Tramping on the Tracks!

Ted.  New Zealand is a sparsely populated country and 30% of all Kiwis live in Auckland, the largest city. So, there are vast stretches of farms and woodlands. With their love of nature, it makes sense that there are many hiking trails. Several famous ones are near Te Anau in the Fiordland National Forest; notably the Milford Track.

 

To paraphrase Shaw, “New Zealand and America are two countries separated by a common language. “ So, when I say that we tramped three times along two tracks in the bush, that means we have taken three hikes on two different trails in the woods. Got it? 

We did two days on the Kepler Track and one day hiking from The Divide to Key Summit on the Routeburn Track. Search them on Google or YouTube for better photos and videos.

To minimize the impact of humans on these trails, no trailside camping is allowed. For an overnight stay, you book a bed in a “hut”. 

The hikers seem to respect the trails more than in our country and we saw virtually no “rubbish.”

What we did see was a landscape that was totally different from anywhere that we had ever been.

This area gets a ton of rain (like the Pacific Northwest) but the vegetation is unique. 

Most of the trees are beeches and everything is covered with moss but what really looks alien are the ferns the size of dogwood trees!

A dinosaur would not look out of place.  Another unusual aspect is that the tree line/snow line is just 3,500 ft above sea level so mountains in the 4,000-5,000 ft range get a fresh dusting of snow every time it rains.

While we were at elevations that we see in Georgia, the landscape looked more like the high country of Colorado. 

And then there are the birds. We don’t ever recall having heard so many birds singing merrily away as we hike through forests in the States.

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Yes, it is a hassle traveling with our hiking boots and poles but the payback is priceless! 

The Kiwi Way

Ted.  I have noticed a commonality among the New Zealanders that we have met thus far. I think my old college buddy who emigrated here in ’95 is a good example.  

Tom is a soft-spoken man who treads lightly upon the earth. A vegetarian, he usually rides his bike around Gisborne, where he lives. When we went for a walk in the reserve behind his house, we carried several large jugs of water to help some young native plants that were struggling in the drought. His walking group had planted them last year in an effort to repopulate the hill with native vegetation.  A teenaged girl who came upon us promptly emptied her water bottle to help out. On our way back to his house, Tom stopped occasionally to pick up the few bits of trash we saw on the trail.

Everyone we have met; Maori & Pakeha (non-Maori) demonstrates a deep and abiding love of the land. They naturally recycle and enjoy sports such as sailing and biking; both gentle to our planet. Americans can learn from their example.  

One more observation – Kiwis LOVE to travel!!

Judy. What Ted says is absolutely what I see as well. It’s obvious, when you look in the crystal waters of the streams and lakes, and at the stars through a pollution-free sky. Yes, there are plenty of extreme sports here, but there’s a simplicity as well that I love to see.

When you fly into New Zealand, you can bring no fresh food or plants.  Our hiking boots were carefully checked for soil that might contaminate. Before we walked into the Waipoua Forest, we sprayed the soles of our shoes to avoid spreading a disease that’s attacking the kaori trees, and we saw warning signs about putting boats in the water that might carry disease. As we hiked the tracks, we saw traps to catch rats, stoats, and opossum, all invasive species that attack native birds. These folks are serious, and I love it.

As a side note, there is a wildly popular (and expensive) fibre here, made of merino and oppossum. It’s beautiful, warm, and a great way to use up an invasive species!

And all the tour guides here call us "family," and watch out for us.  I've been called a lot of things by tour guides, but "family" is not one. Nice to have a family here.

Sometimes you go to the Eiffel Tower

Judy.Ted and I don’t often go to touristy places; in fact, we can be real snobs about it. Typically we prefer meeting people, understanding cultures, and walking or hiking. Museums are a great introduction to a culture, but ultimately it’s the people we meet who make the difference.

But sometimes you just do the touristy thing and are so very glad you did. In Rotoroua, we went to Te Puia, a Maori cultural center, saw a performance of dances, toured the geysers and mud pools, and saw a Kiwi. I gained a real appreciation for the geology of this country, and understood better the Maori. And when we were in Auckland, we rented a car, and, with our friend Mikaela, headed to the Waipoua Forest to the north to see the Kaori trees, up to 3000 years old. We even hired a guide, Kevin, a young Maori.

And that’s when I remembered why people do touristy things. There were only the three of us, so it was easy to hear Kevin’s stories about medicinal plants, about the wisdom of the Kaori tree itself, about myths. I wept as he chanted while approaching the Father of the Forest,  Te Matua Ngahere, 3000 years old, with a 120-year-old Kaori growing in its crown. He greeted the tree and sang a song. It was so clear how much he loves this forest and these trees. It was sacred, to him and, because of him, to us. It’s a day I won’t forget soon.

 Kevin singing to Te Matua Ngahere

Ted, Mikaela, and me in front of Tane Mahuta, Lord of the Forest

Not that we ignored the meeting other people part.  When we returned to Auckland, Mikaela’s Servas hosts, Shayne and Greg, and ours, Sue and Bruce, had gathered to make us a beautiful meal and share stories. We were cared for by Sue and Bruce as if we were family.

And in Gisborne, where we stayed with our old friend Tom, we visited the little town and the beach (Gisborne is the first city to see the sunrise), climbed up a hill to a spot where we watered native plants he and friends had planted in order to reclaim the bush, and devoured the fresh fruit and vegetables from his garden.

Tourist sites and friends.  Good combination.

Southern Hospitality, Kiwi Style!

Ted.  My best memories so far are of journey through NZ are of the friendly folks we have met.

After our day in Auckland, we took a bus to Rotorua, primarily to visit the Te Puia Maori cultural center. Two nights there and we were back on a bus to Gisborne where Tom, my friend from college has retired. We found this small town on the East Coast to be a throwback to simpler times. After three days enjoying Tom’s hospitality it was back by plane to Auckland for a Servas homestay with Sue and Bruce. 

These lovely folks took us in like longtime friends and we were touched by their kindness. This was also a chance to rendezvous with Mikaela, a Swedish Servas traveler who had stayed with us in Atlanta before settling temporarily in Auckland. The three of us took a day trip up to the Waipoua Kauri Forest in the Northland and were struck dumb by magnificent trees up to 3,000 years old. Thanks to Carolyn for the suggestion! 

Yes, we politely listen to the many folks who feel a need to comment on the political situation in our country but that quickly moves on to tips on what to see and where to go in this lovely land.  

Everyone is doing their best to insure that we will return again one day to linger longer. 

On Saturday, we flew to Queenstown on the South Island and are now settling in for a week in a little house in Te Anau in the Fjordland for a bit of hiking. 

On Sunday, we went to church and then took a stroll from town along the Kepler Track; 11 miles round trip. 

Today we rest! 

New Lands

Ted.  We have crossed the equator and the International Date Line to discover that New Zealand is a new land in many ways. But first, a summary of the last few days.

Frankfurt was a blur – never leaving the airport. Vancouver was a joy and we promised ourselves to return soon. It lived up to our expectations and we even had sunshine the last two days. To me, the city is a Europeanized Seattle. We found the people to be very friendly and quickly learned to love BC wine. Our last stop there was at the Museum of Anthropology, which is filled with artifacts from around the world but focuses on the works of the First Nations Peoples of British Columbia.

This visit bookended nicely with our first stop in NZ, the Auckland Museum. We saw may parallels with the works created by the Maori; a reminder that we are all connected. Auckland has some similarities to Vancouver but enjoys the distinct advantage of being WARM.

Today we travel by bus to Rotorua, famous for its Maori culture and geothermal activity.

Judy. I found another similarity between Vancouver and Auckland: people are so friendly! As a Southerner, I expect that, but I have yet to meet another city bus driver who will not only tell you you’ve arrived at your stop, but also get off the bus to point you to the right road. It warmed my heart.

I want to also give a shout out to Air New Zealand. The 14-hour trip across the Pacific was incredibly comfortable (I do love those lie-flat beds), and Olivia and Sue, our flight attendants, took the time to list for us some of their favorite things to do in their country. Terrific ambassadors for New Zealand!  Actually, I like the Maori name for the country: Aotearoa—land of the long white cloud.

Can’t wait to see what else is in store here.

 Hamilton Road Beach, Auckland