Day 19-32 (Dec. 13th - Dec. 26th)

We have now been on Stewart Island for 2 ½ weeks. It is Boxing Day here now. I could write in detail about what we've done here, but to be honest, it has mainly been hanging out and relaxing. Some much needed rest for R. and I. There has been a fair amount of sleeping as well. It's been awesome. I feel so much more relaxed than I have in a very long titme. We've read books, played a lot of cards, played RISK twice (quite time intensive as some of you know...), gone to the gym, I've gone on lots of runs, played more golf, wandered around, played chess on the giant chess board downtown. We've also been fishing twice, and I caught my first fish!!! It was very exciting. The 2nd time we went fishing, it was cod mania, and everyone was catching really big cod left and right. So, that was a very exciting day. We are still eating the cod actually.

We went to the island's christmas party the weekend before Christmas. Then we had our own feast on Christmas eve (and a good amount of drinking) and a shortlived dance fest. On Christmas Day, we went to K and C's friends house for a pancake breakfast. Then, in the evening we went to other friends house for drinking and Christmas dinner. It was a very fun and a nice relaxing day. It was very cool to have so many people take us in and have us over. Now, our last 2 days on the island will be preparing to leave and planning our last month, which will be spent on the South Island. We painted up K and C's old van, sent over over to the island, and after we leave here on th 28th of December, she will be our home for the next few weeks.

I hope everyone has/had a very Happy Christmas and Holiday Season! We shall be *hopefully* updating more during our last few weeks in New Zealand. I will let our the pictures show the rest of our time here.

Me with the first 2 fish I caught.

Hoppy, the one legged Wekka!!! (He hangs out near their friends house... they feed him. He's very cute.)

K. and R., manning the barbecue.

The yummy barbecued seafood extravaganza we had one day.


Painting Betsy.

More painting Betsy.

Betsy. Ready for her departure.

More fishing. R. and I with our catches.

A boating day trip around Stewart Island.

We had lunch on Ulva Island. This was the scene. That's the zodiac and the dingy.

a two-legged proper wekka on the beach.

K. and all the fishes we caught that day.


Look at that haul! It was an awesome fishing day. I am very proud of us.


Dance party on Christmas Eve.

Another arty picture of the dance party.

K. and C. on Christmas Day.

R. and I on Christmas Day. (i hate my hair this long by the way)

All of us on Christmas.

And Possum. A very cute cat of their friends' who I couldn't quite get to love me.

More when are on the South Island.

-N.

New Zealand Day 14-18 (dec 8th - 12th)

The first week on Stewart Island. Only about 350 people live on Stewart Island. There are only road on a small part of it, most of it is a wilderness reserve, and fair amounts of the island are only accessful by boat. The weather here is often like Vancouver, gray and rainy and in the 60s. It is coming into summer though, so there is more sun and we have only had a little bit of rain since we've been here. C's friend N. was here for a few days as well. He'd been traveling for 5 months or so all throughout Asia and was just finishing up his stint in NZ.

Over the past few days we've done quite a bit of stuff. We went out on the boat and both R. and N. went spear fishing. I just snorkeled around. The water is so clear here. It is crazy. It is very, very cold as well. But super clear. They caught a few fish, and my dinner for the evening! I learned how to fillet a fish, although we did not have a very good knife to do it with, so my first attempt at this was not the best. I will try again though.

We've gone on a couple of hikes and I've been running and been able to use the community center's gym, which has been amazing and I'm so appreciated of C for letting us go there. I had missed lifting weights. We also played golf one day on the 6 hole golf course. You have to play 3 times around to do 18 holes. We had a BBQ on the course, and only made it through like 5 holes. It was my first time playing an actual round, and I kind of sucked, but got better techinque as we progressed.

We've received so much hospitality here and been fed very well and shown around. We've had time to read books and relax and I've obviously had to time write. We've drank lots of beer, eat abalone, fresh caught fish, and some amazing crays. Poor R. has been at his most miserable w/his allergies, but they are slowly starting to improve. Thank goodness.

Stewart Island is definitely a little piece of paradise. It is so relaxing and laid back here. It is beautiful, but the weather makes the beautiful wane and burgeon on any given day. There are inlets galore and hidden beaches abound. There are white sands and greenish blue bays. There are wooded trails leading to magnificent view points and rolling hills covered with lush greenery.

Apparently, most New Zealanders don't ever come down here. That's a shame. I think they are probably missing out on one of the most beautiful parts of their country.

We shall be here for a while longer. And I'm looking forward to the relaxation and to experience more of the beauty and peace this island has to offer.

Stewart Island
intersection.

The golf course.

R. and C. paying the green fees! $5! No gumboots!

View from the golf course.

R. and his brother K. enjoying our day of golf.

R. looking thoughtful.

R. smoking. I like taking pictures of him. He's handsome :o)

Beach across from where K. and C. live, looking out at Horseshoe Bay.


Another view of Horseshoe bay.

A view looking back toward Horseshoe Bay from the Point (I've run up to the Point a lot. Lovely trail. nice run.)

Looking down into a little inlet from the hilltop while we were on a hike.


Another beach on Stewart Island.

More on our Stewart Island adventure in the next day or two.

-N.

New Zealand Day 12 & 13 (Dec . 6th and 7th)

Day 12 was mainly a day of driving. We had to get back to Auckland, as we were flying out the following day to go down to Stewart Island to visit R's brother and girlfriend. We decided to go a different route on the way, back more down the west coast of the North Island. It took us through another type of terrain that was more of a rainforest and jungle. It was lots of huge forests and we actually stopped and looked some really huge trees. Tane Mahuta is the largest living kauri tree. It was quite an impressive sight. I'm not sure if it is bigger than the redwoods, but it was still huge. No picture would do it justice. I couldn't even figure out how to get a proper picture of it.

After that it, it was mainly more driving, through some of the more flat terrain we've seen. We drove through the kumara capital of New Zealand (Kumaras are sweet potatoes). Finally, we made it just across the bay of Auckland and found a place to camp for the night. It was a nice beach area, very popular area in Auckland. We made ourselves a lovely dinner – R. had steaks, I had fish and veggies. R. also bought some of these pre-mixed bourbons and cokes. Man were those strong. One did the job.

After a bad sleep for R. (more allergies. His allergies are just killing him here. We think it is the grasses), it was up and to the airport. Well, first a leisurely breakfast. I don't get how it happened, but we were almost late for our flight. But, I was up at 6:30ish, went for a run, got us moving, but yet, some how, we were still almost late. It was bizarre. Totally bizarre. I took a shower, got all our stuff packed, we ate breakfast, and somewhere in there we started moving way to slow. Our flight was at noon and suddenly it was 10:20 and we still had to drive 30 minutes and return the rental car. But, we pulled it off, made it to the aiport 45 minutes earlier, and then we were onto Christchurch. From Christchurch, we were flew to Invercargill, down on the south island. From there (yes, 3 flights one day), we took a 10 seater plane (including the pilot's seat), to Stewart Island. It was an amazing flight. Only about 15-20 minutes, but it was so cool being that small plane. You could see everything, and it was just really fun. I totally love small planes (and yes, I know they are more dangerous).

We landed at a small private airstrip and then drove into town where we were met by K. (R's bro) and C. (his girlfriend). They run an abalone farm on Stewart Island. It was back to their place, then a bit of an island tour, and then sleep. More on Stewart Island in coming entries.

The big tree - Tane Mahuta.

Leaving Invercargill for Stewart Island.

Over the water, approaching Stewart Island.

Stewart Island from the air.

R. got to sit up front, next to the pilot. He was very, very happy.


-N.

RIP Stephen Ciomek

My grandfather just passed away. He'd fallen recently, broken his wrist and femur and hit his head. He potentially had a stroke. He's had surgery, but had been having lots of problems and passed away at 4:30am on Thursday AM.

This is not related to our trip, but I wanted to write about it anyway. I am sad to not be with my family right now. I am still having a good trip, but feel sad to be on the other side of the world and not be able to be with them and hug them.

My grandpa was 91, nearly 92. He had had a good long life. He did not suffer long and he got a good visit in w/his sons before he passed.

Anyway, it is a sad day. This is part of life.

Everyone have a drink for my grandpa today.

-N.

PIctures from Day 10-11

View from where we camped on night 9.

The town of Russell, near the Bay of Islands.

The massive sand dunes near Cape Reinga.

R. on the sand dunes.
The Shire meets Arrakis.

Cape Reinga lighthouse.

More updates on the way.

-N.

Pictures from Day 6-9

Here are the pictures from the days 6-9.

The Shire!

Cathedral Cove.

Lookout point from the walk down to Cathedral Cove. Looking out toward Hahei.

Our cute room at the hostel in Coromandel.

Me in the rental car at the wharf in Tutukaka.

Us on the boat on before scuba diving and snorkeling.

Me on the boat. Self-portrait.

Our first dive/snorkel spot.

My best photo from my bad underwater photography.

Sunset on the eastern coast of the north island overlooking fields.

more soon
-n.