Kaikoura - Surfing in view of snow

Come Friday afternoon (27/04) and the van has been packed (mostly), the board's been waxed and the heart is full of hope - anxiously anticipating waves to be surfed and memories of times long gone to be rekindled. Kaikoura promises crayfish, 3 closely located surf breaks and another escape from the confines of city living. 2 of these promises would be kept this weekend.

After an initial squabble, Caila and I set out in Hau-we up the Eastern coastline. My eagerness caused us to make a silly detour looking at the Northshore-community - which turned out to be little more than a huge cul-de-sac. Next we pulled into Waikuku Beach for a peek at the wind-blown beach break there. "Better waves to be had further on" was the consensus. And from there we travelled on into the night until we got to Kaikoura. We parked near the public recycling bins (always doing our part) and made a quick meal in the drizzle and cold. Then we found a secluded little spot to park for the night and get some sleep. Turns out that we were about 300m from Meatworks (one of the breaks).

Saturday morning and the conditions are miserable. Mild offshore winds didn't do that much to help a peaky beach/reef break that reminded me of 3de Steen in SA. Watched 2 locals paddle out, and at least 5 go searching for something a bit more calm and sheltered, before suiting up and paddling out. Not bad, as far as messy waves go. Been too long since I've had to paddle through a shifting backline, as my sore shoulders would have confirmed, but once you're on the wave it has loads of power and sweet sections. Out of nowhere a surf competition started up and I paddled out as the first 4 boys came paddling in. Tried to warm up next to Caila (who was doing some study work on her laptop - more like lap of luxury if you ask me) and lay watching the comp before dozing off in the horrid conditions. Woke up later and checked out Mangamanu Point, which just so happened to be breaking at 3-5 foot with walls that go on for hundreds of meters and the easiest paddle since Harold's Bay. I surfed until I couldn't raise my arms anymore and then went back to look if our camping spot from the previous night was still available. It was and we made food and had some drinks and spent the night chatting about life, love and why my surfboard cannot stay on the roof of the van.



Sunday we went back to Mangamanu Point and I surfed a solid 2&1/2 hours in dropping swell. Then I (happily/proudly) conceded the board and wet wettie to Caila, who paddled out and stood up on wave (or so she claims, I was busy making hot food and drinks for when she came out). Afterwards we went into town for some money and to find out about swimming with dolphins!

Suffice to say that I could see myself possibly living in and around Kaikoura, surfing daily and spending my free time doing something silly - like work. Caila seems to feel the same, but we've got other internships to finish first.

Considering staying on n NZ for an extra month so PrincessC can do part of the 12 weeks of internship she need to complete. At least we have been offered a position by the DOC to help out with some projects on the North Island, meaning we could live for free!

I am also (once again) impressed with the NZ Immigration department and their helpful, friendly service regarding our request for Visa and Work permit extensions. Good on ya mate!

Christchurch is rainy and miserable and already I am wishing myself back into the waters up the coast. BONG!

Sheep-cows and Southland adventures.

We named our van Hau-we Hong Long. The Taiwan friends will get it. The rest will have to make do with the facts that it is red, has dragons on the seats and it is all good. This was the argument as we gave a decent Irish couple NZ$1600: "Renting a backpacker van will cost around $700 for the time we want it. With some elbow-grease and effort we can make Hau-we a home on wheels (H.O.W.-ie, if you pease) and sell it for almost the same amount we bought it. For all the rest, refer to Alfred E. Neuman's classic quote."

What, me worry? Nope, no worries. None at all. Hau-we performed above and beyond the 20 odd years that have passed beneath it's chassis. We never had a false start, dead battery, oil shortage, brake fluid problem or anything mechanically go wrong. Can't say the same for the bed in the back though. That almost lasted the first night. Almost. Paul would have been shocked at the workmanship of the bed and most likely would have had me sandpapering and hammering and forcing in long screws for days. (Which I ended up doing anyways after we got home. Thanks to Gary for the use of his tools and some helpful hints.)

Caila soon sorted out the order of things food-wise and managed to prepare meals as yummy and nutritious as those at home - if not more so. Loads of veggies and the decadence of garnish and viola! Instant healthy yummy grub from the camping stove. She also kept a journal (kind of) and excelled at navigating our way around the South Island.

I did the driving and continually shouted unheard obscenities at the maniacal drivers that crawl out of New Zealand's back parts. No seriously, one lady overtook me (Hau-we can only do about 95km/h if you wanna keep the fuel low) in the opposite lane - and stayed there while a car coming from the front had to swerve onto the gravel shoulder to aviod the head-on. Bonkers!

For the sake of brevity I will conclude by saying it was a magical trip, with memories that will stay forever and a few new catchphrases to match i.e. exceptional hospitality will evermore be known as a "Dave 'n Fay" (after the friendly folks who invited us into their home while they were gone to use their shower - and sometimes a shower is worth its weight in gold people!)

From the pages of Caila:
Monday, 16 April: Trippin in with Howie, south Chch on scenic route. Dead animals spotted = 32. Darwin Drivers Awards = 1Female. Stopped at Lake Pukaki for night in hayfield under starry cloudy skies.

Tuesday, 17 April: Sick of the Road morning muesli & yoghurt. Morning stroll around the base of mount Cook & other glaciers. Pieter is itchy. Too itchy. Discussed money-makin g schemes amongst talk of future dreams. Lunched in golden glade by sparkly stream & cleansed ourselves in Nature's beauty (went for a dip in Clutha River). Stoner survey and a night on the beach with bangers & spinach. Cloudless starry sky. Spotted a few shooting stars before bed.

Wednesday, 18 April: Searched for surf but only found sandflies and calm seas. Reststop toilet showers as bus pulled up - of course. Survey Day. All handed out!! Back to our beach spot for dinner by fireside.

Thursday, 19 April: Leftovers. Mornig German interrupted my pee, but dolphins brightened our day in the early morning sun. Picked up surveys. Showered & Scrubbed ourselves clean thanks to Fay & Dave behind 27 Haast. Lunched & munched with sandflies and sun. Germans are almost as common as sandflies in this place. Roadside camp beside Lake Wakatipu. Watched the stars rise & played n the cold.

Friday, 20 April: Early morning nukie as the sky exploded in color. Love is life is beautiful. Fiordland visit & small great walk along the lake at Te'Anua. A nap for me. Some honey purchased and sampled! Through Invercargill to the Southeast coast. Dirt road drive & camp at top of cliff - admiring the oceanview along with our sheepish company.

Saturday, 21 April: Morning muflzels. Petrified forest. Spotted a sheepcow - weird!! Dirt road driving again. Nugget Point. No waves at Kaka Point! Drove through Dunedin. Discovered there would be no shagging at Shag Point, but found a nice beachside campsite with precut firewood. Built a fire & skinny-dipped in the big blue. Enjoyed our beans & fire, then crawled in big red for sleepy time.

Sunday, 22 April: Picked up Andy hitchhiker from Huston and drove straight back to Christchburch.

And that's all folks.

Red, with dragons on the seats...

We bought a car today. A backpaker van to be PC. It's red (in a hand-painted way)and has a bed and camping gear in the back and dragon-emblazed seat covers in the front. Thomas would approve. I have wonderful visions of my surfboard travelling in style, on a soft mattrass under some blankets (no more Taiwanese airlines to torture it), as we make our way along the coastlines of New Zealand.

On our way to Copland Track on the West Coast over Easter weekend, we passed some beaches. We stopped at one for a while and I saw some small swell pushing through. I figure that if you could find a reef or a point along the coast somewhere... And if you can't, well, our hike over the long weekend was a stunning way to see how New Zealand is still untouched in some places. With hot springs to boot.

Copland Track on the West Coast (past Fox Glacier) is a 17km tramp. "Tramp" is the NZ word for hiking in the wild for those not in the know. Greg's brother, Craig, organised the adventure and treated us to tramping in style, with a hot meal waiting at the end of a long afternoon's walk. Kudos. But I should start at the start - with the car giving hassles and Greg and Cecile heading out to get it fixed. We stayed at Wildside backpackers and on the morning we were meant to start our hike the car needed new brake pads and Caila, Juliane and myself were left to find a car willing to pick us up and take us to the start of the trail. He he he. Turned out that car would be G&C returning with new pads and a hitchhiker of their own! He was dumped, we were loaded and off we went. We arrived late (12-ish) and set off on the 7-hour walk, with heavy packs and happy hearts. Thinking ourselves semi-superhuman we thought we would do it in less than the stated 7 hours. HA! We arrived at the Welcome Flat Hut exactly 7 hours later, footsore and famished and desperately clinging to the last rays of refracted sunlight. This is where Craig comes in. Soon enough we were relaxing in hot springs with some cocktails and full tummies. Thanks also to Nicola and Monet for that one.

The next day was spent skinny-dipping, rock-lounging, people-dodging and enjoying the calmness of an almost-empty hut - which would soon enough be packed with Easter Weekend Trampers once more. I was happy to rest my knees, which were painfully stiff after the walk. Stupid assualt-ers. Caila spent some time in the stress-recesses of her own mind, and gave me a tour of the area while we were lazing about on the rocks. But the overall mood was one of wonderment and well-being. The Southern Alps are as majestic as they are foreign to me. Snow-capped peaks surrounded by jungle-like forests (or is it forest-like jungles?), with crisp, clear air that does for the nostrils what chocolate does for the tastebuds. Freezing river water that must be the product source of all those nauseating "bottled spring water" blurbs the media throws at us each day. And a sense of peace that you can only find when far from civilization. I was impressed by the decency of the people in the overcrowded hut that evening.

The next day we set out to get back to the car, down the track and away from the nudists lounging in the hot springs. This time the walk took us a mere 5.5 hours and we had a much better time of it. Stopped for lunch and jumped into the river to refresh a bit. Brrrrr! We dropped Juliane off with friends on the way to Christchurch and spent most of the journey back staring out at the countryside through windows reflecting tired, but pleased faces.

NZ Tramping...try it.

36 hours of traveling later

Could it be we're tired of sending out group mails to all the folks who make up the footsteps of our thoughts (they probably are too)? Could it be we want to remember the paths we have walked and the things we have done (and save some paper in the process)?. Could it be a deep-seated, long-nurtured need to be extroverted to the extreme? Who knows? Well, you probably do, since you're reading this.

To save a semblance of being cool and catchy I'll stick to the simplest reason for starting our blog - I CAN!

After arriving in NZ a week or so ago, I have done most of the tasks required of a Non-Immigrant visitor looking for a partner-sponsored work permit under the "Family" Stream. Completed the forms and attached the documents and added the pics to prove we are actually "loving partners in a committed relationship" and sent them the 250m across Cathedral Square by registered post for a mere NZ$10 (= R50)! I have also applied for a few jobs, only to be told that I should wait for my permit to be approved. So, in the meantime, I have gone surfing, twice, travelled to the airport by bus (via the looooong way) to pick up newspapers and see a bit of the city, watched some flicks (Amelie most noteable amongst them), made a little food and ate a lot, gotten too drunk and sobered up too fast and fell asleep in my rugby socks one evening.

We are living with Greg and Cecile, who became engaged the Friday after I arrived (23/03/2007), at 81 Retreat Road, Avonside. It's a sweet little house and I can see why Caila was so grateful for the opportunity of living there. I doubt one could do much better; both location-wise and price-range. In our "House of Engeagments" we share the responsibilities of cooking, cleaning, buying groceries and trying to outdo each other in silent snogging (thin, thin walls).

I wrote somewhere (else) that the guilty disappointment of my ill-fated familial farewell from SA was contrasted by my fiancee's wacky welcome. After living together for more than a year, and then not seeing each other for almost 5 months, it takes some time pushing the straws into their rightful spots in the nest again - especially when it is not your own nest. Ironically I was pre-warned about (and therefore pre-pared for) some head-butting in the beginning, and even though Caila managed not to target my broken bits this time, she DID redo my whole MS Word document (the horror). In pre-emtive reply to said outrage I made her breakfast and accused her of not hanging out her gym clothes (double the horror). But we kissed and made up and the last 15 minutes of typing this has been great...

Many of our "catching up" conversations have involved our ideas for the future. Where to go? What to do? Who to blame for not having any money? Serious reality checks seem to set in around 30 seconds after these chats start, when we recognize the futility and insecurities of "keeping our options open" vs. the "not having real plans". The one thing we both agree on wholeheartedly is that, no matter what we do, time is not going to wait for either of us (stupid time) and we have to therefore accept it and try to act care-free, cool and catchy (it's not so easy, you know).

"ONE DAY AT A TIME." Our communal catchphrase. Learn it. Love it. Live it.

On that note...

Today was a good day...

...to blog.

It's not about being superstitious; or being smart-assed for that matter. Neither is it about productivity or practice. It's about setting your mind to something and doing it. As best you can.

Looking for reasons in all the wrong places again. You see, what actually led to this was the following:

We shared a cab to D.N.A., then danced together at Overtime and then fell in thrall at The Lighthouse. We moved from DingFu Lu to Fujien too and took off to Bali with the Holbrook-crew. She stopped over in Gottingen, while I visited the Vorster-clan in Bloemfontein and then we laughed all the way up the East Coast to Kei Mouth, newly engaged. From there she set sail for Kiwi-land and I followed soon after. So no jokes this April 1st, just new things, people and laughter.