Your Mountains and Seas Challenge the Intrepid Voyager

In response to DEP prompt 37 of 52: “exploring the joys of travel”

New Zealand, how I wish I was still there. You’re an outdoor person’s paradise. I fell in love with your volcanic land and green pastures. I hiked picturesque trails and climbed challenging peaks on both islands. My ears thrilled to the sound of the Kiwi accent. I participated in unique holidays. I volunteered at an Equestrian Center for the Handicapped. I escaped from a bustling city to a rural farm to work with sheep. I absorbed the lifestyle with gusto. You placed my extremities in a stock when it was time to leave. You said I was more of a New Zealander than those born there. It made my eyes fill with tears.

January 1990 we landed on the North Island. My husband, Brent, had a two-year visa to work at Auckland University. He was the Clinical Supervisor for the Department of Optometry. It was a prestigious opportunity. His dream was to be an international speaker.

The University secured lodging for us at the Mt. Eden Motel. It was a short distance from campus, so Brent could walk there. We arrived during the Christmas holiday period. Classes wouldn’t start for three weeks. Time to lease a home from a professor taking a year-long sabbatical. We could use her furniture and kitchen items. We purchased a Toyota from a Budget rental agency. Learning to drive on the wrong side of the road was unnerving.

Kiwis drivers behave in town, but on the highways, their personalities change. They pass on curves and hills with disregard for drivers in the opposite lane. We learned defensive driving techniques. Now our left hand had to shift gears. The turn signals and windshield wipers were the opposite of American cars also.

Auckland is one of the largest cities in New Zealand. Neighborhoods nestle amongst extinct volcano land. A country surrounded by the ocean, marinas overflow with sailing yachts. There are so many hills. Flowering trees and vines, palms, and ferns abound everywhere.

It’s impossible to keep a decent hairstyle for wind is fairly constant. A hole in the ozone layer means you’re apt to sunburn quickly. You definitely need sunblock & a hat for protection. There are many beaches but swimming is hazardous at some. Lamb is plentiful to eat in a variety of forms. A barbecue is very popular with people socially.

Unique attractions exist in Rotorua, known for its steaming pools, hot springs & geysers.

We toured a Maori village and saw warriors paddling a waka, a long war canoe. They were prepping for the Commonwealth Games. They use steam for cooking & heating. We ate typical food prepared in a hangi, an underground steam method. This was followed by Maori songs and war dances. Maori history & influence is everywhere in the names of cities and some slang.

Mt. Tarawera has four colorful craters. We took our grandchildren up there when they visited. After reaching the summit, we plunge stepped down a scree slope to the bottom of one crater. Mountaineers love to descend on scree. It’s nature’s escalator.

The Whitbread Round the World yacht race was in town for a month. They needed to replenish supplies and repair damage. The French boat was rammed by a whale. A hole in the hull needed to be fixed. There was a female British crew participating.

One evening we walked to the Auckland Domain to hear a free concert. The Bank of New Zealand sponsored the event with Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, a famous soprano. The NZ Symphony orchestra accompanied her. For a crowd of 150,000, I never saw such well-behaved people. Most sat on blankets enjoying a picnic meal. Bobbies (police) were present in case of an emergency.

One Tree Hill, a popular park, used sheep to mow their grass. They’re rotated on a regular schedule. I thought it was a wonderful idea. It made a more enjoyable visit without the noise of lawnmowers.

Every January the Anniversary regatta day celebrates NZ’s acceptance under British sovereign rule. Hundreds of sailboats navigate the gulf. Friends offered me the chance to steer their craft by the tiller. I had to concentrate hard on turning. The tiller had to move in the opposite direction I wanted to go. They had considerable faith in me.

Waitomo Caves is famous for its glowworms. A boat takes tourists into the caves to see stalagmites and stalactites. The glowworms resembled thousands of stars in the dark.

Lake Wainamu is a massive long lake popular for beach parties. The access is by walking a long stretch of sand, which felt like being in the Sahara desert.

Tongariro National Park encompasses three volcanic peaks. The highest, Ruapehu, is capable of an eruption at any time. There are signs indicating evacuation routes in that event. I spent many a spectacular time hiking trails around them and climbing all three.

We joined 80,00 people in the Round the Bays run. It is a hilarious benefit for the Children’s Hospital. The entries included wheelchairs, baby strollers, and a wheelbarrow with beer cans. One hospital bed carried four children with a nurse standing on the frame. Her white uniform flapped in the breeze. These people know how to have a good time.

I often drove to the country to help herd sheep and care for cows. The owners were friends of mine. I was taught how to cull the male lambs to sterilize them. I herded them to neighboring paddocks. Colin, the shepherd even taught me how to shear.

Barb, his wife, and I would spend afternoons painting canvases. She was an accomplished artist. The cows were her animals. She saturated hay with molasses for added nutrients and orange pulp came from a local juicing factory.

There is no shortage of hiking trails in NZ. They provide plenty of adventurous experiences. You may find yourself picking routes over rocks and boulders. Hiking down the middle of stream beds is refreshing and cool. You might descend sand dunes. Crossing on swing bridges is so much fun. You’ll pass waterfalls galore. There are inviting rock formations near the ocean. The variety will astound you.

The South Island offers even more challenges. The Milford and Routeburn Tracks are popular tourist destinations. We have hiked both and I recommend them. They are several days in duration. You can stay in cabins on the Milford Track. The staff will light a fire for you in the mornings and serve tea. You can carry a light backpack. And the meals at day’s end are amazing.

The Routeburn is a true backpack. You’ll need a tent and all your gear, including a stove and food. The trail is aptly named. Tree roots galore lie in wait to trip you up.

Mt. Cook National Park gave me wonderful memories. I managed to climb the highest peak of Mt. Cook. It involved ice climbing near the summit. You stay in mountain huts and usually fly to them by bush plane or helicopter.

Christchurch is the largest city and has a definite British atmosphere. This Island has mountain ranges rather than isolated volcanic peaks. Queenstown is another major city. The scenery rivals most countries I’ve visited. Mountains tend to dominate the landscape.

Let us return to the North Island. I want to take you on an arduous hike to give you an example of what you might encounter. The Coromandel Range challenged Erica, a bored teenager, and myself. The guidebook described a moderate backpack of three days. The first night was to be at the Moss Creek Hut.

We lost the trail a couple of times due to poor markings. Eventually, we were on a steep incline. The bush was thick. I wanted a machete to clear the route. For two hours the real adventure kicked in. We had to pull ourselves up inclines by tree roots. At times we had fixed cables to help us. At a rock wall, we had to place our boots in hollowed holes to get up it.

A fixed wooden ladder confused me. It was incongruous but led to a wooden platform in the middle of nowhere. Tired and sweating profusely from the effort, we rested and ate a juicy apple. We were low on water. This had turned into a trial of stamina & endurance. I felt it would be good training for the military.

We were high above the surrounding peaks but stumbled onto a connecting trail to Moss Creek Hut. Our legs welcomed the level ground at last. The route followed rough swampy ground. We slipped on semi-submerged logs. Gooey, sticky mud sucked at our boots. I felt we had entered the Twilight Zone.

Just as I thought we would die, I spied a metal roof ahead. Thank God we were saved. No one was at the hut. The kitchen area was the pits. There were two bunk rooms. We spread our sleeping bags on the porch. We hadn’t paid for lodging. I filtered water from a very low Moss Creek. Our dinner was cooking on our backpack stove when a couple stumbled in from Rhode Island, USA.

They felt the same way we did @ the guidebook. We settled down to sleep and were attacked by mosquitos. Enough of this, we moved into a room & closed the door. Almost asleep when I heard a loud noise of something crawling on the roof. Then it went down the side of the building and scampered onto the porch.

Plastic was rustled from one of our packs. Getting up I spied a wombat critter. Erica said it was an Australian opossum. I scared it off before it seized Erica’s food. The creature stared at me brazenly. Breaking all rules, I grabbed both packs and hauled them inside.

Brilliant stars were out on a calm night. Then without warning a tropical storm fell with a fury. A curtain of rain, we weren’t going anywhere on the morrow. It rained all day without letup. The four of us hung out and decided to leave in the morning as a team. This was in case someone slipped or got injured.

We ate and napped and read. There was a good night’s sleep this time. Despite a steady mist during our descent, all were strong & fast on the muddy trail. The easier trail wasn’t as scenic as ours had been. You can imagine how great it felt to see my car.

Hope you enjoyed exploring the Islands of New Zealand with me. Now do you understand why I miss her so? You should definitely put this country on your bucket list.

This article is my answer to the prompt suggested by Dr. Preeti Singh: “exploring the joys of travel”

Praise to the gracious DEP editors Dr. Gabriella Korosi, Dr. Preeti Singh, Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles, and Annelise Lords to honor your ongoing commitment to uplifting others.

Please read Caroline de Braganza’s post about the power of music. Your problems should never define you. Music can lift you up and beyond. You won’t be able to restrain your tears. Definitely listen to all the videos. Nightbirde’s words of wisdom should inspire us all. “You can’t wait until life isn’t hard any more before you decide to be happy.”

Annelise Lords writes a powerful article on the understanding and value of children.