Christchurch (Chch) and, finally, Home!

Lyttleton Harbour, south of Christchurch(Chch)

We arrived in Christchurch after several hours of driving in the rain from Dunedin.  The downtown portion of Christchurch has been cordoned off since the earthquake in February.  Recently, a few of the streets had been opened.  We parked the car, needing to stretch our legs and went in search of a place to spend the night.  The experience of walking on the outskirts of downtown was chilling.

The lovely old churches were the worst damaged buildings

Fences surround the business district of Chch. No traffic.  The empty streets are eerie.

Seeing buildings that had crumbled and still appeared as they did months ago, bricks scattered across the road, attested to the extent of devastation.  It was voyeuristic in some way, like watching the scene of a traffic accident as you drive by.  Buildings still had their spray painted signs that they had been searched and cleared.  All the buildings in Chch bear a sign denoting its safety status.  Red: danger, not fit for entry.  We walked for quite some time before reaching the motel area as we had to skirt the city entirely.  Most of the motels were full and we retraced our steps, jumped into the car to start our search for other motels.  We were lucky to find something close to the park and settled in for the night.

If you were to only see part of the building, it would appear completely normal... then you turn the corner and see that half of the building lies on the pavement that was once a sidewalk.

Workers are overwhelmed. Rocks still strewn as they fell 3 months ago.

Our last day on the south island was clear and warm.  We decided to try one of the many tracks for which Chch is known.  One of the favorites is the hike connecting Chch with Lyttleton, a small township south of town, over a small hill.  Our plan was to drive to Lyttleton and hike over the top of the ridge, then return and enjoy lunch in Lyttleton.  What we found was a small town that had been uprooted by the earthquake.  The local pub had opened in a trailer parked on the side of the road.  The other businesses did not look at all ready for customers.  We parked to hike the Bridle trail but after climbing several streets to the signpost, we found the track was also closed due to earthquake damage.  Instead, we walked the hillside streets, finding rents in driveways, some homes that appeared sound, yet marked by the dreaded red sign.

One of our planned hikes...

Caleb did get to meet with David once more before leaving the south island.  Our flight home was uneventful.  Once home, we had the pleasure of a visit from Morgan's friend Jillian, who cooked a curry dinner while I started on the mountainous pile of laundry.  Lovely to be home.  Spoiled by having dinner prepared for us, we returned the gesture by giving Jillian a ride to the airport on a clear starry morning.  Over dinner and on the ride to the airport, we reviewed all the things she might miss about NZ, and all the things that it would be lovely to return to see and experience.   " A new adventure awaits!" said Jillian...

I would have loved to hike this track, whose entry is adorned with a Maori carving...

Tomorrow, I will be back at work.

Only 3 weeks until my dad's 80th birthday celebration & family reunion in Sicily!!!! The whole family will attend.
Yes, I truly am blessed!

Dunedin

Otago Penninsula, outside Dunedin

Tuesday May 3.  Hogwartz Backpackers, Dunedin.

The rain outside thwarted our albatross and penguin sighting, though I stubbornly attempted none the less.  The result? Cold, wet and tired with a mild bit of ennui mixed in, Caleb and I returned to the backpackers that used to house the bishop.  Tea, granola bars and books will be my dinner tonight, as I our late lunch sated me and the rain dissuades me from another outing to the grocery store.  Tomorrow we leave Dunedin after breakfast and one more tour of the city, climbing the steepest street in the world.  We have been gone for 10 days now, and I am ready for my own bed, food, and clean clothes. 

Dunedin is a small city, where many Scots settled, at the neck of a peninsula jutting into the Pacific.  Rolling hills of the Otago Peninsula are dotted with sheep.  The coast is home to the yellow eyed penguin, blue penguin, and Royal Albatross.   We ventured to the Albatross Center, but missed the last tour of the nests where two albatross chicks can be viewed.  We were able to watch video footage of the fluffy gargantuan birds. The parents soar above the cliffs, dwarving the seagulls that usually are found careening about the tip of the peninsula.  We also visited the St. Clair Sea pool, but it was closed for the season.  The pool sits above St. Clair beach, and pictures when the pool is open show waves curling up over the wall and filling the pool.   We walked down to Tunnel beach, where a tunnel has been hewn out of the sandstone cliffs, yielding access to a beach from which to view the beautiful rock formations that is home to many shag and other seabirds.

Tunnel Beach

 Sketchy looking tunnel to the beach

 Although it is a small city, Dunedin boasts a museum, university, and botanical Garden, whose aviary served as the turn-around point of my run this morning.  We looked at the University of Otago and, on a whim, asked about medical school for international students.  We were told that they do not accept any international medical students.  In a country that is stricken by a diminishing medical student applicants and an increasing demand for medical practitioners, it is an enigma why they limit the field of applicants. 

Having evacuated Caleb from Japan due to concerns over potential radiation threats, I feel somewhat responsible for the predicament he now finds himself in.  He had a plan for the year, and a job.  When he left Japan, he had three days to tell the company if he planned to return.  Information about the radiation was slim at that point and all that was known was that Japan was not revealing the extent of the true issue.  The US had evacuated the diplomatic corps from Nagoya, where Caleb lived.  He decided not to return to Japan.

Start of the Kepler Track: one of the great walks in NZ

The issue of what Caleb should do next has been niggling.  One option is medical school.  New Zealand does a better job of providing doctors with a balanced lifestyle than the US medical system.  But for Caleb, he now needs to consider what he wants out of life, asking himself deep questions: Who am I? What do I want from my career? What kind of life do I envision for myself? Where do I want to live? How do I want to live?  What are my strengths, weaknesses?  What is my passion?  How do I wed all of this into the fabric of my life?  I too have been asking these questions, but have yet to refine the answers.  Let me know if you have…

"hut" to hut camping on the Kepler

Coming down from the hut, overlooking Lake Te Anu.  The Kepler track is one of NZ great walks and is so popular, reservations must be made up to a year in advance to hike the track.

Tomorrow we begin to wend our way to Christchurch and the end of our vacation.  The vacation has been a good mixture of visits and activity.  We hiked 28k of the Kepler track, one of the great walks in Fiordlands, kayaked Milford Sound, and took a cruise down Doubtful Sound.  In retrospect, the trip has been a lesson in geology, from the visiting the Fox and Franz Joseph glaciers, to seeing the results of plate tectonics in the mountains of fiordland, which continue to rise 1cm annually.  New Zealand is a place rich with natural history. The south island is much less populated than the north.  Lessons in biology, predators, prey and biodiversity  underlie  bird and marine life viewing.  In the kayak in Milford Sound, the caucophony of birdsong reminded me of childhood birding excursions to the Everglades.  It also came as a bit of a surprise that I have not heard its equal in many decades, a testament to the loss of songbirds in my lifetime.  

End of our hike: Lake Te Anu at Sunset.

Milford Sound by kayak.

Here in Milford Sound, small niches exist.  There is one valley known as Sinbad Gully, for example, where the Sinbad Skink lives.  No other place on earth can this particular skink be found...

Caleb in the bow; kayaking Milford Sound

A peaceful, quiet and personal experience of Milford Sound can be had via kayak.

Thus the vacation has been a perfect mixture of adventures, reflections, thoughtful discussions and reunions with friends.  Now, the weather has turned toward its usual winter pattern here, and urges me to return to my usual rhythm of work, rest, reflection, and play.  A good, strong rhythm with which to dance my life.

Early morning mist on Lake Manapouri, the gateway to Doubtful Sound.

 

Doubtful Sound is more remote and 10 times larger than Milford Sound.  We took a boat across Lake Manapouri, a bus over the pass, and boarded a second boat to cruise Doubtful Sound.  Captain Cook named this fjord "Doubtful Harbour" as he was not convinced it was navigable.

 The water of Doubtful Sound has a layer of fresh water on top.  This layer does not mix with the saline water below.  Tanins in the fresh water filter the light.  Many deep sea creatures are found in Doubtful Sound as a result.   When they turned the motors off, and quiet reigned, the sound was at its most beautiful.  If I come back this way, I would like to kayak Doubtful Sound as well...

Glaciers to Fiordlands ( yes, that is how it is spelled)

Franz Joseph Glacier, South Island, NZ

What happens in spring here...

Franz Joseph Glacier

Mt Cook

Yesterday, Caleb and I visited two glaciers which reach toward the sea.  Our day was geologic showcase of glaciers, volcanoes, and two very different flora: alpine and subtropical.  Walking up to these glaciers in a bowl of sheer cliffs was magnificent.

Walk to Franz Joseph Glacier

  Large cliffs loomed next to a flat river bed of stones.  Boulders had been tossed into the rock field below the glaciers, while others had been pulverized into the grey water that emerged below the glacier.

Cliffs @ Fox Glacier

early morning Lake Matheson

We spent the night in Fox, rising to walk around Lake Matheson and gaze at Mt. Cook in the distance.

Mt. Cook

Lake Matheson

Lake Matheson

Driving from the glaciers over Haast Pass , through Wanaka, Queenstown and into Otago Region, the scenery changes dramatically.  In some places, the mountains and ranches reminded us of western Rockies, in others, the coastline of California and others, the green of Washington and Oregon.  Palms and cabbage trees from the coast yielded to Pine and poplar-cousins in the area around Wanaka.  Yet the only large  animals are the ones behind fences as few wild large mammals exist in this county. No bear, antelope, or deer.  Rabbits and fuzzy-tailed possum abound, but are reviled as invasive species, responsible for the destruction of native flora and fauna.

Southern S. Island coast

Haast Pass

North of Wanaka, Otago

While I drove, I had ample time to let my thoughts wander. I have been considering the two medical systems and how they could learn from each other.  To the kiwi, I would cut down length of stay in hospital, reduce turn over time in theater (surgery), and move many minor procedures out of the operating theatre and into procedure rooms.  I would hope to increase access to screening tests.  To the US, I would recommend reduced work hours ( to make medicine tenable and incur less provider burn out), coverage for everyone for emergencies at least,  more barriers to malpractice suits (frivolous ones), and some measure of cost containment/prioritizing.  Granted there is no perfect system.  I see problems with both systems, benefits to both, and  political machinations that mean change is slow , full of confrontation.  I also see medical care costs increasing.  A two tiered system exists where the rich can get what they need, when they need it and the rest have large gaps in care, long waiting times.

Central Otago

It's autumn in Otago...

We arrived in Te Anau after a long day of driving to find a gem: Keiko’s cottages.  Caleb’s Japanese came in handy as he conversed with the woman who owned the cottages.  Reduced end of the season rates were offered and we were shown a roomy cottage complete with kitchen and electric nabe pot.  Caleb introduced me to the Japanese stew cooked at the table, and finished off with noodles, a delightful way to start the exploration of fiordlands.  Tomorrow, we will hike the Kepler track, or at least part of it.

Sunset in Otago

Greymouth, West Coast.

West Coast, North of Greymouth

We have arrived on the West Coast of the south island.  The sun is shining as I sit at a large wooden table carved from a single slice of a local tree, the dining table at the Pace’s.  Here in Greymouth, Caleb and I will rest and visit our dear friends, the Heidi and Jonathan Pace.  Rest, hopefully, will revive Caleb, who has been under the weather, battling a cold.

View from the window

Greymouth, located as the name implies at the mouth of the Grey River, is a beautiful, quiet community.  Waves  roll in, crest and reform, I am mesmerized watching them.  It is easy to see why surfers find the West Coast a mecca of untouched beaches with outstanding surf.  It is also known for the jade or "greenstone" that is found in the rivers here. Greenstone, or pounamu, in Maori, is only found on the South Island, which used to be named Te Wahe Pounamu, the place of pounamu.   Nephrite,the most common form of greenstone, is a calcium magnesium silicate with small amounts of iron determine the depth of the green color.   The bowenite form, an iron magnesium silicate, is more unusual, as it is only found at the mouth of Milford Sound.

View from the roadside north of Greymouth,  Snowcapped Alps faintly seen in the distance.

The Maori consider the greenstone "taonga", a cultural treasure. They have harvested and carved it into weapons, tools, and jewelry for centuries. Pounamu has a long history associated with the chiefs of the south island and with peacemaking.  It was traded heavily among the tribes of the North Island as well.  Pounamu contains mana;  status, spirit, strength and power.   Carved, it is" tapu," or sacred.  It was often used to seal agreements and denote peace and harmony between iwi (families/tribes).  All the pounamu carvings  must be given to others to maintain the tradition.  Unfortunately, pounamu  today is a lucrative tourist market.  There are many trinkets that are not hand carved, nor are they made from kiwi jade. 

Just a turnout on the road ... we climbed down to the beach.

We arrived yesterday, after deciding against a trip to Nelson as rain was falling heavily and Caleb's illness precluded rainy hikes or kayak trips in the Abel Tasman.  Instead, we drove south, across Arthur's Pass, crossing the Alps that run north-south, forming a spine down the south island.  We stopped at the view point to take in the lush mountainous bush and visit with Kea.  Kea are the only alpine parrot.  Only about 1000 Kea remain, as habitat loss and human interaction (mostly feeding them inappropriately) have slashed their numbers.  The Kea are mischevioius, smart, and inquisitive.  They are known to pull the rubber off of windshield wipers and doors, steal your car keys, or any food left unattended.  We met a gentleman at the viewpoint who had extensively hiked the Alps and relayed stories of abundant kea and the challenge of leaving one's tent site with kea about!! When we arrived at the car park, five or six kea were entertaining people with their antics.  One rode down out of the car park on the hood of a mini, before taking flight.  Another landed on the roof of our car as I was trying to back up.  Caleb got out to encourage him to fly off, but he only flew to my side view mirror.  I had not seen him, as I was still looking behind, trying to back out.  The bird rapped his beak sharply on the driver's side window as if to command my attention.  He did.  Everyone in the parking area was laughing.

The yellow fronted kea are aging kea...

Kea are have quite good camoflauge.

Today, Caleb and I were able to take a leisurely hike along a trail through subtropical bush along the coast to Point Elizabeth. The sky was cloudless; the surf pounded the beach below us, muffling other sounds.  Small creeks and waterfalls crossed the path.  The West Coast is the wettest of NZ.  Greymouth receives an average of 5m of rain annually, while further south, the tropical rainforest of fiordlands receives 7-12m!!

View from Pt. Elizabeth

Well maintained trail, as are many in NZ

In the midst of my travels, while contemplating what will happen next in my life, I return to the understanding that whether I am at home or on the road, the adventure I seek is within me.  The community I seek relies on my ability to communicate and share with people. To maintain an openness.  To be true to that generosity of spirit I hope to espouse.  The rest is just form and details to which I will attend.  Success of the venture lies within.  So for now, we rest.  Venture on, we will when the time is ripe.

Doing just as we did in Greymouth, Soaked up some sun and warmth, readying to move on.

More views from Pt. Elizabeth