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.