After lunch at the Wild Walnut Café we left the town of Lawrence, crossed a big river, and began driving through miles of farmland. There were fruit trees and fruit stands (New Zealanders call them fruit stalls): pears, apples, apricots –Derek said this area is known for its apricots. There were some cherry orchards and grape vines. In one area there was netting over large sections of cherry orchards to keep the birds away. They get their cherries in time for Christmas!

We stopped at some ponds that were created by gravel extraction where we saw a pair of Great Crested Grebes and I spotted a skink on one of the many large granite outcroppings. “Skink! Skink! Skink!” I called but by the time anyone else came to look it had disappeared. This slender lizard was almost the color the rocks except for some blue along its sides. It was a rather barren landscape here, so much so that, when we weren’t looking at the grebes, we were taking photos of a variety of lichens on the rocks. Tom saw some fish jumping in one of the ponds. And the ground was covered with rabbit pellets making one think the rabbits might do a lot of dancing on a moonlit night. My discovery of a rabbit skull created absolutely no excitement within our group.

Front yard of motel

Around 3:30 we stopped at a fruit “stall” for ice cream with fresh berries, Tom and I choosing to use bowls while the others munched on cones, a delightful treat on this warm, sunny day.

We passed Fairview Orchard and Slaughterhouse Creek, and came to the town of Alexandra along the Clutha River where numerous bicycles zipped about. Then we passed Gibbston, Valley of Vines and the Peregrine Winery and finally arrived at Arrowtown, a historic tree-filled village with Gold Rush architecture where we stayed at the Shades of Arrowtown, located near the Arrow River. Our room here was large with a king bed in one room and twin beds in another where there was also a stove, sink and refrigerator.

After checking into the motel we were told we had some time to just explore this little town, so we scattered and then some regrouped, walking along the river where families played at the edge of the stream. Mountains rose on all sides and it was a pleasant stroll under the trees with the sound of the river and the smell of riparian vegetation. The mountains here are browner and more rugged, more as I have always pictured New Zealand. They were a little like the Trinity area but without the trees.

Before joining others at the river I had wandered into a wool shop that had beautiful, though expensive, items
ranging from boots to bedcovers. It was cozy and a little dark. I snapped a picture of some boots and then meandered over to the stack of thick, ultra-soft, white bed covers. Suddenly the proprietor appeared from the back of the store and said, “Don’t take that picture! Put the lens cap on!”

Startled, I did so but asked why. He said that most stores do not allow photos to be taken. And he asked whether I’d taken one. Since I knew he meant of the covers I told him no. I could understand this if it were an art gallery, but a woolen store? So I left. This was the only time during our trip that I was treated rudely (my notes say “kind of a jerk”). New Zealand impressed us with the courtesy and helpfulness of nearly everyone we encountered. When I mentioned this incident to a businessman in Auckland he wait that was a bad thing for the wool store owner to have done because it gave a bad impression of the town and of the country. So I’m really glad I have the picture of the boots! The next day Taryn went down to that store, although I didn’t know until she told me. The man wasn’t there but she had a bit of a “discussion” with a woman who worked there.

We ate pizza for dinner, sitting outside. I had wine with mine and Tom had beer. Then we walked back to our room and watched a program that Taryn had recommend that was about the Kaikoura area where we had gone to see whales. And we watched some news. This was one of only two times we watched television on our trip.

The next morning we had breakfast at the New Orleans Hotel, which was built in 1866. The dining room makes use of lots of wood and has a long wooden bar for evening use. I ordered eggs Benedict with smoked salmon. So good! We could see outside through a sliding glass door into a little courtyard that contained the figure of a man panning for gold and where a deck overlooked the river.

Breakfast at New Orleans Hotel

Gold was discovered in this area in 1862 and at one time the population, now around
3,000, reached 7,000 people. There are covenants about the buildings, which must meet historic-district standards. During the winter Arrowtown is popular with snow enthusiasts, having four ski areas within an hour’s drive. It is also where some of the filming for Lord of the Rings took place. The Ford of Bruinen was upstream from Arrowtown and, according to a Queenstown website, Frodo was carried across the river with the Black Riders following closely.

After breakfast we drove through Queenstown, about 20 minutes away. What a beautiful area! Steep mountains with snow, paragliding with colored chutes, turquoise water. Very touristy with lots of condos and all kinds of sports advertised but nonetheless a feast for the eyes.

Candy shops, a hat shop, and even a jade shop can be found in Arrowtown

To be continued

Sunny day view from our motel in Portobello

We had a rather leisurely drive from Portobello to Arrowtown. But before leaving Portobello we walked along the bay not far from the motel to look for the Sacred Kingfisher. Taren had seen it while the rest of us were gone the day before. The sun was shining, a beautiful morning. And we did finally spot this small greenish blue bird with its buff belly. The tide was out and the bird flew low above the tidal flats before perching on an overhanging branch. It seldom dives into deep water as ours do but feeds on insects in and above tidal flats. The Sacred Kingfisher makes a nesting burrow into a dirt bank as ours does or sometimes excavates into a suitable tree.

From there we drove up a very winding narrow road-quite high above the ocean and towns. I could see out across the hills where sheep were white polkadots on the green fields and there were lovely views down to the sea.

Near the top of the hills was a castle and we could see one turret—like a rook in chess—with a flag. It is the only castle in New Zealand and was built by a very wealthy man, William Larnach, in 1871. Apparently he went broke before finishing it and committed suicide. Today the castle is privately owned and because fees are charged for entry we turned around.

As we followed the winding road down the other side Derek spotted a road-kill possum and asked Taren to stop so he could pick it up to show to us. Most of the possums in Oregon and California that I’ve seen have been road-kills and even the live ones I’ve seen I’ve thought ugly and probably not very bright. For one thing their heads are quite small with not a lot of brain room. For another, they seem to keep getting run over, which does make one wonder about their thinking capacity. So there I was saying a bit sarcastically, “ He just walked back to pick up a road-kill possum to show us.” I soon apologized. Their possums are actually beautiful!

The creature had long, soft, bushy fur, long fox-like ears, and a bushy tail! Derek said it was a female and that they generally have only one offspring a year. These Common Brush-Tailed Possums were imported from Australia in l837 for their fur. Of course, as with many other get-rich import schemes, it backfired. In New Zealand there are no predators to eat the possum. Today one fur is worth three dollars and you can get $100 or more for a kilo depending on the market. Derek said that on the property he owns he kills and skins them. The fur is often used in clothing and frequently combined with marino sheep wool to form hats, scarves, gloves and other items.

The possums live mainly in hardwood forests and are quite destructive. They feed mostly on leaves but will also eat bugs and flowers, fruits, ferns, bark, fungi, invertebrates, native birds and eggs, land snails and carrion. They particularly like new growth of shrubs and trees and ignore the older leaves. By the 1980s their population was estimated to be 60-70 million in New Zealand. By using strict control measures it was thought in 2009 the population was down to 30 million.

“Possums are vectors of bovine tuberculosis, which is a major threat to the dairy, beef, and deer-farming industries. The disease is endemic in possums across about 38% of New Zealand.” Through a nationwide program the Animal Health Board aims to eradicate the disease by 2026. They “are controlled through a combination of trapping, ground-baiting and, where other methods are impractical, aerial treatment with 1080 poison.” Here in the U.S. 1080 is considered by many to be far too destructive to other animals when placed in carrion for something like coyote control. The numbers taken for fur is rising and has almost equaled the numbers killed in poisoning. A number of New Zealand companies are exporting possum carcasses to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Malaysia for human consumption, where possum is regarded as a delicacy and known as “Kiwi bear”. (Wikipedia)

According to the National Geographic.com news these marsupials can munch half a pound of foliage a day and prey on the eggs and chicks of endangered birds like the kokako, keneru, and kiwi. New Zealand has a meat-eating giant land snail (the only meat-eating species found in the world) that possums also eat. These nocturnal creatures have had a major impact on many bird species as well as on forests. We noticed on many of our short hikes that there were traplines along the trails. Small plastic triangles were attached to trees (similar to our cross-country ski trail triangles) and were color-coded to let you know what was going on. Usually we would see a small box off the trail that contained traps and there were signs warning hikers to stay on the trail.

We ate lunch at the Wild Walnut Café in the town of Lawrence where I had perfect fried eggs (over medium), tomatoes, toast, bacon and coffee. The cafe has a patio decorated with a mural (see photo). Lawrence today has a population of 474. It was Otaga’s first gold-rush town and had a population that peaked at 11,500. Bicycles are common in this part of New Zealand and we saw a number of runners as well. A large sign said “Cycle Trails Turn Left”. The Clutha Gold Rush Trail stretches 74 kilometers from Lawrence to Roxburgh, at times paralleling the Clutha Mata-au River.

to be continued

Raining. We went to a museum in Dunedin and spent the morning there. It was very interesting but of course I could have used more time. I bought two little bird models for the youngest grandchildren for their birthdays. They would pack flat so shouldn’t break—until they are put together! There were all kinds of exhibits on several floors including Polynesian and Moari cultures, nature, etc. I took a few pictures trying to not use flash since the museum forbids that. One problem I had, and others said they did as well, was that some of the exhibits were hard to see because it was so dimly lit. Still it was the kind of place one would want to go back to several times. There was so much to absorb.

Derek, our guide, set a time to meet for lunch but otherwise we were free to roam wherever we wanted throughout the museum. One area had many of the birds we’d been seeing and it was helpful for me to see them up close. We ate lunch there, sitting at tables in the large entry room, which also contained a gift shop, food court and good coffee.

When we left the museum we went to a grocery store to get snacks for later since we wouldn’t be eating dinner until 8 o’clock. The pub was staying open that late just for us. We had a couple of hours of downtime in our rooms and then at four o’clock went down the long (500 ft.) driveway, crossed the street and waited for a bus in a little store that is about 100 feet beyond the pub. That store had a bit of everything—produce, meat, an amazing variety of candy bars, sweets in an enclosed case, newspapers, even ice cream sticks, all in a space of about 10’ x 12’. Half of us waited in the store while the others hunkered against the outside wall out of the rain.

The bus came—about a 20-passenger eco-bus (that’s what it said on the side, eco-bus)—with one woman driving and the other, Jane, narrating. Another group was also on the bus and it was filled except for two seats that were being held for people who would catch it further up the road. We stopped briefly to see a few birds— Shelducks, black swans, etc. Jane told us that all the green grass that is everywhere came from Wales—all the hillsides used to be covered with dry tussock grass.

The bus took us to a smallish boat—carrying perhaps 50 passengers–that was covered but we could leave our seats and go out through doors to the decks. It was very cold. We were out about an hour looking at albatross from below the cliffs where we’d been the night before. The ship’s captain pointed out some bunkers on the edge of the bay that dated to the early 1900s when people in New Zealand were afraid the Russians were going to invade. This was called the Great Russian Scare.

He said that 30 albatross eggs are being incubated this year. These large birds have a slow reproduction rate, breeding at 6-10 years of age and raising one chick every two years. Albatross have a tendon that stretches across their back that aids with soaring when wings are outstretched for hours at a time. They are at sea for many years before coming back to breed.

Then we got on the bus again and looped around some lakes or bays and went way up a hill on a narrow, bumpy, dirt road. The bus really kept up speed. Sheep were running everywhere. Most seaside land in New Zealand is owned by the government but two property owners own the lands along this road and allow eco-groups in. There was another bus with ours now.

The two buses parked at the top of a very high bluff and we walked down a steep, narrow road, watching out for sheep droppings—the air smelled strongly of sheep! The road became a path to the beach and we began to have sunlight. Just as we were approaching the beach a yellow-eyed penguin appeared on the left side of the trail. I whipped up my
camera, removed the lens cover, and snapped a picture. This was the only picture I would
get of these penguins because right then my memory card filled. I’d brought another one but, of course, it was in my little day pack in the locked bus, the first time I’d gone anywhere without it on my back. So Tom had to be in charge of penguin photos. I found that it was a relief in a way to not be able to use my camera. All my attention could be focused on observing.

When we reached the beach we saw a large sea lion just lying on the sand, quite docile. Sea lions disappeared from this beach 20 years ago and then returned. One pregnant female came. There are about 150 sea lions in New Zealand, and they are uncommon where we were. Females rarely come up on this beach because of the males. We were told that sea lions are usually found on the sand while the fur seals tend to stay on the rocks.

We watched some penguins toddle up out of the ocean—so cute. They kind of hopped their way up the grassy hillside toward the shelter of scattered shrubs. Our trip had been scheduled to coincide with their emerging from the ocean after a long day at sea. They are an endangered species and in 2004 a disease killed 60% of the young here on the Ortaga peninsula. The guide said they now appear to be starving and that perhaps there is no longer enough krill for them. Nesting boxes have been built into the hillside to help these charming birds. We saw several burrows they’d dug into the hill and one at the far end of a roofed blind, was nesting. At one point a penguin hopping up the hill met a sheep, about the same height, and for a minute they just stood, face to face about five feet apart before the sheep moved on. Would have made a good picture. The sun was beginning to set so we turned back and hiked back up the hill to the buses where we waited about 20 minutes until another part of the group, who had gone to see a fur seal colony, returned. By the time we got back to the motel and went across the street to the pub for dinner it was nearly nine o’clock. It had been a long and enriching day.

Twice this year I’ve been able to see petroglyphs, actually see them, rather than viewing pictures. I am awed to see the results of the creative urge, the artistic impulse, in such early inhabitants of our planet. Twenty-five million years ago this area, in the Waitaki Valley, was covered by ocean. As a result, limestone is prevalent and there are also many fossils. We stopped for a short time to look at Takiroa Rock Art as we were traveling down the east side of the South Island near Duntroon, after leaving Twizel.

Here the Maori drew on limestone, and under limestone overhangs, using “fat, charcoal and natural red ochre”. Some of these have worn away naturally and some have been vandalized. Heavy wire fencing blocks the visitor from actually touching them but we were close enough to take a few pictures. We visited a little fossil shop there and chatted with the owner who acted as if he’d have liked us to stay longer. He knew a lot about fossils. Some of my information came from a brochure that he gave us including the fact that Aslam’s Camp from “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” was filmed here.

The town of Duntroon was established around 1869 and named after Robert Duntroon who came from Scotland to New Zealand in 1860. In Duntroon, the van stopped so those who wanted to could take pictures of the limestone St. Martins church. We drove right past the Flying Pig Café in this little town. On another stretch of road, Taryn pulled over, hopped out and picked some passion fruit, saving most of it to ripen and be eaten at a later time.

We made several more stops—one at a fish hatchery, and one at a place with big round boulders on the Koekohe Beach. We ate lunch on this rainy day in a small restaurant above the ocean at Koekohe Beach before going down some metal stairs to the beach and taking pictures. I think our guide felt it a bit of a waste of time and it did seem a bit silly to get excited about large round rocks. It made one wonder whether they were fake or something. But I’ve found that they are possibly four to six-million years old. Apparently there are other beaches with these oddities. They are actually made of mud, fine silt and clay and cemented by calcite. I do like the Moari view of it though. Their legend says “the boulders are the remains of eel baskets, calabashes and kumara washed ashore from the wreck of a large sailing vessel.” Strong winds and more rain brought us back up the stairs to the van. A very brief additional stop gave us views of more fur seals and nesting red-billed gulls.

That night we were at the Portobello Motel on the Otago Peninsula near Duneden. We had another wonderful room in this motel of cottages. From our bed we could see out sliding glass doors and across the balcony, past some trees and a few buildings, to the ocean! It was basically a well-furnished studio apartment with cute little bedside lamps that turned on and off just by touching the rounded glass shades.

After taking our luggage into our rooms we drove along a road, that skirted a small pond where spoonbills were feeding, and climbed up onto a high bluff above the ocean where we could see Royal Albatross gliding with the rising air currents. The wind at the top was very strong and the birds easily lifted over our heads. Aim the camera, pan it over your head, click.

Later, while we were at dinner, the motel staff brought our continental breakfast for the next day so we could eat in our room in the morning. We ate dinner just across the street from the end of the motel’s narrow driveway at a pub/diner that made good use of natural wood walls, ceiling beams and bar. The heat from a gas fireplace was welcome as we warmed up after our albatross encounter on that wind-blown cliff.

After eating lunch along the trail (trails in New Zealand are called tracks so we had walked along the Hooker Valley Track at Mt. Cook), we returned to the parking lot where we saw a redpoll and the pictured Paradise Shelducks with their young. These large ducks are endemic to New Zealand. Unlike most birds the female is the more striking with her completely white head.

We returned the short distance to the wetlands in the lower part of the valley to search for birds. And this time we were successful! The wind was blowing very hard and we were pleased to discover that our vehicle made a good bird blind. We could observe and the birds weren’t spooked.

 When we had stopped at this spot on our way up I took a few pictures of the surrounding area, including reflections in some tiny ponds. The valley spreads out here as a result of water from melting glaciers and the wandering of the river, often described as a braided river. Apparently in the 19th century a German geologist who came to New Zealand gave many places their names. Hooker Valley was named for a German botanist who had never been to this country. No hookers.

Black Stilt

Pied Stilt

Windblown Black Stilt

We saw two kinds of stilts here, the Australian Pied Stilt and the rare Black Stilt and were able to get photos. The wind was nearly blowing the poor birds over and they staggered about a bit to keep their balance. We also spotted Banded Dotterels, Shags and an Australasian Harrier.

From there we went to the Conservation Center for a half hour where I bought a book on the Birds of New Zealand and some postcards for grandchildren. It was a really interesting place with natural history exhibits, and downstairs some climbing displays that included a diorama of the first woman to climb Mt. Cook (1910) and other nearby peaks, Emmeline Freda Du Faur. http://en.
wikipedia.org/wiki/Freda_Du_Faur
I’d like to have spent more time there.

Banded Dotterel

This was our Mt. Cook day. After a big buffet breakfast (dinners were buffet too) at our motel (MacKenzie Country Inn in Twizel) we drove to a place where we could purchase lunch to take with us and then to a wetland area near the mountains to look for stilts but didn’t spot any. From there we drove to the beginning of a trail that goes to Mt. Cook, elevation 12, 316 ft. We were surrounded on all sides by steep, rugged mountains. We used the restrooms, loaded up our cameras and hiked. It was very blustery and overcast. But we could see Mt. Cook! There were many other people on the trail, including a large group on a tour. We didn’t hike fast, kind of going with the lowest denominator of our group. Wooden steps filled with gravel formed part of the trail.

Along this winding path, that follows the Hooker River to its source, grew a prickly shrub that’s quite common—a little like our ceanothus–Matagouri, sometimes called Wild Irishman. It has small, leathery leaves and long thorns that were sometimes used by early Moari for tattoo needles. The flowers make very good honey. These hardy plants grow in poor soil and can fix nitrogen, as do legumes. Spear Grass, sometimes called Spaniard, is also found in this area. Spear Grass has tough blades that look almost like a sword, and flowers clustered on long stems although they weren’t in bloom when we were there.

I was quite pleased with myself to spot the first Mt. Cook Lily, even though it’s not a lily. What caught my eye were the large white flowers nestled in among the shrubs. They are actually a giant buttercup with big, round leaves and are found in alpine regions of the South Island. While most plants have stomata (openings) on the underneath of their leaves the Mt. Cook Lilies have them on both sides. Because they grow in rocky areas the underside of the leaf is often warmed by the heat of the rocks in the summer and, by having stomata on the top as well, this clever plant can close those on the bottom to keep from losing too much moisture. It was good to see this striking flower on what otherwise seemed an almost winter day.

We went across two swinging bridges over water murky with glacial melt, and there was another about a half mile further up the trail—we could barely see it from where we stopped. The bridges had signs on them that said “Limit of 20”. Being who I am I did rapid counts before getting on one. Kind of pointless I guess because there were children trying to make them swing. Although it was cloudy we were fortunate to be able to see the mountains rising steeply ahead of us, sometimes through heavy fog and sometimes quite clearly.

I talked to a couple from Texas who were on their way back and they told me they went to the end of the trail, about three-quarters of a mile beyond where we stopped. They said there was a lake with chunks of ice in it, like miniature icebergs, but that it was very cold and very windy there.

Now and then we could hear an avalanche coming off the mountain. Derek had thought it wise to turn back so that we could search the wetlands for birds on our way out and because the wind was getting stronger. He said he had once had to stop this hike with another group because the winds had gotten so fierce. We ate lunch at a picnic table along the trail where we had to hold firmly to anything that could blow away.

To be continued

November 19th

“No overtaking trucks while they are in the tunnel”. This sounds like good advice to me and was posted on a sign just outside of Kaikoura along a two-lane highway. This was a long day of mostly riding in the van. I’m including my notes to give a brief overview of the countryside we were passing through and a somewhat typical driving day.

• Lots of trees, very few natives, according to Derek.

Hills were painted yellow with Scotch Broom—one of our many surprises was that Scotch Broom covered many hills, very pretty but I know in the Eugene area there is every effort to get rid of this invasive species.
A triangular sign said Alpine Pacific Triangle.
Kiwi Rail Train—a very small train.

Drove to St. Agnes Lagoon Wildlife Refuge looking for a goose

• No goose, just shags, coots, black swans.

Fields of black currents, which are used for juice and are harvested by machine.

Lovely green fields—divided by narrow, tall hedges of trees. Hay is in rolls. Grapes and wineries are frequent. In spite of the amount of time spent in the van on this day we saw a number of different kinds of birds.

We stopped to look at a large, enclosed herd of red deer.

• We saw many of these enclosures, just as one would fence cattle. The deer, which look like small elk, have to be handled at night because they are so skittish. Many restaurant menus list venison.

Signs: Terrace Edge Wine and Olive Oil, Pegasus Bay Winery. Here we were in the Waipara Valley wine district.

Around 11 a.m. we passed through the town of Amberley.
• A sign said : “Amberley, take your time”. Someone had scratched out part of it and it now read “take your pills”. And somewhere in the area was a sign that said “If at first you don’t succeed scuba diving isn’t for you”.

$245 for 175 litres of gas, if we wished to purchase that amount.

We stopped at the Ashley River Mouth Restoration site at Waikuku Beach.

• Walking along the beach took some effort as the wind was fierce. Several men, and one woman, were fishing for tiny fish (whitebait), using weirs. They can get paid$175 per kilogram. The fish spend three or four years in the ocean and then run back up the river. Fishermen build fishing shacks along the rivers and in 2006 one site sold for $46,000. www.cascadewhitebait.co.nz/history and www.teara.govt.nz/en/whitebait-and-whitebaiting/page-1 are both interesting websites. The latter also includes Moari history with these fish.
• We saw a large number of godwits here.
  

  Weirs for whitebait

• When we stopped for lunch our shoes left sand blotches all over the floor.

We drove through Christchurch and by 2:30 were looking across very flat, green fields, some bright with yellow flowers and dotted with sheep, all backed by snowy mountains on the horizon, reminding me a bit of the Wallowa Mountains area in eastern Oregon.

•  Dark gray clouds threatened and curtains of rain swept across with now and then a hint of rainbows. Then wet snow spattered briefly before the sun appeared again. We passed the Salmon World Building and a very tall image of a leaping salmon, at least 40 feet high. In Ashford snowflakes were again hitting the windshield. But then, once again, it became sunny and warm.

We passed a sign for Mt. Dobson Ski Area with an arrow pointing to the right. Lake Tekapo was our next stop , a very large, aquamarine reservoir that had been a natural lake left behind by retreating glaciers but now was dammed to raise the water level and use for hydropower.

• New Zealand’s electricity is mainly produced from hydropower and geothermal power with wind energy use increasing. Seventy-five percent of energy production is from renewable resources although, according to one source, they are not as energy
  efficient as might be expected. We stopped briefly to use the restrooms and take pictures. A little rock Church of the Good Shepherd, built in 1935, is perched at the lake’s edge. Nearby is a bronze statue of a collie, whose inscription said the area couldn’t have been settled without collies. Swarms of tourists were there snapping pictures of the scenery and each other. It was truly a beautiful, though chilly, setting.
  

  Our group at Church of the Good Shepherd

We would be at our next motel, a few miles from the lake, in the little town of Twizle, for three nights. Twizle has a population of about 1200 although this number is nearly tripled during tourist seasons. It was originally built as a place to for the men working on the hydropower projects to stay and some buildings, still being used, were meant to be torn down after the projects were completed. Today the town serves tourists and recreational users who come to ski, boat, hike, etc. The area also has some of the darkest, cleanest and driest skies in the world and draws astronomers as well as providing astro-tours. According to Wikipedia: “Since 2012 Twizle has been a part of the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark-Sky Reserve, one of only five such reserves in the world recognized by the International Dark-Sky Association. “

Motel balconey

But we weren’t here for dark skies, we were here for birds and I noticed fairly soon that we had starlings nesting in the downspout next to our balcony, the parents frequently coming and going. We were in room 120 with a view across a large lawn and, in the distance, snowy mountains. There were two queen-sized beds and a big heater was set into the wall. By now we were more than ready to go downstairs for dinner—

The next day our goal was Mt. Cook.

Have I mentioned I need Dramamine for ocean trips? And probably merry-go-rounds?

The water this day (November 18th) was quite rough and choppy. We were in a little boat, just our group, and the captain bounced us out –whump- whump- whump- into the ocean very quickly. Lots of spray flying up and Taryn got wet almost at once although smiling the whole time. It was a sunny day though, a beautiful day with the snowy mountain tops contrasting with the bright green lower slopes.

When we stopped, the captain tossed a cylindrical, wire container filled with food over the edge of the rocking boat to entice the birds. And we were soon surrounded by petrels and albatrosses of various kinds, including the Royal Albatross, whose wing-span may reach nearly 10 feet. They formed a quite vocally noisy gathering with more arriving at a steady pace. Wings were flapping, spraying up water, and beaks jabbing in competition
for the food. I took many pictures but also paused to admire the snowy mountains and the striking appearance of the hovering birds against them as they came to land with feet outstretched. 

 You get used to staggering about on the deck, trying to hold the camera steady with one hand, while grabbing onto the edge of the boat with the other. I also spotted a shark’s fin in the distance, which, according to the captain, was probably a great white shark.

People took hundreds of photos. I finally decided I had enough and stopped. Tom’s memory card ran out and his other was back at the motel so I took a few more than I might have otherwise to make up for it. I guess you take a lot of pictures so that one might be that perfect shot but then what? This trip offered a choice of hot chocolate or tea but the tea kettles were cast iron
and quite heavy so we took care in lifting. And there were cookies!

We rode over to a granitic appearing bluff to look at some fur seals and saw a white-fronted tern there. I love the terns—they are so sleek and graceful in their flight.

Then we went searching for dolphins in case the dolphin swim got cancelled. We ran into many of the dusky dolphins. I’ve seen dolphins in large groups once before, when we went out on Monterey Bay with the Cheesemans a couple of years ago and fell in love with them. They frolic through the water, there is just no doubt about it, and between the jumps
and twists and ups and downs they seem to be smiling, as if having the most fun in the world. I took many pictures but knew from the past experience my reflexes might not be quick enough to halt one in mid-leap. I’d aim where I thought one would surface and it either wouldn’t or would so quickly that my finger couldn’t press the button fast enough. Their smooth, shining skins reflected the sunlight and the surface of the water was filled with their splashing.

From there we tempted birds one more time and then headed for shore. It was much smoother on the return trip.

We ate lunch outside a small cafe, sitting in the sun at nice wooden tables. Those having hot tea were served with a shiny teapot, a little pitcher of cream and white porcelain cup.

After lunch we learned that the water was too rough (too much wind) for swimming with dolphins and we got refunds as this had been an extra excursion if we wanted it. The dive would have required a wetsuit and I’ve never been swimming in the ocean so had mixed feelings about the cancellation, part of which was “drat” and part “whew”.

Map of trail

Harry and I started up the trail. We were the only ones who wanted to hike after Tarney drove us to a trailhead. The others went to the aquarium and the museum. The plan was to hike up and over the hill and back down to a place where we’d been the day before where the van would meet us..

Harry was the senior member of our group but was in good physical condition and we both hiked right along, stopping to look at various birds in the area. We had a beautiful hike although it was hard to stay upright in the strong wind gusts. To our left were the green hills and beyond them snow-capped mountains; and to the right the ocean with whitecaps and breakers foaming on rocky outcroppings. These bluff were limestone and chalky white cliffs dropped off to the sea below. There were a number of other people hiking, most much younger than we were. We saw a skylark climb skyward, singing its lovely song, and spotted a yellowhammer and other songbirds.

Maori interpretive signs were posted here and there and one told how the Maori had learned to eat shearwaters. After killing the birds they would store some in seaweed for up to two years.

After hiking a couple of miles we finally reached the far trailhead, switch-backing down to the parking lot, only to discover we’d been expected an hour earlier. Two of our group had stayed in case we came down the trail and the others had driven back to where we started to see whether we were there. I hadn’t realized there was a set time to be back, although I guess I should have. I know I was beginning to worry about how long it was taking us and had suggested fewer stops for bird watchings but felt really badly about missing a deadline and having people worry about us. Thank goodness for cell phones.

Sunrise on Kaidoura Mts.

The snowy mountains seemed to be pulling morning light from the sky—alpenglow! We’d awakened at 5:30 and a glance out the window showed faint pink, reason to throw on clothes, grab my camera and cross the street to the beach. I snapped pictures, walked a few feet and took some more. The water was lapping quietly at the shore and a few ducks glided nearby. Tom joined me after a while and we walked along the edge of the highway,which had almost no traffic at this hour, then came back along the beach which was scattered with pure white, thin, very smooth rocks. I put a small one in my pocket. On the way back from the beach I stopped to talk to a young woman who was pushing a 3-month old baby in a stroller. She said she was from Australia originally but “I married a Kiwi”.  (New Zealander) The baby, a boy named Rohan, had awakened her at 4:30 a.m. We agreed that one “advantage” of having a baby is that one gets to see a lot of beautiful sunrises.

We ate a continental breakfast in our room and then showered. We found the motels in New Zealand had a variety of amenities that are unusual in the United States. This one had an electric shower with a small box attached. A knob on the box is turned to increase or decrease the temperature of the water.

Soon the mountains, the Seaward Kaikoura Range, were once again behind dark clouds. These mountains form the northernmost part of the Southern Alps. The Clarence River Valley separates the Seaward Kaikouras from the parallel inland range. One of the delightful things about New Zealand for me was the frequent viewing of mountains adjacent to the sea.

After breakfast we drove to the ferry departure building, filled with people milling about waiting for the boat. We watched a film on safety and whales, then boarded and sat inside. The captain narrated some information and showed a film on different aspects of the sperm whale. Off and on during the trip the captain provided interesting information about whales and other inhabitants of this part of the ocean. He was good—no constant lecturing and interesting, short presentations.

Sperm whale spouting

Sperm whales’ main sources of food are squid and fish, particularly the giant squid of the ocean depths. They can dive over 3,000 feet. Ambergris, a waste product found in their intestines, is still used in some perfumes. In the whaling days a wax substance called spermaceti was used in lubricants, oil lamps and candles. Spermaceti fills their unusually large heads and is believed to be used in providing buoyancy when they dive. Whalers once thought that the spermaceti was actually sperm. Their heads are 40% of their body and, according to NOAA, they have “the largest brain known for any creature that has lived on earth”.

Ordinarily I would want to be outside on a trip like this but we were happy to stay inside until there was some action. The ocean was a somber steel gray and the wind cold. When a whale was spotted we rushed out on the misty prow while some people went up to the 2nd deck. We were able to see a male sperm whale,
18-20 meters in size, as he blew spray into the air and maneuvered his body near the surface. The captain, familiar with the habits of whales, could tell us when the whale had taken in enough air and was about to dive and I was able to get a couple of pictures of his tail fluke as this enormous creature disappeared into the ocean.

A little later we made our way out onto the deck again to view orcas. Sometimes I had a hard time seeing because taller people lined the edge of the boat in front of me. But I was able to wiggle (elbow) through and get a few photos. There was a pair of orcas and two young ones. I’d seen orcas before in the Pacific Northwest but not this close. Damp, chilly weather fades into the background when these opportunities arise!

Orcas

After the ferry boat returned to shore we drove up to a park along the coast and walked along a road where we spotted yellow hammers and winged petrels, tall birds with long legs that one of our group said looked like giant sandpipers.

The next day we were scheduled to swim with dolphins.

To be continued

Creel Lodge was surrounded by shrubs with brightly colored blossoms. Brightly colored blossoms glistening with raindrops! We arrived the night before around 7:00 and were eating dinner by 7:30.

We donned raingear and walked along the river trail first thing in the morning after breakfast. Now and then the sun came out and cheered us onward. Others were also walking the trail: joggers, a family pushing a stroller. We stood on a footbridge looking at the river then went back to our rooms, changed a few clothes and drove up to Tongariro National Park. This park is New Zealand’s oldest national park (1887) and the fourth oldest in the world. It is a “dual World Heritage area, a status which recognizes the park’s important Maori cultural and spiritual associations as well as its outstanding volcanic features.” (Department of Conservation)

We stopped first at a pier that sticks out into a bay of Lake Taupo. Lake Taupo is the largest lake, by surface area, in New Zealand and is drained by the Waikato River. The lake is stocked with rainbow and brown trout.

By now the wind was driving the rain so hard that sometimes it stung our cheeks. It was difficult to see very far and all that was visible were a few ducks and grebes. We found the visitor center had a lot of information including much on the Maori traditions. If the weather had been better we could have seen snow-covered volcanic cones close by. We walked beyond the visitor center to a trail that crossed a rushing, tumbling, roaring stream. Even though it was pouring rain we were able to see a blue duck in the midst of all this water. They are a rare bird and one of only a few ducks that thrive on rough water. Their bill is especially adapted to edging algae off rocks. We tried to find the tiny, greenish rifleman, New Zealand’s smallest bird. We searched and searched among the dripping trees and shrubs but no luck. Then, on the way back along the trail, one of our group spotted one and we were all able to see it (in the trees behind the restrooms!). The little bird reminded me of our brown creepers but was very active.

We drove back to the pier on Lake Taupo again and were walking along the road away from the open water when we saw a pair of those big, black birds with red heads, long legs and a habit of flicking their tails as they did a slow dance across the road—Pukeko. Derek came down with us then and spotted a fern bird perched on a twig—dark brown stripes, towhee sized and calling. He told us that the kind of fog-horn sound we’d been hearing was made by a bittern. So glad I could hear it! We went back to our motel and put clothes out on the decks to dry as the sun was now streaming warmly from blue sky.

Sunday, November 16th –we hurried to leave the motel and head toward Welllington to catch a flight to Blenheim. We ate continental breakfasts in our rooms but everyone else was waiting for us when we finally were ready, Derek standing there with arms crossed. Not a good sign.

Derek said that the little towns along this route like to be known for something. The town of Bulls was named after James Bull. And the locals love puns associated with that name. For instance, they have a const-a-bull. And “New Zealand drinks milk from Bulls”. A pharmacy is “Indispense-a-bull “. The town of Taihape is known for making gumboots and there is a large statue of a boot along the street. Hunterville is known for its sheep dogs and has a statue of a huntaway, a herding dog that barks to direct the sheep.

The town of Welllington, the capital of New Zealand, is quite pretty to drive into—a bright, clean city with parks along the oceanfront and sailboats. It is a busy place with lots of traffic. We saw many people at a large farmers’ market. Wellington has become known for the area’s association with the Lord of the Rings Trilogy and, indeed, the airport terminal has large overhead creatures, including a raven in one room and Gollum, who, with outstretched fingers, hovers above the dining tables. A large sign on the outside of the airport terminal says “Middle of Middle Earth”. One can sign up for any number of tours associated with the Trilogy and visit various places where the movie was made.

Our plane flight from the North Island to the South Island provided a great view of both shorelines—like flying at a low level over a three-dimensional map. At Blenheim our group was joined by Taryn, who brought a van for us to use on the South Island and who was our driver from here on. She also helped keep track of us when we scattered at various sites or became too engrossed in our photography to notice that we needed to be moving on. She was upbeat, cheerful and a good addition to our group, allowing Derek to focus more on
our sightings.

On the way to our motel we stopped at the Oahu Fur Seal Sanctuary and took a few photos of the fur seals on the rocks below us. One very large pup was nursing.

When we pulled into the Blue Seas Motel in Kaikoura, “The Whale Capital of the South Pacific”, I felt as if I were finally seeing what I’d imagined New Zealand to be— with the Pacific Ocean in front and snowy, rugged mountains rising above.

To be continued