Posted by Niels & Amy on December 17, 2007

DAY 303  A Sharp Turn

The time has come for us to leave the South Pacific and embark on an adventure of settling somewhere and working to make the dreams we have been having turn into reality.

For several months we have debated when to return to the States and since our funds still have not yet run out, there wasn’t much of a forcing function, other than that traveling has become our way of life and it is not longer as special as it should be. It feels so normal to jump from place to place and live out of our packs. We have grown so accustomed to travel and the South Pacific that there isn’t much in the way of anticipation or excitement when we go to a new destination – the sparkle has faded. We have had many amazing travel experiences and feel very fortunate to have been able to create this opportunity for ourselves; now it is time to pursue some other dreams.

After soaking up a few hot days in Fiji, we will catch a flight to LA and then on to Seattle. We will be transitioning to the frigid cold and the busy lifestyle while staying with family through the holidays. This experience has changed us in many ways and as a result, we will most likely not be living the same life we left. Our tolerance for crowds, traffic, rushing around and busyness is now nil – we need space, quiet and peace. We have spent every day of our travels mostly outside and now cannot even imagine being inside day in and day out, not to mention not seeing and feeling the sun for weeks on end!

We do not know yet where exactly we will end up or what we will be doing, so we are going to take our time living in a state of impermanence for a few months to allow us to try some things out, see where we fit, and ultimately continue living very happily. As we write this, we sit at the pool at some soulless hotel in touristy Nadi with the sun trying its best to burn off the high clouds covering the Fijian sky. It is a bit stuffy and humid but we’ll take it, any day, over a grey, dreary environment. We will miss so many people and places, but we will forever have the memories to treasure.

We hope you have all enjoyed following our journey, which certainly is not ending now, it is just making a sharp turn. This is also certainly not the end of our stories and pictures ‘cause despite all of this traveling, we haven’t shaken the travel bug and are sure to be off somewhere again some time. Stay tuned and drop us an email now and again if you would like to keep in touch. Happy holidays and all the best for 2008!

The explorers,
Amy and Niels

Posted by Niels & Amy on December 17, 2007

DAY 299  A Time to Treasure

As the days pass in December, the number of tourists in New Zealand is greatly increasing and soon, the number of New Zealanders on the road will skyrocket as the school holidays kick in. Now, more than ever, we are seeking out the quiet, out of the way places – those that are overlooked by most because there are no real attractions. That is the ‘attraction’ to us. On our way from the Mavora Lakes, we went off the main route to Naseby, a tiny town with a lovely, small campground. Having Kiwis (New Zealanders) as friends has made all the difference as they have given us great tips and insight into getting off the busy routes.

After a few ‘driving days’ and uneventful stops, we pulled into Christchurch and spent the morning posting ads at backpackers accommodation in hopes of selling our tent and a few camping items. (no such luck in the end – again, probably too many campervans for sale – most people do not tent camp anymore) Walking around Christchurch ended in the early afternoon as we joined up with friends we met in Vanuatu at their lovely home in the city. They hosted us for two nights and insisted on taking care of our every need. We felt like we were staying in a luxury bed and breakfast only we also got toured around, given gourmet picnics, fantastic dinners and many a lively conversation that led into the wee hours of the morning. We felt unworthy though very, very grateful.

Two months have flown by in New Zealand and we have had a truly wonderful time, not so much because of all the sights and adventures (they were great too) but for the welcoming, generous Kiwis – they have really made our trip! (Thanks to Richard and Val, David, Harriette and family, Craig, Andrew and Carol!!)

We now head to the airport for a flight to Nadi, Fiji. We are sad to be leaving New Zealand but it is getting too busy for us and it is time for another adventure, of sorts.

Posted by Niels on December 11, 2007

DAY 295  Time in Te Anau

We have been so very lucky to spend a few days off the tourist trail again. Especially so, as we got to spend the days in the company of a welcoming family. We had met them earlier this year in Samoa and promised to pay a visit if we ever ended up in their neck of the woods in Te Anau, New Zealand. Being part of the household for a while has been such a true pleasure and welcome break from sightseeing. The family’s house sits atop a hill at a breathtaking location with sweeping vistas of the lake – an amazing place to wile away some time. Playing with the kids and Islay the dog, feeding the pet lamb Bella and photographing the beautiful surroundings, quickly filled the gaps between sharing good wine and many travel stories. Taking time out of life-on-the-road is a great thing to do when traveling around for a longer time, better than any ‘must-see’ tourist attraction.

The town of Te Anau is the gateway to the Fiordland National Park, one of the most spectacular wilderness areas in New Zealand. The region is home to dramatic alpine scenery and rainforest pounded by shocking annual volumes of rain and snow. But our good fortune with the weather continued even here and we experienced 4 days of wonderful cloudless skies! Perhaps a fair downpour is a more appropriate companion to the lush forests and raging streams, but a clear sunny sky worked perfectly well for us. We must have become sun junkies in the South Pacific islands – There’s no such thing as too much sun for us anymore.

We explored a small section of the area by car and on foot but left the famous multi-day hikes for another time. No way were we going to trade a cozy night with roasted lamb, fine wine and good conversation for an uncomfortable night in a stuffy bunk room with the always present snoring chap. So in the end, we merely dipped our toes in the enthralling nature of the region, but it really does not matter, we got a good impression and we got it in an unhurried way – hugely satisfying.

Posted by Amy on December 11, 2007

DAY 289  Across the Mountains

After leaving the Marlborough Sounds, we made our way Southeast. Clouds appeared as we approached Kaikoura where we needed to stop for the night. Just as the tent was wedged between two camper vans, the clouds broke open and it poured. A terrible night was had, mostly because the campground was far too overcrowded and of course the pouring rain was a factor as well. We just wanted to turn around and drive a full day back to the Marlborough Sounds! Bright and early we woke to clear skies and quickly bolted out of the campground heading inland for the foothills of the Southern Alps.

Our next stop was the resort town of Hanmer Springs. First, we went out of our way to find the quietest of the five campgrounds and the one most likely overlooked by the hoards of campervans. We found a nice spot and after setting up the tent, had tea and lunch enjoying the peace while overly curious birds came and sat right next to our plates hoping for a nibble! The afternoon ended with a walk to the lookout over town and the surrounding hills. Of course, a visit to Hanmer Springs would not be complete without a visit to the springs themselves, so in the evening we went to sit in the hot pools after the crowds had dwindled. Expecting a chic atmosphere in a forested setting, as eluded to on the glossy brochures and advertisements, we were a bit disappointed to find it rather bland, botched together and dated. Nonetheless, we enjoyed hopping from pool to pool until we could end the evening in our own private hot pool courtesy of a free upgrade coupon I plucked from a magazine weeks ago just in case!

Via the alpine sports town of Methven and the friendly, farming town of Geraldine (whose claim to fame is the world’s largest jersey) we ended up at Lake Tekapo. After setting up camp, we walked up to the top of Mt. John. At the observatory at the top, we enjoyed a cappuccino and ginger beer at what must be the most brilliant café location in the whole of New Zealand.

We thought Lake Tekapo was electric blue until we caught sight of Lake Pukaki the next day. The brightness was surreal. Because of this striking beauty, we made very slow progress around the lake as I had to stop the car a LOT because Niels wanted to take many pictures of course. Late in the afternoon we stopped at the DOC campground in Mount Cook National Park. We pitched our tent in a valley flanked by sheer mountain cliff faces and glaciers – quite a fantastic location, further enhanced by the hiking trails that radiated out from the camp. The next day we took the track to the Sealy Tarns. The hike was exhausting but provided expansive views.

Central Otago, one of our favorite wine regions, was next up on our route. Breathtakingly beautiful scenery continued, this time varied by the presence of pastures (paddocks as they say here in NZ) filled with Merino sheep. At one point on the drive, our car became completely engulfed in a sea of sheep as a farmer was moving his sizeable herd. It was one of those moments pictured on a post card that we didn’t think occurred much anymore – what a nice, albeit crazy, surprise! The drive ended as we drove through Cromwell and into tiny Bannockburn. We pulled off the main route and into a winery that we enjoyed on our last visit to NZ. A tasting later, we sat with a bottle of rosé in the winery’s quiet garden under a cloudless sky and hot sun, just as we like it. In the evening, we popped into the local pub for a simple meal before retiring to our tent at a nearly empty campground. What a lovely day it had been.

Posted by Amy on November 29, 2007

DAY 283  Marlborough Sounds of Silence

Under a clear blue sky and blinding sun, we drove the narrow, winding coastline from Picton to the Marlborough Sounds, intending to pay a visit to a friend and relax for a few days. En route we frequently pulled over, lured by the occasional glimpses of the twinkling turquoise waters, for the chance to catch a view through the bush out onto the sound below. With little traffic and time on our side, we meandered until reaching our destination close to Portage Bay where we settled in and caught up with our friend, Craig. As Craig is quite a keen fisherman, we went out to try our hand at catching some bait fish. I haven't fished since using a Mickey Mouse fishing pole and Niels is even more inexperienced so we thought all we would catch would be sideways glances and fits of laughter but, we managed to catch a few spotties. (They are not good for anything and ended up right back in the water but we were just happy to catch something!)

The next few days passed quite uneventfully but blissfully nonetheless. We really needed to just stop driving around so much and setting the tent up and taking it down every day and just relax. Since the sun was shining so brilliantly, and it was so peacefully quiet except for the many birdsongs, we had no trouble finding a spot on the deck and settling in. We started concentrating on soaking up the sun and finishing the latest books we have been reading. Neither one of us was very good at sitting still and not doing much but this trip has really worn us down and loosened us up overall and now we are so happy to just sit and do next to nothing. Having said that, there are many opportunities for hikes in this region and Niels has spent a few afternoons exploring parts of the Queen Charlotte track and taking pictures on the way while I have been spoiled with a well equipped kitchen and using it to full advantage.

After a few days, we decided to mix up our regimen a bit and drive into the Marlborough wine region to pay a visit to some wineries. Having received some recommendations on which ones to hit, we stopped in and had tastings at four of them and returned late in the day with quite a bounty. It has been very warm, in the 80's, which makes sipping a dry Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc absolutely fitting. Lately, I have had some more luck with fishing and caught a snapper and kowhai, and Niels caught a blue cod so we could pair the wine with the food. Oh, this is the life!

What started out to be a few days turned into a week in the Marlborough Sounds. We're off soon but hope to try our hand at more fishing before we head down the East coast and into the Southern Alps. For now, it's back to enjoying the sun and sounds of silence...plus the birds.