Day 25, Christchurch

Our last full day in NZ dawned and the realization that our long awaited trip was coming to an end. We had breakfast and headed over to the International Antarctic Centre that is located next to the airport. Ch Ch is the center for almost all flights to and from Antarctica and the Kiwi’s Italians and the USA have a massive facility here. We book a combo tour ticket and had a 15 minute ride on a Swedish made all terrain vehicle named a Haggalund that is used in the Antarctic for transporting both equipment and people around in the inhospitable environment. We then took a look around the interpretive centre and watched as groups of Kiwi’s went into a room where there is snow and the temperature is kept at –15 degrees constantly. It was a grim reminder of what was in store for us back home in Canada within 48 hours! To get back into downtown Ch Ch we had to travel by our motel so decided to stop and pick up fish and chips for our lunch and eat in our unit. We left the car and walked downtown in about 20 minutes to Cathedral Square. We spent about 1-1/2 hours in the square finding a telecom wireless hotspot and uploading pictures and items to the blog. We walked along the river Avon that meanders through town and is flanked on the north by the Cambridge Terrace and the south by the Oxford Terrace. You can rent a punt on the river (large stream) and can be poled along for several hundred meters under bridges and through parkland. It is an idyllic site in a bustling modern city. We decided on a small Italian restaurant near our motel for our final dinner in NZ and had a wonderful meal while we reminisced about our last 4 weeks away from home. As much as we have enjoyed it we both felt it was time to get back and start working to pay for all this fun we have had. We said goodnight before the last sleep in NZ.

Day 24 Oamaru to ChristChurch

We were on the road by 9:15, as we had no great plans for the day other than to drive to Christ Church that was some 275 kms to the north. The roads on the South Island are for the most part much better than the North Island. While all the road surfaces are excellent the roads in the south tend to be straighter and you can travel quicker. In our almost 4 weeks in NZ I think we have seen 2 or 3 police cars cruising the “highways”. Traffic enforcement does not seem to be a high priority. On our drive north towards Ch Ch we stopped at Moeraki to see the boulders. The boulders are spherical and litter the beach and are left behind as the beachfront cliffs erode. The Maori legend is that there are food baskets left behind from an ancient shipwreck. We continued north along a very boring highway # 1 through the Canterbury Plain. Ch Ch appeared and we were able to navigate the myriad of one-way streets downtown to find our motel in a trendy area called Merivale. I should point out that I cannot remember one city or town where the main highway we were traveling one actually bypassed the city. Everyone go directly through town so some of the streets are quite congested. I also do not remember being on any motorways on the South Island every major road has been a two-lane highway no divided highways. The other interesting fact is that other than Auckland we have not seen very many shopping malls. Without exception the vast majority of stores are small shops scattered along the main streets. We have seen a scattering of big box stores but they appear to be mostly grocery or home improvement stores with not a Wal-Mart to be seen. For our afternoon in Ch Ch we did a self-drive tour over the port hills driving along the shores of the Avon River estuary before driving over the peninsula hills to Lyttleton via the summit road a twisty narrow and very steep track that is called a road. The views were incredible and we finally headed back to town around 5:30. We decided to pick up pizza for dinner and found a trendy Italian restaurant and ordered our take away from a waitress who was from Sudbury. She had been in NZ for 5 years but had finally decided it was not for her and was making plans to return to the cold white north. After dinner we went for a walk and found a small café had our flat white coffee and returned to a good nights sleep.

Day 23, Dunedin to Oamaru

We had booked a tour of the Royal Albatross Colony the day before and arrived at 8:45 for the first tour of the day. Our guide was new to the job and we were only her second group and she was very nervous and did not have a lot of confidence and was not into making small talk. We took the tour but got more out of the displays rather than the guides description of the Royal Albatrosses. They are the largest sea birds often staying sea for up to 5 years before returning to the rookery on the mainland of Otago to bred and rear there young. They are massive birds that can glide with the wind at speeds of up to 140 Kph and have a wingspan of up to 3.3 meters. From the colony we headed back toward Dunedin to tour Lanarch Castle and its beautiful gardens. The Barker Family purchased the derelict castle and lands and continues to this day upgrading and maintaining the castle. The self-guided tour was outstanding with the sad story of the Lanark family and how they shaped this land. We returned to downtown Dunedin to make motel reservations in Christ Church as this is the height of the tourist season and accommodations have been getting more difficult to find lately as we have arrived in the larger cities on the South Island. We found a place in Christ Church and stopped to have lunch at a small French restaurant that served an excellent onion soup. We were in the car and on our way to Oamaru a small town filled with lime stone buildings right on the Pacific Ocean. We made reservations at a small restaurant and had a delightful St Valentines Day dinner.

Day 22, Te Anau to Dunedin

We had a great nights sleep in Te Anau and awoke slowly to an overcast day. A quick breakfast was in order and then we packed up and jumped in the car for the 4-hour drive to Dunedin. We arrived in this delightful city around 1:00 pm and went directly to the I-site in the central park of downtown called the Octagon. We were able to find accommodations in a motel out on the Otago Peninsula. At first we thought it was in the middle of nowhere however it worked out to be a wonderful location. It was literally 5 minutes from the Royal Albatross Colony sanctuary and about 3 minutes to the Yellow Eyed Penguin Sanctuary and less than 20 minutes from The Lanark Castle the only castle in NZ. We went up to the Albatross Sanctuary to have a look around, made reservations for a tour tomorrow and then had dinner at the café. After dinner we went to the Blue Penguin colony that is on a private farm and is run by donations and revenues from the offered tours. The tours were great with a 10 minute bus ride over the very hilly terrain to the beach on the opposite side of the peninsula and a short walk down to the beach area where we were able to watch the small penguins emerge from the water and stand on the beach for about 10 minutes while hey gathered there strength from the 12 to 14 hours spent at sea fishing for themselves and their chicks waiting patiently all day for their return. We were able to get very close to the chicks and adults by using a series of blinds and trenches to move about the area. We left the Yellow Eyed Penguin to return to the head of the Peninsula to and to Pilot Beach where Blue Penguins return from a day at sea at dusk. We were able to see about 8 birds swim in through the surf and waddle up the beach and into the undergrowth to enter their burrows for the night before they return to the sea at dawn. Back to the motel and little catch up on the blog and then to bed we

Day 21 Milford Sound. The good ship Milford Wanderer

After the ferry boat ride to the main dock we dropped our gear at the charter bus and grab our overnight clothes and made our way to the small cruise vessel Milford Wanderer that would be our home overnight on the sound. We boarded at 4 pm and headed out onto the sound washed in beautiful sunshine to soak p the views that have to be some of the most stunning in the world. Miter Peak dominates the skyline from the dock as it rises some 1675 meters directly out of the water in an impressive display of shear rock faces. Every one of the 50 odd people on board the ship was ecstatic, however the trampers were the most as we queued up to get into the scalding hot showers onboard. After 4 days of sweaty tramping it was unbelievably wonderful standing in the hot water scrubbing your self clean. We went up onto the main deck into the lounge and had the most wonderful meal that contained none of the freeze-dried fare that we had over the last few days. The beer and wine flowed freely as we watched the Sound drift by and sailed out onto the Tasman Sea for an hour or so before returning to our safe anchorage in the sound for our overnight stay. The accommodations on board the Wanderer are a little cramped with 4 people to a bunk bed stateroom and the sounds of very tired trampers quickly engulfed us all. The bunks are a little cramped as my head and feet touched opposite ends. It was not the best sleep I had on the trip and Mary echoed my sentiments. We rose at about 6:15 and had another exquisite hot shower before going upstairs to have an enormous breakfast. We pulled anchor and cruised down to the sea once again before turning toward the harbour some 20 kms towards the mountains. The sun was streaming down on us but had yet to fully engulf all the sound, as the walls are so steep that the sun does not reach all the sections until about 9:00 am. The skipper took us close to the vertical rock walls that towered over us in one place by 900 meters while the depth of the Sound was 392 meters under us. This occurred when we were actually less than 2 meters from the rock face and the bow of the boat was actually in a waterfall, totally awesome! We cruised slowly into Freshwater Basin and realized that this pivotal portion of our trip was over and climbed aboard the bus for Te Anau 1:30 down the road. About 20 minutes from our departure we entered the Homer tunnel that is one lane wide and 900 meters long. The traffic is controlled by lights and at the height of the tourist season you can wait for up to 25 minutes for the lights to change. On a busy day Milford will receive up to 175 full sized tourist busses. We arrived in Te Anau about 12:15 and we said our goodbyes to our new tramping friends and shouldered our backpacks for one last time to walk the kilometer or so back to the motel where we had left our rental car while we were away hiking. We picked up the car and checked in and then quickly went to the local supermarket to purchase two steaks, salad and a nice bottle of wine for dinner as the motel had an outdoor BBQ that guests were able to use. We had a wonderful meal and tumbled into bed early to finally get good nights sleep with none snoring but me.

Day 4 on the Milford Track

Once again we awoke very early, as we were required to be on the track by 7:30 am, as we had to be at the Arthur Dock to meet the ferryboat that would take us to Milford by 2 pm. It was some 18 kms distant and unsure of our legs after the previous days pounding we started off on the track. The trail today was generally very good with a few sections that we rocky and uneven. We came across a section that contained graffiti carved into the rock face. Just so you understand this graffiti was carved by an early worker on the trail and is inscribed “Stenhouse May 2, 1898”. We walked through thick bush and finally by Lake Ada watching all the wildlife as we passed by. (My good friend Drew Mitchell would have enjoyed this walk, but he would have filled 10 sketchbooks to complete the track). We reached Giant Gate Falls for lunch with our fellow trampers and pushed on as the track became wider and flatter the closer we got to our goal. At 1:20 pm we rounded the corner and saw the trail end. It was a very emotional experience for all of us and one person said that it was their Everest; upon reflection I think I can honestly say the same for me. I have dreamed of this tramp for so long that it is hard to believe that Mary and I have accomplished it safely and met a great group of people along the way and we cant wait to tackle the next hiking challenge. I will concur with the thousands that have gone before us the The Milford Track is clearly one of the “Finest Walks in the World”.

Day 3 on the Milford Track

We arose to the cries of a group of Kea’s that are the mountain parrots that inhabit this area of Fiordland. They appear with the first light of the day and are noisy in your face birds. They are a little bit like a Labrador Retriever; if you don’t entertain them they will entertain themselves! If you leave anything on the ground and move a few meters away they will swoop in and peck at it or try to carry it away. They have been seen flying away with digital cameras and ripping the linings out of hiking boots. The short answer to the Kea problem is to put everything left outside on the hooks and clotheslines provided or loose it. We were on the trail by 8:15 am and were wearing only tee shirts and shorts, as the temperature was around 15 degrees. For the first kilometer the trail was smooth and fairly flat so we made good time. We turned a corner, crossed a swing bridge and immediately started to climb and I mean climb. The track narrowed to less than a meter wide and there was loose rock that was both wet and unstable. This was to continue for the next 2 hours of hard climbing. The cloud layer was low overhead and we all quietly hoped it would clear by the time we reached the summit of McKinnon Pass. With sweat poring down our faces and stinging our eyes as it mixed with the ever present “Bushman’s” bug repellant that we applied several times a day we laboured on and upward. We climbed from native bush to thin sub alpine growth with the temperature dropping constantly as the winds continued to pick up in speed. Finally we were above the tree line and climbing back and forth on the switchback trails. We were now walking in thick clouds as we approached the summit and the winds increased constantly to an estimated velocity of around 60 -70 kms per hour. As we reached the summit of the pass the memorial cairn came into view and nothing else. No great vistas of mountains and valleys just freezing cold temperatures of 3 degrees and high winds. We made time for a quick picture at the summit and put on our polar fleece jackets and rain gear to cut the wind and made our way as quickly as possible to the summit hut for a boil up of tea and cuppa soup. It tasted wonderful. We had about 25 trampers in the hut with two gas cookers going to heat water and the hut quickly became warm and steamy. We rested for about 20 – 30 minutes and got our packs back on and stepped out into the icy air to be blasted once again by the wind. All I could think about was my knees and the 975-meter descent that was coming toward me. We descended about 100 meters vertically and I noticed through the thinning cloud that the wind had diminished and I thought I could see the outline of a mountain across the valley. Within 5 minutes the skies had virtually cleared of clouds overhead and we stared in awe at the scenery that surrounded us. Clear blue skies, mountain waterfalls collecting into raging streams, thick green bush and glaciers and snow capped mountains in a 360-degree panorama. It was breathtaking! Mary and I stood for a few minutes to take pictures and slowly began the grinding walk down toward Dumpling hut about 7 kms away. We stopped every few minutes to soak in the views that just took your breath away. After about 30 minutes we re-entered the bush and had to catch glimpses if the mountains through the trees and when we crossed the dozens of streams that cross the pathway. We finally arrived at the independent walkers day hut and had a boil up lunch of cheese and salami sandwiches as well as tea and soup. We quickly dropped our packs and headed for Sunderland Falls which is the highest water falls in NZ and the 6th highest in the world. It is a 1-1/2 hour return side trail that is well worth the effort it takes. The over 600 meter high waterfall is spectacular as the roar of the water and the mist reaches you long before you arrive. It is a hard scramble over the rocks as you approach, as they are uneven and covered in slippery moss. You are constantly smashed by water that falls over 200 meters in the last leap and can make your way through the waterfall by hugging the wall and grabbing hold of the moss that grows thickly. Yours boots quickly become waterlogged and as we returned to our packs a few kms back along the trail they started to feel like lead weights. Down, down and down we walked until we finally came to Dumpling hut our final nights destination. Everyone had a tremendous feeling of accomplishment and we all pitched in with dinner and sorted out our gear being careful to hang up everything that was left outside so the Kea’s would not carry them away or rip it apart. Ranger Ann gave us our briefing on what to see on the trail the next day and we were all in bed before lights out at 10 pm.

Day 2 on the Milford Track

I slept most of the night but was awakened a few times by the snoring of fellow trampers and the beating of the rain on the tin roof of the hut. We awoke around 6:30 and made our way across the open area between the huts to the cook hut and were pleased that the rain was easing. Breakfast was heaping bowls of porridge with muesli and piles of toast with butter jam or honey. Most of us were happy to hear from Ranger Pete that the water had not covered the rock in the river that he used to determine whether the trail will be submerged and he gave us the go ahead to proceed around 8:00 am. There was still a light drizzle and we opted to wear our rain gear. Almost as soon as we were on the track it stopped raining and after 20 minutes we stopped to remove the rain gear and stow it away as we were already warm and did not need the protection. Most of the morning was easy tramping as we followed the river valley and gazed up at the ever-increasing height of the mountains around us. We stopped for a boil up on the trail where we had cuppa soup, salami and cheese sandwiches and of course tea. After lunch we only had another 2-1/2 hours of tramping to do but it quickly became work as we started to climb and climb and climb. After the 4 hours in the morning we broke into a real sweat for the first time on the tramp. The trail became rocky and uneven and you had to watch where you placed your feet. Most of the afternoon was in deep bush that was still dripping water from the rain overnight and the river was roaring due to the volume of water. The water level had raised about 1 meter from the previous day and the flow rate was incredible. Our legs were starting to tire and the backpacks seemed to be increasing in weight with every step until there was a sign on the track that Mintaro Hut was 2 minutes up the side trail. Hot and sweaty we marched into camp in the top third of group and selected our beds and once again delivered the food parcels we carried to the kitchen area. The leaders told us that there was swimming hole up the trail about 5 minutes at Lake Mintaro but that the water was very cold. Like true Canadians who insist on swimming at the cottage on the 24th of May long weekend we donned our trunks and headed for the “beach”. We arrived at the banks of the small lake and selected a shallow spot to enter that had a deeper pool close by. Upon entering the water it became evident why few Kiwi’s swam here. The water immediately gave you pains in your feet, as the temperature could not have been more than 5 degrees C. With the Kiwi’s looking on we jumped in, said how lovely the water was and then got our ass out of it as quickly as possible! A few others ventured in mainly the Aussies on the tramp, as they did not ever want to be out done by anyone. We toweled dry and went back to the huts while fending off the ever-present sand flies (black flies in Kiwi disguise). Dinner was ready when we got back and it was a great feed as we were all tired from the hard days tramp. The Ranger came in to speak with us around 7:30 pm to describe the hundreds of ways to hurt your self on the track and in the huts as well as interesting things to see on the track tomorrow. She took time to outline what we could expect tomorrow on the hike over McKinnon Pass. The ascent would be 575 meters in elevation gain over rocky uneven surface and we could expect brisk winds at the pass. The descent would be even more difficult as the elevation loss from the pass to our destination at Dumpling Hut was 975 meters! Better get a good nights sleep as you will need it.

Day 17 through Day 21, The Milford Track. 1st Day

We opened our eyes at around 7:15 am and rolled our of bed to peak out the windows at a little low puffy clouds but mostly brilliant blue sky! We had purchased some muesli cereal and fresh fruit for breakfast. Most of the motels we have stayed in have a small kitchenette built in with a hot plate, fridge and simple utensils so it makes sense to have the first meal of the day in the room. By the time we had done the final packing of the backpacks it was time to checkout of the room, park the car in the storage area and walk about 250 meters to the Department of Conservation (DOC) center where we were to meet the bus carrying the other trampers. We arrived to find to Jos and Ana waiting for the bus as well. They are dairy farmers originally from Holland who immigrated to NZ and were now living on the North Island and were eagerly anticipating the tramp as well. Right on schedule the bus pulled into the DOC center and we introduced ourselves while the leaders went in to pick up the permits for the backcountry huts we were to be staying in over the next 3 nights. We boarded the bus for the 30-minute trip from Te Anau to Te Anau Downs where we met the ferryboat that would take our group of 39 trampers who are considered independent walkers along with about 40 trampers in the guided walker group. The guided walkers do not have to carry any of food, sleeping bags our other gear only their clothing. The rest is supplied by the company that organizes the tramp for them and provided guides and fully staffed huts with full sized beds with linen and provided meals both in the huts and along the trail during the day. For this pleasure they pay about $1700 each for 3 nights and 4 days on the track. By comparison we paid approximately $575 each. I think the sense of accomplishment is higher with the independent trampers as you quickly feel part of a group working together and share in all the responsibilities from carrying the gear and food to assisting in the preparation of meals. The Ferry ride from Te Anau Downs to the dock at the mouth of the Clinton river takes about 1hour 15 minutes with a few side trips close to several islands for the skipper of the boat to describe historical facts and geological points of interest along the way. The clouds had lowered a little in the sky but the views were spectacular as we approached the end of the lake and saw the dock where we were to land. As the boat pulled into shore we carried all the backpacks ashore quickly assembled and started the 5-kilometer hike to our first overnight stay at Clinton Hut. The trail was wide enough for two people and smoothed gravel that entered immediately into native beech bush with ferns and moss growing in a thick tangled landscape. The bush was so thick you could not see any of the surrounding mountains until we entered a clearing and saw the guided walkers huts. It was now about 4 pm and we crossed the clearing and quickly came across the swing bridge crossing the Clinton River. It states that it will support 5 people at a time however the determining factor is how much they swing with more than one person crossing. If you make the mistake of walking in rhythm you very quickly loose your balance as the bridge start oscillating and it is almost impossible to maintain your balance with an 18-kilogram backpack on. The surrounding vistas were hard to put into words. The water was so clear it almost looked transparent and as the clouds had cleared off the blue sky was the perfect backdrop for the mountains that surrounded us. We walked parallel to the river for another 30 minutes and reached our destination for the first night “Clinton Hut”. The huts consist of the separate private quarters for the hut DOC ranger and the kitchen facility then the 2 sleeping huts each holding 20 people in bunk bed style. We quickly selected our bed locations and delivered the food parcels we had carried to the first kitchen crew who immediately started cooking dinner and the first pot of boiling water for tea and coffee. There is always a pot of water boiling whenever we stop along the trail or in the huts so that you can always have a cuppa tea. The first night meal was pasta, mashed potatoes peas and fresh ham slices with pudding for desert. And of course great tasting tea with water pulled directly from the river. It started to rain shortly after our arrival and the rain became heavier as the evening wore on. Ranger Pete came into the hut at about 7:30 pm to tell us all the ways we could be killed or maimed on the trail or in the huts. He had a quiet sense of humour that came through clearly and explained that if it kept raining this hard overnight we might have to delay starting a bit in the morning as the trail was prone to flooding ahead of us in sections. Now to those of us in Ontario we think of a heavy rainstorm dropping 50 millimeters of water here they talk in terns of a ½ meter falling in 24 hours. The mountains around us hold back almost no water as there is little soil and the terrain is so steep that you instantly get the most beautiful waterfalls forming all around you cascading hundred of meters in height. After dinner and the ranger speech we all had to stand up and tell everyone who we were and a little about ourselves as an icebreaker. While not overly tired we retired early as the only power is supplied by solar cells on the roof and the lights turn off automatically at 10 pm.

Day 16,Queenstown to Te Anau

A few high thin clouds greeted us when we awoke and had breakfast in the motel room. We have started to buy cereal milk and bread as most rooms have a small fridge and simple cooking facilities. While the cooked breakfasts have been good we are getting a bit bored with always eating in restaurants. A simple breakfast suits us just fine most days now. I set up the laptop and caught up with most of the blob and uploaded more pictures from the camera. The Internet connections on the South Island have been spotty at the hotels and there was no wifi connection at Hurley’s. We packed up and headed into Queenstown and located an Internet café and I uploaded the latest data from the laptop. While there I spoke to a young Canadian guy and his girlfriend who was from Edmonton. They have been traveling for about a year in the South Pacific. They worked in OZ for about 9 months and plan on spending 3 to 4 months in NZ. They have about the same money they started with as they move from one job to the next to pay the bills and see the sights. I spent about 45 minutes in the Internet café and that cost about $10 and got a slow connection compared to home. Noticing it was 10:45 I quickly packed up the computer and rushed back to the car to meet Mary and walked over to the jet boat bus meeting spot. I must admit that the tourist operators in NZ do it right. They absolutely understand what service is and try to make your experience the best that it can be. The guides are well trained and are clearly selected to be funny and engaging. About 18 of us boarded a bus and the driver chatted us up and showed us a 12 minute DVD that explained all the safety issues for the jet boat and gave a sales pitch for the gift shop, photographs of yourselves in the boat, interactive cd’s and DVD’s and ½ price second trip on the river if you desired to go again. We arrived at the Shotover River location and piled out of the bus and were given splash jackets and life preservers to put on. The jet boats roared around the docking area all be driven by 20 something males with testosterone levels in the stratosphere. Gleaming teeth and huge smiles while they explained the safety issues and telling us that they haven’t lost anyone today! Fifteen people loaded into the boat and the engine rumbled under us as our driver Mike once again explained that we must keep our arms and hands inside the boat as they occasionally ht the canyon walls and that we must remain seated at all times (I wanted to travel standing up balanced on the bow and yell I’m the king of the world!) and when he put his hand in the air and made a circle it was a signal for us to hold on to the grab bar as we were about to do a 360 degree turn! We blasted out of the docking area going upstream for about 100 meters did a 180 turn and blew by the dock area going about 80 kms. The river is about 6 inches in places and you can see the rocks. The jet boats can navigate in about 3 to 4 inches of water if necessary. We went downstream for about 7 kilometers and passed between canyon walls that we literally inches from the boat. I had a very cool seat on the outside and quickly understood the rule about keeping your arms inside the boat. We did about 4 or 5 360’s all at full speed of about 80 kms. The boats are highly maneuverable and can literally spin around with a skillful driver at very high speed. You get soaked of course as they set up the spin so that large amounts of spray cover the boat. The ride lasts about 25 minutes and is worth every penny of the $100 each cost. Back on terra firma and we handed back to life jackets and splash gear and passed through the gift shop and said a pleasant no to the $50 photograph special offer we were back on a bus to town that runs every 15 minutes from 8 am until dark 365 days a year (except Christmas). We stopped in at a supermarket to pick up some last minute items for the Milford Track, as we were not sure what would be available in Te Anau when we arrived. We loaded into the car and found the right road and drove out of town to stop at a little picnic sight for some cheese and wine while gazing at the lake with a backdrop of mountains. Back into the car for the 2 hours drive to Te Anau and found our lodge for the night. They have parking arrangements so that you can leave your car while walking the numerous multi-day tracks in the area. We went into town and had a flat white and decided to but some pasta and sauce to cook up ourselves tonight and the thought of ordering another meal was not that appealing. A bottle of Pinot Noir a plate of pasta and bread rolls was a perfect way to end the day and peek our anticipation for the beginning of the Milford Track hike tomorrow. That’s all for now we will be in contact in 4 days after the hike is completed.

Day 15,Haast to Queenstown

In what has become the usual comment, the day dawned with hardly a cloud in the sky once again and with packed up the bags and headed to the dining room for our full cooked breakfast. The breakfast was included in the cost of the room and it should be for the $175. We left the motel at 8 am and stopped to fill up the car with petrol. $1.43 a liter adds up very quickly with the average fill-up coming it at around $70. We headed up the Haast valley with its canyon walls so steep that we drove along in dark shadows for about 30 minutes until the sun was high enough in the sky to reach the valley floor. The road was twisty as is normal and we paralleled the Haast River until we reached the Gates of Haast that is a narrow gorge where the water rolls over rapids and literally boiled through the opening. We climbed steadily until we passed through the Haast pass at 1600 meters and then the road flattened out and we continued driving through mountains and valleys for about 2 hours passing by beautiful lakes until arriving in Queenstown around 11:30 am. What a shock! People everyone speaking most dialects and crowded narrow streets on the national holiday of Waitangi Day. We soon discovered that there were no celebrations planned and many restaurants are closed to give staff a holiday or place a surcharge on service that day. We found the I-site and booked two seats on the Shotover River Jet Boats for tomorrow at 11 am. This is one of the activities that was on my to do list. As it was now noon we walked down toward the lakefront through the Queenstown mall that is an open-air pedestrian way with dozens of shops, restaurants and bars that never seems to slow down. The weather was beautiful and the temperature hovered around 29 degrees. We found a small sandwich and coffee shop and sat outside in the shade to enjoy the world passing by. After lunch we found our hotel named Hurley’s of Queenstown and booked in and carried our bags in. Back into the car and we headed to the gondolas that rise up 450 meters from down town to an observation platform and restaurant that over looks Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu. The lake stretches for 84 kms and actual has an America’s Cup boat for hire on it. Queenstown’s main ambition is to provide endless thrills and separate you from your money! The view from the top is breathtaking both in the scenery as well as watching people throw themselves off a bungy platform for $150 or go paragliding to the base while flying out over the lake for $185. Oh yeah the gondola ride was $40. We marveled at the view for awhile and headed out the anther bungy jump on the Kawarua River where for another $150 you can fall about 103 meters to half submerge yourself in the river. It was great fun to watch but I was to big a chicken to do it. We continued up the river for a few kms and stopped in at a winery named Peregrine to sample some of the Sauvignon Blanc and the famous Pinot Noirs of the Central Otago district. We closed the winery at 5 pm and headed back to town to find a great local pizza place named Winnies. Great zaa and cold beer can’t go wrong in my book. We headed back to the motel and sat on the little deck to sip the two flat white takeaways we brought back with us. One day to go before we start out on the Milford Track and we are counting the hours.

Day 14, Hokitika to Haast

We decided to buy some cereal, bread and fresh fruit so that we could get an early start to the next day as most of the motels we have stayed in have small refrigerators. We were out of the motel by 8 am and stopped in to many of the jade and glass blowing shops to check out the wares. Hokitka has a beautiful town clock in the central square or more appropriately named the central roundabout. I took a few pictures met up with Mary. We headed out of town eastward toward the Southern Alps to find Hokitika Gorge. Along the way we stopped at Lake Kaniere and took in the idyllic views of some of the snow covered peaks. It reminds me of lakes in the foothills of the Rockies a little. There were very few people around as this is the first day back to school of the new summer term. We continued along the narrow road until we came upon a group of car enthusiasts driving their 1920 and 30’s cars. Somehow they seemed to fit into the surreal scene quite well. The pavement ran out and we continued on an ever-narrowing gravel road until we arrived at Dorothy’s Falls. It is set in a lovely little valley only a few meters from the road, but a world apart. With the constant mist and the sheltered area it has its own ecosystem of lush plants and all is so green. We continued on for another 5 kms on gravel and reached pavement again and continued another 17 kms to reached the entrance to Hokitika Gorge. We parked the car and walked down a steep path for about 10 minutes to reach a swing bridge over the gorge. It hangs about 10 meters above the water and gives stunning views. The water is a beautiful blue green colour that reminds us of the Caribbean. Back into the car for the 25 minute drive into Hokitika and we then turn southward for the Frans Josef Glacier and the Fox Glacier. The view along the highway is stunning to say the least at every turn you see great vistas and Mary makes a comment on the dichotomy of the view. You look up onto snow covered peaks while driving on twisting and turning roads set in dense bush of palms and ferns as far as the eye can see. Finally we get out of the switch back roads onto the coastal plain and farmland of the Westcoast region and arrive at Haast around 5:30 pm. We found our hotel easily as there are only 3 places to stay and two restaurants to choose from. I think the main reason for Haast to exist is a stop over location on the highway to break up the journey. Mary had a mediocre Chicken Parmigiana while I had a fantastic venison dinner. Back to our room and we both did a little reading and I caught up on the blog and then we retired early to get a good start on the day tomorrow as we are off to Queenstown.

Day 13, Picton to Hokitika

My eyes opened and found not a cloud in the sky! Back to the little café named Gusto and we had a quick breakfast and of course another flat white! We loaded up the car and set out toward Greymouth on the west coast of NZ. We passed through eh Wairua valley and countless wineries and into cattle country and then into sheep country. The valley narrowed and the hills became taller and finally the beginnings of the northern tip of the Southern Alps. The trip took about 3-13 hours and traveled through rough farm country and crossed endless small streams and countless one-lane bridges. The temperature was around 20 and it was nice to travel with the windows open and experience all the smells as we passed through the countryside. We arrived in Grey mouth at around 3:30 and went to an I-site to look for lodging. We decided on a motel in Hokitika about 40 minutes farther south and thanks to a very helpful attendant booked our motel in Haast and Queenstown for the next following two nights. We had an and hour to kill so decided to take a tour of the Montieth Brewery and spoke with the tour guide who was originally from Victoria BC and had settled in Grey mouth to take a two year course in Jade carving. Jade or NZ greenstone comes from the area and there are galleries in Greymouth and Hokitika that are world famous. The prices they charge attest to the fact. We finished the tour and samples 7 different beers or more correctly I sampled the beers and left for the 40 minutes drive to Hokitika. We checked into the motel and headed into town to have dinner at the Café de Paris. Once again we had another wonderful meal and finished it off with…….. flat whites.

Day 12, Picton

It rained hard overnight and we awoke to heavy low clouds but with rain in the morning. We found a little café where I had muesli and fresh fruit and Mary had a large muffin and we both had the obligatory flat white coffee. We tumbled into the car and headed out onto Queen Charlotte drive that winds (and I mean winds) its way toward Havelock. The road never stops switching back and forth and there are times that you think that you can see the back of your own car. We climb up and then we go down to sea level again and again. The views of the inlets and bays in the Queen Charlotte sound are breathtaking. You come around a corner and you just gasp at the beauty and then you are plunged into dense native bush only to emerge in a few minutes to another small bay with a sailboat anchored quietly swinging in the breeze. We stopped in Havelock for lunch at a little café that specializes in green shell mussels. This area is famous for them and they are to die for. I had a bucket of mussels steamed in white wine and herbs with fresh crusty bread. OUTSTANDING! Mom had the smoked Cajun chicken salad and would not even venture toward even tasting one of my treats. After lunch we headed west toward Blenheim in the Wairua valley that has dozens of wineries and restaurants. We stopped into the Cloudy Bay winery tasting room and managed to sample few of their vintages and were very impressed with the Sauvignon Blanc that was served. Glynnis the lady behind the bar was a typical Kiwi in attitude and managed to keep us entertained with her questions and blunt questions about all things Canadian including taxes and medicare. We asked if she could recommend a local winery restaurant and she was quick to say that right next to Cloudy Bay was one named Gibbs that was outstanding. We said that worked for us and she picked up the phone and made reservations for us immediately. We went back to the hotel and Mary did a load of washing as the dirty clothes were piling up quickly. We changed into better clothes and headed out to Gibbs’s around 7:30 and found it at the end of a long private road that ran through their vineyard. Let me just say that the meal was the best that we have had since our arrival and we considered it an early valentine treat. Mt entree was one of the best I have ever had. Prociuotto ham with ripe figs drizzled with honey and shaved Parmesan cheese. To Die For! Mom broke with tradition and ordered the rack of lamb and was not disappointed. We washed all of this great food down with a tasty pinot noir and finished the meal off with you guessed it a flat white. Back to the hotel and early to bed as we are off the Hokitika tomorrow.

Europcar Rental Saga

Last fall I decided to cash in my accumulated RBC reward points to pay for the car we would use for the month in NZ. This would save us about $1700 so I made the arrangements with little trouble. The one hitch was that you couldn’t transport the rental car on the ferry from the North Island to the South Island. This saves a significant amount of money and keeps cars in place. Part of the requirement is to give the exact ferry crossing to the booking agent months in advance for when you will drop off and pick up the new car. When we arrived at the Auckland International terminal we had to catch a transfer bus to the domestic terminal as Europcar only has a kiosk at domestic. This was my first indication why we got a good deal. We waited 10 minutes for the bus with two backpacks, a small suitcase (no big suitcase, remember it is lost somewhere) and two small carry on packs and made the short trip. The people at the kiosk were friendly but it took 25 minutes to get the paperwork sorted out and then they had to find the car, which took another 15 minutes. It was a Mitsubishi Lancer, which is a small car by our standards just a little bigger than a Nissan Sentra approximately. It has small engine probably around 1.8 liters so it should be frugal on gas (read as no power). Mary and I climbed in and read a big sticker on the instrument cluster KEEP LEFT. Ok it has been almost 24 hours since we left Vancouver and the reaction time is a little slow and now I am getting a little concerned as it has been a long time since I drove a right hand drive. The first task was to navigate out of the covered car park that is very tight on space. We made it ok and entered into the real world at about 7:15 am with commuters and trucks everywhere around us. The knuckles were white and the conversation curt and tense. We finally made it into Auckland and parked the car and discovered that it only had ½ a tank of gas. Hum I guess that it must not be that efficient. Then it dawned on me that they had not filled the tank. Well gas is $1.37 a liter here and I’m not pleased. Next day on the way south we stopped back at the airport and advised them of the gas facts and they sort of said, oh too bad, gave a lame apology and looked back at me. I explained in a calm manner (really I did) that they should fill up the tank and we would be on our way. We had to follow them off the airport ground to a Shell station to top up the tank and headed south to Rotorua on the Motorway for 20 kms before it runs out of lanes. Fast forward to Wellington to catch the ferry. Arrived early to drop off the car and discovered Europe Car kiosk unmanned and no sign posted on when they will return. Hertz, Budget, Apex etc are all sympathetic and smiled at me. Finally the inbound ferry arrived and I hotfooted over to the arrivals section and stood before the closed kiosk waiting. The reason I did not just drop the keys was that while Mary and I were touring the Parliament buildings we returned to the car to find a $200 ticket on the windshield for an improperly displayed vehicle registration card. When you rent a car in NZ they take an imprint of your credit card and you sign that you are responsible for all fines and that they will charge your card for them. Finally someone showed up with me at the head of the line at least and I asked that they make a photocopy of the ticket for my records. They didn’t quite get it that the ticket was their problem and not mine. I fully expect to be fighting this potential charge back over the next few months and wanted the ticket available. We left the car and she said that no paperwork was necessary as we were picking up the new car in a few hours in Picton on the South Island. Fast forward 3-1/2 hours. It is dark, light drizzle, Mary is waiting for the 6 pieces of luggage (we have the 2 large back packs now) and I go off to find Europcar I see Hertz, Avis Budget and then I see EC. Unmanned and closed for the night! There is a small sign on the window with an after hours phone number. No cell phone, no phones in the area that accept coins, no telecom card in my pocket. Finally dig out a credit card and call the number to speak to a very helpful young fellow in Christchurch who said we were expected at 1 in the afternoon not tonight. GRRR. What will he do for us? Nothing. Go to the hotel he says and they will deliver the car to us. Six bags, unknown distance to hotel, raining, no taxis, GRRR. Randy is not happy and what is worse for everyone (read Randy) Mary is not happy. I speak to a few people like all the other rental car companies and there only suggestion is to walk. Which is what we do. Found a luggage trolley for $2 and started to town searching through our packs to find the road maps we have so that we can find High Street. Finally find the hotel as the rain really starts to come down. The following morning I call Europcar and they say they will be right over and within 10 minutes they arrive with a Toyota Corrolla, that will never hold the luggage! The driver starts to argue with me saying it is my fault for not changing the reservations properly and saying this is the only car available. In a mild manner, I pleaded my case and while she is still hung up on why we did not show up on the 1 o’clock ferry yesterday and is deflecting all possibly responsibility she finally relents and calls the office to miraculously find a new Suburu Outback that is available. Would that be OK Mr. Seager, YES thank you very much. Off she goes to the terminal and returns in 15 minutes, sign here have a nice trip.

That’s it for now other than to say nice car.

Day 11, Wellington to Picton

We woke early as is normal and headed down to the hotel restaurant. We had the continental breakfast and made the mistake of ordering coffee as flat whites were not available. UGH! How a nation can make wonderful flat white coffee and serve this other disgusting stuff is beyond my comprehension. Out into the sunshine we went to drive up to Mount Victoria that overlooks the city. The views are stunning and we took many photographs as the 360-degree view is worth remembering. The homes that are perched on the slopes are incredible and VERY expensive. If they ever got snow here they would not be accessible as the roads are narrow and VERY steep. Cars are parked on the street and there is barely room to get by in places. We left Mt Victoria and went to the Parliament buildings and took an excellent guided tour. Parliament was not sitting so we were able to enter the floor of the “debating chamber” as well as the old upper house chamber that is no longer used as the Kiwis abolished the senate a few decades ago. We left the buildings and were greeted by a $200 ticket on the windshield! I was pleased to see that it was for a improperly registered vehicle and not a parking violation. (I made a photocopy of the ticket as I expect to have to fight this potential charge on my credit card) It was about noon and we decided to drive to the ferry terminal and try to catch an earlier ship. Unfortunately the 2 o’clock ferry was fully booked so we headed back into town and were happy to find a restaurant overlooking the harbour that had a good salad bar. It is interesting to note that it is not easy finding green salads here. Most of the meals centre on meat and potatoes and have very few greens. We lingered over lunch and finally checked into the ferry and dropped the rental car off around 4pm for the 6:15 departure. We boarded around 5:45 and found a seat next to a window and settled in for the crossing. The sea was calm and the sun was shinning most of the 3 hours crossing to the south island and I made several trips to the observation deck to soak up the salt air and capture more photographs. We had a less than memorable meal of fish and chips on board and arrived in Picton in a light drizzle to discover that the Europe Car booth was unmanned and closed for the rest of the night! Evidently, they somehow fouled up the reservations and thought we were arriving on the 1 pm ferry. (Look for future posting on Europe Car's quality service) I asked several people about getting a taxi and they asked if we had a reservation (difficult to do when one expects a rental car to be in place!), as they were difficult to acquire this late in the evening. It was now 10 pm and with no other option we commandeered a baggage cart loaded all our luggage on and walked out of the ferry terminal in a light rain towards the thriving metropolis of Picton. We felt like street people with all our belongings in a shopping cart, winding our way into this sleepy town. We only took about 20 minutes to find the Broadway Motel and were greeted warmly and shown to our room. It turns out that it the nicest place (rented) we have stayed at yet. Our room has a very large spa bath and we made good use of it before retiring to a full nights sleep.

Day 10, National Park to Wellington

The day awakened slowly as did my knees. Another Motrin! It was overcast and the clouds were fairly low and you could only see the lower third of the three volcanoes. Both Mary and I commented on how lucky we were to have had the picture perfect day on our crossing. We headed out of town without breakfast and stopped at a petrol station to post some postcards home. Thirty kms down the rode we stopped in a small town for muffins and of course two flat whites. Flat whites are the crack cocaine of the coffee world; we are constantly searching for café’s that serve them. Mount Ruapehu finally faded from our view over our left shoulders as we headed south to Wellington. Mary took over the wheel of our Mitsubishi Lancer and we continued south. I will be perfectly honest here and say that I am not a good passenger sitting in the left seat of a right hand driven car. After several shrieks of terror and general uncomfortableness I settled in for a hour or so. Mary became increasingly agitated at me and finally as we approached Wellington she said she had had enough of my back seat driving and handed me the keys! We landed in the center of Wellington the capital of NZ right at lunch and were faced with a myriad of one way streets and of course the typical NZ road signs that tell you where to go at the last possible moment causing you to miss at least half the turnoffs as you can not conceivably make the turn in heavy traffic. We finally found an I-site and found parking fairly close by. We discovered that there were hardly any rooms available in the region as the International World Rugby 7”s tournament was in town. After checking half a dozen B&B’s as well as hotels we settled on the Bay Plaza on Oriental Parade Street. $152.00 a night for average accommodation. Mary and I were getting a little testy with one another at this point and we returned to the car to be stuck in traffic for about 45 minutes while the Rugby parade blocked all the downtown streets solidly. I was lucky enough to see the Canadian Team pass by and shouted my support. It was a pretty lonely voice amongst the crowd that was present. We finally found our hotel and carried all our gear in and headed out to Te Papa, which is the national museum of NZ. It is a beautifully laid out building with great exhibits of Maori artifacts and historical information. After spending a few hours inside we headed out into a light drizzle and came upon a small Italian restaurant and entered for some pasta. They said that there were booked but could find us a place near the back and we had a good feed of Spaghetti. I must say that the service could be described as poor at best. It is about the only time that leaving no tip was the proper thing to do. The service levels generally in NZ have been below our expectations and coming from Canada where we are not known for great service to begin with. We called it a early night and were asleep by 11 after trying to catch up on emails and updating the blog.

Day 9 The Tongariro Crossing!

We woke up at about 6 and quickly showered and assembled our gear for a final check. The air was frosty and you could see you breath in the morning sunshine. We opted for the cooked breakfast, as we wanted as much reserve food energy as we could. We filled up the water bottles and boarded the bus for the 30 ride to Mangatepopo parking lot where the 17 km crossing starts. The weather was perfect 10 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. When I did the crossing in 2005 we didn’t see the first half of the climb, as the weather was dreadful. We began the climb and after 1 hour we arrived at Soda Springs. The day was heating up and we removed our polar fleece jackets and the legs to our pants, as all that was needed was shorts and a light shirt. The view was stunning as the perfect cinder cone shape of Ngaurahohe volcano (Mount Doom in Lord of the Rings) was overwhelming. We began our climb up and up and up and up for almost 2 hours over a rock strewn difficult path. I places you have to step up onto ledges that are 18 inches high for long sections and you must pause frequently to catch your breath and give your quivering legs a chance to recover. When you are not looking down at your feet the views are overwhelming in their beauty. It became colder as we gained altitude and as we reached the summit and crossed the saddle the wind was howling and we had to use the straps to hold our hats on, as they would have been long gone and probably sitting at the bottom of Red Crater. After 3 hours we had gained about 850 meters in height and were rewarded with some of the most spectacular vistas you can imagine. Photographs do not do justice to this awe-inspiring landscape. We crested the saddle and looked down on the Emerald Lakes and simply gazed in wonderment at the sight. We had met a young girl named Ami from Edmonton who shared picture-taking responsibilities with us and walked with us for most of the day. Ami was in NZ to work for a few months before returning to Alberta to work to earn more money for her next trip abroad. She defiantly had the travel bug and kept us entertained along the track. We would our way across the main crater and lave field to make the final little climb and then began our long decent. We crested the crater rim and gazed on Blue Lake and walked along the edge until we turned the corner and started down in earnest. We finally saw Ketehahi hut our destination for lunch in the distance. It seemed like a few hundred meters away but took us over an hour descending on the track that switched back and forth. Each steps was becoming more and more difficult for me as my old creaky knees began to rebel. We arrived and made cheese sandwiches had some fruit and nuts, reapplied our sunscreen and started down the track once again. Winding trough the tussock grass and stepping down with every step was both beautiful and painful with every step. Finally we arrived in the bush section and were engulfed by trees and the sounds of birds. The small spring parallels the track and was a constant reminder of the pristine beauty of this place. We finally came around the corner and emerged into the parking lot to wait for our bus back to the lodge. We finished the track in 7 hours and sat in the cool shade for an hour watching all the hikers arrive. Everyone had a look of accomplishment on his or her faces and we all understood that we had just completed one of the top one-day hikes in the world both for difficulty and sheer beauty. Maybe in another 10 years Mary and I will return to do it one more time! For know another two Motrin’s and a hearty meal awaits us at the Railway Station Restaurant in the village of National Park.

Day 8 Pukekohe to Tongariro National Park

Once again we were up early and after a leisurely breakfast we followed Mark and Margaret to one of the green houses the company Mark is a director for owns. Mark had arranged a tour of the 41 acre green house dedicated to growing tomatoes for the NZ market as well as Japan and Australian. It was a fascinating tour and gave us a new appreciation for the tomatoes that you see on the grocer’s shelf. We said goodbye to Mark & Margaret knowing that we will see them in a few months, as they will be visiting us in Guelph. It will be great being able to return some of the hospitality that they have shown us.

Back on the motorway heading south to Waitomo where we did a tour of the Glow Worm caves and the Aranui Cave. The formations were breathtaking and the boat trip on the underground river to view the glowworms is something that we will remember for a long time. It was difficult to imagine that you were 50 meters underground and looking at little worms glowing on the ceiling and not a starry night while floating through a forest and seeing the stars through the trees. Back on the road after lunch and finally arrived in National Park Village and checked into Howard’s Lodge. We headed out for a great dinner of lamb shanks for me and Mom had a gigantic feed of razor back ribs. Each rib was about 9 inches long and was loaded with meat. We got back to the lodge and got all our gear ready for the Tongariro Crossing planned for the next day. We were very excited and the anticipation of the trek made a full nights sleep almost impossible. The weather forecast looks favorable and we can’t wait!

Day 7 Pukekohe and Auckland area

Sunday morning dawned clear and sunny and we made our way up the west coast to the Waitakere Ranges and did a short walk in the bush to stretch our legs and made our way over to Piha Beach. This was the beach used in the movie the Piano. We walked along the black sand beaches for about an hour and then made our way back and found a little café for a late lunch of fired potato and kumara chips and of course flat white coffee! Mark drove back into Auckland and we ascended One Tree Hill and had a great view of Auckland. We drove back to Pukekohe and changed our clothes and made our way over to Merv & Quita’s for a spectacular dinner. The Ah Chee’s new home is absolutely beautiful and Quita showed Mary and I around. They have done an outstanding job in designing and building an incredibly livable home. Merv is a caterer by vocation and he made the most delectable meal where the food just keep coming until we finally gave up trying to eat any more. We drank wine and laughed for hours and finally headed back to the Tregidga’s and tumbled into bed.

Day 6 Pauanui to Pukekohe

Mike and Judy prepared a wonderful brunch and we slowly packed up and said a very sad goodbye to our fantastic Kiwi hosts. The Bearman’s once again invited me into their home and we all parted great friends. I can only hope that they will visit us soon in Canada so that we may reciprocate in some small way to show our appreciation. We piled in to the car and made our way toward Auckland by driving over the Coromandel Range and seeing breath-taking scenery while winding up and down and around! We found one section of road that was straight for about 500 meters, what a gift. We crossed the Huraki Plains in record time, as the roads are actually straight for kilometers! We found the turnoff to Pukekohe and Grace James Rd. where Mark & Margaret Tregidga live. We drove down the long driveway and parked the car and were immediately greeted by Shadow their Golden Retriever. Mark and Margaret came through the front door and we all reintroduced ourselves and entered into their home. We had a quick tour and then walked around the property. I was amazed how much the plantings had grown since my previous visit in 2005. They have planted more than 3000 trees and shrubs and it looks beautiful. It was now about 4:30 and the guests to the BBQ were arriving. I was so happy to see John and Annie Rennie and Gratton & Verna O’Connell. Both these couples hosted my on my previous visit and it was wonderful meeting them again. The others that were able to join us for the gathering were Beryl & Colin Robinson, Colin & Louise Mathieson and Merv & Quita Ah Chee. It was so nice that Mary was able to meet all these very special people and can now call them friends. After a very long day we dad a quite cup of tea and then retired to our bedroom for another full nights sleep

Day 5 Pauanui

Awoke early once again and took our time getting ready for the day. Breakfast was cereal with fresh fruit and toast with a nice cuppa! Mike and I walked into the thriving metropolis of Pauanui (pop. 2500?) to pick up the newspaper and stretch our legs. We piled in the Bearman’s Isuzu and started off to do a little sightseeing on the eastern shore of the Coromandel Peninsula. The eastern shore is absolutely spectacular with pristine beaches and hidden coves. Our first stop was Hot Water Beach that has hot volcanic water that fills holes dug in the sand within two hours of low tide. While we missed the time slot you could see the depressions where people had enjoyed the phenomenon of hot water mixing with the relatively cool Pacific Ocean. We climbed back in the Isuzu and made our way north to our next stop at Hahei beach. We then proceeded north to Cathedral Cove that is accessed by hiking about 3 km’s in native bush down to this beautiful hidden cove. Mary and I swam for about an hour and finished with a fresh water shower standing under a waterfall that cascaded off the cliff from about 15 meters up the rock face. We all walked along the beach for about 100 meters and walked through the arch that give the cove its name. The solid rock arch has been cut out by the ocean and stands about 25 meters high and about the same width. It feels like standing in a natural church. Back we went up the track to the car and made our way to Mercury Bay and a quick ferry ride of about 2 minutes to arrive on the opposite side of the small bay and had a great lunch of thin crust pizza and finished off by the obligatory flat white coffee. We arrived back at Mike and Judy’s and had a delicious dinner on the deck with yummy NZ winesssss. Off to bed around 11 and quickly starting sawing logs for the balance of the night.