Merry Christmas and Other Shenanigans!

The past week has been awesomely mellow, mainly spent with family for the holidays.  Tomorrow my adventures pick back up as I head to the west coast in search of some pretty views.  Some highlights from this past week:

Bus terminal.  I tried running into the pillar with a shopping cart, but to no avail :(

In fact, they told me to get out.

Sunset from the ferry.

 

The amazing view I had for breakfast from my cousin's friend's house.  They were kind enough to house me for my two nights in Picton.  I am so lucky to have met such wonderful people!

While there, I made friends with Zook:

His hobbies include chewing on my arm, talking, and shedding.

 

Took their pony, Bella, for a walk: 

 I WANT ONE.

 

Had an amazing walk down "The Snout" with a great view of Marlborough Sounds:

Purdy.

 

And learned how to be a terrible salsa dancer.  We really don't need to see a picture of me and my two left feet, but I learned from some amazing people with unbelievable talent.

 

Side story: the family I stayed with have two younger boys (under 10, I think).  You know, serious props to mothers with sons, because you have to be ready for absolutely anything...  I had just gotten out of the shower when I hear out in the hall "I HAVE TO POOP" and see the doorknob turn.  I scramble to throw on a towel and try to find the right words to say "Please kindly wait two seconds, and I'll be out in a jiffy! [before I get kicked out of this house and arrested for being exposed to a 4-year old]".  Luckily, disaster was averted, but I was quickly informed by the boy that there was another bathroom in his parent's room that he could use, since I was taking so long.  The next day, same 4-year old is running around the house naked, when he suddenly realizes that I'm there.  He screams "STOP LOOKING AT MY PRIVATES!" to which the only suitable response I could come up with was to wail back "THEN PUT SOME PANTS ON!" before I scurried away to hide in my room.  Yup, motherhood is not in the near future...

The rest of the time I have spent getting to know some wonderful family members and getting to meet some awesome cousins of mine.

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, and have a very Happy New Years!

Dumb Decisions on the Tongariro Northern Circuit

These are the conditions of a moron hiking the Tongariro Northern Circuit:

Length of Circuit: 34.6 km, or 21.5mi     (Alright, let's do it!)
Maximum Altitude: 1886m     (Sweet, great views!)
Altitude Differential: approx 790m max    (That's not too bad.)
Pack Weight: approx. 40lbs     (Uh, are you sure?)
My Physical Condition: moderate; previously in a hibernation period for winter where I eat too much and whine about it being too cold to go for a run     (I'm not thinking you're quite prepared for this kind of trek...)
Caloric Consumption: some rice, a small potato, curry seasoning, trail mix, granola bars, and a carrot     (Rabbits have eaten more than this in a day...you really didn't prepare so well...)
Time Duration Chosen to Complete Trail: 2 days     (....Yup, you're seriously a moron.)

The beginning of a love/hate relationship.

So all in all, it was a beautiful hike.  The trek takes you between two active volcanoes, Tongariro and Ngaurahoe (the model for Mount Doom in Lord of the Rings).  You get to see some geothermal areas, Red Crater, the Emerald Lakes, and some pretty beautiful skylines.  The area is so interesting, in that the evidence of prior eruptions has littered the area with black and red lava rock formations.  

Could the real Mount Doom please stand up? 

In the squatting position to avoid being blown over the edge.  

My pack and I were not on speaking terms at this point.

Red Crater

Emerald Lakes

You continue walking through a valley with flint rock, tan and black sand, and large rock formations protruding from random areas of the walk.  Further in, you walk across rolling plains of sand where sparse vegetation has begun to grow and flower.  It was somewhat eery, the lack of presence of noise or wildlife; just the wind rustling the high grasses. 

 Pretty view

Pretty awful view from my campsite the first night...

Then you cross down past a stream and into a forest of beech trees, where you feel like you're in the rainforest.  Birds call an exotic song, the air is humid and chilled, and you can hear water running below.  Out of the forest, it was a long walk across decently flat grasslands.  Easy right? 

Beautiful grasses

In my defense, I was going to make this a 3-day trip, but I met up with some other hikers and continued to press on further before setting up camp.  I hiked about 12 hours that first day...  Oh well, live and learn!  It was an amazing trip, and it felt pretty sweet to say that I saw Mount Doom and hiked through Mordor!

Days 1-3...I think...

Kia Ora Friends!

After a flight delay, missed connection, piss-y US Airways attendant, screaming child sitting next to me, 10-hr layover, and 13-hr flight from LAX to Auckland, I have made it to New Zealand!!  I spent most of the afternoon wandering downtown Auckland and people watching.  My first cultural experience; I passed two Justin Bieber look-a-likes singing on the street.  They were singing Wagon Wheel...REALLY?!?!  Sigh, I guess Tennessee will always find me :)

Why can't we have bars like this in the middle of town??

 In the afternoon, I took the NakedBus (name not representative of expected bus attire) to Rotorua to stay at the Funky Green Voyager backpackers.  I met two other backpackers (Anne and Melanie) who asked if I wanted to travel with them to Wai-O-Tapo.  Step 3, let things happen as they happen, and say yes to adventure when it presents itself.  So off we went.  

Side Notes:
Backpackers lodging: for anyone that hasn't stayed in them, they are a decently inexpensive way to spend the night in cities and to meet other people on their travels.  The cheapest and most common choice is to stay in a dorm, where there are several beds in a large room with communal bathrooms and showers.

Maori: the indigenous people of New Zealand.  They are especially prevalent on the north island, and there is a large concentration in Rotorua.

Wai-O-Tapo: I'm getting there.

Rotorua was like entering a city-size Kraft Paper Mill (or for the non-paper dork, it smelled like rotten eggs from all the sulphur in the area).  It is an active geothermal area, with several geysers, natural hot springs, and a history of volcanic activity.  The naturally heated water attracted the Maori to settle there for easy access to hot water and the ability to cook food in the hot Earth (food referred to as hangi).

Minerals in the water have distinctive coloring.

When you hear air blowing out of the ground and discover its source, do NOT reach down and touch it.  It will burn you.  ( I swear someone told me this, I didn't learn it by burning my fingers.....)

Hot and Cold Springs: Nature's hot tubs.  Water flowing in behind me was cold, while water flowing in from the side was extremely hot.  The mixture makes a wonderful sulfur hot spring to soak in.  Regrettably, it took two days to wash out the smell.

Anne, Melanie, and I spent the day wandering through Wai-O-Tapo, and watched the Lady Knox Geyser be stimulated into eruption by surfactant (...I'm just going to let that one hang...).  For the evening I went to Mitai and watched a traditional haka be performed and had some fantastic hangi (sweet potatoes, chicken, lamb, and other vegetables).  The haka I cannot adequately explain...Please go here for a better visual.

 My fearless backpacker leaders at Lady Knox Geyser. (When I first saw this picture, I thought I needed more sun.  As I sit here burnt to a crisp, I regret that thought...)

Day 3, the adventure continues.  We met a delightful dairy farmer on our travels to Taupo.  She offered us free food and board for the exachange of labor on her farm...Specifically waking up at 4:30am to milk her 360 cows and clean the facility afterwards (seriously, cows should not poop so much!).  Poor Melanie ended the morning with cow poo on her face and in her hair...

I may or may not have entertained myself for part of the day by chasing calves around the field...They were adorably terrified of me, especially when I hid in the high grass and jumped out at them...

First sunset in New Zealand at the farm.  This picture does not do it justice.

Round 1: Before the poo.

The rest of my day we spent in Taupo at Huka Falls.  Tomorrow we move on to Tongariro for some hiking.  I have yet to decide whether to do the one-day hike or continue further on the four-day tramp.  We shall see how my fickle mind feels tomorrow...

Huka Falls

Fun fact; the girls I am staying with both speak French.  I only know a little French, but we are quickly teaching each other important words and phrases.  For instance, I taught them what a "sugar daddy" is and had to define "breeding" for them (animal sex to make babies).  They have taught me that fly (the bug) is le mouch (pronounced moosh, now one of my favorite words), and "J'ai la tete dans le cul", which literally translates to "I have a head in the ass" but more means "I look/feel like shit".  It was also recommended to me to watch a movie that they translated as "The Small Kleenex".  I foresee a hilariously beautiful bonding of countries through our relationship....

Holy crap, I'm heading to New Zealand.  Today.  For 50 days.  If US Scareways thinks they can actually get it together (PLEASE get it together and don't lose my luggage...again...).  But I guess I will accept this as part of the multi-step process of making me more flexible and willing to "go with the flow": 

Step 1, don't freak out over a flight delay that puts some pressure on you making your international flight and creates the potential for them to lose/delay/destroy the bag that holds a large portion of your savings in camping gear.  Check (OK, I may be developing a mild ulcer, but I am NOT freaking out).  

Step 2, embrace the fact that you have absolutely nothing planned about this trip.  Not.A.Damn.Thing.  Che...ck?  For those of you that have spent time with me, you are probably very aware of my addiction to (over)planning trips.  This kind of trip is a first for me.  I'm excited and terrified all at the same time.

The beauty with Step 2 though, is that I get to decide whatever I want this trip to be.  I could find a nice spot of beach and pitch a tent there for the next 50 days.  I could go tramping through the beautiful forests and mountains and possibly go feral (you may call me Tarzana).  I could decide to try every adrenaline-filled activity available; like bungee jumping, paragliding, wind surfing, hitchiking, scuba diving with sharks (my mom just stopped reading), joining the All Blacks rugby team, rock climbing, etc.  I could spend my days sampling all the wine my belly will hold (ruh roh).  Or D, a little of all of the above.

So, I've never done a blog before.  I feel slightly silly and am not really sure what to share, but I'm hoping I get some good pictures and share some stories that will make you laugh at my expense.  If I start getting too sappy and detailed/boring, someone just tell me to shut up and I will tell you about the time I found a penguin and we became best friends (seriously, how cool would that be?!). 

But first, I need to find a place to stay the day I arrive in Auckland.  More to come!