An Unexpected Detour

We've had an intersting few days. After spending a relaxing night in Golden Bay recovering from the Abel Tasman hike, we set off for the West Coast and the Franz Josef glacier.

As soon as we got beyond Nelson the rain began and we spent the next six hours traversing mountain passes in a torrential downpour. At one point we had to stop because the rain reduced visibility to zero. We finally made it to the West Coast proper and as we drove further south we noticed that the land around the bridges we were crossing was beginning to flood as the rivers swelled. It was a great relief when we saw the sign for the Franz Josef glacier, only half and hour's drive away. But when we turned down the road for the final stretch we were stopped by a traffic official, who told us that part of the bridge up ahead had washed away, and showed us a picture similar to the one below. Needless to say we were heavily disappointed, because there is no other way to get to the glaciers other than a 12 hour detour.

So reluctantly we turned around and headed back to the nearest town, Greymouth. On the way back we recrossed the bridges and noticed that the water levels of the rivers had risen and had begun to widen considerably. We later learned that these areas needed to be evacuated due to flood risk.
When we got to Greymouth we learned that the route north back to Nelson was also closed, and our only way out was to drive east across the breadth of the south island to Christchurch. We decided to wait out the storm in Greymouth and assess our options in the morning. As the night went on we were treated to intense thunder and lighting, more torrential rain and hail, but by the next morning the storm had moved to the north. The routes south and north were still closed though, and so our only option was to go to Christchurch.

Our revised route

It was really disappointing to miss the glaciers, but we were compensated by a drive through an astoundingly beautiful mountain pass across the southern alps we otherwise would not have seen.

We only spent one night in Christchurch. I really wanted to see the earthquake damage and get a feel for the place. It feels very strange, like a ghost town, like something more than just load of buildings was broken. There is a profound sense of loss in the city, particularly in the red zone and it was clearly felt by the other people walking around, looking at the ruins of the city centre, talking in hushed tones.
Susan wrote a particularly poignant poem about the feeling which captures the mood quite accurately:

Toeriste fluisterpraat

Trap versigtig op die heilige? grond

trilgrond

     bewe-grond

          breekgrond

Kliek:  katedraal wat verwese

           oorleun na een kant -

           gestut met staalstrukture

           grafitti teen die muur:

           Jesus saves

Kliek:  afgekordonde nagklub

           Open till late

           Striptease dancers

Kliek:  Verlate woonstelblokke

           krake en verval

           letsels nog rou

           Balkondeur kreun oop

           in die wind

           Stoel sigbaar -

           skeef gestamp

Tuis worstel ek in my slaap

om onder bourommel uit te beur

Ek verstik in stof en bloed en angs

en die oordonderende stilte

                     Christchurch, 3 Januarie 2013

ChristChurch Cathedral

mmm...

Just around the corner from Cathedral square, the city council has set up a little commercial district called Re:START. All the shops and businesses are housed in shipping containers and it is to this little pile of steel boxes that the life of Christchurch has migrated. We sat down and had a coffee to soak up the energy of that little hub of human activity; a stark contrast with the sense of lifelessness of the broken wreckage surrounding it.

South Island Excursion, Part 1

So the first post of the year happens to fall on the first day of 2013. We trust everyone had a relaxing and enjoyable festive season. Susan, Elsje and I are currently sitting - drowsy and content - in a cosy backpackers in Golden Bay, about 80km from the Abel Tasman National Park, on the north-west coast of New Zealand's south island. We have just finished a three-day hike and thought we'd check in and show off some piccies before we carry on :)

Six days ago we took the ferry from Wellington and landed on the south island at Picton. We stayed overnight, and the next day we were off into the Marlborough sounds to look for dolphins to swim with. We found some Hector's dolphins (pictured below) and some enthusiastic 'common' dolphins who gave us the impression they wanted a swim, but ultimately they made a sport of making the humans chase them around the sounds.

A Hector's dolphin checking us out

The very next day we took a drive to Nelson, and after a night in a dodgy backpackers we were off to the Abel Tasman National Park for a three-day hike. It was astoundingly beautiful there: all golden beaches, turquoise water and dramatic headlands covered in lush native forests. The hike itself was also really gentle  so we had ample opportunity to take in the the scenery and to simply enjoy the experience. It gave us all a taste of what New Zealand is famed for, and really, what I think this place is truly all about. We met a lot of foreign tourists who did little more than rave about the natural beauty of the place, and we actually picked up a load of tips and suggestions on places to check out on the rest of our journey.

I call this one 'Point and Click' because that's all you have to do in the Abel Tasman to get an awesome picture.

Walking from bay to bay, we came across many a  private 'bach' (pronounced 'batch,' which is basically a beach house), and I think I now understand something of the Kiwi mentality behind the desire for 'a bach, a boat and a Beamer.' These folks truly know how to relax.

So now, after three days of glorious hiking and a day of recovery in the beautiful Golden Bay, we are headed further south, via the west coast, to see the glaciers.

We put our Christmas tree up today. I like it :)

Being pregnant brings with it an insatiable desire for good food....
Russell; cook extraordinaire. My hero :) 

Hawke's Bay

We've been in New Zealand for almost a year now, and in Wellington for pretty much all of that time. This week Elsje and I decided that we'd had enough of Wellington, so we decided to take a break and go for a drive.

Elsje searched online and checked out a place called Hawke's Bay. We liked the look of the area and she managed to find a beautiful little bed and breakfast called Tom's Cottage in a small town called Havelock North. So yesterday morning, early, we went for a drive and four hours later we arrived at Tom's Cottage, at the foot of Te Mata Peak.

The B&B is situated on the western ridge of the Tuki Tuki valley and is tucked away amongst the region's wine-lands. It actually reminded us a bit Franschhoek in the Western Cape. To be honest the area took us both by surprise; it was beautiful, warm and incredibly tranquil. It was as if the New Zealand we had anticipated seeing when we first arrived here a year ago were suddenly before us. It was also the first time that it has truly felt like summer, I mean in the proper, African sense, i.e. it was hot!

Since we only had one night, we just explored the town a bit, went to the coast and walked around the valley beside the river. We managed to find some boerewors in town and we cooked it and had it with some homemade bread our hosts had baked for us, overlooking the undulating foothills of the Te Mata range.

It was a short and simple trip, a little breather from the city and a chance to recharge a bit - something both of us have been neglecting this year.

The view from the deck of the B&B

Te Mata Peak

The view from Te Mata Peak, looking roughly north-east. On the right edge of the middle ground is the Tuki Tuki river and in the distance is a view of Hawkes Bay.

The rather unimaginatively named, Ocean Beach

This morning we went to Napier, the most touristy town in Hawke's Bay. It is known as the art deco capital, and it doesn't disappoint.

Note: NZ is nothing if not odd and this little town is no exception. It's called Dannevirke (meaning 'Danish creation') and is a small service town on the way to Hawke's Bay. The town was founded in the 1870s by people of Scandinavian extraction, a fact the residents seem to be especially proud of:

I Love Karl Pilkington

This is Karl Pilkington. He's known the world over as a man with a head like an orange. His is a unique brand of genius, of the comedic variety. He is, like the man who made him famous, Ricky Gervais, an acquired taste. He gained popularity on the Ricky Gervais show and most recently has appeared on a TV series called 'An Idiot Abroad.' Karl is not an idiot, he just has a unique perspective on the world, an ill-informed one to be sure, but one that is no less valid because of it. Embrace Karl Pilkington, invite him into your life and be happier for it. Thank you.