Milford Sound

Jan 17th and 18th
Te Anau, South Island, NZ

Cycled into Queenstown. Brisk morning with temps in the 40s. Crazy tourist town in a spectacular setting.



How'd ya like to live on that strip of land?

So the plan was for "Gary of England" to phone me after he dropped his daughter off at the airport...2ish. I found a coffee shop to charge stuff and eat, of course. And while I'm sitting there 3 guys from Europe that I met on the Crown Range the day before showed up...and then moments later Ben (of Ben and Laura, who I flew over the river with...Laura's headed onward to Asia) appears. Just got to a new town and I've had more contacts than having coffee in Fairport. What's wrong with this picture? Actually everything is right with it. I've known for a long time I didn't fit in Fairport.

So I chatted with Ben about the cycle trail to Te Anau and my concerns about the 2 track and the trike. He's gonna text me what he thinks after he does it, since I'm planning to do it in reverse. Out to Milford Sound by car with Gary from London, then bike the trail back to Queenstown. At least that was the plan that day.

Since I had some time, I ran some errands then decided to find a place to dry Rainbow, my tent. Oh there's a little park. Pull her out. Spread her out. Spread out her ground cloth. What's that pitter patter I hear. Is that rain? No! It's getting harder quickly. I can restuff her in a hurry. I have a hard enough time getting her in her bag anyways. She just hates it in there and fights me every step of the way. Oh, stuff her under Blaze...quickly. Now she's wetter than she was. It lightens up, I repack her and give up the idea if drying for now. Thank goodness that doesn't happen often. Back to the coffee shop to wait out the rain. Eventually it's really sunny, I get Rainbow dried out, meet an interesting girl from Sweden who's been living all over the world for 10 years, settling and working wherever she goes. Gary calls. We meet up. The car us a hatchback and when he opens it, it's filled to the gills. Not organized. He thinks if we unpack everything, put Blaze in, and then stuff all the rest in neatly, it will all fit. You got to be crazy!



It did!! Barely!

So off we go towards Milford Sound, a couple hundred kms away with plans to camp somewhere that night.



Driving along I felt like I was missing everything. There were many photo ops that just flew by. This is too fast! We passed Te Anau and decided to camp at a DoC site north of there. Pulled in and found all the spots quite rustic and Gary's is huge. 2 cabins. Tough to find a spot for it. We decide to set up just his and we each can use a separate area. What a monster to set up. 3 poles. 20 stakes. Palatial! What will I do with all this room?

Next morning we still had nearly 100 kms to drive. And it was a mind blowing trip through forested areas and then majorly steep high mountains. Right there. There's also this long creepy tunnel that's one lane and down hill. Sorta lit...sorta. I'm so glad I didn't have to bike that! Claustrophobic! Then one hell of a downhill to the sound. No fun to bike up. Nope. So only minor regrets I didn't bike out.

The view there is unlike anything I've ever seen. The tide was out.


Even though it was cold, I had to get my feet in the water!




BagLady

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Rest Day in Wanaka.

Jan 15th, Tuesday, I think:)

My rendition of Lake Wanaka.



I'm having such fun playing with this watercolor and ink. And when I finish and it really looks like something, I feel amazed. I've never felt I had artistic talent (could be what the art teacher said:/), but I've always felt artistic inside. It's nice when I can see it sprouting out!

Doing a zero day in a campground: playing cards with kids, cleaning up Blaze, painting, organizing, doing a bit of handwashing that dried on the line (saved me $7:)), a bit of yoga and lots of chatting. Even the kids have mentioned how social I am.

It's nice to take a day off in good weather and be outdoors too...as long as there are no sand flies biting. Tomorrow I'm going over the highest paved road on the South Island...Crown Range. I'm excited! Then I still have to figure out how to explore Fiordland. The answer will come to me, I'm sure.

Jan 16th. Wednesday.
Almost to Queenstown

I've met some wonderful people here at the campground. First there's Stephen, a guy from Cape Town South Africa (and Canada) that works for the UN on projects involving setting up elections. (Stephen, how's that for a quick summary?). He's on his first big tour in quite a while. It's been fun sharing war stories about bike travel and other stuff.



Then there's the Smiths: Mark, Maree, AJ, MacKenzie, and twins, Danya and...oh oh...I'm in trouble now. The other girl has a sweet name beginning with S and unusual and I don't think it was ever spelled for me. And now I can't remember it. Pls, S, forgive me. You can give me 40 lashes with a wet noodle when I get to your house in ChristChurch...after you write it out for me. I learned to play a form of Monopoly Deal with them. Lost though:(. And they all rode Blaze. She was gentle and didn't buck anyone off. They were at the campground because their car blew a head gasket coming down the steep hill I climbed today. Too expensive to repair. Dad had to do some shuttling by bus to meet family halfway and borrow a car to haul their trailer of kayaks and camping toys home. So I got to play with the kids! Always fun for me. Made plans to visit them in ChristChurch when I get there.



I also met Bruce and Emma, father and young daughter. He has a sheep station on the south coast. If I can get down there I can play with sheep! Haven't figured out how to make that happen. Hmm?

And last was Gary, a British guy whose daughter works in Wellington. He's bopping around the South Island by car and we may hook up in Queenstown tomorrow and travel out to Milford Sound together. All depends on if I can get Blaze into his car. So funny how these things come together. I was sitting in the campground kitchen googling about buses to Milford Sound when Gary walked in and we got to chatting. And this plan come to fruition. If Blaze doesn't fit I don't have a plan B right now.





So today was a major climb. Crown Range. Looking back, it made Haast Pass look like a bump. My legs are whupped. It took me 7.5 hours to cycle 30 miles. The climb was 10 miles. And it was steep especially the last couple of miles. Pedal, pedal, rest, rest. I only go a couple of meters sometimes before resting. Sometimes I pick a spot ahead, and tell myself you can't stop until you get there. Sometimes I don't make it. It's interesting listening to my body find its rhythm. It's so resistant in the beginning and then if the grade is good, I can find a pace that I can maintain and my body feels strong and happy. At the top I put on Shania Twain and I'm dancing in my seat with my arms flailing and I'm singing away and pumping hard!!! What a sight! I get a lot of thumbs up. And they sure do help the mood. So everybody out there, when you see cyclist, toot, wave, thumbs up...cheer them on. You may be just what they need:)

Food today:
Coffee
Fruit yogurt

Peanut butter and jelly sandwich
Apricot
Plum
Nectarine
Brie and bread
Another pb&j sandwich

Banana and Nutella

Pasta, pesto, and cauliflower for dinner.

And there'll be something more.

BagLady


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Two Extremes

Jan 13th
Hawea Lake



In the mountains, on a hill, in a clearing...thunder...THUNDER! Flashes of lightening! Am I exposed up here? There's other stuff higher than me. Then rain. Then heavy rain. Then drip...drip...drip. I'm getting wet. Touch the outside of my sleeping bag. Oh, not good. But it's still warm and dry inside. No sense getting up til this thing passes. If it passes. Storms seem to get hung up over the mountains here and can stay all day. Ok. Start to pack up in the tent. Be ready when there's a break to get to the picnic shelter where Blaze spent the night. At least I thought that much ahead. Ok. Now's your chance. It's stopped for a moment. Whoa! Other people in here. We moved your bike trying to keep it drier as the rain blew in. Thanks.

It was a beautiful sight out over the valley with the rain and mist and fog. But it wasn't showing signs of letting up. Have some coffee. Pack the wet tent. Get ready to go. A small town is just 6 miles down the road. If the rain keeps up I can stay there today. Time to make my getaway. Up with the umbrella. Pedal off. This is delightful. What a great day. My pants are soaked through, top to bottom, but I'm grinning from ear to ear. I want to bike further than 6 miles. But my sleeping bag is soaked and my tent is dripping wet. If I can't dry these 2 essential things, I can't camp out tonight. And after this town, there's nothing for about 40 miles. And we all know that's not going to happen. Not with a late start and needing to take time to dry out.

This town had a cafe and I was greeted by a group of cyclists on an organized tour. One woman also ride a trike although their bikes were loaded up on the van. Too wet on the road to bike they told me. It's a great day for biking, I reply grinning! Turns out I was able to help the triker with the handicap sticker idea for her trike. She actually qualified. I also helped the tour leader by sharing my design for a box for her trike to get it home. She wasn't ready to just take it to the counter inboxes. Know that feeling. Over it!

Got my bag and tent dry while having a coffee and wifi. Lots of talking story. Lots of interest in my tour. Fun sharing:)

The weather changed for the better as I continued on. Two lakes today, I was told. That's an understatement. OMG!






I couldn't wipe that grin off my face all day:). What a ride!

But then the sun got to be too much. Because I haven't bathed in 4 days I have layers of sunscreen over layers of bug dope. And the oil from the bug dope is winning...and I'm frying out here. Can't hide my whole body under that tiny umbrella.

Did figure out how to get it to work helping to push me when the wind's at my back. Faced the top into the wind and tucked part of it behind my body so it was pinned keeping it from collapsing with my head. I could feel the assist up several hills today and I could keep it open on the wind, a plus!



From heavy rains to scorching sun! A great day cycling in NZ!

Gleeful BagLady

Food today:
Coffee at camp
Flat white coffee at cafe

Leftovers of last night's pasta dish for lunch

Passion fruit and yogurt ice cream stick pre-dinner snack

Tuna, mayo, and chopped onion on 1/2 pita for dinner
Nutella on 1/2 pita for dessert

2 Digestives at bedtime.

My food bag is pretty empty. I hope I can get salad fixings in Wanaka, next town...tomorrow.



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Up and Over

Jan 12, 2012
After Haast Pass

I did it! I cycled over Haast Pass! It wasn't that high, but it was very steep. It took me nearly 2 hours to climb it and it was only a couple of kilometers up. Slow and steady...not so steady:). Lots of stopping. I kept reminding myself that I would get to the top eventually. No different than a long hike. Ya just gotta keep moving forward. Beats going to the gym!!! And my legs always feel so much stronger afterwards. Little hills always feel easier.

Tonight's view from a DoC (Dept of Conservation) campsite was so incredible that I kept thinking it was a backdrop.



The photo doesn't do it justice but I tried up capture it. It's a view back to Haast Pass.

Food today. Coffee for breakfast. Lunch was red pepper tuna with mayo and avocado in a pita and Nutella on Digestives for dessert. Orange for snack near top of pass. Tomatoes, onions, green peppers and garlic over pasta. Nutella cookies for dessert. And a couple of swigs of my Christmas wine. Amazing how well that keeps. I'm stuffed!

I talked with this couple of locals here at the campground about Fiordland and biking there. First he said the road from Te Anau out to Milford Sound is the most beautiful road in NZ and I should bike it to appreciate it. Second he said the road south from Wanaka, although a shorter route to Queenstown was more beautiful yet hillier. I think in going to take it. I'm feeling a bit cocky having just come over Haast Pass today:)

G'night,

Pumped Up BagLady


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Still Heading South

Jan 8th,9th and 10th
Fox Glacier
Hwy 6 north of Haast



When I pulled into Fox Glacier Village the morning of the ninth, a biker pulled up while I was chatting with a couple of Brits. It was Kathleen from Ft. Collins, Colorado. She had taken the bus from Franz Josef because of the 3 steep hills. She's biking with her boyfriend, Adrian, and another friend, Ron.

(I don't care what anyone says, these effing sand flies are getting into my tent even though its all zipped up!)

While having coffee and sharing stories we made plans to cycle out to the lake for dinner. Then off to find accommodations for the night. Ended up at the same hostel, which was fun. These folks are in my age group unlike the other cyclists I meet. Nice change.

After settling in we cycled out to see the famous Fox Glacier. This one we could get pretty close to and had good views.



Because the weather for the 9th was heavy rains, I decided to book in for 2 nights. The weather actually was forecasting for a couple of days of rain so they were staying 2 nights and then taking the bus south to Haast during the 2nd rainy day. I couldn't decided what to do. Sometimes I have such indecision. I frustrate myself. I really want to pedal. The bus is a hassle if it will even take my bike. And there were already their 3 bikes going. I decided to stay put and cycle out after the weather improved.

And rain it did. All day. Non stop. But what fun a hot tub is sitting in the rain!

So awoke this morning...the day they are taking the bus...the day the forecast is for more rain the yesterday...the day the forecast says 100% chance of rain starting early in the morning. Awoke to no rain. Nada. Zippo. What's up? Do I ride? Why not? So I pack up and join L, A, and R down at the bus stop to say goodbye. Probably wont see them again until I come visit in Ft Collins...and I will:)




Then, as I'm riding out of town there's an electronic sign that says the road is closed near Makarora. This can't be happening! That's about 115 miles from here 3-4 days riding...at my slow pace. There is only 1 road down this west coast. One road. And between rain storms, bridge wash outs and now a slip (landslide onto road), I'm having one hell of a time biking down it.

I stopped at the only cafe along the road today and a group of people gathered there off a bus said we know about you:). They were on the bus K, A, and R had been on to Haast and had passed me on the road. Since the bus couldn't get through past Haast, they were going back to Fox Glacier. They also told me a bit more about the road closure. That it was a slip and that they weren't allowing bikes through and that it should be open in a couple of days. Hope they let me keep biking closer since it'll be a few days before I get near there. There's a mountain pass, Haast Pass - 563 meters, to cross first.






Snuggled in my tent at a boat launch to Lake Moeraki watching the hundreds of sand flies swarm the mesh and listening to the rain patter on the tent. But today...the day of the awful forecast...was a beautiful day for biking with no rain until now. Perfect.
I'm done with forecasts and weather maps. I'm going back to using a weather tree! If it's wet, it's raining. If it's white, it's snowing. If it's leaning to one side, it's windy...and if it's all lit up, the sun is shining! Never fails me!

Friday, Jan 11th
Haast New Zealand

The weather tree this morning said RAIN. I'm always amazed how I can sleep 10+ hours and still feel like I could sleep some more. Of course, the rain pattering the tent sure helped. But when it stopped I had to force myself to take advantage of it to get going. Didn't know how long it would last. Well...it lasted ALL day! And what a stupendous, glorious, fabulous, breathtaking day it was!



The morning started with black swans with orange beaks floating on the lake. Then it continued with awesome coastal views at every curve. I even took time for some beach yoga while waves were crashing ashore. And sun. All day sun! And I'm paying for it. A wan in a store even mentioned how brown I was. A bit too much today. Sun screen tomorrow. Ok.


If you've been following my posts through the many crazy trips I've been doing, younger remember my comment regents cycling in our Pacific Northwest a couple of summers ago about the men were always driving the RVs? Well I've noticed just the opposite occurrence here. Most often women are driving. So often that it makes me wonder if there's a rental car discount if the woman drives. Nice to see though:)

I'm heading into the Southern Alps again. I was there, in a northern section, when I rode down from Arthur's Pass. Tomorrow I head over Haast Pass. It'll be slow going, I know. But I want to do it. I'm no wus. I'm just slow:).

Keeping up with food notes (I forget), today was coffee and a banana for breakfast, hummus and whole wheat pita and chocolate for lunch, and steamed cauliflower and pasta with Parmesan cheese and Nutella over Digestives (a biscuit/cookie). In between I had some candy and a packaged ice cream cone. I'll admit some days the meals are mostly snacks. Yesterday was like that. The sand flies make it hard to sit out and cook in the evening. I bug doped up tonight. But now I have to sleep in it a couple of nights before I get to shower it off. Yuck! I actually put it on at lunch today and that's probably why I burned. Just figured that out. I haven't burned in a long time. I know the Kiwis have told me the sun's different down here. But I haven't been burning...just my nose...and that I lotion up.

Tonight I'm back in the mountains near the Haast River with these peaks in every direction. Behind me are three incredible waterfalls! This sure beats a motel, hostel, or campground. Yup. Life is good! I can think of only one thing that would make this night better;)




Burnt BagLady




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Take Time to See the Beauty

Jan 6



Closest I've ever been to being taken out! Holy crap! (And I don't usually swear but...)

Heading down a wide open road. Good visibility both directions. Flat. See truck coming up on my tail. See truck ahead. Courteously, I take to the grassland stop to let them by. There is no shoulder, just white line then grass. I'm off the road maybe 10 ft. Of course, it's a law of physics, the trucks meet at ME! And my truck pulls left off the road!!!! Are you kidding me???? He missed me by a foot or two! That's all!!!!

There is a near washout where this highway parallels a river. So trucks on this side are whizzing past with rocks too trying to shore things up. And there are milk trucks hauling to Invercall on the southern tip because they can't get up to Hokitika to the milk processing plant. A lot if large farms are having to dump the milk.

But other than those trucks, the road is empty. Eerily empty. Pleasantly empty. My own road. So nice for cycling (when two trucks are passing right by my side:)).

I've been struggling with sightseeing things down here but I'm so not a tourist. I'm a traveller. I don't want to see what others are paying to see. I want to see the wonder that they are missing as they hustle from one tourist spot to another. And there is beauty everywhere if we just slow down and take the time to look. For example, right now I have a site no one else has ever seen. It's in this moment as I look back across _______ Lake to the glaciers to the south. And there are low lying clouds, an absolutely tranquil lake, birds chirping, and not a car on the road. Mine! All mine!!! And it's free!!!! Because I took the time to stop and look and listen and soak it up.


Monday, Jan 8th
Just shy of Fox Glacier Village

Yesterday I cycled into Franz Josef Village, did town chores, then ran into Ben and Laura who were taking a zero and sightseeing. The said the hike up to the glacier was amazing. I said a guide in town had told me about glow worms in a tunnel up the hill and I was going to check it out. I did. But someone on the way there said they were a long way down the tunnel and when I got up there and saw how small this tunnel was, I knew there was no way I would go in there. That's the only place I've ever had a panic attack. In a black tunnel in a science museum. What an awful feeling. Don't ever want to feel that again.

Back in town I decided to check out a backpackers that gave a 25% discount if you biked in. Great. I took the second cheapest dorm room because the cheapest was all booked. I walked into this cramped stuffy room with luggage all over the place and only a top bunk left and I knew I'd made a mistake. I'd rather be in my tent. Can I cancel? Lets see if I gave something else. For a $1.40 more I have a 5 bed dorm room with only one other in it. Great! Whew! And she never showed up so I had the room all to myself.

The shower felt fabulous...as usual. And after a wander about town and the realization that I wasn't willing to pay those restaurant prices to eat alone, I went back to the hostel and cooked up my eggs and my pasta and broccoli. And I brought cooked food with me today.

Ok. Today I made a glacier run. It was beautiful but didn't compare to those in the Canadian Rockies. Couldn't get up to it. But it was a nice hike. And the waterfalls were dramatic!






Knew I had a short hilly ride today to Fox Glacier Village and after the hike to the glacier it was early afternoon before I really left. What a grind! Where are my climbing legs? Oh I kept wanting to stop. So slow. And I had decided I'd just go to before the village to camp tonight and then plan to stay the next 2 nights in town during this next storm. So that's where I am tonight. Camped. But it feels like the storm is arriving early. The winds are picking up and gusting. I sure don't feel I'll stay dry if the skies open with these winds. Could be an interesting night. Why do I do this to myself? I think I like the challenge of seeing what I can cope with. And I'll get to town tomorrow and dry out. After the last big climb. (That's really why I quit here. And besides there's a great view of this river. Too bad it's the lumpiest camping spot I think I've ever had.)

Add to that I don't have the warmest of my gear. Just a 50* bag and it will be in the 40s tonight for sure. It's 5 pm and I'm in my wool thermals, a jacket with hood over them and wool sox. Not much more to add. Taking things to the edge it feels like. And liking what I find there:) I'll enjoy tonight more than last night in that comfy hostel even though I'll be cold, sleep on lumps, and possibly wet. But that shower now...that was nice:)

Food today: cowboy coffee at hostel, then a Danish from a bakery.

Hummus and crackers for lunch with dark chocolate for dessert. (Haven't found an organic chocolate yet. Cadbury's just doesn't cut it.)

Hard boiled egg and a banana for dinner. Maybe a precooked pasta snack later.

BagLady




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Get Real! Seriously???

Saturday, Jan 5th
On the banks of the Whataroa River



Yup, I'm on a different river. Ya just never know what a day will bring and that's sure true on the road. Got up fairly early, totally perplexed about what to do. Got no answers in my sleep. Couldn't just lie in my bag. Tired of not moving, not going someplace. Needed a plan. Got packed up and headed back up this rocky road I had come down. It was a chilly morning and I had 2 small creeks to cross. Maybe Blaze will just go right through them and I won't have to get off and push. The first one yes...but not the second. Brrr, that water's cold. Refreshing way to begin the day! Further up the lane I see a guy in a truck. So what's the story! Gonna be Tuesday, optimistically. (Or longer, I'm thinking.). Then he mentions that copters have been giving lifts over the river at 5:00 for $50 NZ. ($40 US). Fair deal, I think. Ya, they'll sling your bike underneath. OMG! Is that safe, I think. Good to know. Now more to ponder. How the hell will they sling this top-heavy loaded bike under a helicopter and land it on the other side and not damage it? I feel incapable of making this decision. Blaze is just too valuable to take these kind of chances. I'll hitch back to a town and either stay thee til the bridge opens or hitch to the top of the pass leading to the other coast...and who knows where I'll end up. Not optimal. But beats sitting here. Wish I had someone to bounce ideas off of. Bruce. My buddy. Maybe he can help me think about this. And I have service. Yippee. He says Go For It! They know what they're doing. It'll be fine. Ok. Deep breath. Ok. Lets go back down to the river and see who's there. Who's that coming down the road? Ben and Laura. We're gonna try to get a copter lift. Me too! Lets go get on the noon flight!! So down we go. Look there's a laundry truck and a copter picking up bags of laundry. Can you take us and our bikes over? Sure $50. Deal. But how's this going to work? Oh we'll put bags of linen in the bottom of the rope netting bag and stack your bikes on it. Sure. Is thus gonna work? Guess we'll find out! Ok. All loaded. OMG! The load is unbalanced! The bikes are tumbling! Everything is all jumbled! How will he drop that down without damaging our bikes?





We're all white as sheets standing there watching our prized possessions...our only possessions...get dangled from the bottom of a helicopter and flown across a river! Only in the movies! What will we find when we get over? Now our turn. A helicopter ride! Yippee! OMG it's lifting off! This is fabulous! I took a video. What a view from up there. In my next life I want to be a copter pilot. Yup!




There are our bikes. They've taken them out of the bag. Nothing major looks wrong. Laura's has a rear fender issue that got resolved. Ben's gear bag got ripped. And one of my mirrors broke off. Not bad considering what we thought was happening. Not bad at all. What a crazy exciting day! One of the many highlights I'm having down here:)))

So we cycled into the small village of Hari Hari for a celebratory lunch. Fish and chips! Yum. We high fived! We clicked bottles! We were pretty ecstatic! We're on the other side! We made it!! Time to pedal to the glaciers. And so we did. But not together. I'm too slow to bike with others but that's okay. They don't need me around and I like my alone time too. But it was fun having others to share that copter ride with.

So tonight I'm camped by another river at a Glacial Flights place. With the view of the snow capped mountains behind me. And a quickly glowing river in front. Idyllic. And a yummy dinner. "Mommy salad" my daughter, Dana, calls it. It's when I just put everything I have on hand into the mix. Tonight it was: red pepper, cucumber, tuna fish, apple, nuts and dried fruit, raw broccoli, garlic, cheese, mayo ('cause I lost my olive oil bottle...maybe it fell out) and vinegar. Oh ya! Delish! On a hard roll. To die for! And Nutella for dessert. Does it get any better?

WHAT A DAY!!!!!!!!!! Whodathunk????

Bubbling BagLady


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Down By the River

Friday, January 4th
On the banks of the Wanganui River
South Island, NZ



Well that plan was pretty much a flop. Got down to the bridge to find a swiftly flowing river and a major construction site with really no way to even chat anyone up. I decided to wander up the river along this back road always. The Wanganui Valley trek starts here...at least it used to. Completely obliterated. Roadway ends with a cliff to the river bed.



After I set my tent up back here, a quarter of a mile from the bridge, I saw a helicopter going over and coming back. Over and back. The road back is quite rocky with a couple of creek crossings so I rode and walked back to where I could see what was going in. They're moving supplies if some sort across. The other side is quite cutoff from things. I don't think I want them to sling Blaze from the bottom of a copter and besides they've got more important things to attend to than an American touring around.

So now I'm back in my tent at about 5:30. It's actually hot in here and some of those nasty sand flies managed to get in too. They're wicked. Remind me of black flies in the Adirondacks.

And now I don't know what to do. The information I've gotten from a couple of sources is that Tuesday is the outlook. 4 nights away. I may have enough food for that long. But do I just hang out here reading and painting and napping? Or do I get a lift the 40 miles back to Hokitika tomorrow and wait it out there? I'll spend less money here. I'm already here. Oh I don't know. This is quite a predicament. I met one of the guys driving these big rigs so I'm pretty sure I can get a hitch to town, then back here perhaps.

Swat. Ouch. Slap. Scratch. How'd all these buggers get in here? Raid!! You'll all be dead! I'll win this!! But it's so bad out there, I won't be cooking tonight. Tunafish it is! I don't think staying here is the best idea. Ben and Laura headed back to the nearby lake. Course I don't know that it's any less buggy there. Maybe by the ocean with the breeze. It's sure hot all zipped up in here.

Frustrated BagLady



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Heading to the Washed Out Bridge

January 3rd
Coastal Highway 6
South of Ross
South Island, New Zealand



Yup I made it out of Hokitika! And it was a tough decision. I emailed Moa and Kiwi to see what they thought I should do: go north, go east, wait for repairs. Every time I looked at the map, nothing in any direction but south had much interest to me. I want to see the glaciers! I want to see Fiordland! Going around was a hard enough for folks with cars, but by bicycle practically impossible. And I had no desire to catch a bus. I want to bike!!! So this morning I awoke with the answer: bike down to the river and see what happens. Take enough food so you can camp out until its repaired. Why not? It's only suppose to be a couple of days before the have a temporary bridge in. So that's what I'm doing!!!

And after I stocked up at the grocery store -and am I stocked up!- I met a couple cycling south: Ben and Laura. They just met 5 days ago and started traveling together. Laura's a young Canadian woman (Toronto) who's been on the road since last summer having cycled down the west coast of the US into Mexico before coming here. Ben's a Brit who came here for a couple of months, like me. So I asked them their plan and told them mine. They hadn't decided and were headed for coffee to talk it over. See ya down the road, maybe!

And I did. They caught me down the road. (Everyone catches me:)). My positive attitude that I'd figure a way over the water inspired them to go for it. Love it. Further down the road I see a guy loaded coming my way. He said he'd come across the river. How??? Helicopter!!! How much? Free!...for an interview. It was a news copter. That's not going to happen twice. We'll just have to see what happens for me.

This guy has cycled tens of thousands miles. Amazing. Passes of Peru. Loves to push himself. He had some good stories.


I'm camped on a high point over the road with views of the coast (and sounds of copters overhead...lots of activity). And this annoying bird that's not afraid of me. Stones. Screams. Keeps coming back. I don't think it's a Kea. I've been warned they eat cars and bicycles. I seemed to have scared him away for awhile.

And that's all the news for today. And another glorious day in NZ it has been!!

Oh, I do want to mention all the caring drivers who bothered to stop and make sure I knew the road was closed. So thoughtful. One even offered me a lift in his truck, but it was such a beautiful day and I was in no rush, I declined graciously. The world is so full of kind people. Please stop listening to the news. It's tainting your perception of reality. Get out and meet some strangers TODAY! You won't regret it.

P.S. it's 7:04:). Some of you know what that means. For the rest, the time, when I check it, is most often 4 minutes after the hour. It's almost creepy how frequently it happens!

Roar of distant waves crashing to shore
Faint birds chirping
Grey light of cloudy setting sun
Quiet closed road
Remote
Alone
Calm
Unafraid
Restful
Rich
Blessed
Introspective



And I have to keep reminding myself "I'm in New Zealand!" Today's views remind me of Idaho without the shoreline.

Optimistic BagLady

Rained Out

Jan 1 and 2, 2013
Hokitika, South Island, NZ




I was quite sleepy not wanting to get up, just pull the bag over my head and sleep some more. And I did just that...cause I can:)

When I finally awoke, I found a wet tent, wet pants to put on, and a wet food bag. The ground cloth is a touch too wide I think and is catching the rain, pooling it underneath. Must fix that.

But the weather broke and I packed and headed out. But as I continued south, the rain picked up. And it's a bit chilly too..high 40's, low 50s, I'm guessing. I was beginning to mentally explore the idea of a hostel, or backpacker as they're called here. But you know me...hate to spend a nickel on a place to sleep. But I could use some wifi and always like a shower. And I like exploring a town. But I do like to camp too. Oh, let's just check some prices anyways. One place was nice but outside of town. Nah. $29/night. Wifi: $2 for 20 mb, I think.

The guy who owned the BBH in town met me at the door. $22 BBH rate and wifi was $5 for 100 gb for 24 hours. Sold! Mixed dorm room is fine with me...after sleeping with 9 men spooned together in a shelter on the AT, this is cake.

And as I listened to the rain slam the windows last night and the wind howl, I couldn't help this feeling of panic "what's getting wet?" I've camped in a lot of rain, but these past few days have been the worst I've seen. Torrential. Took out a section of bridge about an hour's drive south of here. Took trees down in Arthur's Pass, the road across the South Islandto Christchurch. Right now the only direction out is back north where I came from. Hmmm?

I'm staying again tonight at the hostel and perhaps tomorrow too. I'm tempted to wait for the bridge to be fixed do I can keep heading south. I may have to pass up the Kepler Track to keep close to schedule of getting back to Wellington by the 30th.

It's still pouring outside. Pelting the windows. Sure glad to be inside. And hostels are such fun:). Mostly young kids. Most interesting and independent travelers. All kids should travel the world in their 20s. It's a great foundation for life. And what moxie it develops.



Oh ya, had a tour today of the flooding. I was wandering town and saw this woman with an ice cream cone...on a cold and rainy day...come on! She was a local and offered to take me on a tour: mouth of the river and the boat that's run aground, flooding of the river over the road, up to the high spot for a view. Helen was a woman who'd had a long abusive marriage that she left 8 years ago. She's found a good man and happiness now. Thanks for sharing a but of your world with me



A Soggy BagLady...again





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