If it's Tuesday, it must be Belgium.

Ken and Peg invited me for a lovely picnic at Kaitoke Regional Park.

Church built in 1896.

Ken and Peg in their front yard in Tawa.

Peg and me.

Guinea hens

No, I am not in Belgium. Nor am I going to Belgium. "If it's Tuesday, it must be Belgium" is one of the many things I learned from my new friends Peg and Ken these past two days. It's the title of an old movie, and from what I understand, it's about people travelling through Europe who have missed the whole point of travelling by rushing through on a tightly orchestrated tour and schedule. Peg and Ken have done a lot of travelling and living overseas over the years, and they said what lingers in the memory, when all else is brushed away with the fine-toothed comb of time, is the people and the stories. I am beginning to see that this is true for me as well.

I have been doing a little reflecting myself, since my time in New Zealand is coming to an end after five months. My favorite landscapes are still pretty freshly seared in my brain, but already, my mind drifts to conversations and stories that are bits of luminescent but often tangled and sticky webs that makes up life. Lots of happy, tender, quirky stories that give me delight, and some sadder ones that make me wish I have the supernatural power to meddle in other people's business...in a constructive but potentially disasterous fashion...

I think about unicycles, good chocolate, an American Thanksgiving BBQ in Christchurch, quality meat from a local butcher that shrinks less than cheap meat in France, trail running, a cyclist from Chico, the Taiwanese girl I met again in Te Anau, ginger beer and the people who love it, the now familiar German accent, Volkswagons, making and sharing guacomole in a hostel kitchen, Romulo who gave me his favorite latin songs, a cat that doesn't like water, talking on the beach on a starry night in Bay of Islands, a dawn rooster across the river, sharing Montheith's Summer Ale and Radler, wet tents, the awful smell of burning coal...

Kiwis who have asked if I am "Red Indian" (there have been two), if I voted for Bush (you Americans are liars, I've yet to meet an American who voted for him)... So many people. So many stories. Lots of people have asked why I am spending five months in such a small country. I usually say it's because I plan to do a lot of tramping and that takes a lot of time. But really it takes a lot of time to meet people and know how they see their country through what they tell you and what they show you. I wanted to know what it is like to be a New Zealander today: the politics, music, cheese, history, culture, sports (a D on this one), recreation (see picnic, above), sense of identity........
I am happy to report that I achieved varying degrees of success on all topics (including tasty cheese, marmite, pavlova, and 0.32407% milkfat), and can now have an intelligible conversation with any kiwi [plus or minus two "huh"?], AND maybe even teach him/her a thing or two... For instance, did you kiwis know that there are now affordable baches made from old shipping containers that can be transported to the coastal property of your choice for summer barbies on the beach under pohutakawas???

...It's not Tuesday yet, and it surely won't be Belgium!

A day in the life of a (stationary) traveller

Today I woke up early for my appointment at the Travel Clinic to get vaccines for southeast Asia. Very nice people but expensive: consultation (80), tetanus (15), typhoid (55). I opted not to get the rabies vaccine because it's a series (which I wouldn't be able to finish in NZ) and it's several hundred dollars! However, if I do get rabies, the first shot for treatment is two thousand dollars, apparently (in what currency, I don't know, proly NZD). Life is always a bit of a gamble, isn't it? So the doctor said to stay away from mammals! Even a scratch or a lick on an open cut would do it. Scary business. And I'm supposed to wear light colors, no fragrances, and float in a cloud of DEET to prevent mosquito bites so I would reduce my chances of getting malaria. Add it all up and you can see why I needed to have dim sum (yum char) afterwards with my friend Christine to celebrate simply being alive! [There are certainly nice things about travelling in an english-speaking, clean, nice country like NZ where I've never had to worry about the water or the chances of getting food-borne diseases. Speaking of which, because tourists drink only bottled water, the nurse said that region is littered with plastic bottles...sad.]

Dim sum at Majestic Restaurant was scrumptious. Very nice textures and flavours on par with SF Chinatown and San Jose. However, the hostess interrupted us at 12:45 to let us know we had overstayed our welcome, and pointed to our tab on which "12:15" was written! Neither one of us had seen that. Apparently people were waiting for our table. I've never seen such a thing! So we slooowly finished our tea.

Afterwards, we went over to Te Papa, the national museum of NZ, for a special exhibit on Pompeii. It was well done. Especially moving were the plaster casts of people in their final positions as they suffocated from Vesuvius' gases and ash...The volcano hadn't erupted in several hundred years, so they were caught by surprise in 76AD. About 2000 of the town's 15,000-20,000 people died. Many slaves and poor people. There was a wonderful 3D movie on this last fatal day showing the progression of events. You could see the flying ash and almost feel the somber terror of the people underneath the terra cotta rooftops. Besides that fateful day, the exhibit documented typical life in Pompeii. Few people had private baths in their houses, so they bathed in public bathhouses where, to get cleaned up, their skin was scraped by slaves using a monstrous looking metal scraper after an application of oils and pumice. This was before the time of soap. I love soap. Also, cleaners got togas white and sparkling clean by using ammonia, which comes from urine. So these shops had corner collection buckets for people to pee in. Now for dining, if you were rich and powerful, you got to eat while reclining as slaves passed you platters of food. The less fortunate had to eat sitting up. Now the people of Pompeii put graffiti up all over the place because it was a primary means of public expression. They were a very funny people as evidenced by this graffiti. One read, "If you don't believe in Venus, have you seen my girlfriend?"

I made a beautiful veggie and goat cheese pizza with homemade crust.

Other accomplishments: I finally sorted out a rough itinerary for southeast Asia and bought plane tickets. An unexpected surprise is I'm spending a week in Malaysia! Hadn't planned on it, but the plane flys into Kuala Lumpar from Perth, so I'm taking advantage of the opportunity.

Quiz time: Who remembers the strategic significance of the Strait of Malacca from their World History?

Christmas in Wellington

I made coconut "whiskers" or "haystacks".

I am in Wellington for the last part of my New Zealand adventures, house-sitting for my relatives who are holidaying in Japan and China. I celebrated Christmas with my friend Christine and her family, enjoying a lovely feast and conversation and the liveliness that's generated when you put eight people together in a room. Plus the kiwi accents! I had fun. Food highlights included the amazing Pavlova (below) put together by Noel and Tess, Christine's lovely roasted very tender turkey, and my first ever attempt at mashed kumera, or sweet potato. I love all things sweet potato, so it wasn't hard to like this one with a bit of cinnamin and nutmeg.

Pavlova, the classic kiwi christmas dessert: sooo delicious! It's a type of meringue, silky smooth, light, airy, beautiful, topped with freshly whipped cream and fruit. It's inspired by a Russian ballerina who toured NZ. That pock on the side of the slice was created from me poking it, testing it, amazed by the silky texture!

Christine and me.

It's been so nice to hang out in a real house, where I can put down my toothbrush in the bathroom, where I don't have to pack my bag every morning. When I'm not out, I've been reading novels and catching up on movies. I may see what the fuss is all about with Grey's Anatomy since there's season 1 and 2 here. I've also been doing a little baking. I am thinking about baking some bread and making "everything from scratch" pizza, well, except for the toppings.

In the back of my mind while I've been baking and reading and watching movies, I am "struggling" with planning the next phase of my journey to Australia and southeast Asia. There's some logistics to sort out before I can get on with buying plane tickets. Basically the problem is Australia is too darn big! And I have too little time there (a month). But I'll get through this challenging time and emerge triumphant, I am sure. :)


Milestone: filled up a 4gb memory card with photos.

Sadness: the public library won't lend me books because they're afraid I'll take the stack back to the US with me! :/

Encircling the fiery heart of North Island: Tongariro, Ngaurohoe, Ruapehu

I just got out of a six day tramp in Tongariro National Park, which encompasses the three active volcanoes of the central plateau: Tongariro, Ngaurohoe, and Ruepehu. I hiked part of the Northern Circuit (including Tongariro Crossing) and then Round the Mountain, starting from Mangetepopo, going clock-wise, and finishing at Whakapapa Village. This is a seemingly barren and desolate landscape, in stark contrast to the typically lush and verdant New Zealand, but it is truly one of the most spectacular and wild places I've experienced in NZ. It is home to rocks, rocks, and more rocks; waterfalls tumbling off lava cliffs; wetlands, tarns, and mud, mud, and more mud; old vents filled with clear water of turquoise hues; a dramatic red crater, huge old craters; Rangipo desert, the country's only one; steaming vents on mountainsides; old beech forests; rapidly changing weather including, while I was there, snow and hail pelting my face, hellacious winds, calm mornings, warm sun, driving rains. And of course, as near constant companions, the mountains themselves. When you're going around these mountains, you can't lose your way, and you know you've always got a friend.

I loved this place from the start. Maybe these photos will tell you why.

(By the way, did you know the volcanoes and indeed all the geothermal activity happening in the North Island is from the Pacific Plate sliding under the Australian Plate? This is the same Pacific Plate that's sliding past the North American Plate in California on the other side of the ocean and giving the state all its lovely earthquakes.)

Going up the Mangatepoto Valley the first day with low clouds.

Yes, I look a little laboured here; I was carrying six days of food! Even so, I ran out of oatmeal my last morning:(. Strangers like to ask if they can take my picture out on the trail. :)

The edge of the South Crater of Tongariro.

Red Crater! A dramatic red and black active crater.

Emerald Lakes. Slightly varying chemical compositions give these three lakes (old steam vents) different shades of turquoise blue.

From Ketetahi Hut: Lake Rotoaira, the slopes of Pihanga, and Lake Taupo in the back.

Mt. Ngaurohoe, aka Mt. Doom

Rangipo Desert.

lahar: volcanic mudflows

This was a journey of Ups and Downs indeed! "Are we there yet?", asked Kate and Luke, two trampers who came before me at Rangipo Hut. They loved permanent markers.

The day is easing to shadows...

Evening clouds from Rangipo Hut.

Sunrise at 5:43 from Rangipo Hut.

Sunset from Blyth Hut.

Mountain, waterfall, pool; repeat.

North Island potpourri...

Looking across Lake Taupo to the volcanoes of Tongariro National Park, where I'm headed when the weather gets better...(I'm at Turangi).

Shells and...a worm burrow fossil?...on Roberton Island, one of 145 islands, in the Bay of Islands.

On Roberton Island, where Captain Cook and Darwin have explored. Crystal clear waters, lagoons, reefs...it's a bit of island paradise.

An old cottage in Paihia in the Bay of Islands. I spent several glorious days in the Bay of Islands...went sailing, snorkeling, beach walking. Saw mangroves, waterfalls, sand dunes...

The northern tip of the North Island is ruggedly beautiful. It's also where the Tasman Sea meets the Pacific Ocean. On this fine day, the two sea bodies merge so peacefully that it's hard to see where the blending occurs.

Cape Reinga at the northernmost point of New Zealand. The Maori believe that this is the sacred place where souls depart for their homeland to the north. The lighthouse is a little over 10,000km from Los Angeles...

My sandals are going places...like here on a little bay near Cape Reinga.

Crazy Spike, the bus driver. He's knocked off teeth going down sand dunes.

Ever tried going down a sand dune on a boogie board? It's great fun!

Ninety Mile Beach near the top of the North Island.

Beholding the ethereal beauty of an ordinary...moon...over some peaks of the Coromandel.

Hot Water Beach is a spot where geothermal activity is channelled up to heat seawater. Participants dig themselves little pools to soak in around low tide. The hot water is very localized, and as somebody told me, "you could have one cheek in hot water and the other in cold!"

Cathedral Cove on the eastern coast of Coromandel Peninsula.

The Coromandel Peninsula is a place of languid beauty...

I stumbled upon a hot stream near Waitapu, the "thermal wonderland" of central North Island.

Stewart Island and other cool sights.

Yellow-eyed penguins!

Hangin' out in Moeraki north of Dunedin, a local told us that if we wanted to see yellow-eyed penguins, we should head over to this little cove with a hidden shelter at 6:10pm. We got there, settled in the shelter, opened up the shutters, and at precisely 6:10, this was what I saw paddling up the beach after a hard day's work hunting for food in the ocean: a pair of penguins! They proceeded to preen and shake and relax a little, then they headed into their nest in the flax bushes just off the beach.

The cove where the yellow-eyed penguins live.

Steward Island, around Port William Hut on the Rakiura Track. Anywhere you see eucalyptus trees is an old camp or settlement


Stewart Island tramping is known for its mud. Because the Rakiura Track is a great walk, long portions were boardwalked such as this to avoid the worst of the mud.

An unexpected flock of black swans in a little bay off the track!

Stewart Island is a peaceful, laid-back corner of the country. We did the three day Rakiura Track, which was quiet, mellow, and mostly sheltered from the wind and rain, which was prolific most of the time we were on the island. Stewart Island has got more kiwi birds than people, and the chances of seeing a kiwi are higher than any other part of NZ. I didn't see one, though I didn't try terribly hard. I figured if I was going to see one, it won't be due to my lurking around bushes at night. The little town of Oban has got the best fish and chips I've had, ever. The ferry ride from Bluff was an adventure in itself, with rough seas and huge swells. Lots of green faces and people throwing up. I stood in the front, watching all the action, and got through fine. Actually I thought it was great fun and really enjoyed the ride!

Doubtful Sound, Kepler, Routeburn/Greenstone

Southern coast on the way up to Te Anau from Invercargill.

Where Doubtful Sound meets the Tasman Sea. Fur seals hangin' out.

A pod of dolphins in Doubtful Sound having a grand time!



Me in Doubtful Sound.

The Hall Arm of Doubtful Sound, a most beautiful and tranquil place.

Scott on the summit of Mt. Luxmore, with gale force winds (not kidding), on the Kepler Track.

Me on Mt. Luxmore. Lake Te Anau below...and beautiful mountains everywhere.

Got to ride a helicopter for 30 seconds on the Routeburn Track...supposedly for avalanche danger. It was my first ride and it was short but exhilarating! (this pic is out of chronological order...should be below w/ Lake Harris)

Milford Sound and foreshore.

Southern Man is rough and tough and he makes stream crossings to get Speight's beer to his mates. He's kind of like a kiwi version of our Marlboro cowboy.

Routeburn River.

Routeburn Flats, where we camped the first night on the Routeburn Track. Must be one of the coolest campsites in the world.

Lake Harris. We had to take a helicopter between Lake Harris and Deadmans Gulch...a 30 sec flight.

Got some severe wind and rain! Lots of wet stuff, including the tent. Icicles actually forming before one's eyes...Thank goodness for this shelter at the Lake MacKenzie campsite.

Got some snow!

Scott crossin' one of the many wire bridges commonly encountered in NZ tramping.

Tiny little...orchid?

HUGE trout in pools in the Greenstone River. I dedicate this one to Karen and Rob! :)