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Published: April 16th 2006
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My apologies for an extremly prolonged blog update. Life in New Zealand these last two months, has been jam-packed with working/volunteering on "organic farms" (in exchange for food and accomodations), hiking and hitchhiking all around this beautiful, sheep-filled country.
The WWOOFing (Willing Workers On Organic Farms) experience was not exactly what I had expected. However, I appreciated the opportunity to work at jobs that I had never done before, such as painting a house, picking rotten tomatoes, cutting honeycomb and filling jars of honey, selling fruits and veggies at the local farmers market, and living in a cabin in the middle of the NZ bush (complete with spiderwebs, every type of spider in NZ, cockroaches, an orchestra of cicadas, and the ever so pleasant smelling, self-composting/drop toilet). I have much more respect for farmers, migrant laborers, and people who are employed as cheap labor. It is really laborous work with not much in return. I don't appreciate constantly being referred to as "the wwoofer," nor do I want to feel like an indentured servant. So, after a few weeks of giving WWOOFing a whirl, I decided to hit up the backcountry, where I always feel comfortable and at home.
The first official hike was a four-day hike, or tramp as they call it here, through the jade-and-turquoise-colored Marlborough Sounds, known as the Queen Charlotte Track. By NZ standards, the Q.C. is luxurious. It offers baggage transportation via watertaxi to ease any discomfot that your back may endure after carrying a 30 lb. backpack all day. There are also hotels, resorts, and budget- accomodations for backpackers and restaurants (our tent was only used 1 out of 3 nights). At the end of an 8-hour day, a real bed, a hot shower, and a basket of fish and chips --.I can't complain.
My knees took a beating from all the downhill so I took a four-day rest in the quaint town of Nelson, which felt very Boulderesque so I obviously felt right at home. It was a great time to catch up on some much needed R & R and food that wasn't processed or dehydrated before I set out on my next four-day tramp, called the Heaphy track. I was lucky to have four days of perfect weather as I walked in and out of lush rainforest onto secluded beaches and through rolling grasslands.
The final tramp is
a New Zealander birthright, and quoted by many as "the best hike in the world,"...the famous Milford track. Because of its popularity, we had to make our hut reservation in November. Track access is by boat on both ends, so just getting there and returning is an adventure in and of itself, but that adds a nice feeling of isolation, and being in another world, which you don't get on the other tracks. The most memorable features are the waterfalls, which are everywhere, the lush, primitive-looking forests, and the views from the top of McKinnon Pass. The walk is in a rainforest, which gets around five meters of rain a year, so rain is expected, however we lucked out and dodged it!! The only difficult part was the third day when we summitted a mountain and then plunged straight downhill for five hours. My knees were still feeling pretty weak and unstable from the last couple of tramps so I found a stick on the side of the trail and braced each step to ease the pain. I couldn't stop smiling once we reached the hut that evening. The southern skies were sparkling brighter than I had ever seen before.
A fire roared in the hut, and after an hour of listening to the harmonious snoring of my fellow worn out hikers, I too fell into the deepest sleep I have had in a long time.
Our last stop was Dunedin, the city that I lived in three years ago when I studied abroad. It was great revisiting my flat and all of my old hangout spots.
Overall, this travelling expedition has been much harder than I thought. I have learned that it is much easier to lower your expectations because if what you encounter doesn't go according to plan, it is rather disappointing. On the other hand, if you expect nothing, you could be in for quite a pleasant surprise. I have also learned that taking time for myself is imperative to my well-being. Most of all, I have learned that I need to slow down. It is tiresome jumping from place to place and activity to activity everyday. So I plan on living in Melbourne, Australia for the next few months, possibly finding some work, a stable place to stay and training for a half marathon that I hope to complete on May 28th (thanks to
my former flatmate, Lucy, for being an Ironman and giving me the inspiration to do anything that I set my mind to).
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tali
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Cool
this is such a cool trip it looks like soooooo much fun hope u guys are having a wild time