Wellington, New Zealand (continued)

... Whatever you do, don’t put the blame on you.  Blame it on the RAIN, yeah, yeah.  

After a week of sustained rain showers, the heavens opened up and the glorious sun finally peaked out [queue optimistic music]!  Our enthusiasm propelled us to take a “weekend getaway” to the coast about an hour east of Wellington - Cape Palliser.  On the scenic drive along the coast we journeyed through hairpin turns with mountains on our left and ocean on our right... and of course, a million sheep in between.  

We tried to reach a lighthouse at the end of the road but the unpaved track was so unpleasant, even at 10 mph the van shook so terribly we had to turn back [queue breaking dishes and rattling pans].  Instead, we parked the van and hiked through strange and unstable vertical formations of mud and stone at the Pinnacles Scenic Reserve (yet another location from Lord of the Rings).  

On a completely different note, here are some inside pictures of “Big Green”... a virtual tour of our infamous living quarters: 9 feet in height, 15 feet long, and 6 feet wide.  And we thought San Francisco apartments were tight.

San Francisco... just kidding... Wellington, New Zealand

With the north island weather forecasting rain for the foreseeable future, we opted to head towards a city, Wellington that is.  We required a double take.  Hilly city on the bay complete with cable cars, electric buses and funky cafes?  All we needed was Alcatraz and we could have been home.

Our first day was sunny - best weather of the summer - we were told.  We parked Big Green at the waterfront campervan site near the Queen’s Wharf and enjoyed the weekend watching a college crew competition, jogging around the harbor, and getting back into city life.  Unfortunately the last week we’ve experienced daily howling rain storms and Chicago-style gale force winds.  Our sanity has been maintained via our roaming book stores, lounging around coffee shops, and renting DVD’s.  (Our van has a DVD player but no TV channels.  P.S. Who knew DVD stores were still in business?)  We even decided to buy six sessions at a Crossfit gym - this was partially for our physical health, but perhaps more important for our mental health... so we wouldn’t kill each other... 24 hours x 7 days a week in a van... in frigid downpour... enough said.  Actually, our spirits are surprisingly high - we’re trying to stay warm in our merino wool (it’s amazing!), eat healthy (incredible meat here), and hit the gym to eliminate our cabin fever.  This may be a country of sheep, rugby, and rain but it’s pretty darn near perfect.

Whakapapa Village, New Zealand

Our meandering led us south to Lake Taupo, New Zealand’s largest lake, where we pulled over for a quick lunch break along the water’s edge.

Later that day we reached the Tongariro National Park - a world heritage site comprised of three massive volcanoes.  Travelers and locals alike converged here for a popular 19 km (12 mile) hike known as the Alpine Crossing.  Throwing on our best hiker’s gear (thanks Aunt Margie your hiking boots have successfully travelled around the world!) we boarded a shuttle bus at 7am, which would take us to the trailhead.  After last week’s mountain biking fiasco I was nervous about our unknown hike - especially as a series of warning signs suggested we reconsider.  It also didn’t help that mountaineers in full regalia (helmets, gaiters, crampons, etc.) were descending the volcano in the opposite direction.

Weather conditions were ideal and the blinding morning sun rose over the volcano (you may also know it as “Mt Doom” from the Lord of the Rings).  We proceeded on for a casual climb through volcanic geography of rock craters, steaming vents and colorful lakes.  The scenery of volcanic expanse was significantly contrasted to our previous New Zealand hikes of lush greenery - we imagined the top of the volcano was something similar to the moon.

A highlight was eating our packed lunch at the Emerald Lakes - a series of iridescent green lakes atop the mountain’s peak.


  

The last few miles were, thankfully, downhill.  With our remaining energy and growing aspirations for the 3pm shuttle bus (the next option was an hour later), we ran the last mile along a large stream through wooded ferns to the pickup location (not easy in hiking boots, mind you).  At 2:59pm we clambered onto the departing shuttle as it drove away.

Check out the beautiful girl in my eyeglasses

Rotorua, New Zealand

On our departure from Ragland, we stopped to catch sight of Bridal Veil Falls - a picturesque waterfall that plunged into a calm pool below.  Stunning.


Next we meandered south to Waitomo Caves, a premier attraction for “glow worms” - i.e., hanging larvae with luminescent organs that reside inside underground limestone caves.  Hoping to get our adrenaline pumping, we opted for the venturesome option to discover the glow worms in the pitch-black caves (the alternate option was to walk along a dimly lit path... boring!).  Our day included rappelling into a 100 foot cavern, wedging ourselves through cramped limestone holes, viewing stalactites/stalagmites in the cavernous chamber, tubing along the underwater stream, and rock climbing up the vertical wall out of the cave.  The luminescent underground cave system was somewhat magical and romantic.  We imagined staring up into a starlit night’s sky as we lay in our inner tubes floating downstream.  Finishing the experience soaking wet, our huge smiles radiated... we made a beeline straight for warm showers and hot tomato soup.  What a fabulous day! 

Jumping into “Big Green” (our van) we bounded east to Rotoura, the sulfur rich city of thermal activity -- thankfully, we quickly became acclimatized and it didn’t bother us.  (Sophomoric side note: We joked that the city allowed us full farting potential as we could blame all violations on the sulfur).  We ventured into Wai-O-Tapu park for views of crazy colored boiling pools (green, yellow, and orange), hot springs, and exploding mud pools.  

The following day, we heard the redwood forest on the edge of town was home to some of the best mountain biking so we rented bikes and off we climbed, climbed, climbed.  Ken and the bike salesman selected an intermediate route for our excursion... fast forward three hours later... I was in tears because my legs hurt so bad from straight uphill climbing.  After reaching two summits (did we mentioned we became lost?), we zoomed down the mountain thankful the pain-in-the-ass (literally) ride was over.  Shout out Patty Elliot who loves spin class - you would have rocked it!

And finally, our campervan has grown on us as we mature in our nomadism.  Or should we say, we’re beginning to figure out this whole “yes-we-live-in-a-van” thing: maximizing efficient storage in tight quarters, creating an effective system for cooking meals, and navigating through the winding hills and quaint villages.  One thing we cannot, however, wrap our brains around is... our portable toilet.

Ragland, New Zealand

The rain came down.  And down.  Not hankering to remain in the quickly-becoming-dreary campground, we headed up and around the Coromandel peninsula and then down towards the western seaside town of Ragland.  The sun shone, moods adjusted, and suddenly we were up in spirits and adult-proofing the giant trampoline at the campground.  

We took advantage of the 75 degree weather (yeah, that’s like 24 Celcius) and climbed what could be described as the Hike of Death.  No seriously, we transformed into real mountaineers and loved it - the prime difficulty was the steepness.  After almost two hours of straight climb (we’re guessing but that had to be 100+ floors) we wobbly slid back down.  There were even points that required rappelling over rock cliffs with a steel chain.  The scenic views of the gorge, ocean, and fields of ferns were, however, more than enough reward for our discomfort.


  

Lesson 1: The word “tramping” in Kiwi English means “hiking”... you can see how this could be confusing.

Lesson 2: When hiking in New Zealand, you are advised to wear your hiking boots.  Old tennis shoes with no traction or ankle support are ill equipped for these hills. 

On our return to the campground, we noticed two exhausted 20-year olds attempting to hitch a ride down the gravel road.  They had clearly just completed the same hike (we didn’t look much better).  “Why not?  They look normal,” Ken assessed.  Pulling over to the side of the road, we learned they were Swiss and looking for a lift to their hostel a few miles downhill.  “Ok jump in,” Ken shouted as he opened the back door for our new pilgrims.  Don’t worry Mom and Dad: we won’t pick up anyone who looks sketchy (or as the English say, “dodgy characters”).

Lesson 3: When providing a lift to hitchhikers, ensure they are from Switzerland.

On another note, we’d like to provide our readership with a selected index of words from our expanding lexicon:

Lesson 4: New Words for Americans to Adopt

Cheers! = thanks, see you later, yeah ok, alright

Dodgy = sketchy, questionable, outside normal (think: hitchhikers)

Trainers = tennis shoes (as in, what not to wear tramping up a mountain)

Take away = to go food

Muesli = every nation in the world believes hungry white people love this granola cereal

Pudding = dessert (not vanilla or chocolate gelatin-dairy goodness, but rather anything sweet served after a meal)

Proper = correct or to your liking, as in “proper bed,” “proper sandwich,” or “proper pudding” (that last one is a two-fer for ya)

Kip = nap

Chips = french fries (although we were slightly confused as people interchanged the word “chips” for potato chips - we were always like “you mean fries?”)

Bloody = actually, we don’t like this one.  It is sort of disgusting really and doesn’t mean anything.  Scrap that one.

Now make your own sentence:  We went tramping up a bloody mountain in our trainers with sketchy hitchhikers when all we wanted was a proper kip and then a takeaway lunch of muesli and chips followed by some pudding.  Cheers!

Cathedral Cove, New Zealand

After a transient layover in Singapore, we dreaded the 10+ hour red eye flight to Auckland.  It ended up quite alright and we soon awoke in a slightly jet-lagged state.  The rumor was New Zealand’s airport customs department would be particularly strict, but they allowed us through no-problem with our risky items: dried apricots, macadamia nuts, and hiking boots (apparently a biohazard for their pristine soil).  Our first impression: are we in Seattle?  That, followed by: easy and friendly English-speaking conversations sprinkled with fun new Kiwi words (portable cooler = “chilly bin”); stunning rolling hills (can you say Lord of the Rings?); lack of harassing hawkers/touts; and the welcome realization of returning to the first world!  As we boarded the perfectly mannered bus from the airport through the quaint suburbs, Ken exclaimed, “Are we in the Truman show?”  Our only disappointment was the sticker shock... seriously, $600 for a rain jacket?!?  Yikes, good thing this is the last destination on our journey.  After a brief yet agonizing mourning period, Southeast Asian prices quickly became a fleeting memory.


We spent two days in (unseasonably) warm and sunny Auckland preparing for an overland adventure of unknown itinerary.  Many fellow campers suggested purchasing a campervan (self-contained converted van with a bed inside), which would allow us the leisurely freedom to tour the country at a reasonable price (assuming we could re-sell the van after two months).  However, after shopping around several rental companies, we settled upon renting from a company called Jucy.  This option offered a turn-key experience with 24-hour roadside assistance and no re-selling hassle in low season.

Before departing Auckland we made the rounds purchasing essential items (mobile broadband card, warm clothes, rain gear, kitchen utensils, portable grill, road atlas, and a colossal grocery run).  (Given the cost of eating out is sky high, we will be cooking our meals in the campervan).  Oh, and we splurged on seeing a movie - Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - in the theatre.  The two hour show was surprisingly luxurious as the seats were fully reclining Lazy Boys and attendants served meals and drinks during the show (burgers, salad, ice cream sundae, and wine... yum!)

Our campervan (we’re trying to overlook the obnoxious neon green color) is ideal for two people, although it technically seats five (three in the front and two in the rear) and sleeps four (two double beds in bunk configuration).  The upper bed remains retracted, providing us ample ability to walk around (most other vans we looked at weren’t tall enough for Ken to stand upright).  During they day, the lower queen bed is converted into a kitchen table and chairs.  The kitchen, in the far rear of the van, includes a sink, fridge, and stovetop... it’s only about 12 square feet, but we love it!  Ken quickly mastered left lane driving and with GPS in tow, we set off.

Now, we are only three hours east of Auckland and we are already shocked at the beautiful terrain.  On the Coromandel peninsula (where we are), the fern and pine tree filled hills sprawl in every direction.  Wooly sheep graze in the pastures and worn farming equipment dots the land.  We follow the winding coast and seagulls flock around us (especially when they smell our lunch as we park at way-sides).  In the evenings when we come upon a campground we plug into the electricity and voila: the first night we parked alongside a small bubbling stream and the second night we pulled up facing the cold crashing waves of the South Pacific.  

We feel like true backpackers now in our mobile home and freedom to roam.  And we have begun to understand: not everyone who wanders is lost.

Ubud, Bali, Indonesia

While our extended stay on Gili Air was not in our original itinerary, we were pleased with our decision to linger in one place.  However, after sixteen nights, the time had come to move on.  Our little slice of paradise shrunk into our memories as we sped away on a speedboat to Bali.  We rode through the tropical hillsides to the town of Ubud, a popular city in central Bali.  After the remoteness of Gili Air, Ubud overwhelmed our senses: droves of street signs, Polo stores, honking horns, and shouting tourists.  Back to the real world!

Thankfully, our South African friend we met on Gili arrived in Ubud the previous day and took the welcomed initiative to plan our accommodations, evening entertainment, and daytime cultural activities.  She booked us into a comfortable home stay located in downtown Ubud, which was somehow hidden down a back alley opening up to a gorgeous green rice paddy.  The three of us attended a traditional Balinese dance show - while definitely aimed at the tourist contingent, the high quality show was entertaining and surprisingly not too tacky.  The power and influence of the dancers’ stare was something we had never experienced; the story was told with their eyes.  That, combined with their intricate and sharp hand movements, wowed us (even Ken, who before arriving admittedly wasn’t stoked to attend, agreed).


The following day we toured through the lush rice paddies on a combination cultural and bicycling tour.  Our day began with breakfast overlooking an active volcano and Bali’s largest lake.  Then we stopped at a coffee plantation where we tasted coffee with perhaps the oddest processing method: tamed possums ate coffee cherries (which they couldn’t digest).  Next, they pooped them out, causing some weird fermentation in the beans... and finally the beans were cleaned and roasted.  We felt sympathy for the people who had the job of finding the beans.

Anyways, we proceeded to bike 25 kilometers downhill on local roads, through attractive villages and terraced rice paddies, back to Ubud where we ate a scrumptious buffet lunch.  

At about the fifth kilometer (barely into the ride) black rain clouds began releasing a vicious downpour.  Our guides handed over very attractive ponchos and we continued on our way, eyeing the sky uneasily.  

Unfortunately the downpour turned into a monsoon thunderstorm.  Buckets of rain drenched the lowlands and power lines fell.  We hid out near a temple waiting for the storm to abate, eating cookies and bananas to bide our time.  Four members of our group gave up the excursion, preferring the comfort of the van that followed us.  But five of us (Ken, myself, our friend Carryn, and two others) carried on, determined that the Balinese weather gods would not get the best of us. 

With lighting amongst us and visibility down to two meters, we sang: “Thunderbolts of Lighting Very Very Frighting!”  followed by “I’m Singing in the Rain What a Glorious Feeling I’m Happy Today!” followed by “If You Like Pina Coladas and Getting Caught in the Rain...!”  (That last one was a two-fer because not only were we caught in the rain, but Ken was notorious for ordering “girlie” drinks like pina coladas and banana shakes).

We departed Indonesia with a mixture of joy and contentment.  While we didn’t see much of “Bali proper,” we did get a glimpse in Ubud.  We were more than thrilled to thoroughly experience Gili Air and would highly recommend a visit before it explodes with tourism.  And now... on to meet some Kiwis... New Zealand bound!