Rollin down the east coast

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Hello

Hope everyone is well.
I completed the Abel Tasman track. It was one the best hikes as far as atmosphere and serenity that i have ever done. Brother, it rivals lower dark in that aspect.
I spent 4 days there. My second day being the killer 22 km segment. Not ideal with 50 lbs on your back.

The key to this experience is camping in the isolated and remote bays, lagoons and small crescent beaches you have all to yourself. The main trail and huts have the usual people, mosquitos, and sand flies but these spots are the places where you feel like you are at the edge of the earth with none or very few of the above. Under the kanuka trees' canopy, you camp under the stars. The beach is 5 meters away and that is where you spend all your time. Golden sand with clear to green to blue waters all around you. There is about 10 meters of beach then the native forest begins. You might call it jungle. "Makes cambodia look like kansas". (what movie ?) Incedible flora here.

I spent my nights at Te Pukatea Bay, Medlands, and Anapai Beaches.
The last night the only other people around anywhere were 4 kiwis from christchurch. We had a real good time that night. The clouds rolled in late but they had brought wine and candles. Very nice night. They were very interesting people. I keep meeting people with amazing outlooks on life and tremendous perspective and awareness. I can't help but be influenced by them. Shanna in particular, she was something.

The fourth day brought rain. I trecked out and caught a ride out. This dutch guy paid for a tour of the Golden Bay area so i rode with him and the driver, Kyra and got a free tour. She grew up here in the isolation of the NW corner of the south island and spent her summers living on a boat on the bay. Only at high tide did their boat have the ability to sail out. It had legs the other times of the day.
We spent time at pupu springs. That, my friends is the best spring on this planet. It is the clearest water in the world and is considered that because you can see almost 200 ft down into it. The water was pure. Like others reading this, I am a desert rat and appreciate an oasis such as this. I was the largest spring i have ever seen.
I hitched from Nelson to Blenheim. Then got a ride from a trucker the 2 hours to Kaikoura. He was at his limit for hours driven in a day so he crashed there and i found a spot to camp. He rolled out again at 6am so i packed up and rode the last 3 hours of the journey to chrischurch with him, listening to guns n roses and stories about surfing, ex's, secret places to fish and his kids. He is raising his boy on proper music eg; ACDC, Van Halen, GNR, the Crue, and others that kirsten may call garage bands. That's the stuff you and i grew up on Jill. That is also why we turned out so well too!!!

Can i hear a little youth gone wild sis??
how bout a little you give love a what?? what?? yeah....a bad name...
thats right....

Anyways.

I got in here to Christchurch nice and early thanks to Tom and got some things done. I might spend a couple of days here. I will try to get out to that bouldering competition tomorrow. It will be good to see the pros pull hard. I like the crowd like i like the surfing crowd. Good people who don't give a shit what others think... i like that....

Keep pulling hard chris, for you will be killin when i return. Craig, make the most of your season and remember, its YOUR senior year. Your "coach" gets one every season. Don't run your legs into the ground. The best thing Scott and I did was take contol and dictate our own season. We executed every prelim and meet the way WE wanted. Relays and team stuff too. State is your goal. Period...
Sorry, but college coaches don't give a damn about your 4X800 split. Open 4.
Ma, jillyan, J, Dez...i will take care of my glitch and roll on......no worries....just one bad day.....

I know i need to put some pictures up but i ran into a problem with that and will have to fix the situation. I know it sucks......but that is life.....and life rolls on.....
It is too great here..

I will talk to you all in a couple of days....

RWRHzz sounds like its just the 6 of us. Good. Better that way. Keep pullin hard. I'll let you know if sharma or lindner or caldwell show up tomorrow.

Love
Jonathan

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Comments

[jasin]

sweet
its heaven up there isn't it