Snowboarding and the Art of Perseverance

VIEW FROM OUR BALCONY AT GARDEN COURT

Queenstown, the 'Adventure Capital of the World', is  a picturesque lakeside town on the shores of Lake Wakatipu.  We are meeting up with my Uncle Darryl and my tow cousins, Danny & Andrew to join them on their annual ski/snowboarding holiday.

The deep blues of the lake reflect the winter blues of the sky, and wispy cirrus clouds streak from behind the snow-capped peaks which surround us - a stark contrast to our entrance into Queenstown late last night:  the dark road wound its way along a black lake, a trail of tailights leading around the next corner as starbursting headlights whooshing past in the opposite direction.  Amber streetlights and incandescent houselights twinkled in pairs across the way, relected in the inky waters.  A deep, throbbing dub soundtrack gave everything a hauntingly surreal feeling, taut with anticipation.

Ferdburger, which has been recommended to me as 'DaBestestBurgerInThaWorld' is packed to the walls and does not disappoint.  Harrys Bar, just up the street, has a warm fire and cold beer, and is full of beautiful people with the satisfied smiles of a good day on the slopes.

Our morning is spent returning rental cars, transferring to the swanky Garden Court lodge in town, searching for a good flat white, and preparing to hit the slopes of Coronet Peak that afternoon. 

I’ve never been a good surfer. 

One, I don’t go often enough to be any good, and two, I’m just plain lazy.  It’s a heck of a lot of work to get around on the water, all that paddling and paddling and paddling for a short ride on a wave.

LOOKING OUT FROM THE TOP OF CORONET PEAK

That’s why snowboarding sounds so good to me:  strap your boots to the board so’s it can’t float away, ride a lift to the top of the swell, then drop in on the biggest wave, albeit a frozen one, that you’ve ever seen – 1,200 meters above sea level.

So it’s a wonder that I’m not better at it.  But then again, see #2: I’m just plain lazy.

AW YEAH, THAT'S HOW I ROLL...

HOW'S THE SERENITY!?

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Queenstown via Mount John Observatory and Wanaka

Theme Song of the Day:

1. "Carmina Burana", Carl Orff

THE LONG WHITE CLOUD

The day breaks clean, crisp and blue, with the sun making a welcome appearance by midmorning. 

This morning’s adventure takes us up to Mt John’s Observatory, 300 meters above Tekapo. The four massive telescopes on the summit are in active use today by scientists from around the world, and in 2003 discovered a Jupiter-sized planet orbiting a star several thousand light years away.

Only twenty minutes up the road, the town looks like a minature train set from here.  I understand why the Maori named this land ‘Land of the Long White Cloud’ as I look out at the bright blues of lake, sky, and distant mountains and sip my flat white at the Astro Café. 

The amazing interstellar imagery captured in the postcards on display is enough to convince me to return and to do the stargazing tour.  There are images of distant galaxies, comets streaking across the Tekapo night sky, and even of the Aurora Australis shimmering behind and dwarfing the distant peaks. 

COMING DOWN FROM THE OBSERVATORY

As we wind our way back down the hill, my thoughts drift into the scenery - I’ve never seen such massive spaces - the glimpses of wide open nature that I’ve caught always seem to be interrupted too soon by the harsh grid of civilzation.  As I look out at miles and miles of blue lake, brown plains and snow-capped peaks, there are no other towns visible in the distance.

I glimpse a farmhouse here, a small cluster of buildings there… and a now-familiar feeling wells up inside.  It is the same exhilleration that I feel when embarking on a road trip, eating up the endless open road… except these spaces ignite a yearning to be back on foot, tramping and camping with my backpack and a tent, a tiny speck wandering in wonder as the vast landscape swallows me. 

SOMEWHERE ALONG THE ROAD TO WANAKA

There is also a peace of mind, a stillness that is stirred as I drink in the clean air and blue nature all around me.  Surely only nature could evoke such contrasting emotions with such a deft stroke of her brush.

I’ve no idea how long my thoughts have been wandering when I actually notice the canal that we’ve been following for the last half hour.  The water is still the same glacier-flower blue that was Lake Tekapo, except that it is eddying and boiling in a fast flow, rushing to get somewhere in a hurry.  This road appears to be on a man-made embankment ten stories high that is so precisely engineered that I am reminded of one of those virtual roller coaster rides where you are going down down down into darkness and the track jerks and jolts you around unforseen corners.

IS THAT THE SAME LONG WHITE CLOUD WE SAW IN TEKAPO!?

The mountains and lake are still our backdrop one hour later, and the I am sure that the long white cloud skirting the mountain is the same one we were looking at up at the observatory.  Suddenly the flume opens up into a squarish pool, and the road turns away from the water. 

A sweeping curve starts our descent, and as we round the corner, massive pipes can be seen plunging out of the embankment towards the lake below.  We must have stumbled across one of New Zealand’s hydro-electric plants.  It is impressive; the energy coursing down through those pipes is almost tangible.

CRISPY SKINNED SALMON W/ PESTO ON WARM SALAD

Before we know it, we come to the Wanaka turnoff and decide to check the place out before we hit Queenstown.  I highly recommend the detour: we share the most amazing Salmon filet with pesto over warm rosted veggies with a couple of locally brewed, preservative-free beers from Kai Whakapai.

The road to Queenstown from Wanaka winds through rocky brown and black hilltops that bring to mind images of Mordor as the sun is getting low in the sky and casting long, dramatic shadows.  We gradually climb higher and higher until patches of melting snow appear, turn a corner and the hilltops here are mottled with snow.  Another corner, and the hilltops are now mountain peaks.  Another corner, and LakeWakatipu greets us silently, the grandeur of this view demanding a full orchestra but only getting static on the radio in response.

COMING OVER THE MOUNTAIN PASS TO QUEENSTOWN

The sun has disappeared behind the mountains but has not yet set, muting the hues below and backlighting a dramatic skyscape.  We must be a couple thousand meters above the valley floor as the van picks its way down the switchbacks, stopping every kilometer or so to take in the changing views. 

Queenstown, here we come!

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ROADTRIP!! ~ Lake Tekapo

Theme Song for the Day:

1. "Happy Birthday", by Stevie Wonder

ROADTRIP!!

Solo travel has its perks, but there’s nothing like a great travel companion to really make  an awesome roadtrip.

COUCHSURFING HOST MARINA, OLA AND ME

I am being joined for the next two weeks by a friend from Hawaii, the beautiful Kapuaola Gellert [or just Ola for short], who is an Epedemiologist currently working and conducting medical research on the tiny island of Molokai.  She also happens to be a mad keen Waterwoman: StandUp Paddling, Outrigger Canoes, Surfing, and anything to do with ocean sports are the loves of her life. 

So at 10.26am I meet her at Christchurch airport’s baggage claim, we pick up our $5/day relocation rental special [Toyota Previa family van] and head towards Lake Tekapo.  We’ve got 48 hours to complete the journey and deliver the vehicle back to the depot at Queenstown Airport. 

Breakfast [at noon] is a smoked chicken panini with blueberry salsa and melted camembert cheese from Vic’s [again!], where we make more new friends at the table.  Apparently, in Christchurch you make friends by slamming down your table number to startle your neighbors… Anna and Paul are studying Organic Horticulture and turn me on to some key people and places to visit while I am here. 

LAKE TEKAPO

The 3 hour drive to Tekapo takes us through the rolling green pasturelands of Central South Island.  The cloud cover is low, muting the colors and swallowing the hilltops.  Sheep, cattle, deer and lamas munch and stare as the kilometers easily tick past, and before we know it we round a sweeping corner and are greeted with an epic turquoise view of Lake Tekapo. 

After a good hour taking photos on the shoreline behind the iconic Church of the Good Shepard, we check into The Chalet, a cozy little boutique inn run by Swiss-expat couple Walkter and Zita.  The couple has been here since 1987, and show us the available rooms with obvious pride –Zita has designed each one herself.  We drop our bags and head to the Alpine Springs Spa and Winter Park for a Skate‘n’Soak. 

Two Hawaiians on an ice rink?  Trouble.  Luckily, there is only one spill between us [me of course], and the rink is empty so as to minimize the risk of us mowing down any unsuspecting skaters. 

...AAAAAAHHHHHH...

The natural hot spring waters are slightly salty, and wonderfully steamy in the cold night air.  There are three pools ranging in temperature from 36 – 40C degrees; we choose the warmest pool to soak our tight hamstrings and watch a group of backpackers flirt with each other across the way.  Ah, the simple voyeuristic pleasures of people watching…

Dinner is at Pepe’s pizza and pasta tavern: one large handmade pizza, half venision [with BBQ sauce and roasted kumara] / half lamb [with mint jelly and roasted potato] with a pint of Speights cold ale to wash it down please.  Lamb and venision pizza… only in New Zealand.  

BEN AND JUAN FROM GREAT BRITAIN

Two friendly Brits, Ben and Juan join us at our booth and we strike up the travelers conversation: where you from, where you been, where you goin’…?  Turns out they have been on the road for 5 months now, and have covered the skifields of Europe, the backpacker treks of Southeast Asia, the trails of Nepal, the suburbs of Sydney, and are now in search of the magnificent scenery and powder snow of New Zealand.  It’s also Ben’s birthday, so we end the night with a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday [the traditional version, seeing as no-one knew the words to the Stevie Wonder version], and show some restraint by not dancing on the tabletops per his request.  

Happy Birthday Ben!

THE WATERS OF LAKE TEKAPO REALLY ARE THIS COLOR!

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Arrival in Christchurch

CHRISTCHURCH CITY SQUARE BY NIGHT

Christchurch is cold, wet, and wonderfully misty as I am driven to my hosts’ apartment at one in the morning.

The streetlights infuse everything with a warm orange glow, and I’ve already made new friends while standing in line at customs.  I like New Zealand

Marina [a.k.a The Swiss Temptress] and Matt [a.k.a. The Vagabonding Kiwi] are my Couchsurfing hosts for the next couple days as I make preparations for a short roadtrip south to Queenstown for some snowboarding fun.  They met at a Backpackers’ pub in London and between them have traveled through Europe, South America, the United States, and Japan; we are meeting up later tonight at a CouchSurfMeet held on the couches of,  Le Plonk of course, with some of the local Couchsurfing Crew.  Should make for a fun night out…

LE PLONK, AFTER A COUPLE GLASSES OF LE PLONK

Breakfast this morning was at an organic café called Vic's 5 minutes walk from Matt’n’Marina’s home that makes the world’s best fresh bread.  Think home-made sourdough and honey ciabbata and rye loafs – I love the smell of fresh bread in the morning!

Christchurch is one of two cities in the world whose drinking water is so pure that it comes out of the tap untreated.  The other city?  Evian, France.  I am drinking the equivalent of expensive, pure bottled spring water straight from the tap.

Lunch à a café-come-boardroom aptly named, well, The Boardroom where you can meet clients for a cuppa, or hire a private conference room for more privacy.  I’m here to interview Peter ‘Pink Gloves’ Taylor, Organizer of Christchurch’s Greendrinks event, and all-around Sustainability Marketing Guru.  He quickly turns the tables on me and produces his own video camera to record an impromptu interview with me …

Peter is a bright-eyed man with a quick wit and twinkle in his eye who is involved with a projects in the business and political areneas, all focussed on helping businesses and community embrace and adopt sustainability.

There are many different accents and faces in the streets of Christchurch as I wander around to sort out my new cell phone and find an internet café (there’s a good one next to Starbucks in the city square, $3/ 1^st hr, highspeed wireless connection).  The sales girl at Vodafone hasn’t heard of the EntirelyWorldFamous competition, so in a fit of shameless self-promotion I take it upon myself to educate her about it, and of course ask for her vote.  Thanks Hannah!

Dinner is a yet another café (there are some good ones here) called The Honey Pot that is a favorite of Matt’n’Marina …serving breakfast all day, this is my kind of place. 

STEAMING HOT BLACKCURRANT

The customer favorite on the dinner menu here is the B.B.C. - Chicken breast stuffed with sun-dried tomatoes ad smoked cheese, wrapped in bacon and served with baby potatoes, panfried seasonal veges and a spicy BBQ sauce.  Fowl Play is also recommended, while Hot Lips and Jimmy The Fish also look like good choices.

I opt for the breakkie customer favorite: The Breakfast Muffin - strips of chunky bacon,  fried egg, sliced avocado smothered in home-made hollanaise sauce - and am not disappointed [thanks for the recommendation Sharla!].  It lasts about 2 minutes as I wash it down with some Hot Blackcurrant, a wine-colored drink that tastes medieval and warms my insides.

There is all kinds of art on the walls and a mellow roots-reggae soundtrack soothes and chills me out.  

Welcome to New Zealand!