A fool's journey

Wednesday March 14 Whakatane to Auckland

This is why I like to keep things open. If I change plans and stay, there is another chance to go to White Island. But in reality, very little chance, as the weather is expected to remain poor for sea going. So proceed as planned to Auckland. Which was a good choice because by the time I get to Auckland, the rain is heavy and it is blowing hard. Would get soaked form the side. Tropical

My twin is staying. So we were twins for four nights in all. Travel light tips - first aid, one pair of pants, one pair of shorts, a few layers of shirts, a camera, and money. Shoes, sandals. No soap. Bathe daily with water. Wash clothes with water. impressive and inspiring. I am only really using half of what I brought. Which is easier to say at the end of a trip. But I can do better and make it even easier to get around. She can go anywhere at a run with everything she has. Impressive and inspiring.

Walk into town. Thank the ice man and give him my fishing results. "Good on ya." And tell him I expect to use the gear in French Polynesia. Fantasies of self-sufficiency? Or still thinking like a shark?

Go through Rotorua. Can smell the sulfur. I still smell fishy. After a good scrub and washing all my clothes.

Get to Auckland about 5:45, and return to where I started - where I stayed the first night.

----------------------------------

Now I am at the airport, and am headed for French Polynesia (Tahiti, Moorea, maybe Bora Bora, and/or the Marquesas. May be my last post for this trip. As I do not know the internet situation where I am going. Will arrive in Tahiti in the morning. Then head directly for Moorea, by boat. Get a day back in the process?

Farewell.

posted by Evan @ 2:53 AM

Tuesday March 13 Whakatane
It it sunny in the morning. I proceed as if the trip is back on (with no shuttle pick up). Head for the docks, hoping the weather is good enough to go. Get there, and no one is going out. Harbormaster still has red light on. And I find out that since the winds are not southerly as usual, that even if we could easily dpeart the mouth of the river, we could not land on White Island. So for sure no trip to there. Now what to do with a free day?

Head for the docks. A boat had been blown around overnight and got wedged between two others and damaged them. Met an old salt - from England 50 years ago and never been back. Been fishing (with nets) for 50 years. 10 children (5 of each), countless grandchildren, and some great grandkids. His is one of the damaged boats. Even he says it is too rough to go out today.

I tell him the shark story, and he tells me one where he was landing a grouper (wreckfish = hapuku), and a shark came up and bit off the entire body leaving only the head, which he saw sink away. He thought it was about a 40 pound fish - or was it kilos? And he suggests I visit the fishing club to see thier trophies. The only mounts added to the walls are ones that were NZ or world records at the time.

Then I meet the ice man (makes shaved ice for the fishermen). He sets me up with a hook, a line, a sinker, some lures, and some bait (clams). So after viewing the impressive fish on the wall in the club, I am inspired and figure I will just have to catch a big fish from the shore. Instead of from the kyak. Still thinking like a shark?

I have a most enjoyable day. Get a bite on the first try. Get a snack sized keeper on the second try. Then lots of bites. And many shakers (to small to keep). I am feeding the fish, instead of them feeding me. By lunch time, I still only have the one. Find out that it is called a spotty. I am hoping for a sea trout. So I persist. Through rainstorms, winds. and some sun.

A bigger one gets away, just as I get him to the surface. Eventually I do catch him, or one of a similar size. Twice as big as my first keeper. Then I go for bigger bits of bait. And I get bigger fish. One is so big it bends the hook. Another was so big, that it took the hook from the lure. Another damages a hook so that i will loose it. So now I am down to one bent hook, and one lure with a hook. Still have bait, so I keep at it. I catch another even bigger spotty on the bent hook. Glad it was on that one, as the lure hook probably would not have held the fish.

And you should see how tangled up everything got after I land each of the two larger fish. And I get bit in the process, and stabbed by their spines. Very well defended.

Use up all the bait. Then gut the fish to use as bait. Then the sea birds show up. Now why they didn't before with fish laid out, I have no idea. I catch a large herring. land him. And he is going to get off the hook. So I get him off the dock. He is longer than my spread hand from thumb tip to pinkey tip. And the birds have taken my bait. So I chase them off and then others go formy herring. tag teamed. I choose the herring. they get the bait. And my clam shells that I was using to cut the bait. So now I just have the guts I get from the herring. Use that up and call it a day. Have plenty of fish for dinner. Plus I remember some lamb loin chops I have. So it willbe surf and turf. On the "barbie" (= BBQ).

No takers on sharing the fish. So I have quite a feast. Only have one chop, and save the other chops for another day. Broccoli, carrot, kumura (= native sweet potatoe). Yum.

posted by Evan @ 2:25 AM

March 16 Auckland Airport

All checked in. Departure fee paid. Now waiting for boarding. Will try to post to get all up to date . . .

note to add to Gisborne post = museum is called Tairawhiti Museum of Art and History

and picking up from. . .

Monday March 12 Waiotahi Beach to Whakatne (continued)

Whakatane is pronounced "Fawlkatawney". And regarding the weather: rained overnight. Now just windy. Not sunny. Overcast. Trips to White Island for today are cancelled. Hope it clears up for the 13th for me.

At the beach house, there is an old hand made caravan (camper). It has been retired, and given a corrugated iron car port roof. Beautiful woodwork inside. Sleeps three. And it is available as a room. So cute. Your own little hut in the back, just before the dunes.

On the sea yesterday I saw some bright blue jelly fish. Looked like flowers - with armsgoing out, insteadof down like most other jelly fish. And not very big- the size of a daisy. And they have little flaps on top that they use as sails to move around (wind assist). They may be related to the poisonous ones, so I leave them alone.

And I saw what looked like a rock bobbing in the ocean. So I paddled over and fished it out. SUre enough, a floating rock - pumice - very light grey. So I guess it is from White Island - ejected into the sea. Later I show some folks, and put it in water to show how it floated, andit barely floated - maybe even on a slow sink. So it has a density of less than cool sea water and a density bit more than fresh water at room temperature.

I had hoped to surf cast for dinner the day before. No gear available to rent [NZ = "for hire"]. So for a time, insteadof paddling, I floated around and fantasized about fishing from the craft. Didn't have much in the way of food. And no stores. So the plan was to fish for dinner. Instead, I enjoyed sea kyaking, and had a light dinner (apple, carrot, corn chips - cooked in palm oil, and shortbread).

No breakfast.

Well my pre-arranged bus pick-up works perfectly. I depart the beach house at 10:18, and the bus picks me up at 10:23. Just a short walk and wait.

Arrive in Whakatane and have breakfast for lunch. the big New Zealand Breakfast - eggs, bacon (which is more like ham), sausages (which are more like hot dogs), grilled mushrooms, grilled tomato half, toast, hash browns.

And the weather report for tomorrow - my scheduled day to go to White Island - is gale force winds of 40 knots. So it is not looking good. Maybe I have seen all of White Island from afar from the kyak and shore.

[Quint. NZ = lawn bowling, lawn tennis, croquet - on the lawn - very regulation, football (rugby), net ball]

Surprise, my second twin is staying the same place as me - makes the third place and the third night. Very unexpected as she had said she was staying over in Opotiki. Changed her mind.

Which is my kind of traveling. And at this point I notice she is traveling light - even lighter than me. Only met one other prior - a woman from England.

Go walking - see the sights, the beach, the docks, the bluff, and an arch rock which is now inland enough to be in town (more prior uplifting? or reclamation - I doubt reclamation in this case, becauseif anything they would choose to widen the river to make more room in the harbor - quay - pronounced "key").

At the museum, there is a traveling exhibit - from Auckland. Mauri items. Very stong vibes (mana). I feel light headed. Go sit down. And drink water. Learn that the Maori do a ritual cleansing after viewing such items, so water is provided at the door. they show me what to do. It does clear things up. And I had downed all my drinking water while seated, so they were kind and filled my jug from the cool filtered water in the back. Yum and refreshing.

To look into: a robe was found laid out in a sea cave on Banks Peninsula - and perhaps now held at the O'Kaines Bay Musem. It had been there at leat 150 years. Kiwi feather robe = kabu hururu, or flax string robe = korowai. SinceI didn't go to that museum, I might look on-line some time. And the traveling curator later saw me in Auckland on Wednesday at his home base museum. Lots of unexpected coincidences, since he had said in Whakatane that he wasn't expecting to be back in Auckland until Thursday.

I am drawn to the docks. After walking out to the point. THe harbormaster has the red light on - and the orange ball up - thus not safe to exit river into surf. So not much activity at the docks. There is one boat cleaning up. They had caught a large-eye tuna. I see the tail and spine bone. Stange way to clean a fish. Turns out that a shark bit it just as they got the fish to the boat. No meat left at all on that section of the fish. And you could see the slices from the teeth. picked clean. I said that's a good story, meaning it. And the captain said he had plenty more where that came from.

Get home for the night tofind a note - trip to White Island tomorrow - the 13th - is cancelled.

Make a great dinner - rack of lamb. Yum. Very rare. Think like a shark.

posted by Evan @ 1:36 AM

Sunday March 11 Gisborne to Waiotahi Beach, Opotiki

Sunrise is first light of Sunday. Gisborne is the city of "first light". As it is the largest city this far east - close to the dateline. Some islands are closer, but no city. So it is a nice Sunday morning for me that way. But no crowds waiting for sunrise like at the tip of India.

From here, itinerary is all set. Where to go when. So for some reason it is less enticing. Because less risk? For sure, less unknown. Perhaps feeling a bit hemmed in? Prefer the unbridled freedom to wander? I do like it more open. Curious in a way. More chance to discover more of my inner world by visiting the outer world. Can always choose to change plans, and make rearrangements. Sounds like work though.

Jump off the bus at pre-arranged place, for the beach house. And since it is the same drivier the next day, he offers to pick me up form the same spot, so I will not have to walk 5 kilometers backtracking to Opotki proper. Very accomodating to travelers here. He offered. I din't even think it was a possibility.

Arrive at beach house just after 10 am. Busy with check out and cleaning. So I hang in the hammock, listening to the waves.

White Island is steaming in the distance. Find some shells - Ostrich Foot and Arabic Volute. Go sea kyaking. Owner was very impressed by my passage out through the surf. Upon my return, he said, "so you are experienced?" I confessed, "Nope, and you missed the five or six times I got smaashed, dragged, turned over, scraped along the bottom under the kyak. It really was all about timing. Since I didn't even have paddling skills, I decidied to wait for a good out surge." He said, "you really shot out there - have never seen such a fast departure from shore." Well someone else later commented on my troubles - he saw me dragged trying to keep hold of the kyak. He was trying to decide about going out the next day. All in the timing. Watch for the surge.

P.S. while kyaking, I noticed a rough feeling in my seat. Nope, not on the kyak, in my togs (swim trunks). Thya has scooped up handfulls of small rocks and shells. Took some tippy moments to get it all washed out and off.

Well, I had put sunscreen on, but that on my legs got washed off some. So I ended up with burn on my legs. For me, full wetsuit needs to be the rule, for the SPF. A good reminder for my sea times in French Polynesia soon.

Best part of kyaking was riding the waves near shore. Is risky, as one wave broke sooner than expected, and I got flipped. And had to work my way back out from the shore. Better at paddling now (have to turn the handle as the blades face different directions, and there is an up and down to the paddle - blades down work better). I remember being something by the owners wife about leaning back. I do, and I get filled over backwards two times - front over back. So once I decide to lean forward, all is fine. I get back out through the surf.

Turns out, I have a twin again. A different person than the last one. Eventually we part ways after four nights. No following, just coincidence.

Monday March 12 Waiotahi Beach to Whakatane

Even with night time showers, clothes on line that got a second rinse are dry - or as dry as they are going to get withthe damp sea air. Because of the steady breeze. More breeze than day before.

Quintessential NZ = fern trees, zed.

posted by Evan @ 3:02 PM

Friday March 9 (continued) Napier to Gisborne

[don't know why this is in bold . . . can't figure out how to turn off as commands are in Japanese]

Bright sunny dry air day, after a temperate damp air night. Fountain drain appears to drain anti-clockwise at inner whirlpool. Further out it looks to be going clockwise, so I guess it would depend on where I put my finger.

quintissential NZ = dog rolls, occaisional yield to pedestrians (now recognize the clear signs when this is true), car parks, trolley parks, occaisional public toilets (which is nice), no smoking inside, smoking right by the doorway, hokey pokey ice cream, pinkey winky ice cream, goody goody gum drop ice cream, "give way", infrequent requests or pleas for tips (only twice), no beggars.

More walking tour - for architecture and ocean. Then bus to Gisborne.

Many folks at my accomodation are speaking a common language in the dinning area. At first I think Greek, but no, not enough gesturing. Then I think Portugese. But it sounds too soft, and not enough like Spanish. So my conclusion is Basque. Well, I was right earlier in a way. Speaking Porugese and they are from Brasil. So that is why it sounds different from Porugese in Europe. They are here to surf, and then work when necessary.

And I am twins with someone - same place two nights in a row. What are odds of that? Have crossed paths again with folks, but this is the first time that it occured on subsequent nights. Maybe more likely here, since it it more remote - fewer choices of paths and places.

Saturday March 10 Gisborne

Try to use up the last time left on my bus pass. Eventually work it out to go to Opotiki, and then on to Whakatane. Only 4 minutes left on pass. And my final leg from there to Auckland is a cash fare. This worked out to be a good transportation option for me. Since the decision was mad in a jet lag and day-skipping state, it was a lucky choice at the time.

Sandy beach walk. Happy to eventually find a few stones. Monument sculptures are nice finds too. Along the shore. Nice one to Captain Cook, including a granite globe that shows his three voyages. Also one to his cabin boy, Nick, who first spotted land from up on the mast. There is a nice point named after him - Nick's Point. And then later I find in the middle of the industrial shipping area, a big marker for Cook's first landing site. There is a picture form 1906. At that time, it was shoreline. Some area either reclaimed for port activities, or perhaps they too had some uplift here (1931?). Picture shows writing on the monument that is now gone. Perhaps because the wording from 1906 did not respect the Maori (a la Columbus - "discovered"). Actually first European was Abel Tasman some 150 years prior - but since Dutch were traders, and Maori were not inclined, nothing developed. Note: The Zea in Zealand was prior the Dutch Zee.

Visited museum. A first for NZ is differential pricing - one admission price for locals, and a higher one for visitors. Not very welcoming. Have experinced very little monkey business here.

Walk up to Kaita Hill Lookout is very rewarding. And I am in the right place at the right time. Some Maori are arriving to call Gods with horns, and offer prayers. They are trying to determine North from the panoramic map up there. I had just set my compass to true North based upon the well marked compass base at the Cook monument. So I show them, and give them a point of reference in the distance. And they say that's the reason I was there.

Then go find Maori meeting house (maere) - formally "Ke Te Poho-o-Rawiri Te Marae" - named for the distant ancestor who had it build. Very strong oral tradition here. They can tell you who made an artifact or who carved something. And we are talking 8 generations or more.

In town, the sky-line clocktower turns out to be a monument for a town clerk who served for 42 years.

[Angela, you might like the works of a local woman - she is published - at least in the local papers - "Cecily" by Allison]

Another nice beach walk. Locals surf casting. Nice orange sunset.

[posted from Auckland]

posted by Evan @ 2:10 PM

Wednesday March 7 in Napier

After 3 pretzels, I visit the National Aquarium. They have kiwis too. And I watch them feed the fish from a tunnel under the sea tank. The sharks don't seem very hungry so they must keep them well fed, so that they leave the other fish alone.

Then a nice walk along the shore of Hawke's Bay to the Hawke's Bay Museum. They have an exhibit on the earthquake of 1931 (or so). Massive destruction and loss of life. The re-building was concentrated in time, so the style shows it. The art deco theme has been well conserved, and it even carries through to the shop goods and antique stores.

Thursday March 8 in Napier

After morning pretzels, go tour the sheepskin factory. Get replacement shoe inserts, which replace those that were totally worn out and abandoned in India. More walking tour. View form Bluff Hill is nice, and includes the working harbor, which had to be built because the natural one was uplifted so much during the quake that it could no longer be used for shipping traffic.

Botanical Gardens are very well kept. Not nearly as large as those in Christchurch, but there is plenty in bloom. Lots of aromas to enjoy. Most of them new to me. It is strange to find myself under a redwood tree here.

Friday March 9 from Napier to ??

Planning onward traevl a day early - northward - to more remote areas. Hope to get out to White Island which is a recently and currently active volcanic island. So my next post, I expect will be from Auckland.

posted by Evan @ 1:18 PM

More Catch Up . . .

from Napier

I think there is penguin pride here, just like football (rugby) pride. Regional competition. The Otago Peninsula (Oamaru) told me that there were some yellow-eyed penguins further north, but that they didn't really count beause there were no nesting pairs that had produced any chicks. Too hot up north! Well, I mentioned this to the Banks Peninsula folks (LeBons Bay, near Akaroa), and they said pah! We have nesting pairs with chicks fledged evey year. I saw some at the end of their molt. And I would guess that they do have chicks there too. Which is good, as there are only about 5000 birds in all. And there are many places on Banks Peninsula that are remote, and the birds have a good chance of being left alone. The terrain goes up steeply from the sea, and then reches the old rim, and then heads steeply down to the crater (Akaroa Harbor). So predators (all introduced), have some trecking to do to even get in the vicinity.

Monday March 5 Christchurch (South Island) to Wellington (North Island)

Go out to near the airport to visit the International Antartic Center. Enjoy it. including the cold room, where it was minus 8 degrees - and then the simulated storm started - very windy. And then came back into town, to finish the Canterbury Museum, including the exhibit onearly Antartic explorers, including Shackleton on the Endurance. That was my favorite part. I think this museum is better than the National Museum (Te Papa).

And stoped in the Christchurch Art Musem. All in time for the 4 pm bus to Picton. Ferry ride is in moonlight. Very calm. Even less swell than the prior southbound trip. Shuttle rom ferry takes me to the train station which is one block from my room, and which is where the bus leaves from. Check in at 1 am, arrange a wake up call for 6:45. All works out fine.

Tuesday March 6 Wellington to Napier

One bus ride. Arrive just afternoon. Art Deco town. Re-built after an earthquake in 1931. So many buildings have similar decor and styling. First stop is the German bakery. Out of pretzels. So I plan a stop in the morning. Do get two rolls which are made of the same dough. Yum. Much warmer here, up north. Thai dinner - green curry with veggies, including some round white balls about the size of cherry tomatoes - they turn out to be eggplants. Hard to get, but authentic.

posted by Evan @ 1:46 AM

Try again . . .

lost most of my post twice last night
so here goes third try . . .

Baker made rolls instead of pretzels, so I got one (rye), and a loaf of bread. his last mini-loaf sustained me for two days.

On the way to Mt Cook, we passed through the limestone area - where the stone was quarried for the buildings in Oamaru - historical and for the restorations. Quite a nice white stone - ecru.

In one field, the limestone had eroded to look like a herd of elephants.

Arrived very early afternoon in Mt Cook. Did laundry, and a drain test. It appeared to go counter-clockwise (anti-clockwise in NZ lingo), but upon inserting my finger, it is going clockwise. Hope to remember to do teh same test once I get home.

Went up the Tasman Valley to the base of the Tasman Glacier. And then walked 10 to 12 kilometers further. To get to where the glacier is not covered by dirt and rocks. Past the hut (place for hikers to camp). My favorite part was hearing the ice MOVE. Creaking. Rumble. Cracking. Very low sounds. And from a huge field. Nineteen kilometers long, at least half wide, and deep. Saw one rock fall. Picked out a poof of dust against the ice. And heard some ice falls, up on the mountain. Couldn't pick them out to see. Too expansive. And maybe even a small ice fall makes a lot of noise.

Had nice strong moonshadow once I got back to the valley. Stars were out. But not as bright as usual. So for the first time, I am sure of seeing the Southern Cross. It is not as far south as I expected. But one of the cross arms does point south.

Friday March 2 Mt Cook to Christchurch

Got my additional walks in. The ones closer in. Incuded a swing bridge (suspension bridge) over a glacial river. Hear three large ice falls. Still can't spot one. Ice up high on the mountains is a deep blue. Upon getting to Christchurch, stay in the smae place. Play some more chess. And have an Iraqui dinner - slow-cooked very tender lamb on rice. Off the menu. Excellent. I lucked out because it was being made for a Friday night feast for a group of 25 students. Five huge platters. I'd say enought food for 40-50 people. So a feast it was.

Saturday March 3 Christchurch to Akaroa (Banks Peninsula)

On the trip out, the bus goes up over the old crater rim. Quite a nice view of the harbor, which itself is the center of an old crater - from 7 million years ago.

Stay out at LeBons Bay - remote. Walk down to the bay before dinner (6 kilometers downhill). Sadly, see a blue penguin up close - it had washed ashore. This one had white feet and white flippers. Not like what I saw in Oamaru. Turns out there is a sub-species here - called the white-flippered penguin. And I found out it is normal to have some die this time of year. The juveniles are going out to sea to fish for the first time. If they go too soon, before their feathers are mature, they die of exposure. If they go too late, they may not get enough food, and they starve. So they expect to loose about 40% at this stage.

Picked some apples to eat. And fed one to a pony, and three to teh resdient cow (with a new calf).

Dinner is made by the guy who runs the place. Fresh groper, mussels, potatoe wedges, wood-oven backed kumura (sweet potatoe), slad from the garden, and lots of veggies. And for dessert, PAVLOVA - something I had heard of - a national dish - although also claimed by Australia. Whipped egg white with fresh fruit.

Couldn't resist the fresh baked bread. Set out for breaksfast at 10 pm. had some as a good night snack. Yum.

Sunday March 4 LeBons Bay, Banks Peninsula (near Akaroa) back to Christchurch

Up for brekfast. More toast from home-made bread. And home-made museli (granola).

Then out on a boat with the guy who runs the place. Along with 5 others. See a few yellow-eyed penguins on some bluffs. Standing their vigil. About three weeks - to molt. Can't swim in the mean time. They are near the end of the molt - so they look good - but thin. Also see fur seals. have very young pups. Go into some lava tubes in the boat. And best of all - see some Hector's Dolphins. The smallest dolphin. Endemic to the south island. They have a rounded fin. The boat is low to the water - so they get close enough for me to touch, but they are too quick, and they won't let me. Dolpins are just plain fun. Exciting to see them swim and leap.

Spend the afternoon in Akaroa. Visit teh museum, and the quaint shops. Chowder for lunch. Then get the last bus back to Christchurch. No room at my familiar place, but I visit anyway. More chess. And dr my wash.

Iraqui placed is closed (Sunday night) so instead of my planned souvlaki, I have long green beans for dinner. Yum.

posted by Evan @ 11:41 PM

Monday March 5 in Napier

First stop once I got to town was a german bakery. They weer out of pretzels, but they had some rolls made from the same dough. Yum. Going back in the morning.

Napier means I am back on North Island. It is the Art Decco town. A 21 hour trip from Christchurch, including a sleep-over in Wellington.

Expect to be here for three or four days, before heading north.

I remember blogging about the boulders, so I will pick up from there. That was last Wednesday, February 28th, in Oamaru. That night, I waited after dark, and watched some more blue penguins come home. Saw 5 swim in. And 5 others walking to their burrow. 10 in all. I picked an isolated spot, so I saw fewer birds, but there was no one else around most of the time. Got a bit chilly. Birds like that.

Thursday March 1 = Oamaru to Mt Cook. Before leaving town, I visited the Janet Frame house (a new Zealand author). And I walked out the Old Mill Road to see the big old water wheel - thirty feet or so in diameter. And I stopped at the bakery again, before getting on the bus.

posted by Evan @ 10:19 PM