New Zealand – 2020

      Photos – https://photos.app.goo.gl/bd5x29KAAajdRf678

              Kia Ora – that’s “hello” in the native Maori language. Captain James Cook discovered NZ in 1769 and by 1840 the Maori signed a treaty with the English. Thinking I was going to a country with only one language, I was surprised at the resurgence of their native language, Maori. Signage, greetings, exhibits and some announcements were in Maori. While the indigenous and the settlers have all inter-bred and it would be difficult to find a “pure” Maori, the government is in the process of returning some of the land to the Maori. That seems to go along with the easy-going nature of the Kiwi’s. What a pleasant population, so kind and helpful. Although, I still don’t understand why they are called Kiwi’s. A kiwi is a nocturnal bird, rarely seen (I saw one in a shelter), boring brown, the size of a chicken, has poor eyesight and is single minded (food).

              With 33 days to explore NZ, I planned my trip to ride a rental trail bike on many of those days. Hiking in NZ is called “tramping” which a huge number of tourists come here to do some of their “Great Walks”.   A third of their country is protected parks and reserves. I came to ride some of their “22 Great Rides” (https://nzcycletrail.com/find-your-ride/22-great-rides/) along with mountain bike parks. Total gravel miles ridden were 325.  Flying into Auckland, my mode of travel was on an Inter-city bus pass. Spending 54 hours on a bus over 33 days was enjoyable, scenic, relaxing and productive. The buses had Wi-Fi and I was surrounded by tourists of all nationalities. Germans, by far, were the most prolific.

NZ, the size of Colorado, has a population of 4.8M and tourists of 3.5M. Auckland has a pop of 1.6M which is more than the entire South Island. Their charismatic, and young at 37, prime minister is Jacinda Ardern whom I first saw, and loved, when interviewed by Steven Colbert. Later, Colbert filmed a show of his travels in NZ along with a bar-b-que in Jacinda’s home. Jacinda is thought to be the beginning of a global political shift as young, socially progressive, feminist passionate about climate change. NZ today places great emphasis on conservation, recycling and environment.

NZ, an island bounded by the Pacific Ocean and Tasman sea, sits on a fault line of two tectonic plates (Australian and Pacific) and averages 1,000 earthquakes per year (usually not noticeable) and an active thermal, volcanic region on the north island. The “wild west” coast of the South Island gets an average 270 days of rainfall resulting in stunning rainforests with the grandeur of the southern alps in the background. Weather can be over-whelming although I was quite fortunate to have dry skies all but two days of my trip.

Starting in Auckland, my first adventure was a 2-hour sail on the NZ sailboat that raced in the America’s Cup in 2007. Requiring a crew of 17 to sail the boat, tourists were required to participate which meant “grinding” the winches to raise and lower the sails. I even got a turn at sailing the boat.

Pahia, four hours north of Auckland is the warmer weather and summer beach activities. My pastime was mountain biking in the lovely pine forest called Waitangi trails and trail riding on the Twin Coast, one of their “22 Great Rides”. Just like NZ cars drive on the left side of the road, so do bikes, whether on roads or trails. Likewise, you pass to the right. But would you believe they reverse the brake levers? The rear brake is in your left hand.

South of Auckland is the most dynamic geo-thermal, volcanic region. Yes, I avoided the disastrous White Island, now closed to tourists. Next stop, Rotorua. Cycling the area, with the sulfurous “rotten egg” smell and steam coming off pools of water. This “Great Ride” was the Te Ara Ahi thermal trail. Even more fun was a day mountain biking in the Redwood forest with the 99-year-old redwoods and tree-size ferns. Between rides, I stopped at the “secret place” for a Shinny dip. For the price of a drink from their café was a free soak of feet and shins in the hot, healing mineral water from the springs. Optionally, soak in one of dozen full-size hot tubs.

Next thermal region was Taupo, with the largest lake in NZ, Lake Taupo (the size of Singapore). Here was my 24-mile ride to Huka Falls and Aratiatia rapids. Timing was perfect to view two kayakers navigate successfully through treacherous Huka Falls, class five. On a more sedate note, was my accidental visit to the Cat Café. Who knew? For $6 you can rejuvenate by petting cats while sipping coffee and chilling in one of two massage chairs.

Next up, Windy Wellington, a well-earned reputation. One evening it felt as if the wind was propelling me down the street. Wellington is a clean, compact city center on the water and is also their capital. Their National Museum kept my attention for hours which, is a bit unusual for my attention span. While I thought the Maori’s had excessive tattooing, it was far surpassed by the photo exhibit of the Samoan’s tattooing custom. One tattoo design for men (Pe’a) and one design for women (Malo). Learning about the immigrants coming to NZ in the 1800’s from the U.K. was moving. Having learned the horrid conditions of sailing in the steerage section of rickety boats was endured to escape from very difficult lives in the U.K. whether it was the potato famine or other horrid conditions of no food or money. Educational was the exhibit (under the museum) of shock absorbers placed under large buildings so the inflexible concrete and steel buildings can sway during earthquakes. Most houses are wood frame which by nature are more flexible during a quake.

Dreading the often-turbulent three-hour ferry crossing from Wellington to the South Island, the Cook Strait is regarded as one of the most treacherous and unpredictable waters in the world. The strait funnels westerly winds and deflects them into northerlies. I had the good fortune of a calm day.

Next up was a scenic bus ride down the east coast stopping in Kaikoura and Christchurch. Kaikoura is on the Pacific Ocean and major destination for whale watching along with dolphins and seals. Going out 17 miles on a jet boat whale watch tour, we found a sperm whale. It was a rollicking ride for the 48 tourists, with an ample supply of sick bags needed by ~10 tourists. Typical surface time for a sperm whale is 15 minutes, followed by 45 minutes underwater. The sperm whale is thought to be the world’s loudest animal at 230 decibels, using its sonar to locate, stun and/or kill its prey. Inside the sperm whale’s head is 2 ½ tons of oil, once thought to be sperm. Now protected, in the past, this oil has been used in Rolls Royce engines and early Apollo space missions. Next on the agenda was two hours sea kayaking to view the seals. A rollicking trip, riding the afternoon swells.

Continuing down the east coast, next stop, Christchurch, a city badly devastated by earthquakes in 2010 and 2011. Eighty percent of the city center buildings had to be demolished. A decade later, the debate finally ended with a decision to rebuild their Gothic cathedral at a cost of $100M and ten years. Fortunately, their Botanical Gardens survived. While enjoying the floral displays, I was most captivated by their massive, exotic trees unlike any we have in the U.S.

The Transalpine train from Christchurch, over the southern alps, is one of the world’s most famous, and scenic, train rides. The front car is open air, standing room, allowing photos to your heart’s content. A short stop, on the four-hour ride, at scenic Arthur’s Pass to drop off hikers allows us to take in the fresh hour and more photos of the mountain grandeur.

Arriving on the sparsely populated (50k) west coast and staying in the villages of Greymouth and Hokitika, on the Tasman Sea, I cycle the 84-mile Wilderness Trail. Gravel roads take me thru the exotic rain forest, along lakes, canals and beaches. The Wilderness Trail is my favorite of my sampling of their “Great 22 Rides”. 

Here, I viewed the NZ glow worm, found in dark caves or rock enclosures. The visual is glowing, green dots. The glow worm is a luminescent larva, lasting 6 – 9 months. Once born into an adult, it only survives three days since it has no mouth. Doesn’t that sound like a cruel Grimm’s Fairy tale?

Large discoveries of jade occurred on the West coast. With no roads in this wild area, helicopters were used to retrieve the boulders of jade. Thus, causing the opening of a jade factory in Hokitika to cut and polish the jade into jewelry, etc.

Continuing down the West coast, along the Tasman Sea, was the highlight of the trip, a helicopter ride for a two-hour hike on the Franz Josef glacier. Having seen a lot thus far in my life (40 countries) this hike was one of the most exhilarating in years. Donning crampons, our group of twelve clambered over ice hills, thru tunnels and mazes. Remember the horrid fires in Australia? The ash landed on the glaciers, first turning the ice pink. But now, after rain and run-off, much of the ice is a dingy gray.

The guides must change the route daily as Franz Josef is the world’s fastest moving glacier, up to 27” per day. Cracks appear, slippage occurs and re-routes are required. Due to the wild west weather, helicopter flights are full and are often cancelled. Expecting that, I showed up two hours ahead of my appointment and talked my way onto the last flight of the day. On average, once a year, tourists get stranded on the glacier when wind kicks up unexpectedly and the helicopter taxis are grounded. Tents and winter gear are stored on the glacier for such emergencies. Speaking of helicopters, the school children had a few weeks of traveling to school via helicopter when torrential rains washed out the bridge on their single highway.

Speaking of rain, I leave the West coast a day early due to a down-graded cyclone (hurricane) arriving. The bus driver was happy to make it over the Alps before high winds may close the roads with downed trees and washed up driftwood. We succeeded with an uneventful, but wet, journey thru the Haast Pass to the dry, brown east-side of the Alps.

Three nights in the ski resort town of Lake Wanaka gave me the opportunity to explore the single-track trails along the glacier dug lake.

Queenstown is known as the NZ Adventure Capital. Their ski mountain, and gondola, has been multi-tasked with downhill mountain biking, bungy jumping, luge, tramping, zip line and paragliding. I rented a Specialized Stump Jumper, like mine at home, to do three runs down the mountain, along with three luge runs. Their lake is a smorgasbord of motor activities and the wharf buzzes with buskers, bars and restaurants.  

A detour in my plans occurred when the only road into Milford Sounds was washed out by torrential rains and slips (landslides). Seventy tourists unexpectedly spent the night in the Sound and were rescued by helicopter the following day. I detour for two nights to Twizel (pop 1500) which sits near the base of Mt Cook, NZ’s tallest mountain at 12,000’. The bus tales me thru a third major mountain pass, Lindis Pass. Lindis, on the dry east side of the Alps more resembles a brown, mountainous moonscape. I spend a beautiful, sunny day cycling a portion of the six-day Alps to Ocean cycle trail, another of the “22 Great Rides”.

One of the many joys of travel is experiencing the food. NZ has a huge influence of Asian and Indian food (close neighbors). Venison, lamb and fish (salmon is farmed) is plentiful. NZ distills a variety of gins. Gluten free choices is available with the most common, and my favorite G-F dessert being an orange, almond and cardamom pastry.

Sheep is plentiful but, not as much so as in prior years due to lower prices and new fabric choices. Merino wool feels luxurious and, little can you discern that Merino wool is now mixed with the fur of a NZ possum. Yes, a possum. See photos. This wild possum was introduced into their wild and is very much a varmint, as is the wallaby brought over from Australia that is devouring NZ foliage.

       Is NZ worth the drudgery of the 24-hour travel time? Yes, with Ambien! Just stay longer to get more “bang for your buck”. I left many stones unturned and adventures not experienced, even after five weeks. Don’t wait, GO!