Aba’s Blog

Can’t quite believe I’ve been back a month already. Really don’t know where the time has gone. Memory of trip thankfully has not yet faded. Largely down to repeatedly perusing photos while organising into print and virtual albums.

On that note I’ve now got round to uploading photos from Tokyo (where I stopped over en route to New Zealand) and Hong Kong (where I stopped over en route home).

Today I spent a very nice afternoon at the Natural History Museum taking a look at the really excellent Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2007 exhibition. Loads of stunning photos by seriously talented photographers - some of them still only knee high to a grasshopper. My favourites included Ines Labunski Roberts‘ Frog refuge and George Decamp’s Flight of the yellowlegs in the Animal Behaviour category.

You’ve got to admire the skill, patience and dedication of all the entrants. It can take days of waiting in freezing cold, driving rain and all manner of inclement conditions to get “that shot”. While I was in New Zealand I discovered these were not qualities I possessed… Half an hour freezing me ass off in a bird hide was more than enough for me!

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Thanks for all the virtual tea and sympathy you’ve sent to console me. I seem to have survived my first couple of weeks back including a week back at work relatively unscathed. Had a very nice welcome from my work colleagues and have been gently been easing myself back into “normal” life.

I’ve spent the long dark evenings whittling the 5k photos down to a more manageable 500 or so and and stuck em in a New Zealand 2007/08 photo gallery. So… when you have the time, grab a drink, have a seat, scroll through or fire up the slideshow and enjoy…

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Well now safely back home. Hong Kong was great but I didn’t get around as much as I’d have liked as I was a bit out of sorts. After valiant attempt to get out gadding on first day had to go back to bed and sleep off the impending lurgy and jet lag.

Next day was feeling a bit better so hopped on a ferry to one of the outlying Islands, Cheung Chau for the afternoon. Lovely bustling little place with several (tiny) beaches, food outlets (including would you believe a McDonalds!).

The rest of my time in HK was spent exploring the city during the day and after dark, including visiting Causeway Bay / Times Square, Kowloon Park, the botanical gardens,

generally gazing up in awe at the towering buildings, and cruising down Kowloon’s main drag, Nathan Road, choc full of shopping opportunities and bright neon signs.

Sundays in Hong Kong seem to be a day of public protest and I came across a couple (not completely sure what they were about but one seemed to be against low pay for Indonesian women workers, and the other about something sinister enough for the participants to choose to hide their faces):

Then, finally the trip was *really* over and it was time for the longish flight home.

Very lovely to be picked up at the airport by a friend and be deposited back home. Half the week has already gone and I’m not entirely sure where (though I believe I managed to lose a complete day to sleep!).

So, back in the cold and grey but at least there’s not too much of the winter left to endure and I don’t have to go back to work til after the weekend. Meanwhile, trying to ignore the noise of the road being dug up outside my door and missing NZ already…

Still, much as I loved my trip, it is nice to be back in me own bed and catch up with friends back home again.

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Well today is a very sad day for me, (but not the saddest… that comes in a couple of days time). Just returned the Goddess of Love, my home for the best part of the last couple of months. Boo hoo

However much has happened since last post, and much could still happen. 4 days at least til I start the final leg of my journey home. Here I am in Christchurch and fortuitously, there is an international busking festival happening in town, so chances are I should be able to find stuff to keep me out of trouble.

Since last post I spent an afternoon and a night at the beautiful Totaranui. A bit of a mission to get there, 10Km + down a twisty turny, narrow and in places quite high gravel road. Weather was scorching. Spent first night of camping with few facilities but it was cool slumming it for a change.

Ended up returning to Collingwood next day as everything round Takaka was full. En route stopped off at each of the plentiful beaches between Totaranui and Takaka. Think the one below might be Tata Beach:

Collingwood was no hardship as I got to see another sunset with the Oyster Catchers, appreciate my tan, and spend the next morning on the beach again chillin’ and reading on another scorching hot day.

Then it was off to Visionz festival in Cobb Valley near Takaka. Had a fine time drinking and dancing the night away under the moon and the stars, in an amazingly beautiful setting, with great music, and good people having fun.

Was pretty trashed the next day (thank Goddess for the coffee bus) but managed to eventually get myself to Hanmer Springs for the night, and spent the next day checking it out. Whereupon I ran into a friend of a friend.

Met up with him later on in Christchurch after I’d had a bit of a look around, parked up on his driveway for my last night in the van, and had a laughter filled evening.

So it’s nearly all over but… not quite… Still got two more whole days in Christchurch then a couple of nights in Hong Kong getting used to being in a big city again before I finally touch down in the big smoke.

It’s been a great trip. Final distance tally 13,847Km / 8,604 Miles (- apparently that’s something of a record for the rental company) - and that’s just in the van! I’ve loved pretty much every Km of it and can’t wait to get back and have another adventure.

Thanks to all who’ve been along for the journey, and all me new and old Kiwi mates who’ve helped make everything run oh so smoothly.

Next post will probably be from home though I may be able to fit in the odd one from Hong Kong too.

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Well I’ve been having a chilled and very lovely last few days. Whilst in Motueka went to Marahau at the start of the Abel Tasman Track a couple of times for lazy afternoons on the beach. It’s been really hot here what’s a girl to do…

Marahau…a busy NZ beach!

On my second visit to it was still really hot, so big walk out of the question (well that’s my excuse…). Instead a shortish walk to the beautiful Coquille Bay about 40 mins along the Abel Tasman Track:

Then it was time to temporarily move on from Takaka as I headed out over Takaka Hill, a long, winding road with amazing views presented itself - just like that:

Stopped off at Ngarua Caves at the top of the hill for a coffee and a most excellent and fascinating tour of the caves which were awesome and contained some remains of the now extinct Giant Moa (a flightless bird).

Forward onward then to Farewell Spit via a stop in Takaka for a smoothie in the Dangerous Cafe, lunch and a look around.

 And then Pupu Springs with water so clear it has to be seen to be believed.

Eventually arrived at Farewell Spit and the Farewell Gardens camping ground where I was in time to do a walk out to the spit at sunset. Loads of birds including oyster catchers, herons, black swans and many others I couldn’t name.

Next morning went to Wharariki Beach with it’s huge sand dunes, baking hot sand, enormous rocks and crashing waves. Found a seal resting up in a cave and spent a wee while communing with it which was rather nice. It just lay there like a huge fat slug paying very little attention to me.

On to Cape Farewell for picnic lunch and a watch of yet another seal colony. Slowly made my way to Collingwood a mere 25k away. Camping ground there was great.  About 10 steps from a gorgeous long beach with loads more birds and another amazing sunset.

Got chatting to Merryl who moved to NZ from Sarf London about 30 years ago and was out looking for sand crabs. Lucky bugger has a house overlooking the beach. Anyway she imparted some local knowledge which will inform my itinery for the day.

After the beach went to catch an act at the Mussel Inn. A great place that several people recommended going to. Anyway hadn’t heard of Kieran Halpin before, but he’s a pretty damn good singer/songwriter/guitarist and all round general entertainer with the good old Irish gift of the gab.

Well, another roasting hot day today so it looks like I’m just going to have to head off and find another beach, and a place to park my head for the next couple of nights.

After that will need to start to re-acclimatise to being back in the big smoke and what better way to do that than attend the Visionz music festival at the weekend. Even better that I think I may have bagged meself a freebie.

Next post may well be from Christchurch, with me no doubt feeling worse for wear…

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The rest of my time in Karamea was great. Made a good decision to stay another night. In the morning got chatting to a bloke called Warren over brekky. Top geezer.

Got some more good geological action. After a long drive down a gravel road, barely getting out of second gear and definitely not getting out of third got well into Kahurangi National park and a couple of cool caves.

Box Canyon Cave:

Didn’t explore too deeply as it was dark and my torch was pathetic (and I couldn’t squeeze through the crevices with me back pack and camera … well that’s my excuse anyway).

After the caves, up to a loop track that took in Moria Gate, a huge limestone arch over a river:

and Mirror Tarn, another wonderfully still small lake with awesome mirror reflections (as the name would suggest):

Was going to do the other limestone arch a bit further down the road but was concentrating so hard on the road I missed the car park and was buggered if I was gonna go back. Turned out ok though as it meant I had time to get to the end of the road at Kohaihai, and the start of the Heaphy track (4-6 days walk to anywhere so I just did a little bit of it).

In the evening there happened to be some live music on in the bush cafe in Karamea, in the form of Andrew White on guitar, and Gillian Bouchet on violin. Good music, good night. Warren turned up and we chatted about music and London in the 60’s (when he lived there for a few years while on a ’short visit’).

Got away yesterday for the long drive from Karamea to Motueka. En route, just out of Karamea, stopped up at Lake Hanlon, another stunning example of a mirror lake:

Further up the road stopped for a coffee at the Drifters Cafe in the delightful community of Granity. Definitely a place it would be easy to stay for a long time (and it seems a lot of ‘visitors’ have…)

Then a quick-ish stop at the Tauranga Bay seal colony watching the seals frolick in the water, and watching the seal watchers:

Eventually arrived in Motueka after a quick refreshment stop in Murchison:

Now staying for a couple of days with a friend of a friend who, in typical Kiwi fashion has let me park up my van, taken me to a party, let me know about all the top action going on around. I think I’m going to like it here…

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Cruisy day yesterday. Late start then eventually I got myself down to Hokitika Gorge. Before I even got a chance to see it though, I’d backed myself into a small and very innocuous looking puddle. 10 mins of wheel spinning and burning rubber later and I was getting nowhere. Luckily there were a couple of people about. Firstly nice French woman tried to help and we jointly got nowhere. Then an Aussie couple turned up a few minutes later, and after much mud splattering, van rocking, and gentle easing, the Goddess of Love was free. Phew!!

The offending puddle:

After crossing, the swing bridge over the Hokitika river’s amazingly turquoise milky waters I stood taking photos and providing more fodder for the sandflies, reflecting on my good fortune… then high tailed it out of there while I still had some blood left.

Hokitika Gorge and swing bridge:

Today it was my turn to be the good samaritan. Just out of Greymouth I ran into Omel and his mates, stranded by the side of the road, out of petrol. So gave Omel a lift to a petrol station and returned him to his vehicle. He told me of his work driving an animal rescue ambulance in Israel and the fabulous sounding New Year’s festival I’d missed in Takaka (where I’m slowly heading towards). Hippies and good music, would’ve been right up my street…

After rescuing Omel and co. I was off to Punakaiki (Pancake Rocks) and they were indeed awesome (least awesome pics below will upload more when home).

Pancake Rocks:

I now find myself in Karamea where I shall be spending at least one night. Did a lovely bush walk to a big Rimu (Red Pine tree) already and hope to do a couple more walks tomorrow. Then, depending what time it is by then, will either make my way to Motueka or have another night in beautiful Karamea.

Big Rimu Tree, Karamea:

Camping ground here is right by a gorgeous estuary where I’ve been watching the birds and they’ve done a good job of buggering off every time I’ve lined up a photo. C’est la vie…

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Yesterday the rain finally stopped so I got to see what all the glacier fuss was about. Fox Glacier is pretty damn awesome.

Fox Glacier:

After me glacier fix, stopped off at Franz Josef Glacier for lunch then made my way slowly up to Hokitika. But first… a stop for a few hours in Okarito, for an awesome walk up to Okarito Trig and panoramic views of 3 Mile Lagoon and Okarito Beach. Then a lovely walk through the bush to the lagoon and back along the gorgeous deserted beach.

Okarito Beach and 3 Mile Lagoon from Okarito Trig:

Okarito “town”:

Now in lovely Hokitika where I’ll be for a couple of nights before working my way slowly to Motueka. Beautiful sunset last night and a rendezvous with some glow worms who unfortunately though very pretty were not very photo friendly.

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Pissing down with rain here at Fox Glacier today but the plan is, if I stay in this cybercafé long enough the weather will clear enough for the roads to the glacier to reopen. Damp weather has in no way dampened my spirits though. It’s still warm and the view is still there (well the bit that’s not under cloud anyway).

Had a really nice meal last night in Café Nevé (Blue nose cod, gourmet potatoes on a bed of veg). Spent the rest of the evening having a wicked time with Hippy and Chrissy having a few beers, that something extra, and lots of real belly laughs. We seemed to have a similar sense of humour, so chatted shit long into the wee small hours. Chrissy took the mick out of Hippy quite a lot as he struggled to string sentences together or make any sense at all at times. Very funny guy. They are both lovely.

I went to bed with a nicely sore tummy from all the laughing. We’re headed in the same direction so I may well run into them again. With that legendary Kiwi hospitality I now have yet another offer of a place to stay when I’m next on north island’s east coast (just a couple of days ago got chatting to family from Christchurch and have offer of a stay there too).

OK, off to see what the weather’s doing and with any luck next post will include some pics of the glaciers.

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I am fast running out of adjectives to describe the wonderfulness of my journey.

Sadly said goodbye to Wanaka this morning. I thought Lake Wanaka was big but… Lake Hawea just outside is bloody ginormous. Must have driven for a good 40Km and was still driving down just one side of it.

Stunning, stunning, drive up to Fox Glacier (haven’t visited yet as it took me all day to get here). Via many short walks, photo stops and a concerted attack by sandflies at pretty much each stop including:

Blue Pools:

Thunder Creek Falls:

Haast River:

Driving through lush forest - the west coast is wetter so this side of the southern alps is a lot greener than the view you get from the Aoraki National Park side.

Didn’t see ole Mount Cook today though - just glimpses as it was a bit cloudy by the time I got to Fox on an otherwise glorious sunny journey. Did a walk round Lake Matheson which was really pretty though seemed like a puddle compared to Lake Hawea.

Met a Nigerian family from Sydney staying at same campsite. And ran into Hippy and Chrissy who I passed at a photo stop not too far out of Wanaka. Will join them for a beer and a little something extra later.

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