Kilauea, Kauai, Hawaii

After a quick layover in Honolulu we arrived to our home-away-from home, the garden isle of Kauai.  Ken’s aunt and uncle live on the island so over the years we’ve begun to think of it as our own.  We pulled into the driveway and were welcomed by hand-painted signs and balloons.  

What we didn’t expect was the surprise waiting at the front door: my mom, stepdad and our family friends the Showens!  They made a surprise appearance to welcome us home (and of course they’re also enjoying a tropical vacation).  We were elated to see our family!  We spent the last week in typical island fashion: lounging beach/poolside, drinking cocktails on the lanai, and plotting every possible scenario to extend our stay.  Special thanks to Margie and Myron for sharing their amazing guesthouse with us!

This blog has allowed us an opportunity to share our once-in-a-lifetime experience with you.  We hope you enjoyed the journey with us and perhaps it inspired you, gave you insight into another culture, or just made you laugh.

Thanks to everyone for their readership.  We love you and stay tuned!

Pahoa, Hawaii

After the big city edge of Honolulu (or as Shelley described it, “Tropical Los Angeles”), we made a beeline for the Big Island of Hawaii.  We hopped a quick 25 minute flight and somehow Ken charmed the car rental company into a free upgrade to a 4WD Jeep Wrangler.  We instantly got into the rural Hawaiian spirit and drove north to Waikoloa Beach, passing endless black lava fields on either side of the road.  Special thanks to Ken’s mom (Sheila) for putting us up at the luxurious Marriott Resort and Spa!  After backpacking through the third world we were overwhelmed by the opulence: yes, our bed had TEN pillows and an infinity pool awaited us (the world-wide status symbol for  expensive accommodations).  We enjoyed neon-pink sunsets over the swaying palm trees and drives into the village for cheap but amazingly tasty Mexican food. 

Getting into the island vibe we toured the north end of the island and ended up near the former sugar plantation turned hippy-enclave of Puna, about 15 minutes from Hilo.  Ken found a perfectly secluded cottage in the abundant fauna and flora filled east side.  We spent our time relaxing in the screened-in living room, falling asleep to croaking frogs, cooking meals (overdosing on coconut, pineapple, and macadamia nuts), taking ample outdoor showers, and reading (Ken’s been seduced by the Hunger Games, I’m deep into the world of Malcolm X).  Unfortunately, we found out the major volcano was not erupting so our plans couldn’t include seeing the red-hot surface lava hit the ocean.  Instead, we’ve decided to pull out the hammocks and acquaint ourselves with “island time.”  

Happy Mother's Day

She loves to:

unwind on the beaches of Maui with her family

spend time with her grandchildren in Calabasas

support her local temple by sponsoring musically-themed Shabbat services

workout with her trainer

take her family on tropical vacations

look glamourous, as always

She excels at:

baking the best challah bread french toast

managing and renovating properties 

keeping up to date on the latest apps and technologies

video Skyping on her iPad

detecting the best deals and using her powerful negotiation skills

developing her new love for viewing photography (by always complementing my pictures)

She doesn’t like:

winding roads or rocky boats

camping (unless it’s at the Marriott)

being too far away from her sons

She forgives me after I nearly burn the house down (20 years later)

She laughs at my jokes

She knows how to put her family first

She lights up around the high holidays

She is a sister to one, an aunt to two, a wife, a mother of two, and a friend to all

And out of all the mothers in the world, how did I manage to get the best one?

Love Ken

She loves to:

play in her garden and frolic in the flowers

be one with nature and search out heart-shaped rocks

wear anything in her favored color of blue

feed the birds but not the squirrels

dance til the wee hours on the beaches of Key West

bake cupcakes with her granddaughter

She excels at:

juggling six to eight “projects” at any one time

cooking a fabulous meal for 30+ people

painting, crocheting, decorating, and planning unrivaled weddings

expressing her unbounded creativity

playing the role of psychic and therapist

being a genuine friend and dreamer of the infinite

She doesn’t like:

coconut, beer, or avocados

mean-spirited, dishonest, or complaining people

swimming pools, guns, or losing at card games

She endures endless volleyball games

She cries if she sees me cry

She knows grandma’s secret recipe for noodles

She lights up when spring emerges from the darkness of winter

She is a sister to twelve, an aunt to hundreds, a wife, a mother of three, and a friend to all

And out of all the mothers in the world, how did I manage to get the best one?

Love Hillary

Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii

Time travel at its finest thanks to the international dateline: we departed Christchurch at 4pm and arrived into Honolulu at 9am on the same day!  Since our airline, Jetstar, cancelled our original flight we set off from New Zealand a few days earlier than anticipated.  No big deal though since that meant tropical Hawaiian sun!

We scoured up a super-cheap but surprisingly upscale condo one block from Waikiki Beach -- the oasis of Japanese tourists, flawlessly tanned surfers, bikini-clad girls, and amateur weightlifters.  Our week in Oahu included hiking Diamond Head (a volcanic crater that overlooks the city), driving to the rural north shore, laying on the Kailua Beach, playing tennis in a windstorm, and receiving a history lesson at the Pearl Harbor Historic Site (U.S.S. Arizona).   


 

In our first days back on U.S. soil, we basked in the comforts of home we had forgotten:

• Unlimited TV channels (especially Sportscenter as Ken became “Bob-Costas-deficient” after an entire year without U.S. sports commentary).  On the rare occasions of TV access, it included BBC World News or football (soccer) matches.
• Unlimited food selection at grocery stores: the endless rows of colorful packages and organic goods at the Whole Foods marveled our minds and melted my heart (of course, we had to fill our cart with liberal hippie goodies like non-dairy almond milk ice cream).
• Unlimited internet: New Zealand tested our patience, as we spent too much time on a game we liked to call “internet-hunting” (as in, where could we hop on free WIFI without getting kicked off?).
• Unlimited clean water from the faucet: we completely took this one for granted pre-trip - we are so excited that we are over-hydrating on like 10 glasses a day now (and a related side note: no traveller’s diarrhea to worry about, woo hoo!).
• Safe streets: we don’t miss the adventure of crossing the street (shout out India).
• Plush beds: or better yet, not having to find a bed to sleep in every night.
• Dresser drawers: as opposed to stuffing everything in a wrinkled nylon sack.
• Washer and dryer: (confession) number of times we’ve worn the same outfit without washing.... hmmm....we are embarrassed to say it’s measured in weeks, not days
• Microwave: it’s a beautiful machine that works like magic.
• No beggars: no more getting hassled for money (except from your wife - love you dear).
• Time difference: knowing that we are not accidentally calling the U.S. at 3am (sorry Mom).
• No currency conversion necessary: no job, no currency conversion = our brains are turning to mush -- back to the land where everything makes sense: Fahrenheit, miles, gallons, and pounds.
• Native English speakers: we’ve missed you, although Ken became skilled at miming and saying “I’m sorry” in 24 languages.

Unfortunately, we rediscovered a few annoyances we had forgotten about until we returned (apologies for some minor venting):

• U.S. Currency: seriously, why are we still using pennies and nickels?  We can’t buy anything for less than 25 cents, so they seem totally irrelevant.  Plus, all the bills are the same color and size... boring!  
• Pharmaceutical ads: completely forgot about these, ugh, they are everywhere!  If you are reading this blog you may become inflicted with boredom, lethargy or jealousy.  If you are aware of any of these symptoms make sure to immediately contact your travel agent.
• Paying retail: it was so nice to get movies for $1 each from the “DVD store” aka the guy on the street
• Paying for parking: with no car for the last year, we totally forgot we have to pay to park our rental car - we could have survived for three weeks in Cambodia on that!

And in the category of “still on the fence:”

• Driving on the right-side of the road: we have mixed feelings as left-side driving grew on us ... unfortunately, it triggered major mental blocks.  A) Regarding blinkers and windshield wipers: if you see us in an intersection with our wipers on and it’s not raining, have compassion. B) Regarding crossing the street, we are afraid to step into crosswalks now without looking both ways about five times.

After successfully reintegrating into Hawaiian society, we’re heading to the natural wonders of the Big Island.  Aloha!

Christchurch, New Zealand

The devastation of last year’s earthquake was clearly apparent in Christchurch as it’s boarded-up downtown and deserted streets reminded us of the natural disaster at every street corner.  We shunned the GPS to the glove box, as it continued to direct us towards demolished buildings via closed roads.  The infrastructure revitalization was underway with construction crews dominating the cityscape - we can only express optimism that the city regains its vibrance in the next few years as structures and roads come back online. 

We elected instead to tour the “Alpine Pacific Triangle,” a scenic tourist driving route from Christchurch north along the ocean to Kaikoura, then westward through the mountains to Hanmer Springs, and finally back to Christchurch.  

Kaikoura, a small hamlet set on the eastern coast between the snow-capped mountains and the ocean, was residence for dolphins, whales, and seals.  The inland drive westward led us between mountains teeming with thousands, no tens of thousands, of sheep, cows, and llamas.  (And for context, Ken’s first electrocution occurred via electric fence trying to snatch the top picture in this post for me: what a great husband!)  

Hanmer Springs presented itself as a high-end spa/golf/ski destination, famed for its hot springs.  The swimming pools seemed a bit manufactured, so we instead took advantage of a nature hiking opportunity through towering trees.  

We rounded out the drive by returning to Christchurch, stopping at wineries along the way.  Our final day was consumed re-packing our worn backpacks, donating our accumulated campervan gear, and returning our faithful Big Green to its owner as we departed to the international airport.

What can be said about our tour of two idyllic islands?  We met new friends, witnessed magnificent scenery, lived in a campervan, all the while wandering to our hearts content in a land of endless national parks and amiable, rugby-loving Kiwis.  The humble country welcomed us with open arms as we lived out the final weeks of our international globe trotting.  It was a fitting transition to bring us back to the United States after ten months of gallivanting.  

We are eagerly anticipating our upcoming tropical adventure.. to be continued...

Franz Josef Glacier, New Zealand

Our journey up the west coast with Phil and Tanya culminated in an epic day at the pinnacle of the south island: the Franz Josef Glacier.  The glacier’s blue crystal ice accumulated between two towering cliffs as it slowly progressed out towards the Tasman Sea. 

While the majority of tourists could only gaze upon the frozen mass from afar, and a few lucky ones had the opportunity to hike to the edge, the slim minority had the fortunate chance to HELICOPTER onto the peak and CLIMB through it’s ice formations.  That’s right, with the generous sponsorship from Margie and Mryon, we couldn’t turn down the phenomenal opportunity.  Forgetting the irksome sandflies, we screamed with glee as the chopper transported us for major aerial sightseeing followed by a snow landing atop the awe-inspiring glacier.  

Our experienced guide, TJ, then led us through blue ice caves, moulins (active rivers flowing deep into the glacier), and remarkable surface formations caused by rain and wind.  With crampons securing our feet to the ice steps (hand-made by TJ’s pick ax), we marveled at the glacier for three hours.  Our obsessive picture taking and claustrophobia-inducing climbing were brought to an end as we flew off the glacier in pure happiness.

Here are the highlights from our superb glacial adventure.  For more pics, check out the New Zealand (South Island) folder on the Galleries tab

Wanaka, New Zealand

The two and a half hour drive from Te Anau to the Milford Sound matched our expectations from fellow travellers: overwhelmingly high reviews.  The ever winding road led us between walls of steep rock cliffs (watch out for tree avalanches), up and over rolling rivers, past tranquil “mirror” lakes, alongside rushing waterfalls, and through a mountain tunnel where we reached the famous waterway.  

We leisurely cruised around the sound for an hour - and especially enjoyed sidling up to a waterfall (free shower!) and surreptitiously gawking at the Gucci-clad Japanese entourage that spent the entire cruise taking self portraits.  However, we had to concede that the spectacular car journey to the sound overshadowed the actual destination.

The next day a tour agent sweet talked us into a second cruise, this time an overnight on the Doubtful Sound (ten times larger than Milford with significantly fewer tourists).  With high hopes, we embarked upon a one hour jaunt over Lake Manapouri to the hydro power plant (or in the words of Ken, “that’s the end of the dam(n) tour”).  We then boarded a 45 minute bus ride over a desolate mountain pass to the sea channel.  The sandfly infestation (those blood-sucking pests) would have gotten the best of us had it not been for our high priced, non-toxic spray and the ever fashionable “pants-rolled-into-our-socks” look.

About 50 guests then clamored onto the larger cruise ship, which ferried us out to the Tasman Sea.  We weren’t sure how Phil maneuvered it (charming lawyerly persuasion?), but the staff upgraded us from a four-person, lower deck room to two double rooms overlooking the sea.  Ken and I twirled around our spacious 160 square feet of freedom, basking in our good fortune (not that we didn’t want to bunk with our loving family members, but after living in Big Green... our own room was pure extravagance).

Phil, Tanya, and Ken delighted in kayaking along the calm water’s edge and watching fur seals, “whilst” I played paparazzi (just had to throw that term in somewhere).  Our relaxed evening proceedings included penguin sightings, substantial overeating (it was a cruise after all), and a rousing game of Uno con White Wine.  The following morning we returned safely to civilization (Queenstown) where we polished off gluttonous Fergburgers before journeying north.

Lessons learned in Fiordland:

1. Tanya can pop a squat anywhere
2. Hillary’s driving is just bad enough to make Tanya nauseous but not enough to vomit
3. Duck is to water as Phil is to kayak
4. Ken is the Captain of his own ship
5. Big Green maxes out at 30 km/hour when transporting four Altmann’s up the mountain
6. And for those trivia junkies: there are 60 million sheep, 20 million possum, and four million people in New Zealand!  Sweet as!

Te Anau, New Zealand

They made it!  Phil (Ken’s brother) and Tanya (sister-in-law) joined us for ten days of excitement, which kicked off in Queenstown - the adventure capital of New Zealand.  We began by hiking to a peak overlooking the town (we gave each other accolades for taking the “difficult route” as 99% of the tourists rode the gondola to the summit).  The weather cooperated so we caught a panoramic view overlooking Lake Wakatipu and city below (pop: 11,000).

We purchased three rides on the hilltop “luge” - essentially a three wheel go-cart type track near the top of the gondola.  The “advanced” track was far superior because we could gain speed on our mini carts as we sped around the banked corners.  To reward our efforts we opted for the easy route down the hill - the gondola.

The drive through the local wineries in Gibbston Valley gave us views of the autumn-colored foliage (remember it’s fall here in the southern hemisphere). We sampled a range of excellent wines (the region is known for pinot noirs but we actually preferred the whites).  Our favorite was a sauvignon blanc flavored with feijoa, a local green fruit similar to a guava with a tart apple flavor.

We enjoyed a luxurious lunch on the winery’s sun-filled patio, but the eatery winner was the perennial favorite “Fergburger,” where we gorged on ginormous “best burgers in town.”  What a great first day!  

The following morning began with a thrilling ride on the “shotover jet,” a hover-craft-type speedboat ride along the shallow and rocky Shotover Canyon.  The wet and wild ride included 360 degree spins and near cliff swerves.  The guys definitely rated this as a highlight as we all screamed and threw our hands in the air (the blistery wind nearly froze our faces but we didn’t care).

After driving an hour along the lake towards Glenorchy we found a recommended  nature hike.  Tanya and I power walked while the guys took a slower “photographers pace” (we later learned their slow pace was because they got lost).

We drove south to Te Anau and walked a brief hike along the Kepler Track - or as we called it: Moss Mania.  Moss blanketed the trees and ground like a soft layer of green foam and wild mushrooms grew abundantly.  Later that evening Tanya and Phil visited the glow worm caves, but Ken and I declined as we had our worm experience earlier in the trip.  And now... we’re off to the raw wilderness of the Milford Sound!


Special thanks to Mom for sending us her camera to get these shots!

Wanaka, New Zealand

The manager of a campervan park where we stayed, “Big Mike,” highly recommended a scenic hike that would provide us summit views of the two nearby lakes - Hawea and Wanaka.  “Perfect!” we thought, as we anxiously set off for the nature walk.  Four hours later after a grueling climb through sheep pastures and logging trails we summited over the 4,000 foot ridge line to a magnificent view of the valleys below on either side of the ridge.  We joyously pointed and waved at the tourist-filled helicopters that were flying in and out of the ravines BELOW us.  

We bemusedly found out later that night, after pressing Big Mike about how he could have possibly completed the vertical climb he so vehemently recommended, he confessed he “summited” the mountain via his 4-wheeler... hmm... why didn’t we think of that ?!?!

As we drove off into the sunset towards Queenstown (to pick up Ken’s brother and sister in law)... we sang (and Ken took it literally)... “On the road again, Ken just can’t wait to get on the road again.” 

Lake Hawea, New Zealand

Nelson Lakes National Park

Our national park field trip carried on as we progressed south through:

Nelson Lakes National Park: appreciated a serene winding jog around the lake;

Poparoa National Park: watched gleaming sunsets over the ocean (very PCH); also saw unique pancake-looking rocks but missed the spurting blowhole due to the timing of low tide and... out the corner of our eye we caught the quickest glimpse of a kiwi bird (score!); and 

Westland National Park: climbed to a lookout above the Okarito Lagoon, gazed upon a cloud covered Mt. Cook, and yes, observed the stately Fox glacier.  (Sidenote: we hope to return to the Franz Josef glacier in a few weeks with Ken’s brother and sister-in-law, so more pictures to come).

The drive along the west coast of the south island - rated as one of the top ten in the world - was unforgettable.  After racking our brains through various drives we had taken, we had to agree with it’s ranking.  The weather turned chillier and rainier as we traversed south, not surprising as we were appropriately cautioned by the locals - the west coast of the south island is infamously waterlogged.  The last few mornings we awoke to windows of condensation, shivery extremities, and the classic “look, you can see my breath it’s so cold” routine.  

On another note, a pop quiz.  This picture taken in Ross, NZ is:


a)  a microwave
b)  a mailbox
c)  awesome
d)  all of the above