big round rocks that get rolled back and forth up/down the beach with the waves and tides. However, the weather turned to absolute crap shortly after I arrived – high winds and decent rains. Friday morning (5 Sept) wouldn’t have been to bad a time to go out and about, but the tide wasn’t going to be low until 3! By that time, the rains had set in. I was perfectly happy to be in a dry, warm beach house. I had an excellent view of the ocean and was able to appreciate the pelting rain without actually being in it. I was so happy to not be camping, let alone tramping! I can’t believe how well the timing of my track and the weather was!!! I think we spent Friday drinking beer and grazing on yummy cheeses, dips, and crackers. We also started exchanging music and pictures. Tracey had been really happy with the pictures I had taken last time I was in town, so she wanted to see more of my images. She loves her screensaver pictures and was really wanting to add more images; so I let her pilfer my archives. I thought it was funny that she chose some of my Owyhee Mountain pictures ,from Idaho! She also picked up some of my mushroom, butterfly, and bug pics (see the very, very bottom of my blog (the entire blog) for a cool caterpillar image).

Saturday morning (6 Sept) was grey and windy again – really pretty to see from a warm house! I got myself all packed up, as I had expected to drive to a dog sitting gig that night, but a phone call from Maureen informed me that I could arrive Sunday afternoon. Sweet – that gave Tracey and me more time to geek out on music and pictures; which we did until going to the pub for the aforementioned scallops and steak. Sunday (7 Sept) was still windy, but the rain had stopped enough for me to take Fred to the beach before heading towards Hastings.

The drive to Hastings was fun! Lots and lots of curves with a mountain on one side and a drop down to a river on the other; reminded me a bit of driving to Mores Creek summit or maybe that really curvy section of highway 55 after Horseshoe Bend, but before McCall. I made it to Maureen’s hostel (AJ’s Backpackers Lodge) around 1pm. After she showed me around the hostel (where only 3 long term guests were staying) and introducing me to Max, the Pekinese I would be dog sitting, we had a simple pasta lunch. We sat around talking while we waited for Rob (yep, my old WWOOF host) to pick Maureen up. Visiting his place in the mountains was going to be a vacation for her.

There really isn’t much to tell about my time here in Hastings either! I arrived Sunday (7 sept). Maureen left with Rob at around 4:30 and I had a quite night of geeking on the internet (Maureen hooked me up on her wireless network) and tried to get myself to write my blog. Monday (8 Sept.) wasn’t terribly bad weather, so I took the dog and headed up to Te Mata peak (both Rob and Maureen had mentioned it as a good place to go). I managed not to get lost on the short trip. The road goes all the way to the top, so there was no need for me to stop at any of the “nature trail” parking lots. I really would have loved to have taken the trails and hiked to the top of the peak, but Pekinese dogs are not exactly built for hiking. They were, apparently, bred to be dogs in the imperial courts of China. They have super short legs, a nose that is so squished they have to pant and wheeze when they get excited or exert themselves, and long, ground-skimming fur that picks up sticks, seed pods, and various other debris. I had tried taking Max for a walk around the block the previous evening – I think he walked half the block! The other half required him being tucked (a bit like a football maybe) under my arm! I was impressed that the little guy followed me all over the top of the peak! He was panting like he was going to die, but he had a big grin on his face and got all excited to check everything out. On the way down from the peak, my parents called. So I found one of the nature trail parking lots and stopped. I took Max a little bit up the trail and let him run around for the hour or more that I chatted. He had a ball!

The need to charge my phone, and the droplets of rain on my windshield, kept me from driving to Ocean Beach after Te Mata peak. I went home instead and completed my blog – which was a load off my mind. The next day, Tuesday (9 Sept), was a SUPER lazy day. The weather was pretty crap so I just stayed inside all day. I resized images and posted my blog. Then I messed with the look of my blog (you may have noticed?). Ha ha, I also found out how to be notified, by e-mail, when someone leaves a comment! I don’t know if it works, since all you slackers out there haven’t left me any comments lately :-p (yeah – there’s no reason to comment on my whiny blogs; except to tell me to quit my bitchin and cowboy up!)

So after accomplishing pretty much nothing subsantial all day, I was pretty stoked to find the sky clearing and the sun shining – even if only in patches - in the evening. I took the opportunity to take my first wander around Hastings. Wow – I cannot believe how much I enjoy walking around cities. I always forget how goofy happy I get! I know - it sounds crazy, but for some reason I just get a smile on my face when I walk down sidewalks looking at houses, flowers, shops, trees, and the sky. It really only happens when I’m wandering around aimlessly. If I have a destination or goal, I don’t really think about much; but when I’m just exploring, the corners of my mouth turn up and my heart feels lighter. Funny……

So after such a good end to my Tuesday, I was determined to make use of the nice weather I woke up to on Wednesday (10 Sept). Despite arriving in Napier before noon, I really didn’t spend much time there. I parked in a 2 hour slot on the “Marine Parade” (the downtown section of ocean front road) and wandered the town from there. As I walked up the steps towards the houses on the hill (how like Juneau it felt) my smile returned and I was happy. I wandered the hillside neighborhood and returned down a steep street to the main city. Napier is famous for rebuilding in the art deco fashion popular at the time of a devastating earthquake in 1931. I must admit, I was expecting garish and tacky buildings – but really, I didn’t find the art deco to be that “in your face”. I’m not generally one to play the tourist (taking pictures in the middle of the street), but I knew I was going to have to have at least one picture of art deco Napier! I thought this image of an Office Max sign juxtapositioned on the elegant building was worth people thinking I was another tourist (though I had the courtesy to not stand in the middle of the road!). I had to drive around a block to park after passing this tobacco company building! I did take several other pictures; but having just now read the Wikipedia entry on Napier (yeah, I had to find out what year the earthquake happened – man I love having internet access when I write these blogs – even if I have been lax on adding links lately) it turns out that I totally missed even noticing “one of the most photographed tourist attractions in the country, a statue on Marine Parade called Pania of the Reef”. Ha ha – I am SUCH a bad tourist! Not only did I miss the statue, I also didn’t stop at the earthquake museum! By the time I made it back to the marine parade, my parking time was up. Sure, I could have moved my car and parked for another 2 hours – but museums just really don’t interest me that much. I have really poor retention for facts lately and I’d rather just not bother boring myself with images and trivia. I know – I just said I was a bad tourist didn’t I? J

So, shortening this up – I headed back towards Hastings after Napier. Picked up Max and headed to Ocean Beach. Arrived just in time for the rain, which was fine – I had my rain jacket. It was funny to see Max’s fur blowing in the strong wind – I was a little worried he would blow away though! I got some pretty decent pictures of the rain and clouds over the ocean and tiny village. Definitely worth the drive out – probably cooler to see the dark clouds and far off rain than to have the glare of the sun on the water (yeah, I still need to buy another pair of sunglasses – really, really need to do that). The rain lightened up and then quit by the time I got back towards civilization, so I took the short detour up to Te Mata peak again. I really should have killed more time before heading up to the peak. It was still quite a ways from sunset and the view of the weather clouds wasn’t as spectacular as I’d hoped. (Actually – the clouds were so low that a lot of my pics are kind of claustraphobic!) I really wish I had been on the peak when the sun caused the underside of the heavy, low clouds to glow orange. However, I did see some snow on the distant mountains when I was on the peak! I’m really not sure if it was fresh from all the rain we had in the city, but I like to think so. And Max had fun, so that was good.

That brings us up to today – Thursday (9/11). I don’t think I would have realized that it was 9/11, if I hadn’t heard it mentioned on the radio. Funny, this morning was the first time I listened to the radio instead of my computer music! It was also weird being in another country and hearing about something so monumental to the United States. No one thinks twice about a bombing in Palestine or Israel, but as soon as the all-mighty US is attacked the entire world takes notice and marks the date. It’s a little strange to me, but understandable – as the US pretty much stands for security and safety. If something so tragic can happen in the US, who is to say that every other country isn’t susceptible. Anyway – the radio played various sound bites from that day. It was a little strange.

I spent today (which was sunny and cloudy, warm and breezy, and then gusty and rainy) getting everything cleaned up for Maureen’s return. Changed the bed linens, mopped the floors, etc, etc. Max was extremely happy to see his mum, and Maureen was happy to be home again. I drove her to the supermarket (as she has no car - hence Rob picking her up and then bussing home) where she bought supplies for the next week. She also purchased the makings for a steak dinner (as a thank you to me). When we got home, we set up the cheese, pickles, crackers, and broke open a bottle of wine. Just as she was getting ready to pour – the phone rang. She was offered a job at the hospital!! So, with something to celebrate – we started drinking, talking, and snacking. Somewhere in our 2nd bottle of wine, we decided dinner should definitely get made! Ha ha ha, after only 4 days of Rob’s vegetarian diet, Maureen was really happy to enjoy a steak!

Well – that pretty much brings us to now! It’s almost 2am on Friday (12 Sept). Tomorrow I’ll head towards Taupo, where I’ll meet up with Andy (remember him from my Coromandel adventures?). I’m hoping the weather is nice enough to hit a trail or two. It doesn’t look like there are many of them on the drive between Napier and Taupo, but there are a couple before and after the Taupo turn off. I might go out of my way to hit them – since I haven’t done a decent walk since I left Waikaremoana! It sounds like Andy and I will be hitting the pubs pretty hard tomorrow night, so I’m not sure what the plan will be for Saturday. I am hoping to convince him to do the snowboard thing again (he’s been twice), but if that doesn’t work, I’ll just go up on Monday or Tuesday. Andy got a job in Taupo a few weeks ago. I’m super lucky that he’s already got a place to stay; his housemates are cool with me crashing there! So, my nearly 3 week run of free housing keeps going ( I’ve only paid for the hut and 2 tent sites on the trail)!

Anyhow, after partying and exploring with Andy, I’ll bum around for a couple days before meeting up with Bobbie (remember her from Auckland and my skydiving adventures?). We are going to go zorbing! We are both super stoked. Basically we’ll be strapping ourselves into oversized hamster balls and rolling down a big hill. I can’t wait!!! Pretty much as soon as I see Bobbie off on the bus I’ll be meeting up with Dave (remember him from Thames and Tauranaga?). We’re going to bum around Rotorua checking out the boiling mud pits and various hot springs. Dang – no wonder I’ve had no motivation to explore Napier/Hastings – I’ve just been getting my fill of being boring and alone! Ha Ha Ha

Well - *Yawn* - I better get a little bit of sleep before all these adventures start!!! Oh Man – I still have photos to resize and a quick proofread to do (yes, I think I will try re-reading this for errors – at 2am I just can’t trust my off-the-cuff judgment).

Great Weather for a tramp

Hi….
Wow – my last blog was kind of boring - and kind of whiny! Okay, so I didn’t actually make myself read the whole thing (I hear I write well, but I hate reading my own stuff – always have) – but I skimmed enough of it to get the gist; life is boring, I don’t know what I’m going to do next, and I’m ready to start traveling again. 3 sentences – that’s all that blog needed!

Ah well, this one will be better…… You are in for a doozy! I’ve got a bottle of wine, an empty house (with a dog snoring away), and free DSL!!!! Plus – I actually have some adventures to relate!!!! So – here we go! (subtitles and all….)

Leaving Tiniroto
I finished up my WWOOFing with Rob on Sunday, 31 September. We had a decent day (unlike the day before, which was rubbish for outdoor work) and made pretty good use of it. Rob had gone into Gisborne Friday night (29 Sep.), staying in town while I watched over both houses and had my last internet fix. Rob came home Saturday (30 Sept) afternoon, he had groceries and goodies. He had splurged on some yummy things (cherries, chocolate) to celebrate my last night at his place. He also surprised me with a box of granola bars and a head of lettuce for my time in the bush! How nice was that? So, after a good day of work on Sunday (31 Sept), a hot shower, a filling lunch, and a farewell handshake, I put in my trusty Tom Petty tape and cranked “Free Fallin” on the stereo while the wind blew through the windows. The road out of Tiniroto, and into Wairoa, follows the bends and curves of the river – making for a very pleasurable and scenic drive.

Before leaving Rob’s place, I had organized my gear and done a supply check. I made up a fresh batch of breakfast muesli and sorted all of my camp foods into lightweight bags. I had hoped to hit the grocery store in Wairoa for additional supplies – mainly some flat bread and garbage bags (because a large garbage bag is way cheaper than buying the nice looking rain cover for my backpack!). However, I stopped at theWairoa i-site first – to see what my camping options around Lake Waikaremoana would be. While I had woken up with the definite plan of doing the whole trail, the cooler temperature and higher winds had made me doubt again (yeah, yeah, yea h – whine whine whine ;). By the time I left the information center, it was 4:05 pm. The grocery store closed at 4pm! Whoops! Good thing I actually plenty of food still! Ha ha ha

I arrived at Lake Waikaremoana a bit before sunset. I pulled over at one of the first viewing areas overlooking the lake – tall, rocky bluffs to my left, mountainous bush the rest of the way around, and lots and lots of water in between! My first thought? “Holy smokes! How do they expect someone to hike around something so big!?” I was completely overwhelmed! I really didn’t feel fit enough to undertake such a journey. As the shadows increased, so too did my doubts.... So, I got in my car and started towards the camp grounds. I came across a short (30 min) trail to a lookout. I didn’t exactly run up it, but I was happy to find myself beating the 30 minute time by 15 minutes! On my way up, I passed lots of cool rock formations and many creepy, cave-like rock grottos. Oh man, I’m not sure I can go caving alone again, so dark and creepy……but I suppose that’s a different tangent…..

So – in the end - I found myself camping out near the lake on Sunday night (31 Sept). I still wasn’t sure whether or not I would be taking several days to make the trip around the lake or if I would do a one night hike/camp to Sandy Hut on Lake Waikareiti (Lake Waikareiti was recommended to me by one of the guys I met at the East Cape Lighthouse – it is supposed to be a crazy clear, beautiful blue, and full of many, many islands; in other words, a really good hiker’s destination). I decided to wait and see what the weather turned out to do the next day before making any decisions. However, in order to be prepared, I spent part of the night making a hiking schedule for what huts/campsites I would reserve if I made the 3 night/4 day trek.

THE GREAT WALK – Lake Waikaremoana
This might be a good time to point out the “great walks” designation. Hiking (or tramping as they call it here in NZ) is a pretty big past time in this country (yeah, the first dude to conquer Mount Everest was a Kiwi). So – a lot of popular trails have huts (with kitchens, bunks and mattresses, heating (wood or gas), and the occasional shower!). Some of these walks (9 actually) have been designated as “great walks”. Supposedly these trails highlight some of the best scenery NZ has to offer (although one “great walk” is actually a canoe trip; should it be called a “great paddle”?). Lake Waikaremoana is the only “great walk” to be advertised as a year round trek. Almost all other trails are covered in deep snow during the winter/early spring. Summer is still the most popular time to hike the lake, though. Since it is warm enough to swim/kayak/canoe and the nights don’t get to terribly frigid.

The other interesting thing about the “great walks” is that almost none of them are complete loop tracks. Even the Lake Waikaremoana track starts and ends at opposite ends of the lake. So you always have to plan to have a pick-up/drop-off plan or be prepared to hike a long ways on a road. I think it’s really quite a racket. DoC (Department of Conservation) can charge higher rates on the huts and campsites because the trails are marketed to tourists (and apparently, from the rumours I hear, are also maintained for the average, tourist that is neither a super hiker nor a sloth; in other words, they aren’t terribly difficult). So – the government gets their cut (albeit, they use the funds to maintain the trails – which is a good thing). Then, you have the private sector falling all over themselves for their share of tourist money by marketing pick-up and drop-off taxis to/from the trail heads. And in between? Well you have all the cafés, gear retailers, and equipment renters (kayaks/fishing poles/etc).


Broken Promises
I woke up Monday, 1 September (the first day of spring here), feeling completely unrested! I ALWAYS forget how poorly I sleep on the ground! I also woke up to lots and lots of dew on my tent (with lots of condensation inside too). Of course, since the tent had started forming dew before I went to bed the night before,I wasn’t exactly surprised. At least I was dry – and that’s all that matters.

While eating and packing I had decided to suck it up and do the track. I didn’t want to continue on my travels through NZ, complete the other great walks, and then end up regretting that I had passed up my chance. Besides, the weather was forecast as clear for the next 3-4 days! I arrived at the DoC visitor center just after they opened. I gave them the hiking schedule I wanted to do, but when the ranger talked to the water taxi I was told they wouldn’t have time that morning. So, instead of being the odd person that starts at the “ending” trailhead, I started at the “beginning”. I paid my $50 in camp fees to cover one night in a hut (my first night) and 2 nights at campsites. I could have spent a little more money (around $20 probably) and stayed at huts the whole time; which would have lightened my load (no tent or sleeping pad) by quite a bit and probably would have been a little warmer (assuming the heaters all worked in the huts). However, I really wanted to be as self-reliant as possible; besides, it wasn’t going to be uphill the whole time!

I drove my car over to the Waikaremoana Motor Camp – supposedly the safest place to leave your car, as burglaries at the trailheads are still not uncommon. When I arrived at the motor camp, I was told that the water taxi – because it was low season and no one else would be sharing a ride – would cost twice as much. Meaning I’d have to give up another $70!! Wow….. I was very, very close to giving her my Eftpos card – I think I did actually try to give it to her, but then she wanted to wait and clarify timing with the skipper. So, I bought a garbage bag (to put over my backpack in case it rained – the only thing that was really worrying me) and had a bit of a think. Sure – it was a really, really long walk down a really, really boring road; but wouldn’t it be worth it save money? $70 could pay for my zorbing in Rotorua as well as a hostel…. If I ended up walking, I’d be tempted to stick out my thumb to save some time and energy; but I’d promised my parents that I wouldn’t hitchhike…….

Well – in the end, my cheapness won. I’m really sorry mom and dad – but it really is quite common for people to hitch that area, for the same reason. Shortly after heading up the road (at 9 am), I heard cars coming around the corners. Yep - I stuck my thumb out…. The first couple cars passed me up. No worries, it wasn’t terribly far to the trailhead – and that section of trail was only supposed to take 5 hours; I had plenty of time. However, I was still quite grateful when, on the 4th use of my thumb, a car pulled over. The guy was super nice – a German in the country for a computer science conference, but renting a car for the next week to be a tourist. We had a good chat and he dropped me off right at the beginning of the trail (even took my picture next to the sign).

The Hike
The whole hike took me 4 days to complete, with 3 nights spent on the trail. There really isn’t much to write about really. I spent the first 3 days on the trail – walking, walking, walking – while the 4th day was mostly getting to the road and then to the car. The scenery was beautiful and I was really proud of myself for tackling the track. If the weather was crap, I wouldn’t have minded leaving the area without completing the “great walk”; but I couldn’t have asked for better weather! Every day on the trail had some sun. There was a lot of cloud cover too, and even more wind, but there never was more precipitation than the occasional misty rain.

Everyday on the trail was pretty similar – wake up, eat mueseli (soaked overnight in water), pack up, hike. Hike some more, set up camp, eat dinner, occupy self until dark (writing in journal, crossword puzzle – though I really wish I had just brought a book), go to bed early (use Advil PM as sleep aid). Repeat……

Some people find it surprising – but at no point on the walk was I lonely! I definitely could have used someone to talk and hang out with after sunset – when it was to cold to be out of my sleeping bag, but to dark to not need a flashlight for reading/writing – but the rest of the time I was perfectly happy just being by myself in the woods. I thought of a ton of friends and family, but never actually wished any of them were with me (hmm, that could be because the first day of the hike made me feel so slow that I would have been embarrassed for anyone to be hiking with me! Ha ha ha ha). So – all in all, it was a good time. There are a few details below.

Day 1 (1 Sept.)
Onepoto Trailhead to Panekiri Hut.
DoC kilometers (km): 8.8
DoC Trail Time: 5 hours My Time on Trail (hours): 4.5

This is the most difficult section of the trail, since it’s all uphill. If I had any question about my fitness before I started, it was confirmed on this section (it also made me wonder what vegetarians eat to obtain their iron). This is a really cool section of the trail too. It’s a lot of stepping on top of roots, coming around a bend to find yourself on the edge of a cliff overlooking the lake, and also lots and lots of gnarly looking trees covered in green moss (and I do mean covered!). The wind through this section is pretty intense too. I had been told that the lake was actually quite choppy during the winter months, due to wind. So, I shouldn’t have been terribly surprised to find that the wind seemed to sweep over the lake, crash into the bluffs, and run straight up them! It was a very cold, very persistent wind; oddly enough, it sounded like the crashing of ocean waves!

Day 2 (2 Sept.)
Panekiri Hut to Korokoro Campsite (via Waiopaou Hut and campsite)
DoC km: 11.2
Doc Trail Time: 5.5 My time on trail: 4

Downhill – mostly. Lots of roots on the trail, but lots and lots of cool forest too. The trail seemed to mender around the ridge a bit more. When the trail was sufficiently sheltered behind a peak, the wind noise would disappear and birds could be heard throughout. Then the trail would veer towards the cliffs again, and the birds would disappear and the wind could be heard and felt. I made good time to my next campsite, in fact I was 1.5 hours earlier than I had expected!

So, when I arrived, I took the time to unpack everything and lay it out to dry (tent, sleeping bag, shoes, socks). I wandered around barefoot in the sun, looking at flowers and taking pictures. The entire green grass area for tens was covered in short, white, daisy-like flowers. The hum of the bees could be heard everywhere – as well as the hum of the pesky “sand flies” (biting gnats). While these little buggers covered the outside of my tent and hovered in my face, they somehow ignored my feet! Wow, they must have had a potent smell ;) However, the smell wasn’t strong enough to keep them from crawling on my pant legs and even up my leg!! Apparently some people, new to NZ, get a pretty good reaction from the bites of these insects. I guess I’ve been bitten enough that the resulting welt is not much worse than that from an Alaskan “no see-um” (or “white sock”, more biting gnats) – although I am left with a purple spot at the site of the welt for the next week or more (weird).

All in all, I ended up killing about 2 hours in the sun. It was nice – and warm. Eventually I packed all my gear into my tent (on the off chance that someone should want to come use the cooking shelter). I set off back up the trail with just a daypack, some water, and some snacks. 5 minutes later I was back at the fork in the trail that led to Korokoro falls. It was listed as an hour roundtrip. It required some up hill work. I was disappointed to find I was really tired again. Well, it’s good to know that my slowness wasn’t all because of my pack!!! I had initially thought about sticking my head under the falls (thanks to my cousin) and that led to thoughts about just taking a full on shower under the falls (man, was I starting to feel a bit gross). But, the warm sun had dried out my sweaty clothes and the idea of getting wet again was quite unappealing. The thought of having wet hair in the chill night was even less appealing. By the time I set up the trail to the falls I knew I wasn’t getting any kind of wet – hadn’t even brought a towel for “just in case”. When I reached the falls – which were really cool – I was glad I had decided to forgo any soakings. I know I could have made a path down to the bottom, but it would have required a lot of bush whacking - not to mention the climb back to the trail. Instead, I had fun messing with my camera settings (on tripod) to try to get the white, flowing water effect of a long exposure.


Day 3 (3 Sept.)
Korokoro Campsite to Tapuaenui Campsite (via Maraunui campsite and hut and Waiharuru campsite)
DoC km: 17.8 (may be inaccurate due to fact that Te Puna Hut has been taken of trail system)
DoC Trail time: 7 (again, inaccurate?) My time on trail: 6

This was my longest day! And I felt it! I got onto the trail 7:45am (I wake up early anyway and then add the light emitting factor of a tent….). I was ticketed to stay at Waiharuru campsite at the end of the day, but that reservation had been made before I would be walking the road back to my car. So, on the evening of Day 1, I had decided to push for Tapuaenui campsite. I knew DoC would prefer I stayed at my reserved site – but it was the middle of winter, the sites weren’t going to be booked to capacity. I’m more than certain I could have camped/hutted anywhere I wanted during the entire hike (probably without a paid ticket too) and no one would have known (but I am way, way to honest to go that route). I reached Waiharuru at 12:30!!! I was really quite tired and my feet were starting to get sore; I was tempted to just set up camp and let my tent dry in the sun while I napped. The site was beautiful – complete with a preening black swan on the shore. After having my first fall of the hike just before reaching Waiharuru, I had begun wondering if I shouldn’t save my energy. When the sky let out a fine drizzle of rain, I wondered again if I shouldn’t stay with my original plan. But then I started thinking about just how long the road was. I knew I was going to hitch if the opportunity arose – the problem was, what if no one was on the road to hitch with? I definitely wanted to be at my car the next night…

When the rain cleared up, 5 minutes later, I figured it was a good sign. I hefted my ever-increasingly heavy pack, strapped it on, and started down the trail again. My feet were NOT happy with that. They let me know by landing me on my bum 10 minutes later! I brushed aside the feeling that this second fall was an omen that I should stay where I originally planned - I was NOT backtracking; even if it was only 10 minutes. Besides, I wanted to get over this last uphill section before my last day; then it would be easy cruising (er, walking). I am so very glad that I made the extra push. The uphill section, while tiring, was well graded and smooth (not many roots to navigate) and the forest was absolutely beautiful. I listened to so many birds that day. When I did arrive at camp, exhausted, I set things out to dry and then just enjoyed the bird calls. I heard a few tuis, but never could find them in the trees.

Day 4 (4 Sept.)
Tapuaenui Campsite to Trailhead (via Whanganui hut and water taxi drop off point)
DoC Km: 8.3
DoC Trail Time: 4 (this may be inaccurate also) My time on trail: 2
Trailhead to Motor Camp
Signpost Km: 18!!!!
Travel time: unknown – hopefully not more than 6 My time on road: 1.5 before being picked up

This was my most dreaded day. While I knew the road would flat and well graded, it looked very, very long! The lady at the car camp had told me Thursday would be a good day to hitch, more cars on the road. What did that mean? There would be 10 cars on the road, throughout the day, than none? I definitely was not going to count on somebody picking me up.

So, in anticipation of a long day ahead, I woke up early. I was on the trail by 7 am! By 9:30, I had shlogged my way through the muddy, and occasionally quite swampy, trail to the trailhead. By 9:45 I was at “the” road (a half paved, half gravel/metal road running for 200kms from Rotorua to Wairoa). I dropped my pack next to the sign that informed me it was only 18kms to Aniwaniwa (DoC visitor center). I drank some water, had a bit of left over pasta, and decided that – while the wind did occasionally sound like a distant motor – here was no traffic passing by anytime soon. No point wasting time. Off I went, up the long, long road.

I must say – it’s one thing to hike 10kms of trail, but it’s a totally different thing to walk 10kms of road. It’s boring! Yes, the footing is sure and the grade, while occasionally uphill, is not steep; but it’s not the same as being in the woods. I definitely had a faster pace on the road than I did in the woods though. Ha ha – that may have been because, even though it was only 10am, I wanted to get to my car before dark! I may not have really enjoyed the walk – but I was very, very grateful that it was a road, and not railroad tracks! I’ve talked to several people, and they all agree – walking railroad tracks is no fun! I mention this because I kept remembering my last pleasure pack trip (versus the many pack trips I got paid for in Idaho). I hiked the Chilkoot Trail (in Alaska) in 2006 during the off season – so no train pick up. We had to walk a good 5 miles of railroad to meet our shuttle van in Canada.

The other thing I kept thinking about while I was walking the road was a short story I read ages ago. It was a Stephen King, though penned under the name Bachman, entitled “The Long Walk”. It involved a bunch of kids walking, and walking, and walking. They couldn’t stop to rest. They got one warning before being shot for not walking (hey, it’s Stephen King – what do you expect). So, the kids just had to keep walking until there was only one left. What did he do? Well, I could answer – but then there would be no teaser for checking out the book! J

So – long story short. I walked a while, stopped again, walked some more, took some pictures of waterfalls, and then – finally – heard a car behind me. I’d been on the road for an hour and a half before a little pickup pulled over; it was the first car I’d seen! As the old Kiwi guy was moving his gear from the front seat to the bed of the truck another car passed us! I guess when it rains, it pours? The kiwi guy was really nice. He had spent the last few days fishing and camping with his son on the lake. We talked about the area a little – he had grown up in the little towns around the lake area, including Wairoa, and still loved the area! He was heading to Mahia peninsula, where he now resided. Funny – that was where I was heading too!

Before I had been picked up I had figured it would be no big deal to walk the whole road. I figured I was making good time and had plenty of day light. However, after being picked up I was so grateful to see the road rolling fast beneath us. I was surprised at how much of the road I had forgotten to account for in my “making good time” calculation. Instead of staggering up to my car at dusk, I was dropped off in front of it at noon. I got a really good belly laugh when the guy tried to pick up my pack. As I mentioned in my last pack trip episode (the pinnacles), my pack is not light. Yes – I had some extras I didn’t really need (my teddy, my travel pillow, a crossword puzzle, and my journal), but they are not THAT heavy! Anyway, before I can stop the guy, he’s pulling my pack out. He tries to lift it and just lets out a breath of astonishment! He wouldn’t even carry my pack to my car, he said, let alone down a trail!! Wow – am I that bad at packing? Maybe someday (when I win the lottery), I’ll buy some lightweight gear……..