Wednesday, March 24, 2010

The One Week of Beautiful Chaos

As I’m writing this, I haven’t showered in 5 days. My hair has hit a whole new level of glossy, I refuse to put on clean clothes for fear of getting them dirty the second they hit my skin, I think I found traces of seaweed in my sportsbra a few minutes ago, and Atown and I have been heavily debating over who smells the most. For those of you who know me well enough, you are probably shocked to hear I’ve gone more than 8 hours without a shower. But when you are driving 800 miles, hiking 52k, and crossing an ocean in less than a work-week, it’s hard to find time to stop for a rinse (not to mention the predicament of finding a warm and free shower)!

So what, you might be wondering, has kept me and my travel mate so busy?

A whole lotta beautiful chaos.


Leaving Queenstown roughly four hours behind schedule, Atown and myself headed out into the sunset thus officially beginning our road trip. We made a quick stop an hour away in Wanaka to pick up last minute gear before driving into the night to get as far as possible and eventually finding a place to sleep. Having been around the South Island of New Zealand long enough, I knew that the countryside Kiwi’s don’t appreciate “freedom campers”; I found a discreet spot next to a field to pull over for the night. Tired and ready to catch some Zzz’s, I was kept awake by a sandfly that had made its way into the van. For those of you who’ve never experienced sandflies, imagine a tiny gnat-sized bug that sucks blood and leaves a bite that itches bad and long enough to make mosquitos look like your best friend. After three hours of trying to swat the sandfly to death, I was too awake to fall asleep and decided I might as well be driving. By turning the headlights on, I illuminated the inside of the car enough to see DOZENS of sandflies buzzing all around. No wonder I couldn’t kill the dang thing! Freezing and out for vengeance, I rolled down the windows and drove 100K letting the wind rid me of my nighttime pests. But alas, if its not sandflies ruining your night, the opossums want in on the fun. Unlike North American opossums, these kiwi cousins are as cute and cuddly as a kitten. Unfortunately for them, they are nocturnal, overpopulated, and not bright enough to stay off the roads. Three hours and three roadkills later I had had enough bloodshed for the night and finally pulled over for some shuteye.

Waking up feeling refreshed despite very little sleep, Atown and I drove another 2k to the Fox Glacier. The glacier was massive, jutting out of the mountainside in mammoth sheets of blue ice and rock debris. At the base, a river gushed from the core with enough force to move bus sized icebergs and boulders. And all this ice was amidst a subtropical rainforest! Driving onward, we made our way through one tiny hick-town after another, surrounded by some of the most stunning mountain scenery I’ve ever witnessed. Stopping only long enough to see the crystal-clear reflection of Mt Cook in the picturesque waters of Lake Matheson, we made it to Greymouth just in time to catch a few high school boys doing an impromptu haka (traditional Maori dance) in front of the schoolyard. Stocking up on food, beverages, and more last-minute gear, we continued onward to see the pancake-shaped Pukanaki rocks and blowholes amongst a breathtaking oceanside drive.

A seaside dinner at a picnic site led to a fight with some local weka birds over who was taking home our recent purchases. Chasing down apples and grocery bags, Atown at one point was under a bush playing tug-a-war with a weka over our toilet paper. Coming out victorious, we packed up Pip (the van), took in a beautiful sunset on the beach, and drove on further north. Sleeping on the side of the road in some unknown town, we woke up early (and by “we” I mean that I woke up and drove while Atown continued sleeping for a few more hours) so we could get a decent start on our trek through Abel Tasman National Park.

Atown made new friends while I packed our rucksacks and soon we were off with Stephen, our newfound mate who happened to live 20 minutes away from where Atown grew up! The first leg of the hike was pretty, but slightly monotonous with a mostly uphill trek in and then steep decent onto the beach. Once at camp, Atown wandered while I set up the tent and then wandered some more while I made dinner. We then played gin rummy (I kicked Atown’s butt!) and at dusk settled in for a near sleepless night on the rock-hard freezing ground. I woke up to watch in awe as a couple from Alaska, using only the few items they carried in with them, created a breakfast worthy of any 5-star hotel! Atown and I thoroughly enjoyed our oatmeal (which I cooked) and spent the morning on the beach before heading out to our next campsite 8 hours away.

Accidentally missing low-tide, we made an attempt at crossing Torrent Bay before we realized we were literally going to be in over our heads and turned back for the high-tide route. Luckily this route brought us to a near-perfect creek that meandered through tropical forests before spilling into the teal blue waters of the Tasman sea. Onward we pushed past golden beaches and breathtaking lookouts until we came upon a second crossing. At first the fast-running receding tide was fun to traverse, but soon the water became more stagnant and our feet were sinking through nasty mud and onto the sharp points of millions of tiny shells. Yelping and laughing our way to shore, we put our shoes back on and continued through the subtropical forests of the park.

Having accidentally gotten both pairs of my shoes wet, I spent a few hours rotating footwear to avoid blisters before giving up and walking jesus-style (barefoot) until the path became too rocky for my already sore and now raw feet to handle. When I began to feel like the hike was becoming unbearably long, we came upon a group of merry trampers who, having hiked a few hours less than us, provided a much-needed pickup until we arrived at the campsite. The group, consisting of a hot Canadian guy (they do exist!), a hilariously outgoing girl from England, a Swedish girl who spoke with a pseudo American accent, and an adorably sweet girl from France who was constantly working on her English vocabulary.

Day three began at sunrise with yet another tidal crossing. We walked a quarter-mile across sand, thousands of shells, and tidal streams before trekking back into a tropical forest of ferns. Two more hours of beaches, hill climbs, and beautiful ocean scenery brought us to the end of our tramping journey and the beginning of a new adventure: getting back to the car that was parked 35 miles away.

At 10AM park rangers informed us that just getting to the main road involved walking 12K up a mountain. Undaunted, we decided to walk until we found a ride…we made it about a 2K up the road before fatigue set in and we threw ourselves on top of our bags to sit and wait. An hour (and several passing cars) later, we were still on the side of the road bathing in dust as each car passed us. Finally giving up, we began our walk back to the information center to hail an expensive water taxi back to the car. But before we got there, a van of two hippie Brits pulled over and offered to give us a ride almost all the way back to our car!

We hopped in, excited to finally be done walking…or so we thought. Before getting out of the mountainside, Paul and Izzy asked if we minded stopping to see a waterfall. Not wanting to be rude and slightly interested in seeing more nature (after 7 days straight of the stuff), we agreed. We spent 45 minutes walking up and down a path to what turned out to be a gorgeous waterfall; including crossing a petrifying swing bridge only wide and stable enough for one person to cross at a time.

Back on the road, we pulled over every few minutes to make some sort of mechanical repairs before continuing on. Heading up a massive hill, Atown slept as I made small chat until suddenly, the front of the van began filling with smoke. I thought, we should’ve paid for the water taxi, as Paul pulled over and began even more repairs. On a time-constraint to make our ferry to Wellington, we wished Paul and Izzy the best, grabbed our gear, and hitched out our thumbs. It wasn’t long before an equally substandard van pulled over to give us a lift. Inside, two young Mexican women and a VERY smelly German entertained me while Atown slept some more. Getting dropped off only a few miles from our final destination, I said “adios” to our southern sisters whilst Atown shouted an Italian “ciao!” at the girls.

It had been over five hours since completing our tramp, and we needed the luck of at least one more ride to make it back to the car. Luck came in the form of a multicolored polka-dotted Subaru with a Spaniard driving. I didn’t catch the guy’s name, but his car smelled of kettle-corn and he was headed to Takaka. Atown and I both exchanged knowing glances and stayed quiet about the fact that the poor guy (whilst driving us closer to our destination), was driving in the opposite direction of Takaka. Arriving at the trailhead of Abel Tasman, we both gave him a big thank-you for the lift, and another “ciao!” was added from Atown. We had finally made it back to my beloved Pip and alas; our epic and beautiful three-day tramp was over! We had enjoyed stunning scenery, some hilarious moments, the challenge of traversing the entire hike in three days, and most importantly- I had managed to keep Atown alive…barely!


Fun Fact: The national ice cream flavor here in Kiwiland is a delightful vanilla and caramel treat called Hokey Pokey.

Monday, March 15, 2010

The One Where a German Carpenter Saves the Perfect Day

Sunrises that turn the sky purple and the clouds brilliant shades of pink and orange, rivers so vibrantly teal and so clear that every pebble can be seen on the riverbed, forests thick with ferns and the tweeting of birds, lakes of water sitting impossibly high on the tops of mountains, the sweeping depths of golden yellow valley floors lined with crisscrossing blue streams, snowcapped peaks fighting the suns warmth, immensely huge cliffs with dozens of cascading waterfalls, stunning views of the sea blocked from advancing further by glacier cut mountains, clouds eerily in the distance moving as if alive and swallowing everything in its path, wooded mountainsides completely covered in a thick soft blanket of moss, and emerald green pools of water sitting amongst a meadow of lush grass... this isn't a fairy tale folks, this is the Routeburn Track.

Words don't do justice to the beauty of the 19-mile hike A-town and I undertook early Monday morning. Getting up at 4am, we double-checked our packs for food and emergency gear before filling up with water and heading on our way. The hour and a half drive in the pitch-black soon became lit enough to make out figures of sheep grazing and mountain peaks in the distance. Arriving at the Routeburn Shelter, we stripped down to running shorts and t-shirts, stretched, and then began our mission.

Crossing swing bridges and climbing rock-faces, we made our way jogging and walking briskly up a steep ascent to the first hut on the track; stopping once or twice for the some of the dozens of photos taken throughout the day. Pausing for a few minutes to catch our breath and to enjoy the sun that was finally up, we began running into other hikers, some on their second or third day of walking the track. Within minutes we were off again, carefully picking our steps over loose rocks and water as we ran. Stopping only for pictures and to navigate passing hikers, we arrived at the summit of the trail after two hours of an exhausting climb. Two elderly Kiwis provided a wonderful break and some much-needed encouragement before we continued on.

The path became more narrow, snaking along a mountainside with very little room for error. A slip in the wrong section would inevitably send you a few hundred meters down a very unforgiving rocky cliffside. Starting to feel the fatigue, and definitely the hunger, we both took our time descending to Lake Mackenzie while enjoying the clear skies and warm sun. An hour spent eating, napping, and having a hilarious impromptu photo shoot left us rested and energized for the last 7 miles of the trek.



The track leveled out (in comparison to the first half of up and down zig-zagging) enough for us to pick up the pace. Still careful to watch every step, we found ourselves racing through the forest until coming upon the base of a massive waterfall. Falling from 1,000 feet up, water crashed over jagged rocks before settling into a crystal clear pool of calm water. Snagging a few pictures before heading out, we were forced to slow down and climb massive boulders until the trail appeared again. Realizing we were way ahead of schedule, and both not particularly ready to start running again, we spent an hour walking and reliving the glory days of playing rugby and the crazy times with the crew at Chico State.


Mid-story I realized the trail had become extremely level and made the decision to run again, figuring it was unlikely we would have such a nice gradient for very long. Ever the typical American, A-town busted out her headphones and picked a "sick beat" on her iPhone to keep pace with. Her beats must've been pretty sick because I found myself in a sprint just to keep up. Literally leaping over streams and banking off of rocks, I felt like we were in a video game and was very thankful for all the agility drills I had gone through playing rugby. Rocks aren't exactly as forgiving as cones and I quickly learned that looking up meant twisting my ankle and so kept my eyes to the ground.

Arriving at the last hut, thoroughly exhausted, we took in more water and set a goal -to run the last 2 miles in 20 minutes.
Then we turned the corner and saw the massive hill we had to climb.As we trudged to the top A-towns knee almost doubled in size and we both agreed it would be better for her to walk the rest of the way to the car. Ever the competitor, I figured that since I started the hike running, I was going to finish it running. Forgetting the ache in my legs and the pain in my ankles, I cruised to the car dodging tourists left and right. Finally at the parking lot, elated to have conquered 19-miles in 7 hours, I was far too quickly reminded of the one small error I had made that day- leaving the car keys at home.

Because the track goes in one direction, I had driven my coworker's car to one end and she had taken mine to the other. Being excited to have the opportunity to use one of my spare keys (that costs nearly $200 if you remember) I told her to lock my regular keys inside the car. Unfortunately the spare key was a few hours away still hanging out in the pocket of my jeans. A-town arrived as I was trying to wedge the door open with sticks. A few dozen broken sticks later, and with no cell phone reception, I had all but given up. Rock in hand, poised to smash a window, I looked up to see a campervan pull up. Weighing the fun of smashing a window against the cost of replacing it, I listened to A-town's suggestion and headed over to ask for help.

A van full of young hippie Germans is always promising! One stirring spoon and a carpenters measuring stick later, and presto, the car was unlocked! The Germans were surprisingly funny, and I spent a few minutes profusely thanking them and offering them gum as a reward. Thankful to have the lucky fortune of having a German carpenter save the day, A-town and I clamored into Pip (the van), high-fived ourselves to a job well done, and drove away smiling.
-Ashley

Fun Fact: Not only did I manage to lock the keys in the car that day, but an hour later I left the lights on and drained the entire battery. Luckily A-town has no qualm shouting at strangers, because we soon were rescued (for the second time in a day) by a drunk Virginian man with jumper cables!