New experiences in New Zealand -Post 1

Kia Ora (A Maori greeting informally translated to "hi")

Start: We finally made it to New Zealand. It only took two days and three planes but we got there. The following is just a capture of some of the fun we had while down under.

It started with a 6hr plane ride from Newark to LA. My father had asked me to try and find activities to do while on our ten hour layover. Unfortunately, I couldn't really find something too exciting that was local to LAX that would tickle our fancy. We ended up getting a ride from the airport to lunch with my dads boss in an Italian place near the beach. After that, we walked on the sand and down a jetty just to kill some time. We were dropped off later in the day and waited out the remaining 4hrs of the layover in the LAX terminal which is very modern and slick. As we were boarding our second flight of the day from LAX to Auckland, a group of dragons came parading down the hall with drums and cymbals clashing behind them. To my surprise, it was the Chinese New Year (monkey) and they were having a good old time dancing to the drum beats. Definitely a sign of the good times to come.

We boarded Air New Zealand to Auckland which was a 12hr flight. My father had splurged and got the sky couch feature which basically gets you a row of three seats that the leg rests can raise horizontally and thus provide a 'bed' for sleeping. We attempted to squeeze in on this firm couch in numerous positions but it just wasn't comfy. I managed to sleep a few hours namely from exhaustion. When I woke up, the whole plane was asleep for the most part and there my dad was, watching a movie or something. He recommended I watch a documentary that was available in the flight movies. It followed the success and dramas of the musical masterminds Draft Punk. It was only an hour long but was fantastic. I slept a few more times on and off during this flight and then just binge watched Rick and Morty S2 which was in the flight viewing menu. The flight landed fine but Auckland was extremely humid and pouring; not the kind of vacation weather we were hoping for.

Before getting the next flight, we had to go through Customs which included a thorough questionnaire about foods, bugs, plants and outdoor equipment. Of course we had tents and boots and the works for this trip which set off red flags. The tents were taken by TSA to be "cleaned" of any potential foreign contamination. Once they were done (~15 mins), I had to repack my tent and bag before my pending flight in an hour! Luckily I am a packing boss and was able to get it done very quickly. To get to the domestic terminal from the international terminal for the next flight, we had to walk about a half mile in the pouring rain with ~80lbs of baggage. It wasn't fun but neither would be missing that flight. The hiking backpacks were once again checked into baggage storage and the flight from Auckland to Christchurch was quick and painless. While I fetched the bags from the carousel, Dad worked with Hertz to get the rental set up. He ran off to use the restroom and comes out looking like he had seen a ghost. Apparently his phone, which is one of the only working phones we had, suicide dive bombed the toilet and was now a brick.

The car rental went smoothy and we got the biggest SUV to dwarf all the puny NZ cars to shame. 'MURICA! The built in GPS was a huge plus since we had no clue where to go. At first, dads driving was shocking and worrisome. Although the roads and driver seats were revered from normal, he was driving like a first timer. Yikes. We drove straight to the Old Country House hostel in Christchurch where we would spend the night. A much needed shower was provided to remove the stench of travel from our bodies. Later that day, we drove and walked around the heart of Christchurch to see what it was all about. We walked this two block radius where the stores were built out of retrofitted shipping containers containing coffee shops, vendors and even a bank. We also stocked up on groceries and fuel for the camp stove. There was a lot of awesome wall art through out the city, one of which we witnessed taken place via scissor lift to paint the massive wall space fluorescent pinks and purples.

It was also incredible to see the damage and rebuilding process of the earthquake which hit the region in 2011. Whole city blocks had been demolished and are under construction leaving road closures and one ways to muddle our path around town.  We called it an early night since jet lag was kicking in.

On Sunday, we drove from Christchurch to Kaikoura to meet with the Fulton Fam who had arrived the day prior to hike Mount Fyffe in Kiakoura. 

We drove north via State Highway (SH) 1 from Christchurch to Kaikoura, which was a decent drive filled with twisty roads, mountainous landscapes, and pastures of sheep and cows. We checked in at the iSite which can be found in most towns and cities and range from a info billboard to a small shop with maps and public restrooms. We located the meet up spot on the map and headed out of town to find the Mt Fyffe trail head. Following a dusty gravel road, we eventually got to the car park and awaited the Fulton's arrival. Two ladies who had just finished the trail asked if we were there to pick up two Americans named Liz and Mark. Why yes we were. How awesome! The ladies let us know that Fulton fam wasn't far behind and I ran up the steep trail to meet them. They were visibly worn out from the hike so I grabbed a pack and helped Liz down to the car. They had summited Fyffe in the early morning dew above the clouds which lingered over the coast.

From there, we returned to town but not before getting a cow roadblock. Bernard used his powers to stop the herd while I brought the car through. We checked into the Pier Hotel in Kaikoura which had a very rustic vibe. Apparently the hotel was built in the late 1800's on the old wharf and then was relocated in the 1920's to the new wharf in town. Why? Who knows but it must have been a feat in that time. The hotel sat atop an associated restaurant and check in wasn't anything more than a composition book at the bar. We unpacked a bit and got some fish and chips in town before heading to the Ohau waterfall. We also came across a large group of seals on the shore that were playing in the tide pools and sunning themselves. Liz took a "couple" pictures of the seals (~300).

Back at the hotel, we took some high pressure hot showers and by then, it was bordering 8:30. The restaurant downstairs was enough to feed the hungry. The service was something to be desired but everyone enjoyed their meal and that's what counts. We retired to our separate rooms for the night and enjoyed our sleepy time.

In the morning, we ate the continental breakfast (toast and jam) and some sausage we got at the supermarket. The shops in Kaikoura provided some souvenir options and once done perusing, we hit the road for the Ballroom Overhang hike and camp. Driving a desolate winding route 88 through the hills of the Amuri Range, the views surpassed expectations and the word of the day was once again "WOW". 

Hanmer Springs off SH7 was a good stopping point for lunch. The town is very similar to Aspen Colorado in appearances and is known for its skiing and hot springs. It was a beautiful sunny day so we did take out and ate in the park. Another few hours of driving was down the road so we didn't spend too long in the town.

Following SH7 westbound, we eventually reached the town of Reefton. We opted to drive north via route 69 which snaked along the beautiful deep blue Buller River. Our destination was getting close but the clock was not on our side. By the time we reached the Fox River car park in the Paparoa National Park, it was already boarding 6pm. Our backpacks were assessed and gear was set for the hike to come. An old woman in the car park asked where we were heading. Once we gave an answer, her face seemed to cringe as if she knew something we didn't. She warned about the nasty sand flies and the 10 river crossings. We brushed it off being the troopers we were and got on the track by about 7pm. Being in the southern hemisphere during summer, we estimated that we had about 2hours of light left which should have been plenty to get to the destination and start camp setup. We had no idea what we were in store for and the outcome of this hike was one that we will never forget. . . .