Kaikoura- Tiaki the whale

Kaikoura is really nothing more than a small spit of land along the remote West coast of the South Island. The dramatic Kaikoura Range to the Northwest and the Pacific to the East frame the low, grassy hills and rocky beaches. The coastal shelf falls off steeply just offshore, and it is along this shelf that cold Antarctic currents meet the warmer flows from Fiji. These currents teem with sea life, and act as highways for many species of whales, including orcas, humpbacks, blue, sperm and southern right whales. A "bachelor pod" of sperm whales has taken residence here, and this makes Kaikoura one of the most reliable whale spotting locations on the planet.

Our tour was the first of the morning, and was met with cloudy skies and cold drizzle. As we searched for the pod, we crossed paths with many albatrosses, terns and petrels-- the long-distance vagabonds of the cold southern oceans. After a couple of near-misses, we located Tiaki, a massively built sperm bull whose name means "guardian" in Maori (he has been observed protecting calves from orca attacks). He is fully 18+ meters long and allowed us to sidle up next to him for several minutes before nosing down, turning up his massive tail and powering into the depths. We saw two other whales, but these were only brief encounters.

We spent the rest of the day hiking around the peninsula. To one side, the shore, where hundreds upon hundreds of fur seals laze about on the rocks and vast multitudes of seabirds ride the updrafts along the coastal cliffs.  To the other side, gentle hills covered with golden grasses and colorful goldfinches flitting from thistle to thistle. As we returned to our little beach-side B&B, a rainbow appeared.

Te Kaha

After welcoming in the New Year with a discreet kiss in front of 10,000 of our neighbors at the Civic Square, we hit the road for "the BOP". The sweeping coastline of the Bay of Plenty begins an hour's drive east of Auckland and extends over 200 km to the remote reaches of the East Cape, where the dramatic bush and ocean vistas are broken only by the occasional beach village. Te Kaha is one of these. Given the location, our hotel was quite flash; in fact, the decor was eerily similar to our Welly flat. Unfortunately, rain, holiday traffic, and the winding, shoulder-less roads rendered our planned bike trek impracticable. In a way, it was a relief to just bike up to the cafe a couple of km away, enjoy a leisurely brekkie, then lounge the day away listening to the waves, birds and breeze. The tropical pace was a welcome respite from the rush of work, and Te Kaha is one of those places in the world that makes slowing down seem both necessary and good. So we kicked back, sampled the amazing chardonnays of the region, and enjoyed the company of our good friend Patrick, another Minnesotan wisely spending a few months escaping the frozen tundra. Unfortunately, we were so laid back that we forgot to take any pictures of this spectacular region.

On a whim, we drove to NZ's easternmost point, where (surprize!) there's a lighthouse on top of a windswept hill. Climbing the 750 steps up was the easy part, at least compared to the harrowing drive to and fro along a single-lane of cliffside gravel road with seemingly innumerable blind curves. We also took time to comb the beaches, the quiet focus of which always feels so much like a kind of meditation.

Number Five Happy Valley Road, Owhiro Bay

Owhiro Bay is a tiny community along the rugged South Shore. Although it is just minutes from the city, it has a remote feel. Our friend, Patrick, has found a studio space here and invited us over for a painting experience. In his extensive beach-combing, Patrick has collected an array of bones, shells, plant life and other organic materials to inform his work. On this day, however, our inspiration was one of Marlborough's fine Sauvignon Blancs, "Gravitas".

Cat and Vasha joined us, and Patrick graciously ran us through a crash course in "painting 101" before unleashing us on the canvas.

I've never painted before, and was surprised at how utterly engrossing a process it is. 

In the end, we all had a great time. For those interested in learning more about Patrick's amazing work, here's his website:  http://patrickpryor.com/

Tongariro Crossing

Why is this woman smiling? First, because she has conquered the mountain behind her (Ngauruhoe, 2287m), and second, because she has no idea of the further rigors that lay ahead. As far as first summits go, scrambling up the steep and trackless volcanic scree of 'Mt Doom" is certainly a bold, if less than ideal, choice. Goodonyeh, mate!

It takes very little imagination to envision Mordor in the this harsh landscape (is that an Orc lurking in the background?)

Here's the view from the summit of Ngauruhoe, high above the clouds. To get some idea of the scale, click on the photo to enlarge and follow along: the mountain lake (Blue Lake) at the center of the photo is over a kilometer across and nearly ten kilometers away. The flat top of Mount Tongariro (1967m) can also be seen edging through the clouds at far left. Although it appears to be in the same plane as the lake, it is actually mid way between.

As the sun rose the following morning, Kristen captured this pic of snow-capped Ruapehu (2797m, at right) and Ngauruhoe (far left) from outside our chalet. 

The reason Ngauruhoe is not also snow covered is that it is an active volcano, and erupts on average every decade or so (last in 1975, so we are well overdue). At the summit, the biting winds are from the ascent are tempered by abundant thermal venting.

The Tongariro Crossing (19.4km) is widely regarded as the best one day hike in New Zealand. It is certainly one of the most challenging (and most popular). Hopefully, our legs will recover in time for next week's bike trek along the Eastern reach of the Bay of Plenty.

Merry Christmas

As the mercury drops, then freezes, back in Minnesota, stints of mild summery weather begin to outnumber the periods of bluster rolling off the Tasman Sea. After a period of relative silence, we've also begun to see comments from a few of you back home. Perhaps it's the season, perhaps the weather-- and longing to be far away in warmer places (believe me, we understand!). Whatever the case, we welcome any and all comments, and read them all avidly and with great fondness.

Pictured above, the pohutukawa tree is New Zealand's "Christmas Tree", as its showy red flowers appear in early December. The tree itself is hardy, medicinal and low maintenance. What's not to like.

With this entry, we would like to wish all of our dear friends and family Happy Holidays. It is our great blessing to have you in our lives, and we look forward to sitting with you in warm places (indoors or out) to share good stories and good times.

much love,

K&R

Pencarrow Point Lighthouse

Queen Charlotte Track

The Marlborough Sounds lie along the ragged northeastern edge of the South Island, where finger-like spits of green hills alternate with deep blue channels. Our 75 kilometer walk began at Ship's Cove (above), Captain James Cook's harbour of choice when navigating the strait that now bears his name. In an earlier post, I alluded to Cook's description of birdsong bursting from the shores; it is quite possible that this observation was made at this very point nearly 250 years ago. 

The journey from Cook's point to the (very) small town of Anakiwa takes four days on foot. While the journey is physically rigorous, it is by no means "roughing it", as each day's tramping is rewarded with comfortable accommodation and fine dining at a series of small lodges wedged between the bush and rocky beaches.

The views from 500 metres up are worth the effort, as if we needed another reminder of the exquisite beauty that can be wrought from a simple palette of green, blue and white. One feature we had not seen on the North Island were the beech forests, which grow tall and quiet on poor hillside soils, littering the forest floor with dappled light and a carpet of small oval leaves sporting autumnal hues. Mosses grow thickly in the shade, muffling sound and lending a faerie quality to the canopy. Here also are old Rimu, massive and hard as stone, and Rewarewa with whimsical brushes of red flowers.