Te Anau to Wellington

July 21, 2008
All that can be said about Milford Sound is that it is ridiculous. Ridiculously beautiful, ridiculously lush, ridiculously ringed in snowcapped peaks and so on. The drive out to the sound was fraught with peril – first we were besieged by sheep. We were charmed to see a farmer? rancher? and his sheep dogs manipulating a large herd, until they “worked” them out into the road to move up to their next grazing field (I am making this up; I have no idea why they were being moved). Sheep are not very speedy animals and they lack the ability to focus on the task at hand. They scattered all along the roadside, stopping to snack on roadside hedges every few feet. There were sheep in front of us, bleating and baaahing to beat the band, sheep behind us, sheep trotting alongside the van. Zada was in heaven. She loves sheep. She never tires of seeing them; she must have seen several million by now, yet at each new flock she exclaims, “LOOK! SHEEP!”
The next danger we faced were the spectacular vistas – glorious views extended as far as the eye could see for 360 degrees. It made paying any attention to the steep, winding track a near impossibility. We gave ourselves 4 hours to complete the route that should take under 2 and we needed every minute as we had to pull over at every viewpoint (prior to the avalanche zone, where we virtuously did not stop at all despite tremendous provocation from magnificent photo ops). I took over 388 pictures and Brad took some horrific amount of video – all of which must now be pruned and edited. Zada, with greater restraint, took only 128 pictures. We stopped to photograph the myriad splendors at Te Anau flats, the Eglinton River (at several points) and most notably “The Chasm”.
At one stop, just before the Homer tunnel and the really hairy section of road, we got out to let Zada kick some snow around (and take some more photographs) when a kea flew up to check us out. They are the world’s only alpine parrot, and bigger than I expected. Keas have greenish-brown plumage and a wickedly curved beak – with which they like to rip off weather stripping from cars and generally tear things up. It was not in the least shy and was coming perilously close to the van when we were saved by a tour bus offering more scope for destructive tendencies.
The Homer tunnel is a somewhat terrifying construction. It is roughly hewn directly out of the mountain (the huge, icy mountain that seems like it must crush you as you enter the tunnel) and slopes downward – it also seemed to be rather full of water. I couldn’t help but think that it could easily become a giant ice rink if the temperature dropped just a degree or two. Once you clear the tunnel, the fun driving really begins – the road plunges and corkscrews down to the sound. The views are stunning, but you scarcely dare to look. I was having chest pains and palpitations until we reached the bottom.
The Chasm was a gorgeous waterfall? This seems a rather weak way to describe this extraordinary water feature. There certainly is a point, at which the water falls dramatically into the stream below, but this is the least of it – the water has dug an incredible, elaborate obstacle course for itself through the boulders. It has bored holes through the middle of some enormous rocks, carved out the sides of others into serpentine arabesques, while undermining other mossy slabs by removing the base material they rest on. The water here, like everyplace else, is of a superb clarity. As it rushes it is an almost unearthly blue color under its froth of white foam, and here and there where it flows more quietly, you can see every detail on the bottom.
Yes, all that and I haven’t yet begun to drivel on about the sound itself, our cruise, the trip to the underwater observatory or all the rest of it.
The sound was gorgeous, of course. Mitre Peak is the single most photographed peak in all of NZ and we did our duty nobly to keep its numbers up. Sadly, again, I do not understand how to compensate for the light in this hemisphere! It is so piercingly brilliant, you can feel it burning your retinas out of your head. When you can stand to look, it shows everything around you with this kind of hyper-clarity. What you see is in glorious Technicolor and sharp as a razor; what you photograph is bleached-out and the radiance is transmuted into mist. Profoundly irritating for me, but probably lifesaving for most of you, as it is radically diminishing the number of pictures I will make you look at when we get back.
We took the “Encounter” expedition with the Red Boat company. This is a very small boat that doesn’t follow a set itinerary – they chase down the most interesting bits of natural whatever that happen to be going on that day. We were taken right up to the edge of the rock face in the sound and could practically touch the overhanging greenery. We learned a great deal about the fiordlands area – there are a visible series of “shelves” that show the gouging out process during different glacial events. The sound in its current incarnation is the result of five such events. The cliff faces and outcrops are covered in incredibly lush growth – even more incredible when you realize that there is no soil layer at all. Extremely sturdy lichens provide a base for moss. The mosses allow ferns and various other small and undemanding plants to grow. This “carpet” then somehow is a sufficient support for trees. Some of these trees are enormous. It is impossible to believe that they are anchored to the rock only by the tenacity of some moss and lichens. We saw some “tree avalanche” scars. The trees’ roots eventually become the glue that binds a whole section of this rockbound plant life together. When the lead tree goes, it rips out everything attached to it and under it.
We also investigated a number of waterfalls. You could trace their circuitous paths back up to the snowy peaks above. They were absolutely gorgeous; some of the smaller falls were particularly lovely. We went in for a close look at the “Pixie” and the “Fairy” falls, so called because of the way they catch the light and create spectacular rainbows all around. We also went under a couple of waterfalls and enjoyed squealing and being completely soaked in freezing water (the interior cabins were heated and hot coffee and tea flowed generously throughout the voyage).
The boat visited several outposts of young bachelor NZ fur seals and we were corrected about these animals – they are in fact small sea lions, not seals at all. We had wondered about their hopping around on those back flippers and now we know. One poor youngster had recently been bested in a turf war and had a huge chunk of hindquarter (or whatever you call the backside of a seal/sea lion) missing.
We were extraordinarily lucky to see yellow-crested penguins, normally they don’t return from their winter grounds for another month or two. This was our third type of penguin and was tremendously exciting for all on board. Again, the captain of the vessel showed off the maneuvers of the Lady Bowen and practically landed the boat on the rock shore right next to the penguins.
After the penguins we landed at the underwater observatory. This is a floating, reverse aquarium – we are in the tank while the sea life swims around looking at us. This was a fascinating place! We were 7 meters under the sound in a floating box with 5 inch thick specialized $10,000.00 German plexi-glass windows all around. The special quality of the glass is it doesn’t distort at all, in spite of its tremendous bulk. We saw all sorts of sea stars, sea cucumbers, anemones and corals of every description. The mussels seemed to be having bad time of it with sea stars mobbing them and sucking them out of their shells. We walked round and round the tank in amazement; the views were incredible – the water (yes, again about the water and how clear) was so clean that the visibility was phenomenal.
Well, that is pretty much it (not really, and no matter how much you think I go on and on and on in these postings, I assure you, I could go on a lot more and probably will next time I see you). We re-boarded the boat and journeyed back to Te Anau where we ate ourselves silly at a marvelous Italian place. I do not understand the trim, healthiness of the Kiwis at all. The food here is amazing – everything is delicious, portions are practically up to American standards and butter is all but a beverage. Their desserts! Well, I won’t go down that track, but believe me, if you never come here for the gorgeous, come for the food.

7/22/08
We visited Queenstown today – the physical location of the city is amazing. It sits in a bay of the gloriously lovely Lake Wakatipu and looks across the pristine water onto the aptly named “Remakables” mountain range. The best view of the city is to be had from on high, so we took the gondola up and were rewarded for the expenditure. It is indeed a beautiful city. The luge was one of many options to entertain yourself after tiring of the view. There was also the ubiquitous bungee jumping and other adrenaline enhancing activities. I don’t know if we’ve mentioned yet that the whole nation is madly addicted to extreme sports and throwing themselves off of precipices and the like. Every hamlet has it bungee, sky swing, paragliding and jet boat action adventure center. Why walk or drive when you can helijump/ski/hike? Why look at the waterfall when you can jet boat over/through/under it?
We tamely came back down the mountain in the sedate gondola and went on our way to Wanaka. Wanaka is our jumping off point for a series of short hikes in Mt. Aspiring National Park. En route we passed our first LOTR filming site. Zada was ecstatic. The touring guide map book we have shows all the various locations from the movies – we passed the “river Anduin and the site of the “Pillars of the Kings”. It was indeed a gorgeous river and you can, in fact, bungee jump from huge iron trestles over it in two different locations.
Wanaka is also home to Puzzlingworld. As their advertising says, “a truly unique attraction”. The first thing we did was The Great Maze. After entering the maze in the middle the object is to get to the color coded towers in the 4 corners. There are about 1.5km of passages in the maze. There are a number of dead ends and it is possible to go in circles. There is also a second story to the maze which does not allow you to plan your route through the bottom floor as easily as you might think. We found our way to the first 3 towers in about 15 minutes, the green tower proved very difficult to get to. In the end we managed to find the tower and get to the exit in exactly 30 minutes which is the low end of average according to the signs.
Puzzlingworld also has Illusion Rooms. This starts with a series of holographic pictures, many of which change if you shift the angle from which you look. Next you enter an octagonal room in which you are gazed upon by 168 famous faces. There are relief carvings of Winston Churchill, Mother Teresa, Einstein, Nelson Mandela, Beethoven, Lincoln, and van Gogh. There are 2 illusions at work here. One, the faces all appear to be looking at you, no matter where you stand and that some of the faces are 10 feet up the wall. Two, the faces are relief carvings (concave, bent inwards, like a spoon) but they appear to be sticking out from the wall. Next, there is an Ames Room. This is a room that from a certain vantage point appears to be a normal room. However, when you go in you find that it is terrifically slanted. The illusion it creates for the viewer is that Zada appears to bumping her head on the ceiling while Brad can’t touch the ceiling even if he leaps for it. This is possible because the back wall is not parallel to the front, it slopes down and away. Finally, you enter a room in which the floor is tilted and water appears to flow uphill, balls roll up hill, and generally everything is off center. A very enjoyable diversion.

July 23, 2008
We drove through Mt. Aspiring National Park today on our way to Fox Glacier (our glacier walk is set for tomorrow morning at 9:00!). The park was lovely with the standard issue gorgeous mountains, lush old growth native forest, pristine creeks, rivers and lakes, spectacular waterfalls crashing down the cliff faces every 20 feet or so. We stopped off at several of the walking trails to gawk and take thousands of photographs.
The first stop we made was the extremely enjoyable walk to the Blue Pools. These pools are reached via an easy track through cool, mossy, fern draped forest and a highly traumatizing (for one member of the party) walk over a swing bridge. Certain seven-year olds rendered the crossing considerably more horrific by skipping and clip-clopping over like the biggest Billy Goat Gruff, setting the bridge to undulating and wildly swinging over the rock filled river.
Once over the bridge, the pools were beautiful (although Zada took serious issue with the nomenclature, “the pools look GREEN, not BLUE.”) The pools (which indeed looked more green than blue) were spectacularly clear; the excellent visibility allowing us to easily spot the monster trout who live here.
This place was a rock-hound paradise. There were amazing specimens of greenstone among other beauties and we were itching to collect some (we both want a set-up like they had at Te Papa, a huge basin with an enormous hunk of raw greenstone and the bottom filled with gravel and grit. Patrons are invited to scoop up a handful of the sediment and polish the rock. It would be a wonderful classroom center and I wonder how many years worth of classes we’d go through before the rock was smooth and glowing green?). However, all the greenstone is the property of the Ngai Tahu (as we learned at Te Papa) and its removal is prohibited. We contented ourselves with photographs and throwing hundreds of rocks into the pool.
We stopped to view several waterfalls – the Fantail Fall, Thundering Falls and “Roaring Billy” falls. Each of these was reached at the end of a short forest walk and was …fill in all the usual overworked adjectives here. It was all of that. There were more enormous hunks of greenstone, more crystal, clear water rushing by, and more general loveliness.
After we left Mt. Aspiring we stopped for a snack break at Paringa Lake, this was a serious mistake as we had to eat and run to avoid the swarms of dive-bombing fantails. They were all over us! Once the bird plague abated it was time for the sand flies to move in. it was lovely, but apparently best enjoyed from the interior of the campervan.
The Tasman Sea providing a stunning backdrop for a good bit of our drive – a backdrop that moved to the foreground at certain points! The surf was insane, HUGE, monstrous, immense, enormous breakers were smashing into the shore. At one point there was rubble all over the road from where the sea kept crashing over it! Very exciting!
We arrived at Fox Glacier Township and confirmed our hike for tomorrow. This should be thrilling! We’ve explored glaciers before; in Alberta and Alaska, but not like this.

July 24, 2008
The glacier hike was incredible. Exhausting, but incredible! We were booked on the sissy tour; called the “Fox Trot” it is a half day hike with an hour exploring the glacier – no ice climbing, no prior experience needed – suitable (by NZ standards) for elderly heart patients and infants in arms. Those Kiwis are psychotically fit. I had to check out a walking stick to get through the bush walk portion. I want to say right here and now how very proud of my knees and ankles I am. Miraculously, everything held together and I got all the way up and back, without any sort of airlift or emergency rescue operation. We have noticed that the Kiwis are a remarkably direct nation on occasion; they are super-scathing about “stupid tourists” not following local advice or warning signs and getting themselves lost or injured. They’ll pull out all the stops to save you, but make it pretty clear they don’t appreciate having had to.
Our guides explained the route, track conditions and checked everyone’s shoes for crampon compatibility. They had extra warm layers, extra waterproof layers, extra boots, socks and even extra backpacks if yours wouldn’t hold everything. We had to check out one of these bags, which was disappointing as we were so excited about having crammed everything into just one small pack (we forgot we’d have to carry the crampons and need a place to store extra layers of clothing). They warned us that there were 600 stairs to climb during the bush walk, no railings over a 100m drop, log bridges and small creek fords on the way up and that we’d have to come back the same way.
Once everyone had their crampons and other gear we were loaded on to a bus and driven from the town to the glacier. When we arrived the two guides divided the group in to 2 groups of 14 and away we went. We only walked to the end of the “car park” (which is Kiwi for parking lot) before stopping. Our guide Simon pointed out the various features of the valley, the steep sides, the horizontal gouges caused by the scrapping of ice and rock, and the piles of till showing where the old terminal faces had been. He also pointed out the NZ Works (like the Department of Transportation) trucks. He explained that they are trying to shore up the car park as it is sinking. About 120 years ago a land slide buried a 500 meter long sheet of ice and detached it from the glacier. Now it’s about 15 meters underground and melting slowly, taking the car park with it.
The first portion of the hike was fairly level through increasingly thick bush. When we stopped again we had an excellent view of the cave out of which flows the river of glacial melt water. Rivers flowing out from under glaciers have a milky color. This is caused by “rock flour”, the finely ground bits of rock that have been pulverized by their time under the glacier. We also saw a pool that had been cut off from the river by shifting currents. This was not milky like the river but blue green like many of the other rivers we’ve seen. After the rock flour settles out of the water the dissolved minerals give the water this color.
Walking on we entered the bush proper which is exceedingly lush. This is a temperate rainforest receiving about 7 meters of rain a year. Everything is encrusted in moss, lichen, and other plants. Most of the trees seem to be hosting at least 50 other species of growing things. We crossed a few streams on stepping stones and a few on log bridges. Then the steps began. We thought that when the guides said 600 steps that they meant figuratively. Alas, they really meant 600 steps, each with a rise of about 2 feet. Clearly the designer of the steps was channeling the ancient Mayan pyramid builders. The stairs in places resembled the winding stairs into Mordor that Gollum leads Frodo and Sam up, that steep with that kind of fall if you slip. One portion had a safety chain which we were ordered to hold at all times.
At last we arrived glacier-side. This, we were told, is the coldest part of the valley due to the wind caused by the very cold glacier in the relatively warm rainforest. Here we strapped on our crampons and were issued an alpenstock (a meter long stick with a point metal end to help keep your feet on the ice) and set off. Fox Glacier Guiding sends a crew out to the ice daily to maintain the pathways on the glacier. They cut steps and fill in cracks. Without the constant maintenance the paths would disappear after just a few days due to melting and evaporation.
Our walk took us over ridges and through crevasses. The ice in a glacier is primarily blue because all of the air has been squeezed out, rendering the ice super-dense. The ice we walked over was probably about 80-100 years old. That is about how long it takes for any one snowflake to get from the neve (the top of the glacier where the snow goes in) to the terminal face (the bottom where the ice stops). We peered into an ice cave that disappeared into the depths of the glacier. We walked under a dripping ice arch and up a steep set of steps where it was necessary to haul oneself up on a rope. It was impossible to photograph enough. Taking all of our photos together one could probably assemble a flip book of our hike.
Our time on the ice flew by and Zada was especially incensed when the hour was up. We wound our way back to the place where we began and removed our crampons. There we began our bush walk back down to the car park. The steps were no more enjoyable going down than they were going up. Everyone’s knees held up and we made it to the car park intact. Zada had to be asked several time not to hop down the steps and skip across the log bridges. She and the guide were the only ones not looking just a bit worked by the hike. When she heard he’d be going back out for another 4 hour glacier hike after lunch, she asked if she could also go again.
Back in town we loaded up the Beast and set our sights on Hokitika.

July 25, 2008
We are delighted to be in Hokitika – one of the primary arts and crafts capitols of NZ. Everyplace else we’ve been, when you pick up this or that little charmingly made piece of kiwiana, it turns out to have been made in Hokitika. We had particularly set our hearts on this place called “Bonz and Stonz”. The proprietor lets you design your own piece and then teaches you how to produce it in paua, bone or greenstone. We were really excited about getting hands-on with the traditional art forms. Unfortunately, this place was closed. We did very much enjoy visiting a glassblowing studio, several jade workshops, a paua shell workshop and a local artists’ cooperative, where we saw amazing work in wood, bone, shell, wool and stone. The artists were very generous with their time and knowledge.
After examining every piece in the entire village, we hit the road for Paparoa National Park to view the “Pancake” rocks. This name comes from the extraordinary arrangement of the layers of rock here on the coast. The park has a very nice track that leads you through a veritable flax forest out to spectacular view of the rocks, the Tasman Sea and the range of snow capped peaks in the distance. It was a glorious day, with more of that impossibly bright southern light glistening off of everything. The view we had was what prompted the Maori to name this land Aotearoa – the “Land of the Long White Cloud”. That was exactly what it looked like, the white peaks seeming to hover above the landscape.
We followed the track, exclaiming at every bend, “They REALLY look like pancakes here!” Until we gave ourselves over entirely to the art of videotaping a blowhole; the sea roars alarmingly and the waters swirl and crash menacingly. You are sure this swell is the one that will send the water erupting up in a spectacular spay and turn the camera on, okay, the next one, no, the one after is really big – keep rolling, if you stop the camera it will take too long to come back on and you’ll miss it! So we have really long series of video of us staring down into various holes in the rock. It was quite exciting when it did happen (which I do not believe we actually caught on time). Anyhow, it was a very attractive park with lots of interesting geological features.
In addition to the “Pancake” rocks the coastline itself bears the unmistakable scars of living next to the sea. The massive breakers are wearing away and sculpting the enormous stands of rock into quite fantastic shapes.

July 26, 2008
Our astounding run of weather luck finally broke today. We beat the odds for a good long time – we haven’t been shut out of almost anything or anyplace we wanted to see. We might have had to curtail or temper activities a time or two, but we always got to do something everywhere we’ve been – until today. After some of the worst roads of the entire trip we fetched up in Abel Tasman National Park to be told we’d missed the day’s last water taxi and all activities, tours and rentals for tomorrow were looking pretty grim. A huge weather system had been smacking around the North Island, flooding and washing out roads and bridges, suspending the ferry and air travel. Now it was moving south. They had seen swells of 4 meters and weren’t about to gives us their kayaks to destroy in the Tasman Bay.
This was a serious disappointment – the whole area is stunning – golden (not yellow, not tan or cream, really GOLDEN) beaches lapped by sparkling turquoise water. Well, let’s give the day its due and carry on a bit about the horrific driving. We were desperate to escape the West Coast, which was costing us a fortune. The consummate artistry of the craftpeople (whether working in glass, stone, bone, shell, wool or a decadent selection of native timbers [all reclaimed or from dead wood]) in this area was impossible to withstand. Somehow I neglected to set up a taonga (treasure) budget and most of you know how precious my spreadsheets are to me. It has been a struggle. Most shops had the workrooms open and the artisans were happy to discuss their craft, the significance (traditional and contemporary, cultural and political) of the medium they worked in and the process by which they transformed the raw materials. The materials themselves are so very beautiful and we were lucky enough to be able to purchase some of these un-worked bits and pieces for the NZ study kits we are assembling for our schools.
Anyhow, we drove, and drove and drove on and up the sides of impossibly steep cliffs, as intricately curved and twisted as Celtic knotwork. Then we drove down, down, down at ever steeper angles off the impossibly steep cliffs into the lovely river valleys/bays/whatever type of water course, again switchbacking and hairpin turning every 20 feet or so. Repeat 5,000,000 x infinity. This was all rendered more challenging than usual by the large preponderance of rockfalls and washouts. You are frequently warned of these hazards, but the roads are so well policed and maintained on the whole that usually it has all been swept up and patched. Not today! Brad loathes the reliance on one-lane bridges here. I disagreed, but have to join with him in condemning the one lane mountain road! Yes, we drove this heart-stopping phenomena 3 times on this road. One was on a completely blind curve and they had set up those dinky shoplifting mirrors you see in convenience stores as your only guide. Sadly, some vandal had broken out the mirrors in both directions so it was really a supreme test of faith, rather than a road hazard.
Well, that for several hours, capped by the bad news at Abel Tasman - followed by more wretched road – about 120km – to retreat to Nelson (where we found everything closed when we arrived)was making for a sad bunch of Texans. However, the sun (in the guise of a local Indian place) shone on us again – figuratively- and we basked in the rosy glow of warm samosas, pakoras and malai kofta. We are now restored and ready for tomorrow, when we hope to cross the Cook Strait.

July 27, 2008
We got up and out very early as we had 134km of fun road to cover to catch the ferry at Picton. I enjoyed the views of the gorgeous Tasman Bay (when my life wasn’t flashing before my eyes). We made good time and although we were cautioned that the seas were extremely “heavy” and the vessel running behind, it should still be making the afternoon crossing. Here goes!

Dunedin to Te Anau

July 19, 2008
The campervan is beyond filthy at the end of its trek from Dunedin to Invercargill. We took the Southern Scenic route through the Catlins. This region is supposedly extremely scenic and picturesque. Personally we found that it looks for the most part like the rest of New Zealand, rolling green hills covered in varying quantities of sheep or cows. There was more native forest here than we’ve seen in most other places and there are more forest reserves too.
The first place we went, in an attempt to see elephant seals and sea lions, was called Nugget Point. This is reached by driving 15km down a rutted gravel road with blind curves and steep grades. The road travels through ever more sheep pastures until emerging along the coast. (Though even here there is the ocean on your left and sheep on the right.) At this point the road becomes a single lane for added excitement. The ocean was breaking violently on some very interesting looking rocks. They were layers of some sedimentary rock that have been tilted and so the layers are at about a 45 degree angle. The wind was roaring along making it difficult to stand in one place. It was also somewhat chilly. We rumbled out to the end of the point and found no seals of any kind.
Our trip out to Nugget Point was not wasted though. Along the way we discovered that sheep are afraid of the sound of the camper’s horn. As we trundled by we would honk and then giggle about the mini stampede we created. (Kimberly wants it noted that though she laughed, she strong disapproves of tormenting simple farm animals.) We only indulged in this activity a few times so as not to cripple the wool industry by traumatizing the nation’s sheep.
Our second stop was more rewarding. We stopped at Purakaunui Falls Scenic Reserve. The track passed through a native forest to a delightful waterfall. The forest reminded me of the Hoh Rainforest in Olympic National Park. The trees, rocks, and even the signage was draped in a hundred varieties of moss. Birds twittered unfamiliar songs in the canopy. This is the kind of forest that most of the two islands were covered with when Captain Cook arrived, the forest that the giant moa lived in before being hunted to extinction by the Maori.
From there we headed for the Cathedral Caves which we discovered are closed for the winter. Moving right along we drove out the Curio Bay. At this place we reached the southernmost point of our journey. Here there is a forest of petrified logs which can only be seen at low tide. The wind was even more ferocious here and the cold even more unbearable. Most of the fossilized trees are laying on their sides half exposed. In a few places there are stumps in which it is possible to identify the bark and some of the rings.
We’ve ended up at a holiday park in Invercargill. Tomorrow we are off to Te Anau to see a glow worm cave and prepare for our drive out to Milford Sound.

July 20, 2008
Today’s EARLY morning drive was brightened by the spectacular vistas. Almost as soon as we turned off onto SH 94 did the verdant, rolling sheep/cattle/deer/ostrich farms give place to majestic snowy peaks. We oooohed and aahhed at a magnificent range on the right, then one on the left, then one right in front of us! We couldn’t wait to get to Te Anau and photodocument these beauties against the aquamarine iridescence of the lake!
Sadly, by the time we reached Te Anau, a huge fog bank – it didn’t roll in or settle; it just appeared – blanketed the …everything. So much for mountains, we couldn’t even see the lake and the town is built right on the shore. Que sera! We booked a tour to cross the lake and visit the glowworm caves.
After a monstrously huge, but delicious, second breakfast (they apparently assume everyone here is fueling up to trek the Milford Trail), we set out to explore the town. It is mostly closed for the winter. Everything that is open is manned by the standard issue, perfect Kiwi staff. Where do they find all these friendly (without ever being pushy or over-familiar) competent people? They must be the product of the NZ schools – year-round, uniformly attractive and gender separated at high school.
The boat trip across the lake was very informative. We saw Manuka trees (love the honey!)and learned that the islands that dot the lake (NZ’s second largest at 350 square kilometers, but deeper than Lake Taupo at about 200 meters deep and the largest containment of fresh water in all of Austalasia)are the handiwork of glaciers. The softer material and sediment having been scoured away and these outcrops of harder bedrock scraped into the current domed shapes. These islands are covered in old growth, native forests and are used by the DOC as part of their programs promoting the conservation of endangered native species.
The corner of Fiordland National Park that hosts the glowworm cave is covered with these evergreen native trees and plants in the hyper-profusion and absurd lushness that seems to be the hallmark of pre-Cook NZ. We entered the cave and immediately were plunged into darkness. The cave ceiling at the entry point is just over a meter high, even Zada had to duck. Bent double we proceeded into a wildly twisted limestone tunnel, almost deafened by the roaring river rushing under our feet and actively excavating the cave around us. The water had created a phantasmagoric labyrinth of bizarrely sculpted sedimentary rock. The base layer of sandstone is eroding at a much slower rate and in a completely different pattern than the limestone upper storey. Holes are being bored into the sandstone, in some places making it look like Swiss cheese while the limestone looks like baklava or perhaps a napoleon – layers of slightly harder material jutting out over more deeply eroded softer rock.
The river was beautiful – raging torrents of the most crystal clear water – here a large pool, there rapids and at one point a spectacular waterfall. We boarded boats and were cautioned against making any noise. Glow worms don’t like light or noise, so there are no pictures of this amazing adventure. Sorry folks, but come to NZ and see for yourself. I cannot imagine anyone on earth who wouldn’t love this place.
We caromed off the rocks, banging our way down a channel (it isn’t easy to steer a boat in a completely blacked-out environment) into a grotto. We had spotted a glow worm or two on the way in, but this was clearly fungus gnat heaven. Glow worms are the larval stage of the fungus gnat and a thoroughly unattractive specimen when seen by light of day. Their behaviors also lack charm, but when drifting silently through a pitch black cave lit only by their twinkling bioluminescence, they are magical. We strained neck muscles and dislodged vertebrae trying to see everything and everywhere at once. It was completely wonderful.
Out of the cave and in the visitor center we were regaled with hot drinks and fun facts about the glow worms and this cave. The town’s name is based on the Maori Te Ana-Au, which means “cave of the swirling waters” or something close to that. No one though anything much about that apparently, until the 1940’s when Lawson Burrows spent three years looking for the legendary spring and found that there was in fact a cave with waters that could be described as swirling. He squeezed through the cave opening and stumbled upon the grotto.
The larval stage of the fungus gnat is its longest phase – it is a glow worm for about 9 months. By comparison, it is only an adult for a few days; the adult stage doesn’t even have a mouth. The glow worm hunts by secreting long stings studded with droplets of a paralyzing toxin. It arranges as many as 70 of these “fishing lines” around its hammock (tube of viscous, clear material that a glowworm uses to attach itself to rock walls). It has complete range of motion in its hammock. The larvae are cannibalistic and somewhat antisocial (near neighbors may be eaten). They only glow when hunting; a sated glow worm goes dark, until it is hungry again.
On the boat trip the clouds parted and the glorious mountains came back into view. We were delighted to see how extremely gorgeous Te Anau really is. The lake water is pristine; you can see every detail on the bottom for a couple of meters or more. This spectacular body of water is outlined in rich green native forest, which itself is set against a backdrop of rugged snowcapped peaks.
To cap the splendours of this place, the campground we are at one of the very nicest holiday parks we have seen yet. The restrooms are heated! This offsets the almost pathological Kiwi fresh air fetish (I say when it is 4 degrees Celsius or less, the doors and windows should be closed! Everywhere we go, be it never so arctic/Antarctic or rainy, every door and window stands wide open! Some are even bolted or fixed so that cannot ever be shut!). It is winter, but the Kiwis know it not.

Christchurch to Dunedin

July 15, 2008
International Antarctic Center- The International Antarctic Center is the public face of the facility from which the United States, New Zealand, and Italy manage their Antarctic research stations. Inside there are a variety of exhibits detailing the kind of jobs and work that are done at the research stations and the difficulties the people working there face. There are more than just scientists there. The bases also employ truck drivers, chefs, machinists, clergy, and artists.
There is a cold room at the center where people from warmer climates can experience a little taste of Antarctic style cold. Inside is a floor of real snow, an igloo, and a slide made of ice. There is also a large thermometer indicating a constant temperature of -8 degrees Celsius (17 degrees Fahrenheit). If you like you can press the button on the Wind Chill Machine. This turns on a fan which allows you to enjoy the icy caress of a -18 degree Celsius wind chill. Before entering the staff issues you a pair of rubber overshoes (to keep the snow clean) and a South Pole grade parka. I’m not sure what the parka is made of (maybe lead or Kevlar) but it sure was warm. None of this cold bothered Zada who went down the ice slide perhaps a hundred times. In the end we had to pull rank with her to get her out of there.
Every hour a “storm” kicks up in the cold room. This involves turning the lights way down and turning on some very large fans. The wind in the room goes up to about 45 knots which (I’m estimating here) is about 38-40 miles per hour. The wind chill drops to around -22 degrees Celsius (-5 degrees Fahrenheit). At that point it is really not possible to describe the cold. It’s a cold that you can feel right through to your bones. Even with our lead parkas we were forced to huddle up with our backs to the wind like the penguins in “March of the Penguins” in order not to freeze to death. After the “storm” passed we dragged Zada out and turned in our parkas.
The center also serves as a rest home and rehabilitation hospital for injured little blue penguins. This is a species found only around New Zealand. (Of the about 20 species of penguin in the world only 4 live in Antarctica.) We watched their daily feeding during which the number of fish eaten by each individual is recorded. Most of the penguins ate in the water as they would in the wild. Some however were unable to swim and so had to be hand fed on shore. Unfortunately, most of the penguins there had been handicapped by human activity. Getting tangled in fishing line and other garbage is a major problem for them as is eating plastic and other waste. Sadly, most of the birds here will never be fit for return to the wild.
I think that I speak for everyone when I say that the most exciting part of our visit was the Hagglund ride. The Hagglund is a Swedish military vehicle something like a tank. It is designed for moving through extremely rough terrain. It can scale, descend, and traverse a 40 degree incline. It can drive over a gap of 1.9 meters (that’s about 6 feet). It’s also amphibious with the tank treads providing the propulsion when it acts like a boat. They cost $500,000 each and need new treads annually for $80,000. If not for the cost, it would be just about perfect for negotiating the potholes of the typical Houston street. The driver made sure that there was plenty of heart stopping action as he drove up and over the hills of the course all the while extolling the virtues of the Hagglund and pointing out the sites of the Antarctic Campus (even the United States Postal Service has an office here).
Before continuing our drive south we had a snack in the café. Here in New Zealand you cannot just say that you want a coffee. If you do they will ask you what kind of coffee you want. Even at Starbucks you have to ask for “filter coffee” if you want a plain old coffee. The closest thing to American coffee is something called a “long black”. This is a shot of espresso with hot water. It is generally excellent. A great surprise has been the Kiwi ability to make a dessert. At the center we had a carrot cake which was simply divine. Back at Te Papa we had a brownie and a chocolate truffle cake and both were heavenly. We are investigating which of the immigrant groups brought the secret of tasty desserts to New Zealand.
We carried on south which today was nice as there were no steep, twisty roads. There were several charming towns along the way. We didn’t stop until we got to Oamaru where there is a blue penguin colony. Our attempts to see the penguins was foiled by the fact that the birds spend the whole day at sea eating and don’t come back to shore until evening. Perhaps our penguin dreams will be fulfilled in Dunedin.

July 16, 2008
This morning’s first stop was the Moeraki Boulders. These are boulders ranging from 2 to 5 feet in diameter. They are almost perfectly spherical and are scattered across about 180 feet of Pacific beachfront. The boulders formed about 60 million years ago when this area was on the sea floor and lime salt formed around a solid core. Today some are still being eroded out of the cliff above the beach. Some have been cracked open by the ravages of time and are now strewn about, large chunks of gray stone lined with yellow crystal. The beach around the boulders is covered with lovely iridescent snail shells. Zada made a good attempt to collect all of these and only reluctantly put down several large handfuls when we told her she would have to abandon some of her other treasures in New Zealand for want of baggage space.
Upon arriving in Dunedin we embarked on a 40 minute quest to find parking. There is no street parking for more than an hour anywhere in the city. There are a few parking garages but only one was tall enough to accommodate the Beast. For $2 an hour we were able to leave the camper and visit Cadbury World. This is the place where such delightful treats as Crème Eggs, Caramello, and Dairy Milk bars come from. During the course of the tour we were able to fill goodie bags with full size Cadbury candy bars. We each earned an extra bar from the guide for answering questions. It is a fascinating facility where they turn out 95% of the chocolate made in New Zealand. Inside an old storage tank they have created a 50 foot chocolate waterfall. In 30 seconds it spills out a ton of melted chocolate. The guide assured us that none of that chocolate goes into the food. The tour ends where all good tours end, in the gift shop. The Cadbury shop sells the half pound blocks of chocolate for about $1.50. Mmm… treats!
After the chocolate shop we walked around the city’s Octagon. That’s the central district, covered in charming cafes, shops and gorgeous buildings. Dunedin is apparently less subject to the subterranean forces that rock and rip so much of the rest of the country as wonderful examples of Victorian and Scots/Edwardian architecture abound here. There are several impressive churches, the Municipal Chambers, the Law Courts and lovely homes lines the steep streets – no doubt anchored in place by the weight of gingerbread trim they carry.
The Railway Station was the real heavyweight though. This stunning building, constructed with contrasting Oamaru limestone and central Otago bluestone, is impressive inside and out. It is done in a sort of Northern Renaissancesque style with richly ornamented dormer windows projected from a steeply pitched roof. A 120’ clock tower surmounts the whole. The interior is equally rich with railway themed mosaic floors and an intricately wrought frieze of Royal Doulton manufactured cherubs and floral swags underlining the wrought iron balcony. This will be our point of departure tomorrow (weather willing) for our Taieri Gorge rail expedition.

July 17, 2008
Today we split forces. Kimberly and Zada explored the Otago Museum and Brad went on the Speights tour.
The Otago Museum has a marvelous collection of Pacific Island treasures. The entrance to the galleries is manned by a splendid Easter Island Moai. These galleries are filled with masks, musical instruments, ceremonial garb and weapons from Micronesia, Polynesia and Melanesia. Interpretive panels explain the relevance of such rituals as the Kava ceremony (only a ritual with certain groups – enjoyable beverage to others) and explain the similarities and differences (genetic, linguistic and cultural) between the various peoples of the Pacific. Zada was most impressed with the necklaces and headdresses – beautiful arrangements of shell and feathers or somewhat terrifying strings of human teeth and armored fish skins ringed with shark teeth.
Across the hall is their Maori collection – not large, but with some extraordinary pieces. Their waka, war canoe, is one of the largest and most elaborately carved we seen so far. They also give a good bit of gallery space to information about archeological excavations of an early settlement in the Shag River area.
The whole museum was amazing, other galleries housed a plesiosaur, skeletons of several moa and a recreation of the NZ La Brea tar pits equivalent swamp that trapped so many of these flightless birds. There were fossil dolphins, sea turtles and other marine mammoths.
At the top of the museum was a true hall of wonders! There was a photograph showing the museum in its original late 1800’s splendor – several floors of galleries lit by skylights over a central atrium. These galleries housed wooden glass-fronted cabinets filled with …everything on earth. They have recreated this original Victorian gallery on the top floor – called “Animal Attic”. It was unbelievable, the Victorian passion for collection, collation and cataloging in all its glory. There were cases filled with the taxidermed or skeletal remains of Noah’s Ark. Except there was only one of each kind. I found it a little overwhelming and also a little disturbing, but I was completely alone in this as I have never seen so many completely fascinated and transfixed children ever. They couldn’t see enough, read enough, or ask enough questions.
I did learn the origin of the “Rat King” in the Nutcracker, as they had a preserved example floating in a jar. A “Rat King”, you are no doubt breathless to know, is a rare phenomena. The tails of all the juvenile rats in a nest become snarled together in the nesting material and the rats are the inseparable (one wonders who ever tried to separate one and why?). It will further interest you to know that if a “Rat King” were found in a house, the house would be razed and all the women burned as witches.
As if all this weren’t enough for one day we next made our way to the train station and boarded the historic Taieri Gorge train. The train travels alongside the course of the beautiful Taieri River. We took the train as far as Pukerangi and then returned. It was a very lovely and enjoyable journey. The pictures fell victim to the over-bright Southern light – in real life it gives a remarkable brilliance to everything, photographically is shrouds the world in mist. The train traversed several aqueducts and high iron trestles spanning 100 foot gorges. We were again amazed to note that almost every square centimeter of land in NZ is in use. I had no idea that sheep and cows could graze on mountaintops and at a 60% angled slope. They are far more surefooted than you’d guess.
We got back to the campground in time to explore the creek trail and go searching the cliff faces for glowworms. Yes, a word here, again, about NZ campgrounds - they are incredible! And, yes, this one in Dunedin has a lovely creek and wooded trail area complete with glowworms on the grounds. It was delightful to see those little fairy lights shine through the trees and ferns along the trail.

July 18, 2008
Today we went to the top of the world’s steepest street. Baldwin Street, in Dunedin, is certified by the Guinness Book of World’s Records as the steepest street in the world. It is a ridiculous looking thing- it climbs at a 38 1/3 degree angle according to the propaganda, according to me it was a sheer cliff face – easily an 88 or 89 degree angle. How do the people who live there manage? I have never owned a car that could manage that incline – they must replace their brakes and transmissions at least twice a year. Zada cavorted, skipped and frolicked all the way to the top. Brat. My legs shook for at least half an hour after we got down. They hold an annual event, charmingly titled “The Baldwin Street Gutbuster”, which requires participants to complete the lung-scorching, heart-bursting course in two minutes. We missed the Jaffa race, sadly – this is an event where they roll Jaffas (a roundish Cadbury chocolate) down the hill. The street was still fairly well coated in the squished remains of the contenders.
We headed back into the city center to see the new Chinese Gardens and visit the Cadbury climbing wall. Zada was a champ at this and more than earned the snack sized Moro bar prize. She frittered her rapidly dwindling financial resources away on a regulation rugby ball and a possum fur/merino scarf.
Fortunately, by the time we got back to the Yellow-eyed Penguin Reserve office, the gift shop had closed. The excitement of viewing so many of these incredibly adorable and terribly endangered animals would doubtless have triggered an orgy of fridge magnet, plush toy buying. We were run like hunted rabbits through a bewildering series of underground trenches. Racing the penguins from one viewing blind to the next and standing breathlessly (holding our breath because they are highly sensitive to noise, which was challenging, as racing madly up and down dunes and hills had us snorting and blowing like racehorses)still and silent while we watched for them to bodysurf onto shore. They “porpoise” out in the surf for an irritatingly long time. When they’ve assured themselves that all is well, they shake themselves like little dogs and begin their hop-waddle up the beach and into the dunes.
We were lucky enough to see several of these wonderful birds; they are the only non-social penguin. They dislike the sight of each other, much less anything else, and will not appear if they feel threatened in any way – hence the underground viewing blinds and injunction for silence. We also saw a Little Blue, or Fairy Penguin, in a nest. These are the world’s smallest penguins and we struck out seeing them once before because we hadn’t done our homework and learned that they only emerge from the sea at nightfall. The one in the nest was a juvenile, who apparently hadn’t got the memo that they feed all day in the winter.

Wellington to Christchurch

July 12, 2008
Te Papa. Today we visited Te Papa, the national museum. It is a spectacular museum and by the end of the day our brains were leaking out of ears. We dedicated the entire day and it really wasn’t enough time. They should have little rooms set aside so you can nap between the different floors as each level presents an unbelievable array of cultural artifacts, natural wonders and attendant information.
We started out on the second floor which houses the “Amazing Forces” and “Mountains to Sea” exhibits. The Amazing Forces is entered through a doorway in a huge model of the earth. Inside there are incredible interactive displays detailing the various physical processes that formed and continue to shape the earth. Among these was an earthquake house with footage from the 1961 Edgecombe earthquake; a model of the tectonic plates, models of the various types of faults with photographs of their effect on the landscape. They also had a huge video panel model of the layers of the earth, reflecting onto a mirrored floor and wall to produce a 3-D flaming globe effect. There were countless other fascinating exhibits; a jumping floor where you measure the size of earthquake you have the force to produce, a winch you turn to store enough tension under the surface to produce an earthquake and a fascinating display called, “New Zealand, Naturally Disastrous” sponsored by the Earthquake Commission. I could go on and on, but I’ll spare you. It was completely amazing.
“Mountains to Sea” was a native flora and fauna wonderland. Models of NZ tree types were set up like playscapes to walk through and around while looking at various displays of the creatures they play host and grocery store to. Interactive panels, video, sound effects and a large hands-on component made this area engaging for all ages. We learned such useful information as that duplicity is an adaptation that has allowed species such as mistletoe and the cuckoo to survive. The mistletoe produces beautiful berries which entice birds to eat them. The berry is expelled in a viscous fluid that sticks to the birds’ posterior and must be scraped off on a branch. This ensures the ideal placement of the seed on a host plant. The mistletoes “tricks” the birds into helping destroy the tree that they depend upon.
Each floor also has a “Discovery Place”, a kids’ center filled with games, activities, books, computer stations and touch tables relevant to the materials on display in the galleries. These centers were incredible! The one on this floor had projecting microscopes, a variety of pelts, and a series of projects created by NZ schoolchildren on various natural history topics.
They final area we visited on this floor was the “X-Ray” room. Dozens of skeletons from marine mammals – whales, dolphins and seals – are displayed here.
Next floor was “Blood, Earth and Fire” and was dedicated to the ways in which invasive species have impacted NZ. This was really fascinating. Zada particularly enjoyed the large “cargo hold” that you crawl through and inspect to look for signs of these invaders. She found bats in boxes of bananas, maggots in tomatoes, mosquitoes in tires, beetles in wood carvings and termites in a load of furniture. The depredations of these and other exotic s are truly dreadful. The native species had very few if any predators and little competition. They were very poorly equipped to deal with the invading hordes and many have been pushed to the brink of extinction.
The 4th floor dealt with the human population of NZ. There were several galleries of exquisite Maori carving – beautiful greenstone pieces, bone and intricate weaving. They have an elaborately carved meeting house, a model sleeping house and food storage house all of which allow entry. An amazing section showcased models of sailing vessels. They had a huge traditional canoe and then these scale models of modern constructions of traditional Maori long voyage vessels. This attempt to recapture the past skills of their ancestors has resulted in several successful voyages across the Pacific – one from NZ to Hawaii.
This floor also had a marvelous gallery dealing with more recent immigration. There was a very popular kiosk where you answered a few questions to see if you would have rated free passage in the 1800’s and then another were you see if you could immigrate today. They had a very amusing computer game where you were the captain of an immigration vessel and made several choices regarding route, sickness, cargo and so on to see if you could get to NZ and earn the company bonus.
The Discovery Place on this floor had costumes, sticks and balls on stings called Pui Pui and instructions for how to perform the dances they go with. Flash card games and shopping lists introduced Maori words in a fun format as did several genealogical exercises.
I’ve completely left out the outdoor component on each of these floors – well there was a lovely garden, sculpture court or combination on each floor. The remaining floors were art galleries. Needless to say, we crawled out on our knees. I have only skimmed the surface here and done a rotten job of that even. This place needs to be seen.

July 13, 2008
Wellington to Picton on the Inter Island ferry.
We had another perfect day and the Cook Strait was very lovely. The voyage was uneventful – with one brief exception. The PA announced, “Whales on the starboard side!” Everyone dropped everything and ran for the decks. You’d have thought the boat was on fire. It is a testament to the effective loading of the cargo and vehicles that the ferry didn’t tip over. Anyhow, “Whales starboard”, is apparently some sort of maritime code for uninterrupted vista of water, rocks and trees.
We drove to Kaikoura, with a brief stop at Oahu Point to check out a seal colony. They were lolling about on the rocks looking adorable. There were several pups playing and splashing in tide pools as their elders rested.

July 14, 2008
Sperm Whales and dolphins and seals, Oh my!
We got up considerably before dawn to get over to Whale Watch and check in for our trip. They have a lovely facility with a gift shop full of stuffed whales. The staff, like every place we have been in NZ, was extremely friendly and competent and all the service excellent. The entire nation is also pristine – no litter anywhere! The views from the boat were magnificent. The views from the shore were magnificent. Even the views from the parking lot of the grocery store were magnificent. The Seaward Kaikoura range glowed in alpine splendor to our left and the Pacific sparkled in marine sublimity on our right.
Anyhow, out we went and saw several seabirds –albatross and the like. Those birds are incredible – you would never guess the size of their wingspan when they are sitting quietly in the water. Next we came to a group of NZ fur seals capering about. Their population has rebounded amazingly since being protected. Our captain used an underwater microphone to listen for the whales. This company uses only passive methods to find the whales – no sonar or radar or anything that might interfere with their communications. He picked up the distinctive “clicks” emitted by sperm whales on the hydrophone and started tracking the whale. He was feeding and they warned us that sometimes the feeding dives could last an hour of more. We were fortunate and fairly soon the frequency of the clicks increased which generally means a return to the surface.
Zada was the first to spot the plume of spray that accompanied the whale’s surfacing and we were seeing our very first sperm whale. One nice feature of the sperm whale is that when they surface, they spend a good 10 to 15 minutes re-oxygenating before they dive. Very cooperative of them, unlike their baleen cousins the humpbacks, who often are only up for a second then dive again. This whale stayed up and allowed me to take 387 pictures, about 14 of which don’t look like a floating log. Truly a magnificent creature. I find it incredible that people hunt them. I’ve been on several whale viewing trips and have been lucky enough to see 4 different species and the reaction of everyone aboard – including the operators, who must see them almost daily – is always joyful, giddy awe. How can someone see one of these magnificent animals breach the surface and reach for the harpoon gun?
After he dove again we headed out to look for dolphins and almost instantly came upon a mammoth herd of about 400 dusky dolphins. These exuberant animals were tremendous fun to watch and almost completely impossible to photograph. Thank heaven we live in the age of digital photography. I cannot image how anyone ever captured images of wildlife before. I took hundreds more photographs as we were ringed by these marine acrobats and seriously 95% of them turned out to be pictures of ocean. They were up turning flips and leaping everywhere and gone again in less than a second. We spent a good 25-30 minutes being captivated by their antics before we headed back to Kaikoura.
When we reached the shore we headed out to local seal colony at the end of the peninsula. When we arrived I was seriously annoyed to find no seals. The tide was out and we explored tide pools filled with snails, huge periwinkle type things and sea stars. The rock shelf exposed by low tide showed the most bizarre erosion channels. Only as we were walking back to the campervan did we notice that the parking lot was surrounded by seals. They were right there. We had been looking out away to the rocky promontories off shore and they were lying on the grass and sandy beach beside the parking lot. You are warned not to get between them and the sea and to stay about 10m away. We tried to abide by this, but while I was contorting myself around a boulder to get a shot of a large bull sunning himself I heard a squealing sort of snort and looked over my shoulder to see an EVEN larger bull rolling in the grass not 10 feet away.
After that we loaded up and headed off to Christchurch. Christchurch has lovely buildings, a gorgeous cathedral and a charming greenspace beside the river Avon winding through town. It is however the only dirty place I have seen in NZ. Litter everywhere - styrofoam boxes floating with the ducks on the river, sidewalks covered with cigarette butts, graffiti on building walls. It was appalling after a week’s worth of pristine perfection. I haven’t seen as much as a gum wrapper in a parking lot and now this! I realize that as an American, this is the height of hypocrisy. I am sure the typical NZ landfill looks better than any of our cities, but it was surprising to see that this city is so out of step with the rest of the perfection program.

White Island to Wellington

July 8, 2008
This was a really big day for us – the expedition to White Island. This is one of the things we were most looking forward to and it absolutely exceeded our expectations! We went with PeeJay Charters and the staff and facilities were outstanding – truly excellent.
The weather cooperated beautifully – it was a gorgeous day, blue skies for the entire trip. We embarked at 9:00 and the trip out was really lovely. Whakatane is a very picturesque town – it reminded me a little of Hot Springs NP. We saw Whale Island and heard about its exotic history – environmentally destroyed by various commercial endeavors, by the time the government took it over it was overrun with rats and goats and all native fauna had been obliterated. It is now a conservation reserve and thriving.
We landed on White Island by zodiac and scaled a rusted ladder (everyone’s tetanus booster is I believe up-to-date) and tiptoed across a terrifyingly corroded metal plank and then scrambled over a boulder field up to the beach. White Island is New Zealand’s only active marine volcano. It is the site of intense study by volcanologists and we saw their cameras and several of the markers and equipment they use to monitor its activities. Once on the beach you are confronted with the ruins of the sulfur mine destroyed by an eruption in 1914. You can also hear the hissing of the countless fumaroles. Our walk took us on a circuit of the crater floor. The number of steaming holes in the ground is beyond reckoning. Each one is surrounded by delicate yellow crystals of sulfur. In some places these crystals begin to build up into chimneys above the hole. The smell was at times unendurable and we had to resort to the gas masks thoughtfully provided by the guides. They also distributed hard candy to combat the hacking cough occasioned by inhaling too many sulfurous fumes. (Let me not malign sulfur. We learned that pure sulfur is odorless. The horrific stench associated with sulfur (that foul, rotten egg, brimstone smell) is sulfur dioxide or sulfur combined with carbon dioxide.) In many places the ground is covered with a crust of sulfur, silica and gypsum. There are channels cut by rainwater runoff where you can see the layer of volcanic material ejected over the years. During its most recent eruption, in 2000, the volcano covered itself with a foot thick layer of scoria (volcanic pebbles). In the middle of the crater is a jade green lake that steams like a cauldron. Its temperature is about 57 degrees Celsius (134 degrees Farhenheit) and has a PH of -0.1. The guide told us that if anyone fell in there would be a “big splash, a short squeal, and a long silence.” The environment is very acidic from the countless fuming holes that dot the island. The guides told us that their t-shirts start developing holes in just a couple of weeks. It is very hard to describe – sort of a cross between a moonscape and a post-apocalyptic , geothermal wonderland. We all had a great time.

July 9,2008
Another gorgeous day! We left Rotorua and headed towards Lake Taupo. Enroute we stopped at Orakei Koraku another geothermal wonderland. The “Emerald Terrace” descends into Lake Orakei and a continuous cascade of heated water flows over its sparkling silica surface into the lake water. We ferried across the lake and landed beside the terraces. A boardwalk path led around a series of geysers, mud pots and fumeroles. The landscape was wonderfully lush. Lichens, moss, and ferns densely covered the trailsides. The plants apparently love the hot, mineral rich environment as they were everywhere - algae over the terraces, moss and ferns all around the edges of the fumeroles and mud pots.
The Ruatapu cave was a wonderful feature. We descended a series of switchbacked stairs to reach the entrance. It was a craggy, enormous cavern with birds nesting in the upper reaches. At the base of the cave was a tiny jewel-like pool. The water was a deep, clear aquamarine. It was too clear. Poor Zada didn’t realize where the water began and waded out up to her knees by the time she realized she was in!
After this we made our way to Wairakei and the Volcanic Activity Center. This place was wonderful. I wish we could uproot the entire thing and bring it home for the kids. It had hands-on interactive displays for every conceivable type of geologic phenomena. There was a giant globe that had removable tectonic plates. An earthquake simulator, where you sit in a mock living room and are subjected to a tooth-rattling 6.3 quake! They had a cone volcano simulator, geyser simulator, and a tornado simulator as well. We overheard one gentleman trying to explain to his children that tornadoes were some sort of meteorological thing that they have in America all the time. They also have a series of videos about Mount Ruapehu and its eruption cycle. Several kiosks were receiving data from geologic tracking stations around the country, so that you could get real time data on White Island, Mt. Ruapehu, Mt Ngauruhoe and other sites. Everything was amazingly kid friendly and highly informative at the same time.
Driving on we headed to the Huka Falls. The falls vary from 7 to 9 meters in height based on the amount of water going through the hydro-electricity plant upriver.
The final perfect moment of the day came with the stunning views of Mt. Ruapehu, Mt. Tongariro and Mt. Ngauruhoe across Lake Taupo.
7/10/2008
Yet another beautiful day – moderate temperatures and blue skies held sway as we headed into Napier in quest of Art Deco architecture. I want to insert a quick unpaid advertisement here about the unbelievable excellence of New Zealand’s campgrounds. Their facilities are amazing! Pristine grounds with excellent playgrounds, family rooms/communal dining rooms, fully equipped communal kitchens, clean showers/spas, laundry, and so on and so on. All the campgrounds in thermal areas like Rotorua, Whakatane and the Taupo region have thermal pools also. My only complaint is that Kiwis are apparently much sturdier than your typical American and do not feel the cold. They keep opening all the doors and windows in these marvelous facilities rendering them all Arctic Adventure Centers.
Anyhow, Napier was very charming. We went by the Art Deco Trust and collected all the pamphlets and information. The city has been wiped out by natural disasters a couple of times, most recently in the 1930’s when earthquake and fire leveled the town. It was rebuilt in the prevailing style of the day. It looks like a binky Metropolis without Superman. We did the walking tour and took appropriate note of all notable architectural features. The city is rife with sidewalk cafes, locally produced craft boutiques and decorative fountains. I was strong and did not go into the Opossum World shop. I would have squandered all our remaining funds on merino/possum blend wool products. Possum socks for everyone!
We next headed to the Marine Parade, a lovely promenade along the Pacific Ocean featuring cream colored arcades and another gorgeous fountain. Eight foot waves were breaking deafeningly on shore.
We had to cut our time here short as a four hour drive to Wellington was ahead of us and no one wants to pilot “The Beast” (as we not so fondly call the campervan) around the mountains in the dark. Along the way we did stop in Greytown – another really charming (I’m beating that word to death, but “quaint” always seems to have a slightly condescending flavor to it to me, and it really is all absurdly charming, so blame the Kiwis for my repetitiveness) hamlet about 80 kilometers from Wellington. It is all Victoriana and we stopped at a chocolate shop called “Schoc”. It was truly phenomenal. They are famous for their limechili chocolate. It is amazing! As was the lemonwhite, the pink pepper and the lapsang souchong smoked chocolate – they had sample crumbles of all their amazing flavors in an antiques pharmacy chest. Each drawer held an incredible taste sensation. I freely admit, they all SOUND terrible, but they were all divine. I will post a link to their site in the “links” sidebar - check them out.
July 11, 2008
RED PANDA ATTACK! Today was marvelous. We took the bus into Wellington and headed for the zoo. Ah! Workable public transportation! We had bipolar/Seattle weather all day. It was blustery with blue skies, except every 15 to 20 minutes it would mist and or drizzle. Anyways, it was perfect red panda pestering weather.
The Wellington Zoo is a very nice facility. It is a small zoo, but all the enclosures are well done, the grounds are immaculate and the staff is all very friendly and knowledgeable. They host these incredible animal encounters. You can get up close and personal with one of several different animals. We booked the Red Panda encounter.
We met Paul, the zookeeper at the enclosure and he briefed us on safety and basic behavior protocols and the let us into the pen. The zoo has a very successful red panda program. They have 5 red pandas currently: a retired breeding pair, a current breeding pair and a six month old named Sir Ed (after Sir Edmund Hillary, who had passed away just before the cub was born).
First we met Rika, a 13 year old female (1/2 of the retired pair). She was coy for about 3 seconds and then she scented the pear slices we had. She was then all over us. They are unbelievably precious – so furry, and snuffly and gosh-darn cute! They are ridiculously adorable and you can hardly stop gibbering baby talk and other nonsense at them as they crawl all over you for pear slices. Their primary diet is bamboo, but their treat preference is absolutely pear. They rejected the apple and would only condescend to their fiber cake when they were completely sure the pear was all gone.
As we fed them, Paul told us about their many adaptations and the threats they currently face. They are extremely endangered due primarily to habitat loss. They have thick fur to keep them warm in the Himalayan ranges – even their feet are fur-covered instead of having pads. They are pigeon-toed and have semi-retractable claws to facilitate tree climbing, as they spend most of their life aloft. The scientific pendulum swings in trying to place these wonderful animals – they are currently said to be most closely related to raccoons. In the past they were believed to be related to bears. Overall they are incredibly charming and it is tragic to think that indiscriminate logging for timber and farmland are threatening them with extinction.
After the zoo we explored the Botanical Gardens – really lovely with camellias everywhere. We rode up by cable car and then wound our way down via the 40% grade trails and paths. After that we wandered the shopping in the Lambton Quay area until we landed in an All Blacks store and all our money magically disappeared.