New Zealand
Sort by:
-
Mar 19 Christchurch
Travelled in
Visit cardboard cathedral, earthquake memorials, Lyttelton, and the Tannery. Last day in New Zealand. In the light of a day born cold with a chill wind, downtown Christchurch seems like a desecrated graveyard, its stones defaced and toppled, its… Continue reading
-
Mar 18 Christchurch
Travelled in
Lunch at Pegasus Bay Winery Stephen tells David that Bob the dog needs a brisk two-hour run up a nearby hill — the unspoken observation is that some of us are fast and others are not — and that Hugh… Continue reading
-
Mar 17 Christchurch
Travelled in
Quake museum, art gallery, cathedral square, buy possum yarn. Stephen and Robyn have their personal trainer, Nathan, arrive at six a.m. for an hour of three “reps” of a dozen moves — squats, push-ups, standing jumps, stuff with 15-pound weights,… Continue reading
-
Mar 16 Greymouth to Christchurch
Travelled in
Transalpine train from Greymouth to Christchurch We’re treated to a full English breakfast in Mary’s kitchen at 9 a.m. A picture of her four daughters is on the wall: one in Durbin, South Africa, one in London, one in Auckland… Continue reading
-
Mar 12 Hokitika to Okarito
Travelled in
Drive to Okarito and see a kiwi in the wild. We take forever to pack, book some kiwi hunting for the next day, gas up and leave Hokitika by 11:30, wending away from the coast and toward the foothills of… Continue reading
-
Mar 11 Hokitika
Travelled in
Hokitika Sunday: Carnegie building and museum, Hokitika Gorge. Hokitika: 7 a.m. kaleidoscope. Endless series of small waves froth onto the black sand under the rocky beach. A few campers … maybe hung-over Wildfoods Festival revelers … are sealed inside… Continue reading
-
Mar 7 Havelock
Travelled in
Pelorus Sound mailboat run and green mussels in Havelock. Into the car by 9:10 and drove in driving rain to Havelock, the green mussel capital of New Zealand and, perhaps, the world. A small town on a bend in the… Continue reading
-
Mar 6 Blenheim
Travelled in
David downs coffee with Roberta at 6:15 a.m. and hits the road with her and John, depositing them at the Picton ferry, bound for a flight from Wellington to southern adventures, and spins the car back into the Blenheim apartment… Continue reading
-
Mar 5 Blenheim (Marlborough)
Travelled in
Lunch at Wither Hills Winery and visit to Aviation Heritage Museum. David gets up and is running south by 7 a.m., toward two mountaintops about a mile away. He runs on [name to come], a typical residential street in Blenheim:… Continue reading
-
Mar 4 Nelson to Blenheim
Travelled in
Travel from Nelson to Blenheim visiting two Marlborough wineries (Alan Scott and Cloudy Bay) on the way and meeting Robin and Bernice Sutherland. Cynthia is on a mission to get a new iPhone at one of three stores while John… Continue reading
-
Mar 3 Abel Tasman to Nelson
Travelled in
Last day of Abel Tasman tramp. Kayaking around Adele Island, return to Nelson for Indian dinner with David and Helen from Auckland. We woke up for a 7:15 breakfast, packed the essentials that lay on the racks out back, the… Continue reading
-
Mar 2 Abel Tasman
Travelled in
Lazy morning and mid-day hike to Cleopatras Pool. Today is uniformly grey with a steady light drizzle in the morning. David takes an early morning run back in the direction from which we kayaked yesterday, passing in front of a… Continue reading
-
Mar 1 Abel Tasman
Travelled in
Early morning start. Hike one leg, kayak two legs and end at Torrent Bay. New lodgings. Cynthia’s favorite day. Although the paths are soft and full of beautiful vegetation, the hikes start to feel like a treadmill. Most are in… Continue reading
-
Feb 28 Abel Tasman (Awaroa)
Travelled in
Kayaking in Awaroa Inlet, hiking. David climbs the mountain behind Meadowbank Lodge at 7 am and runs much of it with a wild abandon, totally alone but for one startling encounter. Freedom and solitude give him wings and he wonders… Continue reading
-
Feb 27 Nelson to Abel Tasman
Travelled in
Pick up in Nelson by Wilson tour company, boat to Abel Tasman Park, hike to Awaroa. David runs through the sleeping 7 a.m. town to the Nelson Cathedral at the top of Trafalger Street. The hill is Piwiki in Maori,… Continue reading
-
Feb 26 Wellington to Nelson
Travelled in
Goodbye to Wellington, Interislander ferry to South Island and drive from Picton to Nelson. Up at 5:45 to load car, clean apartment, pick up McInerneys and get to the Interisland ferry Kaitai in time. A few predictable wrong turns… Continue reading
-
Feb 25 Wellington
Travelled in
David climbing, Cynthia shopping, both revisiting Te Papa Museum for the wonderful Gallipoli exhibit and many other displays. David climbs in Mt. Victoria Park to the place beneath the pines where the path splits, today going right to explore… Continue reading
-
Feb 24 Wellington
Travelled in
Takahe, Tuatara, Rangiora, Kawa kawa, tree weter, Kaka, Bellbird and a Rimu tree at Zealandia … The Piano Ballet. We had a slow start spending the morning catching up on rest and laundry. Then we set out with the McInerneys… Continue reading
-
Feb 23 Wellington
Travelled in
Te Papa Museum, sculpture walk, funicular to botanic garden, and the waka odyssey opening the New Zealand ceremony David wakes at 7 and climbs up, down and around the volcanic hill on the east side of Wellington’s harbor to… Continue reading
-
Feb 22 Havelock North to Wellington
Travelled in
Said goodbye to Kate and drove to Wellington with a stop at the Pukaha Wildlife Center at Mt Bruce. Rendezvous with McInerneys and cooked the trout from Tongariro River. David climbed all three peaks, returned to the Dawsons’… Continue reading
Two Tramps 