From California to Auckland

The morning before our flight was relaxing. I spent some time in my office doing paper work after coffee and pastry at Champagne’s wonderful bakery in Del Mar. I came home, did some emails, and my wife Vicki and I walked for an hour around our neighborhood. Maybe this was what retirement was like! After a hot tub and some last minute packing, I went out to greet out limo, which took us to the commuter terminal, where an American Eagle flew us to L.A. My nephew Lucas Nardella flew down from Seattle, where a raging rainstorm was putting a hold on daily living there.

So what were we doing at Los Angeles International Airport anyway? My     roommate in college had gone on a law exchange program to New Zealand thirty years ago, and he had never left. He married a South African woman, had three daughters and was a respected professor of law at the university in Auckland. Bill knew I liked outdoor life, and he had been inviting me to come visit his adopted home for many years. We had planned to go a couple of years ago, but a hip replacement on my part had ruled the trip out.

Now here I was 37,000 feet over the Pacific listening to Van Morrison and Willie Nelson, while encouraging my nephew to climb Mt. Blanc and the Matterhorn next summer. The chicken was good, the Australian wine excellent, and I am enjoying the “down time” that the eleven-hour flight affords me. Tomorrow I will be in the land that has more sheep than people, and I am looking forward to the day.

Today was our first day in Auckland. We landed at 6:30 AM and went through some serious customs. New Zealanders are wary of foods traveling to their country in the company of unknowing tourists. They inspect, inspect, and inspect. A loudspeaker announces the possible fines and prison sentences that can happen for bringing contraband food into the country.

Day one and two were spent hiking and walking in the Auckland area in the company of my friend, Bill Hodge. We took a boat to an island just outside of the harbor and climbed an old volcano. Like San Diego, Auckland has recently renovated its waterfront, and the result is striking. Tasteful shops and apartments circle the waterway, giving locals and tourists alike endless possibilities for relaxation and fun. I was impressed!

That evening we ate with Bill, his wife Sue, and two of their three daughters, Anna and Harriet. Anna’s boyfriend, Jeremy joined us. It was fun to talk with smart young people from another culture.

The next morning Jeremy drove us to the airport, and we boarded an Air New Zealand plane for Queenstown, out next destination. The two islands that make up New Zealand are long and narrow, and the view from the plane, as we passed over the South Island, was spectacular. I saw mountains, rivers, coastlines, and light blue water. No wonder my friend had never left this place.

Queenstown was beautiful as expected. Set amongst high mountains on a beautiful lake, the town had a buzz. Driving in we saw people jumping off local peaks and gracefully parachuting to the ground. There were mountain bikers and hiking people everywhere. International restaurants were the norm. The air was clear, the locals friendly, and it stayed light until late. The next day, after getting a haircut, we would be going to a briefing, which would precede our guided trek. I was ready!

At the briefing we were told to be ready for rain, snow, and cold. Besides Lucas, Vicki, and I there were 10 other trampers, as hikers are called in New Zealand, and two guides. Five of us were from the United States, one was from Russia, and the rest of the people were from England. Our guides were native New Zealanders. It would be a four-hour bus ride to the beginning of the Routeburn Track, one of the world’s great walks.

The ride to the trailhead took us through miles of grasslands with grazing sheep. We saw high mountains, large blue lakes, and deer farms. There was little traffic and few towns. Bushes with bright yellow buds climbed over the hills, and it is hard to describe how beautiful the countryside was!

When we reached the trailhead, it was raining and cold. A large bird called a Kia greeted us in the little shelter at the beginning of the trail. The initial part of the trail climbs steadily though rain forest for a couple of miles and then breaks off. Most of the group did a side hike to a small summit, but I decided to hike downhill to lunch.

I had thought I could go from working a lot in my office to the plane for New Zealand and be fine. This thinking was wrong! Though the trail wasn’t that steep, it was leaving me winded and tired. Clearly I wasn’t as fit as I should have been. The beginning of a chest cold wasn’t helping matters. I don’t remember the afternoon that well, a sign of my exhaustion.

That night we stayed in a lodge with hot showers, a drying room for out wet clothes, and wonderful hot food! The trekking company with whom we were traveling had the exclusive rights to guide and provide lodging for clients doing the Routeburn. Beer and wine was served, and the staff, which was in there twenties, was fun, competent, and caring.

The next day we would hike 9 miles, one mile more than the first day. We walked uphill with Lake McKenzie on our right. At some point we left the timberline and began a series of switchbacks, which would take us to a small pass. The snow from the night before was melting fast. I was breathing heavily but I was stronger than yesterday. At the pass we met up with Lucas, who usually was in the lead with the guide. He hiked with us for a while before accelerating and catching up with the lead walkers.

The afternoon’s hike was spectacular. We traversed the side of a mountain for several miles. A deep valley divided us from high mountains on both sides. Eventually we climbed again, this time to a shelter, where we had tea and cookies.

At that point most of the group opted to do a side hike to a summit. Four of us headed down to the night’s lodge, an hour and a half distant. I felt good and had a strong hike to the lodge, though the terrain was wet, tricky, and steep. A shower, steak dinner, and a glass of merlot positioned me well for the final day.

Our last day was the easiest hiking day. The trail was either down or flat. The sun came out, and waterfalls were everywhere. After several hours we came to our bus and headed back to Queenstown. That night the hiking company hosted a dinner at a local hotel, where the guides gave everyone a certificate and group picture.

The next day Lucas, Vicki and I spent the day around Queenstown. We did an 8-mile round-trip walk to a local township and later went to dinner at an Italian restaurant. A favorite dish in Queenstown is mussels, which are fresh and tasty. We went to bed early, as the following day would start before 7 because we were taking a bus to Milford Sound, a world famous fjord on the western coast of New Zealand.

When we arrived at the Sound, we boarded a boat for a two-hour trip up and down the eight-mile fjord. The scenery was striking, as the mountains literally rose from the sea. Dolphins danced around our boat, at times jumping into the air, as if to welcome us to their home. Seals basked in the sun along the rocks, and waterfalls tumbled into the seawater.

The day after the trip to Milford Sound, Christmas day, we hiked to the summit of a local hill. The trip, which took a couple of hours, gave us splendid views of Queenstown and the lake.

That evening we ate at our hotel, which featured a special Christmas dinner of lamb and turkey. Lucas and Vicki at the restaurant

I wanted to turn in early because we were planning a major hike up Ben Loman, a local mountain, the next day.

We rose early on December 26 and wet to Patagonia, our favorite coffee shop. After a cup of rich Late with homemade bread, we headed for the Gondola, which would take us to our hike’s trailhead. The route up Ben Loman was long, and the last mile or so was very steep. Lucas went ahead, climbed to the summit, came down, met us on the way up, and went back to the top again!

The view from the summit was excellent, and we took it in, as we ate sandwiches of ham, egg salad, and cucumbers prepared at a local bakery.

At the end of the hike we drank coke at the gondola station while watching people fly off the steep hill with parachutes, bungee jump, and race down a cement track in gravity fed go carts! Queenstown’s reputation for action and excitement seems well deserved.

The day is Wednesday, December 27, and we are at the airport ready to fly to Nelson, a town at the top of South island. We are scheduled for a one day sea kayak trip in a couple of days, and I am not sure what other adventures await us at Nelson.

Nelson was quaint and fun. The day after our arrival we went with the Hodges to a remote area on the Tasman Seas, where a number of sea kayak businesses were located. We met our instructor Kate, a 25-year-old woman from North Korea, and headed out.  The sea kayaks were heavy but easy to steer, and the trip was fun, though I tired considerably near the end. We stopped at a relatively empty beach for lunch and watched Kate cook a meal of lamb kabobs! The remaining time in Nelson was spent hiking in the local area and driving into the beautiful countryside. We visited art shops, ate local seafood, and drank numerous Café lattes, a popular drink in New Zealand. We visited a couple of wineries and sampled the wonderful Sauvignon Blanc that comes from this area of the country.

Eventually we made our way back to Auckland to the Hodge house. New Year’s Eve was spent in a neighborhood Belgian restaurant that served delicious clamsand ice-cold bear from Belgium. The staff was dressed up in goofy costumes, and it was a fun night. The next day Bill drove Lucas, Vicki, and me to the airport, where we boarded our Quantas flight for Los Angeles.

New Zealand isn’t a place one easily forgets. The people, the relaxed life, and the natural beauty of this far away land stick with travelers and become part of one’s interior landscape providing stimulation and meaning far into the future.