UPDATED 05/26/19

Added pictures of  Trans Alpine Train Ride and Christchurch

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UPDATED 04/25/19

So we left Australia and headed to the South Island of New Zealand.  The South Island is very different from the North Island.  While the North Island is green rolling hills, the South Island is mountainous.  Our first host was located on the West Coast.  It is a small town called Hokitikia.  Our host were Doreen and Geoff.  They run a very beautiful boutique hotel with a wonderful view of the ocean and large gardens (not like gardens to grown veggie, but gardens like in landscaping).

 

We stayed in a small apartment they had made for their daughter.  It was very nice with a small refrigerator, a little kitchenette, and a bathroom.  It was very comfortable.

Our work here was mostly helping get the gardens back in shape.  The resort took up most of their time and the gardens where showing some neglect.  So we jumped in and started first with weeding, pruning, removing old shrubs, and then put down ground covering cloth and mulch.  This took up most of our month there.

They also hosted luncheons for tour groups and we got to help with a 23 person group from the US.  Many of the people would go for walks in the gardens after lunch, so we were very proud when they commented on how nice the gardens looked.

We also did a few other jobs while we were there.  We sanded and varnished 8 chairs and a table that are used for the larger luncheons.  We primed and painted the bathroom walls and ceiling in their house. We weeded and put in top soil in a small greenhouse.

The work was good and we really enjoyed meeting Dorleen and Geoff’s children, a few of their grandchildren, and Dorleen’s dad Roger.  One of their sons runs a coffee cart near The Gorge, so Alice (one of the daughters) took us to meet her brother and see the gorge. It was just a short hike to the gorge from the coffee cart, and though most of the time the water is turquoise blue, it was still a beautiful white color due to a recent storm. (Coffee was very good too).

 

We also met a few very cute babies…

 

We ended up working 11 days in a row because the weather was a bit rainy and we didn’t want to do sight seeing in the rain.  This worked out fine because Dorleen and Geoff offered us the use of their batch house (which means vacation house here in Kiwi land) a few hours south down the west coast.  We took them up on it, rented a car for 5 days, and off we went.  There is only 1 road down the West Coast so it wasn’t very hard to get there.  The roads wind up the mountain and we crossed 5 suspension bridges before we go to the batch house.  (One of the bridges was later washed away by a really bad storm 3 weeks after we got back to Hokitikia).

On the first night we just relaxed at the house and enjoyed a bit of TV.  The next day we were off to see Franz Joeseph Glacier and Fox Glacier.  We came to the teeny town of Fox Glacier first.  We planned on hiking up the the glacier but there had been a rock slide (there are many on them on the west coast) and the road up to the glacier was closed.  So we took an hour hike around a beautiful lake (Matherson) that, on a calm day, has a mirror image of the glacier.  We had gone a little to late in the day for the mirror image and decided to drive to the Franz Joseph glacier and visit the lake early on another day.

We did see some weird shaped tree limbs with moss on it, a cute duck (well cute butt), and the beautiful lake.

   

 

We drive the 1/2 hour windy road over the mountain to Franz Joseph (another “town” if you blink you missed it).  We hiked up to the glacier and on the way saw tons of waterfalls.  It was very beautiful and we could see how far the glacier has been receding each year.

     

Mike took a drink…

…

The next day (Wednesday) it rained all day and we really enjoyed just sitting in the house and relaxing.

We go up early on Thursday and went back to the lake to get the mirror picture I wanted.  You tell me if I got it…

   

The next day we started to drive south to Haast.  Haast has about 3 buildings and that is it.  But it is the beginning of a wonderful drive with many sights to stop and see.  This is where we discovered that New Zealand (at least the South Island) is the land of waterfalls.  They are everywhere.  Just driving down the road you will see them on your left and right.  We saw 2, one right after another.  They were name Trickle One and Trickle Two (despite the fact that they were not trickles at all).  We continued to drive and saw more water falls -Roaring BIlly 1 km,

 

Thunder Creek Falls .2 km,

and Fantail Falls .2 km,

to name a few.  We drove approximately 50 miles and ended at The Blue Pools.  The Blue Pools is a place along the river where the water is deep and so blue it is unreal.  You hike 1.5 kms and stand on the suspension bridge that is over the pools.  You can swim in it, but the water is from glaciers and very cold.  We opted not to.

This is where my camera battery died 🙁

We stopped at a gas station on the way back to the batch, bought some cheese and crackers for dinner.  The next morning we headed back to the resort, refreshed and very glad to have seen some of the West Coast.

Other things we did for fun was watch sheep shearing.  Geoff drove us out into the meadow to “help” lamlam (a 1 year old sheep) get into the trailer.  Helping lamlam meant grab her anywhere you could (her wool was REALLY thick) and throwing her into trailer.  Then we put a netting over the top of the trailer so she wouldn’t jump out.  Now you need to understand that lamlam is kinda the leader of the pack and the others were very concerned for her.

Down the road to the shearer we went.  When we got there Mike help round up sheep (new item for his resume).  I just, well …laughed. When lamlam was done with her haircut we got her into the back of the pickup truck, which was not as easy this time because we had no wool to grab.  Along the way I had to sit on her back and make sure she stayed still because she was now hogtied for her own safety.  The other sheep where very glad to see her back.  Geoff said sometimes it takes the other sheep a few days to recognize a newly sheared sheep.

Glow worms are a big thing here.  There are many places to see these minute worms.  Some are in caves, some on the side of rocks.  It looks like you are looking up at the stars.  They give off a slight glow and are neat to see.

We went into town (Greymouth) where we had rented the car and had lunch and bought a train tickets and dvd player.

Hokitikia hosts the Weird food festival every year.  This is where people come from all over to eat gross and weird foods, such as –  venison semen, sheep testicles, dick on a stick (yes this is what you think – pork by the way), hua hua (grubbs that they actually got out of the log as you wait (eaten raw or fried)), possum, etc..  It is like a country fair.  They have a feral costume show where people dress up in animal fur, ferns, antlers (just about anything they can find), and have a fashion show and contest.  As you can gather this is a very hill billy like place.  Mike and I decided we would skip the bizarre food tasting and just walked around the town.  We are so glad we did because otherwise we would have missed the National Sock Outlet and Museum.  I know you are all jealous but really it was as exciting as it sounds.  LOL

We had wanted to see the glaciers from above, so we booked an airplane ride that took us down the coast, over the glaciers, to Mt Cook (tallest mountain on the south island).  It was spectacular.  I will let the picture say it all…

(see New Zealand South Island Gallery)

Well our time at Hokitikia was up and we took a bus to our next host.  It was a 4 hour ride North to an even smaller town called Hector.  Now Hector is really country folks.  Take a look at the mailboxes…

This one is a microwave LOL

 

We stayed with a man named Steve for the next 2 weeks.  Steve was a nurse and was looking for people to help renovate his home.  We painted his kitchen ceiling and all the woodwork.  It helped that Steve was a nurse because I had gotten an ear infection and Mike needed more blood pressure med,s so Steve helped out with that.  Steve’s house was ocean front, but because of a few typhoons they had in recent years, they had to build a berm along the beach to protect the houses.  It was necessary, but sad because you could no longer see the ocean unless you climbed to the top of the berm.  This is a pictures of Mike and Steve enjoying a romantic sunset (check out their roaming hands and faces).  LOL

The sunsets were beautiful

Steve had purchased some land on a mountain near the house and planned on living off the grid in a few tiny homes (one a bedroom, one a living room, etc) so he asked us if we would help him bring one of the tiny homes up the mountain.  Now this isn’t a nice gradual climb up a mountain with the tiny home on a trailer.  OH no, that would be to easy.  It had rained alot a few days earlier so the dirt switchbacks where muddy and had lots of ruts.  Steve wanted to get the house up to the top before winter, so started a long, hot, and frankly, crazy adventure.  We got the house to the bottom of the mountain and tied the skids that Steve had attached the house to the back of the truck.

It went well for a few hundred yards and then the mud and switchback took it upon themselves to play with us.  At time the house started to slide to close the the side of the road and/or run into a tree and we had to use jacks and cylinders to get it back on track.  It took 10 hours but we are proud to say it now sits at the top of the mountain. (chain saws were used to help persuade the palm trees to let go of the gutters that just happened to get stuck on them).

   

It was almost sunset when we unhooked the house and we turned to watch the sunset over the water.  I think you can see why Steve chose this spot.

 

Steve let us use his dads old car on our time off.  We went up North (to the end of the road – really the end of the road).  We stayed at a 70’s style “motel”.  Bob Marley was the theme of our room.  We went on some hikes to a few arches and caves.  It was nice.

box cave

 

The name of this bird is the Robin bird.  He was trying jump u on Mike’s leg (no wise cracks here please – lol)

this arch was huge

 

and this arch is the moria gate arch.  Can you say Lord of the Rings (In lord of the Rings Moria (Black Chasm) was the name given to a vast network of tunnels, chambers, mines and huge halls, that ran under the Misty Mountains, and home to the Dwarf clan known as the Longbeards).

 

This is just a funny swirl of foam in the water that kinda looks like an aerial of a tornado.

We also took a hike near Steves house that was built along old train tracks along a river used for transporting logs.  Once again the waterfalls where amazing with some dripping off the rock ferns.  Then we came to the most beautiful little waterfall that was covered all over in moss.  Check this out…

 

Since our 35th wedding anniversary was March 3rd we decided to take a 2 1/2 hour horse drawn carriage ride along the beach. We headed a few hours south and met Sophie and her clydesdale Duke.

Mike made friends with their dog who came along for the ride.  We headed out down the road but had to stop because the local farmers cow were not cooperating.  Once the cows figured out which direction they were supposed to be heading we were on our way.

We took a  ride along the beach

and stopped at a small pond where we let the horse rest.  The pond had alot of resident birds and was a very relaxing and calm place.

Sophie started a fire and feed the horse while Mike and I searched for Jade on the beach.  Once the fire was going we joined her for cocoa and tea and proceeded to cook damper bread over the open fire.  This is like a traditional Australian (yes I know we are in New Zealand, but…) wheat flour based soda bread, traditionally baked in the coals of a campfire.  It was very good with jam on it, but also VERY heavy and filling.  It was a great day and we really enjoyed Sophies company and her talks on the history of the area.

  

On the drive back we stopped at the Pancake Rocks.  This is a spot on the beach cliff where the rocks are in layers and look like pancakes.  There are blow holes and rock bridges to walk over.  The path was beautifully done and you can even eat pancakes at the restaurant across the street.  Very pretty indeed.

Well our time in New Zealand had come to an end and on March 31 Steve drove us back to Greymouth to board the 5 hour Trans Alpine train ride to Christchurch on the east coast.  This ride is considered one of the top 5 train ride in the world by lonely planet and we could see why.  The train was very comfortable and we went through beautiful mountain range and over really cool bridges.

We stayed over night at a nice motel less than 1/4 mile from the mosque in Christchurch where the awful shooting had happened a few weeks earlier.  In the morning before our flight, Mike and I walked down to the mosque and paid our respects.  It was humbling.

We flew out at noon to the island of Samoa.  Our next adventure was about to begin.

Till next time… Grasp and enjoy every moment, for you don’t know when things will change or end.