Nicks Big Adventure

A Broken City

nicholas_harrel — Sat, 8 Sep 2012 08:41:00 GMT

Kia Ora Y'all, I wrote this a few months ago after leaving Christchurch. It was typed but I guess never published so I will do my best to recover my memories and experience of CHCH.

After leaving Kaikoura I drove up to Hamner springs to see the hot pools. It snowed pretty hard that night but did not stop me from getting in the hot water. From there it was a full day drive into CHCH. I decided to stop short of town at a camp near the beach. The cold and rain did not bother me so much, it was just good to get near the ocean. I met a few folks around the camp that had retreated from the devestation of the recent earthquakes. Each had a similar reaction to my planned trip into CHCH. It was a sad look on their face accomanied by a warning of the destruction that awaited me. It was as if I were entering a war zone.

In September of 2010 an earthquake hit the CHCH/Canterbury area. It was a large 7.1 quake that damaged many buildings and caused a great scare. In Feburary of the following year another 6.3 quake hit closer to the city center, forever changing the face of the most populous city on the South Island. This second quake struck in the middle of the work day. Some of the buldings that had been deamed safe faltered in this second shaking. The iconic spire on the Christchurch Cathedral fell from its perch and many buildings collaped. 185 lives were lost that day. The area is the Caanterbury plains, formed from alluvil sands eroded from the near by mountains. The shaking caused the sand and dirt to react in a certain way called liquifaction. Like quicksand, water between the particles rose to the surface and caused many of foundations to fail as silt and water spouted up from the ground. Many quakes have followed and continue to rumble the area.

As I do when I arrive in a new town I headed to the information site. This trip would be diffrent. The cranes that dominated the skyline as I drove into town were not for construction, they were for removing the rubble. The map of the downtown/central business district that I had was no good. The CBD was fenced off to the public and only trucks were passing the security gates. the I-site, like many things had been moved to a temporary building near the city gardens. With some info I headed out to Banks Penensula, an extinct volcano to the east of CHCH. My destination was an old Frenc Whaling settlement called Akaroa. It was a nice drive and the town looked quaint but I was turned off by an aproaching storm and high winds. Akaroa was to be the french foothold and claim in New Zealand. As history goes the Brits arrived and raised their flag thus claiming the bay for themselves less than a month before the french could. It is still influenced by that french connection. It remains a small town with lots of tourists. I returned to CHCH the following day to explore what I could. The CBD is still being torn down. There is a viewing area where you can watch the "Progress". Near this is a makeshift market of shipping containers with shops and cafes in operation. The art museum is closed but some displayes have been erected outside of the building to provide some enjoyment. Part of the history museum is open since it has been retrofitted for the next quake. In all there is progress but a year out it is my opinion that it is too little.

THis is a theme that I noticed when I took a bus ride out to the Antarctic Center, the base of operations for all Antarctic research. On the hour tour of the city to get out to the center I observed many buildings surrounded by a fence, in diffrent stages of falling down. Adjcent buildings are safe and show little to no damage but the inhabitants are constantly seeing the aftermath of the devestating quakes. I think this constant reminder negativly effects those residents.

On a lighter note the Antarctic Discovery Center was a good time. It was geared mostly to kids but I love learning so I took it in stride. There were lots of information panels, a storm simulater, and I even got to ride in a track car that they use on the ice. It can climb up and down steep slopes and even float in water. I did not like the 4-D movie which was 3-D but you got sprayed in the face every few minutes with water. On the way back I got to talk to the bus driver. Christchurch area is known as the "Garden City", behind houses and between neighborhoods I could see orchards and farm operations. Every few blocks were fruit and vege stands selling local outdoor grown food. it brightened my heart to see a community still doing its best to get back to normal. I also visited the NZ Air Force museum and got to learn all about how the kiwis almost beat the Wright brothers to be the first to fly. It even had real planes in the building.

My time in Christchurch was good. I feel for the families that have been barred from going into their homes to get their valuabes. Recently the government and insurance companies have made headway identifying the structures that are condemed, thus needing to be torn down and those that just need some structural repairs. Unfrotunatly there are some folks that cant rebuild because of damage to the land. An even sadder case is those who are still living in limbo, not knowing what is going to happen to their homes and lives. Many have moved away. Most to Golden bay and Wellington. CHCH is now a city healing eventhough it is slow. I dont think it will ever be what it was but for those hardy folks who refuse to give up I tip my hat to you.

I left there and headed across to Arthurs pass. The rest of my trip was good but I again got flooded. My Farewell to the North Island and My final hike will be out soon. New Zealand was a great trip for me. I have lerned lots about life and myself. I am glad to be back In the US of A. My next chapter will be starting soon and will still be in the form of an adventure. Heres to every day adventures. Pura Vida!

Farewell South Island

nicholas_harrel — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 12:33:00 GMT

Kia Ora, I am currently sitting in a hut in the shadow of Mt. Ruapehu. It's been almost 3 weeks since I returned to the north island. I stayed in Wellington with some great friends when I got to town. It was the same spot I described my last time in "Welly". I tramped up the west coast and then switched over to the east coast. My Hawks Bay and East Cape stories will have to wait for now.

Again I wanted to write some good stories but I let it go too long. I want this to be my farewell to the south island. It is a much different scene from the north island. From its remote rugged coasts to snow capped mountains, the kiwi spirt does not change. So I will reflect on my experiences on Waka Te Kupe.

My time in Queenstown was good. I passed through many times and each time was a new adventure. I found Queenstown to be a town of action but unfortunately lacking real soul. It was full of travelers and tourists, however the only local I knew was pretty cool. I preferred the small village of Glenorchy, because it lacked all the flash and shine of Queenstown, but was the gateway to many great hikes. A small town where nice people live. I only wish I could have hiked the Ernslaw Burn and stayed at the base of the glacier. Maybe next time.

Invercargill and Stewart Island were surprising. I am glad I went there and encourage all kiwis to visit Stewart Island once. The track I hiked was the only great walk I bagged on my trip. It can be a nice tropical island when the weather is right. I met some great hikers out on that trail. I hope they are still having fun. If I were to do it again I would fly standby back to the mainland, it costs the same as the ferry but you get to do a flyover. The Catlins were nice but I wish I had been acclimated to the weather and spent some time in that rainforest. I went to Dunedin instead.

My favorite city by far was Dunedin. Not only did I get to see a rugby match but I also saw some great live music. Having friends in town did not hurt either. It's an old Scottish town with a large university, it has some range. The Otago region is special, there are rivers and streams I will have to return to and explore. The best time was the wine and food festival, what a treat.

The west coast! Wow! I was running from the first snow, so I did not get a chance to explore the hikes along the Haast pass, but the west coast was worth it. I had some interesting times out there. The first beach I came to could have swept me out to sea. That was my warning about the wild west. My botched trip to horseshoe flat where I had frozen boots and a steamy fire taught me a stern lesson, mother nature plays for keeps. The best spot in all the west coast is Welcome flat/Copland track. Mellow hike in and hot pools to boot, just watch out for the naked moms! The glaciers, mountains, weather and remoteness make the west coast folk.... Staunch is the best I could come up with. Hard working with a tough putter shell, they can reveal themselves to be awesome down home folk. That is if you don't get intimidated by their, charm.

Golden Bay and Nelson were good to me even if the weather was not. I hit both in the middle of off season so I won't judge too harshly. If I had gotten there sooner I would have found something to complain about any way. Defiantly a great vacation spot and good fishing. Both times I tried to hike the Nelson Lakes trails I got flooded out, I took the hint. Next time Nelson lakes, next time. Same with Queen Charleotte Track. If I had only known how many bike trails. I might have taken my buddy Gabb's advice and gotten a mtn bike. It was crap weather anyway, but I still liked what I got to see.

My last night down that way was spent in Cow Shed Bay at a DoC campsite. I was alone on a quiet glassy bay. I was able to cook supper by moon and starlight. That last night warmed my heart and helped to form a template for the remainder of my trip. I was very lucky to see all that I did get to see and experience the life that comes with the freedom of an open schedule. The south was wild and crazy, and that's the way I liked it.

So, now I'm on the north island. It's still winter and I am hiking the round the mountain track, around Mt. Ruapehu. There will be a catch up story in a few days and then a separate story about this last adventure in NZ. I will tease you with this. I have been snow/iced in at least one day. Every day has brought new challenges and landscapes. I am being extra careful, but wow is this crazy!

I will be flying back in less than 2 weeks. I am sad to close this chapter of my life but anticipating a fun next adventure. I know it's hot in the states but it's still cold and rainy here so I'll try to bring some back if the TSA will let it through. Football starts soon and the Olympics are over. It was fun watching the Games from another country. Most of the coverage was of NZ teams but the highlight reels were of team USA. Smile at a stranger today and be happy. We are all so lucky to be who we have become. Thank you for reading this, I have not been the best reporter, but I get lots of encouragement from y'all. Peace, Love, and Pura Vida

The happiest place on earth.

nicholas_harrel — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 08:22:00 GMT

Kia Ora y'all. I have a rather boring week followed by some fun events that I needed to share as soon as possible. Before I can go any further I must say sorry for the misspelling of a few things. If you can find the needed corrections in my last post please correct them yourself . I also neglected to mention Matariki, the Maori new year. I did not celebrate but It marks the days getting longer, so I'm really into that. Last time I wrote on here I had been rushing to get out before 10 am and the NZ military showed up. They did show up but I split pretty quick. The weather was getting worse and the wind felt as if it would blow me away. I flipped a coin and the outcome was to drive to Blenheim. I battled the wind and rain all the way there. I also battled the mussel pie I had for lunch, it wanted out quickly. My priority was to find a campsite where I could walk to a tavern. That night the All Blacks were playing their final match against the Irish. Everything fell into place even the weather. The first match I watched alone on the beach in golden bay. The second was in Nelson with a few residents of the holiday park in the TV room. This final match I watched at the popular bar in town. It happened to be across the street from my accommodation, which is nice. I watched the end of the Wales vs Australia game and the whole lead up to the NZ match. I was totally stoked, I had beer, there was a good crowd, and the game was on. I have watched many games at bars but this was different. Nobody that I saw was wearing any NZ gear, no hats or jerseys. The national anthem was No big deal, but when it came time to do the Haka, everyone paid attention. For those who don't know, the Haka is one of the most special performances in sports. Lebron James's chalk clap, Ray Lewis' pump up speech, and the "Gentlemen start your engines!", don't come close to the Haka. Ok, maybe the fly over is close but this is an ancient tradition. There are many different forms of the Haka. Many Haka are ceremonial, performed by Maori on a marae or as a greeting. The most well known use is as a challenge of peace before a battle. It involves chants, slapping of the legs, arms and chest, and the scariest face one can make. During my first visit to Rotorua I got to see a traditional Haka, and even got to do it with the people at the village I visited. The starting squad for the All Blacks stands in formation on the half way mark of the field facing the opposition. A leader from the group leads the battle cry, (usually Peri Wipu) and the others follow. This gets the crowd and the players really revved up for The match. They used to perform the Haka in the locker room. Now its on the field for all to see, one thing you wont see nowadays is a particular move where the thumb is drawn across the neck. This means "I'm Gonna cut your head off." It is such an old Maori tradition that their cousins in Hawaii also do the Haka. There was a lawsuit a few years back about who owned the rights to perform it. I think the let it go. Back to the game. It was a blowout, with the All Blacks running all over the Irish. The last thing that was different from what I'm used to is that nobody clapped or cheered. I was going crazy with excitement while the others were ho-hum about it. A great game and a good nights sleep, but I still had a choice. Do I stay or do I go? Again I flipped a coin and I was off south to Kaikoura. The drive was amazing! It was a clear day and the Pacific was green and blue. I cruised along and enjoyed the drive. Some folks say that Disney Land is the happiest place on earth, I would disagree. I have driven this road before and remembered stopping along the side of the road to look at seals. I also overhead a few people talking about seal pups and waterfalls. When I passed by this time I noticed some children running amuck in one of the DOC parking lots. I then discovered the happiest place on earth. Fur seal pups swim and climb up a small stream, under a road and railroad, for protection. This is a nursery of sorts for seal pups. They play in the creek, along the banks and the in pool at the end with a 30 meter waterfall. Every couple of days they go back to the sea to be fed by mom who is out at sea feeding. The pups are the size of a normal dog with flippers and cuter than a puppy/kitten combo. At the end of the 150 meter walk there is a pool with many pups swimming, playing, fighting, and doing tricks. I am still smiling, it was the coolest thing I have ever seen. Ill post some pics sometime. Still buzzing from the seals I rolled into Kaikoura, found a place to stay and poked around a bit. It's a mellow town by the sea and the name directly translates into Food, Crayfish. I will have to get my hands on one of those before I leave here. The next day I walked a 4 hour loop track that gave good lookouts of the sea and surrounding snowy mountains. It was so windy that it did not knock me down but stumbled me many times. The peninsula here was used for whaling for many years and one reason there was a pakeha settlement here. Even the war memorial in town has an archway made of whale bones. For the Maori it's a special place. I have mentioned about Kupe, the Maori explorer who fished the North Island out of the ocean while standing on his waka (canoe) the South Island. Well, the fish gave such an epic fight that Kupe had to place his foot on the edge of his boat for leverage. This is where he put his foot. It's a really great place to live. The oceans are teaming with life and there are mountains with in 20 min drive. This is a popular spot for retirees. I was off to Hanmer Springs the next day. It was a slow drive into the mountains and toward a large grey cloud that had to have been dumping snow. The popular thing in town was the hot springs. I decided to do a two day pass at the pools. It is a large complex with pools of different heat levels and weird stuff. One pool was a whirlpool with an inner whirlpool. Another pool had devices spraying and shooting water. I spent most of my time in the hottest pools that were natural unfiltered sulfur mineral pools. The whole complex is open to the sky so when it was snowing I got to stay warm. Both days were filled with good conversations. Another leisurely drive toward Christchurch brought me to a small campground where I spent last night. It was close to the beach thus hearing the waves once again I slept like a baby. Today I will go into CHCH. I will be here till my flight on tuesday. I am very interested to see what is here in CHCH and see how bad the destruction is. I hope its not to devastating. I trust everyone has had a good week and is now looking forward to the weekend. Please enjoy the warm weather even if it is crazy hot, I would trade you if even for a few days. However I am getting used to the cold which is nice. I miss you all and cant wait to get back to the working world. Peace, Love and Pura Vida. Nicholas

Good Sounds

nicholas_harrel — Sat, 23 Jun 2012 07:55:00 GMT

Howdy and Kia Ora y'all. Its been a while but I have had very little to write about these last few days. That mixed with spotty connections had lead to my delay. Motueka was a nice little town for me to walk around in. I spent the whole day walking along the inlet and around town. It has lots of craft shops and veggie stands. Then it was back to Nelson to get some more work done on the van, minor work and not too costly. Nelson kept me entertained with disc golf and hiking trails. I even waited out a storm and got to watch the All Blacks win against the irish in the last minute of the game. Then it was off to Okiwi Bay. North of Nelson is the Marlboro Sounds area. Sounds are like fjords but created by river valleys not glaciers. So instead of seeing dramatic cliffs that rise out of the water there is a soft slope up to the peaks. Glaciers are a powerful force that move everything and anything out of its way. Rivers meander and wind so sounds come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. One such area I got to see while I was out near Okiwi Bay is French Pass. This is a 125 meter gap between the mainland and an island. In this gap there are rocks that act as a strainer, lowering the depth of water to 5 meters in some places. When the tide turns water rushes one way or the other through the pass creating eddies and whirlpools. It is a spectacular site. I stayed in the smallest campground in New Zealand in that bay. It was run by a nice couple that hosted social hour in their lodge home on the site. Here I could sit by a fire and watch the news every evening. I went from there to Havelock, another small town by the sea. It is the mussel capital of New Zealand. They farm mussels on rafts in inlets all over the area. I wanted to go hiking and sight seeing but it was foggy and cloudy most of the day. Today I will hike to some lookouts and get ready for the final match between the All Blacks and the irish. I promise I will come up with some good stories soon. My mind has been else where and I have not been able to concentrate on writing. Have a great weekend everyone! Peace Love and Pura Vida. Nicholas

Photos: South Island

nicholas_harrel — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 10:03:00 GMT

at least it ain't raining.

nicholas_harrel — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 07:29:00 GMT

I have found one of the only sunny places in New Zealand. It has been snowing and raining all over the south island for the last week but I have been hiding in the golden bay and Nelson area. My last entry was from Karamea, the end of the road on the west coast. My plan was to stay in Westport to learn how to make pies at a really good pie shop. When I got there my friend was not working and the weather was getting worse so i made the decision to push on to Nelson. I made it as far as Murchison before I decided to stop for the night because there was a storm bearing down on me. I ponied up for a single room instead of a campsite, and I am very glad that I did. That night it rained like crazy. The storm was so bad that it flooded part of the town and would have made my campsite a shallow pond. My plan for stopping there was to hike and fish the Nelson Lakes for a while but that was shot due to rain and snow on some of the higher passes. As always when plans change I just have to roll with the punches. Again, when I was very close to Nelson the weather shifted. I had been out running a storm cell but it had almost caught up with me when I found shelter at a local shopping mall. I made sure I was parked in a place where the wind would not damage my van and ducked into the mall. I had not been to a shopping mall for years. It was fun to walk around, window shop and people watch. After all that excitement at the mall I found a cafe to finish waiting out the storm. Finally it lightened up and I returned to my van. I am glad I parked where I did because the wind blew some metal signs off of buildings and caused minor damage around town.

Nelson is a hippy dippy little downtown area. Lots of bead and spiritual shops. There was not much to do in town so I got my oil changed and hiked to the geographical center of New Zealand. The next morning I decided to drive up to Motueka and beyond. I ended up in Takaka, a much smaller town with the same bead and spiritual shops. The weather was incredible! Clear skies, breezy, and warmish. True, some of the passes had snow on the side of the road but the roads were good. I found a campsite north of Takaka and settled in. The place was a holiday park way off the road and completely empty. I got there on a friday night and payed for 3 nights because the place was closing for the winter on monday morning. I had the whole beachside campground all to myself. I spent the next few days exploring all of the golden bay. I drove up to Farewell Spit, New Zealand's longest sand spit. This is a land formation like a peninsula but it is formed by drifting sand from the ocean current that sweeps north along the west coast. you are not allowed on the spit unless you are with a guided tour. Those tours were all shutdown for the winter. I hiked as far as I could but the best was the view with binoculars from a lookout point. Some of the exposed areas were terribly windy so I could not go on a few hikes. With winter coming, most places close for a few months. This ment there was not much to do. One place that had been suggested to me was the Pupu springs. This is a large spring that floes out of the ground with much force. It is the worlds clearest spring, and Australasia's largest. The walk out to the spring is a mellow stroll. At one point you follow a wide river until you reach the source. All of a sudden the river stops and you can see 3 areas of upwelling. It was the clearest blue color I have seen on land. Unfortunately I was not allowed to even touch the water because it was protected by DOC and it is sacred to the local Maori tribes. Another suggested place was Cobb Valley and Reservoir. I had heard of this place from a few DOC folk so I decided to go there and hike. It is a secluded valley with many hikes and huts to explore and fishing in the lake. I geared up and headed out. It was a clear sunny day but I was still warned that there could be ice and snow on the road that might make it difficult if not impossible to drive in my 2 wheel drive van. I gave it a shot anyway. The road is sealed half way up to the pass, then it is a narrow, steep, gravel road the top of the pass. It was an hour long white knuckle, lip bitting drive up the road. Even before I got to the top I got rain. By the time I got to the top it was howling wind and snow turning to sleet. Below the road wound to to lake that had whitecaps on the surface from the wind. I stood in a small shelter and thought things over. My eye caught on the writing on the walls of the shelter. There were many "Zeabo was here 2/5/11" but one helped me make up my mind. I don't remember the exact words, but it was from 2 female hikers that got snowed into the valley for two days before they hiked up to that shelter and had to spend 2 more days waiting out a storm before they could get help. At that I turned around and went back. My next stop was a DOC campsite on the north end of the Able Tasman Park. I would not do the Great walk but there were other great hikes out that way. Surprise, Surprise, the road has been washed out and wont be open for 2 months. So again I turned back.

My plan was to head back to Motueka, and for once it worked out. I did however take one side trip to see a large sinkhole called Harwoods Hole. This formation meets up with another cave system and can be done with gear and a guide. I had neither but I wanted to see/do at least one wild thing. The "wild" thing was the drive to get to the trail. It was at the top of the Takaka pass on a dirt road that had patches of ice and snow in some sections. The hike was a good 30 min on an easy path through a beech forest. There were icy ponds that were sinkholes filled with water, and dry sinkholes that had birds living in it. I did not go near the big hole but instead followed a route to an overlook. even though I could not get a clear view of the hole I got to see a valley from a peculiar rock formation known as karst. Karst is a limestone formation that makes up many cave and weathers from water in cool patterns. This particular area had been exposed to rain so it weathered to have sharp, razor like tops. It was tough going to hike but slow and steady leads to a safe return. Down the side of the hill and now I am in Motueka. I will stay around here and head to Nelson soon.

It is getting real cold here. Frost every night and cold as soon as the sun goes down. I am staying warm though. I have never really lived in a place that has a winter so this is a new experience. I send my love to you all. Its still fun out here so if anybody wants to come on down please do. I hate all sports! with the exception of the LA Kings, every team I cared about has let me down this year. So watch and enjoy baseball for me. Thanks again for reading. Its hard to make some of the things I do sound interesting but you guys make it easy to try. Have a great week and enjoy the summer for me. Peace Love and Pura Vida

End of the road... on the west coast!

nicholas_harrel — Mon, 4 Jun 2012 14:38:00 GMT

Hello everybody! I only have time for a real quick one but I will do my best. I am currently in Karamea in the west coast of the south island. The internet is expensive and slow and there is no cell coverage so I can not do this from my iPad. All that aside it has been a great week of fun. I left Greymouth with out a tour of the brewery because they wont be resuming those till next month. I decided that the best thing to do was head out and go to Westport. This is another west coast town but what I considered more established as a larger town. It is a coal mining and logging town with its roots in hard work. My first day there was plesant, I did a few walks and finally finished my "Game of Thrones" series of books. The next day I did some driving and poking around town to see what the essence of the town was. Its a great coastal town with a lot of pride in their industry. A small gem of the town is The West Coast Brewery. Since I missed out on Montieths in Greymouth I though this would be a great chance to see a brewery. I showed up for a 330 guided tasting. The brewery is a small operation with 4 fermenters. I sat and spoke with Grant as he went about his duties around the place. We talked for a while and the beer was great. Around 430 or so the locals who just got off work started showing up for a beer and to fill their jugs of beer to take home. One of the reasons for the large crowd was the lead story in the paper. The Brewery will be sold and most likely closing. This was a huge bummer because this is where these dudes hang out and they make good beer. It was Wednesday and thats when the fellas get together for a BBQ. U guessed it I was invited! It was a great time to be hosted by fun locals to cook, drink beer and hang out. The subject of my accommidations came up and it was decided that I could stay at one of the guys pieces of property along the coast. Fish is a great guy who, that night, told me how to get there and gave me the keys to the house. I was flattered. That night I walked back to the holiday park and decided to move camp the next day. This was great because the holiday park is nice but there are a few long term residents. Most kept to themselves and were nice but this park had a cat lady, living in a bus. I counted 6 cats of all shapes and sizes when the dinner bell was rung. I was stoaked to leave, and I was going to one of the nices places I have ever seen. For two nights I crashed out at Fish's land. Great views of the ocean and a formation of rocks called the steeples. On friday night I walked down to the local tavern to have a beer with Fish. I met a lot more local folks. Westcoasters, as they are called, are great folks. Down to earth people who work hard, play hard and appreciate what they have. Come saturday I decided it was time for me to move my circus to another town. I headed up to Karamea. The end of the road so to speak on the west coast and the start of one of the great walks. It rained for a while but today I went to the Oparara Valley. This is a forested valley with lots of trails and wildlife. The main attraction is the natural arches and caves. Water from rivers and rainfall have eaten away at the limestone and left amazing natural wonders. I only wish I could spend more time exploring but it is time to mosey on. Hello to everyone who is reading this, thanks for your time. Hi mom and the rest of the KC family. Howdy Harrels. And to everyone else, Hows it going?! Happy birthday to my buddy Andy Wolff. Keep enjoying american sports for me cause I get none of it here. PLEASE, soak up the sun and bask in the summer cause its cold here. Have a great week and Ill try to do an update soon. Peace, Love and Pura Vida

A much better trail.

nicholas_harrel — Sat, 26 May 2012 06:30:00 GMT

After the Fox Glacier fun of getting my fuel pump replaced I needed another adventure. There were things to see and do in Fox so I stayed an extra day. I toured a lake that was tucked into the bush and had nice reflections of the snowy peaks. That road leads to a beach through the bush. It was a great stormy ocean with a rock beach and shore break waves. Needless to say I did not go swimming. Finally, I visited the Fox Glacier itself. For my protection I was not allowed to get too close to the glacier. Even the distance seemed short compared to its massive size. It was a good day, and the best views were from the beach. From there you could see the enormity of the craggy peaks. That night at the hostel I met a large group of students from Miami of Ohio. It was nice to hear some familiar accents and talk sports a bit. The next morning I watched the last half of some finals soccer match between Germany and Chelsea. The TV room was crawling with Germans but in the end Chelsea won by penalty kicks. After the game I was off to Welcome Flats Hut. This is on the Copland track in the Copland Valley. This used to be a very popular alpine crossing area but a rock fall 20 years ago has made the crossing very dangerous. What remains in the Copland Valley is 3 huts. This is another popular stop for all people, locals and tourists. A 7-8 hour hike from the car park to the welcome flats hut is pretty challenging. I try to make it extra fun by going as fast as I can. I made it through the valley in less than 6 hours. To repay my good efforts I got to soak in a natural hot spring! This is the real attraction on the trail. I got in just before sundown, dropped my bag and headed to the hot pools just outside the hut. I did not want to get my other clothes wet so I went in in my underwear. I was a but nervous about my lack of swimwear but it's the bush nobody would care. After a good 5 min soak by myself I was joined by a middle aged woman, she was naked! It was a big pool and a free country so I don't judge. We talked about her kids and the tramps in the area. It was an interesting time to be sure. A nice warm fire and hot dinner helped me sleep like a baby. Most folks who go up there in one day and out the next. I did not, I stayed an extra day to hike the 3 hours to the next hut and back for some exercise and adventure. It was a tougher trail and after almost reaching the hut I decided to turn back to the hot pools and a good book. That night was a new group of folks, most had never been on a hiking trip before. One couple did not even bring cooking stuff because they thought it would be provided. I am thankful that I know better and learned how to do these things a long time ago. My hike out was made even better by adding something I had avoided doing for a while. I listened to music, and it was awesome. Instead of thinking the whole time I could just walk. It was so cold up there that the ground was icy in places even past noon. I got back to my van and it started and ran just fine! Off to Franz Joseph Glacier I went. I stayed at a nice campground two nights and hiked up to that glacier for a good view before clouds blocked the way. This glacier was less impressive, smaller and had bald patches where you could see the underlying rocks. I was done with Glacier Country so north I went. Now I am in Greymouth. It's a cold windy place but a city nonetheless. I plan on staying here over the weekend and seeing the montieths brewery on monday. Im still surviving one day at a time. The cold weather is still taking its toll but that cannot me helped. I hope everyone is enjoying the NHL finals and coming summer. I want to give a big Congratulations to two of my cousins. First, to Patrick Harrel for graduating from Highschool and going to Princeton next year. Also to Cory Chew for getting hitched to the love of his life this weekend. Wish I could be there to celebrate but I am over here. I hope Y'all have a great weekend. Peace Love and Pura Vida, Nicholas

Continued.....

nicholas_harrel — Fri, 18 May 2012 14:01:00 GMT

Cold wet west coast valley was my location. Tramping on a trail to the horseshoe flats hut was tough going and I had doubts about my safety and the sun setting on my adventure before I got to the hut. I pushed on past the creeks and swampy areas with dry feet. Then I came to a place that had no safe passage with dry feet. Better to have one muddy foot than two. That was not the end of it, after 4 stream fords I was soaked up to the knee. 3 hours and forty five minutes after I started the tramp I got to the hut. It is in its original construction from 1970 but white washed. I dropped my bag off in the hut and went in search for fire wood. All I found was wet and moss covered but that had to do. I was cold, wet and I had not seen the sun for at least an hour. Wood sorted I stripped off my wet clothes and got used to my home for the evening while I broke small branches into kindling. The fire was a fickle beast and kept me busy for 2 hours keeping it lit and drying wood. I had to make another run to get wood in the dark but it was enough to see me warming till bed time. The hut lacked insulation so it was still cold and the fire was small so it was only good for light not warmth. When morning came it was still cold but all I wanted to do was jet back to the van and get warm. The fire was useless to dry my footwear and pants, but that was my lot that morning. My boots had frost inside and my gaiters were frozen stiff. Off I went, back the way I came. Some of the mud puddles had become slush and the pools of water on the track were iced over. I was cold but the faster I moved the warmer I became, even the streams were warm relief from the frost building on my boots as I walked. I stopped caring to keep my feet dry. Over the same rock and under the same branches I crossed the previous day I went. This hike only took me three and a quarter hours. Happily my van was still there unmolested. I stripped of the wet stuff and replaced it with dry warm stuff. I even got my sleeping bag out to start to dry it. I was ready to go but my van was not... It did not start, I was in a cellphone black hole, and 70 km from and town. I tried to get it to start for an hour but nothing. I packed a bag and got out my best thumb to try and flag a ride to Fox Glacier. I have given plenty of rides and I have passed plenty of hitch hikers but today nobody wanted to stop for old Nick. Two hours later and just before sun set a nice Korean dude gave me a lift to Fox. I set up an appointment with a mechanic to get and look at my van in the morning. Great more mechanics. I slept well in a motel and had a warm dinner. The next morning Ben and I drove out to the spot and he diagnosed it as a fuel pump problem in about 10 min. Back at the shop, it was found to be true. The only catch was that it will take some time to get a new one but they had another one that would work, oh and the acces to that pump is in the floorboard of the back seat. That hatch is under my bed and all of my stuff. I wanted to clean out my van but not like this! I got it all out and stored, took apart the bed structure and cleaned a bit. I had to cut the last story short so I could go back and re assemble the van because it was fixed. These guys were the best! That was my adventure filled with potholes and letdowns. I survived it with minimal frustration and lots of help from the locals. I plan on seeing the glacier tomorrow and some of the other sites around. This time when I go tramping I will do better research and leave my intentions. Learn every day. I hope all is well with y'all. Go spurs and kings! Thanks for reading and I will keep up the entries. Peace, Love and Pura Vida! Nicholas

Westward and into the sunset.

nicholas_harrel — Fri, 18 May 2012 11:39:00 GMT

Tuesday I drove to the west coast! I picked up a hitched named Hector from brazil. He was a nice smiling dude who lives in Queenstown. He was just outside of Hawea where lots of folks try to thumb a ride. I drove with out stopping because I wanted to see the sunset on the ocean. The town was Haast beach. I quickly changed into board shorts and hustled down to the beach to have a bit of a dip. The waves were breaking right on the beach and it was defiantly not safe to get in. Even standing near and getting my knees wet was some what trecherous. We found a nice cheap campground for the evening. Wednesday I saw the sun rise over the mountains. Some of the taller mountains had snow on the peaks. It was a nice start to a great day! I dropped off Hector and bid him farewell and I went to the DOC office to see what tramps were available to me. The tramp in Jackson Bay was a bit out of my league by my assumption but the nice lady at the office convinced me to try for a 3 day tramp north of Haast. The first day was a 5 hour walk to the first hut and a 2 hour tramp the next day with a half day trip up a valley, day three would be a return wander. I needed to hit the trail soon so I gassed up and hit the road. I stopped to pack at a really cool lookout. I made a series of poorish decisions. First I did not do my homework on this trail, next I did not drop off my computer for safe keeping. Most importantly, since there was no cell coverage I did not leave my hiking intentions with anybody. This can lead to a bad situation if I am lost or hurt. The trailhead where I parked has many tracks that lead off and I was on one of the more obscure tracks. I think everyone is familiar with the movie/story 127 hours. Still I pushed on. I parked, was packed and hit the trail at 12:34. I would need every moment of daylight to reach the hut. The track was one of the least maintained trails I have been on out here. It was also littered with mud pits that would take your boot if you were not careful, and I was. Like always my pace was good and I did not slow or stop for anything other than short breaks to figure out how to get past/over/under an obstacle. Then I got to my first deep cut creek, I jumped the gap. It was a risky move but it had been done before so why not. I took extra care to keep my feet dry so I would not get blisters or foot rot.

The New Zealand west coast is a rugged piece of land. It is a rainforest but unlike many in the tropics it is in a cold climate like the northwest of the US. Not only is there lots of rain, the Taman sea currents come from the Antarctic. Think the movie Willow only more green. This particular valley was shaded from the sun most of the day but had spectacular greenery, fungus and lichens. It was also very wet, the ground was soggy and the trees were dripping yet it had not rained for a day. I thought about my time in the rainforests of Costa Rica and Belize. In those places the plants and animals could kill you. Here mother nature is in control and a freezing rain can pop up at any time. At this juncture I must run for a bit, I will tell the rest of my lovely story and explain my cutting it short in a few hours....... Hopefully!

No sleep in Wanaka!

nicholas_harrel — Tue, 15 May 2012 12:11:00 GMT

Off to the west coast! The weather in Dunedin finally got nice late Saturday and Sunday. It was such a nice day that I decided to cut my hair short. So no more funny looks upon the shaggy guy, I have a real haircut. Happy mothers day! Saturday night rugby was a blast. We sat I the cheap student section that was full of fun and drunk crazies. The only problem I had was when I was in a beer line there were people behind me pushing me and pinching my but to try to get me to fight. I did not oblige them. I bought a few beers for Hanna so she could not drive home so the best remedy was to walk all the way back at night. It was safe but cold! Sunday inadequate breakfast with an American friend whom knows someone in Kingsville. It was one of the best eggs Benedict I have had. Then I headed to Ranfurly, but instead I ended up in a small town outside of Ranfurly called Naseby. It was a great place to hike and fish for a day so I stayed another night. It is forecast to snow around here so I am going to head to the west coast to do some hiking. I might make it to Haast or I might fall short and stay along the way. All I know is I will not be staying in Wanaka! I hope everybody is doing well and has a smile on their face. Peace, Love and Pura Vida, Nicholas. I do this again once I am on the west coast!

Dunedin Winter

nicholas_harrel — Fri, 11 May 2012 07:10:00 GMT

I am so lucky that I am able to stay in a house sleeping on a pull out bed. It is cold and windy with slight rain or drizzle out. That is not good camping weather but it made me realize that winter is upon me now. Saturday I will go to my first rugby union game in New Zealand's only indoor arena. It should be a good game, pitting the Highlanders against the Hurricanes. That does not mean much to me but people say it's a big deal. Yesterday I got to complete my tour of the Otago Museum. Last time I was here I ran out of time and was not able to finish seeing a few exhibits that interested me. Unfortunately the Animal Attic was closed. It has many stuffed and identified vertebrates plus a great introduction and explanation of zoology. I spent about an hour last time I was through but they are making upgrades and repairing some of the displays. I did get to spend a lot of time in the Southern Land, Southern People room. It is a cultural and geo-historical explanation of southern New Zealand. The geological climate of this area is interesting as it is where 2 plates come together to form the southern alps. On top of the up rising of young rock it is a land shaped by glaciers, with its weather heavily influenced by the antarctic ocean currents. The cultural side of the exhibit conveys the hardships of early human inhabitants and how they progressed and thrived into the southern folk they are today.

When I got over to the fossil section I started to contemplate the enormity of time and our earth. Here is where I get philosophical and preachy. The earth has existed for billions of years. Life is a new concept here showing up some couple hundred million years ago. There was a mass extinction when 80% of life on earth was wiped out. Those that survived this Armageddon are the ancestors of the organisms we currently see on earth. What makes humans think that we are the end of this chain of life or the top of the tree of life? There is so much concern about greenhouse gas and emissions that we are missing the big picture. Life will always exist here on earth. Our only say in the matter is wether we will be able to survive in the future when the world changes. How many average people know that all the continents were one large continent 800 million years ago? I enjoy history and science, this concept baffles me when I think of the enormity of the subject. Not to mention the distances between stars, but that is for another rant. So this thought does not really have an ending but hopefully you can think of these mysteries instead of watching the bachelor or the Rachel Ray show.

This brings me to NZ TV. I got to watch some tv lately and I have some interesting observations. First thing I noticed is the "networks" are called primarily the number channel they are on. Like TV one, TV two and FOUR. It does not leave much imagination but I guess it makes things simple. There are american shows here but they are a few months behind but that is to be expected. The purely kiwi shows are pretty good and add an insight into their culture. The one I have grown to love is The Mighty Johnston's, Norwegian gods living in New Zealand. Cant beat it. Another difference is that people are allowed to cuss on prime time. I kinda like that. The most entertaining channel by far is the Maori Channel. It is broadcast mostly in Maori and some of the shows are educational. Yesterday I caught the end of one of the best. It is a show where they remake music videos and sing in Maori. I dare you to keep a strait face to the remake of Katy Perry's, Yes and No. Classic Kiwi TV. To get my sports news fix I catch The Crowd Goes Wild, a two man show like sports center with more jokes. At least now I am watching less telly.

So, two incomplete thought are all I can come up with for now. Its cold and I am gonna eat some breakfast and I might get a good cheap lunch from Hari Krishnas. Stay warm where ever you are and ill keep writing about stuff. Peace Love and Pura Vida

iVan woes....

nicholas_harrel — Wed, 9 May 2012 14:39:00 GMT

I have noticed that my readership has dropped steadily for the last few stories. That's my fault, I have not been updating as often and frankly I have been pretty boring. I have been down on my van and that has projected it upon my life. Those things have changed. I have a warrent of fitness for my ride now and the engine problems I do have are not life threatening. Thanks to those who helped me get through my mental anguish these few trying weeks. In a casual conversation with an English couple I found out that they got their van at the same place I did. We agreed that it was a dodgy place. They even though the owners are in jail now. I guess I could confirm on the internet, but I would like to think of them in a cold cell with a broken down bed and a toilet that is not up to standard. That's what they sold me. Wanaka was a great place in the end and I can't wait to pass back through and see the folks here. Winter is really coming down. It's dark early and cold. I got used to SoCal winters where there was no threat of frostbite ever. It's not that bad yet but a boy can dream. So back in the van, cooking good food, and letting go of one problem at a time. I am sure if I find myself at the Side of the road soon I will be back to a bad mood but for now I'm bound to having a better outlook. Next hikes will include a glacier, a high mountain lake, another saddle pass, and some good old hut time. Then the west coast in all of its glory where I will try to do some woofing and fishing. One must stop for me will be welcom flat (?) hut. It's a tough hike but you are rewarded with some hot springs in the end. I'm gonna go get in the ocean now, oh how I have missed the cold ocean. One of my favorite bands says "Always keep the beach in reach" anybody know who? Leave a comment. Pass the word along to your friends, family, and strangers, I will be more entertaining, so keep reading! Go spurs, go clips, and as long as I am out of the country Baylor sports are doing well also. Thanks for the well wishes. If you are down about life, give up everything you find familiar and try something new and strange. You will soon find out that your life was great, and so are you. Pura Vida and Mahalo, Nicholas

Dart-Rees and Wanaka

nicholas_harrel — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 11:17:00 GMT

Again, it has been a while since I put something down. I have a rain day so Ill recap what has been going on with me and maybe talk of the future. I have been pretty down and its been hard to be positive about my trip since I found out that I needed to repair my van. It will be costly and the mechanic I have on the task just does not have the type of get it done attitude I would hike for him to have. With that out of the way I will be sun shiny. I got together with a friend from Queenstown whom is a tramper. James gave took time out of his schedule to go over the Mt. Aspiring area to suggest some great hikes. I had convinced myself that I can do a 5 day hike on a slightly technical track. The last thing I want to do out here is get hurt or lost in the mountains. My mother would kill me if I died. I loaded up with supplies and headed to this small town north of Queenstown called Glenorchy. It's a tiny town, but is the start of many popular hikes and rivers. The town is also the start of a proposed tunnel to Milford sound. I have spoken of Milford before so see that post for more info on the place. To say the least it's a popular place. In the words of one local I spoke to "We have a nice quiet town and we don't want all that traffic coming through here. Also imagine if there is a fire in that 12 km tunnel." Conservationists are also against the proposal because it will allow more people to get to some beautiful places easier than they can now. Currently you must take a 5 hour bus ride to get there. I think if you make it easy for people to get into some tough survival situations it could lead to problems. Also what is next? segways on the hiking trails? Ok, back to my story... I got myself prepared and packed the day ahead and had to organize transport to the track. I decided to park my vehicle at the end of the track and get a lift to the start. Another break from the norm I choose to hike up the Dart River and out the Rees Valley. This was suggested to me by James and I later found out it is how DOC wardens tend to hike the track. With a shorter first dat it was well worth the change of pace. I was hiking against the general flow of traffic. My first night was great I was all alone in the Daleys Flat hut save the hut warden. She had her own quarters and left me to myself. I Had a small fire in the heater and ate cold Lentil Kumara soup (I made it myself). The next day was a mellow 5 .5 hour hike to the Dart hut. It started out wet and cold and became warm and sunny. When I broke out of the hut I was on a sloping plain with frozen waist high grass. It slowly melted onto my legs making me wet but it was no harm. I got to the Dart Hut and settled in for the afternoon. I also met some dudes from the USA, they had been working in Antarctica. My third day of the hike was my 30th birthday, so sad. It was a great day, the sun was out, a chill in the air and I was an old man. I did not share my little secret with anybody there. In the end I just noted it in the guest book of the hut. On my birthday I choose to go to the Cascade Saddle. I leave all my stuff at the Dart hut and its just a day hike. It took me 4 hours to get to the top and then return was about 3 hours. It was a great valley hike then I had to start the assent to the top. It is not a clear path the whole hike. You must go from point to point. This is marked by unnatural stacks of rocks or orange pole markers. The climb is further complicated by the rocks that have been carved from the ground by erosion. The predominate rock type there is schist. It's a brittle type that breaks off in sheets and is like walking on a loose shingle roof. Once you start to slide these rocks act like 1000 snowboards under you. I climbed carefully and had only a few close calls. The last 30min was a great semi-flat cruise. I "Yee-Haw"ed off of both sides into both valleys. The Dart glacier head and arm stretching out down the valley I walked up, with craggy peaks and side glaciers. The other side was Mt. Aspiring park, all green and lush with spike topped peaks. It was a great spot for my lunch, but quite cold and windy. It was slow going down because thats how you dont hurt yourself. More men die on the decent than the assent. Once on the valley floor it was smooth rolling but windy and cold in the shadow of those peaks. At one point I jogged for about 200 meters to keep up my warmth. I was in no danger but it was the thing to do at that point. I had a good bowl of ramen soup and for supper I had another dehydrated meal of Bobotine, it was great. The first non-alcohol birthday in many years. The next day I started my assent then decent up and over the Rees saddle at 1471 Meters above sea level. I got to the Rock shelter hut and started a fire in the fore box. The next day was my hike out. It happens to be the longest day but not too challenging. A short 2 hours through the bush and then starts the flat cattle fields with many river crossings. I tried to keep my boots dry, I even took boots and socks off for one river crossing. This was a waste of sorts as I sank in wet mud an hour later. Oh well, at least I could change my boots and drive back to Glenorchy for the evening. I celebrated with a burger and a beer for supper. The next morning I helped a friend park his car and do the same transport I did for the same hike. I should have stayed and done other hikes but I bailed for Wanaka where I could get the iVan worked on. An almost a week later I am still here, I have not gotten a lot done here but reading and dealing with the iVan. I will probably be here another week or so but I am determined to do more day hikes and I might do some Mt biking. There are some great trails around here and I mean to explore. From here, who knows. At least this place has free wifi and a good kitchen and a New World market. I have been applying on line for jobs all over but I have not heard back yet. Have a great evening, weekend, day or whatever it is there? Peace, Love and Pura Vida. p.s. if you are wondering what iVan is, send me an email. nharrel@mac.com

Correction

nicholas_harrel — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 13:37:00 GMT

Hey guys I am sorry. I misspelled the name of the trail from the north to the south. I said it was the Te Aroa, it is the Te Araroa. It's the firs of its kind here in New Zealand. This is the first season it has been open and there are only 35 hikers on it for the opening. Thanqs to Gabe, my budy in Aukland for sennding me a corection. I hope he is enjoying the NASCAR race. I am in glenorchy now and plan on being on some sort of trail for then next few days. There is a lot to see here and many peaks and glaciers. Cheers and as always PURA VITA! Haha!

Tramping in New Zealand

nicholas_harrel — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 06:10:00 GMT

Hello everybody. I know it has been a long time but I really had nothing to say or report. I was in Dunedin, it's a cool college town with good museums, but again I stayed too long. I did get to catch some live music that was good. A country sound from a band called The Eastern. If you are into the fiddle you must look them up. It reminded me of home and I told the band so. I then left for Gore, the fishing and country music capital of New Zealand. I did not catch a fish and I did not hear ant music so that was enough of that. Easter I spent in a small town called Clyde at the Food and Wine festival. It reminded me of the Redondo beach fiesta, drinks, food, kids, live music and arts and crafts. I even got to see what a New Zealand DUI check point looks like. I was not driving and the driver was sober. First you count to ten while the officer holds the breath meter to your face. If there is a detection level of alcohol on your breath then they make you blow into the tube. He blew a 200 and you need a 400 to be illegal. I have no idea what those numbers mean. I then decided to meet with a friend I met on the North Island who is hiking the Te Aroa trail. It goes from the North to the South, like the Appalation Trail. He was going my way so I gave him a ride to Kinloch where we would both start our hikes. I was going to conquer the Caples Greenstone trail. This trail consists of hiking from a river mouth of a lake up the caples valley, to a saddle that leads to the greenstone valley, and back to the start. It is a loop trail that takes about 4 days. My time was amazing. I also hiked with an Israeli guy named Gal. He was much slower than I and liked to take pictures so we would meet up at the end of the day. Tramping or hiking in New Zealand is very popular with kiwis and travelers. You walk all day or for a few hours then you share a hut or cabin with total strangers. There is no electricity, cooking utensils, or hot water. So its like camping without a tent. This makes your pack much lighter. In huts you can meet so many different types of people and you have to get along with them because you are in close quarters. Some people hunt out of the huts, they get permission to hunt the bush in the area and base themselves out of the hut. Hut living is a greatly unique experience. My buddy Gal set up a tent outside of the huts because he did not want to pay the 15 dollars. One day he was so far behind when the sun went down that he had to camp on the trail. I though for sure that he had gone another direction but in the morning there he was. When we finished we celebrated and went our separate ways. I came back to Queenstown :( Now I will reload and refresh for another trip on the Rees-Dart track. It is 1 day longer, more technical and there is a glacier. It will be exciting and hopefully the weather will play nice. I hope everyone is doing well. I have been applying to jobs so keep you fingers crossed for me. Pura Vida

South bound, then north.

nicholas_harrel — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 08:25:00 GMT

The further south I go the colder the weather gets. I know that is obvious but still strange for me. Invercargill was a good town, with an industrial feel. I had prepared myself to go to Stewart Island for five or so days. I got all my gear packed for the trail and brought an extra pack wi clothes and food so that I could spend as little $ as possible. I caught the 11 am ferry across the ditch to Stewart Island. The ride was an hour long and the weather great. Some times we would hit the wake of oyster trawlers dragging nets collecting Bluff Oysters. By 1220 I had made it to the DOC office on the island to get hut passes for my trampping. I am sure I have explained this in the past but it bears worth repeating. Many of the traps/hikes in NZ have huts that are maintained either privately but mostly by the Department of Concervation (DOC). The huts have their own flair but Most provide a bunk, place to cook if not a kitchen with gas cookers, water (usually untreated rainwater, nothing a good boil can't fix) and some sort of heater. These cost money to stay in but it is nice to not carry a tent and some of the other equipment. I have stayed a few night in some of these huts and I have always enjoined them. It also gives you a chance to meet ant talk to other hikers. This trip I would be staying in 2 huts, they cost almost 4 times the normal price but it is only because the trail was dreamed one of eight "great walks" these are some of the best tramps in NZ and are very popular. So I get to the DOC office to book the huts for the next few nights. The person there informs me that I could start now and be at the firs hut in about 4 hours. I was not prepared to hit the trail right away, but what the heck, it's a pretty day I might as well start out. So after booking I had to change things around in my bag, like food and clothing for my new adventure. By 1:20 I was on the road walking toward the trail.

Stewart Island is a large nature reserve and has out lying islands that have some of the rarest bird species. So this is a very special place. It can also be a muddy swampy mess all over. Like, take your leg up to the hip in bog swamp. But my first day was on a great trail in the sunshine. There was not a cloud in the sky and if you let your mind wander you could believe that you were on a tropical island. I even got to a part of the trail where I had to hike on the beach, it was magical. The days walk was not so taxing and I settled into my first hut nicely and had leftovers from the night before. The next days hike was a fun 4.5 hour tramp in the trees, up and down hills with some muddy spots. I hiked that day with a friend from the Chech Republic, his name is Zbyneck, I called him Z. We walked and talked till we got to the hut. Once we got there I started splitting wood for the heater in the hut we were to stay at. I get cold so I like a big warm fire. We were joined in the hut that night by a young couple that swore that they were not dating and an older couple that were just wet blankets wrapped around sticks in the mud. The old man gave ma a hard time for staring a fire in the first place, because he was not cold. Everyone else liked the warmth so deal with it old man. ( I did not say that) eventually he passive aggressively opened the wood burning stove and threw in all of his tras and a few plastic bags. First this is not a trash incinerator, the plastic causes toxic fumes that will suck all the oxygen from the fire Ina small space and it gets sticky. As predicted this killed the fire but I started a bigger and better one an hour later. We talked and laughed until bed time. The next days hike was mellow. Z, Andrea, Florian, and I caught the same ferry back to the mainland together. We even spent the evening at the same holiday park in Invercargill, again laughing and talking till late. We went our separate ways in the morning but all in the same direction of Dunedin through the Caitlins. The Catlins is an area of the south east coast with rolling hills, rugged coastlines and a rainforest. I drove slowly along taking pictures and looking at wildlife. I got to see seagulls but no penguins. I breezed into Dunedin on the coattails of a hail storm. So far the weather has been awesome and clear. I have taken a guided tour of the Speights brewery, played some disc golf, and driven all over the place. That's how I figured out that I need to replace my brakes, yeah! Dunedin is Gaelic for little edenbrough, like Scotland. It is an old town with cathedrals and beautiful beaches. This place is on a peninsula and get lots of ocean swells making Dunedin a surf Mecca of sorts in NZ. The water is cols thus the air temp is very cold. I plan on sticking around here for a few more days and seeing some music on Saturday night. I was told of this show by 2 separate sources so I will be there and happy. I really miss being on a trail so as soon as I get out of here I will be hiking and staying in more huts. The winter is coming but I want to play as much as I can till it shows up. I send all who read this my love and hope you will pass that love on to others. Have a great day because I will be trying to do the same. Pura Vida!

The Southland

nicholas_harrel — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 10:20:00 GMT

Queenstown is an addictive place. I did stick around for a few days having a great time. In fact I spent a whole week wondering around town doing small stuff. My wonderful mother helped me by paying for me to go on a cruise to the Milford Sound. I unfortunately booked my coach, cruise, coach tour on a cloudy day at the sound/fjordlands. It was OK though. I was picked up from my holiday park by a bus and we were driven to the sound. It took about 5 hours to get there because we stopped to take lots of pictures. The sites were nice and the bus driver was able to provide some background on the places we stopped. My favorite was a 5 min walk to a deep chasm in a valley that had a waterfall bursting down to the bottom and making an incredible sound. There was another stop to look at a valley that was in LOTR. We made it to the sound where we would board a 30 m boat to take us around the sound. The Milford sound was not discovered by captain cook even though he mapped the area a few times. It has a small headlands that make it hard to realize there is an inlet. On top of that it's not even a sound. A sound is a valley that has been formed by a river and then backfilled by the rising ocean. Think, Grand Canyon by the ocean. Instead a fjord is made by a slow moving but wonderfully powerful glacier. These cut a groove in the earth with flat walls and leave a "pile" of rubble at the end of the glacier. This is evident when looking at a depth finder as the inlet is about 400 meters more shallow than the rest of the "sound". When the ocean rose again it filled into the area of the glacier. That is where one of the more spectacular sites in New Zealand is. The steep walls raise out of the water to heights of up to and exceeding one Km. There are waterfalls that cascade off the heights and splash down into the fresh water of the sound. It will amaze some to find out that the top 30 meters or so of water in the sound is fresh water. Salty sea water is more dense than fresh water thus the fresh water still flowing into the sound floats on top of the sea water. There are seals napping on rocks in the sound out of harms way of the open ocean. The rocky slopes make it hard for a seed to find a place to grow and the lack of soil to protect it. As in most things nature finds a way. Lichens grow on the rocks and those allow moss to take hold. After many hundreds of years there is an OK situation for small trees and shrubs to take hold. However this is a delicate balance, if a tree dies or there is any disturbance in the substrate the whole community can literally collapse into the ocean. Even though it was cloudy and wet I had a good time. THe ride back had far fewer stops. We even got to watch a movie, a must see Kiwi film. Sir Anthony Hopkins breaks the land speed record on a bike he built on an old Indian motorcycle in the USA. It is called "The Worlds Fastest Indian". The bus got in late and I was tired as. The next day started out rainy and bad but got better. I spent the next couple of days doing housekeeping, laundry, playing disc golf, and hiking around. I went to the top of the Mt. behind my campsite twice and the views were spectacular. I made it a point to stick around town for St. Pattys day. It was OK and I went out with James and a friend that I met from New Jersey. Sunday morning bright and early I drove to Invercargill. It was rainy and cold so I drove around a bit and checked into a holiday park. For the first time I opted to get a bed in a cabin. It was not that much more expensive to get a heater and a warm bed to sleep in away from other people. Its cold down here. We are the closest I have ever been to the South pole. I drove to the bluff and took lots of pictures and got warm in the sun. From there I could see my next destination. I did not prep myself for my trip so I decided to postpone it a day so I can get prepared and play a round of disc golf with some locals. So far I am doing well, the longing for home and friends is pretty strong but that the life on the road. I would love to make it to Antarctica but not this time. Everyone have a great week and I will see you when I get back on the South Island! Pura Vida!

A Tale of Two Islands

nicholas_harrel — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 13:51:00 GMT

The north island has been a great place me to play and meet people. It is now time for me to start a new journey in the south island of New Zealand. I spent a week in Auckland with Gabb, biking seeing friends from kiwiburn and I even got to see a live rugby league game. I had a great time but it was time for me to step up to the next challenge. I headed south on Monday afternoon and arrived in Wellington on Tuesday afternoon. Wellington is a hip little town that has a vibrant art scene. On the other hand the weather is terriable. I looked around town on Wednesday and went to the national museum and walked around the parliament buildings. Thursday I boarded a ferry to the south island in bad weather. The rolling seas did not bother me. Open ocean travel was rough but once the sea gave to fjords the going was quite smooth. We got to Picton just after noon and I was off to Christchurch. The east coast of the south island is quite plain. The southern alps on the west coast block lots of moisture from reaching to east side of the range. The drive was uneventful and I made it one hour south of Christchurch by night fall. Another day of driving and the scenery changed drastically. My destination was Queenstown, but in order to do that I had to drive into the mountains and around large lakes. It was tough to drive and look so I drove slowly and took lots of pictures. Queenstown is a totally cool place, but very expensive. It remindes me of Breckenridge, CO with a lake in downtown. I came to town to start my adventure here in the south and to play in yet another Disc golf tourney. Saturday's 2 rounds were fun and laid-back with lots of local and traveling players. Sunday's rounds were to be played in a place called paradise and we tee off from The Garden of Eden. This was a huge reason that I am here now. An hour out of town and down a gravel road past a lake is the Paradise Trust. It is a sort of private/public national park land. Trust me it is beautiful. I was to meet some of the boys at a pub in the last town before the place. I did not see a pub so I went on not knowing that they were waiting for me for some time. My apologies to them. Instead I decided to find the place on my own before the sun went down. I checked in at the office and was assigned the garden Velt cabin. It had an old coal stove range. I cut wood, split logs, started afire and got water on to boil. The cozy one room cabin had a large front deck and small covered back porch. Inside was a shower, kitchen and two beds. I shared the cabin that night with Dan from canada. So once the cabin was warm and cozy some of the guys showed up to see if I had made it safely and to invite me down to the garden of eden cabin or disc golf HQ. it started to rain so I grabbed my jacket and went for a long walk in the woods. The evening was filled with new stories and lots of laughter. Infortunatly it did not stop raining for the whole day. Dan decided to let his doubles partner down and stay in from the rain. I did no such thing. I bundled up as much as I could with my rain jacket and gum boots. 1.5 hours in and I was soaked. But I was not the only one and we all just played through the rain and had a blast. After a lunch break the weather lifted and I could begin to see that we were surrounded by mountains and a glacier was just up the valley. It was an amazing cold wet day but it was a lot of fun. The evening was a night around the campfire with stories and instruments for people to play with. That night I built a fire back at my cabin to heat water for a shower and for water bottles to keep my feet warm through the night. It was a treat to be out there. The next morning greeted me with a clear sky and sunshine. I packed up my stuff that I had hung to dry and cleaned up the little place. I found out that the place has a mouse that lives in the cabin. He/she gnawed at my chilly bin and ate a cany bar that I had in a wrapper. I went over to the GoE cabin to say my farewells and was treated to a DG clinic with the best player in NZ, complete with slow motion drive analysis. I thanked Sinom for his time and advice. I also thanked James for putting on a great tourney. I then did one more walk around to take pictures and feel the fresh air again. I am back in Queenstown, but it is expensive so I am thinking of starting a trip to Stewart Island. I have some research to do around here and figure out my next move but I think Stewart island will be the place to be. Things are still good and I miss those I care the most about. All the others, eh, ok I miss y'all too. Much love and happiness! Pura Vida

Auckland and Waiheke

nicholas_harrel — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 12:27:00 GMT

The rain has finally stopped, for now. I contacted a friend that I know through disc golf to let him know I would be in town this weekend. He invited me to stay with him, play in the tourney this weekend on an island off of the Auckland coast, and watch NASCAR on Monday. All of those things sounded great so I was going back to Auckland. Gabb has a two bedroom house with a large entertainment room and a big yard. By far the best piece of equipment he has is the foos-ball table. I thought my skills were good, but like my disc golf game I am not as good as I remember. I blame my friends in the US. Friday night we went to a real hip part of Auckland to listen to music. The Gunslingers Ball was a collection of bands playing in an underground bar at the Saint Kevin Arcade. There were about 11 bands playing bluegrass and country and rock. the venue reminded me of the Brixton in Redondo Beach. As most friday nights, it got late fast. Then got early early fast when 6am rolled around. We made our ferry to waiheke by the skin of our teeth. We had bicycles and large backpacks for the island. My head was pounding by the time we hit the dock on the island. My headache was chased away by a 10 Km ride to the sports field. Luckly we had a pit stop at the farmers market to snag some breakfast from a food cart that was at Splore. Small world. The course was green and lush with rolling hills. A few holes into my first round I began to hate those hills. 6 holes later I found out that some of the green stuff was gorse, think giant stinging thistle bush. At the end of the day and two rounds, the course had some of my blood, sweat, and tears (i lost a disc). I had improved my score from the first to the second so i call it a good day. We were invited to stay at the tourney coordinator's house. He lives in a two story home at the base of a large hill in a beautiful bay. Most of the players showed up to the beach BBQ. Fresh mussels and fish were for supper and it was amazing. The place we got to stay was a caravan at the top of the hill above the main house. It was a cliff with steps dug into the side and a rope to finish the final 15 meters. Besides the climb it was the best place to camp. From under the trees you could see the ocean and beach. The sunday round was good and I think for the first time I did not come in last! We rode back to the ferry as fast as we could but missed it and I got lost on a side street. A hour later another one came and we were home free. I took my van to get worked on and looked at so I hope that goes well. I am cooking my chicken wings and ribs for nascar, but for now I will have to wait till tomorrow to see the race. Ill get some more down later I gotta cook and play golf at a private course. Pura Vida