Tiki Tour 2012 - North Island Part 1

The weekend after the parents left was spent figuring out how to pack all of our crap into the Adventureship for our two month travel. Thankfully it all fit and after saying our goodbyes to the flatmates we were off on the open road.

We headed out early Monday morning toward Picton to catch the ferry to Wellington. A beautiful cruise through the sounds to the North Island – imagine Seattle ferries x 10. These things are huge and have numerous levels for parking, lounging and even a movie theatre. We spent a couple of days in Wellington, touring Te Papa, the museum right on the waterfront, learning all about NZ history along with Wellington-specific history and visiting a couple brewpubs after.

Wellington is known as the craft capitol of NZ, competing with Nelson who also claims the title – and the selection didn’t disappoint our craft palates, thank you NZ hops for a different kind of taste and aroma.



River Anduin / Rohan River



Isenguard Gardens

 

Rivendell

 Next we were off on some Lord of the Rings (LOTR) Adventures. We headed North toward Upper Hut where we found the location of filming for the River Anduin and Rohan River then the Isenguard Gardens, The Orc Tree and finally camped overnight in Rivendell. Those of you that are LOTR geeks would recognize in your head all of those scenes instantly…for others…we took photos for you. One of the great things about the filming crew is that they did an impeccable job returning the land to its original state as it was prior to thousands of people tramping through to make the movie. It’s actually quite difficult to tell that a major feature film was shot in these locations, so use your imagination and visualize the scenes if you can.

 

We continued North to explore the Shannon, New Zealand township as well as University of Montana’s sister college Massey University in Palmerston North. Ultimately, we were heeded for New Plymouth via the Surf Highway. New Plymouth sits on the West Coast with the incredible Mt. Taranaki as its amazing volcanic backdrop. After a sausage sizzle for dinner we were off to a windy nights sleep in the tent…thankfully we didn’t blow away.

The next morning we headed to Mt. Taranaki (2518 m). What started out as a two hour loop track turned into a summit climb, one of the most rewarding in NZ to date. The landscape is incredibly beautiful and as you climb higher and higher, the ocean views to the North past the farming fields made the experience that much more amazing. Also in the distance to the East, you could see another mountain on the itinerary to climb in a few days, Mt. Doom. After such a hard working day, we headed to Mikes Organic Brewery in Urenui for a much deserved brew.

Back in New Plymouth we cooked up a mussel feast and headed to bed, ready for the next day’s adventure. Via higway 43, The Forgotten World Highway, we were en route to Tongariro National Park. The most incredible part of the journey from one volcano to another was not only the beautiful green covered peaked hills that make the drive so unique, but also that along the side of the road as we passed by, we caught a glimpse of our first Adventureship.

It was really bizarre, of all the places in NZ, we ended up camping later that night at the same campsite as the couple we sold our first minivan to. We’re happy to report, she’s still running like a gem – and parked next to our new ride, she’s lookin mighty fine.

 

The next day we headed to the Whakapapa Village where the Tongariro Crossing information hub is located. The day was spent waiting to find out whether or not the scheduled hike (1/2 of the Tongaririo Circuit) would be possible the next day due to bad weather. After a wonderful Grandma Sanden pancake dinner, we were off to a very very rainy nights sleep. The next morning we awoke to good news that the weather had passed and we had the approval to proceed with our hike. The first day took us through what is referred to as “the ditch”, a very wet track through an area that eerily resembled the dead marshes from LOTR. Quite fitting since once we made our way over the final rise, our hut was in view with the incredible Mt. Doom towering above. 

 

A nice bonus to hiking most of the multiple day hikes in New Zealand is the hut system. Basically, you pay a nightly rate for the use of the hut which includes a cooking area, bunk bedrooms with sleeping pads, water and heat. For those who don’t want to pack a tent in, this is a great alternative and also allows you the chance to meet other trampers along the way. Our first hut experience, Mangatepopo was great, a small group – 8 people including us (2 Aussies, 2 Brits, a Canadian and the American hut warden) – stayed that night and we enjoyed watching the top of Mt. Doom come in and out of visibility, taking photos of the incredible sunset, teaching the Canadian and American hut warden cribbage, playing hearts (which I – Shannon – despise), drinking vino that we didn’t have to pack in (thanks Kimball the American hut warden) and a wonderfully delicious freeze dried dinner. It was a great night. The next morning we headed off to tackle the crossing.

The crossing was very populated, for those of you who have been to Machu Pichu in Peru it was crowded like that but for a much longer distance. The hike was about 18 k’s, roughly 10 miles to the next hut. It started through a valley floor carved out of volcanic rock and dust. Then it switch backed up half way of Mt. Doom before following a ridge through a few peaks on either side. At the ridge you had the option to go up the shale and scree Mt. Doom and then come back down to the ridge. After the ridge it took you through two sunken craters (red and black) that look like a different planet. We reached the top of the second crater and then started to descend into some thermal pools called the Emerald pools which smelt strongly of sulfur. After the pools we journeyed up another ridge line and then looked out over the giant Lake Taupo and some more of the North Island peaks. We switch backed down hill for about a quarter of the Mountain and then found our next hut. This hut experience was not even close to the first nights and let’s just say you don’t want to sleep in the same area as 24 other people, chances are you will find someone who snores. We just so happened to sleep beneath 2 hammered Brits who put my Dad’s (Sanden) snoring to shame and couldn’t be waken. So 3 of us took our mats outside and slept on the porch, well tried to sleep, not the best of nights as you can imagine.

We woke up early from our nights sleep outside, had a quick breakfast and finished the trek down the mountain. Once we reached the road, we experienced another first in NZ…figuring out how to get from the car park back to Whakapapa village where we left the Adventureship a couple days prior (approx. 30K’s). Hitchhiking it was …it only took three passing cars and we had a taker. A nice welsh couple heading into the village to complete the crossing the following day. Thank you very much you wonderful people for picking up smelly hitchhikers.

We then decided to find our next place to sleep, one that had a bed and no flatmates. We found a perfect one at the head of Lake Taupo which was our beautiful backdrop during the final parts of our hike. This lake is a lot like Flathead in MT and is 238 sq miles with mountains surrounding it and many small lake side towns. The rest of the day was spent walking around the city, enjoying a much deserved pie and some delicious Belgian Quadruple, mmmmmmmmmmm is all I can say. We also treated ourselves to some very nice wine and a few movies form the backpackers lobby.

 

"It's like holding a baby"... John's description of his super huge sandwich


The next day we headed off to the surf capital of New Zealand, Raglan. People come from all over the world to surf these breakers and so would we, thanks Grabone (NZ’s Groupon) for the half off lesson. We stayed in this town the day before our surf lesson to do a little exercising and to check out the laid back atmosphere. As you can imagine a surfing town of that notoriety can only bring out some of the most laid back and easy-going attitudes and culture. The town was great and we embraced the chilled out surrounding very quick. Pictures from the surfing will have to wait for Surfer Steve to get done crunching some killer waves and email us the pictures. 

That’s it from us for now…stay tuned for the next entry, we’re currently in smelly Rotorua...the Vegas of NZ.

Cheers,

John and Shannon

Bruce and Mary Barz in NZ...yep, that dog'll hunt

The past two weeks have been a whirlwind tiki tour of the top of the south with two special guests making their way all the way from Boise Idaho…Mama and Daddio Barz. But before we get into all of the adventures the four of us encountered during the trip – John and I spent our last official week of work in NZ. The week flew by, full of last minute prep for the upcoming weeks as well as attending a hen and stag do (a kiwi style Bachelor and Bachelorette Party).

Kat with her Hen's

Kat’s Hen Do – started out early on in the day while I was still at work, however I quickly caught up at the Free House where we enjoyed a few bottles of vino and proceeded to dress Kat up in her hen’s outfit…hilarious. Colorful apron with a belt full of cleaning supplies and veil underneath her pink cowgirl hat. We spent the evening at a couple different bars, singing, dancing, playing standard hen’s do games (I won’t get into details for everyone’s sake). Bottom line, it was a great night.

Jeff’s Stag Do – So these Stag Do’s are not like in the States where you go to Vegas or get a stripper, it’s all about humiliating the soon to be groom. Before I met up with them Jeff’s Dad Paul hired a bus full of booze to take them out golfing. The Stag party dressed Jeff up like an oompa loompa during that and when I met up with them he still had his face painted like one but had since changed outfits to some NZ depends (elderly diapers). The rest of the time was crazy filled with throwing Jeff into the back of trucks and making him ride around the block with cars. I was playing Texas Holdem, kiwi style, and saw a few wrestling matches on the bar floor between the best man and some of the Stag Party. When I tried to buy Jeff a shot of whiskey, the bar manager said that wasn’t going to happen. I guess they just made him take 4 shots of Jameson. It went downhill after that and Shannon and I met up and headed home. Crazy Kiwi’s.

We want to congratulate Kat and Jeff again on their wedding – a beautiful couple and wonderful friends.

Before we knew it, Friday was upon us, no work for the next three months – we worked hard saving for it and couldn’t wait to kick off the celebration with the parents the next day. To recap the adventure, a day by day is in order, we covered quite a bit of ground in those two weeks and we hope you enjoy reading all about it.

Day 1 – Arrival in Nelson, Centre of NZ Walk and first Fish and Chips experience

Since the parents just made a very long trek to the amazing NZ all the way from Boise, Idaho, we weren’t sure what kind of activities they would be up for upon arrival. They were troopers and almost immediately after dropping the bags at home, we headed for the Centre of NZ Walk. The short trek gives a picture perfect view of the wonderful city we’ve called home and on a clear day a peek into the amazing Abel Tasman National Park up the coast. To reward ourselves (mostly Mama Barz) after the walk, we introduced the rents to their first Fish and Chips experience in NZ. Victory Square F&C to be exact, the best – we think – in Nelson. A kick ass start to the vaca and so much more to come.

Day 2 – Havelock (Greenlip Mussel Capital of the World), Mistletoe Bay in Kenepuru Sounds and our First Kiwi Wedding Celebration / BBQ with fresh Snapper and Sausies (sausages from Jeff’s cow he was gifted for his wedding). 

On our way to the Marlborough Sounds for Kat and Jeff’s wedding reception BBQ, we stopped in at Havelock to give our guests their first taste of the famous NZ Greenlip Mussels. Day 2 of the trip and already they’ve had 2 of our favorite NZ foods – which they loved of course. The Kiwi reception was amazing, not only were we introduced to a hilarious game where you pinch a 2 dollar coin between your buttocks (OVER your clothes) and try to drop it in a wee cup a couple of feet away, but Jeff’s mates also cooked up a crazy feast of snapper, mussels and sausages for all to enjoy. DELISH.

Day 3 – Picton, Kaikoura Seal Colony and Roadside BBQ, CRAYFISH!!!!!

Lookout in the Sounds

After a beautiful hike on the Queen Charlotte Track to a lookout where we could see for miles, we headed into the Picton township and enjoyed lunch and a beer at the park on the waterfront. After such hard work all day long, it was time for a drive south to the incredible Kaikoura. First stop after getting settled at the Bach (holiday home, or vacation home you can rent as a place to stay) was the infamous roadside BBQ on the way to the seal colony. When John and I first came through Kaikoura after being in NZ a mere week – there’s no way we would spend the cash for a crayfish meal – since the parents were in town, and honestly, there’s no way I could have handled seeing John’s face if he didn’t get crayfish for dinner, we splurged and had a fabulous cray feed on the waterfront. On to the seal colony afterword for some great photo ops then back to the bach for some much needed rest.

Day 4 – Fishing with Ian, Crayfish Feast and More Seals

Probably the best day for Daddio Barz on the entire trip – we spent the morning at home eating a great breakfast, then right as the day heated up, we were off on our fishing excursion with Captain Ian. A beautiful day, and great fishing. We made off with a ton of Rays Bream, Perch, Blue Cod, a Crayfish each and Dad even hooked into a tuna. It was a great day out on the boat, enjoying beautiful scenery, watching the Albatross swoop in for the fish…simply incredible. We made our way back to the bach and cooked up another Cray feast, needless to say John was ear to ear (especially once he made it off the rocky boat).

Day 5 – Catwoman Fishing Excursion with Ken, Wine tasting, First NZ Pie and Hanmer Natural Springs

Life is Good...Thanks Ken Smith!

We made good friends with our neighbor in Kaikoura, a man called Ken Smith who offered to take me out early the next morning for some cray pot checking and spear fishing. How could I say no, so I woke up super early, slipped into my killer suit and headed off to catch some dinner for the crew. Unfortunately we were short on luck and ended up empty handed, but the experience is one I won’t soon forget. On the road again toward Hanmer Springs we had a quick stop off at a local winery, introduced the parents to NZ meat pies and spent the rest of the afternoon at the Hanmer thermal springs enjoying sitting there and soaking in all the natural minerals that are found in the water.

Day 6 – Maruia Waterfall, Nelson Lakes National Park and John Sanden’s Famous Fish Fry

The stay in Hanmer was short and we were off the next day to Nelson Lakes National Park – John’s favorite place in the South Island that we’ve been thus far. Unfortunately the weather wasn’t cooperating and we didn’t get to take our hike. John made up for it by cooking up some of our catch from the fishing excursion. It was PHENOMENAL. The fish was so good, properly battered and fried, that we momentarily contemplated dropping everything and opening up a F&C shop of our own.

Mt. Robert in the distance

Day 7 – Attempt at Mt. Robert, Rabbit Island, Berrylands and Ken’s Paua Fritters Evolution

Another shot at a hike and we came up empty handed – the weather just didn’t want to work with us, so we headed back toward sunny Nelson and stopped in for some time at Rabbit Island – a beach we frequent often. Back home in Nelson we decided to cook up the Paua that Ken Smith had so generously gifted us since we didn’t catch anything on the early morning fishing trip. He provided his own hand written recipe and a red onion from his garden – once we got the first batch under our belt it was over from there. They were delicious and we ate the whole batch – don’t knock it until you try it – Paua when done well is phenomenal.

Day 8 – Nelson Saturday Market, Free House and Founders Park and another batch of John Sanden’s Famous Fish Fry Take II

Teaching mom how to do "crisps" at the Free House properly

Saturday in Nelson is one of my favorite days, because it means the market is on. Hundreds of stalls come to life with local crafts, organic foods and creative vendors cooking up all sorts of delicious things. We made our way through the market and picked up some fabulous gifts. After all that shopping it was time for a beverage break, the girls headed to the Free House and the guys to Founders Park. We all enjoyed our respective beverages and the sunshine then headed back home for another fish fry feast.

Day 9 – Sailing through Abel Tasman, Tata Beach and day 1 of 3 Mussel Meals

We woke early on Sunday and headed off to Kaiteriteri where we boarded a catamaran for a day’s sail along the coastline of Abel Tasman. It was a beautiful day and what turned out to be Mama Barz's favorite. We laid on the boat, not doing a thing but enjoying the sound of the water beneath us and a few adult beverages. It was serene, peaceful and relaxing – perfect. After a great day on the water we headed into Golden Bay for the final part of our NZ experience out of Nelson. We rented a bach on Tata Beach and after settling in made the first of three amazing Mussel feasts over the next couple of days.

Day 10 – Separation Point Hike in Abel Tasman and Mussel Inn Reward

Absolutely love them...at Separation Point

It finally came time for a proper hike, so we geared up and headed into the Northern part of Abel Tasman for a 20K hike into Separation Point. John and I had previously done this hike and were very excited to share it with the parents. Beautiful native bush, birds, views and the bluest water you’ve ever seen. It was another great day and once we made our way back decided to reward ourselves with some beers, mussel, sausies and pies from the Mussel Inn – a very well known brewpub just outside of Takaka. 

Day 11 – Wharariki Beach Exploration and final Mussel Feast in Golden Bay

Wharariki Beach

The next day we headed out to Farewell Spit and Wharariki Beach. Though the weather wasn’t the best that didn’t stop us. We made the short trek to the beach, down the sand dunes, and back up for some additional entertainment and thoroughly enjoyed the amazing scenery. It’s a phenomenal beach that I can imagine would be the perfect place to lay in the sun enjpying a cocktail assuming the weather wasn’t crap. We had the crap weather, but the trip was still well worth it. On our way back to the bach, we decided to make the ultimate Mussel feast to top of four trip to Golden Bay – and feast it was. I won’t go into every detail, just look at the photo…it was ten times better than it looks, how is that even possible? Seafood in NZ = incredible.

Hop Stop on the way back from Golden Bay = Kid in a Candy Store

Day 12 – Pupu springs, Pies in Motueka, the Mapua Hat shop and Waimea Winery

On our way back to sunny Nelson we stopped in at Pupu springs – Australasia’s largest and purest freshwater spring, had another pie in Motueka – of course, then stopped in at Mapua for some funny hat shopping before taking a wine and nibble break at Waimea Winery. A bottle of vino and some yummy food brought an end to our adventures outside of Nelson and we headed home for our final couple of days.

Day 13 – Founders Park and the best Rack of Lamb in the World

After getting all of the packing situated (thanks again for taking more of our crap home for us!), we headed off for a walk around Founders Park. A frontier type town that is staged for the public to view and walk through as a sort of interactive museum. Of course, you always have Founders Brewery to look forward to while visiting, and of course we made a stop before heading home for our final grand finale feast. John treated us all to a beautiful meal of rack of lamb hot off the barbie. If you’ve never experienced lamb, or even if you love lamb – I can say with certainty, that this meal would have knocked your socks off. Another hats off to you babe, it was incredible. We were off to bed with sweet dreams of little lambs jumping over clouds straight onto the BBQ.

Day 14 – Final NZ Beers and Fish and Chips and Farewell to the Rents

The day was upon us before we knew it and it was time to pack up the Adventureship one last time with the parents suitcases and head to the airport. Not before, however, we treated them to one final fish and chips meal paired with their favorite NZ beer at the park. A great way to end the trip, just the way we started – Fish and Chips in the park.

That’s all she wrote, it was an incredible two weeks tiki touring around the top of the south with an amazing couple. We had a blast and hope that this was a vacation you will remember for a long time to come!

What’s next for us…well, it’s already begun! We’re on our two month excursion, almost a week in…stay tuned for the next blog entry to read what we’ve been up to. 

Cheers,

John and Shannon