Pictures from my road trip...sorry no story yet.

Hitch-hike to Queenstown

Last Thursday, I was talking with some friends about who was doing what for the weekend. I had no plans, and was hoping to catch a ride out of town...to where, I didn't care so long as it was somewhere new. Everyone who was going someone I wanted to go had a full car...everyone who was going somewhere I'd already been was begging for others to split the gas with. My flatmate ,Curt's, family had arrived and they were all heading to Queenstown for the weekend. It was #1 on my list of places to see. Unfortunately their car was full as well. Kat, Curt's friend from home, also had an interest in weekending in Qtown (as it's become known). When I mentioned hitching out there, she surprised me and insisted that we do. We met the next day at noon.

We caught a ride out of Dunedin with a friend. You never get any luck inside city limits. I assumed that with Kat on my side (see bottom picture) we'd have no problem catching a ride. Unlucky for us, almost every car that past us for the first hour was driven by a middle-age woman (not exactly our target market). It was a guy in his mid thirties who worked in the pest control business that gave usour first hitch. I sat Kat upfront, guessing she was probably the reason he stopped. Being that he spoke primarilly to her, I assume I was correct. Although he lacked any sense of appropriateness, we didn't complain when he decided to go out of his way and hitch us an extra 45min. We got dropped in a town that was literally one block in size. There was a bar/store, a couple houses, and a sheep farm. That was it. We walked a few hundred yards, to a spot where two roads came together and ran towards Queenstown. Although there wasn't much traffic, we caught a ride with a man in his mid 40's/50's who had been in Dunedin to see his son, and get some surfing in. He was a nice guy and got us about 10miles outside of Qtown. From there we hitched two short rides into the center of the city. We arrived just in time for sunset, and it was beautiful.

Kat and my flatmate Curtis had a friend, Steve, that lived there who was willing to give us a place to stay for the weekend. He got off work at 8, so Kat and I got dinner at Furgburger (a world famous burger joint found only in Qtown, NZ). I paid NZ-9$ (U.S.-$6.50) for a cheeseburger that blew my mind. The beef was amazing...the toppings were amazing...the special sauce was out of this world. It was by far the best burger I have ever eaten. We met with Kat's friend Steve at the same time we found Curt and his family. They drove us to their condo on the west end of town. Besides the fact that the place was 1st class all the way, Curt's dad passed out some beers to us guests, while Curt made dinner for his family. Afterwards we all drove up to Steve's flat, which was just up the hill. By that time it was dark, and we had no view of the city. We hung out for awhile, drove back to Curt's condo to drop off the car, and walked to town for some drinks and a game or two of pool. We made it to bed around 1am that night...Saturday was to be busy.

I woke up Saturday morning, to a beautiful day, and an incredible view (see next picture). This was the view from the deck of Steve's house. After I got over the view, it was time to figure out what to do that day. Kat and I desperately wanted to find something to jump off of. Queenstown, besides being beautiful, is known as the adrenaline capital of the world. Whether it be boogie-boarding down grade 3 rivers, or bungee jumping, it's hard to not do something "extreme" while your there. We walked about 30min down to the center of town, and started looking for things to do. I wanted to bungee jump or skydive...but I preferred to have some company. She had already bungeed, and skydiving was too expensive. We asked around, and decided that the "Shotover (a river) Canyon Swing" was right down our alley. We booked a 3pm visit. Having about 3hrs to kill, we decided to get to the top of the main hill in Qtown. The gondala was too expensive, so we started to hike. It took us the better part of an hour to get to the top, but when we arrived, it was worth it. There is a very large cafe'/restaurant/observation building that juts off the top of the hill. Almost entirely comprised of giant, blue, glass windows, it was a perfect place to sit, take pictures, and grab a bite to eat. We sat on the deck, and enjoyed the view (see pics 4,5, & 6).

At 3pm we were picked up by the Canyon Swing Van...during the 20min ride to the location, we watched a video of all the different ways you could jump off. The swing process consists of three main parts. 1) Choosing how you want to jump off, and waiting as the operators have their way with your nerves while you stand at the edge...saying "we've just got to connect the main line," as they bump you over the edge, and other cruel methods of getting a good laugh. 2) Jumping off and free falling for 60 meters (4.5 seconds). 3) Swinging out across the canyon, and realizing that you are still alive...and having one hell of time. Kat and I jumped 3 times (thanks in large part to a $5 second/third jump charity promotion). The first time, and after 30s of intense hesitation, I jumped off feet first. It was a rush I've never felt before. The second time, I fell backwards. I knew what was coming, but the fact that I couldn't see where I was going made it even more intense than the first. The third jump (thanks to some flirting on Kat's part...nobody else got one) I fell in a style that they call "Gimp Goes to Hollywood." Apparently its famous or something. Your harness goes between your legs, around your waste, and over your shoulders. The corde you're attached to extends from your belly-button. This jump entails being suspended off of the platform, back to ground below, feet towards the cliff. I then was told to lean back and wrap my feet around the corde, so that I was held upside-down and vertical, with my back towards the canyon wall (see next picture). Then I was dropped. You'd think that it would have been the scariest of the 3, but to be honest the free-fall was the most relaxed 4.5s I've ever had. I could see the ground the entire time, and it felt like flying. It was surreal. I can't explain it, it was just awsome. I was in a state of complete relaxation for the next 3-4 hours.

We got back to the house, and Steve (works at Subway) had brought back his "special sub" for Kat and I to try. Probably the best sub I've ever tried...would also have been the most expensive, had I had to pay for it. Curt and his family had left, so Kat, Steve, his flatmates, and I all decided to take a night on the town. The bars in Queenstown are a lot of a fun. Steve knew almost every bouncer by name, so we never had to wait in line. We also got cheap drinks at most places. We hopped from one to the next, enjoying the different themes at each. We finally ended up at a large sports bar called "Altitude" at around 1am. It was packed, but we managed to find a couch in time for the big English League soccer match. Chelsea was playing Manchester United. We only stayed for the first half of play, but it was a great time thanks to the atmosphere created by all of the routy British tourists.

Kat and I had planned to catch a bus back to Dunedin on Sunday. Unfortunately, it had unexpectedly filled up. We found this out at 1:30pm. We had to hitch again to make it back for class on Monday, and knew it was a 4.5hr drive + hitch time. We caught a bus to the outskirts of town, and walked/waited for 30min for our first hitch. It only got us 10 miles outside of town...same place we had been dropped at on the way in. By then it was 2:30. We started to get a bit nervous when 3:30 rolled around and we were still there. We didn't want to get stuck in the dark, and were about to switch sides of the road. Luckily a woman picked us up and hitched us an hour in our direction. We had been waiting near an apple stand for 30min when a man in a brand new Honda Accord (rare to be picked up by nice cars) pulled out from the apple stand, and asked where we were going. Lucky for us, he was going to Dunedin himself. He was a doctor who had been in Queenstown for the weekend. He hitched us the entire way back, and dropped us off at Kat's doorstep. I offered to help pay for gas, but he turned me down saying, "nope, you kept me awake with a good conversation...always nice to meet someone new." And that was that. Our weekend adventure was over.

Since then, I haven't done much. Today I gave a presentation for one of my classes...it went very well. Afterwards I sat by the river that runs through campus and got some video of salmon jumping up the rapids on their way up stream. Thursday night I'm going to camp out with some friends in a large, open cave that is at a nearby beach. On Saturday I'll be kayaking with some friends at the Waiori River, which is about an hour west of town. Those are about all of my plans. I've finished all my school work for the semester, and now I'm just waiting for finals to start on the 7th of June. Take it easy.
-Ben

Decided to add another picture

It is a picture of the flat we stayed at, and the group that lives there. From left to right, Alex-19yrs (Kiwi), Brooke-18 (Aussie), Sam- 23 (British), Kat-20 (my hitchin-buddy), and Steve-18 (Canadian)...we were a multi-cultural crowd.

Ps. Due to parental demand, I will work to get pictures of just ME with PRETTY backgrounds.

Day trip to Tunnel Beach

This was the highlight of my weekend. I've got some good video of this place as well. Go figure, it's only 20min from my apartment.

Forget Cancun

This past week I went on spring break (fall break in NZ). Most people go to a warm beach towns like Cancun (here they go to Australia). I went to a small town in nowhere-land New Zealand. It was not warm, it rained every morning and evening, and I was camping. It was the best break...ever.

The kayaking club met at our shed at 7am on Sunday April 8th. We were on our way to Murchison; a paddling Mecca of sorts. There were about 25-30 of us packed into 2.5vans each towing our gear for the week. It was so remeniscent of spring training for crew, it was almost making me nervous. The van ride was about 11hrs long, and we only turned twice the entire trip...two lefts...one in Christchurch to go west...the other in Murchison to pull into the campground. The highway system here isn't very extensive...highway 1 runs the perimeter of the south island...I think highway 2 is what we took from Christchurch to Murchison...I don't believe there is a highway 3. I may be exagerating, but believe me, paved roads are minimal once you get outside of cities. Anyway, the ride was simply amazing. After getting through the Canterbury Plains, we crossed into the mountain region. The road traversed a long section of foothills. To our left was a huge (talking many many miles) river basin. Most of it was green, but in the center was a large expanse of grey river rock bording an aqua green river. I'm going to stop with the fluff I suppose, but it really was breathtaking.

We arrived at the campground at around 7pm. Apparently we had asked for a lot in the back, so as not to disturb the other campers. Unfortunately, the manager didn't think it necessary. We weren't routy, or obnoxious, but by the time we got off the river our first day the rest of the campers had moved to the opposite side of the campground. Honestly, how quiet can 30 college students be when on a spring break kayaking trip?

The first day of boating was relatively tame. The rivers were warm ups. I was eager to get out on some "real water". That night around the fire, a few of the guys were talking about doing an instructor's run down the Lower Matak (grade 3/3+). I said I'd like to join, and knowing that I had some experience, they agreed. They described it as a creeking run (series of technical drops) that you can paddle in a playboat (what I've got). I was hesitant, being that I've never done any creeking before, and that they insisted that Americans over-grade their rivers for difficulty. Nevertheless, I decided to go for it. We put in, and the 1st of 2 main rapids was our warm up. It was a series of small drops/chutes, after which you needed to catch certain eddies. I was caught a bit off guard, but made it through the first main rapid just fine. When peeling out of and eddy near the bottom of the first rapid, my stern was caught by the current and I went vertical (the problem with running that kind of water in a playboat)...then upside down. To my dismay, it was somewhat shallow, and I got a bit of a beating against the bottom of the river for the duration of the rapid. I couldn't get my paddle around to roll, and after hitting a rock which knocked it out of my right hand I pulled the cord. I haven't had to swim while kayaking in a long time. The beating to my ego was the worst part of the experience. I finished the run without any other difficulties. I did conclude that the Kiwis were right. Americans do over-grade their rivers. What they called a grade 3 run, we would have considered a grade 4. We ran two more rivers that day, but I honestly can't remember what they were. I don't believe they were anything exciting.

The next day we paddled a run called Grannity. The highlight of it was a grade 3/3+ gorge section. It was about 75yds long, and dropped over 20ft. Unlike creeking, this was "big water". It wasn't so much technical as it was big and fast. We stopped above it to scout, and I decided that I'd run the left line. It involved an immediate 4ft drop/chute into a wave train, after the wave train, there were 2 semi-sticky holes to punch through, and a big buffer wave that pushed you away from a hard right hand turn & wall just above the bottom drop. I ran the first drop fine... the the first hole fine...but at the 2nd hole, I was slowed down enough that my stern caught. I went vertical. Luckilly, this time, I managed to stay upright by overhead bracing. I was just leveling out again when I hit the bottom buffer wave, and got flipped in the air as I was going over the final small drop. It must have looked really cool from the shore. This time I rolled up...as one should. The rest of that run was fairly easy. I can't remember what we paddled that afternoon. That evening, I realized that my seat was WAY too far back. Hence the alway going vertical. Changing it made a world of difference.

Thursday we ran the Buller Earthquake Run. The section was created in 1929 when a major earthquake hit the region, and changed the flow of the river. What was once flat water, is now whitewater. Its know for its big-water characteristics. What a fun run. It was all grade 2+/3 water (keep in mind, this is NZ scale), so perfect. As far as characteristics, it was primarilly big waves/holes and strong eddy lines. Some of the waves were easily 5-6ft trough to crest. It was not uncommon to catch air off of them. (Nora, the wave-trains were like the one at the bottom of the initial drop at Wausau...except about 2x as high...and there were a lot more waves in them. The surfing was awsome. Unfortunately, the water was lower than usual (despite the fact that it rained almost every morning). The major rapid on that run, Gunslinger, was hardly even there. It's normally a 200yd stretch of big waves, bigger holes, and little hope of getting to the shore until you're at the bottom (I saw a video). This day, it was pretty tame. Even the new paddlers ran it. The low flow did create a nice little wave/hole to surf. This run was by far the most fun.

Friday I didn't paddle. It wasn't entirely my choice, but I volunteered to drive shuttle for a few of the more experienced paddlers to a 4+ creeking run. The drive was beautiful. It was just green mountains, rolling grassy hills, and us. After driving for about 45min down old dirt roads, we finally got to the put in. They paddled the run in about an 1.5hrs, but rain slowed our drive back. We missed the main group for that day's paddling. I was a little disappointed, but enjoyed the break. That night was the big party. It was called "Court Session". Essentially, you are held accountable for all the stupid stuff you've said/done during the course of the week (there had been a box to leave accusations in). I'm not going to get into any specifics, but the throne I am sitting on the in the previous post's picture should give you an idea of type of night we had. It was a fun evening.

The next day, our group had only two goals. The first of which was to paddle off of Muraia Falls (see waterfall picture from previous post...or just click on the link). The second, going home, was most difficult to cope with. Honestly, who wants to realize that a week like that is over? As crazy as some people might think were for paddling over a 30ft waterfall, it really isn't that difficult. You just kind of...paddle off. The consequences for screwing up (over rotating, running the wrong line, or losing your paddle at the bottom) weren't actually too bad. Though really, really powerful, it typically spits you out quickly. It wasn't so high that land flat would break your neck...you might just not want to move for awhile. Anyway, I ran it, and it was awsome. I would have done it again if we'd have had the time. The feeling of falling over the edge is nothing but surreal. It was actually kind of peaceful. I ran a sweet line, and didn't over rotate, so when I finally hit water, I just sliced into foam....and then got tossed like a twig for about 4 seconds. I was only under for 4 seconds, and in that time I was flipped bow over stern two full times. My paddle was ripped from my right hand during the second loop, but luckily my left hung on. I rolled up fine, and was running on adrenaline for the next 30min. It was awsome.
The van ride back to Dunedin was even more boring after having just done that.

Since break, I've been kept busy with assignments and exams. I haven't been able to travel on the weekends, and it's starting to get to me. I'm hoping to catch a bus out to the Dunedin Penninsula this weekend. Its only about 30min away, and is apparently spectacular. I'll obviously have my camera. As far as other adventures, I am saving the best stops for last. My goal right now is to hit Queenstown in the next 2-3 weeks before final exams come around. It is one of the most scenic areas in NZ. It's also the adventure capital of the world. If seems so crazy it's stupid...you can probably do it there. I will be leaping from the world's highest operating bungee jump...Nevis. 134m of free fall (8.9s), another 50-60m while slowing down. It's something I've planned to do since before I was even accepted to study here. I can't wait. I'll let you know when the time comes around.

Till then, I hope everyone is doing well. I certainly am. Mom/Dad, I'm sorry for not calling on Monday. I was finishing my history paper and completely forgot until it was too late. I'll call Sat. evening 7-8ish (your time). Take it easy.
-Ben

In the Meantime...

I'm working on a full report for my fall break this past week. It may take some time. Here are some pictures I took along the way. For a cooler view of the bottom picture, click on the this link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhYaKBXDQ5g (highly recommended). Enjoy.

For those not informed...

So the whole dating thing...it was a clever ploy to scare my parents on April Fools Day. I had "my girlfriend" come over and speak with my parents for a few minutes today on the phone. Afterward, before she had to rush off to practice, she said very loudly "Tell them the good news Ben!"... (Oh sweet perfection) ... I then informed my parents that I had actually been dating her for about a month...and that I was pretty sure she was the one...and that we were talking about marraige.

1-semester abroad...many dollars, 1-international phone card... $10. Hearing a heart attack from across the world...PRICELESS.

Anyway, thought I should inform those of you who were out of the loop. No, I am not in a serious relationship with Kiwi....but I've still got a few months.

Finally, some Kayaking

This past weekend I went with the University's Kayaking Club to paddle the Rangitata River near Christchurch. I had no idea how many people were going until I arrived at the boathouse Friday afternoon. We had around 25 people of all abilities in the group (see the boat trailer picture, and add about 8 boats). It was scary how similar the group/travel process is compared to the Crew Team at the UofM. Not only did the prominant members in the group act the same, but some even looked similar to their respective counterparts in crew. To those of you who would know...a girl named Jess looks/acts exactly like Maggie (coxswain). A guy named Clem looks/acts exactly like Nate Handle. Anyway, the drive took about 4hrs. Myself, Marene, and Virgine' (two new French girls) rode separate from the vans with a guy named DJ. It wasn't as though we rode separate for being internationals...I chose to ride with him, because it was better than being in a cramped van. The French girls knew me, so they asked to come along. The drive was awsome. I hadn't been north of Dunedin (at least on the S. island) before. It was nothing but long streches of uninhabitted beach bordered by giant, green, rolling hills. For awhile, we drove along an enormous bay that was receeding with the tide. By the time we reached the north end, there was almost no water to been seen. It was really wild.

*I made the mistake of leaving my camera in my bag, so I don't have any pictures of the drive yet. I will be travelling that route again in 2 weeks, so I WILL get some.*

The majority of the drive was in the dark, and it got REALLY foggy. For Mom, Dad, Wes, and Grandma, it reminded me of the drive from the airport to our house the first night in Costa Rica. We arrived at the campground around 10:30pm. The main camp was taken up by a military search and rescue training camp. We were put by ourselves about 1/2mi away. That night, we basically just set up our tents and went to bed. Other than a small campfire and a few people playing the guitar and bongo drum, there wasn't much to speak of.
I woke up at about 6:30am with the sun shining right in my tent. By the time other people were crawling out, I had already cooked breakfast and cleaned my dishes (why I can't do this in Quetico, I'm not sure Dad). The put-in for the section we were doing was just south of a class 4 run. Our run never got above class 2+. Despite the fact that it was REALLY easy, it was still a lot of fun. Besides enjoying the scenery (large, less green, hills...and lots of bush), my new boat kept me entertained even on the frequent sections of flat water. I LOVE my All-Star (the boat name grandma). We even ran across two or decent play features on the 4hr paddle. When we go to the takeout, and a few of the group members decided to run the upper gorge. Had they been willing to take a couple hours to rest up/eat up, I'd have been gung-ho. Unfortunately, their plan was to head straight there (good plan, being that they almost had to paddle the last rapid in the dark). I went back to the camp and ate up. After the gorge group returned (8ish), the festivities began. It was basically just a big campfire, a bunch of music, and beer...there was some glow frisbee as well. The kiwis sucked at frisbee...I think it must just be an American thing. The next morning, we paddled the lower section again. The water had gone down a bit, but it was still a fun time. The play features had changed some, so that kept the more advanced boaters content.

Other than packing up and driving home, that was basically my weekend. I got to meet a bunch cool people, see a new part of the country, and finally get some paddling in. I'm really looking foward to our fall break the week after next. The group heads to Murchinson (basically kayaker's heaven...15 rivers within 45min) for a week. It's also in one of the most scenic parts of NZ. I can't think of a better way to spend a break.

In other news, I'm officially dating someone now (as of Monday afternoon)...my partner in dance class, Angie. We've been hanging out quite a bit when she's in town (she competes nationally in lifeguarding competitions, and has been training/competing out of town on the weekends). Anyway, we've decided to give it a shot. I'm pretty happy about the whole situation, she's a really cool girl (with an awsome accent no less). She has off from competitions during fall break, and I think I've almost convinced her to give kayaking a shot (fingers crossed). Mom, I'm pretty sure you'd approve...but I'm sure I'll hear about it anyway. And yes, of course, I'll do my best to get a picture.

I hope everyone is doing well. I certainly am. The next week or so is going to be a bit hectic. I've got a major paper due next Thursday, and a group presentation to start on. Needless to say, I won't be going anywhere this weekend. Yes, I am still managing to focus on schoolwork...somehow. Mom/Dad, I plan to call Sat. around 6/7pm (your time). Cheers,
-Ben
ps. Pictures are loading WAYYY slow right now. I will try them again tomorrow.

Another Week

Well, there's not much to report for this past week. It's feeling a lot more like normal school. My weekly schedule consists of class, gym, and homework. It seems a lot like being home...with a much better backdrop. This past weekend was St. Patty's Day, and Kiwis celebrate just about as much as they do in the U.S. A few of us got together and a bought a keg of St. Patty's Day Green Beer from a brewery just down the street. We set it up on a picnic table outside and played cards for the majority of the day. You'd be amazed at the number of people who want to meet you when you've got a keg...then again, it's a college town. Sunday I borrowed my roommate's car and drove 4hrs to Te Anuau to pick up my kayak (same town we stopped in on the way to Fjiordlands). I had to wait a couple hours for the woman who was holding it for me, but spent the time talking to a Swedish girl/woman (mid 20's) who worked at a small tourist information center. She moved from Sweden about 6months ago, because she fell in love with the area. She didn't even have a job lined up. It seems to be a fairly common story here though. I'm not sure whether to think of it as having big balls or a lack of brains. Either way, I've yet to meet anyone like her that is unhappy with their decision.
So, anyway, after a few hours of waiting I picked up my kayak.

That basically sums up my last ten days or so. Right now, I'm just waiting for Friday when I leave for Christchurch to go kayaking with the Canoe/Kayak group here at the university. I should have some nice pictures to accompany my next blog. Till then.

Fiordlands...

(I'd like to appologize for the lack of pictures in this...technical difficulties. I am posting two that a friend took.)


We left last Thursday afternoon in a haze of confusion. Myself and 13 other international students decided to rent two vans and travel to Fjiorland National Park and the Milford Sound area on the west coast. My friend Lauren organized the whole thing, but she was really the only one who knew what exactly was going on. I thought we were doing a 3 day hike (with 14 people, that'd be idiotic). Even the day of, I had no idea when/where to meet, until I bumped into another friend that was going as well. We were supposed to meet at 4:30 at the museum on campus (why...I'm not sure...6 or 7 of us live in the same complex). I got out of class at noon, and still needed to buy a textbook, buy food for the trip, pack my bag, and stop by the library. At 1pm, I was informed that I'd be sole driver of the 2nd van. Nice to know.

We packed everyone in and left around 5pm. It was supposed to take 5.5hrs during the day...we'd have to make the last quarter (literally, the most dangerous roads in NZ) at night. We lost the other van about 1.5hrs outside of our final destination...they had forgotten that we had to drop off two of our van members for a separate hike. Being that there was only 1 road to where we were going, we just kept going. Fast foward 2hrs...it was dark, we'd just driven 3/4mi through a mountain via unlit, creepy-ass tunnel, hadn't seen a vehicle in over an hour, and had no idea where we were (except that on either side of the road was a long drop. We pulled over to think things through. A few moments later, we saw lights coming from the tunnel a few hundred feet above. It was the other van. After a few profanities were exchanged, we followed them to where we had planned to camp. Unfortunately, no reservations had been made. It was full...the office was closed, so we couldn't get suggestions. We were also low on gas...just under 1/4 tank. We decided to camp on one of the pull-offs just on the other side of the tunnel. Half slept in the vans, while the others slept on the rocks. In the morning we were awoken by a flock of pissed off Kea's (mountain parrots). They were divebombing us, and pecking at our vehicles. I felt like I was in a Hitchcock film. We left as soon as possible, but it wasn't easy. We had camped in in a horseshoe shaped valley, about 200 feet below the top of a mountain. On the peaks were small glaciers, and around us were tall, thin water falls. It was breathtaking (sorry, but these pictures would not upload from my camera).

That day we found a small campground, and went on three separate hikes. The first was to the top of small mountain (just above the lowest cloud level). The second was to a lake 3/4 the way up a mountain we could see in the distance from our first hike (the glacial lake I standing in, and later swam in, in the pictures I sent last week). The third was not nearly as fun, being that it only took 3omin to walk. All in all we hiked for about 10hrs that day. The next day we did another 5hr hike to a scenic river just east of Milford Sound. Except for the biting sand flies, the river and its scenery were perfect.

We camped above a large near Gore that night, and left the next day. It's hard not to elaborate on the individual hikes and subplots in this mini-adventure...but it would take a very long time. I'm long winded as it is. The gist of the story is that despite driving a van full of people through dangerously distracting roads/scenery...on the wrong side of the car/road (at night sometimes)....and swimming in/cliff diving into freezing glacial lakes....nobody got injured, and we all had an awsome time. The scenery was spectacular, and I cannot wait to return for more.

Thumbs Up to the Catlins

Last Wednesday I was asked by friend, Mark, if I'd like to leave the week long party known as "O-Week". He suggested taking a 3-4 day trip south through the Catlins. I agreed to the proposal, and we were to leave the next day. After finally catching a bus at the train station (we missed the first one), we were on our way to Barclutha (a small town about 1.25hrs south...15miles from the shore). Our goal was to reach the ocean by nightfall. We arrived in the town, and that was about it. We had no real plan on how to get to the Pacific. We decided to start walking East. After about 45min of walking through the country, we started "thumbing"...hitchhiking. Soon thereafter, we were in a car with a young guy and girl who were studying at a sheep farming school in the direction we were going. After passing their stop (after about 5min of driving), they said that they would drive us all the way to the beach. About 20min and a long dirt road later...there it was. We arrived in Kaka Point a small town of about 200 people; almost all of whom were sheep farmers. Once again, we started walking...this time south...down the beach. Unlike the beaches we think of, there were only a few small houses in sight...it was just a long long strech of empty beach. In the distance were giant bluffs and a lighthouse. We had about 4hrs of light left (4pm), and we made the bluffs our new goal for the day (see 3rd to last picture). After a few hours of hiking, we ran across a house and decided to ask to fill up our water bottles. The owner suggested stopping halfway up the bluffs to take a look at the penguin reserve on the back side. We had another goal to add to the list. Once again we started walking, switching back and forth between beach and gravel. When we were about 1/4mi from the bluffs, a man in a van (see 4th to last picture) stopped and asked if we would like a place to stay for the night. Although we had planned to tent our way around, we decided to take him up on the offer (hesitantly). He drove us up to see the penguins and the lighthouse, and gave us a local's tour. It was awsome (see next 2 pictures). We got back to "his" house. He does repairs for a friend in return for a place to stay in the fall. I'd say it was a good deal...the place was right on the shore. Francis (his name), Mark, and I were having a glass of wine when an old woman crossed the street to see who the visitors were. She then invited us all over for tea. Gene was a great host, who clearly enjoyed having new people to talk with. Her stories were fascinating (she had toured the world with her father, a horse trainer). After tea, Mark and I went back with Francis and were treated to food/drink yet again. He is a botanist and a vegitarian. His cooking speciality is juicing vegitables...basically the only way he eats. That night we drank sea-weed, cucumber, carrots, ginger, grass, green pepper...the list goes on. The next morning he drove us to another destination we had hoped to see. It is called Jack's Blowhole. It is a deep virtical hole (about 100ft deep and about twice that in diameter) that is fed with water through a 200m tunnel in the face of a cliff. As water hits the cliff, it pulses water through the tunnel and blows it out...Jack's Blowhole. It was low tide, so not overly dramatic, but still worth watching for 15-20min. The next picture in the sequence is a veiw from above Jack's Bay (just above his blowhole). In far right distance of the picture, you can see the small islands from the previous picture. After walking back to the van, we asked if we could help him with anything in return for his generosity. He asked us to help him collect food. The next picture was what we had to work with. At the time there was about a foot less water. The kelp beds were still very present. For about an hour, we walked around filling buckets with certain sea-weeds, plants, and kelp. He even served up some raw delicacies on the spot (all the aforementioned + sea-snail & clam). It was the coolest thing I've done in...a long long time.

We soon parted ways with Francis and hitched to a small town not far away. We discovered that there was a substantial hiking trail about 15miles away. It was supposed to take about 5hrs to hike, and have a campground at the end (finally we'd get to pitch a tent). We hired a taxi to get us there, and started our hike following a small river (see next two pictures). Skip the next 3hrs 45min...yeah, beat the quoted hike time...with packs on. We got to the campground...but Mark wasn't happy with the location. He wanted to camp on a BIG hill. So...back we went...about 15min up the trail. We crossed the river, and comprimised on a smaller hill to save our legs. The next picture was the view from our campsite. That night was cool...I used sheep shit to help start a fire...almost as good as the buffalo chips from the movies. The next day we crossed back over the river by slided down a fallen tree (so as to keep our feet as dry as possible). It was intense at the time. We walked for about 3hrs down an empty dirt road towards the main road that we'd be able to hitch from. We stopped to fill our water bottles up at the only building we had seen all morning. It was a small lodge that was under construction. While filling up, the only two men there came over to see who we were. They promptly asked if we wanted a ride...then took us back to their house for lunch. They took about an 1.5hr break to sit and talk...made us get out maps and mark where we were from. They were travelling to Dunedin (my town) that evening, and offered a ride if we would wait the 4hrs until they left. They then suggested we try and hitch our way back to save some time. If worst came to worst, they would pick us up if they saw us on the road (only one road along the coast). We never did see them again...we were in Dunedin before 4pm. We had no problem hitching rides. Each person was as eager to find out about us as we were to save our legs. It was a damn good exchange.

Since then, I haven't travelled anywhere. School started on Monday. It is done a bit differently over here. Final exams are typically worth 50% of the final grade. One of mine is worth 60%. This semester I am taking Operations Management, International Management, NZ/Aus. History, and Fundementals of Dance...for a total of 16credits. My dance class is a joke...the professor is a bit...out there. The course is not really about learning any styles of dance...it's about integrating our mind, body, and spirt with the earth that surrounds us. The only thing that concerns me is that the major project requires me to create a self-descriptive dance with a partner...I really hope I have the skills to bullshit my way through that one. The other three classes are fairly legit...with concessions to the guys at 1165...not my fault your in engineering classes. Well, I think that's about it...my great adventure thus. This weekend we'll be leaving for the west coast...not hitching either. I'm sure I'll enough to write though.
Cheers,
-Ben