Happy Feet

Christchurch

2007-06-19T13:39:00.000-07:00

It's been a while once again but I finally have some more photos to share. Thanks to my flatmate Mickyla I can now download my photos at home, so hopefully I'll have more to come soon. The photos below date back a couple of months and unfortunately aren't as exotic as previous photos now that I'm based in the city!

Settling in pretty well here in Christchurch. I now have a flat by the park and in a desperate attempt to keep fit have been out on a couple of chilly mornings to run. It is now mid winter, the park glistens every morning with a thick frost and the ducks on the river are often shrouded in mist, the light in Christchurch is consistently good, bright and clear with long winter shadows. It's just so hard to get warm.I'm living with Mickyla, a fine art photographer, and her 7 year old daughter and couldn't have picked better flatmates, though our house is leaning towards health trap status, being exceptionally damp and cold. Here at a latitude of 42 deg South, central heating is mythical and electric blankets and wooly sweaters are essential items for winter warming. The library seems to be the only place that is reasonably heated, even the bars and cafes feel tepid. I'll need to be surgically removed from my wooly hat when I leave New Zealand

I've been creeping back to Chester Street backpakers for a few socials as it's such a nice hostel and attracts some nice folk too. But I've also been sampling the Christchurch nightlife with Mickyla.

Work is ok. I'm learning lots about dairy farming, cows and electric fences and of course the job. It's been great getting out and about and seeing more of the countryside, the landscape is gradually changing, the trees are bare, the leafless willow trees are a stunning burnt orange seeming to burn in the bright winter light and snow is gradually building up on the distant peaks of the southern alps.

And that's life in Christchurch. I only have just over four weeks before I fly to Australia for a week and then back to new Zealand for two more weeks before I'm on my way home. I'm really looking forward to coming home to some summer sun. Hopefully there will be some left, a late heat wave perhaps!

So here are some shots from the last few months.

Mount Cook and Mueller Glacier.

Me and Mount Cook

Mueller Hut, a half days walk from Mt Cook Village. I stayed here for a night.

The view from Mueller Hut kitchen. Mt Cook in the afternoon sun.

Me with a backdrop of glaciers on the face of Mount Sefton. A short walk from Mueller Hut.

Mount Cook at sunset. Viewed from Mueller Hut.

Cloud fomations over Mt Sefton. The remote Mueller Hut toilet.

The weather creeping up the valley towards Mt Cook Village.

A female Paradise Duck.

The peak of Mt John (I think).

The seedier side of Christchurch.

City lights on poplars.

Chester Street Backpacker Hostel. My first home in Christchurch.

Chester Street Kitchen.

Sushi night at Chester Street. Manami teaches us to make sushi. Here, cooling the sushi rice.

Building the sushi roll.

Everyone has a go!

Carmen gets building.

Ta da. The finished product.

Manami makes Miso soup.

Yvonne, Carmen, Rob and Helen.

Cheesy!

Another cheesy one!

Carmen, Yvonne and I spent a day walking in the Porthills on the outskirts of Christchurch.

Castle Rock and a view over Christchurch and suburbs.

Me and a view over Christcurch.

Carmen sets up a group photo and races the timer....

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Climbing with Rob and Helen at the Roxx

Carmen, Helen and Rob

A Christchurch sunset, taken from just outside my office.

Stopped in Christchurch

2007-04-19T20:34:00.000-07:00

At last more photos! I had to sift through rather a lot for these few, getting a little snap happy. So, these cover the last couple of months of our travels on New Zealands South Island, including road trip down the West Coast, our stay in Wanaka, trips to Queenstown, Milford Sound, the Catlins and most recently going it alone on the Routeburn and Caples walking trails. Needless to say we've covered quite a few km over the last month, the Honda has even tipped over into the 100,000s.

Things have changed a little now too. I'm writing this from my desk in a large and rather chilly office in Christchurch. My funds dried up and so too my enthusiasm for fruit picking so I've gone and got myself a responsible job with a Kiwi firm called Aqualinc. I am now working as a Resource Management Consultant, currently in an office but come bitter winter I'll be trudging around grassy pastures carrying out pump tests on giant irrigation wells, can you imagine how excited I'm feeling?! It's very hydro based, lots of irrigation and farming. I fell into this job by accident really and then couldn't find a good enough reason not to be finally earning a wage that I can actually survive on, and 'gasp' possibly save. It's not too bad, nice people, no stress and Christchurch isn't too bad either. Very English in some respects, Christchurch that is. I've not been tempted to go punting on the Avon yet but have been to the lovely Arts Centre which has a sumptious cinema! Which reminds me, anyone seen the new and beautiful film by Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding) called The Namesake, just brilliant.

It's pretty wet and cold here in Christchurch at the moment, autumn is in full swing, reminds me a bit of the fens in the autumn (flat, lead grey skies, icy winds and relentless drissle). It's a complete turnaround after the cracking weather I had in Mt Cook village, only a week ago. I can't believe I was sitting in the kitchen of the Mueller Alpine Hut watching the sun set over Mt Cook and the Southern Alps whilst listening to the inermittent thunder of small avalanches from the glaciers on Mt Sefton, now I'm sitting in a luke warm, souless office looking out on a rain drenched carpark.

So, enough chatter, down to business. Some of the photos are a little dark so appologies and there are so many more I'd like to have included, but I need more time to sift through the pile.

A pretty hideous shot of me on Conical Hill, above the Harris Saddle on the Routeburn Track. No idea why this got in but I'll take the opportunity to point out the rather excellent Kiwi hiking style that I am fashioning. Shorts over thermals are the way to go (the stripier the better), heck, if you're a true kiwi thermals aren't required, and boys, the tighter and smaller your stubbies (that's sort shorts and infact bottles of beer???) the better (for whom I'm not sure).

On the Routeburn and in Fiordland, this is a view of Mackenzie Lake and on the far left, the Mackenzie Hut, all surrounded by moss covered Beech rainforest. I stayed here on the second night of the walk, it's one of the most beautiful spots I've stayed in.

A view along the Hollyford Valley all the way out to the remote Martins Bay. A view on day 3 of the Routeburn Track.

A stormy morning in the Catlins. Chill sou-wester squalls rushing in from the ocean. It hailed on and off for a day so we stayed inside and admired this view from our hilltop backpackers. It was, at the time, a refreshing break from the sun.

Slope Point in the Catlins. Me in my georgous pea green pac-a-mac, holding tight in the gales sweeping the coast.

I look at this and can't quite believe how good the light was. Milford Sound and the most photographed mountain in New Zealand, Mitre Peak. Once again, and rare for Fiordland, fantastic weather.

Cate and I went Kayaking in Milford avoiding the cruise ships chugging out of Milford port. The water is a murky black but the reflections on the surface are beautiful.

Tourist destination no.1. Emma, Ellie, Cate and Alan above Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu.

A view from the summit of Mt Roy, Wanaka. Mt Aspiring on the far distant horizon.

Puzzling World, yes she really is that small!

Ice climbing on Fox glacier. Fantastic.

View from Fox glacier. We also climbed in the crevasse with the blue ice.

Victor, Cate and Wayne sampling Monteiths ales at the brewery in Greymouth. Guess that one wasn't too tasty!

Cate and Wayne dance at sunset on Rabbit Island.

Sea Kayaking in the Abel Tasman National Park.

Pictures Galore

2007-03-02T21:15:00.000-08:00

Hello folks. As promised I have some new photos which will bring me right up to date with my my movements so far. It's a bit of a mish mash and doesn't cover everything but you've got the best bits!

We are currently staying in Motueka just south of the Abel Tasman National Park at the top of the North Island. It's a beautiful area with stunning scenery and the coast is especially tasty, the only draw back being our current job. I wont bore you with the details, I think I've done enough of that already with our previous thrilling jobs. Oh, what the heck, you can skip this bit if you're really not interested. It's another new experience as we've migrated from the sun scorched orchards to an airless packhouse. Could no one have warned us that Nelson is the apple capital of New Zealand? We're such plonkers, happily winding our way to sunny Nelson with visions of nursery work or a bit of stone fruit picking, only to stumble right into the beginning of the apple season. 85% of New Zealands Apples are grown where? Yes you guessed right......................sunny Nelson. I could entertain you for hours with the intricate details of apple grading, which is what we stupidly agreed to do, but I'll save that for when I get home. All I need to tell you is that we work for eight hours a day standing staring at a conveyor of coxes apples, picking out the rotten, bruised and russet damaged (oh I could tell you lots about russet) before they wend their way to Sainsburys, 5 weeks boat ride away..................look out they're on their way. Don't worry, I washed my hands. Well, enough of that, on to the photos. I hope you like them.

Home!

Rufus, our trusty (if a little squeaky) Honda Accord.

Going back a little, January in the Tongariro National Park. We walked the Tongariro Crossing which passes through an active volcanic range. These are The Emerald Lakes.

The Tongariro Crossing. Walking through one of the craters, Red Crater and Mt Ngaurahoe (of Mt Doom (LOTR) fame) in the background.

TheTongariro Crossing. Me before we ascended the Red Crater.

February. A view of Mount Taranaki (Egmont).

A closer view of Taranaki.

Happy faces on top of Taranaki and before the knee crunching descent. A faint outline of Mt Ruapehu in the distance.

The descent!

The Super 14s Rugby in Wellington. Hurricanes vs Blues. The fireworks are for the home team, the triumphant Hurricanes. This was probably the only part of the match that I fully understood.

The writers walk in Wellington.

Warariki Beach near Farewell Spit, Nelson region. A beautiful remote location with an inquisitive seal colony.

Cate and the playful seal pups.

More seal pups. Most of my close-ups are blurred, these seals love to tease.

Last weekend we walked the northern loop of the Abel Tasman great walk, an unspoilt stretch of coastline with remote coves, crystal blue waters and inquisitive birds! A pied shag poses for the camera.

Aside from travels you might be interested in a small press production that has recently been launched. For lovers of the creative, No.18 is (and I quote from myspace) 'an eclectic collection of creative outbursts engineered by undiscovered geniuses of the art world'. If this catches your eye, the first edition was launched last year but #2 is currently in production. The myspace address is http://www.myspace.com/no18_smallpress. If you're also keen to contribute we'd always be interested in new works.

Climbing Mountains

2007-02-19T18:52:00.000-08:00

Hi folks, greetings from Wellington. No photos today but hope to post a pile soon, in the mean time here's an update of our antics in the far distant lands of New Zealand North Island.

We left Hastings and labour intensive Hawkes Bay bound for greener pastures about 10 days ago. I'm no stranger to a bit of hard work but busting our health few a few measley cents really wasn't much of an experience, our last job (did I say previously?) was working in a fruit tree nursery pruning little peach saplings. Did you know that nectarines aren't a natural fruit? They're designed by us and are grown on peach trees, don't ask me how, it's got something to do with grafting buds onto sapling trees. Anyway, there's an interesting piece of information, I'm probably the last to have discovered it! So, pruning saplings, don't do it, it sucks. I'm going to use the tall excuse, I think the closer you are to the ground the easier it is. After two days crouching over the trees we resorted to sitting in the dirt and shuffling between the plants on our backsides. There's no shade in the nursery, the week before 5 employees were taken to hospital with heat stroke, it is fondly refered to as the desert. You'll be glad to hear I've no more moaning for a few weeks, I'll save that for when we get our next character building job.

After leaving Hastings we drove across country via, Taupo, National Park (past the stunning Mount Doom (for all those LOTR geeks) and snowy Mount Ruapehu volcano), along the Forgotten World Highway, a deliciously winding route through some stunning hillscapes, leafy gorges and a narrow tunnel (Hobbit hole) with a rewarding view of the majestic Mount Taranaki (Egmont) on the West Coast, Stratford and our final destination, New Plymouth. Last week we climbed Taranaki, much to the dismay of our knees, a dormant classic cone shaped volcano looming above the flat plains of the Taranaki district. There's apparently an old saying in Taranaki 'If you can see the mountain it's going to rain and if you can't see the mountain then it's already raining'. The Maori legends place Mount Taranaki in a volcanic love story and tell of the exiled mountain hiding behind a cloud of tears. Ok, I'm sure you get it, the mountain is most commonly wet, but not for us, our hard work scrambling up the last thousand or so meters of scree and rock afforded us with stunning views as far to the east as the peaks of Ruapehu and Tongariro and out west to sea. I can't begin to describe how exhilerating a climb it was and if it wan't for the dicey scree running descent it would be near on perfect.

We are now in Wellington, enjoying our last few days on the North Island, tomorrow we catch the ferry to Picton and begin the next leg of our journey on the South Island. It's the Fringe festival in Wellington so we've been kept busy. We've been staying with a lovely lady we met when walking in the Tongariro Park, she kindly gave us free reign of her home when she went away this weekend. So we've seen some culture, some lovely views and, on the advice of a few people, both at home and here, we've braved a rugby match, the 2007 Super 14's season has just commenced and last weekend we saw the first match, Hurricanes (Wellington) vs Blues (Auckland). As far as the rules go we are no wiser, the atmosphere was great though and watching poor unsuspecting couples picked out from the crowd to kiss on the main viewing screen made up for the lack of action on the pitch, I mean, at least in football the only stops and starts are orchestrated by players writhing in agony on the pitch with the suspected sprained ankle injuries sustained during suspect tackles (which almost always miraculously heal), in rugby you have to concentrate so hard to catch the action that you inevitably miss it. Oh, and whats with the scantily clad cheer leaders? Does anyone actually watch the rugby? All said, it wasn't that bad!

Thats us folks. Cross fingers for a calm crossing tomorrow. I'll be in touch soon with more photos.

Hawkes Bay

2007-02-03T19:12:00.000-08:00

I have some more photos, about as up-to-date as my camera will allow! See below for an update too. I hope you enjoy these:

December 2006 - Prior to the vineyard and orchard work we were lucky enough to land a job in an Orchid farm in Kerikeri. We stayed here for five weeks. This is one of the beautiful orchid plants that we worked with, the legs are mine.

One of our many jobs was to clear these giant plants from the greenhouses to be chopped up and re-potted. They aren't light!

This 'team orchid', from left to right Kris (visiting with Bleak Heart, for the hard workers and his partner Kath), Kath our patient supervisor, Cate and Annie.

December 2006 - Matai Bay, the Rainbow Warrior Monument.

December 2006 - After leaving Kerikeri we took a tour of the west coast of the Northland area of the North Island. One of the most spectacular sights has to be the gigantic sand dunes at Cape Reinga.

Christmas 2006 - We made our way back to Auckland to stay with friends. A few days before Christmas a group of us took a walk along the cliffs from Piha beach to Karekare beach (where scenes in the Piano were filmed). The motley crew from left to right: Ros, Cate, me, Chris and Wayne.

Christmas in Auckland where we stayed with Kirsten and her sister, Ros.

Cate getting into the festive spirit!

Experiencing Christmas Kiwi style, a quick visit to the beach on Christmas day.

January 2007 - journeying south we took a detour to New Zealand mural town, Katikati. Here I am with a local.

January 2007 - We stopped in Rotorua and early one morning we visited the hot springs a t Kerosene Creek, a steaming hot river perfect for bathing.

Enjoying the hot springs and beautiful smell.

Update:

Currently soaking up the sun in New Zealands Wine Country, Hawkes Bay, staying in Hastings. We've moved on from vineyard work (see earlier post!) and are now torturing ourselves in the fruit orchards. To say that this is back breaking work wouldn't be far from the truth, if I didn't have a back problem before I'll definitely have one soon. Apple picking has to be the worst work so far. One and a half days lugging a child sized (no toddler mind, more of a tween) bucket strapped to my chest whilst clambering up and down and lugging a solid metal ladder, bruising my shins to a darker shade of brown, balancing 3m above the ground and gazing across a vista of apple trees pruned to deformity under the searing solar rays of ozone deficient New Zealand. This will be one and a half days never to be repeated in my entire life because we're not doing it again...........ever (I'd sooner do telesales). So there you go, enjoy your apples, they were probably picked by backpacker slaves.

On a lighter and happier note, it rained today, this is proving to be blissfull, for once, I'm not lathered in sunscreen. Next week we are continuing to pick fruit but of the lighter variety. Paid by the hour and not by the crate, we will, lucky souls, be picking nectarines. The bruises will be topped up and the spines further compressed, but the trees are shadey, the pace is slower and nectarines taste nicer.

Photos

2007-01-30T00:38:00.000-08:00

It took me a while but I've managed to upload a few photos for this blog. It's a limited selection but it's a start. You'll understand the difficulties we had in deciding what to include, I currently have 14 discs of photos, each hold between 70 and 140 photos, which makes a pretty large collection. Luckily I've sent most of them home so we only have the more recent selection. I'll download a few more when we have some more time.

July 2006. Our last train journey through SE Asia, from Bangkok to Singapore, the sleeping berths are more comfy (and private) than most of the Kiwi Hostel beds I've slept in. It's a lot cheaper too!

October 2006. Walking the Coromandel Coastal Walkway, pictured with Dawn, our employer and friendly host with Fletcher Bay in the background.

October 2006. Hard at work at Seabreeze Tourist Park in the Coromandel, hand painting signs for the holiday cottages.

November 2006 and a welcome visitor! Justine, Cate and Emma on a small stretch of beach near Kerikeri.

Happy Feet Launch

2007-01-24T16:16:00.000-08:00

Well, I thought it was about time I took the plunge and started a blog. Nine months I've been away and it has taken me this long! I'm not really sure how to go about this as it is really aimed at those of you that know me, but I know anyone can read these. I guess I'm hoping to make this more of a photo stop so you can see what I'm up to, meet Rufus (our Honda and second home), marvel at our portable sauna ($50 of sumptuous luxury that is our tent), check out the ever changing tan lines that Cate and I are fashioning and of course check out the 'awesome!' sights of New Zealand. Saying that I don't actually have my photos on me at the moment so you'll just have to make do with words and use your imagination!

Cate and I are currently staying in Napier. We have pitched our tent on the baked, slightly grassy earth found in the back garden of Aqua Lodge. Our camping experience is proving to be a learning curve, hard earth isn't comfy, hard earth and a roll mat isn't either, but hard earth, a roll mat and a rug can be accurately compared with lying on a carpeted bedroom floor which is surprisingly bearable. Our homely bliss is completed from 8am onwards when we have the added pleasure of being baked in the same manner as the lawn. And why, you might ask, are we camping in the garden of a perfectly comfortable backpackers? In short.........we're tight.

We've been in Napier for over a week now. It's a nice town with beautiful art Deco buildings, however slightly marred by the shops built beneath them. If you walk around town with your eyes focused on the second storeys then you'll have a pleasant time, just watch out for the deco bollards, deco bins, deco seats and on rare occasions the deco people.

We've been working at a vineyard since last Tuesday but were laid off today. Hawkes Bay is a far cry from the romantic image that I had of continental vineyards located on the other side of the globe. We've been getting up between 5.30am and 6am (which after this mornings lie in is probably the best time (if you're to avoid the sun) to start work at 7/7.30am. Our first fantastic job involved leaf plucking to remove the foliage around the young grape bunches. Paid per bush, we crept along endless rows of vines frantically wrenching handfuls of leaves (and occasionally grapes) racing against the clock until days end at 5pm. There are a number of coined techniques but the recommended approach is affectionately referred to as 'the Cat', imitate a cat trying to scratch someones eyes out and you have this technique in the bag, you'll be an expert. So, after imitating a cat for 9 hours in temperatures nearing the mid 30s, sun bearing down overhead, toilet a short hike away, lunch a mere memory, we drive home and collapse. To add to this pleasure we've probably been ingesting a concoction of pesticides, herbicides and fertilisers which, judging by the strange odour still emanating from our clothes and our pores, are going to linger for a while. Oh the joy of seasonal work! Give me a tyvek overall and a team of drillers, anything has to be better than this.

So, there you go, we're systematically punishing ourselves all for the mighty $$$$$$$$. There's a faint possibility that we might be gardening next week. We've been tempted by this job on a number of occasions, we've seen the garden, located, as Cate affectionately refers to it, on Hawkes Bays very own Hollywood Hills, and our source tells us that the lady in charge will probably ply us with iced drinks and ice cream, but that's if the job actually materialises. That's it for now, I'll be back with more soon!