The morning post-election, we woke to a deluge of news coverage from home. We caved briefly to the torrent of commentary before making an effort to shut it off and focus on the present moment… we were in New Zealand, and we had a ferry to catch.
The rain continued to follow us from the North Island across the Cook Strait, through the Marlborough wine region to the coastal town of Kaikoura on the South Island. Taking advantage of a brief break in showers, we strolled the beachfront, spotting seals and sea birds, before stumbling on a seafood shack right in time for lunch. We sampled lobster and the New Zealand delicacy paua (abalone) while guarding our plates against a crew of aggressive and hungry seagulls.
From Kaikoura, we traveled east over the mountains through Arthur’s Pass to Haast. While stopped at a scenic viewpoint to stretch our legs, we were surprised by a pair of inquisitive Kea. The world’s only alpine parrot, these dusty-green birds with hooked beaks approached us with fearless curiosity. One of them needed some extra encouragement to disembark from the top of our car before we could get back on the road!
Our journey continued, driving through miles of gorgeous scenery; by the time we reached the coast again, we were treated to a magnificent sunset. We rolled into Haast, a town on the edge of wilderness, just before darkness.
To balance the previous long day of driving, we gave ourselves the whole next day to spend outside. We ventured further into the New Zealand wilderness with a coastal tramp to a beautiful beach at Jackson Bay.
That night a few minutes after midnight, we were literally shaken awake by an earthquake. Although the epicenter was nearly 650 km away in Kaikoura (where we had departed only the day before!), the ground shuddered violently. The 7.8 magnitude quake left considerable damage. We were shocked by images on tv of roads we had just driven, now cracked and shattered, whole shards of pavement jutting upward. We felt fortunate that we’d left Kaikoura when we did…
Our journey south resumed in the morning; we broke up the drive with stops along the way, some of which we’d researched in advance, but most due to the simple serendipity of following the road map.
… we stopped in Hokitika, site of the 1860s goldfields and the setting for the book The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton… we visited the Blue Pools, a short trek through a forested trail to clear turquoise river-fed pools filled with fish…
… we lunched in Wanaka, a lovely lakeside town with a vibrant waterfront scene… we wandered through quaint Arrowtown, a historic gold mining village reminiscent of an American Western Frontier town, streets lined with charming false-front shops and busloads of tourists… we skirted the fringes of Queenstown along the edge of Lake Wakatipu (we would return a few days later for a proper visit) to our ultimate destination: Te Anau, the gateway to Fiordlands (the New Zealand spelling of the Scandinavian word).
Te Anau was gray and wet when we arrived, cold winds spitting rain. We had intended to spend our time tramping the world-class trails of the Fiordlands, but the prospect of doing so in pouring rain didn’t appeal to us. We opted for a couple of cozy afternoons in coffee shops, reading and writing, and an incredible cruise through Doubtful Sound.
Doubtful Sound is the deepest of the fiords, a series of glacier-worn and ocean-flooded valleys, winding channels stretching towards the Tasman Sea. Waterfalls tumble down sheer rock face exposures and curls of cloud veil lushly forested peaks. Misty views, solitude and palettes of grays and greens.
A great naturalist on board shared geological, ecological and human history for passengers as we sailed through the three main “arms” of the fiord. We learned that New Zealand evolved as a natural aviary, the only indigenous land mammals being bats. Since the islands became home to humans, various animals have been introduced and now threaten endemic species. Conservation efforts are strong and very active in NZ – in particular, we saw evidence of the fight against the non-native possum, including some creative attempts to commercialize their demise through silly possum fur products marketed to tourists.
We wrapped up our visit of the South Island in Queenstown. The sun made a much appreciated appearance for our final day in New Zealand. Queenstown is a beautiful, modern mountain town, nestled between steep, snow covered peaks. We spent our last day leisurely exploring and soaking in the sun. We had just one country destination left before we would return home; we were excited to see what was in store for us next…
E noho rā !
Now reading…
Lindsay: Seveneves by Neal Stephenson
Chad: Seveneves by Neal Stephenson and The Prize by Daniel Yergin
Distance from Seattle 7,636 (Queenstown)
A Forever of Nows 