Walking On Ice

After a scintillating 8-hour ride on a lovely, packed Newman’s coach, we arrived in Franz Josef just in time for the rain to fall. After all, NZ’s West Coast is dubbed the “Wet Coast.” The great thing? That was the only rain we saw in Franz Josef for three days…pretty unheard of taking into account that in 2011, FJ saw 265 days of rain and an annual rainfall of 12 meters. Whaaaaaaaat?

We stayed at the Rainforest Retreat, quite a lovely spot aptly named for its surroundings. Our hostel mates, however, were not so impressive. While we had great roommates each night, we learned that the major tour (aka party) buses many young foreigners use for transport dumped their hoards on our doorstep. This meant loud, drunken shouting at night and even louder, early mornings as people slammed doors and prepared for various activities…and that’s why we travel with earplugs.

Anyhoo, hooligans aside, we were not able to book the glacier walk the next day, so we did a lovely hour and a half walk along a nice trail and generally relaxed in the sunshine. Our walk took us through the rainforest to some old sluicing tunnels miners dug/blasted out in order to transport snow melt and glacier water to various places around FJ for gold panning. So fun!

The next day: our glacier walk adventure! Arriving at the glacier, we learned quite a bit about its formation and recent history. For instance, 100 years ago the glacier was visible from the sea, but due to changing weather patterns it is now 25km from the ocean…crazy! While this sounds like bad news, it is entirely possible that the glacier will advance in the future.

The glacier...named after the Austrian Franz Josef because it looked like his beard :)

Once on the ice, we were decked out with crampons – handy spikes that fit over our boots for walking on the ice without slipping/falling/dying. Our guide, Turtle, was 100% Kiwi and a total hoot. He safely maneuvered us through ice tunnels, around crevasses and holes of death while simultaneously keeping us entertained with his antics and foreign swear words he’d learned from other tourists. The day was fantastic! We had an excellent time, and the 6 hours we spent on the ice were some of the greatest we’ve had on our trip so far. Thanks so much to the Franz Josef Glacier Guides!

 

What is going on??? Oh you know, just a crevasse.

After a relaxing hour in the FJ hot pools (entrance fee included in our guiding cost) we treated ourselves to a lovely, large meal at a great café called Full of Beans, and later to a sticky toffee pudding and cider down the road at Alice May’s. Alas…exhaustion set in once again and we found ourselves in bed at 10:30.  

Queenstown: The Ben Lomond

Another beautiful day! We decided to extend our stay in Queenstown to St. Paddy’s Day! Saturday was supposed to have gorgeous weather, and who really wants to sit on a bus and waste completely perfect blue skies? After hearing great things about the Ben Lomond track from Kate and Craig, we decided it was for us. Post trauma on the Queen Charlotte, we’re only up for day walks until further notice.

What a walk though! At 6 hours and 20 minutes return, it was quite an adventure! The first three hours were solid uphill – past the gondola, through some amazing beech and pine forests, out onto the saddle and finally up the steep hour-long walk to the tippy top of the summit. These pictures we’ve posted? They don’t do the steepness of the track justice. Our downhill experience was lovely, however.

Huffing and puffing our way up the mountain!

Reaching the summit was amazing. We had a 360-degree view of Queenstown, Lake Wakatipu and the Southern Alps! Most Q-town visitors are offered a nice look at the city from the gondola platform…this was incredible and dwarfed that viewpoint. Definitely worth the climb. After a 10 minute rest, photo session and chocolate break, we headed back down to get meat pies for dinner as a reward. Coconut-curry chicken and lamb with kumara (sweet potato) finished off our evening! We attempted an obligatory St. Paddy’s Day visit into Q-town’s nightlife but were exhausted and sad to realize that everyone had already been drinking for hours and were past all points of polite, coherent conversation. Instead we turned in at 10:30pm like the college graduates we are.  

Our trail...doesn't look difficult, does it?

At the summit! Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu in the background.

Queenstown: The Bungy

I would like to start this out with an apology to my mother.  She was adamant that she did not want me to bungee, and when I called like the terrible child that I am and told her gleefully that I had jumped off a bridge with nothing but rope around my ankles, she said she didn’t want to think about her baby doing that.  You might want to skip this next part, Mom.

Rachel graciously allowed me to write this in first person as this was something that I had never done and as she is a veteran of bungee jumping, it was decided that I should give you all the fresh terror myself. We woke up that morning and walked down to book the bungee jump before I could second-guess myself, and Rachel finally broke down and signed up as well after waffling for a good two days on whether to do it again or not. In the end, she couldn’t resist, and off we went to Patagonia, an excellent coffee and chocolate cafe, for a bracing coffee before being loaded onto a bus to our doom (please excuse the histrionics). 
            
The company that we jumped through is AJ Hackett, which actually started the business of bungee jumping. The Kawarau Bridge, at 43 meters over the Kawarau River, is the first commercial bungee site and it is obvious that these people have everything down pat: safety, weighing, video, pictures, etc. At the site itself, we were weighed and given a slip, then sent up to the bridge. Once they were actually wrapping my feet with cords and towels, I could only tell myself that I was an idiot for doing this, as Rachel laughed behind me. Up on the jumping platform, I really, really did not want to let go of the bridge, staring down at the water below me, but the bungee guide said, “3,2,1 jump!” and there was nothing left to do but jump. During the free fall, there was a moment of mindlessness, a moment of panic, and then the cord started to catch my fall and it was pure enjoyment. After a head dunking in the river below, two bungee employees reeled me into a boat, and I sat on the side to watch Rachel jump. She managed a perfect swan dive (even the bungee guys were impressed) and jumped so far out she didn’t even hit the water. The jumps were over and all we (I) could do was giggle in disbelief that it was actually over.

            

Following a tradition started by Briana, Chris and Rachel the last time they jumped, we got a celebratory Fergburger and stuffed ourselves to the brim on the waterfront, elbowing away aggressive seagulls and ducks. After all the excitement, something a little more sedate was called for, and we headed to the gardens for reading and napping. Some laundry and email checking later, we met Kate and Craig for some excellent Thai food and then retired for the night, completely wiped out from the adrenaline rush earlier in the day.

Queenstown: The Gondola

We’re a bit behind on our posting, but we can’t spare a detail about our time in Queenstown! The day after our jetboat excursion we went for a ride on the small gondola to the top of a nice hill overlooking the city. Craig came with us! It was good fun. Many activities start at the top of the hill, like mountain biking, paragliding and the luge.

Carly and Craig on the luge chairlift!

We had a blast on the luge! We did both tracks – the scenic and the “advanced.” Haha…it was definitely not as scary as one of us had remembered (anyone in the Cameron/Berryhill family would know that Rachel “nearly” went off the side of the luge track her first time…looking back, a total exaggeration…).

Carly on the luge!

The three of us looking sweet in our helmets ;)

After, we met up with Kate in the Queenstown gardens and has a nice stroll, stopping at the end of the peninsula to sit by the water on a gorgeous day – the first of a long streak of warm, sunny days for us! Finally a positive turn in the weather, for real. Next up: the bungy post! Yes, folks…we did it.

Queenstown: The Jetboat

We finally made it to Queenstown, the adrenaline capital of the Southern Hemisphere! Up until now, our trip has been enjoyable but a bit on the dull side, with the exception of our side trip with Milo. However, the fun was just about to begin! Our hostel - Deco Backpackers – was super fantastic (though a tiny room) with great bathrooms and a killer view of Queenstown, Lake Wakatipu, and the Remarkables from a hill just a little ways out of town. Also, free internet.

The view from our hostel!

 As soon as we got off the bus, an awesome crazy-cool Aussie (with dreads!) by the name of Craig kindly asked where we were planning to stay, and followed us up the hill to our hostel! He ended up being one of our favorite roommates on our trip so far, and we definitely intend to see him again. Our first order of business in Queenstown, though: Fergburger…the most amazing burger place in all of New Zealand. Seriously, though, it is. Craig, Kate (a Canadian we met at our last hostel) and the two of us went for some delicious, huge burgers! Jealous yet?

FERGBURGER!!! With Kate and Craig!

The next day we booked a jetboat excursion in the Skippers Canyon. It was the best bang for our buck as the company drove us out a long dirt road (about 45 minutes one way) along the old gold miner’s track left over from the late 1800s gold rush in New Zealand. We had a little history lesson on the way as well, and man were those people crazy…dying of starvation, flash floods and dynamite all in the very unlikelihood of striking it rich through gold-panning. No thank you, we say.

On our way to Skippers Canyon!

Our jetboat experience!

Today, however, the Shotover River in Skippers is used for jetboating! We had a great time whizzing through the canyon, getting super close to the rock walls and pulling 360 degree spins (and getting drenched). Craig came with us too! The ride back was as scenic as the ride in. Since we haven’t had a car of our own to stop where we want, we jump at any chance we have to leave town for a bit and see other parts of the country. This one was totally worth it – if you’re ever in Queenstown, Skippers Canyon is the way to go! 

Left: The Shotover River in Skippers Canyon.


Right: Carly with Craig the Aussie on the jetboat!

Craig making friends with the king duck...thus perpetuating our crazy interactions with Kiwi birdlife!

Hogwartz!

Time for a fun post after that depressing previous one! This will be brief in order to make way for our Queenstown adventures!

We left Christchurch and headed south for Dunedin, the "Edinburgh of the South" as the Kiwis claim. Neither of us have been, so we couldn't say! Regardless, Dunedin was a very cool town (apart from the hoards of drunken undergrads on weekend nights) and we had some good times there. We stayed in a place called Hogwartz - our favorite hostel to date. The building was a renovated bishop's house, and we were lucky enough to be in the (once) grand dining room, now a high-ceilinged and very bright room for six. The best thing about Hogwartz: no bunks! So refreshing.

Our room at Hogwartz...sorry it's so dark!

The view from our hostel's veranda! So nice!

Apart from trying to find a place to live...and a job - pretty fruitless actually - we mostly wandered around town checking things out. The botanic gardens were lovely and began our very involved relationship with ducks in New Zealand - more to come with that. The farmer's market was particularly great, and it's location even better. Dunedin is known for its Edwardian-inspired train station...apparently the most photographed building in the Southern Hemisphere. We're not sure if we believe this or not...

The train station!

Feeding the ravenous ducks...

As we only saw one apartment and had very little luck with anyone in Dunedin returning our messages about housing, we are thinking we will press on to Wellington and see what we can find. Hopefully we'll have more luck there!

By the duck pond!

Christchurch

I asked Carly if I could write this entry in first person. Seeing Christchurch after the devastating earthquakes, the most recent being about a year ago now, was extraordinarily upsetting. The more Carly and I saw of the city, the more we compared it to a demilitarized zone. Buildings in the city center were simply falling apart and we could not get anywhere near Cathedral square. For those who know Christchurch, that was the heart of the city. Today, the cathedral barely stands, but it will be completely removed and possibly never rebuilt, depending on funding and such. It is extremely expensive to get building insurance in Christchurch now, and I think that churches have found this the most hard-hitting.

Though I tried to navigate the streets, the city is nothing like I remember it. All activity and daily life has moved to the periphery. The once bustling arts centre, where you were sure to go if visiting Christchurch, is now like a ghost town and the only building open in the area is the Christchurch Museum, which luckily did not suffer too much damage. We spent at least 3 hours in there looking at all the (free) exhibits, particularly the one about the earthquake and its effects on Chch.  The city is going to take at least a decade to return to any sort of normalcy, the next year being dedicated to demolition alone.

Left: There was a lot of this all around the city.


Right: The spire that once stood on top of the Chch Cathedral, on display in the Canterbury Museum.

What we found interesting, though, is the damage the disaster had on the Cantabrian (i.e. people from Canterbury) psyche. Many people have left, and for those who have stayed, all remember the earthquakes like Americans remember 9/11. Many people were completely ousted from their homes, either due to structural damages or to the liquefaction that inundated their houses. Many saw people fall out of buildings and perish amongst the rubble. Now, people are wary of working in a building with more than 2 stories. They feel aftershocks often and can generally gauge their magnitudes. In fact, there was a small quake, about a 4.1, that happened one morning we were there. We didn’t feel it, but the locals certainly knew about it. The Christchurch story just goes to show that natural disasters have complete holds on our societies – there is nothing we can do to prepare for them, whether we live in third or first world countries.

The old Arts Centre with the great shops, now standing and waiting for repairs.

The old bus depot and the closest we could get to the city centre.

However, the support people from all over the world poured out for the people of Christchurch was amazing. People from all over New Zealand sent food in the days that followed the earthquakes (there were three large ones) and the international support was incredible as well. Now a thriving part of the bit of the downtown area that is accessible, called the Re:Start area, is comprised of shipping containers that have been transformed into shops and cafes. Quake-proof! It’s amazing to see what can be done in a year that will lift people’s spirits and help to rehabilitate the economy. Hats off to the people of Christchurch for making it through and standing tall!

The Re:Start area on Cashel St. - the new downtown of shipping containers turned shops!

As for Carly and I, we spent a lot of time walking around the closed off areas. We did enjoy ourselves in the botanical gardens (Chch is still the garden city!) and I was extremely ecstatic to find that my favorite restaurant is still standing! For my study abroad mates – the Coffee House still exists and is as delicious as ever!

While my immediate reaction to Christchurch was awe and disbelief, the progress they are making to rebuild is amazing. So many new buildings in so little time! I can’t wait to return in a decade or so and see the transformation.

Playing near the roses in the botanic gardens!

 

City of Crayfish

Where to begin? After leaving Picton and our failed attempt at the Queen Charlotte behind, we traveled to Kaikoura (Maori for “food of crayfish”), a beach town, for a couple of nights. The town itself is gorgeous – the snow-capped Kaikoura mountain range runs right up to the ocean, so it’s a great juxtaposition for beach and mountain lovers! However, we chose the worst two days of our entire trip to stay there.

Originally we had planned to go whale watching, but of course the largest storm of the season struck both islands (even shutting down the ferries running between them) and we were dry-docked for a full day. The redeeming part of that stay? Meeting a Brit who has his own car (we’ll catch up with him later) and another American girl named Molly who had just arrived from a long while in China. What a firecracker! Of course we hit the local pub/hotspot dubbed the Strawberry Tree for a pint of cider and a “snakebite”, a drink concocted of beer, cider and a pinch of raspberry syrup. Delicious!

On Kaikoura Beach - that was the most sky we saw our entire time there! Arghhhh.

The next day, our Italian friend Milo picked us up in a rental (VERY small but quite functional) and we traveled up through the hills in the opposite direction, ending up in Nelson on the top of the South Island. We stayed at a great hostel, the Green Monkey, and then did a day walk in the Abel Tasman National Park after taking a water taxi to the trailhead. It was so lovely! Luckily there was plenty of sunshine.

Left: Milo and Carly in the Lewis Pass!

Right: The beautiful Abel Tasman National Park.

We traveled back to Picton (that place has some sort of hold on us) and spent one more night there to drop off the car, then jumped on a bus the next day for Christchurch. That is another post, but we had a great last evening with Milo as he was set to return to Cairns, Australia where he lives now. Hopefully that’s not the last we’ll see of him!

On the water taxi...

Milo, balancing the boat by his lonesome.

The three of us in Abel Tasman.

We have to say – while hostel life gets a bit tiring after a while – sharing a room with 4 other people and bathroom facilities with 10 – we have definitely met some great people along the way. Even ones we can travel with! Also, we swear that New Zealand is populated mostly by German backpackers as they consist of at least 75% of the people we meet in hostels. Half the time we have no idea what people are saying!

Plan. Attempt. Bail.

Soooooooo we very smartly attempted to do the Queen Charlotte track - one of New Zealand's great hikes - just outside Picton, but more on that in a bit.

First, after a very lovely time in Wellington with Gavin Howse, the two of us headed down to the South Island on the ferry (dolphins on our way out of Wellyland!) and landed in Picton where we spent the night. We met two very friendly chaps, one Emil from the Netherlands and Milo, an Italian living in Cairns. The hostel was very cozy - lots of people cooking dinner! But we had to go and be true to our college upbringing and eat ramen for dinner. Typical Americans? Yup.

Mt. Victoria! Courtesy of Mr. Gavin Howse.

The two of us having a bit of fun on the ferry trip :)

The great story of this post: attempting the Queen Charlotte, a 2-night, 3-day, 71km trek through the beautiful Marlborough Sounds. Thought we planned for a great adventure, making sure we had a tent, proper sleeping bags and lots of food, we HIGHLY overestimated our physical capabilities on this tramp! The first day was a full 8.5 hours (26km) of hiking up and down hills with a third of our body weight on our backs. Though we desperately wished we could have finished the trip, we chose to bailed out knowing our bodies wouldn't be able to travel 24km the next day. We called the awesome water taxi company who had taken us to the beginning (only accessible by water in Ship's Cove, where Captain Cook landed!) and had the pick us up the following day. Hanging our heads in shame, we walked back from the docks to our hostel and stayed another night.

Left: Leaving Picton on the great catamaran in the Marlborough Sounds!

Right: Carly on an awesome drawbridge on the track (maximum capacity: 2 people).




Today we headed down to lovely Kaikoura - a great coastal town where mountains meet ocean - and plan to go whale watching tomorrow! However, there seems to be a very large storm brewing overnight that is supposed to hit ALL of New Zealand, so we're anticipating a cancellation of our trip tomorrow. We may just end up at the local pub...who knows?

Hopefully we'll have great pictures to come! We love and miss you all and are thinking about you!

Our condolence prize: a gorgeous view of the Marlborough Sounds!