Coming back, to mix things up a bit, I took a different route. In keeping with how things have gone, this turned out to be unexpectedly very scenic. Rolling green hills full of sheep, and occasional glimpses of the ocean just beyond. I'm kinda liking Dunedin. Great city. Great scenery.
Today I pulled into Dunedin where I'll be for a few days. I drove around the hilly city a bit, then parked and walked around for an hour or two exploring shops and an old church. I then drove over to the Otago Peninsula where I took a tour of a Royal Albatross colony and an old fort. Coming back, to mix things up a bit, I took a different route. In keeping with how things have gone, this turned out to be unexpectedly very scenic. Rolling green hills full of sheep, and occasional glimpses of the ocean just beyond. I'm kinda liking Dunedin. Great city. Great scenery.
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I left beautiful Lake Tekapo this morning to head to Oamaru. I'd mentioned previously that the Lake Tekapo area was known for its star viewing. I woke up yesterday morning around 3:15 AM unable to fall back to sleep right away. As I was right near the shore of Tekapo I walked down to it with my torch ("flashlight' in the States. When people tell me to take a torch somewhere I feel like I'm joining a mob looking for Frankenstein). The sky was clear and black and you could see practically every star in the universe. Lying on the pebble/round rock beach of Tekapo was the perfect place to stargaze. I think I stayed there for about an hour. I'm grateful to have woken up for this as it was cloudy last night so I wouldn't have seen much. As I drove to Oamaru I considered bypassing this planned stop and driving the extra two hours to Dunedin to buy me an extra day (I'm about 5 days behind "schedule", though I'm certain I'll make it up in Te Anau anyway). However, in driving through the town it looked pretty cool, so I decided to stay the night. So glad I did. The campground is situated right next to a large town park. As this was Sabbath afternoon it seemed the perfect place to spend the day. The Oamaru Public Garden is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, public garden in New Zealand. Not crowded at all and well-maintained. It was an awesome place to walk around and linger at for a few hours. That evening I went into CBD ("Central Business District", or "downtown" or "into town") and found a cafe that was still open after 9:00 PM. Things close early here. Great meal and I followed it up with a walk around the now empty little town. A surprisingly good stay at what was supposed to be just a stopover. ![]() Bushy Beach, Oamaru - home to a Blue Penguin colony and seals. I didn't see any penguins while I was there, but did see a few seals. Apparently, the penguins come back in when they are done fishing, but you never know when that will be exactly. This explains why so many people were sitting there looking at a near empty beach. So this was it. A day I've waited for and anticipated for a long time. The reasons for my anticipation were twofold. The first reason had to do with this being an amazing valley hike with the tallest peak in New Zealand right in front of you most of the way. Mt. Cook cook is an inspiring peak and one that you can't help but stare at and admire as you walk. This to date is the nicest hike I've ever done, and will be a hard one to beat. I love a good computer wallpaper, and occasionally would update it based on the season or my mood. Usually, I go for mountain views if not something seasonal like fall leaves or snowy vistas. I found a New Zealand valley and mountain view online that I fell in love with and made my wallpaper on my work computer. I may have had it up for a year or two before leaving that job. At some point I looked up the location realizing that I would have the time and ability to enjoy such a seemingly awesome place while in NZ. When times were tough or I felt stressed I would sometimes remind myself that one day in the not-so-distant future I'd be able to walk the path through that valley without those burdens. It actually got to the point where I pretty much promised this to myself. I got familiar enough with the picture that I had a spot on the path that I thought I could recognize in person and that in making it to that spot would satisfy my commitment to myself. I also playfully decided I'd turn around to the "camera" in the sky, "me on the other side of the screen" and give myself a thumbs up, you made it gesture lol So Friday, February 27 was that day. With a coating of sunblock, my camera, a granola bar, a water bottle I'd later be grateful I'd topped off, and a pic of my work computer screen I'd taken with my iPhone before leaving the job I started out on the Hooker Valley Track ("trail") They say the hike takes 3 hours round trip (there and back on the same trail), so I wasn't sure that I'd be able to find my spot. However, I could tell from the pic that it was near the lake at the end of the trail, and that the river was to my right. The trail took you over the river a few times with the river sometimes on your left, and at other times on your right. So this was helpful. I could also see that darker green vegetation started near where my spot was. As I was nearing the lake at the end of the trail, as I gather from a passing hiker's info, I started to look for my spot. And I found it! Grass turned into brush, the river was to my right, a few rock slides were beyond that, and the turns in the path seemed to match the ones on my phone. I'd made it. In more ways than one. ![]() I kept a constant count. "One, two, three. We're okay." "One, two, three, four, five. We're good. No worries." "One, two,... ten, eleven...Anyone here pregnant? Does that count as one of the 20? Does anyone know? EVERYONE OFF!!" Actually, I don't think I ever saw more than a handful of people on it at one time. One of my favorite places in New Zealand is Lake Tekapo. The color of the water is unbelievable. For some reason not everyone knows that the best view of it is from St. Johns Observatory at the top of the hill overlooking the lake. At lake level it is impressive, but from the observatory the color is out of this world. It's free to drive up there during the day, and there is a relatively inexpensive cafe at the top. I haven't done it yet, but they have tours you can pay for that take you around to the various telescopes at night which allow you to see planets, stars, and the moon. As this is one of the best places to view stars in the Southern Hemisphere, this is the perfect place for such tours.
When you finish your meal at a restaurant, they don't bring you the bill, and you don't pay for it at your table. You go up to the cashier and pay it. I've seen this in everything from cafes to nice restaurants. After a month of eating all over the country, I've never been brought the bill. The American fast food chain I've seen the most of here in NZ? Not McDonald's or Starbucks. Subway by far. Cricket, the shorter version of this game, can last 6 or more hours. Sometimes less, sometimes more. The longer version of it goes on for days and can end in a draw. They don’t tip here (though sometimes there’s a tip jar). So if your meal is $25 that’s what you pay. I was in a room with day time TV playing. It started with a New Zealand soap opera, then the news, then went to “Ellen”, then to New Zealand’s version of “People’s Court” followed by an American cartoon for kids. The $5 bill is the smallest currency that is paper in NZ. One and two dollar coins are common. Paper currency has a little clear window in it. Eggs are sold on shelves not in refrigerators. I’ve even seen eggs displayed outside the grocery store on sidewalk stands. The “boot” is the “trunk”, the “bonnet” is where the engine is. At every restaurant I’ve gone to, if I ask for water, they bring me a glass and a refillable glass bottle with water. They don’t walk around refilling your water as needed. I don't see a lot of "Stop" signs, but instead I see a lot of "Give Way" (Yield) signs at intersections. It's basically a legal rolling stop. I see as many "Give Way" signs as I see "Stop" signs in the US and vice versa. It's nice.
Today I set out in my campervan. Actually, it's a sleepervan. I now feel like my adventure has begun. Before leaving Christchurch, I decided to take the ChCh gondola before heading on. Great views at the top of the mountain! I then headed to Fairlie, New Zealand, to a campground I stayed at three years ago. My main reason for stopping in Fairlie, despite Kiwi's surprise that I would do so, was its close proximity to Lake Tekapo. And to stay at this campground again. Lake Tekapo is one of my most favorite spots in NZ. I remember the color of the lake being amazing and star viewing is tops. I love looking at stars, and Tekapo is the place to do it. Actually, it's one of the best places in the Southern Hemisphere to view stars due to its frequent clear weather, and lack of development around it. Other than that, yeah, Fairlie doesn't have too much going on. A neat little town and a nice little park, but that's about it. I'll be here for one night, then stay at a campground closer to Lake Tekapo for two nights. As I wanted to be able to enjoy my time in Christchurch without feeling as though I needed to rush off, and since there were things I wanted to see, I extended my stay in the Airbnb unit by a night. Really grateful for that decision. On February 22, 2011 an earthquake devastated the city. The four-year anniversary was on the day of my arrival in "ChCh". You can still see construction and rebuilding efforts going on as I'm told this will be a 10-year process. They are 4 years into it. I spent the day in town, visiting a museum that chronicles this and other earthquake events in ChCh, and just walking around. I tried to find places I'd seen when I was there three years earlier (a year after the earthquake), but so much has changed since they've started rebuilding that I didn't recognize much. Sandy, the owner of the unit I was renting invited me to dinner with her family tonight. So just after 6:30 I walked down to their unit and met up with her, her husband Graham, and her son and daughter-in-law. It was a terrific meal and great chatting with everyone about life in New Zealand and the United States, sports, and the earthquake. A great evening with my new Christian friends.
Much of the rest of the world has a decision to make when it comes time to flush. Fortunately, for us in the U.S. we don't need to choose as there is only one choice, though, annoyingly, some seem to be indecisive on even just that one choice. Americans spend enough time deciding Republican or Democrat, Apple or PC, over or under. And we certainly don't need yet another polarizing issue.
The button representing "more" is for a full flush. The button representing "less" is for a lesser flush. Also, the full flush button always seems to be on the right. Maybe that's standard? If so, that would explain how this guy made it out of the store: Once I arrived in New Zealand, I learned that the Cricket World Cup was being held in New Zealand and Australia. It made finding a campervan and accommodations a little more difficult actually. As seeing a cricket game was on my list of things I wanted to do before leaving, I figured seeing a world cup game would be just the way to check it off my list. My plan was to see the New Zealand vs. England game in Wellington on February 20. I had tickets, but relinquished them when I realized accommodations were extremely hard to find. I found some but figured watching a game in Christchurch would be easier especially since I already had a place to stay there. Being truly American, I didn't know much about the game. Back home I walk in a park where a group plays cricket every Saturday, so I have some exposure to it. What I've seen and picked up on would probably put me in the top 10% if a national test was given in the States on the subject. But I found a 20 minute explanation from the guy handling the campervan rental and one of equal length by Graham, the owner of the Airbnb rental, very helpful on the matter. It made watching the game a bit more enjoyable. I arrived at the game just after 2:00 PM - the time I thought it was to begin. Turns out it started at 11:00 AM. Those not familiar with the game may think this a catastrophe. Not so, at least to this American : ) It hit the equivalent to halftime about an hour after I got there. It can be a 6-hour game and those very familiar with cricket would jump into the conversation at this point and tell you that the full version can take days. They love to add that even then it can end in a tie. I'm helping them by telling you this now.. As there were no shaded areas, I was in the sun for the game. I lathered on 70+ SPF sunblock (SPF equivalent to being in a brick house with the windows closed) twice over my 3 hours there hoping not to get burned. But a few hours later a cold wind blew in (from the ocean, I believe) making things colder. Locals pulled out their sweatshirts and jackets, as I pictured my sweatshirt sitting on the passenger seat of my car (for accuracy you need to picture the passenger seat on the left side of the car). In shorts and short sleeves I was getting cold. Hungry and now uncomfortably cold, I asked the guy a couple seats down from me how long he thought the game had left. He'd been the one to tell me when we'd hit "half time". He said he thought the game had maybe an hour and a half left. Or maybe an hour. For me this was equivalent to telling runners towards the end of the Boston Marathon, "You're doing great. Just as a heads up, the finish line has been moved to Columbus, Ohio." I watched for about 20 more cold minutes, then headed out. I did enjoy what I saw and the whole experience, and with about 3 hours of watch time, I felt like I had enough time to savor it. Today I turned in my relocation car, and picked up my campervan. The campervan wasn't ready yet as the guy was still cleaning it, so I went across the street to hang out at a nice city park I found there. I'm on holiday ("vacation", my American friends) and didn't have anything I needed to rush off to, so told him to take his time and I'd be back in an hour. Also, this will be my home for the next 5 weeks or so, so I don't want it to not be ready! I really like hanging out casually in parks and even walking through neighborhoods - seeing locals doing their thing. Is that just me? I found a group playing cricket and several fields full of what looked like league Field Hockey. Of course there were kids on playgrounds and people playing fetch with their dogs. Campervan ready, I headed off to my next accommodation. You'd think that right after picking up a campervan my next stay would be a campground, but that would make sense. I will be staying at another Airbnb place for several nights as I get ready for the campervan trip and get caught up on stuff like laundry and this blog. |
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