Rounding Out the South

***We have created two new online photo albums through pixagogo. Click on the links below and then hit the "Start Slideshow" icon on the top left of the new window. Here are the links:

http://www.pixagogo.com/5065265231

http://www.pixagogo.com/5007715152

Before we get into what we’ve done the last few weeks, there are a few things we would like to clarify for everyone first. Throughout our travels the past six months we have come to realize that we have completely misnamed ourselves. Back in November when we departed the US we came up with our so-called title and created this blog site on the basis of that nickname. Our title, “Global Prancers,” is what we came up with and we have ran with it ever since. Lately, while analyzing the definition of this nickname, we feel that we couldn’t be any further from that self-imposed title. Yes, we have now been abroad for six months and, in that, have become a touch more globalized, but the later part of our title is way off base. To be a “prancer” denotes a sense of surface travel and at this point we have tried to avoid this type of travelling in every way possible. Down the road – perhaps deep into work and unable to get away for, oh, say a year (smile) – being a “prancer” may suit us much better with a shortened vacation. However, at the moment we are travelling to gain a deeper understanding of the countries and cultures in which we are visiting and we have gained more out of these first six months by travelling this way versus marking countries off a “to-do” list just to say “we’ve been there.” With this all in mind, perhaps we should rethink our title and come up with something a bit more relative. If you have any ideas please post them on the “post a comment” section of this site. In fact, why don’t we make this blog a little more interactive and design a competition in which you all send us your suggestion – either through email or on the comment section – for a new name and we’ll throw them all in as possibilities and choose the one we think suits us best. Or maybe we’ll allow everyone to vote on the “top ten” and we’ll be left with the top vote getter. This could get interesting…

The other pertinent topic that some of you may be wondering about is the recent earthquake that hit just outside the South Pacific country of Tonga. Situated about two-thirds of the way between Hawaii and New Zealand (about 1,200 miles from Auckland, New Zealand), the 170 island archipelago of Tonga received a major earthquake measuring 7.9 on May 4th that was centred about 34 miles beneath the ocean floor. Fearing that a tsunami similar to the one that rocked the Indian Ocean back in December of ’04 was possible, tsunami warnings were issued for Fiji and New Zealand. Had the quake amounted to a tsunami they predicted that it would hit New Zealand three hours after the rumble. Fast asleep in a real-deal tipi, we had no idea what had happened until the next morning when we caught word of a major earthquake. If the tsunami had formed, the east coast of the north island here (Gisborne/Hawke’s Bay) would have been the main area hit by the giant waves. At that time we were in the Nelson area on the NW part of the south island. Thankfully, nothing happened but from what we’ve read the people of New Zealand want a much better warning system. Several people were quoted saying that they found out about the quake from relatives living in the UK or the States who heard reports of the disaster through outlets like BBC and CNN.

With all that said, a lot has happened since we last wrote from the friendly vineyards of Marlborough wine country. After we left Wineview we headed towards the Nelson Lakes National Park. Primarily focused around two stunning lakes, this area is known for (what's new?) amazing hiking and boating. Our mission was a walk to the alpine lake of Angelus. Next to the lake there is a nice hut that accommodates up to twenty people. There are three ways to arrive at Lake Angelus and everyone talks about the “Robert Ridge Track” as the best option if the weather is "fine". If the weather turns wicked, the ridge track is the last place you want to be! A steep climb from the car park and you arrive above the tree line (roughly 1400 meters) for the bulk of the walk to Lake Angelus. We followed the weather report for about a week before we left and the day we walked the ridge track was absolutely PERFECT!!! We are telling you guys, this walk was easily the best we’ve done in New Zealand and definitely a highlight of our kiwi travels so far. Climbing up to 1850 meters at the highest, we spent the whole day above the tree line and started laughing at our pathetic attempts at describing the beauty of our surrounding and trying our best to make some art with our Nikon. An unforgettable six hours later we arrived at Lake Angelus Hut and were treated to snow-capped peaks surrounding the lake while taking in sunset reflections on the lake that would even make Ansel Adams smile. The next day we had a tough, long descent back to the car in rain, fog, a trecherous river crossing and blustery winds. Despite the tough conditions, the euphoria of the previous day’s delight kept a permanent grin on our faces as we finally made it back to our car. A simply stunning tramp!!!

After our Lake Angelus tramp we headed back towards the cosmopolitan city of Nelson and laid low (mostly because it wouldn’t stop raining) for almost four days. Trying to decide how we should spend our next week or two, we enjoyed the down time, saw a few movies, got a few laps in at the pools and enjoyed the countless number of tasty cafes. After reading the forecast that predicted nothing but rain for the next ten days (in the “sunniest” part of the country, mind you) we finally left Nelson for Motueka. Mostly known for its local art scene, Motueka is also the last major city before entering the famous Able Tasman National Park. The Able Tasman Coastal Track is the most walked track in all of New Zealand. The Milford and Routeburn tracks are arguably more popular, but the Able Tasman is the most crowded. For us, that is a "bugger". However, with it being late April most tourists have left and the park is relatively quiet compared to normal standards. We settled into the Laughing Kiwi in Motueka (a great hostel we stayed at for 5 nights in total) for a few days and decided to do both the Able Tasman coastal walk and another two-day tramp in nearby Kahurangi National Park. In addition to the two tramps, we took a great scenic drive to what is known as the Farewell Spit, known as being the "longest natural sandbar in the world." At the very NW tip of the south island, this lunar shaped sandbar stretches out into the sea some 35km from the mainland. One of the pictures above is a zoomed in shot of the spit.

About 45 kilometres outside of Motueka is another great tramping area that is a retreat for people wanting to avoid the tramping highways of the Able Tasman. We decided to do a walk in the Mount Arthur Tablelands area. Similar to the Lake Angelus walk, there are several ways to get to the main hut of Salisbury Lodge. Also similar to the Angelus area, there is a ridge track (only advised during good weather) and a lower route that, despite the lack of stellar views, is a wonderful walk in the native bush. Still under the never-ending cloud cover, we started the walk in a complete downpour. Hoping that it would stop, we stayed cautious and took the lower route to Salisbury Lodge. Well, the rain never stopped and we walked in a steady drizzle for almost six hours. Thankfully the end of our day was met by a modern hut (another gem of a backcountry hut) that had a gas heater and a drying rack for wet clothes. Unfortunately, that gas heater and drying rack was completely used up by what we denote as the “world’s rudest trampers” --- a group of seven people that completely hogged the heater and never once thought to give us a go at it. These people left their bags all over the hut…in front of the door, on the cooking counter, you name it, they laid it out…and we were appalled by their lack of awareness. All of our previous hut experiences have been – minus the lawnmower snoring from the one dude in the group – met by really nice, conscious people. We did meet three other guys that were friendly kiwis and we ended up knowing the same random card game in which we played for several hours. (for those of you that know…it was the New Zealand version of “Oh Hell”). The next morning looked to be clearing up and we had a big decision to make: do the ridge track or head back the lower valley (the way we came up)? Knowing we would kill ourselves if we chose the "safer" route while the good weather prevailed, we chose the ridge track and figured, “how bad can it be?” That optimistic question was answered rather quickly as we were greeted with horizontal sleeting ice once arriving above the tree line. Again, putting on our hard hats we forged ahead and blasted through the, at times, 80+km/hour winds and technical barely-marked route. The winds were really cold and let us not underestimate how dangerous this walk was. Toes were numb, shins were wet and freezing and there were many times that the wind literally sent us grasping for rocks to keep us upright. Thankfully we made our way to Mt. Arthur Hut after hours of tramping high on the ridge where we thawed out from the tense conditions. Next thing we knew we were back at our car, laughing at what we just endured. Summing it all up we felt that we have now graduated into a new element of tramping and somewhat entered a club of some sort. Perhaps a “character builder” of sorts…at least that’s how we like to look at it.

One day off and we then started the Able Tasman Coastal Track. Blessed by a rainless day, we got a water taxi (basically an Indy car on water…geez, do they need to go that fast?) to the top of the track and started what would be a three-day tramp back down to our car. The coast track has two tidal crossings that must be timed correctly or you are unable to cross. The tide schedule was much more favourable to go north to south that south to north (the normal route). The first day we viewed several New Zealand Fur Seal colonies and laid out on Separation Point for a quick lounge with the seals before making our way to our evening hut. The entire Able Tasman walk is a very splendid walk that gives you some stellar coastal views, but technically, the track is easy and more designed for a first-time tramper --- a good walk for families. Not to say we didn’t enjoy our three days on the Able Tasman, but the hype didn’t quite live up to our expectations and we will remember our days on the Lake Angelus ridge track and the Routeburn much more than Able Tasman.

After the Able Tasman walk we headed towards another New Zealand wine country just outside of Nelson in Upper Moutere. Deep in the heart of the region is a gem called Tipi Stay. Somehow a German guy and his family have found a deep appreciation for Native American culture and have opened a “hostel” for the “alternative backpacker” in which one can spend a night in a tipi. Their slogan is “Who didn’t once want to sleep in a tipi?” The evening in the tipi was great but the conversation with the owner – known for his famous saying of, “sweet man” – was what we’ll remember.

We are now back at Wineview in Marlborough working on the vineyard for another six days. This area is situated near the port of Picton (where we will catch the ferry to the north island on the 10th) and was a perfect stopping point for us before we head north. Wineview gives us a chance to reconnect with the friends we made here initially, slow down, relax and look into what we are going to do the remaining 6 weeks in New Zealand. A few days in we took a stellar scenic drive to French Pass, a two hour windy drive to a point deep in the middle of the Marlborough Sounds. The views were amazing and several pictures at the top of this blog are from that drive. We especially enjoyed the stretch of road in which we came upon nearly one hundred sheep just walking up the road! A great encounter!

We are not sure how the north island will compare to the south island, but if it even gives us fifty percent of what the south island gave us we’ll be more than content. It’s that nice, guys!!!