north island adventure

One day I emailed the four other Rotary scholars in Dunedin to ask if anyone wanted to tour the North Island with me over winter break (June 7 to July 11 for me). Only Maureen was keen. Both Beccy and Cate had imported men from their respective home countries, and Courtenay wasn't too keen on tramping. So individually Mo and I did some thinking, and then in the van going up to Copland we sat and talked for a bit. Met at The Fix towards the end of May and planned for a few hours, then grabbed some Indian food at The Curry Box and headed to Courtenay's office to work on our presentation for District Conference. Got some good ideas from Adrian (heavy emphasis on the hot pools). Met again on the following day and planned some more, then headed to the Robbie Burns and later ArcCafe for some Latin music (notice a trend here?). What emerged was a PLAN, and a damn fine one at that. Touring the North Island, doing some Rotary presentations along the way, and meeting up with some friends. What follows is...Christine and Mo's North Island Adventure.

Woke up to snow on the hills surrounding Dunedin. Gradually the weather warmed up a little, and I spent the morning rushing about running errands and packing for the trip. Beccy and Jo (Beccy's flatmate) were to pick me up in Bonny the 1976 Bedford campervan somewhere between 1:00 and 2:00 after Beccy finished writing her last exam. I hung around the flat, watching Emma and Scottie make sushi, eating crumpets, and watching the weather outside change from rain to hail to snow, and then back to rain again. Beccy finally arrived around 3:15. We drove down to pick up Maureen and stopped for petrol on the way. Beccy realized she left the key for the petrol tank at home, so we had to turn back. On the way there, a hose in her engine popped off and started making noises. Stopped at Beccy's place to fix the hose. Gave Maureen a ring to let her know what was going on. Eventually made our way down to Maureen's flat. We teased her for packing so much stuff - uncanny how similar we were to our skit at Rypen! Hose popped off again a few minutes after leaving Maureen's house. Fixed the hose again, with some drunken rugby heads offerring to help us. Jo dropped the screwdriver into the engine, then had to lay down on the dirty pavement to retrieve it. FINALLY left Dunners (Dunedin). Brilliant sunset and clouds on the hills in Waitati. Realized that the branches on the pines here in NZ reach upward instead of downward like in Canada. Relatively uneventful drive to Christchurch. Stayed at the Avenue Motor Lodge. Watched the soccer game - Brits won over Denmark 3-0. Meanwhile the rugby was on, and the All Blacks won over the Irish 15-6.

Early in the morning the van windows were iced up, so we cleared it with a credit card. Left Christchurch with incredible snow-capped mountains in the west. Had lunch in Kaikoura on the beach.
 
 

Jo, Beccy, and I with Bonny the campervan

Arrived early at Picton on the northern coast of the South Island, so we walked around and spent time at the local pub. Returned to the campervan, which unfortunately wouldn't start - the key wouldn't even turn in the ignition. Rather unfortunate, since we were supposed to catch the 7:00pm ferry and it was now about 6:30. Ran back and forth between phones and petrol stations and the ferry station trying to get things sorted. Were a bit disillusioned about the quality of emergency health services in Picton when we saw an ambulance driving back and forth along the street trying to find the person it was supposed to rescue. Maureen and I decided to try to catch the 7:00 ferry, so grabbed our bags and ran to the ferry terminal. While getting out of the campervan, the sole of my tramping boot got caught and split apart from a previous injury dating back to the summer of 1997. Here I insert a shameless testimonial of my Salomon hiking boots (maybe they will give me a discount on my next pair). Have owned this pair since December 1996 and the only problem has been the separation of the upper and lower rubber soles of my left boot. So I'm running to the terminal with a flapping sole, and Maureen loaded down with luggage. Arrive 6:59 (literally) at the ferry, but the boat had already left. Fortunately there was a 9:30 ferry that night, althought we had to pay a bit extra to catch that one. I waited with our luggage while Maureen went back to the car park. Over the next few hours, a lovely man arrived to help Beccy fix the campervan. Steering locked four times driving from the car park to the ferry. Eventually all four of us AND Bonny the campervan make it onto the ferry, with the fixit guy working on the van right up to the time it was loaded onto the ferry. Watched The Count of Monte Cristo on board. Arrived in Wellington and drove to Jo's sister's place for the night.

Wake up early and discover that the Visitors' Centre is open at 8:00am. Talked to the DOC lady and decided on a route to tramp for the next two days. We are both a bit disappointed since it is shorter tramp than we had wanted, but given the weather, track conditions, and huts that are closed for the winter or that no longer exist, we were happy to finally get out on the tracks. Filed our intentions and headed out on the Holly Hut track. Had some great views of Mt Taranaki along the way.
 

Taranaki (photo from http://www.purenz.com)

Had to stop to fix my munted boot but fortunately it wasn't much further to Holly Hut.
 
 

Me at Holly Hut with Mt Taranaki in the background

Had a leisurely lunch then hiked out to Bell's Falls. Boot got progressively more munted as the tape got wet and I just kept adding more tape for lack of anything better to do.
 
 

Me at Bell's Falls

Headed back to the hut where it took ages to light the fire, given damp flax, no tinder or kindling, a few blocks of wood, and some coal that refused to light. Eventually had a roaring fire going, cooked dinner, ate, and played cards. We were spoiled by solar lights in the hut, although they went out every 20 minutes or so leaving us in complete darkness. The first went out and it took ages to light it again. Read in the DOC book that there was a resident rat in the hut. Shortly thereafter the rat makes its presence known. Maureen and I rat-proof our food by stringing it up on the ceiling, then crawl into our sleeping bags for the night hoping the rat will stay away from our beds. Alas, we soon hear the rat scurrying along the bunks above our heads. Maureen goes to investigate and I am walking around barefoot between Maureen and the door of our bunk room. Unbeknownst to me Maureen has just flushed out the rat, and I am now the only thing standing between the rat and its freedom. According to Maureen, Christine looks as if she is dancing. In reality, I am trying to leap onto Maureen's bunk to avoid the rat, and instead fall gracelessly on the hard concrete floor. I am now face to face with the rat and leap up quickly onto the bunks. From this position I open the door to the bunk room and a few seconds later the rat flees into the kitchen. We quickly stuff our Teva sandals under the door to prevent the rat from returning and disturbing our sleep. Although Maureen has a blissful sleep after this, I am kept awake most of the night by the rat scurrying in the wall next to my head, and on the bunks above me. Maureen vaguely recalls me pounding repeatedly on the walls to scare the rat away.

Wake up and discover to our amazement that the rat has not gotten into our food packs. Boots are dry for once. Maureen donates a package of Thermarest glue (notice I am no longer teasing her about how much she has packed) and I try to fix my munted boot. Finish off the job by wrapping the toe of my boot with flesh-coloured packing tape from the first aid kit we have loaned out from the university tramping club. Finally left the rat behind and returned along the Holly Hut track. Hills with their tropical-looking trees and mist look like Colombian coffee fields. Find a piece of black elastic rope and pick it up, thinking at best it could help to mend my boot, and at least we've picked up some trash. A few minutes later the lower sole of my boot again separates from the main sole. Thermarest glue didn't hold out in the wet muck, and the packing tape frayed within minutes. Wrap the black elastic rope around the boot, and incredibly it holds for the rest of the trip. See a weka - large insect - disembowelled on the track. Head along the Kokowai Track - gorgeous scenery with a track made more challenging by tree roots and some steeper slopes. Head down the Veronica Track and Maureen bangs up her knee. Hike the last bit alone so Maureen can go slowly and we can both enjoy the silence. Stop a few times to just listen to the forest. Multiple wood pigeons follow me along the track making whoosh-whoosh noises whenever they fly to the next branch. Arrived at the Visitors' Centre and chatted with the DOC lady. Reported track and hut conditions, emphasising the need to dig a new dunny and deal with the rat. Drove to Taupo in the dark along some unsealed (not paved) very winding roads. You can tell we are North Americans since we try to avoid hitting rabbits and possums on the roads. Another sign of our North American-ness is that whenever we try to signal a left or right turn, we turn on the windshield wipers instead. I am amazed that I have no issues learning to drive on the left hand side of the road. Arrived in Taupo late at night and after debating the wisdom of sleeping in our car overnight, we settled into a motor park, showered, and slept in Maureen's tent.

Spent the morning getting ourselves sorted, poking around town, and checking our email. I find a lovely Dutch man at Quality Shoes and Repairs (support his small business if you're ever in town) who is willing to fix my tramping boots by tomorrow morning for a mere NZ$11 (the amount I would have paid to buy glue from the hardware store and then muck the job up on my own). He also sells Maureen a pair of brown leather shoes in her size, which she has been looking for quite a long time. We then drive to Huka Falls, see the falls, and walk one hour down the track. I look up and some guy is waving at me. It turns out to be Pradeep, a guy also studying public health at Otago University. Incredibly, he is with a girl named Stephanie who then waves madly at Maureen and turns out to be Maureen's new flatmate. What are the odds? After stopping to chat for a while, we head out to a spot where a geothermal spring meets the Waikato River and soak in the steaming water for ages.
 
 

Enjoying the hot pools

Eventually drag ourselves from the hot pools, walk back into town, and make our way to Helen and Stewart Mulvay's house - two Rotarians who have offerred to put us up for the night. Their son Philip and his girlfriend Nicola are also about. We chat with them and have a much-needed shower. Around 5:30 we head off to our first Rotary meeting. After dinner Maureen and I give a presentation slightly longer than our allocated 20 minutes, but the Rotarians don't seem to mind. Part of our presentation includes wearing traditional hats - Maureen in a hillbilly hat and I in my toque (my what?! my T-O-Q-U-E, pronounced touk, called a beanie in NZ). Afterwards one of the Rotarians (Bev) who works as a photographer kindly downloads my digital photos onto a CD (freeing up more space on my digital card) and develops Maureen's film for free. Laurie Smith, a physician who belongs to the Taupo Rotary club, told me I should contact his son who is also a physician and who teaches public health at Harvard. Finally back to the Mulvay's for a chat about travelling and tramping. I am amazed at how often and how widely Kiwis have travelled, although perhaps this is more true of the rather more affluent Rotary members. Stewart works as a sous-chef and spends the night making a chocolate gateau for his son Philip, whose 25th birthday is tomorrow. Of course Helen, Maureen, and I hover around and are rewarded with nibbles and extra chocolate. We also dig into some foccaccia that Maureen and I have brought for the Mulvays. Stewart works under a chef from Newfoundland, so of course I offered my condolences : ) Finally to bed, with electric blankets and lots of rain hammering on the roof.

Wake up to hear my first thunderstorm in NZ. Eat chocolate gateau for breakfast - mmmm! Chat with the Mulvays and then lleave Taupo for Rotorua. Had considered seeing some of the tourist attractions in Rotorua, like the bubbling mud pools, but decide not to stop and head onwards to Hamilton instead. Rain continues to pour down and we get the news that many of the roads in the northern part of the North Island are flooded. We take our chances and head on to Auckland with no road troubles at all. First impression is that there are lots of Asian people, lots of Asian signs, and lots of Asian restaurants. Some people have difficulty speaking English, even those working in the tourist industry. Walk around, do some shopping, and have a bit of sushi for dinner. We ring Angela, another Rotary Scholar studying in Auckland who we met at the Scholars' Conference in April and who offered (was coerced!?) to put us up for the night at her flat in the Mt Eden area of Auckland. We start the night by knocking on the wrong house - granted it WAS the correct number and it WAS on the correct street, just not the correct house. Sound confusing? Try being there. Found Angela, chatted, did laundry (I'm sure Angela appreciated this since we were really stinky). Went to visit Hunter, another Rotary Scholar. Had yummy tacos for dinner, apple crisp with custard for dessert, and cookies later on. Met her Canadian flatmate Alison. Alison, Maureen, and I amuse ourselves by reading the dictionary, while listening to the football game between Brazil and the UK (Brazil won). Home to Angela's for sleep.

Take the bus into town and explore the DOC office in the Ferry Building. Explore the viaduct around Auckland harbour. Met up with Hunter in QE2 Square and go for lunch. Head over to Aotea Square to check out the open air market, then over to the Auckland Art Gallery. Then up the Sky Tower (might I add opened on August 3, my birthday) for panoramic views of Auckland harbour bathed in late afternoon sunshine.
 
 

Auckland from the Sky Tower

Off to the Victoria Park Market. I find Auckland a strange city. With a population of one million people it is the largest city in NZ, but the city is made up of a small central core surrounded by a large sprawling suburban area. The effect is that the city fails to strike me as an urban centre in the same way that Toronto or Montreal might. Home to watch a few movies (Mulan, Moulin Rouge) and have some dinner.
 
 

Angela and Penny makin da suppa

Maureen and I got a nightclub called Bed on K' Road (short for Karangahape Road). I was floored when the taxi driver told me I had a Swedish accent before he even asked where I was from. Club was a bit dead when we arrived, and got going just before we had to leave. Collapsed into bed.

Up early and drove from Auckland up to the kauri forests in Waipoua. Saw the Four Sisters and the largest kauri tree in NZ, Tane Mahuta (the god of the forest in Maori mythology).
 

Tane Mahuta (photo from http://www.purenz.com)

Drove over to Whangarei and met Dani, a friend from the Easter trip to Manapouri and Doubtful Sound. Drove 40km out to the farm where she lives with her parents and brother Chris. Farm is mainly cattle but has citrus orchards from the previous owners. Sat and talked for a while about their time spent living in Zimbabwe and Kenya. Then another lovely night spent in a REAL bed!

Had some breakfast and sat talking and looking at slides. Left in the late morning with a generous bag of mandarins from the farm. Drove north and checked out the famous toilets in Kawakawa, decorated with tiles and mosaics. Of course we had to stop for photos! Continued up to Waitangi, where the founding document of NZ, the Treaty of Waitangi, was signed in 1840. Checked out the canoes (waka), the Treaty House, marae, and visitors' centre there.
 

Inside Marae at Waitangi (photo from http://www.purenz.com)

Then up to Kerikeri for our second Rotary presentation. By now we are experts at changing in petrol stations or public toilets, and doing our makeup in the rearview mirror of our rental car. We do a quick presentation since it is turnover night, when the new President takes over for the new Rotary year. Maureen and I had planned to sleep on a beach in our tent, but Robert and Barbara Collins from the Kerikeri Rotary club offered to take us in instead. They have a gorgeous wooden home which Maureen and I drooled over. Learned two new phrases. "Give it a tutu" is a Northland phrase that means to give something a go, to try it. "Drop a penny" is a polite but obscure way of saying that you're going to the bathroom, since public toilets used to cost a penny.

Had yummy muesli for breakfast, and tried golden kiwifruit and tamarillo for the first time. Left Kerikeri and drove south to Thames, then up the coast of the Coromandel Peninsula. Some of the roads had been washed out, and a state of emergency had just been lifted. Many roads were still covered in brown clay and mud, with debris scattered along the roadside - flax bushes, tree branches, trash, and things washed from people's houses and garages. The road we wanted to take was blocked so we had to drive up to Coromandel Town and then over to the east coast, although this provided some gorgeous views coming over the hills and a quick sighting of a pukeko, a large bluish bird with a bright orange beak. Drove down to Hot Water Beach. Here you can dig holes in the sand at low tide, let hot water from geothermal ground water seep into the holes, and sit and enjoy the warmth.
 
 

Maureen feeds the gulls on Hot Water Beach

Checked in with DOC, avoiding any connection with last night's burglar alarm. Asked whether we could do the Tongariro Crossing without ice axes and crampons, which we did not have and didn't know how to use anyway. DOC said they recommended gear, but that there was no snow up there and that the weather was relatively decent. We decided to hike in from the east. If the weather was good we could do the Crossing without alpine gear, and if the weather was bad we could head out of the park via Ketetahi Hut. Hiked out to Waihohonou Hut along flat tussock with great views of Mt Ruapehu. Last eruptions of Ruapehu were in 1995 and 1996 (here I imagine my mother beginning to worry - this is why I didn't tell her I was tramping among volcanoes before I left).
 
 

Mt Ruapehu

Decided to press on to Oturere Hut since there was still lots of daylight left. The times quoted by DOC and in tramping guides were much longer than the actual time it took us to tramp (word to the wise). Track ascended into forest and then scree and tussock from there on. Felt REALLY good to be active again. Tramped over multiple hills, and kept hoping to find the hut just over the next hill. Arrived at Oturere just before dark. Unfortunately couldn't get the heater going since the gas was shut off for the winter season. Thought this seemed counter-intuitive, although justified since hut fees are lower in the off-season. Wondered why they didn't have a wood stove for people to use during the winter, until we realised we were surrounded by tussock with no trees for miles around. Made yummy chili for dinner. Got up for a pee during the night and was rewarded with an incredibly clear view of Mt Ngauruhoe (pronounced nah-rah-hoe-ee) bathed in moonlight.
 

Mt Ngauruhoe (photo from http://www.purenz.com)

Left Oturere Hut and hiked through some odd-looking lava formations. Headed up to Emerald Lakes, some of which were frozen.
 

Tongariro Crossing, with Mt Ruapehu on left, Mt Ngauruhoe in foreground, Emerald Lakes in the centre, and Mt Tongariro to the right (photo from http://www.milfordtrack.co.nz/Milford/gallery.asp)
 
 

Ascent to the Tongariro Crossing from Emerald Lakes; see if you can find Maureen on the slope (hint - she's near the bottom left corner)

At this point we were buffeted by a cold wind along an exposed ridge with some snow, so we quickly donned our parkas. Saw a neat looking green sulphur spring on the mountain side. Kept going upwards along some steep slopes. Some snow, but no ice, and no need for ice axes or crampons. Reached what we later realised was the highest point of the Crossing at 1820m. Slope was icy on the other side, and we realised that crampons would have been useful. However not having any (and not knowing how to use them if we did) we sat on our bums and slid down the shallow slope, digging our heels into the soft ice and catching ourselves on some rocks jutting out from the surface. Nothing that a childhood of walking to the bus stop in Canadian winters didn't prepare me for : ) A few uncontrolled slides but nothing dangerous (you can breathe again Mum!). One of these resulted in Maureen's water bottle careening down the side of the slope.
 
 

Me just below the highest point of the Tongariro Crossing

A nice easy walk at the end of our trip with views of Mt Tongariro and Mt Ngauruhoe

Return to Whakapapa Village and head to the DOC office to sign in. Go to the campsite, shower, and go out for coffee and vegetables. Back at the campsite we sit in the kitchen and write. There we meet Brian from Auckland and Isaac from Great Barrier Island, both doing seasonal work in the village. Discover that the band OMC (infamous performers of the song How Bizarre) is from NZ. OMC stands for Otara Millionnaire's Club, which is meangingless unless you know (as we found out from Brian) that Otara is one of the poorest areas of Auckland.

Left Whakapapa Village and drove around Mt Ruapehu. Took a detour up the Desert Road and drove down to Wellington. On the way we stop at an Exeloo - you press a button and the door slides open, elevator music begins to play. Stayed at the YHA hostel and poked around town a bit.

Dropped off the car and caught the 8:00 ferry from Wellington, arriving in Picton around 10:30. Fifteen minutes later caught the InterCity bus to Christchurch, arriving around 4:00.
 
 

We would have starved if it hadn't been for the 4-Square stores, the BP petrol stations...I swear I will never eat another muesli bar again in my life...at least not until the next tramping trip!

Checked into a YHA hostel and walked around town in the rain looking for a place to eat. Had yummy dinner at Little India. Went for dessert and espresso at Strawberry Fare. To simply call it dessert is to do the dish (and the price) a disservice. A big plate with caramel hazelnut torte, surrounded by a vanilla sauce, a fruit sauce, a dollop of cream, and two scoops of vanilla ice cream. Decorated with caramelised sugar swirls. Sat back, stuffed and incapable of movement. Eventually rolled back to the hostel and watched Big Brother and soccer semi-final between Turkey and South Korea (score was 3-2 for Turkey).

Caught the 8:00 InterCity bus from Christchurch and arrived in Dunedin around 1:30pm. Caught a taxi in the rain and finally arrived home. Chatted with Emma and did my very stinky laundry.

Love Christine