New Zealand (I)

Richard W. Frank

New Zealand (I)

On returning to Old Macdonald's Farm (A llama packing farm) I bought the ice cream and they supplied the trunk-warmed beer. AAAhhhh....the good life. We celebrated with pizza in town, though we did get into a traffic accident on the way through Tasman.

The last week has been in a completely different vein. Two friends that I worked with in Wales live in Nelson and Motueka, and I have been living off their generosity. We went to Penny's in Mot to celebrate her b-day in the countryside. Many locals showed up, and we all made short work of the ""riot juice"" that we had mixed up in a bucket. After that was all gone we grabbed a taxi to the one pub in town then to the one club ""the Gothic."" It was an extremely surreal experience but great fun. The next day six of us went golfing at the local club (still suffering from the previous night). It took us over 5 hours to finish 18 holes with my score (that would have been a great bowling one) the object of great amusement to the rest of the group at the pub afterwards.

Now, I find myself in Nelson ready to head out to the Heaphy track and the down the West Coast towards Queenstown. I have spent much more that I had planned but have to do it to truly experience the country. In many ways like Wales I learn the most while in the myriad pubs.

Must totter along now. Thanks for all your support during these rough times;). Cheers and many beers!

Still trying to understand cricket,

Rich

Back to World Trip #1

Onwards to New Zealand (II)

Back to World Trip #1

Another Dharma Bum On The Road

Greetings to you all from the sunny beaches of Nelson!

The last 3-4 weeks have been a maelstrom of sights and experiences for me as I try to readjust myself to life on the ""outside."" I have just found a brilliant internet connection in a computer store in Nelson that does not make me feel under the gun while trying to type. But to begin at the beginning....

After a chaotic week of packing and readying myself to depart the ice, it was with untold relief that our C141 touched down in CHCH. We all quickly cleared customs, gratefully dropped off our dirty and torn ECW gear at the CDC, and headed off to our hotels. The sights and especially smells were overwhelming as they were familiar. The grass smelled divine! It was Saturday night in the city, and we quickly joined the fun as best we could after such a long day.

Several days of recuperation, celebration, and business ensued, but I quickly escaped the ennui and easy (and expensive) torpor of Christchurch for the cute village of Akaroa on the Banks Peninsula. I eased myself into my backpack after a year's hiatus and headed off for the easy and peaceful life on the Banks Peninsula Track. The mileage was low, the sheep benign, and the huts at the end of the day were well stocked with local wines, cheese, and other essential items. I was the only one on the tramp and had all the cliffs, ocean vistas, forests, and farmland I could ever desire.

Fortified with this wonderful introduction to NZ tramping, I went up to Picton to do the Queen Charlotte Walkway in the Sounds. I can understand why this was Cook's favorite place to stop over when he was in NZ. The trail was well maintained and I met a bunch of new people while I was out there. Enjoyed breaking out the tent again and being completely self-sufficient.

A “hut” on the Banks Peninsula Track

Sheep

Hut #2

Headed over to Nelson to catch a bit of the famous weather and get out on the one-of-a-kind Able Tasman Track. Walked along the coasts of paradise, swam, spent hours perfecting my footprint in the wet sand and walked on beaches straight out of postcard. If I had not kept running into other people from Mactown, I would have thought the Ice was but a brief dream. I worked on my tan and got very well acquainted with the area's sand flies and mosquitoes. After the Coast track I and two new Danish friends turned the hike into a loop back to Marahau by doing the Inland track. This was the polar opposite of the previous stroll along the coast. We spent the next several days stumbling over more tree roots than I have seen in my entire life. The jungle blocked out the sun most of the day and water was extremely scarce. That said, we did have a brilliant time and had the trail and huts to ourselves.

Kayaking along the Tasman Track