West Coast Rainy Days

Hey guys, we're writing from Fox Glacier. We're finally warm and dry at a hostel after a week of camping in the rain at DOC sites. Here's what we've been up to.

Our ride from Abel Tasman to the west coast took us down the Motueka Valley Hwy to our first stop at Tapawera. We continued onto Murchison, where we met several other cyclists. The next day took us through the beautiful Buller Gorge to Westport. A day off in Westport brought us to Cape Foulwind, where we saw a young seal colony and ate lunch on the edge of a cliff. Pictures to come. That night we bought a rigger of lager from a local brewery and shared it with some new friends, mostly from England, whom we met at our hostel. Mmm.

The next day it was back on the bikes. Riding towards Punakaiki, we stopped to explore a goldmine (it reminded us of an ant colony, and some of the tunnels seemed near collapse, scaring us as we ran through!) and a jade workshop in Charleston. Punakaiki is the home of the famous Pancake Rocks, meriting a day off the bikes. We visited the rocks, which really do look like pancakes, twice. The first time was in the morning and at low tide, and it was nothing compared to our second, nighttime visit at high tide. The sea was rough and the winds were high, pushing massive amounts of water into the air through the blowholes. We got really wet!

And we´ve been wet ever since. It rained the next day on our way to Greymouth, and the next, and the next, and the next. John and Mikaela caught up with us a little outside Greymouth, which was an awesome surprise! We camped and rode together the next few days, and really roughed it. DOC sites are often very beautiful and wild, and also pretty basic. Mikaela and Torrey took to bathing in lakes :) Several attempts to get our broken tent pole fixed proved futile, driving us to buy a new pole in Hokitika (we´re pleased to report it´s been holding up). But now we have a new problem. This one at least provided some entertainment, though. Our fuel canister exploded!

The night before last, we were camped near Franz Josef glacier, and in the middle of cooking our lentil stew, we switched fuel canisters. The new one must have had some kind of leak, because it burst into flame (causing a surprised Luc to cast it to the ground!) and, as our shocked neighbors looked on, blew up with a loud bang! So we no longer have a stove (it melted), but our neighbors, who come from Montreal and are touring the world in a year (!), were kind enough to let us use their motorhome kitchen. And let us tag along on their Franz Josef hike the next day! The glaciers are stunning and blue, and it's been fun staying here and getting to know Michele, Charle, Jean Francois, Patricia, and kids, but now it's time to move on. So we're taking a bus to Wanaka tomorrow to get Luc's bike fixed (I forgot to say! On the way to Franz Josef, it broke a spoke. That was when we split off from John and Mikaela for the second time. We hope to meet again in Wanaka).

So, take care, all. Hope this post isn't too confusing! We're writing on a Mexican laptop and the keys are all in different places; that's our excuse :)

Torrey's camera is getting overloaded, so we had to make some room. Here are some pictures from the last couple weeks (they're a little out of order, so we put a brief description below each picture):

The Interislander Ferry (this picture was taken from the deck of the Bluebridge Ferry)
Us on the ferry, proudly holding our Bloomington Bagel
Torrey in her farming clothes, right before feeding time at the Muller farm
Luc in his farm clothes


A picture for Linda (aka Luc's mom)Wellington from the top of cable car
Picture for Mom, from Luc :)
The squirrels and disco dancers at the costume contest
Lobsters
Flash Gordons
Cave on the Abel Tasman
View of bay on Abel Tasman
Mikaela about to jump in
John on our bike ride to Nelson
Mikaela
Baby seals viewed from Water Taxi on our way back to Marahau at the end of our hike
The group walking along a beach at a low-tide crossing
Torrey jumping around on a swing bridge (silly Torrey)
Torrent Bay - our home for the first night of the Abel Tasman
Apple Tree Bay
Bird on a beach
People walking out to sea
Heavy backpacks
Luc the pirate
This one is for Charlie (aka Luc's dad) - loaded up bicycles! Taken on our very first day leaving from Auckland.
Torrey preparing to leave Auckland
Luc preparing to leave Auckland

It feels like forever ago that we left. We are now a month and one day into our adventure, and lovin' it more than ever. We miss you guys a lot. Get well soon Susan. Everybody take care.

New Friends and New Adventures

Hi everybody. This is Luc writing, Torrey has a bit of a stomach ache so she's sitting this one out.

Since we last wrote a lot has happened. We spent a day in Wellington, visiting the wind turbine, the Botanic Garden, and seeing a parade of the rugby players participating in the Sevens (a huge rugby tournament). Wellington was in party mode all weekend - the streets were packed with people and excitement. The next morning we rode towards the Bluebridge ferry to the South island. Across the street from the terminal was a costume contest of epic proportions. We saw lobsters, care-bears, squirrels, disco dancers, and even a squad of Flash Gordons! We'll be sure to post pictures of that. Before catching the ferry we happened to run into two fellow cyclists, who we quickly befriended. First was John from New Mexico, followed by Mikaela from Sweden. We were amazed at how similar our joys and troubles were.

After a pleasant ferry ride with lots of wind, the four of us decided to ride on to a campsite 15 km from Picton. Our first experience of the South island fulfilled our expectations as very hilly and windy. The campsite was nice, and even though it was full we were able to squeeze in next to a couple of nice campers.

We woke up the next day and began riding towards Nelson. On the way we had to go up two monstrous hills (I'm never looking at a topo map again) with the heat beaming down on us all day. Riding into Nelson was quite a relief. We spent the night at Maitai Valley Camp, a great place with a swimming hole and billions of sandflies. Time to get some bug repellant.

Today we have finalized our big plan for the next week or so. We're going to hike the Abel Tasman trail with our new friends. Everything is booked and ready to go. We'll be there starting on the 10th, and returning to the trailhead on the 12th. Having experienced a little of the track before (with my family), I am eager to get back to the amazing beach/bush combo that is the Abel Tasman. Wish us luck.

R + R at Wai-iti

Hey guys, since our last update we've been taking it easy at Wai-iti Beach with the Muller family. Wai-iti is home is of the famous White Cliffs (and less famous black sand). We spent four days golfing, playing tennis (Luc), swimming in the ocean (Torrey), and running. And eating lots of sausages! At night we relaxed and played cards - we kids had our own cabin/converted-shipping-container - us two, Kaylum, Kaylum's sister Nicole, and her friend Rochelle. On the second day of our stay we ran the White Cliffs Walkway. It was a 12 km hike with some spectacular views. On the fourth day we planned to do something even bigger - climb Mt. Taranaki. Unfortunately the mountain had other plans for us. After a few hours hike we were told the open climb had been canceled due to wind on the upper portion of the mountain. Disappointed, we returned to our car. We still hope to conquer the mountain someday.

After Wai-iti, we travelled to the Muller home once again. We were greeted by the news that Torrey's mom had been in a car accident, and broken her top vertebra. This was kind of terrifying for Torrey but thanks to her cousin Phil, Aunt Pat, and her dad, and the Mullers for letting Torrey use their phone for a whole afternoon, she was able to get in touch with her mom. We think Susan must be a super-woman for the way she is dealing with this. We are both extremely glad she is doing well, and we send our love and wish her a speedy recovery.

It was an emotionally exhausting day. The next morning we set out on our bikes for Wanganui, where we were lucky enough to stay with Julie Muller's brother Glen and his partner Mary Ring. This was our longest day yet at 120 km. Going into Wanganui was hilly and hot, but it was well worth it, as we arrived to a home-cooked meal and hot showers. We were treated to a tour of the city after dinner. One highlight was a bird sanctuary with talking cockatoos ("Polly want a cracker?" Yes please.) There was also an elevator and tunnel from the outer edge of town down into the center. The top was a lovely place to watch the sunset.

And now we're in Levin, after another long hot day with beautiful mountain views at the end. Today was 100 kms, but tomorrow will only be about 30. We are taking the train from Wakanai to Wellington, and then staying in the YHA Hostel near Te Papa museum, where Luc stayed on his previous trip to NZ several years ago. After that, look forward to updates from the South Island!

A Kiwi Holiday

Hey everybody. Once again there has been a long gap between posts - but this time we have pictures to make up for it. We left you hanging in Rotorua, the evening before our first bike-free day since Auckland. We didn't know what to do with ourselves when we woke up! But, after considering a few very expensive and touristy activity options, we ended up taking it easy (and cheap). We explored Kuirau Park, a collection of smelly, steamy, bubbly mud pools:

We spent the afternoon walking through the peaceful Redwood forest, before heading to Pak'n'Save, our favorite grocery store, to buy ingredients for a delicious dinner of pineapple burgers.

And then, Inauguration Day!

We stopped for a lengthy rest to read about Obama and celebrate our country's good fortune. After tearing out our favorite articles, including one about the new Obama Safari tours being offered in Kenya, we headed on to Golden Springs and set up our tent for the night:

A cold splash in the campsite swimming pool followed by a hot soak in the thermal mineral pool was refreshing and reinvigorating - as was a cone of Tip Top banana-berry ice cream that night.

The next day we rode on to Taupo and stayed at the Action Downunder YHA hostel, where we were lucky to get two of the last few beds in the dorm rooms. Accommodation was scarce because of the international A1GP car race being held on the outskirts of Taupo. We enjoyed ourselves despite the crowds, however, and even met a new friend. We toured the local museum with Sarah from Germany the next morning:

After the museum we were excited to meet up with the Muller family. Kaylum is an old exchange student friend of Torrey's. His family has been gracious enough to invite us along on their holiday. We headed to their bach on the southwest side of Lake Taupo, where we spent the next few days kayaking, swimming, sailing, and just relaxing at home and on the beach.

But it wasn't all rest and relaxation! Julie Muller accompanied us on the Tongariro Crossing, one of New Zealand's seven Great Walks. It was a 20-kilometer tramp up the side of a mountain, across a moon-like crater, along the edge of a bright red Mars crater, and down again past sulphur springs and through thick rainforest. We were exhausted, but triumphant, when we reached the end!

And today we are back at the Muller home in Kaponga. Julie and Nicole drove straight home, trailing kayaks and bikes, but Andrew, Kaylum, and we two made a six-hour detour to do a jetboat tour down the Whanganui River. Jetboating is like a rollercoaster on water. Really, really fun. The jetboat took us to the Bridge to Nowhere, where we ate lunch and had a cup of tea, before boating back downriver. We did three 360s on the way back, and definitely got our adrenaline rush for the day!

Now we are safe and sound and very grateful to the Mullers for everything they are doing for us. This is a true Kiwi holiday.

Our Bike Trip Begins...

We are now four days into our bike trip around New Zealand, and we've already experienced too many amazing things to recount them all. However, a few highlights stick out.

Our trip started from Auckland. We took the train to its southernmost stop in Papakura. We arrived in the afternoon and rode until dark. Our first town (after a grueling 10k with our ponderous load) was Hunua, where we met a family with three young and very entertaining boys at the local dairy. The youngest was eager to fetch our attention, climbing all over and under us while we ate our oranges. Our day ended in the middle of nowhere, in a National Forest, which we came to out of desperation for a campsite. No showers at our improvised campsite, but the privacy made up for it.

The next day we rode out of Maramarua, riding through Ngatea before stopping at Paeroa, birthplace of the world famous NZ beverage, L&P (Lemon & Paeroa). After ingesting two of these refreshing soft drinks and speaking with some local cyclists, we continued on. The next leg of our journey took us to a gorgeous gorge, complete with waterfalls and framed by wildflowers. We did nearly have one mishap, when Torrey almost fell asleep while cycling. We attribute this to caffeine withdrawal. Fortunately she made it through the day, fueled by raisins and Luc's encouragement (which was in turn fueled by worry). Our day ended fortuitously in Katikati. While at a grocery store, a farmer approached Torrey and offered to let us set up camp on his land. We learned he is a WWOOF host, and if the others are as nice as him we're in for a treat. We slept surrounded by ripening kiwifruit and avocados. This was our longest day yet at 90 km.

The next day was a short 39 km ride to Tauranga. We stopped for a picnic on the Strand in the town center, while racing motorboats roared in the background. After eating our roast beef and hummus sandwiches we were approached by an inquisitive trio of young girls. Their names were Morgan, Anita, and Payton (ages 9, 6, and 7, respectively, as they were so eager to inform us). After our picnic we traveled across a very windy bridge to Mt. Maunganui. We camped at the bottom, sharing a spot with a nice German couple who offered us a pass to the hot springs nearby. So relaxing. But first we had to earn it.

We climbed to the top of the mountain and enjoyed a spectacular view of the Pacific ocean. At the top we ate Hokey Pokey candy and dried kiwifruit. Mmm. We could see several tropical islands and felt like we were in a dream. It was worth the steep hike up.

The next day (today) we headed towards Rotorua, our present location. The woman at the front desk of the campgrounds in Mt. Maunganui advised us on a route, telling us it was "flat and easy." Uh, yeah right. The majority of the day was marked by slow climbs followed by steep climbs, followed by more slow climbs. There was very little downhill, and it was hot. During lunch on the side of the road we had our first encounter with sandflies, and we already hate them. We're also slightly sick of our staple food, muesli. We hope to get a campstove soon.

Rotorua is easy on the eyes, but hard on the nose. The whole city smells like rotten eggs. We're already used to it though. For dinner we had a hamburger and a veggie burger, with chips and of course, L&P. Luc had been craving meat all day. But that's only the beginning of the rewards. Tomorrow is our day off, promising adventure and the ability to sleep in as late as we want. Will we explore the Maori village? Will we hike to the famed mud pools and geysers? Stay tuned for the next episode of Luc and Torrey's Adventure.

Some difficulties

So our farm backed out on us at the last minute, citing somewhat fishy circumstances (the house we were supposed to stay in was demolished...) So now we are in Auckland for the foreseeable future. Thanks to Torrey's mom we have an update on our bags, and they should be in our possession in the next 24 hours. That will be quite a relief.

We're meeting up with Wes Monts, a fellow Bloomingtonian in Auckland, tonight at his place of work, Progear Camera Shop. It will be nice to see a friendly face from our hometown.

Yesterday we were fortunate to spend the day with a friendly Vancouver backpacker named Pascal. He has spent the last three months hiking throughout New Zealand, and was full of helpful hints. We got to explore the city and make a new friend.

Despite all of our troubles, we are enjoying ourselves immensely. The scenery is beautiful, and the weather ain't too shabby.

Cheers,
Luc and Torrey