last week in NZ!!

well, i had about a week left.and too much i still want to do.
so i decided to do things fast...
on the 14th i drove from picton to makarora, stopping only to rest and eat.though i already went through all this road, it was really a beautiful way.and since it snowed in the south, part of the way looked really different.
i got to makarora quite late, and being too lazy, i decided to sleep in the car.but at ~3am i had enough, got my mattress and slept just next to the car.at ~5am i had enough of that and went back into the car ;)at ~7am i just got up and started my day...
i went to the visitor center to check about the wilkin-young circuit. I was told that the rivers are high and i should get a water taxi.but they opened at 9, so i waited.when they opened, they told me they have a boat going out there in about 20 minutes.i booked it, and booked a boat back for the next day at 15:30."that's a quick pass through the gilespi. you're aware that you're doing 3-days-walk in 2 days?"i felt no point telling him that the water taxi back, cutting the tramp by ~20 km makes it a 2 days tramp. i just said yes...
they had some delays, and eventually i only started hiking on 10:20.it was my hardest day in NZ.32 km, over the gilespi pass.i got to the hut at around 20:10. almost 10 hours of walking, with very little rest (mainly to take photos).and the climb itself was quite steep.and i didn't have breakfast (i thought i had 20 minutes to get all organized), and didn't have time for a real lunch)but it was beautiful. so beautiful!!snow-capped mountains...and a lot of snow! i even had to cross some snow patches...
getting to the hut i was told that there was a big cancellation, and i can forget about the jet-boat i booked...so the next day, instead of having a nice hike to a nearby lake, i walked out.almost 30 km.including crossing 3 rivers.one of them waist deep.by the way, you only have to cross one river, and even quite a shallow one.but i listened to the advice from the guy at the hut, and so...
but it was a nice day as well, and certainly didn't spoil the first day:)
coming out i drove to queenstown, and camped close by.there was a "severe weather warning" for the next day, so i wasn't sure about my plans.but waking up for a nice day, i spent some time in queenstown and started going up the rees at around 12:20.my plan was to go all the way up the rees, to the "dart hut"i remembered that i checked it out and saw that even if i start at 12, it's gonna be ok.i always walk faster than the doc times...but after about an hour i found out that the doc time was 10 hours.
so i should hurry...
and so i did.
it took me 7 hours and 20 minutes.and the walk was really very beautiful.it reminded me of the greenstone - wide, nice valley - but more dramatic. and the surrounding mountains had snow on them!i had very nice views from the rees saddle as well, mainly down the snowy Ck.
about an hour before the hut i saw 2 mountain deers! first time i saw wild deers in NZ! they are called Shami (that's phonetic... the real spelling is in French, so i don't even try)
i got to the hut a bit tired, but very happy.
the next day started cloudy and rainy, so after breakfast i saw everyone out, and went back to bed with a book.i slept a little, and waking up i saw that the weather is fine.
so i went to the cascade saddle.a-m-a-z-i-n-g !!!it's situated so beautifully! between to snowy peaks, on one hand there's the dart glacier and the dart river and on the other it drops about 1000 m (sheer cliff) to a nice glacier valley.beautiful!!!one of the best lookouts i had in NZ.and of course - it had snow on it...i spent there about half an hour in an ecstasy, and when i was to cold i went back to the hut.on the way back it started raining a bit, but it was still ok when i got to the hut.a couple that came later had snow with harsh winds when they crossed the rees saddle...
the following day i went out through the rees again, this time with a swiss gut named rene, who i took with me to glenorchy.it was nice, hiking with somebody again.and the rees was still just as beautiful.this time i climbed a little further from the rees saddle, and had some nice views up the snowy ck.
next day i drove to the banks peninsula.on the way i had a flat tire, and some nice views of mt cook.the banks peninsula was nice, but i was busy "summarizing" NZ...
i spent the night at some beach there, and hoped for a nice sunrise. but the morning was really foggy, so i left early, and went to amberley.i met with carolyn, and we had a nice evening.
on the 22nd i packed my stuff we said our goodbyes, i brought the car back to the rental company, and flew to hong kong.bye NZ.
I hope to come again.I plan to come again.
such a great country.so much fun!

lesson- there's something more painful for the knees than a steep climbing down. a steep climbing down through snow...

relevant albums...
http://tomeraroundtheworld.shutterfly.com/action/pictures?a=67b0de21b32b47f10576
http://tomeraroundtheworld.shutterfly.com/action/pictures?a=67b0de21b32b478b050c

routeburn, greenstone and the way north

on the 6th we started the routeburn. another "great walk". lots of people, almost paved path, very accessible. this time we cut it short in advance, and booked it as a 2 days walk (instead of 3).and we combined it with the greenstone to an almost circular 4 days tramp (we cut the greenstone in a day as well).
we didn't expect too much, though people said it's really good. but people said it about the heaphy as well...
the day started cloudy but nice. later it became really rainy. pouring rain.
and it was so amazing! walking in the rain was sometimes really very annoying, and we were soaking wet, but it was a bit of adventure as well. and the views... everywhere you looked you could see a waterfall.every mountain slope held 4-10 gushing waterfalls.it was just so beautiful!
we walked as if in a dream. so maybe we're still hungry for views after all (as opposed to what we felt on the dusky).
the rain didn't really stop these whole 2 days, and we were completely soaked, but really happy. we even had to go through a waterfall in some point. we went through a saddle, and saw a few lakes, and it was just so beautiful. but the waterfalls were the really amazing part...
the greenstone was really nice as well, though much more relaxed. walking in a wide, beautiful valley. nothing dramatic, but much better than i expected. and it was sunny and warm and beautiful.
the first night on the greenstone we met an israeli girl, who came through the greenstone, and she had the most frightening experience. due to the rain, she had to cross waist-deep streams, and she was alone, and inexperienced. she was about to give up and go back, but some american guy took her through it...she was really shocked. we did it a day after, and the water barely got into our shoes...
Maayan and I decided that the routeburn-greenstone was really one of our best hikes in NZ. in the same level with the taranaki and the traverse-sabine. so much fun!!!:)
anyway, having such a great hike, and the last hut being really very very nice and friendly, and not having much time left, Maayan and Yuval decided they don't want to do anymore hikes. so we decided to work our way northward, so that they can cross to the north island on the 14th (we finished the greenstone on the 9th).
and so we did. on the 10th we drove north, stopping on a few lookouts, doing some short walks near haast pass- we went to the "blue pools" - freezing water but a lot of fun!- we climbed up to a lookout above haast pass itself- a few lookouts on waterfalls on the way.
we finished the day at lake matheson .it's a lake near fox glacier, where in good weather you can see mt cook and mt tasman reflecting in its water.we had good weather.and we were there for sunset. amazing!!!so amazingly beautiful!
the next day we were having breakfast in franz-joseph glacier village, when a chopper went above us. yuval and maayan looked at one another, and after a while went to check the prices...they went on a heli-ride.and they were even upgraded...they had the most incredible time ever, flying above both glaciers and seeing mt cook from the air!
the following day we drove northward, yuval took a water taxi along the abel-tasman park, and we went to the farewell spit area. we had a few nice hours, but nothing too exciting. nice beaches, the northern-most tip of the south island.we didn't see baby-seals playing in tide-pools like yuval saw when he was there...Yuval, on the other hand had really great time. the views from the water taxi were good, and he saw a pod of orcas!!
next day we had a nice breakfast in Nelson, and drove to picton. coming back to the juggler's rest for the 3rd time, it felt like coming back home. and niki, the girl remembered us, and treated us as special guests (giving us the special jam for ourselves and stuff) .and in the evening she put up a really nice fire show. it was really a nice day, with a good bye dinner and all.
the next morning i left them and hit the road back south...

this time - 2 lessons- it seems that some places look much better when it's raining...- even a "great walk" can be really great!

relevant albums...

http://tomeraroundtheworld.shutterfly.com/action/pictures?a=67b0de21b32b47f9057e

http://tomeraroundtheworld.shutterfly.com/action/pictures?a=67b0de21b32b47f48443

the dusky and wanaka

coming back from the catlins, we got some topographic maps, a locator beacon, and were ready for the hard, suitable-only-for-the-most-crazy-experienced-hikers tramp in NZ - THE DUSKY.It's a 8-10 days tramp, but not having enough days we decided to venture just a little in - 2 days in, turning around, and getting out the same way...
We took a water taxi to the trail head and started the tramp.
Starting the trail, a tour bus stopped for a few seconds and carried on. We could almost hear the driver saying - while pointing at us - Pay attention, not everyday you can see something like that! These 2 trampers are going on the most dangerous tramp - THE DUSKY! they just don't know what's awaiting them.
Well, we walked a few hours in the muddy, over-grown tramp, and got to the hut.i fell once and got muddy, but nothing too exciting. much less fun the M-Day in the Taranaki.
The hut was very nice and cozy.And being swarmed with sand flies on the outside, so we just stayed in.
the following day we climbed to a beautiful saddle, with very good views.it was quite spectacular, but somewhat disappointing as well. we heard so much about the dusky, that we were waiting for something really extraordinary. and it wasn't. it wasn't better than the traverse-sabine in nelson lakes N.P. for example.
well, that's life.
anyway, at least we did enjoy the views...
standing there, on the saddle, we saw someone climbing up from the other side. so we waited for him before heading down. talking to him we understood that we won't have any nice views from there to the hut - only muddy path through the forest. so we did it again - we decided to cut the dusky one day shorter.
we left our stuff at the saddle and climbed to a nearby peak - Mt. Memphis. the views were really nice, but not as thrilling as we expected. we realised we're not as hungry for the views as we used to be...
what a lousy way to begin our last month in NZ... Maayan even started thinking seriously about bringing her flight a few days forward...
it was weird. sitting in such a beautiful sopt and feeling bitter disappointment. maybe we did have enough...
but it was still magnificent!
anyway, we went down, got our backpacks and started on the knees-breaking climbing down back to the hut. we were very glad to get to the hut eventually.
the next day we headed out, took a water taxi back to manapouri, and met Yuval in the evening. we had a relaxing evening.
so, though we had fun and good time doing the dusky, we were disappointed. it seems that the dusky is more about the challenge than about the scenery. but we're not there for the challenge... in NZ terms, we don't care about the "demanding" part - we're in for the "rewarding"...
the next day Yuval went on a tour to the dusky sound, while we had a rest day.
Maayan's mom fixed her with a flight on the 17th...
in the afternoon, when he got back, we drove to queenstown, dined out, and carried on to Wanaka, where we spent the night.
the next day we just relaxed in the city, and even went to see "charlotte's web" in "cinema paradiso". it's a really nice cinema, with old sofas for sits (and there's even a car), and at break time you can have freshed baked cookies...it was really nice. it's a good children movie, and the atmosphere was perfect :)
but after the movie i'd had enough of cities. so we did some "backcountry camping" about 20 minutes out of wanaka, towards Mt. Aspiring.
we had an incredible night!
it was so much fun!
Yuval and Maayan had some beers, and we just sat there, listening to pink floyd, watching the sunset and the moonrise. it was full moon, and he was huge and very bright, and it was amazing. and the weather was so nice that i slept outside the tent...:)
we spent the next day in wanaka, including a few nice hours in the puzzling world - a labyrinth and an exhibition of optical illusions. it was really good fun.
later we drove to glenorchy, from which we were to start the routeburn the following day. what a beautiful place! a small town, on a lake, among these magnificent mountains.
and the lesson - all the kiwis, when they are kids have a brainwash about 3 things:- you see a possum - you kill it.- milford is the most beautiful place on earth.- only the most crazy people go on the dusky and they are "putting their life in their hands".
relevant album...
http://tomeraroundtheworld.shutterfly.com/action/pictures?a=67b0de21b32b47e30564

the catlins

On the 26th, after another night in Te-Anau, we decided to hit the road again, and go to the "catlins". And so we did.
We spent 2 days driving there, driving around there, and driving back.But during this two days we also had a few "points of interest".
First "the nugget point". Nice place, with really neat rocks in the ocean, just off the shore.We watched them all from the head of a nearby cliff. And of course, there were seals playing far below us...
After that we went to some beach where we saw some sea lions. huge, funny creatures. We saw a few adults and some playful calves, and we got quite close to them.
Next thing we tried to see some hector dolphins in a place called curio bay, but the harsh winds made the sea impossibly rough :(
Later still, we saw the sunset near the southern most point of the south island - "Slope Point".
On the whole, we had 2 nice days, though a lot of driving...
the weekly lesson - driving can be tiresome.


and the relevant album...
http://tomeraroundtheworld.shutterfly.com/action/pictures?a=67b0de21b32b47d8846f

the kepler

On the 23rd we started the Kepler.It was a very nice hike, with huge huts, almost-paved trail and lots of people.Great walk...We had excellent weather through this whole hike.
The second day was really lovely, most of it we spent above the bush line, and had great views of lake Manapouri, the surrounding snow-patched mountains and of UVM - an impressive mountain that Yuval adopted (UVM = YuVal's Mountain) and we could see it most of the hike.But the rest of the time was bush walking. beech forest.Being very, completely, absolutely tired of beech forest, we decided to take a day off, and did it in 3 days instead of 4...
But we had good time on this hike. It was fun, walking the 3 of us, and as I said, the 2nd day was really worth it.
And the weekly lesson:The great walks are different from the other NZ hikes. First, the huge huts are crowded but more lonely - in those huts everyone mind their own business, while in the smaller huts people talk a lot more.Second, the paths themselves are much better maintained on the great walks. Almost paved...Another thing is the official walking times. They are really exaggerated for us. We walk about twice as fast.

and the relevant album...
http://tomeraroundtheworld.shutterfly.com/action/pictures?a=67b0de21b32b47dd055a

WOW!!!

Well, as you surely remember, we spent the 19th in nelson.
Re-supply, re-fuel, re-lax.But after that, we left nelson, aiming for the glaciers.Yuval wanted to hike on the glacier the next day...
We drove there, and just before the glaciers there's a place called Okarito.If you recall, I spent the night before my glacier-walk there.
And my ride said you can sometime see kiwis there.
It was already around 23, so we decided to give it a chance.
It felt quite pathetic, driving through this road at 10 kph, seeing nothing, but it was exciting as well.
And then...
We saw...
No, not a kiwi - a possum...
And then 2 cars.
Maybe they saw a kiwi? We stopped, but they ignored us, so we drove away.
Slowly...
We finished the "kiwi zone", turned around, and slowly worked our way back.
Those cars were still there.
This time they pulled us over, and getting out they showed us, with red torches, a male kiwi freezing in the bushes!!!
We couldn't believe our luck!
A male kiwi!
We could only see his head and his funny beak, but still!!
And not "just a kiwi" - one of the rarest kind - "Okarito brown"!
Only ~250 left in this colony, the only one in the world...
Wow!
We were speechless.
And then, there was some noise, and they turned their lights, and we saw a female kiwi, on the road, approaching us...
She got to less than 0.5 m from Yuval! About a meter from me...
It was incredible!!
And then she went into the bushes, found the male and chased him around... Now we couldn't see them anymore, but we could definitely hear them...Wow!!
WOW!!
The next few days we spent driving to Te-Anau, meeting up with the two Floes, going to the Milford sound and relaxing before going on the Kepler trek - a famous New Zealand "great walk".
We ate very well, and Floe even taught me how to bake stuffed bread...I baked one with zucchini, onion and feta, and one with blue cheese and peanuts.I liked them both. The rest didn't appreciate the genius just as much...
On the 22nd Yuval and me went kayaking for a couple of hours in the famous Milford sound.It was a sunny day, and we could see all the peaks around - even the most shy ones... At some point the whole guided group (4 kayaks + the guide) got together, opened a sail, and let the wind take us...It was really fun!What a nice way to celebrate 3 months in NZ :)
The lesson of this week - you don't have to go to Stewart island to see kiwis...

and the relevant album...

the heaphy and the wangapeka

On the morning of Feb. 12th we woke up early, ready to start the Heaphy trek.
82 km, great walk, lots of praises.

The plan - meet Emily (the American girl from the Tongariro and that hunted us down on the Taranaki) at the trail head, walk it in 4 days, meet the "new" Floe on the last night, and walk the last day with him. and the day after, Maayan and I were to begin the Wangapeka (4-days-hike) at the end of which Yuval was to meet us for a day hike on the slopes of Mt. Owen.

that's so far as the plan goes.
In reality, things were a bit different.

By the time we got to the trail head Emily gave up on us and started off. We met her only after a few hours walk...
The walk itself was somewhat boring for us. First, the trail went a long time in a forest, and not a magnificent one.Second, even when we got "above the bush line", it was a flat area, and nothing nearly as exciting as we got accustomed to in NZ.And last, the trail was really well maintained, and wide enough to walk side by side, and you just felt as if you were going in an urban park or something, not really going "out there".That, plus Floe having very little time left in NZ, made us decide, at noon, on the 2nd day, to try and make it in 3 days instead of 4. Even though Emily did enjoy it, and decided to stick to the original plan.
So we did the 82 km in 3 days, making 25-32 km a day.
On the second day we had a few places with nice moss-covered trees.The third day was really very beautiful. Once we got to the sea, the coast line was quite magnificent even if not thrilling (for us) as snow capped mountains.We didn't know what to do with Floe, and decided to walk the trek, knowing that when we'll run into him we might have to turn around and go back to he hut with him.We met him 5 min. out of the hut, after he walked 16 km.But after 2 minutes talk he just turned and started back.We got out and drove to Karamia, where we stayed at a backpacker.
The next day, after a delicious breakfast, maayan and I got dropped off at the head of the Wangapeka.We spent 4 lovely days on this hike, most of them in a nice forest - we both actually liked walking in that forest!We were supposed to climb 2 saddles. the first, little Wanganui saddle, was brilliant. Really nice views on all directions and even 2 "saddle lakes". Really nice. We could even see the ocean far in the distance...The second saddle wasn't there.I mean, walking in the forest we got to a sign saying "Wangapeka saddle", but it seemed that the saddle itself gone missing...during this 4 days we only met 4 people on that trek, and 2 out of the 3 nights we had the hut all to ourselves :)
Walking a lot along the river, I finally couldn't resist it anymore, and twice did I get into the water :) Maayan joined me on the second time. So cold... So wonderful!
And thus, on the 18th, we got to the shelter at the end of the trek, where we waited for Yuval.And waited.After 5 hours he finally arrived.We were so glad to see him!Or as he put it - we were very hungry ;) We had a long, nutritious dinner, and camped 4 km away, at the foot of Mt. Owen.
But the next day, instead of climbing up the mountain we took Yuval to see a dr. - he had an infected thumb (nothing too serious, but just to be on the safe side).
And the lesson of this week is...Give us, Maayan and Tomer, an easy hike, and we'll make it much harder.

the relevant album...
http://tomeraroundtheworld.shutterfly.com/action/pictures?a=67b0de21b325e81484f7

Monday again.

on Saturday Yuval, a friend from Israel, is coming.
He's landing in Christchurch at around midnight.

So what do I do in the meantime?
Not a trek.
I thought to spend this time on things I probably wouldn't get to otherwise...
So I decided to try and get to the glaciers and Otago peninsula (albatrosses).

So I hit the road, and by ~22 PM, after 7 rides, I was in Okarito.
~10 hours drive from Amberley, and 20 minutes from the glaciers.
The French guy that took me there said he's been working there for afew months now, that I can camp there, and that part of the 10 kmleading from the main road to the village goes through a kiwi colony,from a special type, and he saw them once driving through.
We didn't...
But it was exciting even to have low chance of seeing kiwis...

Anyway, the next morning I got a quick ride to Franz Joseph, where Idid a half-day-tour.
That means ~4.5 hours total, out of which you spend roughly 1.5 hourson the glaciers itself.
Most of the 1.5-hours-glaciers-walking you spend waiting for the guideto do "maintenance" work on the trail. digging the stairs some more, reopening water side-tunnels etc.
But though it was very slow, and I didn't get to walk too much on theglacier itself, it was a lot of fun.
Just plain fun.
Walking on a glacier.
You don't get to do that so often.
Well, I don't...
After I've done with the tour I hitched to the fox glacier, and wentup to the lookout, very close to the glacier face itself. This glacieris situated in a beautiful valley - sheer cliffs carved by the glacieritself (during the ice age, when it was much bigger), nice river, verypretty.
I spent the night nearby in my tent.
Next day I made it to Dunedin.
In only 3 rides, and I got there much faster than I thought :)
I spent ~2 hours looking for a place to pitch my tent, but gave up and stayed in a backpacker.

Next day I went to the Otago peninsula, hoping to see some albatrosses.
My 3rd ride was with 2 Israelis, and as we were driving along, I saw a car parking near the road, and Maayan standing next to it!!
Just as I asked them to stop, the driver muttered "I know her!"...We stopped, hugged, and had a happy reunion. It turned out the guy used to work with Maayan.What a hilarious meeting!!
Anyway, we went to the visitor's center, and talked for a while, standing outside, when this hugest of birds crossed the sky in a magnificent flight.
It was so impressive!
well, like with the whales, I saw only one (I think I saw more, far away,but I'm not sure) but it was so magnificent!!
After a pathetic attempt to see penguins in the daytime, Maayan drove me back to Dunedin, where we parted.
After spending a few hours there I carried on north...
I was taken by Graham.
A nice happy guy, of about 50 years old, glad to share his life experience. We had a lovely chat.
He was going to Palmerston, but I asked him about penguins, and so he took me to a place called tavora reserve, where you can see some.
I pitched my tent, and went to the beach. I spent ~2 hours there, in a light rain, watching the sunset and a few yellow-eyed-penguins.
It was so good!!
Being there, in a beautiful place, not mentioned in the guide books (though a British couple came there as well), watching them penguins...
Such a great feeling.
In a way, getting there, pitching my tent like that, and watching the penguins was the essence of my traveling.
I like hitchhiking so much. & travelling for that matter :)

Next day I woke up early and went to see the sunrise from that beach.Beautiful!And, I saw some more penguins. One of them was standing in the sameplace as last night, and I\'m guessing he was nesting...
Trying to get as close as possible I scared off a seal and a baby seal...
Later I did a short walk around, and saw some more seals & penguins.
afterwards I hitchhiked back to Amberley, and again, met Caroline aday earlier than was planned.

The following day was Feb. the 3rd.
Yuval is coming.
Caroline was on call, so we could do what we want as long as we don't go too far...
So we had a relaxing day.
In the evening we got some ice cream, watched "The World's Fastest Indian" and waited for Yuval.
We picked him up from the airport at ~1:30, and came back.
We talked almost until 4 am before going to sleep...

Next day we met Maayan, and went on some new adventures.

New adventures - new post...

But let's see what did we have in this post...
2 glaciers, 1 albatross, a happy if short reunion, yellow-eyed-penguins, seals, another reunion, and a great feeling of doing the right thing for me.
:)


the relevant albums (old ones, you might have seen them) -
the last part of http://tomeraroundtheworld.shutterfly.com/action/pictures?a=67b0de21b3257d94c4a5 (only the glaciers)
and http://tomeraroundtheworld.shutterfly.com/action/pictures?a=67b0de21b325646705f2