Stef hiking in the bush - well dancing, trying to forget how sore she is

Stef hiking through the tall grass

Hot Springs on the way down Tongariro Crossing

Looking back at Red Crater with Mt. N behind it - you can see our trail down the right side

one of the three sulphuric Emerald Lakes

Mt. Ngauruhoe (aka Mount Doom in Lord of the Rings) - most recent eruption 1996

Scott and Stef on the summit of Mount Tongariro - cold at over 6000' elevation - trailhead was at approx. 3000'

Scott and Stef in front of Red Crater

the "moonscape" of Lower Crater

Stef hiking across Lower Crater

waterfall on the way up Tongariro

Day 7 recap (Tues Feb 15)

[Stef] Traveling by car is a great experience here in New Zealand. Consider driving at high speeds, on windy roads, in a car where everything is opposite. It is much like a video game - complete with people stepping out from curbs, pedestrians running randomly across the street, and the always popular eldery woman with a walker or new mommy & stroller combo making their own crosswalks wherever they see fit. We also had to travel at dusk, so that makes it even more fun. It was a real challenge for both of us - I was the navigation expert as Scott tried to comprehend my "sense of direction" and figure out the road signs and such. It's a great test of a marriage - luckily we both have a sense of humor.
Our stay at the Adventure Lodge and Motel was short and sweet. It was a cute little place- sort of an apartment with a nice big porch attached in front. The doors were sliding glass so the view was really nice. It had a nice little kitchenette and hot water - perfect for backpackers. We fell right asleep and got up at...gulp...6AM to get ready for the hike. I was excited about it because Scott said it was called "the best one day hike in New Zealand". Of course, I didn't read that chapter of the travel book until just before writing this (post hike) - it also says "it is also the toughest". As you can imagine I had a few choice words in my head throughout the day as Scott dragged me along. The shuttle bus picked us up at the Lodge at 7:40AM - just after Scott dropped the camera batteries and they fell through the cracks in the deck at the Motel. So as the bus driver was telling us to get on, my husband was under the lodge/deck looking for the batteries. (The backside of the deck had a 3 foot crawlspace, thankfully.) It was comical to watch - much like most of our adventures. I didn't know what to do - laugh or cry as the guy was yelling at me. How do I explain that my husband is under the house? It's a laugh a minute for us! Anyway, we got to the trail head in Tongagiro National Park at about 8AM and prepared our packs and set out at 8:30AM. The first part of the hike was really nice. Not too much uphill and lots of scenery. I loved it. The volcano that we were going to hike past was on our right, but somewhat covered in clouds. It seemed more like Colorado landscape than the other places we had been thus far. It was really interesting to see the moss and plants growing around the trail too. About an hour or 2 into the hike, my impression of the site quickly changed. The nice, flat walk I was enjoying along an adorable babbling brook turned into a steep incline through rocks and boulders. I was pretty beat by the first 20 minutes. It must have taken about 50 minutes to get up this steep stretch. Every time I thought I was at the end, it would go up again. Once I got up there, and drank a gallon of water, glared at Scott, and caught my breath, I felt great about being up there. Scott, of course made fun of me, asking if I wanted to give up and call for "Mommy Sue". So, basically out of annoyance, I got up there. Anyway, we walked along what is called Lower Crater, which was what I imagine walking on the moon is like. The clouds were wisping around us and all you could see is white. The turn-off to climb Mt. Ngauruhoe (pronounced Nara-hoe-ee) presented itself. This is the mountain that was Mt. Doom in the Lord of Rings Movies. Because the clouds were thick and the wind a blowin', I declined. It was also an unmarked path to the top. We continued on. I was dancing to the music in my Ipod during this part. More going up, but nothing like that first part. We walked along a valley and moved on up to another crater called Red Crater. This was an outstanding view of the areas around us and a brilliant red crater. Scott then suggested climbing to the peak of Mt. Tongagiro. I decided since we didn't climb the other, the least we could do is get to this one. We got to the top and met a very nice English couple who told us of their South Island travels which inspired us on our mapping for the next part of our journey. We came off the summit and met the original trail at Red Crater again. From there we climbed up again and looked into the crater from the other side. We realized that we weren't just looking into the crater from a mountain trail but from the RIM of the crater. WOW! We could also see some lakes known as the Emerald Lakes and more brilliant reds. Also the clouds around "Mt. Doom" dissipated and we could see the mountain in its entirety. It was a perfect cone shape with streaks of red down the sides. It was like nothing we had ever seen before in our travels. The views are hard to even describe with justice. Unfortunately the clock was ticking, so we started down the side of the crater and down the mountain. We went past the three Emerald Lakes and then past Blue Lake. Then we walked along some paths that lead us around and around mountainsides and valleys and through a natural hot spring, past a few waterfalls and rivers and through the rainforest section (AKA: the bush) and down to the base. 20+ kilometers of hiking from 8:30am-4:30am on a half of bag of cashews, 2 granola bars and a candy bar - I was beat and Scott was too! Scott said this was the sorest he's been after a hike since Mt. Whitney. We both were really ready to get to the parking lot especially since the walk through the bush lasted 2 hours – it seemed never-ending. What was really impressive was how well they kept the trail. It was maintained regularly and had man-made steps and bridges in some sections of the bush. The pain in our legs didn’t appreciate the steps but at the same time we were happy to know we didn’t have to make our own trail. It was also amazing how different each side of the mountain was. We started off in a rocky terrain and ended in a rain forest. Not your typical walk in the woods. I was really proud I made it, and we are still in love. I guess overall it was a great experience and a wonderful metaphor for marriage – It can start of smoothly, sometimes be tough and rocky, but with a lot of laughing and a bit of cussing, end up in a magical, tropical place on the other side.

Scott in front of a couple huge trees at Waitomo

Scott and Stef after Waitomo boat ride

Scott next to the Maori totem pole at entrance to Waitomo Caves

Day 6 recap (Mon Feb 14)

[Scott] It's Monday morning and our stay in Auckland has come to an end. I got a good night's sleep and I think my sleep schedule is back on track. I woke up and went for a run through the neighborhoods. The Grey Lynn area where we are staying is very hilly, adding to the character. The clouds unleased a heavy downpour on me, so I returned to the hotel soaking wet head to toe. I headed downtown on the bus to pickup our rental car, while Stef packed everything up. I was a little nervous about beginning my New Zealand driving experience in the city, but I managed, although it did take some time adjusting my bearings to the driver's seat being on the right. It took me a really long time to find my way back to the hotel, but I did finally make it back after almost an hour of driving around lost and we headed south for the Waitomo Glowworm Caves which is about a two hour drive. The countryside is really nice and it is amazing how much of the land is untouched. We enjoyed driving the open roads - rolling hills with many sheep and cattle. There are very few houses out in the countryside. We arrived in Waitomo and found it to be a very lush green area - almost like a rain forest (natives call it "the bush"). (click for more) There isn't much besides the touristy stuff, and the town might not even be on the map if not for the world famous caves.. We did the 45 minute tour, and had a very good guide, a native Maori (NZ's native people). She told us all about the history of the limestone caves - the geology and discovery - and many interesting facts about the unique glow worms. There are interesting stalagtite and stalagmite formations, but what makes these caves so unique is definitely the glow worms. There is a large "room" in the cave with 50+ foot high ceilings called the cathedral, where they hold small private concerts by world famous singers due to its perfect acoustic qualities. She took us on a walk down through the caves followed by a short boat ride down the river at the bottom level of the caves, and above us it looked like the night sky full of stars. Thousands upon thousands of these tiny glow worms were on the ceiling of the cave. When you come out of the cave at the end, it feels like you're in the Amazon - thick vegetation and really huge trees which were like a smaller version of redwoods. It is definitely a one-of-a-kind experience, and I think New Zealand is one of the only places in the world where you can see anything like this glow worm cave. Afterward we toured their well done museum and watched a short video, and then we hit the road toward Tongariro National Park hunting for a place to stay for the night to get rested for the big hike I have planned for us tomorrow - our first outdoor adventure of the trip! We stopped for a burger in the small town of Te Kuiti. They put an interesting sauce on the burger - a sweet and sour onion sauce which actually tasted pretty good. We arrived in the town of National Park at 10pm. We stopped at Howard's Lodge, which was recommended in our travel book, and the front desk lady had apparently headed home to sleep. One of the tenants recommended another lodge and said we could find its owner at the tavern, which we decided not to do but we thought it would it would have been a funny story if we did. Instead, we stopped at Adventure Lodge and Motel. We poked around in the reception area and after a few minutes a sleepy eyed woman staggered out. She was noticeably startled, but said she would be happy to set us up with a room for the night. She was a really nice woman (after she woke up) and convinced us that we should tramp (hike) the Tongariro Crossing, known as the most famous one day track (trail) in New Zealand.

censored view of Palm Beach

sailboats in Auckland Harbor

Photography done by nice lady on the ferry - hopefully she won't quit her day job.

view back toward Auckland from our ferry

Day 5 recap (Sun Feb 13)

[Stef] Hello again. I am here to recap Sunday's visit around Auckland. We decided to go over to Waiheke Island and explore the beaches and shops (click for more). After I got my sleep, Scott was starting his - so we got a late start. I explored a local grocery store and surroundings while Scott got some sleep. I was so tired that I can say it wasn't hard to "force" myself to sleep. I was lucky enough to get about one hour of sleep on that flight. When I woke I was fortunate enough to get to know my large-and-in-charge neighbor. She and her husband are self-professed rednecks from "the part of California that's almost Oregon". It is also a big ranching town and so she said they were a wild bunch. I guess that explains why she pulled a can of Natural Light beer out of her purse and squealed in excitement. This of course really got her husband excited too. Her husband was the guy on the plane who had is dinner-plate sized belt buckle open for the duration of the flight. I practically ran off the flight when we landed.
Anyway, we got a late start to the island, we took the 11:40AM ferry ride over and began our adventure. Included with this entry, you will see the picture a nice Engish lady took for us. Of course we weren't sure if she knew what she was doing, and from the picture you will see how much of a professional she is. It was a nice trip on the boat and we enjoyed the beautiful sights. Upon arriving, Scott thought renting bikes would be fun, I didn't agree looking at the hilly terrain. You can imagine how happy I was when we got to the rental place and the attendant wasn't there. phew! We walked to the little town of Oneroa. We decided that each of us would take turns picking things to do. I went first and I picked to have a drink and a bit to eat in a local eatery. We did, and it was really great food! We tried a local brewed beer and it was quite good. It was getting to be about 3 so we had to move on.
Scott was told by the woman at the information booth that Palm Beach was the place to go for some seclusion and relaxation. We agreed this is what we should do and headed there. We grabbed the bus and for only 5 bucks we got to go as fast as the bus could go to the beach. I felt like I was in a stolen car in the movies. These roads are so narrow and all the other drivers are crazy too... It was an adventure in itself.
As soon as we got to the beach we experienced "Murphy's Law" and it began to rain. We sat under the biggest, fattest palm trees we had ever seen until the short shower let up. We then walked down to the beach. There were a handful of people at the water's edge. Maybe we are hard to please after Hawaii, but this beach wasn't getting a "wow" out of us yet. So we walked down to feel the water - that got a "YE-OOW" out of us! It was so cold! So we decided a walk on the beach would suffice before we just relaxed and read our books. Scott wanted to walk the whole beach, and since this was his pick, I obliged. We walked the length of the beach and then decided to stop and sit in the sand and relax. As we were picking a place, Scott quietly said, "Stef, are those people naked?" I looked up and saw a very nice looking, very naked elderly couple enjoying the ocean breeze. No wonder the lady told us it was secluded, it was a nude beach at this end! So we just stuck our noses in our books. Not long after we got to our little spot did this end of the beach fill up with nude, older people. Once the sun came out they all went and frolicked in the freeezing water. Once again, I felt like I was in a movie, except this time it wasn't about racing stolen cars.
It was close to five, so we headed up to catch the bus. We took it back to the ferry launch and then caught the ferry back to the mainland. We grabbed a bus back to the hotel and decided we weren't hungry for dinner so we did some organizing for our travels and went to sleep. All in all the day was wonderful. We got to see a bit of the "real" NZ and enjoy the picturesque landscape. Auckland is definitely a city worth exploring.
It's Monday now and we probably won't get online for a while since we are heading to the countryside of New Zealand's North Island. We are going to do our laundry, get our rental car and head south toward Waitomo Glow Worm Caves and Tongariro National Park. Auckland was such a pleasant city, we look forward to seeing what the rest of the country has to offer!

Stef walking down the tube viewing the Aquarium all around her

The Surrey Hotel - where we stayed for our two nights in Auckland

one of the sharks visible from the walk through the tube

penguin exhibit

Stef at the Antarctic museum - cool equipment displays

Day 4 recap (Sat Feb 12)

[Scott] We had a good flight. We got going a little behind schedule but I think they made up for it with a little extra speed in the air, and we arrived in Auckland on time. The 12 hour flight was by far the longest flight I've ever been on, but fortunately I was able to sleep for four or five hours of it. Stef got some sleep, but had a little more trouble. I bet you can guess who will be sleeping next to the stranger next flight. We didn't have any trouble going through customs, although I thought we might after I snapped a picture and one of the security people called out to me "No Pictures!". Luckily it ended with that, and I'll note that for next time. I wouldn't have had to try very hard to play dumb, with the jet lag and the fact that I pretty much stopped thinking two weeks ago when I left the office to start my sabbatical. For anybody that might be reading that doesn't know, Intel gives every employee an eight week sabbatical after seven years of work. I've been working for them for almost nine years now. Gulp. Almost a decade - where has the time gone? Anybody? But seriously, ask Stef - my brain really did shut off two weeks ago. I think she was concerned when I headed off to Winter Park by myself that I might not remember how to get home. I have to say I'm finding alot of truth to the old saying "ignorance is bliss". I did answer a question or maybe two with "I don't know". It was something about what is our process for picking up our RV. Fortunately, Stef was there and she kicked me (which shut me up) and she went ahead and pulled out all the appropriate documentation for the gentleman. So two strikes against me now. We made it through the customs questioning, picked up our bags without incident, and now it was time for ag inspection. One of the questions is: do you have hiking boots with you? We checked the "yes" box and so we had to completely unpack our suitcase and dig them out for the inspector. I guess they just want to make sure there isn't any dirt on them that could contain worms etc? He took a quick look and said they were the cleanest hiking boots he'd seen. He went into a mini-tirade about how the English act like pigs and never clean their boots. Of course I didn't tell him that we just happened to have been snowshoeing (and the snow of course gave them a great wash) last time we used them.
Alright, we're out of the airport. Thirty minute shuttle ride to our hotel in the city, and it's around 8am on Saturday (we lost Friday when we crossed the International Dateline). The hotel is full so we can't check in until the usual afternoon check-in time. I knew that wasn't going to be good for our sleep schedule (we're obviously exhausted). We ate a buffet breakfast here which was pretty good and really filled us up, and then we decided to go check out downtown Auckland, which is just a short five minute bus ride. It's a really nice city - clean, friendly people, no traffic, no honking, well architected buildings with character. I think the cleanliness struck me most. All of the areas we drove by and walked around were very well kept. Basically it's the exact opposite of LA. Probably reminds me most of San Fran or Seattle, although still very different from either of those. Stef said the buildings and the feel very much reminded her of European cities. The only foreign countries I had been to before this were Canada and Mexico! (oh I forgot - and LA) Of course, Auckland would be a small US City, so you can't really compare. The population of Auckland is just over a million I believe, and the entire population of New Zealand is only 4 million. There are alot more sheep than people in NZ, with upwards of 40 million. Naturally, you see wool sweaters, socks, etc for sale everywhere, and lamb is a featured item on the menus. It is certainly a different world over here - a very refreshing change. So we walked around the waterfront and just took in the city for awhile. The harbour is beautiful and full of sailboats. A nickname they have for it is the "City of Sails". The temperature is in the 70s and sunny (or shiny as they say here). Definitely a lot more humid than Colorado, but not bad at all. Perfect weather really. We were so exhausted we just wanted to be entertained a bit, so we took the bus out to Kelly Tarlton's Under Water Adventure - the city's aquarium. (www.kellytarltons.co.nz) You walk through this tube that's in this huge fish tank. I think I was at a similar one in the US before. They have small sharks and manta rays, and assorted other fish. They also had a penguin exhibit, and a museum on Captain Scott's exploration of Antarctica which was pretty interesting. This place didn't wow us, but we liked it enough to make it worthwhile. So now it's 2pm and we can head to our hotel to check-in and get some rest! We passed out so quickly that we forgot to set an alarm. I didn't wake up until 11pm, at which time I was wide awake. It sure was nice to be in a normal bed that was actually comfortable! I had basically just gotten a full night's sleep. So after laying in bed for over an hour, I got up and worked out for an hour or so in the small workout room they have, and then I was basically up all night reading. It's 6am and I'm going to bed for a couple hours now before we take off for our day trip to Waiheke Island. Oh man, I am suffering from some serious jet lag! My internal clock is very confused. Stef was the smart one - seasoned traveler that she is - she forced herself to sleep through from 3pm to 6am. Well hopefully I can get back on schedule tomorrow... We have one more night in Auckland and then we head out to explore more of New Zealand's North Island. (Click for Map)