Boat Rides and Swing Bridges!
11 February 2009 | Westport
Sally
We are now on the west coast of the South Island and continuing to have a blast. The ferry ride from Wellington on the North Island to Picton on the South Island was an adventure all on its own. It was the first morning in... well, we can't even remember how long it's been since we've had to set an alarm clock - thankfully our new cell phone has one (although figuring out how to set it was a challenge!). We had practiced the route to the ferry dock the day before just to be sure we didn't get lost, but hadn't thought about it being Sunday when we practiced and Monday morning when we really had to get there - did you know some people have to get up and go to work on Monday mornings?!!! Well, in the Wellington area, apparently lots of people do, so there was a ton of traffic. Traffic?!!! Major anxiety attack! The Inter-Islander Ferry wasn't that far away from our "Top 10" campground - our splurge on a "high class" campground (very much like a KOA back home) so we made it with time to spare, but with great wonder about how in the world we'll ever be able to deal with SD traffic when we get home! (Are we spoiled, or what?!!!) The ferry ride was about 3 hours and gave us beautiful views of the Wellington area as we were leaving and then gorgeous views of many fingers of the Queen Charlotte Sound as we were making our way through it to Picton. The ferry was huge (with its own cinema, cafe, bar, lounge areas, and observation decks), but was still heeled over in the what we think must have been 40+ knots of wind. The Cook Straight has a reputation for being wild and wooly - it's in the roaring 40's (40' latitude) - so it wasn't too surprising, but quite a thrill nonetheless to experience - and that is why we are road tripping down here and didn't bring the boat!
Once here, we took off right away for the Abel Tasman National Park. It is quite famous for its beauty and tramps (not what you think - that's what they call hikes here!). There are many different trails through dense forest and along lovely beaches. It really reminded us of the Pacific Northwest with all the pine trees, ferns, and other greenery. There are hostels set up for the trampers to spend the night in between legs of their treks. Instead of doing any major hiking, we rode the Aqua Taxi up and down the park's coastline as it dropped off and picked up trampers. They will even deliver baggage to the next stop so it doesn't have to be lugged - now, that's my idea of backpacking! It was really beautiful and we got to see our first penguin in the wild - a little blue (that's what they call the type). It was swimming in the water and was adorable - I'll put pictures in the gallery some day. There were also lots of fur seals out on one of the little islands (lots of babies) and a dolphin named George that loves wake surfing behind the boat. It was a wonderful trip and afterwards we swam at a beach where the tide had gone out so far (maybe 1/4 mile), many of the boats that were anchored or on mooring balls were now sitting on the muddy bottom. It was interesting to see and there were lots of shells left uncovered. There was a campground right across from the beach where we spent the night.
From Abel Tasman, we headed southwest to an area called Buller Gorge. It is a gorge cut through rocky mountains by the Buller River. There is a fault line that goes right through the area and it was easy to see where the earth had been shoved up several feet on one side of the fault line (the epicenter) during a devastating earthquake in 1929. There are also remnants of the very successful gold mining that was done in the area. The big draw to the area now, however, is not gold - it is the longest swing bridge in New Zealand (110 meters). It goes right across the gorge. The picture shows us coming back across on the "Flying Fox" - a 160m comet line. I really liked the ride back, but was scared while walking over on the bridge. The base was only about 18 inches wide and it felt like a hammock that was going to flip upside down at any time. Of course Glen loved it and had it rocking as much as he could, then to make things even scarier, some people started back across from the other direction. While leaning against the side to get by one of the men, my shirt got caught on a piece of wire sticking out and I was stuck - yikes! It finally pulled loose (so much for that shirt!) and I made it to the other side. As soon as I was on firm ground again, I burst into tears! I don't think I'll be going on any more swing bridges this trip!
Right now, we are snug and comfy in our tent as it pours down rain outside. We are in a town called Westport and will be heading south along the west coast as soon as it lets up. Packing up the tent in the rain is not fun! We did get to see our first wekas right here in the campground. A weka is a bird that looks a lot like a kiwi except that its beak isn't as long. They have pair shaped bodies about the size of a volleyball and tiny little wings. It was a great treat to have them walking around our tent! Tomorrow, we are going to drive up into the alp area of the island and see Arthur's Pass. There is a scenic train ride that goes through the alps from Christchurch to Greymouth, but it is pricey and with having the van, we decided to drive it instead. Our friends from Bold Spirit are flying into Christchurch and taking the train to Greymouth where we will pick them up and travel together for a while. We'll be heading to the Franz Josef and Fox glacier after that. So much to see!
PS - We heard from Larry and Darlene there is a less expensive way to call us internationally. It is through a special phone service you can sign up for online. Here's the address..... http://www.enlinea.com/ It has been so nice to hear voices from home without the delay and garble Skype provides!