Maiden Voyage: If there are no ups and downs in your life, it means your dead!

At this point i'm having mixed feelings about my time here. New Zealand is undeniably beautiful. It's like seeing the world before human habitation (i guess its as close as it gets, south island has only been inhabited by humans in the past 800 years), in its naturalist form. It grounds you in a weird way. The active volcanos and 300 earthquakes a day makes the formidable Mother Nature an ever present threatening force and New Zealander's will always have to tentatively live with its uncertainty and unpredictability.

Through all my time out here most co travellers have selected New Zealand as their personal favourite and primed me with excitement and high expectation. It's amazing for sure, but I don't feel the expanse of it quite works for me (I know I'll have a lynch mob from the NZ Peoples Front for that statement). The scale of it means much of it is unreachable in many aspects and the expense of the country means even if you wanted you probably couldn't afford to see all you wanted to. (I'm just hanging in there on a 'revised' shoestring budget but i'm down to the wire and still got 10 days to go) This next comment could also be taken as an ignorant statement, but I have given it honest thought and the vastness all can get a bit 'same, same', for some reason I just can't connect with it. There I've said it, there'd be uproar if this ever went public but I'm only saying what I know others (consumed by trends) will have thought in honest and quiet moments. I promised honesty and have to remain true to myself and in this moment on 18th June, that's what i feel, but i know things can change......

I do love it and all the outdoor pursuits it has to offer but sub consciously It's all just a bit too perfect, clean, pristine, efficient, streamline and westernised I guess for me and I find myself pining for the carnage, mayhem, filth, stenches and cultures of Asia, which made me feel more alive inside. The jury's out for me...watch this space as they say... but I am very grateful for this experience.

I'm on the Interlander ferry which connects the north and south islands. I sit by the window enjoying the view and begin my research of my next destination, Picton in Queen Charlotte Sound. It's world famous for the fact that Captain Cook anchored his ship Endeavour at ship cove on five occasions in the 18th century (he got about that Cook fella!) joking aside this mans achievements are beyond admirable and being in the places he discovered brings the scale of he and his crews achievements into a very physical reality.

I check my accommodation booking and immediately burst into laughter. In a tired state and clearly without concentrating (I booked it in hast purely based on rating and price) I've booked myself into the Tombstone Backpacker Hostel. I've no idea where my head was when I booked this but when checking their website, their proud strapline 'rest in peace' and coffin shaped entrance door leaves me fearful of the night ahead!

After 3 nights of no sleep I did rest in peace that night. My checkout was 10am ...my eyes opened at 9.40am! I slept through my alarm...wow what a shock that was...and i wouldn't have known anything about it if i WAS dead!

Picton is a lovely little town....I like it. It is a combination of an 'upperclass' members yacht club with expensive boats set on the beautiful harbour, an American sleepy superb (the buildings are very American), a seaside town like Brighton enveloped by a Scandinavian type pine tree, undulating mountainous setting.

There are great walks to every aspect of the town and making the most of my one night stay (and in an attempt to wear myself out to sleep) I manage to sneak in a hike to 'The Snout', I didn't quite make the tip, just to the Charlotte bay lookout as the sun was setting faster than my legs could place one foot in front of the other, but nevertheless a stunning 6 mile walk in complete solitude on the opposite side of the world....marvellous!

The Snout

I continue to struggle with the food in New Zealand. Ready prepared cafe sandwiches, pies and cakes are overflowing with greasy and unhealthy fillings. They make me feel sick, it's just too much. I ask for a plain croissant or muesli which isn't covered in jam (uhhh I shudder) and they look at me like I'm an alien visiting from Mars (remember what I said about the mentality here) I've decided the only way to control it is to cook and prepare my own food in advance. In true student fashion (I've even had some recipe ideas from Owen for multi day lasting pasta dishes, which bodes well for him cooking for us in Australia ha ha!) i head off to the supermarket and stock up on basics for my 3 night stay in my next destination Franz Josef.

I purchase my own little tupperware and make pasta with tuna, olives, beetroot for tea making enough for tomorrow's lunch :-)....I'm on it, like a tramp on a sandwich!

Simple breakfast for under £1....and a roaring fire to sit beside ....pretty good for YHA Hostel Standards!

A typical YHA kitchen....and my life now amounting to a little bag of belongings with my name, room and departure date.

I like the New Zealander's ethics in retaining their heritage. As part of their conservation programme they have fenced off acres of land and eradicated imported rodents (I.e rats, foxes, possums etc, ), purified the land and are reintroducing endangered native species of animals (i.e the non flying Kiwi birds) into these areas (I hope this works but I can't help but think of the Gotham story where they put a fence around the cuckoo to keep it in to make the king believe they were mad to avoid taxes....yes, yes I shouldn't mock I know) They are admirably precious about maintaining balance of their eco systems and import / export of food and livestock is strictly monitored. They took my walking shoes away at immigration to check for contaminants (seeds etc) and cleaned them. Additionally they don't allow export of un-sculptured native timbers (to discourage felling) or live muscles etc (to prevent other countries farming NZ produce). I very much respect their stance on this.

I have a stop over in Nelson, just an evening to make a connection to Franz Josef. It's a gorgeous and quaint little town to the west of Picton. It's set inside the Nelson Vale, a naturally formed barrier which protects the town from the sea. They are clearly very religious, there are Vegas style chapels everywhere. It reminds me of 'little house on the prairie' (yes I'm showing my age, but I loved it). I regret not staying longer here and would have loved to have visited the National Park which from a distance is calling my name. But time constraints unfortunately mean sacrifices ...I feel inside I'll regret this decision.

The Nelson Vale

Nelson Town

Nelson Cathedral

Their policy made me laugh....if the buildings swaying 'n' creaking I ain't sticking around to see the service out!

I went of course.

In my short time I visit the cathedral, choir practise was on so I discretely sneek into a little pew and tantalised my senses with the haunting angelic harmonies. It was special....like you have a calling to be there in that moment.

Next destination Franz Josef. This is where the glaciers on the west coast are found. On route we stop at Te Ruahuani, it has a national park with gorgeous coastal views. I loved this place.

Franz Josef puts a different a different slant on everything. It's like a deserted ski resort and when I arrive the sun is beaming over the snow capped mountains and glacier. My friend Lesley had told me about the glacier hike, I recall her showing me photos a few years back and said then I'd love to do it, but I ruled this out due to budget constraints. But on arrival I know I would be foolish to miss this opportunity of a lifetime and blow my budget in the first hour of arriving booking it (ah well chuck it in the *uck it bucket with everything else I think)!!

We get geared up, briefed and head off for the helicopter which flies you to the base of the glacier. The views from the skies with the roars of the rotating blades is both electrifying and mesmerising. We fit our clamp ons and head off with our poles in search of ice caves. Due to the hot day there were lots of falling ice boulders which could be seen and then heard a few seconds later with a rolling thunder like rumbling, it was really eerie seeing nature perform its magic.

I fully emerged myself in the experience, whilst amused by a couple of young Irish lads at the back of the group with me. They were very funny and confided that one was to strip at the top of the climb maintaining his modesty with a cuddly toy mascot lion for a bet (they were on the rugby tour). I was watchman as they disappeared on said mission. They were lovely, polite and fun. If I wanted to be critical about the tour, it was a little gimmicky but It didn't detract anything from an overall great experience. The dip in the hot pools after was the cherry on the cake!

Franz Josef Main Street

Waiting for the helicopter

Here's my lift!

All cosy on board

Spectacular scenery from the glacier.....like a different world.

Ooh 40 degree hot pools mmmm heaven.

It's a beautiful morning and I set off on a lone local 5 mile hike through the rain forest (its a tempered rain forest not tropical of course). Everything's bright and crisp as I enjoy the warm rays with every stride. As I reach the mouth of the rain forest the atmosphere changes and as I enter the it feels strangely alive, sinister, like I'm seeing it through someone else's eyes....it's like walking the 'dark night of the soul'. Tree routes are raised and twisting across the path like screaming hands, broken branches strewn everywhere like fallen soldiers of time, undergrowth brown and dying from deprivation and starvation of light in the shadows of the stronger and more resilient upper foliage. Laser beams of sunlight shooting through the dense canopy forming pools of light like messages of hope for the dying. Dangling, trailing moss hanging from every strangulated branch. Dislodged rocks that once had a purpose kicked about, chipped and angled ...all scars of life. Wild deer cross the path stopping to stare directly into my eyes before sprinting away and the little wagtail birds following your path in search of insects churned up by my footsteps. The final viewing platform, a bridge over a whistling blue river of life smashing over rocks, diverting through challenges, nothing and nobody stopping its determination in it's inevitable destination back to source - one word AMAZING and unforgettable.

Spooky!

All wrapped up toasty warm

The river of life

I later discover the rain forest in Franz Josef is protected and nothing can be changed. This is one of the few places in the world you can view surroundings like this which are exactly as they would have been when Dinosaurs roamed this planet....now c'mon that's frickin' awesome!

My final afternoon I head off kayaking on lake Mapourioka. It was still, dark and reflecting.....and raining! It was a small group of four...3 lovely young Danish girls and me. I was paired with ditsy but streetwise Ana ....this girl had me in stitches her wit and maturity were beyond her 20 years...I liked her very much but she'd drive you nuts after a while with her constant and relentless energy. I felt a bit sorry for the two cousins she'd latched on to....they were clearly struggling. Mike, the guide was the official nomad. Travelling for 15 years, doing yoga at sunrise, not wearing shoes, and living in the wilderness in a little hut with no electricity or running water.....he's a hero! His story, knowledge and experience is fascinating. The kayaking was great, the group were great and fully accepting of an 'oldie' tagging along....I really enjoyed this one.