Bird Poop and other Omens

I gave myself one shot at doing Tongariro Alpine Crossing. I stumbled off a bus in Turangi at 2am, hopped on another one at 7am to the drop off point for the hike. The weather here is so unpredictable and on the crossing it can be so horrendous such that the park will not allow people to attempt it. For the past three days they have not allowed anyone up the mountain, so I knew the day I was scheduled to come here might be a longshot. A bird pooped on me, all over my jacket, daypack and waiststrap the morning of the hike. The sun was shining. This was yet another stunning, 20 km day hike through a volcanic park, said to be NZ's best day hike. I don't disagree.

Sweaty, windy, cold.

Red Crater, or chocolate fudge spewing over red velvet cake?





Emerald Lakes

Kyle, a former Wolverine and marching band member. I met him on the Milford Track and rather randomly ran into him at the top of the crossing.

Time to go home now.

Kaikoura Coastal Track

Three days, 40 km, cottages and farmhouses all to myself. I walked through private farms, scattering sheep and welcomed to the farms with fresh squeezed lemonade.

The Staging Post, the start of the Kaikoura Coastal Track

Hawkswood Farm stagecoaches

Hawkswood Farm

Ngaroma Farm loft.

This was the view from my bedroom window. No big deal.

Pit stop at Circle Shelter, for some hot coffee.

The Lookout

It took me about 40 tries to get this picure.
This is what three days of being completely by yourself results in.

One last stop at Tongariro National Park for the Tongariro Crossing. It's going to be like the Amazing Race to get there, do the crossing, and hop on the plane to come home.

Driving on the Left Side

Jose and I rented a luxury Nissan Sunny and drove up the west coast of the South Island making pit stops everywhere because there are spectacular sites everywhere on this island. This place is just packed with so many cool things to do, it's killing me that I only can hit a few. There is never enough time in this world.

Lake Wanaka

Running amock with cramp-ons. Franz Josef Glacier

Blue ice is one of the coolest things on earth.

Our tiny but powerful tour guide hacking away relentlessly at the ice to pave a walkway for us.

Truman Beach sandstone and a Shawn Johnson wannabe.

In China these little guys are called "Mien Bao Tze" or "Loaf of Bread Car"

Tramp (Kiwi for backpacking) #2, Abel Tasman National Park

Pristine beaches! Secluded. No people except for these two idiots.

Waiting for the water taxi to take us back to civilization.

The Milford Track, South Island, NZ

Jose and I hit the Milford Track, one of New Zealand's "Great Walks", a lovely 4 day hike through the Fiordlands National Park. This track meanders through scenic valleys, spectacular lookouts, waterfalls and culminates in the entrance to Milford Sound. We hoofed 33 miles, hauling our own food and water. This was absolutely beautiful.

Queenstown, South Island

Cooking up grub in the hostel

Milford Track

Day 2 to Mintaro Hut

Long smiles make short miles

MacKinnon Pass

The requisite pondering photo

Endpoint of the Milford Track at Sandfly Point

Celebrating with tastey Monteith's beer

Milford Sound

President Palin...

..and other things that didn't happen.

Not wanting to withstand a brutal layover situation (I was originally scheduled to have mindnumbing 12-14 hour layovers in Delhi and Bangkok enroute to Auckland), at the last minute I canceled flights and opted to go to Singapore and hang out with Cindy on her home turf. So instead of gouging my eyes out in airports, I endured a harsh three days of sleeping in, swimming in a pool and eating savory and cheap Singapore cuisine. Known endearingly as "Asia Light" to Westerners, Singapore seems to blend the comforts of western life (sit down toilets, clean and organized city life) with the best of the East (food and travel). I fill with blind, raging jealousy when I see how Cindy visits some exotic, pristine locations (Lumboc, Bali, Vietnam, etc etc etc) y'know, just for a weekend getaway.

No warm spots in the pool at Hotel Wangster

The aftermath. You can't see Yuan who is lying on the floor in a blissful food coma.

Heaven? No, it's hawker stand.

Professor Wang, National University, Singapore