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Published: September 20th 2015
Broom Trees
These are for you, Dad!I was standing in the kitchen when I first laid eyes on her. She wore a vibrant blue jacket and an infectious smile. Her hair was a light brown and pronounced itself to the word in waves of fizzy curls to her shoulders. She carried a huge pack as if it were a sack of bread loaves. In one hand, she had a reusable grocery bag full of veggies and in the other a bottle of red wine.
In the first few seconds of seeing her, I knew three things to be true:
1. If I cut my hair short, that is what would happen.
2. She's got a bit a crazy in her.
3. We are going to be friends.
Linda is from the US and traveling for six weeks on her own before going back to the States for a Grateful Dead tribute concert with her besties.
She is from Ohio. Upon learning this my first question to her was, "Have you heard of Over the Rhine?" Though she said yes, her lack of enthusiasm told me that she didn't really know their music.
In Takaka, our paths kept crossing at Annie's
Nivana Lodge, the hostel we were at. I gave her a massage one night; she shared her wine with me another night. We spent hours talking about our yoga journies and experiences at Anahata out on the veranda. We found out that we pretty much had the same free-spirited nature and loved all of the same things.
When my plans to housesit fell though, we decided that we should travel together and make our way to Kaikoura, Lake Tekapo and then Queenstown. It would be my first stint as a tourist since I made my way from Aukland to Wellington back in November. We had an open schedule, a rough outline of where we were going, and not a hurry in the world.
Mission: Spa Pool
Leaving Takaka, we were on a mission: Hostel with a Spa Pool (otherwise known as a Hot Tub).
We heard rumors that the Laughing Kiwi in Motueka had one, so we decided to stop over even though it was only an hour away. We checked in five minutes before the office closed for the night. Booking the last two beds in the hostel, we skipped through the rundown, the
tour of the paper map, and paid for our rooms. As the lady behind the counter she finished, we both chimed in "…and the spa pool?"
"Ohhhhh," The lady said looking at us. "No one was using it, so we closed it a few days ago."
"Riggggght," I thought out loud. It was the beginning of winter, their hostel was full, and no one was using the spa pool? It didn't add up. Having already paid for our beds, we made our way to the back of the property to use the main entrance. The hostel was a series of squares and rectangles. Two people sat in the lounge watching TV, which was in the same rectangle as the kitchen, connected by a massive picnic table. The high ceiling left the space feeling more narrow and claustrophobic than spacious.
We took the door into the hallway. Another long narrow rectangle. At the end of the hall, our room was unlocked. The first of the two bunks were occupied by two guys, both watching movies on their computer in the dark. I took the bottom of the second bunk while Linda took the top. Personal belongings littered the
four walls of our square room: grocery bags full of food, piles of clothes, and cases of beer. These residents were clearly long term.
They said nothing to us as we laid out our provided sheets and blankets. It was raining outside, so we set up camp at the long picnic table while a Korean man watched a gory death battle scene on the Television. Not really feeling the vibe of the space, we decide to read and call it a night.
Feeling the weight of our losses, the next day we decided to stop in Havelock for the night because we passed a Backpacker advertising yet another a spa pool. Considering our miss the night before, we took it as a sign. Again, we made the mistake of checking in before asking. And again the spa pool was unavailable. In fact, we didn't even see one on the premises.
"Don't worry," I told Linda. "I have the next best thing."
"Yea?" She said hesitantly, as I jetted out of the six-bed dorm room we had to ourselves.
"Here," I said rushing back from the car, tossing a bundle of sea green fleece in her
direction.
She burst out laughing. I had warned her that I had an extra onesie she could wear.
Donned in our onesies, we hit the streets of Havelock. The night was cool and crisp, the stars dangling above as if fairy lights on trees, and not another soul shared the sidewalks with us. We walked past the lodging next door, also advertising a spa pool. We popped in. The lady at reception was friendly, though said the spa pool was for guests only. It wasn't a total loss, though. She gave us free cookies. Well, maybe it was for Linda. I got to eat both cookies because she is veagan.
We wondered down the street, and the only other facility that looked open was the bar. There were over eight people inside so we decided to go in and see what all of the ruckuses was about.
The locals stared at us as we entered - not even attempting to hide their surprise. Not only were we the only women in the bar, but we were also wearing our onesies. Linda with her bright green but flap and me with the cow spots. At least we
didn't have to worry about being hit on.
We each ordered a drink and played an hour long game of pool. After, we played an even longer game of darts. We laughed when a dart hit the floor, the wall or landed nicely on the shelf. It's fun playing with someone who sucks just about as badly as you do. And it's cheaper.
The next day we headed through Blenheim, stopping only for gas and Thai food. Neither of us had been to the east coast of the South Island, and we were ready for its coastal spread. I played hours worth of Over the Rhine to get Linda up to speed. Then moved onto Taylor Swift, Old Crow Medicine Show, and Kasey Musgraves.
With no set plans or timelines, we managed to make the two-hour drive to Kaikoura an all day event. We stopped at a random boat and to photograph 180 coastal views. We had no idea that a random colony of seals was just chillin' on the coast, so we stopped for hours and took photos and just watched them.
It was getting dark by the time we pulled through Kaikoura. We were
looking for a specific hostel when we saw it: The Alpine-Pacific Holiday Park. It was advertising two spa pools.
I pulled in.
It turned out that for just a few more dollars than a dorm bed each, we could get a private shed and have access to the spa pools. We took it.
The shed was the perfect space for us. We each had our own bed and space. There was a tiny heater, no windows, but a sliding glass door, and a hook to hang wet towels. Also, the campsite facilities had a full kitchen and showers for our use. That night we made a veggie filled curry for dinner and went to the spa pools. Both were in a metal fenced area that also had a pool. I stopped at the first one and put my hand in. It was warm enough. As I took the cover off, I got electrocuted.
"Probably just static," I said to reassure myself. Just to be safe, I went to the second one. It had less lighting anyways and was hotter. Score.
Taking the cover off, again, I got electrocuted but not as strongly. After the built
up anticipation from the past few nights, a series of small electric shocks was not going to stop me now. I got in and relished the hot water across my body while the night sky, filled with stars watched me. Shortly after, Linda joined me with a few glasses of wine. We were living the life.
Oceans of Seals
Our first full day In Kaikoura we spent the morning having coffee and chatting at a local cafe and then went to visit more seals at Point Kean. I was shocked at how acclimated they were to people. They randomly crossed the street in clusters and while several slept on the boardwalk leading to the carpark. One was passed out a few feet from a girl sitting on a bench, and another crossing within feet of tourists in the parking lot looking for its mate.
At one point, a small boy got within three inches of a baby seal to take a photo of it with an iPad. The parents just watched despite the endless signage reminding viewers to respect that the seals are in fact wild animals. As this was happening, a Department of Conservation Ranger came through.
"Thank God," I thought. "He is ganna put that kid in his place."
My jaw dropped as he walked by not giving the kid a second glance. Instead, he trotted up to an elderly man, meters away, with a tiny dog on a lead and told him that he was not allowed to have the dog there. The dog, I should say, couldn't have cared less about the seals.
I was bewildered.
Kaikoura Peninsula Walkway
Linda and I headed up the hillside across the car park. It was a gorgeous day, and we both wanted to get our legs moving after what felt like hours and days in the car. On the peninsula, the Pacific Ocean lay flat and crisp, meters below us, spreading out like a soft, silk sheet rippling in the sun. Rock islands dotted with sunbathing seals sprinkled the surfaces of the water as waves blended into the shoreline. The bluffs of the peninsula stood boldly, enjoying the view with us.
Overlooking Whaler's Bay, I turned to Linda, and I asked,
"Do you trust me?"
"Uh, yeah?" she said, unsure of where I was going.
"Come over here," I
said heading over to the edge of a cliffside. We stood for a moment overlooking the long decent just a meter away, the wind gently reminding us of our fragility.
I laid on the ground in front of her.
"Take my hands," I said. "You are going to fly!"
Her laughter filled the air, and she took my hands trustingly. Following my instruction, in no time at all she was flying!
We took turns on the bluff, basing and flying each other in a bout of AcroYoga, giggling like two girls at a sleepover.
We hiked down a steep hillside to see more seals on the abandoned beach below. We crossed several more rocky beaches, met many seals, and climbed a large rock/hill. Eventually, we came across a staircase going back up to the bluffs. I was relieved to see that we were allowed down there. We continued this time inland, through paddocks towards South Bay. As the sun lowered in the sky, we backtracked along the coast getting to the car just after dark.
Sharing Space
Back at our shed, I looked around the room. Bottles of condiments, water, soy sauce, and syrup
littered the only shelf. Papers and maps were wrinkled and scattered on the floor. The trash can was overflowing with days worth of rubbish from the car. Neither of us had made our beds from the night before, and I honestly couldn't tell where her pile of clothes began, and mine ended.
I was overwhelmed with sheer bliss and gratitude: I had found the perfect travel companion. We were both equally untidy, unrushed and independent.
Traveling with Linda was like traveling by myself but much more inspiring. I am not one for schedules, or shopping, or checking off tourist to do's just because they are there. I don't like to be rushed, nor am I 100% committed to anything I have planned. Linda is exactly the same.
We intrinsically respected each other's need for personal space. Neither of us felt like we had to go out our way to make the other comfortable, and we never had to compromise on anything because we both loved the same things.
When I said I wanted to spend the morning drinking coffee before we went to see more seals, she was like "Thank god. Me, too!"
When she
suggested we go see a live musician at a small dive bar, my heart jumped from my chest, "That sounds perfect!"
On our third day in Kaikoura, I told her I just wanted to go back and watch the seals. She was like, "I could not see enough of those little guys."
Swimming With Dolphins
When Linda said she wanted to swim with dolphins, I told her she was on her own. I wasn't going to pay someone over a hundred dollars to be cold in the ocean while dolphins swam around me. Sure, it would be cool to tell my friends I did it, but personally, I had no desire to. She suggested I come and watch, but being prone to sea sickness, I wasn't feeling it. When she offered to shout me a viewing ticket, I knew she really wanted my companionship on the trip, and I went with her.
I am glad that I did. It was beautiful to be on the water and see hundreds of dolphins playing and diving in the ocean around us. We saw a whale and endless albatross (a bird that looks like a seagull but is about 10xs
the size). Linda snorkeled in the water with the dolphins and said it was magical.
What was not so magical was my multiple visits to the toilet and watching Linda with her special sea sick bucket. But, actually even that was beautiful in its way. After, we checked back into our shed and nap off our sea sickness for the rest of the day.
Hanmer Springs
After Kaikoura, we stopped in Hanmer Springs for lunch. Then stayed for two days. The energy was calm and comforting, and the snow-capped mountains encircled the small town like an all-encompassing hug. As the universe would have it, there was a yoga class starting in an hour at the Vibrant Living Retreat, a place I was booked to teach a series of beginner AcroYoga Workshops that next month.
Linda and I checked into the Kakapo Lodge and then headed over to meet Mary Jo Halligan. Entering the property, I felt all tension in my body release. When we entered, incense danced the room while music played softly. Mary Jo embraced us like family and welcomed us in, leading us to the yoga room. Half a dozen girls rested in child's pose
on colorful mats as a large purple om symbol smiled from a green wall on the left. The warmth and energy made the space feel more like a sanctuary than a yoga room.
After the class, Mary Jo invited us to stay for tea. And then for dinner.
The next day, I invited the Vibrant Living Crew to join Linda and I at a tree for some impromptu aerial silk fun.
Mary Jo, Maddie, Cayla and Erena joined us for a beautiful afternoon of hot tea, aerial lessons, and sunshine. I was impressed with their strength, bravery, and grace. I felt like I was hanging out with old friends.
In Hanmer Springs we found out there were the Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools and Spa. By this point, it was clear that Linda and I's journey had a theme: Spa Pools. And now we were on the uphill stint of that journey. We booked in for a day and sat in hot pools ranging in temperature, some chlorinated, others natural sulfur.
The next morning, Linda and I were invited back for breakfast at Vibrant Living Retreat before we continued our journey south. We filled up on
beautiful, wholesome organic foods and nourishing company and conversation.
On our drive out of Hanmer, joy and gratitude radiated from the car. We felt invigorated by our new friendships, refreshed by our shared yoga practice and, of course, rejuvenated by our time in the Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools. I couldn't wait to come back to teach my workshops and spend more time with these vibrant people.
Snowed out with no Penguins
Snow was coming down all around us, covering trees, fence posts, paddocks and even the fluffy sheep. On our way to Lake Tekapo, we were stopped in Geraldine on the highway. Apparently the-the snow had fallen so much they had closed the roads to Lake Tekapo.
We booked a hostel in town, hoping the roads would be clear by morning. When we woke up, the roads were still closed. We went for breakfast still hopeful to move forward. After, they were still closed.
Wanting to make the most of our time we decided to head back to the coast and explore Timaru. Not feeling like being in the city, we bought a map to explore Maori Cave paintings that preserved on private and public land
around the outskirts of town. We drove and hiked in the beautiful snowy wonderland, feeling the sacred energy of each place.
At dusk we went to see if we could spot the little blue penguins on the shore, but had no luck. With the roads still closed we stayed at a "backpacker" in town. This backpacker was above a bar and seemed a bit shady. There was no internet, but we did get a discount on the bar food.
By the next afternoon, the roads were finally open. We headed back inland. The piles of snow grew higher and higher the further we went and by the time we arrived in Lake Tekapo, it felt like we were driving between walls of plowed snow.
We checked into the Lake Front Backpacker Lodge, which had barely been dug out of the snow. The ground was a mixture of ice and slush. Lake Tekapo lay vast and blue to our left. Other than its still surface, all we could see was white covering trees, mountains and what once was parks and walkways.
Lake Tekapo is within the International Dark Sky Reserve. Tourists are drawn to the beautiful lake
for water and ski adventures, and to soak in thermal pools while star gazing. Occasionally this is where people will see the Aurora Australis.
Linda and I hiked around a bit in the snow and continued our tradition by spending an evening in the thermal pools. Clouds came in and out of view covering our stars, and the occasional snow flake drifted down.
By this time, Linda was feeling the need to head on towards Queenstown, and I to head back up to Hanmer Springs for my AcroYoga workshops.
We parted ways in the parking lot on the second day when her bus arrived.
I am grateful for my time and adventures with Linda. Not only did she love coffee and yoga, but she also loved hiking, animals, and adventure. She loved wine, my random outbursts, taking it easy, spa pools and going to bed early. I would travel with this girl anywhere.
Linda, thank you for being so beautiful and inspiring (and for being one of the few travel companions that I didn't want to murder by the end of the trip!)
See you State-side!
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taracloud
Tara Cloud
Traveling Soul Sisters
There are so many ways to travel that it's a miracle to find someone sharing your style though I must admit I also prefer your "whatever" ways, letting the path unfold organically. And I love it when plans fall through (house sitting) and something replaces it, much better than you could even have imagined. I'm so impressed that there were so many hot tub hostels--NZ is even more magical than I'd imagined, not to mention the snow, seals and dolphins! Great journey--and so much better than the desk job you'd wanted a year ago. Wise woman!