So, for the second straight weekend in a row, weather has thwarted our plans. This time around, however, we were well prepared with a back up plan that turned out to be incredibly fun!
Our destination for this weekend's travels was Te Anau. It is the doorstep of the Fiordlands National Park and the location where the Kepler Track (a Great Walk managed by the Department of Conservation) begins. The above picture of the setting sun was taken near our the Henry Creek campsite (our resting spot for the first night) on the shores of Lake Te Anau.
Thankfully, this was not my shelter for the evening. It was erected on our campsite by either the previous tenants or some active possums.
Ryan poses with this incredibly large (and heavy) log that he tried to pick up.
In need of some big eats before the big day on the trail, I decided to order lamb shanks for dinner. I definitely needed something tasty since I'd be surviving on granola bars and tangelo marmalade & peanut butter sandwiches (definitely a winning combination) for the next couple days.
After a night's rest, we set off on the Kepler Track, "blessed" with a light, constant shower and breezy winds. Here I am, bright orange poncho and all, overlooking Lake Te Anau after passing the "Control Gates" which marks the beginning of the Kepler Track.
It never ceases to amaze me how wickedly beautiful and fun these trails are in New Zealand. While there's a certain familiar character common to each trail, they have their own unique charm.
The Kepler Track followed the coast very closely all the way up to Brod Bay where we stopped very briefly to catch a breath. I tested out the "panoramic" feature of my cameraphone and was very impressed with the results. The above is a view across Lake Te Anau from Brod Bay. While the track had been relatively flat most of the way so far, we were about to begin the 1000m climb from Brod Bay to the Mount Luxmore Hut.
I finally got a picture of "koru!" That's the Maori term for baby fern fronds which are not only cool looking, but also a common design element in Maori art.
After snaking our way upwards for a good long while, we reached the Limestone Bluffs where we paused for a moment to grab a snack and take a photo. We were making excellent progress!
A while afterwards, we cracked the treeline and were exposed to cloudy mists and a snowy, alpine landscape.
After a trudge through some snow & mud, we arrived at the Mount Luxmore Hut!
Looking down from the hut (through the thick cloud cover) you can see part of South Fiord which extends towards Lake Te Anau. Beautiful, beautiful sights!
Inside the hut, it wasn't quite as warm as I would've liked. There was a weak little cast iron fireplace that didn't help much and, as you can see from the photo, snow could get inside through the upstairs door just in front of the bunkrooms & washroom. Brrr...
Our late afternoon and early evening adventures took us to the Luxmore Caves just 10 minutes away from the hut. Rumor had it that the caves go on for beyond 200m and there are glowworms at the end...
There were some really tight spaces and unusual rock formations in the cave that made the exploring fascinating and just a bit spooky.
You can see that the first cave chamber is quite spacious and Ryan is resting only about halfway down. Going into the cave was a pretty slow process whereas getting out took about half as long.
Here's a pic of me in front of some cool looking stalagtites.
The end of the trail was marked somewhat disappointingly by a sign saying you can't go any farther. No glowworms, but it was a great experience and loads of fun!
The night wasn't too pleasant for me since I wasn't well prepared for the cold weather. My toes were pretty frosty and it's safe to say I didn't sleep very well. When I finally awoke in the morning, I was pleased to discover that much of the clouds had rolled on by and revealed a beautiful view of the surroundings. This is another panoramic shot from the Hut down towards the South Fiord as it stretches into Lake Te Anau. New Zealand is damn gorgeous.
Here's a shot of a fair amount of cloud rolling through and beyond the South Fiord (just moments before/after the previous shot). The Maoris didn't call New Zealand Aotearoa (Land of the Long White Cloud) for nothing!
Icicles greeted us along the beginning of the trail as we headed back down the hill and back to the car. It was a reminder of the previous night's cold weather and an indicator of the current, much more pleasant, conditions.
The clouds cleared just enough to offer a great view down to the South Fiord again. You can see some islands in this shot!
A fallen tree that I remembered from the previous day's hike.
A view, through the trees, of Lake Te Anau and the town of Te Anau.
Another picture of taken at Brod Bay. The scenery is the same but the weather differences are striking. Sunshine & blue skies are such beautiful things.
Here we all are after a wonderful hike on the Kepler Track. We didn't do the whole thing but we did a good chunk of it! L->R: Ryan, Stuart, Me, Jon & Ben.
A view across Lake Te Anau of the area through which we had just hiked. The peak of Mount Luxmore is partially obscured by the larger of the 2 green peaks. We covered quite a bit of distance & elevation in our short time on the track!
Finally, here's a pic of a Street sign in Te Anau near the bakery/coffee shop where we picked up snacks just before leaving.
I hope you all enjoyed the pics. With classes finishing up this week, I have 3 finals to "look forward" to in the coming weeks and, finally, a schedule that allows me to devote quality time to each exam. There probably won't be any big trips over the next few weeks but I would assume we've still got a lot of sights to see in and around Dunedin town. Then it's back to the North Island and home sweet Auckland. Stay tuned and, until next time, take care!
First of all, if you've made the trip down to your local theater to see the cinematic masterpiece that is Serenity, then you get a gold star and a kiss from Summer Glau (she plays River in the film - I also got to meet her at the first Serenity screening I went to in Vegas). If not, you owe it to yourself (and to me & Summer) to mosey on over to Consolidated Ward Theaters or The Grove or Century City (or whatever is closest to you), buy a ticket to Serenity and enjoy one of the best movies of the year. Take it from me, it is an excellent film. You won't be disappointed.
Okay folks. Let us move on with the post. This past weekend was meant to be our big trip to Aoraki Mount Cook. When all was said and done, it turned out being our Friday afternoon adventure at Aoraki Mount Cook. Observe...
So we left Dunedin just after 7 am expecting to roll into the Mt. Cook area around lunch time. The sun was out in Dunedin town, I had my Oakleys on and it was all looking pretty sweet. Well, it all started out fine and dandy but it sure didn't stay like that for as long as we would've liked. Three+ hours on the road and we made it to the beautiful Lake Pukaki, which is situated just outside of the Mount Cook region. We started to get a little worried since we could see a bit of grey cloud invading the clear blue sky. Arriving at Mount Cook, we were greeted with a completely overcast sky and a bit of a drizzle. After checking in with the Department of Conservation Information Hut, we ate a quick lunch of peanut butter sandwiches, muesli bars and hit the trail. The Hooker Valley Trail that is. Then, the skies opened up...
About 15-20 mins in, we hit the first swingbridge and my pants and hair were completely soaked. It's a miracle that my adidas ClimaWarm fleece had resisted the elements so well. Ryan & I crossed first while Jen & Stuart were not far behind. We tried to move as quickly as possible despite the rain that poured down onto us from above.
The cloud and rain really limited our views of the surroundings, but you could make out that it would've been beauty of the "jaw-dropping" magnitude. The Hooker River was looking particularly fierce today. The sound of the rushing water was impressive as well.
We hit the second swingbridge and the rain was not letting up. In fact, it turned up the intensity just a little bit. Even the wind chimed in with some forceful gusts here and there. Mother Nature, in one of her prettiest locations, was putting on a bit of a show just for us.
It just isn't a good sign when the trail you're supposed to be following starts looking like a stream. When the rain turned to hail and the wind maintained its strength, we decided that it was time to turn tail and rethink our weekend plans.
While it was nice being outdoors, the weather certainly wasn't going to let us enjoy the scenery. You can barely see the Southern Alps through the rain & clouds. You certainly couldn't see Mount Cook though we definitely should've been able to. As sad as it made me feel to turn around, it was the right decision. We climbed back into the car, drove on over to the Hermitage (a posh hotel with beautiful, public, marble bathrooms and a nice cozy fireplace) to change into some dry clothing and thaw out a bit. We ate a little snack at the Old Mountaineers Cafe just down the road from the Hermitage and unanimously decided to return to Dunedin. We weren't going to have a good time out here so we might as well head on home...
About three hours after that ordeal, we made it back to the East Coast and back to the sunshine. That was probably the most frustrating thing for me: seeing the variability of New Zealand weather at work. In any case, we stopped off at Oamaru to try and see the Blue Penguin colony. However, they asked for NZ$13.50 to see the penguins. Like your typical, cheap college students, we didn't go. Unlike your typical college students, we found a better alternative...
But first, we saw this bit of grafitti and knew we had to pose for pictures.
Stuart sure loves the penguins.
Ryan loves the penguins too.
And just to complete the triumvirate, I must admit, I also love the penguins.
Moving right along... With dusk fast approaching, we drove up the hill beside the penguin colony and found a trail that led through a military reserve. Apparently, it's open to the public...well, there were no signs advising otherwise...
We kept on going towards the ocean, knowing that we would have to get just past the building so we could look down and see the penguins. A couple of these bunkers were scattered around overlooking the ocean, built not long ago to protect New Zealand from invading forces (whomever they might be). Victory was near...
The purply-pinkish hues of the sunset upon the eastern horizon was quite a beautiful sight. Simply lovely.
And finally!!! We are victorious. A bit of trailblazing led to this amazing vantage above the penguin colony amphitheater. Losers!!! Haha. We win! We are better than all of you!!! This was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. Unfortunately, the penguins didn't come out like they were supposed to. We did, however, get pointed at by the spectators down below. At least we know where to go next time instead of paying!
With Friday in the books, and since we were back in Dunedin, we decided that we would go see Otago's last home game against Canterbury at the 'brook. It was a lot of fun and I finally got decent seats! It was also a beautiful day in Dunedin. Quite a contrast from the horrible weather we were treated to at Mt. Cook.
Here's an Otago lineout late in the first half. Otago jumped out to an early lead and was able to hold off a late Canterbury comeback to seal a 24-19 victory and a place in the semifinals.
Feeling like we had to make up for not being able to experience Mount Cook, we decided to do a night hike up Nicols Creek to see glow worms.
Speaking of Nicols Creek, here it is. We just couldn't escape the rain this past weekend and even though the day was gorgeous, it began to drizzle early in the evening. It was nowhere near the intensity of what we experienced at Mt. Cook but just enough to be annoying.
Once we were well up the trail and we turned off all our lights, the glow worms appeared. It was amazing seeing them line the sides of the trail like stars in the night sky. However, it is so difficult to get a decent picture of the glow worms. You can't use the flash because it'll just over power the faint glow, so you have to trust in your camera's abilities in low light. Try as she might, this is as good as my P8 could do. I'm actually quite impressed considering I couldn't see anything on the display. It was only after I loaded the images onto the computer that I caught the unmistakeable blue glow of the glow worms. Sorry I couldn't do any better, you'll just have to see them for yourself one of these days.
Sarah, Stuart and I paused for a pic while Ryan and other Sarah explored a bit farther down the trail. Despite the weather, it was well worth the effort.
All in all, the weekend didn't turn out exactly the way we had planned it but it was pretty darn fun nonetheless. I'm quite pleased we were able to figure out alternative activities although a proper trip to Mount Cook will have to come in the near future. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy the pictures. I'm not sure what exactly is on the cards for this weekend. We are hoping that the weather is nice enough to go to Stewart Island but it's all really up in the air. Keep your fingers crossed and stay tuned for the next post! And go see Serenity already!!!
Greetings everyone! The last weekend seemed to just breeze right by and time down here in the deep, deep south is quickly coming to an end. I've got 2 more weeks of class left (after this one) and 3 finals (one each week for 3 weeks) before my time's up. A bit more than a month to enjoy Dunedin town and the South Island...let's make the most of it. Anyways, enough of that, let's recap the weekend past through pictures:
My family loves me!!! Many thanks to my Uncle, Aunty & Grandparents for cooking up this care package and sending it down to me. I was in desperate need of some munchies... Clockwise: Garlic Peas, Arare/Rice crackers (no Tomoe...but just as good), Char Siu Bao/Manapua (ooooh yeah), a big tub of Cookie Time Chocolate/Apricot Cookies and other various assorted goodies. Thanks to my wonderful family, I'm the happiest student in Dunedin town!
I wake up on Saturday and Stuart tells me that George Street (the main road that I live on) is closed for some sort of event. He saw bagpipes and we speculated about what it could be for. As I walked down George St, I swear I heard the beat of a very familiar sounding drum...
Taiko drums that is! Little did we know, there was a parade put on by lots of people commemorating the relationship between Dunedin and Otaru. Otaru is a little town in Japan and the two cities have established a "sister city" relationship. Dunedin built a playground for kids in Otaru and the Mayor of Dunedin went over there to open it back in August. Apparently, we get a parade...
Not to say that this parade sucked or that it wasn't worth a playground! This was a darn cool parade. Look! Kimonos!!!
And more people dancing!!! This is the highest concentration of Asian people I've seen since leaving Hawaii! Amazing!
And even more people dancing (courtesy of the NZ Japan Society of Auckland)!!!
Even boy racers could participate in the parade! They had a line of Japanese import cars that not only included this spectacular Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution V, but also the first ever Mazda car imported into NZ from Japan (tiny little thing...Stuart reckoned he could fit it on the back of his pickup with room to spare). They also had a Mazda 6 which was as sweet as it always is.
And just off the parade route, next to the Museum, I met my buddy the Moa! You can think of the moa sort of as giant (up to 12 feet tall) kiwi birds. They were definitely really cool birds...till the Maori ate most of them and the European settlers destroyed much of their natural habitat (or some combination of the two).
Later that Saturday, we went to the Otago v. Taranaki game. Oddly enough, the bus on the way to Carisbrook was full of 'Naki supporters. It felt a bit awkward, though we played the confused foreigner card to perfection. At half time, this Polynesian dance group, Kia Orana (or something of the like) performed. They also performed at the International Student Welcome function at the beginning of the year! Seems like they're almost local celebrities!
Now here's an actual picture of the game. Otago in blue (go team!) and 'Naki in bumble bee...er...black & yellow. Final result was a win for the home team! Woo Hoo! Not quite as magnificent a game as the last game we saw here (AB's v. Boks back during break - damn was that a good game), but an exciting 2nd half and Carl Hoeft's last game for Otago (former AB).
I'd say a nice, enjoyable, relaxing weekend. Hopefully, it's the last quiet one for a little bit. We're hoping to hit up Mount Cook (highest mountain in NZ...also, the mountain Sir Edmund Hillary practiced on before being the first man to climb Everest) this weekend. Pics to come whenever we get back from that. I hope you all enjoyed the pictures. Until next time, take care!!!
*edit* Added pics of the freaky weather. Scroll on down to the bottom of the post to have a look!
Howdy all. Just a quick response to the last couple of comments I received... In regards to my hair, yes, it was definitely time for a haircut and I got one over mid-semester break. You'll notice, in the following pics, things on the top of my head are well under control. In regards to the lack of food pictures, just scroll down. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, it was quite a good weekend for all of my sports teams! First off, North Harbour took care of Bay of Plenty in NPC (rugby) action. Then USC dominated Arkansas in College Football. Finally, to round out things with a bit of High School football, Punahou beat St. Louis for the first time in 10 years. Oh, and also, my brother had a surprise birthday party thrown for him. Let us begin this post two weeks ago...
In support of her election campaign, New Zealand's Prime Minister Helen Clark came to Dunedin to speak at Otago University. She spoke about her party's election promises, such as debt free student loans and maintaining the strong growth that NZ has exhibited over the past few years under the guidance of her government. She is quite a good public speaker and had good support from the predominantly pro-Labour student crowd.
After completing the two tests I had that week, Stuart and I decided to indulge a little by having a nice homecooked meal. So, here it is: Pan-fried flounder (fresh from the fishery), roast potatoes and heaps of veggies. It all sat very nicely in my stomach after a week of less than spectacular nutrition.
Following dinner, Stuart, Ryan and I visited Tull yet again for another helping of desserts. This is a rather poor picture of my dessert which was a very light, fruity mango slice. It is sort of a mango/soy tofu sort of pie thing (I ordered this because they ran out of the chocolate cheesecake I wanted) that was very subtle but very tasty. You absolutely cannot go wrong here. Every dessert choice will offer you, at the very least, sweetness satisfaction.
Nothing too interesting went on during this past week. The highlights were finally going to Moana Pools (very highly chlorinated, but definitely good to be back in the water nonetheless) and countless hours of Election polls/speculation on the nightly news. Things really didn't happen till the weekend finally came...
Saturday was Election Day. For me, that meant my first time ever voting in a proper Election booth (I've previously only voted absentee). Unfortunately, I didn't bring my actual digital camera so there was no way for me to discreetly take photos (the camera phone makes a loud, obnoxious shutter sound) in the polling booth so no ballot photos or photos of me in the booth.
After casting my vote, my cousin Nat came to my flat to enjoy a lovely BBQ (despite the rain that came at the very end).
Here's the spread: Roast potatoes, London Pride sausages (the best) and grilled onions. You can also see Stuart's steak and Ryan's Veggie patties in the picture. Not shown are the Tim-tams (chocolate covered biscuits) that we had for dessert. Oddly enough, not the most fancy of meals but it was the most full I've felt in a really long time.
And, here we all are getting ready to dig into the food in front of us: Nat, me, Sarah, Ryan & Stuart. Good company, good food, good times. We even went out to the park to toss around the football that Stuart bought. Aren't we American!!!
After a leisurely afternoon, Stuart and I donned our dress shirts, slacks and ties before heading on over to Cat's flat for an Election party. From 7 pm onwards, we snacked and watched live Election results on TV. It was cool to see people dressed up nicer than usual and also very exciting to see the votes pull in. The process is quite different from the US elections that I'm used to following but quite simple to understand. We even made a run to the supermarket to pick up ice cream and more snacks. This little excursion included a 5 minute debate in the chocolate aisle as we tried to choose which chocolates to bring back. Turkish delight was the first variety picked but there was substantial discussion regarding whether roasted almonds or caramel whip should be selected as chocolate flavour #2. After a best of 3 rock-paper-scissors competition, the roasted almonds won out. It was reasoned that the "savoury" almonds would complement the "sweet" turkish delight (despite the overlooked fact that it was all chocolate and, therefore, all sweet). Anyhow, I digress. It was cool to see the Moat Streeters (and company) again since the last time I had seen them all was for Mesopotamia and they are always such great fun. Thanks for having me! By the way, at the end of the night, Labour held a slim 1.1% lead over National. Although they lost 1 Parliament seat, Labour still has a seat more than National and, with that advantage, have an opportunity, through deal-making and coalition forming, to lead the next government and give Helen Clark an unprecedented 3rd term as PM.
It hasn't been too crazy here the past couple of weeks but we're gearing up for a trip, hopefully, in the near future. Our sights are set on Stewart Island (little island just south of the South island). That would be a great trip I think. But, we first have to make it through some demanding academic assignments and some odd Spring weather. This morning, the mountains around Dunedin were covered with snow and it's been hailing all day so far. So much for it getting warmer. Alrighty, until next time, take care everyone!
Here's some quick pics I snapped with the trusty cameraphone today on my run. I tried to get as close to the snow as possible but I gave up after a couple of hail showers and gale force wind gusts convinced me that if I would've continued, I not only would've gotten some cool pics but probably pneumonia. I tried my best and was probably 1/2 the way to the snow but let's not jeopardize my health for some snow pics...well, there's always tomorrow. Enjoy...
(L): The streets are spotted white this afternoon on the way towards Mt. Cargill. (R): Upon closer inspection, those white spots are not vanilla dippin' dots or styrofoam balls...it's hail!!!
(L): There was a lot more snow up on Mt. Cargill this morning but this is where I was heading on my run. (R): Across the way (to the left of the previous pic), there was snow as well. I saw some up on Signal Hill (to the right of the previous pic) this morning but there wasn't any there this afternoon. I guess the sun peaked out long enough to melt all that.
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