ramblin' from place to place
Whew, wow. Sorry it has been a bit since posting my whereabouts and whatabouts; internet access has been few and far between in the small towns, sandy beaches,and forest hide aways I have been frequenting of late. That and I dropped my digital camera in the ocean and had no pics to put up for awhile. The only reason I do now is that the friends I was sea kayaking with were kind enought to offer theirs.But I'm getting ahead of myself.
At last report, I was headed north up the west coast of the south island. I wandered my way into Motueka and then to Kaiteriteri where I met up with 4 friends from the Ice. We rented sea kayaks and went out for 3 days in Abel Tasman National Park. And Holy Crap, was it amazing! Just like the magazines andtravel brochures, with sandy beaches and jade green water. We say manta raysand seals and birds of all sorts I had never known, and still don't know the names of.We camped on the beaches and boiled mussels and drank wine from a box and enjoyed life on a slightly less harsh continent.
Since finishing that paddle, I headed east to Picton and then crossed the CookStrait on the ferry. In Wellington went to the huge Te Papa museum before heading north to Tongerirero National Park. Despite cold winds and clouds it was beatiful crossing the active volcanic fields that were the film setting forMordor in Lord of the Rings movies. I would have liked to climb Mt. Doom, but low lyingclouds prevented a summit attempt. Frodo I am not. After that headed north and found myselfin Waipoua forest searching rain forest jungles for the largest and oldest Kauri trees on the planet. At 50-60 feet in circumfrence and 150 or more feettall, they are an amazing site. I've always been a sucker for cool trees, like theoldest in Bristlecone Pine Forest, California, tallest in Redwoods, or biggestround down here. Anyway, now I am in Aukland searching for a northbound boatthat needs crew, cook, or company. Looking to parlay one of those for passage acrossthe Tasman Sea to Australia. Failing that I'll just buy a ticket. But dang, wouldn't it be cool to hitchhike across the oceans?
At last report, I was headed north up the west coast of the south island. I wandered my way into Motueka and then to Kaiteriteri where I met up with 4 friends from the Ice. We rented sea kayaks and went out for 3 days in Abel Tasman National Park. And Holy Crap, was it amazing! Just like the magazines andtravel brochures, with sandy beaches and jade green water. We say manta raysand seals and birds of all sorts I had never known, and still don't know the names of.We camped on the beaches and boiled mussels and drank wine from a box and enjoyed life on a slightly less harsh continent.
Since finishing that paddle, I headed east to Picton and then crossed the CookStrait on the ferry. In Wellington went to the huge Te Papa museum before heading north to Tongerirero National Park. Despite cold winds and clouds it was beatiful crossing the active volcanic fields that were the film setting forMordor in Lord of the Rings movies. I would have liked to climb Mt. Doom, but low lyingclouds prevented a summit attempt. Frodo I am not. After that headed north and found myselfin Waipoua forest searching rain forest jungles for the largest and oldest Kauri trees on the planet. At 50-60 feet in circumfrence and 150 or more feettall, they are an amazing site. I've always been a sucker for cool trees, like theoldest in Bristlecone Pine Forest, California, tallest in Redwoods, or biggestround down here. Anyway, now I am in Aukland searching for a northbound boatthat needs crew, cook, or company. Looking to parlay one of those for passage acrossthe Tasman Sea to Australia. Failing that I'll just buy a ticket. But dang, wouldn't it be cool to hitchhike across the oceans?
posted by Jared | 6:39 PM
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