New Zealand Diary - Relaxing At Abel Tasman National Park
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
The Abel Tasman National Park is full of hiking trails. Unfortunately there is no way to get to some of them by car and if you are a serious hiker, you take an aqua taxi to several different drop off/pick up points and hike sections of it at a time. This was all explained to us when we checked into the Villas. Really though, did we look like we were serious hikers? I think our host was disappointed that we only wanted to walk the Coastal Trail in and out for as long as we thought we could physically manage.
Our philosophy was that even though we would be going and coming over the same territory, we would be seeing it from a different direction and in a different light. With that in mind, we set out about 9 a.m. camera, lenses, water bottle, and iPhones in hand (sometimes the iPhone gets a great shot too). 
Along the way we find several species of birds and try to find the beautiful song bird that has entranced us with its melody. The bird with an exclamation point on his head is a California quail. I guess if NZ can have Canadian geese which we've seen, why not California quail?The very blue bird though that we see often and abounds in the field near our villa is the Pukeko and is native to New Zealand. Yes, it is really that blue and with a red beak and feet. They are characterized in lots of souvenirs in the shops.
Pretty vistas and views are around most every corner. We take a side trip on a nature trail which is a little more rugged and muddy but takes us along a gurgling stream that flows over large boulders and is quite picturesque. All told, our walk takes the whole morning. We are proud of ourselves for walking so far and hope that it makes up for some of the overeating we’ve done. At the villa, I make ham and cheese sandwiches and since we don’t have any mustard, I use butter and strawberry jam on the bread. It turns out to be very tasty.
Our afternoon, we decide, should be spent doing laundry and just relaxing. We’ve been traveling for more than two weeks now and need a little break. This is the perfect place for it. We sit on a bench as we wait for the clothes to wash and dry and we read and write and check out some of what’s going on back home through the internet. The most noise we hear is the buzz of some giant bumble bees in the flowers near us and the occasional honking of the gaggle of geese down near the horses. Peaceful and restful. A great day any way you look at it.
New Zealand Diary - Ferry To The South Island
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
In his preparation for this trip, Bob has read that we need to be in line with our car for the Interislander Ferry by 7:15 a.m. for the 8:30 departure. When choosing a rental car we went the Kiwi way, with Apex Car Rental since they allow their cars to cross between the main islands and actually purchase your ticket ahead for you. It works out perfectly. As we sit in our car, nice and dry, we wonder what it would be like to have to board as a passenger without a car dragging our luggage behind us in the rain.
An attendant comes by and takes our voucher and when we pass her ticket booth a bit later, she hands us our ticket and voucher for the return trip in two weeks. Five lanes of cars, vans and small trucks converge into one on the direction of the ferry crew. A couple of large semis have already been loaded in the open area of the ferry and we drive past them as we circle around and park on deck five. There are at least three levels of car parking as far as we can tell. We are on the highest.
An attendant with a lovely smile points the way for us to enter the passenger area of the ferry. We climb several steps (an elevator is available as well) and find ourselves on Deck 7 where the captain and some crew members greet us. With the carpet and stairway, I almost imagine we are on a cruise ship.There are several lounges on the three decks allotted for passengers. Some outside areas are available as well but in this weather (it is still rainy and windy) there won’t be many people outside. We find a lounge on Deck 8 at the front. The tables all near the windows are taken but we find one that still allows us to look out at the view. I can smell breakfast and many of the passengers are going into the little buffet area to get something to eat. We opt for some tea since we’ve already had breakfast. I get out my Surface and catch up on my New Zealand diary so that when we have internet, I’ll be ready with the posts.
Bob opts to explore and reports that there are several lounges that are private for tour groups and one for truck drivers. A couple of bars and another snack place are in the back along with a lounge where kids can watch the Disney Channel and of course the gift shop one level down. Soon we hear the announcement for the first movie to be shown. They are showing Superman and in another venue, Return To Earth. In NZ Dollars, adults are $12.50. We look at each other and shake our heads. We’re not here to watch movies although if you ride the ferry often, and/or don’t want to remember that you are on a boat, the movies would be a good distraction during the almost four hour trip.
Some work done on my diary, a good card game of rummy, and we are almost to Picton. The ride has been about three and a half hours and passed pleasantly. We gather our things and explore the ferry a bit more before we hear the announcement that passengers with cars must go to their automobiles. We comply although I think Bob would have liked to watch them dock.
After about a 45 minute drive, we arrive in North Havelock and find The Mussel Pot right in the center of town. The menu has mussels fixed in more ways than I ever imagined. We both opt for a pot of steamed mussels but Bob gets the creamy garlic and herb sauce and I go for the Thai green curry and coconut sauce. Thankfully mine is not extremely spicy. It is just perfect, the mussels large and tender and the accompanying bread for dipping is fresh and delicious. I could easily be lured back here again. Oh, and by the way, the shells of the mussels actually have a green color around the edge. I'm told they have a green beard too that gets shaved off in the preparation.
The weather is beginning to get a little better the farther we go along the coast of the Tasman Sea. By the time we arrive at the Abel Tasman Ocean View Villas, the sun is breaking through the clouds and giving us hope for a nice evening. Our studio suite is one half of a villa that sits up a hill a bit and looks out over pastureland and some mountains in the distance. We can’t help but think of our pastor’s daughter who loves horses as we watch about a dozen beautiful brown and black horses graze and frolic below us.This is definitely the smallest town we have stayed in so far. There is one little store that is not even the size of a convenient store back home and doubles as the booking agent for activities in the area. We peruse the shelves and find spaghetti Bolognese in a can, some bread, and some lunch fixings for tomorrow. Microwaves are wonderful inventions. Our spaghetti warmed, we toast some bread, and enjoy our dinner with a view. Coffee and Tim Tams for dessert and we are happy campers. We take a short walk and return to a chilly room. We’d left the window open.
Even with the window closed, it doesn’t warm up much but Bob finds a heater that works more like a large hair dryer. It does the trick and makes the room comfortable. The nice electric blanket keeps us snug through the night and we awake the next morning to bright sunshine. Time for some serious exercise.
Books For The Road - Far From My Home, Never To Return
This is a little break from my New Zealand Diary postings. I wanted to share a book I finished while on the trip. It's called Far From My Home, Never To Return - A Polish Child's WWII Memoir by Nadia Seluga. It came to my attention through the Martin Sisters Publishing group to which I belong (In A Pickle is published through them.) I've been intrigued lately with some of the WWII memoirs and stories I"ve read and this is a fascinating one. We all know of the Holocaust and the interment and execution of Jews but this is the story of one family's interment by the Russians who invaded Poland at the start of the war and took thousands of Poles from their homes to relocate them in labor camps in Russia where they were to work for the Russian government.
Seluga's youth and native Polish language come through in the narrative. I suspect she relied heavily on her diary from the time. She tells of how her family was deported by the Soviets from their small village in Polesie, an area that used to be a part of Poland, and were forced into labor camps where they struggled to survive. Once they are freed from the Siberian labor camp, the struggle continues as they are relocated several times in Asia and Africa before finally going on to England.
It takes a little while to get used to Seluga's voice but once you do, you are transported to those years of struggle as seen through the eyes of her youth. The ingenuity and courage of her family are a fine example of how so many of that generation coped with the hardships the war placed on them. It is well worth your time to read whether on the road or at home. You will have a whole new appreciation for home and travel and those who inspire us.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)