The Big Hitch - Wanaka to Picton

I've actually come from Queenstown, however I drove with Teddy and Daniel to Wanaka so I'm not counting that as part of the hitch. Basically what I'm doing is hitching up to Picton to catch the ferry to the North island. Seems pretty simple. 887km over 3 days.

Day 1 - Wanaka to Fox Glacier

I had to wait about 30 minutes for a hitch out of Wanaka, I got picked up by a German girl who was also a keen surfer. We drove to Haast and then decided to drive down to Jackson Bay so she could check it out as a surf spot. 40km down the road, in the middle of nowhere we discovered that the road was closed due to a slip so, we didn't even make it to the bay! She very kindly decided not to leave me in the middle of nowhere and dropped me back on the state highway. I was then picked up by an Israeli couple and got a ride with them from Haast to Fox Glacier. Being roughly in the middle of Wanaka and Westport, plus I knew of a really nice hostel, I decided to call it a day and stay the night there.

Day 2 - Fox Glacier to Westport

Over dinner I got to talking to a retired Australian couple who ended up giving me a hitch to Ross the following morning. They were really nice but quiet which I enjoyed (it gets tiring talking about the same old thing all the time). After they dropped me, I got a hitch from a Kiwi who lived in the UK for most of her childhood. She was a dairy worker and so gave me some insight into the dairy industry and John Key (Prime Minister). She dropped me in Hokitika where I got a ride from a very interesting man who owned a sawmill, specifically dealing with windswept kauri trees (trees that have been blown over by the wind). His company takes aerial photographs of native bush to see how many of these trees have fallen over, then he applies for a permit to remove the trees from the the Department of Conservation. DOC then allows him to remove 50% of the trees whilst the rest is left to decompose and stay as part of the ecosystem. He then airlifts the wood out via helicopter and mills it. This is the kind of sustainable environmental management that I really admire NZ for. He really had a passion and a respect for the environment that allows him to make a living as I have found with lots of people out here. He dropped me just outside of Greymouth where I got a ride from a farmer then a chef. I even had time to have a look at the Pancake Rocks in Punakaki which were pretty cool. My final hitch of the day came from a Scottish electrician. He lived in South Africa for 20 years but had to leave when it got really dangerous. He said if you were going to live there at the time you couldn't do so without a gun and a guard dog. he dropped me in Westport where I was picked up by Brian, a family friend who was staying with one of his friends shortly before a tramping (hiking) trip. I stayed at his friends house where there were also 2 Dutch couchsurfers.

Day 3 -Westport to Picton (Wellington really)
Brian dropped me in Murchison on his way to drop off a car for his tramping trip. I waited for a hitch, ended up getting one to Nelson from a lady and her daughter on their way back from seeing Cirque Du Soleil in Christchurch. She was  interested in hearing about energy engineering and I tried to explain nuclear fusion to her. I hope I did a good job! I got a hitch from Nelson to about 10km down the road from a couple who owned a christian retreat. Then I got a ride in a campervan which was exciting because they never give you a ride! I don't have any slack for the drivers of certain campervans as I now know that some have more that 3 seats! No excuses for not giving hitches now. They dropped me in Havelock where I got a ride from a guy in a very sporty Audi who liked to drive fast, very fast. Which I don't mind, however I do mind when you're overtaking 6 cars and a lorry around a corner at 150km/h (speed limit 100km/h). My final hitch of the day came from a farmer on the way to pick his wife up from the ferry terminal at Picton. He was great, I asked him why New Zealand meat is supposedly the best meat in the world. His response was "it's all in the grass". He also asked me if I was part Italian or maybe Turkish because I definitely "don't look like a straight POME" (Prisoner Of Mother England, I've been called it lots out here). He made it his mission to get me to the ferry terminal on time and he did, I managed to buy a ticket for the last ferry of the day about 2 minutes before boarding started. So I managed to get across to Wellington on the North Island and was met at the ferry terminal by Cousin Andy. The big hitch was certainly a success! 

Queenstown - awesome, but not for your bank account!

We got 1 hitch from Te Anau to Queenstown from the old American guy we met on the Kepler Track. He was such a nice man and dropped us right at our hostel despite the fact he wasn't even going to Queenstown! We went skydiving which was totally incredible, my favourite moment so far. My tandem master was really cool and he did some flips as we jumped out the plane and let me fly the parachute. It's so hard to describe the feeling of a skydive. Later, Yannick and I met up with Teddy and his friend Daniel (who went to the same cycling club as me). We went to a couple bars as Queenstown is one of the few places where things are open after 11pm. Met some Brits and some guys from the North Island who reccomended some places up there.

Daniel and I hired some awesome downhill mountain bikes and a lift pass then spent the next 5 hours riding some really awesome trails. I didn't fall off properly which is always a plus. We were both totally knackered by the end of it but it was worth every second, and every dollar. We rewarded ourselves with a Fergburger which is a world famous burger shop (apparently).

Sorry about the lack of photos on this post, I've just been having too much fun. Anyone who objects to this can talk to the complaints department... Which doesn't exist so if you end up getting through to them then you should probably see a doctor or something

Great Walks - The Kepler Track

Day 1 - Te Anau to Brod Bay Campsite

A short walk for our first day, just 5km. So Yannick and I left late afternoon. The rain was non stop until we went to sleep. The only thing of note is that we had to walk over the control gates on the Waiau River that regulate the flow of of water from Lake Te Anau into Lake Manapouri, where the underground power station is. I tried to do a tour of it because it sounded really interesting but unfortunately the power station is closed for maintenance. The first night, it rained non stop. It was also very cold, making for not a very comfortable nights sleep.

Day 2 - Brod Bay to Iris Burn

Today was a tough day, walking 24.6km with 20kg on your back is hard work. But totally worth it, just look at the views! We went to the Luxmore Caves (limestone) and climbed to the summit of Mt Luxmore. Both were great, just look at the photos! 

Luckily the rain mostly held off but there was some low cloud which wasn't great for a summit view. The wind when we were walking along the ridges were so strong! You really had to be careful to make sure you didnt get blown off. We even had the luxury of pitching our tents in the dry!

We had a short chat with the ranger for Iris Burn. He was saying that the rangers stay out at each of the backcountry huts for a week at a time. He walks in and occasionally, if hes lucky gets helicoptered out. He's been the Iris Burn ranger for 7 years!

Day 3 Iris Burn to Motaru Hut

We woke up to rain, safe to say the ranger was correct in this being the wettest part of the Kepler track! Luckily we didn't have far to walk today so we had the option to wait out the morning rain. The birds here are amazing, not scared at all. Being deep into a national park, where the only terrestrial access is the track you're walking on, birds seem to take an interest in you rather than just fying away, especially Robins but I guess this is already in their nature. I ran into a guy called Teddy, who I know slightly from London. I knew he was in the area but to run into him on this track - what are the chances?! The Motaru Hut is lovely and totally off grid. It's on the lakefront of Manapouri and it's warm and dry inside! Had some interesting conversations with a man from Maine and a family from Wellington.

Day 4 Motaru Hut to Te Anau

Had a fantastic nights sleep in the hut, which set me up nicely for the final day. We saw a New Zealand Falcon up close and a Wagtail that was practically posing for us. The forests are incredible, there's not really much else you can say except look! I arrived back in Te Anau late afternoon, not as tired as I'd expected however with a few blisters to remember the Kepler Track by! Despite this it's been the hilight of my trip so far.

Te Anau/Milford Sound

I arrived in Te Anau and met up with Yannick and 2 other people he was on the Milford Track with (who I'd met in Tekapo). I went to pitch my tent at the Lakeside campsite, then we went to Lake Manapouri for a swim, which was actually suprisingly warm.

We came back and went for a walk around Lake Te Anau. Both lakes are stunning.

In the evening we made burgers which were quite good if I say so myself, then met up with Kati (the girl I met whilst hitching through the Catlins). We hung out for a bit down by the lake in the evening which was nice. Unfortunately, the warm weather I had become used was nowhere to be found on my second day in Fiordland. Yannick and I tried to hitch to Milford Sound in the cold and the rain (bad idea) and made it most of the way but decided to turn back when cars stopped heading towards the sound which was dissapointing. However in a way, I'm glad we did because we got a hitch from a couple that lived in Peckham (really close to my house). They were professional travel bloggers and really cool people. Unfortunately we spent the afternoon hiding from the rain in the (very nice) living room in the campsite. Everything to do here is outdoors so it sucks when the weather is bad.

I eventually made it to Milford Sound. I got a hitch there from a German guy called Hanz (which is apparently the German version of Jake). He was also a tourist so we stopped at some fantastic waterfalls along the way. One advantage of the rain is that it makes the waterfalls spectacular!

At Milford the weather was 'horrible' weather but I still thought it was absolutely stunning with such poor visibility. The sound is so dramatic with the low cloud. Also the shitty weather means that most of the tourists hide inside the information centre, meaning that it's much more quiet than I suspect it is usually.

We hung out with Lucas (guy I met in Invercargill) in the evening. He's a fellow mountain biker and a cool guy who's also writing a blog (http://blog.lepski.info/). It would have been nice to have some more sun, but bad weather doesn't hide the beauty of this place. Someone asked me what city in America I was from. Which was suprising! In the evening I played cards with a couple Germans, an Isreali, Sweede, American and Australian. There's quite alot of Israelis, especially soldiers. I'm starting the Kepler track, a 60km hike that I'm doing over 4 days!

Stewart Island

In a last minute plan, I decided to go to Stewart Island and I'm very glad I did. Most of the island is a nature reserve. And it's truly stunning. I think I've also been extremely lucky with the weather. It rained when I first arrived but I did a 7 hour hike and there wasn't a drop. I hiked from Oban to a place called Maori Beach. There are some relics from the timber mill that was there when the island was settled. Luckily the forest has had a chance to recover. The birds are so interesting to look at, even the pigeons. They aren't shy either. On my hike a pigeon landed on my head!

You wouldn't think that I was so far South. There are sandy beaches just like those in golden bay.

This is the kind of place that has a phone on a tree in the middle of nowhere (??)

The windswept trees are pretty cool.

I watched the sunset and observation rock. Was very impressive.

The Catlins

Whilst leaving Dunedin, as there's motorways around the city we got a bus to the next town to have a better chance of getting a hitch. On this bus we bumped into Yannick (the guy I split up from in Nelson) which was really surreal for me (what are the chances!). He was hitching to Te Anau, so a bit further than us. We got a hitch in about half and hour from some French people who were really nice and they even dropped us at our campsite! The campsite was lovely. Very basic but nice, and in the middle of nowhere. The people running it were great. We met a couple from Leister who were staying at the campsite and we went with then to Nugget Point, a lighthouse right on the cliff edge. You could see seals playing and fighting below it was amazing. We went again the next morning to watch the sunrise, which was totally worth waking up at 5:45. Was so cold though, was 2 degrees when we got up..

The campsite owner very kindly gave us a lift to the main road to make it easier for us to get a hitch. We got one hitch into town, then had to wait 2 hours. We got picked up by a DOC (Department of Conservation) car. They don't pick anyone up and when I asked him he said they're not allowed to, so don't tell anyone! He was very interested in the degree I was doing (energy engineering) and was telling me how they try to minimise the environmental impact of people in campsites and in general. He dropped us at the Curio Bay campground. We saw the worlds rarest dolphin (Hectors Dolphins) and the worlds rarest penguins (Yellow Eyed Penguins). Was incredible. We met another German guy called Tobias on our way. 

They're quite hard to photograph. But if you want to see the video of them playing then I'm afraid you're actually gonna have to talk to me!

The petrified forest was awesome, it's fossilised trees that've been preserved in the rocks!

Hitching from Curio Bay was great fun. I was hitching to Bluff. I split up from Martha and Tobias after about 15 minutes as they got a hitch to Invercargill.  I got a hitch to the first village from a guy who ran the surf school and backpackers. I was chatting to a cool guy who'd just bought some land, then I got a hitch to the main road from an elderly couple with a fantastic campervan (bus) which they had just finished converting. I then met a German girl who was also hitching. We got to chatting and both got a hitch to Invercargill. She was going to come to Stewart Island with me but a bank issue meant that she couldn't. But she may join me tomorrow. I got a hitch to Bluff from a Kiwi family and a mechanical engineer from Uraguay. I'm now just waiting for the ferry to Stewart Island.

Dunedin

I got a hitch to the Moeraki Boulders from Oamaru, they were quite impressive but so many tourists!!

While I was there, A guy came up to me and offered me a lift to Dunedin!

Dunedin is a nice town, some beautiful areas. There's a strong connection to Scotland here and I have heard bagpipes on several occasions. I walked around and took a look at some of the Victorian buildings including the very impressive train station and First Church of Otago. It's strange that 'old' for NZ is only around 100 years ago. 

The botanical gardens are amazing, they have an aivary with lots of birds from around Australasia. There was 1 parrot in particular that kept followed me around!

I went to the Public Art Gallery, which had  the 36 Views of Mt Fuji by Hiroshige. The series is quite impressive for a wood block print.

I met up with Patricia (one of the people I met in Christchurch). Below our hostel was a pool hall which was free if you were staying in the hostel. So I spent my final evening playing pool with the 2 Americans in my dorm. One of whom is the first American I met who hates American Football and thinks that rugby is a better game in many ways. They were so funny we had a great time. It was the superbowl, a public holiday and chinese new year this weekend. So lots of shops have been shut which is a shame. In the hostel I met someone who wanted to go the same way as me next. So we're headed to the Catlins together!

Oamaru

I'm I arrived in Oamaru around midday. It's a very sleepy town with not much going on. I had a look around and there's lots of beautiful Victorian architecture made out of Oamaru Stone (a type of limestone mined just over the hill). For such a small place I was surprised to find out it had an opera house. I had a look around the church, again made out of Oamaru stone. I get the impression that this is a deeply Christian town.

It's quite sleepy during the daytime, shops here shut at 4pm. So I decided to go to the cinema to watch the revenant. Very good but so bloody. I enjoyed chatting with the lady working at the cinema (from Texas). We both compared notes on just how tiny the place is. She gave me some advice about seeing the penguins. In the evening I went and saw the blue penguin colony. Which involved sitting around for 2 hours waiting for them to come to shore. Eventually they did, they're so tiny and so wary of humans but they literally just cross the road! Excuse the quality if the pictures.

On the second day there seemed to be some sort of boat racing in the harbour (old old wooden boats) which was kinda fun especially as some sunk! There are lots of book shops and art gallerys in the old Victorian warehouses which I wandered around. I went and saw the yellow penguin colony later on. You have to watch them come up onto the beach from a hide on the top of the cliff. Still amazing. There were some seals on the beach aswell and I saw some move around for the first time and they moce quicker than you'd think!