Day 24 :: The End (with a Bungy!)

Day 24 - Bungy Jumping off the Kawarau Bridge

"Do you want to touch the water?" - was the question they asked me as they strapped me into the bungy line. My answer was "YES". (This jump-style goes out to Ryan.) I penguin-shuffled to a plank leading to a spectacular view of a gorge and the river below. It's the Kawarau Bridge, where the first bungy jump was "performed". Unlike the canyon swing yesterday, I did not hesitate. It was a countdown from 3, I lept, and in a few seconds I felt my arms reaching into the cold glacial waters below. Mission accomplished.

Today is Day 24, and consequently my last day in New Zealand. It has been a good run but time to go home now. My flight leaves in 2 hours.

(Trouble? Click Here.)

“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear... And when it is gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear is gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.” - Frank Herbert, Dune

Day 23 :: Canyon Swing

Day 23 - Canyon Swing

Having seen the brochures and even featurettes on television (ala MTV) shows like "Jack Osbourne: Adrenalin Junkie", I knew that the Shotover Canyon Swing was for me. I got up real early and caught the 9:30 am trip to Shotover Canyon. I would be the second person to jump, and selected my "jump-style"... that is, how you jump off. You get your assortment of styles with different scare factors - 5 (soiled underpants) being the scariest. I chose the "Pin Drop", which is a *5* because of the mental factor. You need to make the conscious decision of hopping sideways off the ledge, with your hands clasped behind your back (so as not to dislocate your shoulder on the way down). I will admit that it was harder than it looked. I took almost 2 minutes of meditating and almost allowed the fear to get to me... but I knew I wanted to do this (especially considering it cost almost $200 to do). Check out the video.

Specifications: (Height: 109m), (Freefall: 60m), (Max Speed: 150kph), (Arc: 200m)

(Watch via Google Video.)

Day 22 :: Rainy Day in Queenstown

Day 22 - Rainy Day in Queenstown

It's raining heavy in Queenstown. No kidding. But I gladly accepted a day of sitting back and resting the dogs for a while. After a long night of sleep, I walked out to town for egg-bacon-sausage-toast breakfast at a bar called the Loaded Hog. I did a little shopping and bought a rugby jersey and a few other souvenirs.

>With plenty of ours to kill, I caught a showing of Blood Diamond at the movies, which turned out to be an amazing and very emotional story. Very well done. It features awesome performances by Djimon Hounsou, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Connelly.

I then stumbled across a bar called >Minus5, which is constructed totally from ice and ice sculptures... including the glasses! They give you huge parkas, gloves and some booties (optional) - I felt like I was getting suited up for a cruise to Antarctica. Our bartender Kylie is a kiwi girl who loves snowboarding and as you can see from the pics is a lot of fun.

The rest of the evening will be spent eating sushi and meditating for my big jump tomorrow on the Canyon Swing.

Day 21 :: Routeburn Track

Day 21 - Routeburn Track

This morning I woke up and got the crazy notion to do the Routeburn Track. Not all 3 days of it - just the first day's worth of hiking. If you recall, this is the hike I cancelled to accomodate an overnight cruise. In the end I would meet 2 cool travelers - Alon and Tom, who would prove to be good company on the way up and down respectively on a hike that would measure 17.4 miles (28km) roundtrip and with a net elevation gain of 2300 feet. This is one of the longest hikes I've every completed in a single day (including the Inca Trail in Peru).

We would hike through beech forests carpeted in ferns and moss, cross a dozen wooden suspension bridges over crystal-blue streams, climb alpine terrain full of greenstone (jade when polished) and tussock grass, and tell good stories of life.

I picked Alon Beneliezer - another backpacker on his way to the Routeburn Track as well - about 1km just out of Glenorchy. Alon is a 24-year old Israeli who literally just finished his degree at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and decided to venture to the South Pacific for 12 months. His travels have included the last 2 months here in New Zealand, and will continue on hi Austrailia and then Thailand/Cambodia/Laos. It was a good thing that I picked him up because he was still another 22km or so from the trailhead. We practically sprinted the first 8.8km (or 5.5mi) to the Routeburn Falls hut, where we broke for a long lunch. Alon had an amazing lung capacity, as he told me stories all the while up... stories about life for 20-somethings in Israel and the story of his near-death experience trekking solo around Mount Cook. When we at last reached the Harris Saddle, we parted ways. Alon continued on another 10km (or 6.2 mi) to Lake Mackenzie where he would spend the night. He was close to persuading me to continue the trek with him and return via the Caples Track, but I remembered my reservation to do the Canyon Swing back in Queenstown on Thursday morning. His intentions were to complete nearly 40-50 mile loop in 3 days. With good conversation and our Israeli-army pace, it was hard to turn down but I decided to stick to the plan and head back to Queenstown.

On the long trail back down to the carpark, I ran into Tom Henstock - a nice gentleman from Washington State who made a 2-day rountrip adventure out of the first 18 miles of the Routeburn Track. In our conversations, I found out that he had served in the airforce, was familiar with filipino culture and had done a number of travels around the world. Unfortunately, his wife would not be able to complete the Routeburn (and later the Kepler) tracks with him (as she tore a tendon earlier), but I video-ed a message for him to play for his wife who was staying at the same hostel as I was. I left him about half-way down where he would spend the cold night at the Routeburn Falls Hut. Alas, I would continue the last knee-breaking downhill stretch alone as dusk was switfly approached.

I'm very glad I got a chance to do even just a portion of the Routeburn Track, and I have no regrets about cancelling my original plans - I may have never met Alon and Tom. As I always say, "Live without regret."

Day 19,20 :: Cruising in Milford Sound

Day 19,20 - Overnight Cruise in Milford Sound

(Even more photos waiting to be uploaded.)"Ploop!" That was the sound of my $75 polarizer filter (like sunglasses for your camera) as it plopped into Milford Sound. Somehow it managed to unsecure itself from my camera lens and jettison into the dark, deep glacial waters of Milford Sound in Fiordland National Park. Like a naval serviceman's burial at see, my polarizer had served me very well on this trip before an accident had claimed its life in this world. Perhaps one day, it will make its way out of the abyss and into some archaeoligist in the distant future. But how did my lens get all the way out here, you ask?

It all started from a 4 hour drive from Queenstown. Thought Milford sound is only maybe 50 or so kilometers from Queenstown as the crow flies, kiwis (as usual) make roads the hard way. Instead of a straight line of bridges, tunnels and other engineering marvels that would make the drive a mere 45 minutes, one must drive east then far-far-far south to Te Anau, before circling back up north to Milford Sound. This makes for a long haul (5 hours for slower drivers) to get to a place that is otherwise out in no where. But I suppose this does protect and preserve the untouched beauty that lies between Queenstown and Milford Sound.

The way to Milford Sound covers alpine terrain, then pastoral land, before heading into temperate rainforest and finally rugged glacial mountains that - when it rains - is veined with thousands of waterfalls flowing from the snowcapped peaks. These are the Cascade Ranges that guard the way to Milford Sound. Milford Sound itself is a misnomer, as a "sound" is a valley carved by a river into the sea. What is should be called is a "fjord" - one carved by glaciers. Anyhoo, it's really an amazing place that remains me of a cross between Peru and Alaska. It's full of life - fat crested penguins, New Zealand fur seals, and dolphins.

Since most of the sights can only be seen either from air or by sea, I opted for the overnight cruise. The MV Friendship was a small vessel that held the 2 crew members and 11 other passengers. We slept in cramped bunks and enjoyed a wholesome barbecue dinner, a dessert as well as breakfast in the morning. The small quarters and limit on annoying tourists made for a very intimate and nautical feel. The cruise was made perfect by a 7-hour break in the rainstorm that allowed us to really enjoy the scenery.

The next morning it rained some more (as usual) and I drove back to Queenstown. From now on, I'm taking it easy on the driving and making Queenstown homebase. My true adrenalin adventures (e.g. bungee and canyon swinging) are to begin and I have 4 days left to prep myself before I fly back.

Night 18 :: McNaught Comet

Night 18 - Comets & The Night Sky

If you haven't heard, there's a new comet in the skies -though, I heard it may be only visible from the souther hemisphere. Tonight, en route to Queenstown from Wanaka on the Crown Ridge Road, I made a 2-hour pit stop at a carpark to photograph the clear night sky with it's many stars and direct view of the McNaught comet.

Day 18 :: A Leap of Faith

Day 18 - Deep Canyon

Yesterday, I made a very difficult decision. Of my mere 24 days in New Zealand - and I've skipped a lot to make most of it happen - I had allocated 3 glorious days to the famed Routeburn Track, which is a beautiful hike up steep glacial mountains for a good view of the souther alps. I even had packed some of my camping gear for the trek. Last night, however, I realized I hadn't left much time at all to see Fiordlands - the very reason I wanted to come to New Zealand 4 years ago. In fact, I left it as no more than a day trip. This is the area that the UN had declared a World Heritage site! So, last night I cancelled my trek on the Routeburn. In the process, I had booked myself an overnight kayak and cruise of Milford Sound... and 2 free days to kill. To fill this new found time, I walked around town searching through hundreds of adrenalin-promising-brochures. Sure enough, I ran into Deep Canyons (www.deepcanyon.co.nz) and was allured by the abseiling into waterfalls and jumping into stream pools.

I arrived on time and found out that the other 3 people that signed up were a no show and there was a good chance that I would either have to take a raincheck or downgrade to the easier "Little Niger" package from the "Big Nige". (I had chose "Big Nige" because I had found out in Waitomo Caves that abseiling is "my thing" and I simply wanted more of a "PUSH".) But the folks at the tour company as well as my awesome guide James took me anyway! So my first 1 hour or so was just me and my guide James abseiling down 3 waterfalls (maybe a good 12 or so meters down), before we eventually rejoined the rest of the group signed up for the "Little Niger". Don't get me wrong... the "Little Niger" was certainly as exciting as the "Big Nige" - full of slides, (small and BIG) jumps, as well as 5 abseils. But I really wanted MORE... and I got what I asked for! Did I mention that I did 8 abseils and jumped off a 40-foot ledge into a pool of water and the bottom of a waterfall? About 5% of their clients jump from that high... that's all I needed to hear to do it. :)

If you don't know what abseiling is, it's basically "repelling" - like in the movies where the hero or heroine zips down a cord off a straight down a building or into a cave. (Think Tombraider or Mission Impossible.) And if you still can't figure it out, why don't you check out my photos, or better yet the VIDEO! (Since my cameras would've been totally busted, these pics/vids are complements of the outfitters.)


(Problems? Try here: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1867266483002795568&hl=en)

Cheers for now. I promised more heart-pumping (or -stopping?) action when I get to Queenstown.

Video soundtrack is "Don't Worry, Be Happy" by Bobby McFerrin.

Video Highlight :: West Coast Drive

Watch New Zealand's South Island landscape zip by, as I drive 300km from Franz Josef on the west coast to the edge of the Southern Alps in Wanaka.
Soundtrack song "Deliverance" by Bubba Sparxxx.

Day 17 :: West Coast Drive

Day 17 - West Coast Drive

No specific plans for today. Just another long drive... this time from Franz Josef to Wanaka. It started out as another usuall New Zealand day (from my experience) chilly, overcast and slightly wet. More winding roads followed the coast until I reached the small town of Haast. From there, I started heading west and got my first taste of New Zealand's southern alps. It was glorious. Raging rivers, wide valleys with turquoise streams, steep mountain faces and blue glacial lakes. This reminded me a lot about my second home - Colorado, but with its own flavour of mountain life. Tonight I sleep in Wanaka, a peaceful but modern town (supposed to be "the next Queenstown" for it's adventure).

The photo to the right is of 2 more hitch-hikers I picked up along my 300km drive. About 30km out of town, just outside of the town "Fox Glacier", I found these poor souls on outskirts of nowhere. Somehow they thought they could hike to the trail head of Copland Track (which was actually 21 MORE kilometers from where they were. This pair is Dominik and Sabine from Koln, Germany who moved to Christchurch for a new life.

Unforunately, I won't get to see much of the high snow-capped souther alps... not only due to the summer season, but also because scenic flights are EXPENSIVE. I didn't want my adventures in the mountains to end without a bang. So tomorrow, I go canyoning! Check out what this adventure holds at http://www.deepcanyon.co.nz/

Video Highlight :: Franz Josef Glacier

Watch some scenes from my guided hike onto Franz Josef Glacier.
Soundtrack by Vanilla Ice, "Ice Ice Baby".

Day 16 :: Walking on Thick Ice

Day 16 - Franz Josef Glacier

I've always wanted to hunt for Yeti, so I today I hiked onto the ice of Franz Josef Glacier - named for an Austrian emperor that's never been to New Zealand, but nevertheless there you have it. Unfortunately, I remember after I signed up for the 8-hour guided trek that landmass that composes New Zealand had drifted away from Gondwanaland millions of years ago before mammals had evolved. This means that Yeti could have never walked from the Himalayas to kiwi-land via land bridge. Unless of course they stowed away on polynesian ships, but you and I know that the Maori would not allow that... so... today, I simply enjoyed the thrill of walking on thousands years worth of ice hundreds of meters thick and several kilometers long.

I learned something that the Bush administration would love to hear - namely, that this particular glacier is not retreating, but has in fact advanced about 400 meters in the last 5 years. Quite different than all the other hundreds of glaciers around the world. The maori actually have another reason for the glacier. In short, a demi-goddess of the moutains fell in love with a demi-god of the sea who in his love for her thought he could mountaineer his way up to her. However, he fell to his death and to mourn him, she wept tears that filled the valley and into the sea. The Maori gods decided to freeze her tears as a symbol for their love. And to this day, they say that when the glacier retreats, the demi-godess is in a slightly better mood... and if it advances, not so good.

Having hiked the Harding Icefield in Kenai Alaska, I expected the trek to be much more strenuous. However, it was rather tame, but undoubtedly rewarding and fun. We approached the glacier head on - our guides hacking away steps into the terminal face of the glacier. Within a couple of ours, we were all face-to-face with blue ice and deep crevasses. Occasionally, our guides would pause to assess thin overhangs of ice that could cave in on us if it was too week. My favorite comment from a group member was, "... are there toilets up here?" There aren't. But the guides promised he would "find her one" somewhere among the ice... to think of it, there were many ice drains where ice-melt flowed much like a flush-toilet. Thousands of years in the future, one of our descendents will drink from its rivers and be awestruck by the richness of the water :)

Cheers for now. Tomorrow, off to Wanaka!

Day 15 :: Long Haul South on Hwy 6

Day 15 - Long Haul South, West Coast

Today was a day of recovery after 2 days of kayaking... and by "recovery", I mean it in the Jude-sense. That is, wake up at the break of dawn and head south to the town of Franz Josef Glacier which is 500km or 310 miles. For those of you that are geographically-challenged, that's longer than a drive from LA to Las Vegas, or New York to Washington DC. The only difference is that it's a one lane road for each direction with more twists-and-turns than a pretzel.

This drive took me from warm sandy beaches and over the front range of New Zealand's Southern Alps. I passed through the towns of Murchison, Westport, Punakaiki, Greymouth, and Hokitka. In Punakaiki, I stopped by the "Pancake Rocks & Blowholes", which are limestone formations (cliffs and arches) that stand on the edge of the sea by the crashing waves that formed them. Near the carpark ("parking lot" for Americans), there was a grassy lawn where I woman was sleeping. A nosy weka - a native flightless bird and cousins to the kiwi - pecked at her hair and backpack while she slept.

At Hokitka, I stopped for some ice cream and browsed through a shop called Jade World where jade carvings were made. On the way out, I happend along 2 hitch-hikers just where the town meets Highway 6. They didn't look like killers, and for the remaining 160km it was nice to have some company. So I stopped along the road and met Jonny (from England) and Valeria (from Munich, Germany). They threw their guitar, packs and food in the back and we were on our way. It turned out they were also on their way to Franz Josef, so it worked out perfectly. Each of them had been travelling in New Zealand for almost 2-3 months now. Jonny in fact had been travelling for more than a year, mostly in Austrailia. We told eachother stories of our adventures during the ride. Coincidentally, Jonny had also met Vladimir Yarets in Austrailia! (This was the same deaf-mute motorcycle traveller that I met in Auckland on Day 2 of my own journey.) What a small (traveller) world we live in. We exchanged numbers, and might join for the ride down to Wanaka and/or Queenstown after my 2-night stay in Franz Josef.

Day 13-14 :: Kayak Adventures in the Abel Tasman

Day 13,14 - Adventures in Abel Tasman

I spent the last two days on a grand kayaking adventure exploring South Island's Abel Tasman National Park (from the water) and the adjacent Tonga Island Marine Reserve (like a national park, but on/under the water). With me were 5 companions (all hailing from different lands) and our our wicked-awesome guide Stephen (from Wellington). First, there was a nice couple - Bob and Virginia from beautiful Idaho (USA). Another couple - Fiona and Dwayne hailing from Van Couver, British Columbia (Canada). And last but not least, our beloved comedian Kevin (from Ireland).

Across the 2 days, we would kayak 27 km from the north at Shag Harbour and back south to Kaiteriteri. Along the way we would skirt rocky shores, land and swim on golden-sand beaches, befriend sun-basking seals (though Kevin was set on some good old-fashioned seal-clubbing), power through rocking waves, form a make-shift sailing vessel, learn about nature and history, play bumper-boats, peer into shallow turquoise waters, explore coves and inlets, circle islands of seal colonies, camp and dine on beaches, explore tide pools and gaze upon clear skies and the milky-way. If you haven't already, check out pictures of our adventures here! Check out a map of our routes here.

One really great experience in particular was learning how to catch crabs. In the evening of the first day, we were left to our own endeavours. I decided to walk out to the beach. Kevin was just about to go for an evening swim (in chilly waters), when we both saw low-tide had brought the water far out... about a 10 minute walk from our campsite (rather than 10 seconds). With no interest in hiking to swim, he withdrew. This would turn out to be a very good idea, as I would find out later on.

I ventured on and noticed an old man and his grandson approaching the beach with a big iron rake and a burlap sack. "Out to catch dinner?" I asked. "Just a small appetizer," the old man answered, "You like crab? If you come along, you can have some for dinner." I followed as they combed the shallow waters at the edge of the beach, disturbing armies of crabs of all sizes from their burrows just centimeters beneath the sand. We had let several dozen smallies escape the rake, before we found big-mama crabs that were succulent and rotund enough for eating. The man's grandson screamed in delight, excitement and fear of getting pinched by one. In a matter of an hour we caught half-a-dozen fat crabs, and I learned a new way to catch crabs and how to grab these fierce little beasts without drawing (my own) blood. Good times.

The weather had gladly cleared up. And though we all suffered a little bit of sun-burn, I can't complain about the warm weather and sunny skies. It sure beats kayaking and camping on grim gray beaches an paddling through rain and choppy water!

Before I leave you off, I must tell you that aside from being a knee-slapping-funny guy and strong paddler, Kevin is also a world traveler. He's on a 15-month journey to explore the breadth of the world, starting in New Zealand and venturing west through Australasia, Asia, Eurasia and then the Central and South Americas. Good luck to him! Check out his progress on this amazing travels on his blog @ www.worldwidekev.com - he has some funny stories off the beaten path.

Day 12 :: Exploring Golden Bay

Day 12 - Exploring Golden Bay

The forecast doesn't look good for my 2-day kayak trip through Abel Tasman; but then again, when has the weather here in New Zealand ever worked for me? I think it's warmer in the States than it is here... or maybe it's just the gloomy rain. I'll admit that I was expecting an austral summer here in the southern hemisphere, but it was warmer in Alaska in August.

Anyways, today I drove to Farewell Spit, which forms that hook at the northwest tip of New Zealand's southern island. It was quite foggy, drizzly and windy so it wasn't the most joyful trip, but it was a nice gettaway from civilization. In fact, before I found Farewell Spit, I took the wrong road and drove on dirt-and-gravel roads for about 30km (fording streams, driving over boulders, turning around blind switchbacks) before I realized I was heading far inland. Then later on, I made it 25km from the nearest town and up a mountain top when I noticed my tank was empty! I had to backtrack, 'lest I get stuck on a switchback on the mountain 35km from the nearest gas station. I headed back praying the whole way for my unconsequential return. A miracle I made it.

Now, I'm back in Motueka at an internet cafe praying food good weather this week. If my kayak trip gets cancelled, I'm treating myself to a nice helicopter tour of the mountains. Bah humbug.

Day 11 :: Drive to Golden Bay

Day 11 - Golden Bay

Today was all about taking it very easy, driving east from Picton west to Takaka/Golden Bay. I drove through winding switchbacks that skirt the contours of the Marlborough Sounds, had a nice stroll in the town of Nelson, and finally drove over a mountain pass to Takaka in Golden Bay. With a whole afternoon of sun, I explored the many beaches and tide pools at low tide with enough time to make it back to the hostel to watch Star Ship Troopers on TV.

Day 10 :: Crossing Cook Strait

Day 10 - Crossing Cook Strait

Today, I spent the day exploring Wellington at an easy pace, before boarding the luxurious Interislander Ferry to cross Cook Strait to New Zealand's South Island. The ferry has three accesible decks, complete with arcade, movie theatre, play area, bar, cafe and many lounges. Spent the night in the hub town of Picton where I picked up my new rental car - a new Toyota RAV4.

Travel Highlight :: Hostel Life

Hostel Life

Check out some photos of some hostels that I've stayed at so far. Those featured are mainly of big-city hostels that are very well maintained, such as Auckland, Wellington and Whitianga. Keep looking to this gallery for more interesting scenes of hostel life. Especially for those who had not had the experience.

A hostel is a low-cost option of accomodation. The quality can range anywhere from a slum, to a B&B and even a hotel. Each hostel in my experience has a different personality, depending on who runs it and where it is. Staying at hostels for $15 on average per night is one way I've made my 24-day trip affordable. What makes a hostel so cheap is that you must be willing to compromise some comfort (down-feather bed), privacy (you share a room with 2 or more people) and at times security (you trust your roomates not to browse through your stuff). However, the type of people who come to hostels are usually hippies, part-time socialists and free spirits who just want to have a good time... like me.

Day 9 :: The Road to Wellington

Day 09 - Wanganui to Wellington

As soon as I woke up, I packed up and left the town called "National Park" near the Tongariro National Park and headed for Wellington - my last destination on New Zealand's north island. The road to Wellington passes through pastures where thousands of sheep graze and winds through steep mountain passes and narrow valleys.

I made a brief stop in the town of Wanganui for brunch - a large town with a charming character, much like a small town in Vermont but with bustling promenade of shops. I sat at an internet cafe and uploaded yesterday's pics from the Tongariro Corssing before heading back onto the road.

Halfway to Wellington, I found sunny skies and a wide sandy beach. I decided to jump into the ocean, take a nap and tan for a little while... while there were no clouds in sight for a change.

I finally reached Wellington around dinner time. It surprised me how much the cultures, geography and temperature reminded me (but not exactly) of San Francisco. Wellington sits on the fringes of steep forested hills and the shoreline of a harbour. Wellington has a great mix of ethnicities as witnessed by the people walking around as well as through the flavours of its many restaurants. Wellington is known as New Zealand's windy city and today, it was very breezy and sunny with a slight chill - much like my experience in San Francisco.

After a short walk along the harbour, I took a 2 hour night tour at the Korari Nature Preserve. This preserve is a wildlife sanctuary for native New Zealand birds (such as Kiwi, Weka, Kaka, etc.) which are devastatingly endangered by mammals introduced by later settlers. With a 5-mile long perimeter fence with tiny holes and specially designed fringes, the preserve reminded me much of Jurassic Park. Luckily, it's birds and not dinosaurs that they keep in the cages.

Day 8 :: Walking through Mordor

Day 08 - Tongariro Crossing

Today, I did the Tongariro Crossing which is about an 8-hour day hike in Tongariro National Park. The hike starts in the highlands above tree line, before encountering 2 steep but short ascents. The trail winds through 2 dormant volcanoes, 3 emerald-colored lakes (because of high mineral content, and geothermically active features such as fumaroles and springs. I actually encountered 2 French girls trying to make boiling water for their hot cholocate, right on top of an active fumarole. In the end, they decided not to drink the water for fear of volcanic chemicals and what not. The second half of the hike goes through a foggy land of tussock grasses before diving into wet fern-tree forests. The fog is so thick, you can't see more than 50 feet ahead of you at times.

As a side note, Tongariro National Park is where they filmed Mordor for the movie Lord of the Rings. Although, I didn't meet Frodo and Sam on their quest to destroy the Ring of Power, I did meet Toby from Switzerland (who I had run into the day before). His intent was to complete the "Northern Circuit", which is a 3-day loop through 3 of the park's volcanoes: Tongariro, Ngaruhoe, and Ruapehu (the tallest peak on New Zealand's north island. Today, however, he was intent on climbing Mount Ngaruhoe - this is the same mountain used to film Mount Doom in Lord of the Rings. We parted ways, as he headed towards the summit, while I continued with The Crossing.

I finished the trek in about 7 hours, with plenty of time to take rest stops. Surprisingly, I don't have any blisters but I passed out as soon as I got to the hostel.

Day 7 :: R&R in Rotorua and Taupo

Day 07 - Rest and Relaxation

On my 7th day on the North Island, I decide to take it easy and treat myself to a morning hot mineral-rich bath at the Polynesian Spa in downtown Rotorua near Lake Rotorua. After so many days of hiking, driving and sleeping in hostels; it's about time I actually make a vacation out of this trip. The Polynesian Spa's pools are fed with steaming water naturally heated and enriched by geothermal activity all around the Rotorua area.

After a couple of hours at the spa, I drive south to Lake Taupo where for some more sights before I ultimately prep myself for the day-long Tongariro Crossing trek the following day. For this, I make the town of Turangi my base camp and prep food, water and my pack.

Cultural Highlight :: Maori Culture

Day 06 - Maori Culture

I spent the evening of day 6 with Mitai, which puts on a daily show of Maori culture and serves dinner according to Maori hangi preparations.

Day 6 :: Rotorua, Spanish for "rotten eggs"...

Day 06 - Rotorua, Wai-o-tapu

I arrived late the night before in Rotorua, a beautiful city that lies in the heart of North Island as well as Maori culture. As I approved the city, I already noticed steaming geothermal vents and the odor of sulfur (also better known as "rotten eggs").

Almost 1 week in New Zealand, I decided to take it easy in Rotorua and soak in some sights, culture and hot springs water. After a hearty breakfast of (ironically) fired eggs on toast, I spent a few relaxing hours with the locals at a local internet cafe updating the blog and video in the morning.

I spent most of the early afternoon at the Wai-o-tapu (meaning "place of sacred water" in Maori) Thermal Park, which is a collection of geothermally active springs and mud pits.

Tonight's activites will include Mitai's Maori cultural show, and possibly followed by a swim in the geothermal pools at the Polynesian Spa.

Day 5 :: Taking the plunge...

Day 05 - Taking the plunge...

My first taste of true New Zealand adrenalin... abseiling, rock climbing, cliff diving - ALL in a cave a few hundred meters below ground! When I walked into the small town of Waitomo Caves, little did I know I would drop $350 NZD on one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Thanks to Waitomo Adventures and very special thanks to our guides Ryan and Gavin.
The adventure started with introductions - our guides Ryan and Gavin, and my companions: a couple from Paris - Catherine (England) and Arnaud (France), as well as a lone traveller like myself - Jason (San Francisco). We took a small tour van through a private farm to a base camp several meters from the mouth of the cave. We suited up into specially-padded wetsuits, helmuts fashioned with torches ("flashlights" as we know it in the States) and white booties. There being 4 of us (one of us female) in our gettups, we resembled the Fantastic Four comic book super heroes. The guides teased us with views of the deep chasm through "The Window", while we practiced use of caribiners, cow's tails (lobster claws) and other safety devices and measures.
The first and most anticipated leg of the trip was the abseil. Abseiling involves locking onto a dangling rope and with specially designed tools, sliding down the rope to some sort of bottom. Ryan rigged us into the rope, and we were on our way down the ropes. Unlike the movies, where sexy athletic ladies just zip down the ropes, we took it slow. Because of the long descent, speed could create enough friction to heat and then glaze the skin of the rope; this would reduce friction and cause us to slip to our deaths. Lovely. We reached the bottom where we had a quick lunch prepped by our guides and had a few photo ops.
The next part leg of the adventure was entering the cave. I think we all expected this leg to be the most boring part - hand rails, interpretive signs, lit catwalks, etc. - the sort of lawsuit-proof safe-guards that pansy american outfitters put in place to maximize clients, and therefore profits. However, the abseil was just the beginning of amazing things.
For the next 3 hours we would wade through downstream currents, climb ladders, clip into safety ropes, swim through channels where we could not touch the bottom, jump from upper levels back down into narrow pools of water in the dark, step through waterfalls, crawl through narrow claustrophobia-enducing spaces, cliff dive some 30 feet into a pool no more than 10 feet wide, feel our way through spaces in the dark, and gaze at bio-luminescent glowworms.

My favorite part was a high chamber that was walled-in by steep cave walls and a waterfall. We all had an option to climb up to a ledge and jump into the pool of water below it. We could either climb a ladder to the ledge, or climb, shimmy and brace up to the ledge. I chose the hard route up, climbing craggy rocks right next to the waterfall. We all took our turns jumping in, from 10-12 feet above. If we jumped too far, our bodies would slam into shallow cave floors like a rag doll. Having never cliff-dove before, I said a prayer and just let go.

Soon after we all had our turns, Gavin asked if anyone wanted to climb even higher to a ledge about 30 feet above us. No volunteers. Gavin demonstrated with a back-flip dive. Cheers. Jason was the first to volunteer, but no one else. Splash. Cheers. Gavin asked again if anyone would go... I rose my hand. Here we go. I swam across the pool to the ladder where I secured myself to the safety line. The climb up the ladder was made more difficult by all the weight of the water trapped in my boots and wetsuit. Ryan directed me to the ledge. I looked down and my headlamp shone to the water below. It was much higher than I thought. There really is no science to jumping off a cliff; just don't under- or over-shoot. The most difficult part of jumping off, is finding the courage and will to do so. I paused for a good 30 secs, telling myself that I needed to get ready. But for what? Wait too long, and the fear simply consumes you. That's when I dropped in... SPLASH. 30 feet down and 6 feet below the water. I couldn't feel the floor of the cave. Surface. Breathe. Cheers.

It was quite adventure. In a matter of 20 minutes, I'd done more rock climbing, swimming and cliff-jumping that I've done in my life.

Video Highlight :: "F-stop Blues" at Cathedral Cove

Another rainy day on the North Island, but a well spent day at Cathedral Cove in the Coromandel Peninsula. Soundtrack by Jack Johnson, "F-stop Blues" from his "Brushfire Fairytales" album.

Day 4 :: Cathedral Cove

Day 04 - Cathedral Cove

Yet another day of the "F-stop blues" (reference to Jack Johnson song and photography science). No sun, gray skies and enough rain to make the Gobi an oasis. But who says you need sun to have fun? Anticipating uncooperative weather, I decided to sleep in (actually, this meant getting up at 7:15 AM). Though after taking one look out the window and looking upon choppy water in the harbour, I decided to venture forth anyways to Cathedral Cove just 20km south of Whitianga, which lies to the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula.

At the trailhead carpark, I suited up into togs (that's kiwi-speak for "bathing suit") and started the 40min hike through fern forests and private pastures to reach the cove a few hundred feet below. The drizzle actually made it feel warm, as I began to remove the layers of clothing. Near the end, I said hello to a few cows that were kept in their place by electric fences! (I definitely knew enough from cartoons not to take a piss there; don't ask me what kind of cartoons I grew up watching.)

When finally I reached the cove, it appeared nothing more than a crescent beach surrounded by high cliffs - a sight you can see in California or Maine. As you walk closer to the water, however, giant arches and caves start to appear - the largest one to the left. At the southern end of the beach, I found a little sea cave that was accessible at low-tide. However, high-tide was approaching fast, and I braved going in before it was too risky to enter. The cave was about 30 feet deep with 7-ceilings. Judging by the still-wet gr

Video Highlight :: Drive through Kauri Coast

A video of my drive through the Kauri Coast in the Northland Region of New Zealand. This drive takes me through pasturelands, then through a subtropical fern tree rain forest. A picked up on driving on the left-hand side of the road without incident or close calls!

Soundtrack by Mat Weddle of the band Obadiah Parker, a folk cover of Outkast's "Hey Ya".

Day 3 :: Auckland Museum & Shananigans in Whitianga

Day 03 - Auckland Museum & Whitianga

So the night before, winds and choppy water in the harbour canceled my plans to kayak to Rangitoto Island. Yet again, I wake up to another overcast and rainy day in Auckland. Rains spoil much of the Auckland region so I would not have had much luck in my intended destination of the beaches of the Coromandel Peninsula. Instead, I spent some of the morning buying a cell phone from Vodaphone before heading out to the Auckland Museum.

The museum was much more touristy and family-oriented than I'm used to, but they had a great exhibit on Maori culture, origins and history. I spent a good 5 hours of fun-filled learning. The peoples of Oceania are believed to have originated from south east asia (either native/non-Chinese Taiwan or Indonesia), passing through the Philippine archipelago several thousand years ago - this definitely sparked my interest.

In the afternoon, I made the long haul to the Coromandel Peninsula. The drive took almost 200km and took me through dizzying switchbacks. As anticipated, it was quite rainy in Whitianga where my hostel was. However, that didn't stop me from acting like a fool at the beach and just having some fun.

I really hope I'll be seeing more sun the rest of my trip. But be assured, I won't let that stop me from seeing the outdoors!

Day 2 :: Auckland and a New Hero

Day 02 - Auckland and a New Hero

I spent most of the morning sleeping and then making the long drive back to Auckland, which surprisingly I did not reach until 2:00 in the afternoon. Most of my afternoon was honestly spent resting and taking care of some logistics/planning. Unfortunately, my long-awaited kayak adventure to Rangitoto Island just 7km off the harbour shores of Auckland was cancelled due to strongs winds and chance of rain.

However, late in the evening I did get a chance to walk down Queens Street to check out the tourist shops, restaurants and banks. The highlight of the day was meeting Vladimir Yarets (check out www.yarets.com). A man with the spirit of a true adventurer, whose current purpose as he describes it is to "enter the Guiness Book of World Records as the only deaf and mute individual to travel all of the former Soviet Union, Europe, Africa, the Americas and Austrailia on a motorcycle. And if many foreign languages wasn't difficult enough... we did manage a "conversation" with nothing more hand gestures and facial expressions. For example, I "gestured" to him that I was from New Jersey/New York; and he told me he had been to NYC 3 times - each time as a hub for 3 cycles around the US.

He's been travelling for 7 years now, and has made it to New Zealand (apparently). With some donations for petrol (what we call "gas"), he is hoping to make it to Japan. I asked him if he'd thought about Philippines, but honestly - I wouldn't blame him if he skipped it.

Day 1 :: Northland Region

Day 01 - Northland

I landed in Auckland this morning around 5am on Wed NZ time. For those on the US East Coast, that's Tuesday around 11am. My Mitsubishi Outlander rental was already waiting for me, and it took me just a few minutes to get accustomed to driving on the left side of the road and the right side of the car.

My arrival was a bit disheartening - after I set out in my rental car for the Northland region, the skies were overcast with scattered showers, effectively hiding the view of the ocean and the distant hills and forests that I had read so much about.

After driving 300km and 5 hours, I reached Opononi around lunch time. By then the sun had come out, and blue skies and warm winds greeted me at the beaches near Hokianga Harbour. I picked up some snacks at the local "dairy" (that's like a convenient store to us Americans) and rushed to the beach. I washed off the plane-scum with the South Pacific seawater, and laid on the sand for about an hour.

With the sun still high in the sky around 2PM, I took a 30km drive through the Waipoua Kauri Forest just south of the harbour. Kauri trees are like the redwoods of the south pacific - ginormous. It involved twisting narrow roads and several short hikes to see the most of the sights.

After all this, my energy levels were still up. I took some gravel roads on the way back to Opononi and found the trailhead of a short 2km trek for the Wai-o-te Marama trail. I followed some muddy footprints through wet fern-tree and beech forests. About 15 min into the trail, I found a small swimming hole and a small waterfall where splashed around for a bit. I continued on up-and-up into dark forests and high ridges. The further I went on, the darker it got and the crazier the sounds I heard. Though this was the land of the Lord of the Rings, I felt more like I was in Jurassic Park.

After making it back safely, I stopped by Webster's Cafe&Restaurant back in Opononi where I ordered the freshly-caught fish of the day (a type called Dori... ala "Finding Nemo?") served with a banana salsa (a concoction of banana, capsicum (what we call "red peppers"), green onions, cucumbers, lime and orange juice with a possible hint of salt).

For my first day in New Zealand, I didn't do too bad. I re-learned how to drive, drove 300+km, hiked about 4km total and soaked up some sun on a beach in the South Pacific. Just imagine what I'll be doing in the next 23 days!

Day 0 :: Fly-by over America's Great West

Day 00 - Enroute to Auckland

To reach New Zealand, I would fly starting from Denver with a stop-over in San Francisco before continuing on to Auckland. Enroute to San Francisco, I got a great shots of the Rockies and the Colorado Plateau - including Colorado, Utah, Nevada and California.