We’re in a delightful town called Alexandra.  Beautiful three hour drive through gorgeous country to get here today.  Blue sky, warm weather.  Ahhhh….

We pulled in without a reservation trusting we would find a place and thanks to the iSite folks we are lodged in a wonderful little Home Stay/Backpackers.  We’re the only ones here and have our own kitchen and even a sauna!  I’m sitting on the front porch watching the moon come up and enjoying a nice local Porter and one of the Havana cigars Tom (from Doubtful Sound) gave me.

We got here about 2PM local and rented a couple bikes for the next two days.  Once we were settled in, we went for a 20Km ride up the Mighty Clutha river into Clyde and then back down the Otago Central Railtrail.  It’s part of a multi-day loop bike trail through this country.  Now that we’ve seen this, it may be our goal next year to come down here and do a multi day bike tour through this country!  It’s just stunningly gorgeous.

Starting the bike ride up the Clutha River to Clyde.

Tomorrow, since we have the bikes another day, we’re going to ride up the Manuherikia River!  It’s also part of the Railtrail.  Our bikes have panniers so we can pack some gear.  The plan is to ride up to another town (not sure yet where that will be) and have lunch.  Then at some point, I will try and find a spot to fish and Ann will continue on an come back later in the day to collect me – if lucky with fish for dinner. LOL.

At least we’ll try.

So…another gorgeous day.  We’re on our last few days of the trip.  This weekend, starting on Sunday, the weather is going to turn stormy and we’re heading back.  There’s a cyclone up just south of Fiji that’s heading this way.  As it comes south it will dissipate, but still bring strong wind and rain starting on Sunday – so vacation over, time to head home.

Between now and then we hope to get some final bike riding, fishing and touring.

Stay tuned.  I’ll try and post some more pics tomorrow…

…and now for the pics…

Heading up the trail. My bike looks a little "fishy" with my rod holder and net sticking out.

Ann on the Rail Trail. She ended up doing 60Km. I did 30Km since I stopped halfway to go up a lovely little stream fly fishing.

Our halfway point. The tavern!

A bit of the local color as a stopping place for a wonderful lunch!

Crossing the bridge I saw this nice spot and went fishing. Had the whole river to myself as as I worked upstream 1/2 mile. Saw lots of fish, but they saw me first!

(by Ann) There is only one castle in New Zealand. And we found it. It sits high up on a hill, of course, on the Otago Peninsula off of Dunedin. In 1871 William Larnach had a castle built for his growing family. No kings or queens here, just stunning architecture complete with a turret with tight winding staircase at the front. Unfortunately, or not surprisingly perhaps, the castle has a dark side to it and the Larnach family suffered tragedies as two of William’s wives died at age 38 and William lost his fortune and committed suicide…not in the castle.

"Our" castle.

Dinner in the castle.

The castle was found many years later neglected and empty and for sale at a great price. The Barker family bought it and spent 40 years lovingly restoring it. Today the castle is open for guided tours or as in our case, self-guided tours. We were even allowed to climb the steep winding staircase to the highest turret. The restoration is beautiful.

Spiral Staircase up toward the tower turret.

The gardens also have been restored complete with the Alice in Wonderland characters throughout…perhaps as reference to Alice’s comment in the Lewis Carroll book,

“I wonder if I shall fall right through the earth! How funny it’ll seem to come out among the people that walk with their heads downwards! The antipathies I think…but I shall have to ask them what the name of the country is, you know. Please Ma’am, is this New Zealand?”

Our three course dinner in the music room complete with a dramatic storyteller and entertaining company (two Americans, two Englishmen, two Irishmen and half a table of Germans!) was magical. Much like the magic of being greeted at the Stables by the butler, Graham who seemed to appear out of no-where to guide us to our delightful room for the night above the stables!

What's that in the tree?

Could this be the hidden door in the tree?

(by Ann) We have repeatedly said while in anchorages that our greatest surprises happen when we stop and say hello to other boats at anchor. Surprise! We are finding the same thing in our land cruising. Although we are traveling in an unbelievably beautiful country we are repeatedly thankful and joyful about the people we meet.

At an Irish pub in Dunedin we met a few such characters. The first was a gentleman who watched the four of us, we were with Bob and Linda from Bright Angel, look quizzically at the menu trying to decide if we should eat there. Terry, a lovely man from Scotland, stepped forward to tell us that the food was excellent and that we would not be disappointed if we stayed. (He was right!) Sounded good to us so we took a recently vacated table. When we saw Terry hanging out at the end of the bar for quite some time we wondered if it had been a set up and perhaps he was the owner (he wasn’t). As the evening progressed we were entertained by Terry who was very interested in our travels and kept coming back to our table to share his thoughts. And when we went to take pictures Terry leapt forward to do it for us. Giggles and laughter followed and before you know it we had Terry and our waiter, Brad in the photos!

Ann with her very patient waiter Brad testing the Guiness Milk Shake.

Brad is also one of my Dunedin favorite characters. Why? Because when we discussed dessert options he agreed to get the kitchen to serve me vanilla ice cream and Guinness. He too thought it sounded yummy. I was served a small bowl of ice cream with a small pitcher of Guinness to pour on top. It took a bit, but I convinced Brad to go get a spoon and taste test. Not sold on my concoction he brought me some chocolate syrup to add to it. Perfection! Especially when I mashed it altogether lit a thick shake. Thanks for playing, Brad!

And as for playing….nice segue huh?….we have been intrigued by the game of cricket which is ubiquitous in New Zealand. And we still don’t get it. No worries! While washing breakfast dishes at our hostel I met a some adults who were in town for their boys’ cricket tournament and invited us to come see the 13 year-olds play. We found the field and were treated to a blow by blow description of the game. Quite entertaining and much more complex than we previously knew.

On the Cricket pitch.

But not as entertaining as finding out that the guy’s brother lives in our favorite little city of Geraldine AND is a fly fishing guide! Can you guess where we are going to visit on our way north?

Yup, serendipity rules and to prove it, we’re spending an extra day in a lovely spot we have found along the way. We found a hostel overlooking the ocean with a beautiful central living area complete with wood burning stove. We have again met Bright Angel Bob and Linda here and have the place to ourselves!

It doesn’t hurt that there is also a brewery and whiskey tasting in the nearby town as well.

Did someone say; "Whiskey?!"

Vintage Whiskey!

Whiskey Tasting!

That’s the word to describe our hike a couple days ago to Key Summit – about 40 km out of Te Anau.  Ann heard it was a great hike so despite a great deal of complaining from me, (we had just done a six hour hike the day before and a three hour hike the day before that) we set off in the morning after checking out of our barnyard hostel.

We had to get a shot of this sign on the way to the hike to show about where we are.

This hike is billed as a “three hour round trip”, but once you get to the top, there’s an additional one hour circle around the summit.  The most notable thing about this hike aside from the beauty and it being steep was it’s 360 degree views of the mountainside.  Also, they call this Key Summit because the mountain is the source of three watersheds leading to three oceans – the Tasman, the Pacific and the Southern Ocean.

Anyway, despite dragging myself out of the car, it only took a few minutes up the trail to realize this was going to be a truly special hike.  The beech trees lining the first half of the hike were draped in moss and their trunks and branches reached endlessly to the sky. The last third of the hike emerged to stunning views of snow capped mountains- the Southern Alps! I think when you look at the scenery you’ll agree.

We had a lovely lunch at the summit and soaked in the sunshine and a spectacular alpine vista.

Once you get here to the summit, the whole horizon is an “amphitheater” of alpine peaks for 360 degrees.

It just doesn't get much more beautiful than this.

(Sorry for the delay in this post, we took this trip a week ago but wanted to share the pictures along with the story. Additionally we have added pictures back to the “My Brain Hurts!” Blog. Enjoy!)

History has it that Captain Cook sailed this way in the late 1700’s, took one look at this spot (Doubtful Sound) in what is now known as Fiordland (note I’m using the Kiwi spelling) and said something to the effect of, “We’re not going in there because it’s doubtful we’ll be able to sail back out!”

He was probably right.  Fiordland consists of a series of narrow gorges coming in from the ocean with granite walls of 1000 vertical feet on each side.  Carved out over the millennia from glaciers, today they are covered with vegetation tenuously grasping the rock, but the mountainous sides of the fiords are no less imposing than I’m sure Captain Cook felt those several hundred years ago.

In contrast to Captain Cook’s voyage, Ann and I were able to take a lovely overnight cruise on a small trawler operated by Fiordland Expeditions.  The package included transportation from near our lodging in Te Anau, across the lake then on a bus down to the fiord where we boarded our boat for a 24 hour fiordland adventure.  (Fiordland is not accessible by road, the buses that transport guests were brought in on a barge).

Happy campers about to leave.

Our conveyance. It's a converted ferry and can hold up to 14 overnight guests, but for our trip - only six. Nice.

The boat was crewed by a captain (William-a Kiwi and very experienced skipper) and first mate (Nicholas – a young Frenchman) and had a total of six guests including Ann and myself. The other four were about our age and included a Norwegian, a Scot and two Brits.

The multi-national passenger group (did I mention it was also a bit cold?)

We had a blast!

And it rained a lot! But that meant tons of waterfalls!

It would be impossible to recount the whole trip, but in summary we fished (and caught) blue cod for our six-course dinner supplemented by the lobster that the captain dove for. What a feast!  We saw some amazing scenery including seeing fur seals and rare crested penguins and enjoyed great camaraderie that made for an amazingly fun two days.  We cruised the fiords, anchored for the night and even though it rained, had a lot of fun.

Heading out to the fiords.

That's a good sign!

We saw fur seals almost hunted to extinction but now making a comeback.

And Crested Penguins...

...quite possibly the highlight of the trip for Ann.

Fishing for dinner...

...and the skipper dove for lobster.

No shortage of lobster for dinner.

The views were amazing...

...waterfalls everywhere...

...and overnight while we slept it snowed...

These walls are so big it's hard to do them justice in a picture.

We're ready to go back!

No, it wasn’t what you think. No arguments here.

He said, “This is great fly fishing country”. She said, “Is that really fun? Standing in the water trying to catch fish?”

And so we went our separate ways today.

From Ann…guess what I did? I went hiking! There was a hiking park on the way back to the “perfect fishing stream” so I had Bob drop me off and come back for me in two and a half hours.
Surprise…a completely different hike from the …okay I have lost count but at least seven …other hikes we have done. Firstly this was in a park-like setting. Which means that after wandering around on the hiking tracks in the hills I could then wander through the arboretum and play on the playground while waiting for Bob’s return.

The more "wild" side of the trail.

This hike also featured manicured lawns that gave way to wide paths that looked like tractors had used them…which were only well-marked at the beginning. Although I did manage to find the high ridge with wonderful views of the rural farmland with rolling green pastures dotted with sheep, I was unable to find the longest track that was a complete loop. Does getting disoriented, due to lack of good signage (an absolute first for New Zealand), and circling several times while scaring a small heard of sheep count? At least I found my way back and had time to wander through the arboretum which offered a huge selection of trees. So beautiful.

But my best find was the zip line on the playground. Although I could not convince myself to jump out and on to the small circular seat without Bob to pick me up if I missed, I was able to play on it when Bob retuned to pick me up. Only New Zealand would have a zip line in a playground. I think Lonely Planet missed this jewel. Sweet as!

(From Bob)  So…we’re in a place marketed as “The world capital of brown trout fishing!”.  Yipes, how could I resist, especially after seeing the two GIANT browns that another American caught back in Te Anau.  They looked more like small salmon than trout.

My casting arm started quivering at the sight of this sign.

I’ve been dying to get onto New Zealand’s trout streams and I finally couldn’t stand it any longer.  I bought a basic fly fishing rig (rod, reel, waders, flies and some assorted stuff to make it all work) and was just waiting for the right spot.  This seemed to be it since there’s little else to do in Gore.  Well, if you’re got the fishing mania, nothing else compares.  (It’s a disease you know, like golf only possibly worse).

Anyway, Ann was gracious enough to “go it alone” for an afternoon, so after dropping her off, I headed out to a recommended stream.  Down a gravel road (all “good” fly fishing goes down a gravel road), literally in this sense heading over hill and dale.  Just the drive was an adventure!

Heading out cross country before hitting the gravel road.

Once well out in the country I found the promised land.  A nice little river, about 20 yards across.  OK, enough detail about that fishing stuff.

After a little while “finding” my technique after not fly fishing for a couple years, I finally was targeting some holes when I cast into a riffle behind a rock and WHAM! A trout hit the line!  I jerked the pole back to set the hook and the trout exploded upward in a cascade of foaming white water, valiantly thrashing from side to side in mid-air as he threw the took out of his mouth.

What?   Bummer!

Guess I didn’t set the hook well enough.  Oh well, that’s what being out of practice brings. They say “almost” doesn’t count, but that’s not true.  Almost catching that trout was so exciting I think I’ll go out and try again.

This was a different spot where Ann came and read a book on the bank, but you get the picture. Nice.

Anyway, I had a great time back on the stream and am looking forward to a couple more tries as we move north.  My goal?  To catch a Kiwi trout so I can really know I’ve fly-fished New Zealand.

New Zealand has so many hiking tracks it makes my head spin trying to decide which one to do. While aboard our overnight boat on Doubtful Sound I took advantage of the captain’s local knowledge and was given directions to his favorite hike in this area. Our instructions were hastily written on a napkin and remarkably we were able to find the specific area that Captain William suggested and were properly rewarded with yet another breathtaking hike.

Heading out...

Unlike the soft, muted world of the hobbits on the Kepler Track, the Hollyford Track ran alongside a loud, happy river that teased Bob all day. William assured Bob it was loaded with trout and Bob gazed longingly off of the fourteen bridges encountered along the trail, looking for them.

One of the suspension bridges.

Much of the walk was along the river...

There had been steady rain the night before and I was worried about mud but there was no reason to be concerned. The trails drain very quickly as this is all on granite. So no puddles but the rain had turned to snow and dusted the high peaks with a fresh layer of snow and left the trail much cooler than we had expected. So we put on every layer of warm clothes we had and beat the crowds to the trail. Well, not really crowds as there are so many choices to hike you don’t run in to very many people. I counted 25 people in a six hour hike.

The river was fed by several waterfalls, including two very large ones, including the hidden one that our lunch hut was named for. We lunched at the Hidden Falls Hut. New Zealand’s hut system provides solid huts for hikers to stay in overnight. We did not stay overnight but it was really fun to see what these look like outside of the brochures. The hut was large enough to sleep twenty-four adults and was very clean. The toilet off in the bushes however was home to a large number of giant black flies. Only one was in view as I unzipped my pants and prepared to take a seat. I opened the lid and more than a dozen additional monstrous black flies few at me! I almost tripped getting out of the door and away from the beasts! Oh well, how do you keep an alpine toilet fly-free?

The hut was situated in an open alpine valley surrounded by snowy peaks and full of yellow flowers. Lose the flies and you have perfection.

A modern hut.

Inside the hut...

View from the hut...

As we prepared to depart, another couple from San Francisco showed up on their way to the next hut. And then a delightful 70+ year old woman who worked for the Department of Conservation and was there to make sure all was in good shape, the wood-pile was full (yes, the hut even has a wood-burning stove), and the toilets were in good shape…look out gigantic flies – your days are numbered!

I Have Seen Where The Hobbits Live!

Everyone knows that New Zealand is the land of the hobbit. I was not sure. At least not until our recent hike.

We walked along a section of the Great Kepler Track. New Zealand is famous for their Great Walks and we are trying to hit some of them on our travels. Exhausted from our Doubtful Sound boat ride ( I think we were over stimulated!), we decided to head to our next hostel–the Barnyard Backpackers.

The outside of the Barnyard Backpackers hostel.

This hostel boasts of their deer farm and their remote location. Okay, I will bite! Especially after a particularly uncomfortable stay at the Te Anau Youth Hostel. Thankfully this one is delightful! One could say we are “back in the saddle”! Our current hostel has no Internet, good and bad. The main lodge has tables set facing the windows to enjoy the view and even a pool table up in a loft. And…a sweet girl from Orange County, California at the front desk. The world is small. Our room is half of a small cabin set lower on the hill overlooking the sheep, cows, horses and deer! Lots of open space.

The view out to the right of our cabin...

...and looking out to the left, we see...a domestic deer herd!

But no hobbits. The hobbits live across the valley in the forest. It is startling how different each one of our hikes has been. This portion of the Kepler Track boasts a forest carpeted with thick moss that winds underneath towering beech trees that let the sunlight gently filter in. No noisy rivers to ford, just birds filling the canopy with music. Perfect place for a hobbit to hide. If you look closely you can see their trails going off the main trail deeper into the woods. And the soft moss allows them to move around silently.

Most disturbing are the hobbit traps. Clearly they are traps. These holes are four feet deep and four feet in diameter. They are coated in the same soft moss that cover the walking path – obvious camouflage. I even saw one hole that had a branch over the top to entice the hobbits to use it as a footbridge. I am sure it would not support their weight. In another hole I saw one to the “bridges” leaning against the wall of the hole. Obviously an escape route. These hobbits are smart. Their hiding spots can be found inside the trees and under their roots if you look hard.

I would share some of my pictures of these hobbit habitats but as “luck” would have it…while deleting a few out of focus shots, mysteriously all of these hobbit-related pictures disappeared! Seriously! Obviously the work of the hobbits.

I am on alert for them now…especially when I noticed how unnaturally low to the ground the door knob in our cabin is. Perfect for hobbits. The good thing about identifying them is that they wander around barefoot and they have very furry feet. I am watching people’s feet!

Its Saturday here and we just got to Te Anau down in Fjordland (I.e. the sw corner of the South Island. We’ll stay the night and are going on the Doubtful Sound overnight boat tour tomorrow. They only take 14 passengers, so we’re hoping for a fun time to report on in a couple days.

See you then!

Overheard from a group of twenty-somethings at our hostel, “It is supposed to rain tomorrow….Puzzling World time!” Wait a minute! I already mentioned Puzzling World and was working on fitting it into our schedule but I was surprised to hear it was on their list too. I must be very hip!

The morning started off cloudy but suddenly the clouds began to clear and my plans were about to change. Bob decided he needed to investigate this small town that has more stores than ALL of the places we have been before but you know me…I had seen a bike trail nearby that was calling to me. So I rented a bike and headed up the coast of the Lake Wanaka. It is a lovely path that runs along side the lake allowing you to get quite wind blown until you reach the turn off to Clutha River.

Selfie!

Suddenly the path gets much smaller and hugs the cliffs and meanders happily along the river amongst the aspen trees. Ahhh..Heaven on earth! As the sky continued to clear I pushed onward enjoying the stunning views accompanied by the music of the river.

Through the trees...

...and along the river.

I turned around after an hour as I had promised Bob I would not be gone too long. And good thing I did because as I got out of the shower at the hostel the skies opened and a squall blowing tons of rain sideways came through. Perfect timing! Charisma mana!

Good thing I had such a beautiful relaxing ride because Puzzling World was work for the mind! There is a huge outdoor maze, which we passed on due to weather, an Illusion Room and a cafeteria-size room of mind-bending puzzles! The Illusion Room was incredibly well done. We will share pictures later. So amazing! Pun intended! I thought we would spend a half hour at the tables of games and boy was I wrong. Never give up! And so we spent two hours working puzzles! I loved it.

You have to keep your wits about you...

...because things are not what they seem!

Our fun-filled day ended with a happy surprise…our friends Bob and Linda from Bright Angel who have also been traveling the South Island were sitting in the living room of our hostel, having just arrived. So dinner with great company ended a terrific day!