Christmas Greetings from New Zealand

Christmas Greetings from New Zealand!   I wish for you and your families a joyous and festive holiday season!   And I am thankful to be sending you loving wishes from such a beautiful place.

 

This last month I have been a bit “casual” in my touring.   It has been a month with old and new friends in some old and new places!   Very fun!

I love the designs in the sand!

Beautiful

Waterfall near Whanganui

Looking down on the ponga trees

Dianne and I wandered around Auckland, meeting up with Bronwyn at the harbor.   And then we went to spend a couple of days down in Kinlock on Lake Taupo.

With Dianne and Bronwyn in Auckland

Another beautiful sunset from Kinloch

Yellow Lupines along beach at Lake Taupo

With Dianne above Lake Taupo

 

I then headed over to the East Cape.   After spending a couple of nights with Bruce and Gaye Douglas, I headed out to Ocean Beach and  Castle Point.

Tengu and some roses at Ocean Beach

Lighthouse at Castle Point

Castle Point looking back at the lighthouse

 

I met a lovely Maori family at the campground near Castle Point.   They gave me some Paua (NZ Abalone) and some Kina (a sea urchin endemic to New Zealand).   So I was off to the next campground to figure out how to cook my new delicious (?) treasures!

Paua and Kina before

Paua and Kina in process (yes the hammer was necessary!)

Then to celebrate 6 months (from when I broke my leg) I got a chance to finally put on my backpack and do a short 4-hour hike into a hut that I had not been to before!   It felt SO GOOD to be out in the bush again and wearing my backpack.

Ready to get into the backcountry again!

Off to the Atiwhakatu track (it says 3 hours – but I took 4!)

Yea – the Atiwhakatu Hut

From there I headed down to the Southeast Coast of the North Island.   I found a lovely campground (the Waimea Camping Village) looking out over the bay.   The owner, John, took me and some German girls out in his boat while we pulled up crayfish pots.   Crayfish are like lobsters (they just don’t have the large front claws) and they are equally delicious!

Home for 2 nights!

On the crayfish boat (a couple of lovely german ladies with me)

I never thought I would have so much crayfish (lobster) that I couldn’t eat another bite! It was great! Also paua fritters!

Lighthouse at Cape Palliser – 282 steps to go up!

Then it was over to Wellington and onto the Interislander Ferry to the South Island!

On the ferry to the South Island!

Saw this starfish on one of my beach walks

I wanted to hike into the Isolation Hut (through the Sawcut Gorge) but it was still closed from the earthquake that happened over a year ago.   So I spent a couple of nights at Marfells Beach and luckily befriended more crayfish-fishermen. Next thing I knew I was on  a quad bike to the light house,  cray pots, and then I had another cray for dinner!   Life is good!

Ward Beach – beautiful

Wish this guy could figure out how to relax!

Another cray for dinner at Marfells beach! I feel pretty lucky!

I am now in Christchurch with my friends Myles and Margaret.   I will be doing some volunteering for the Old Ghost Road (I did that last year too).   So I will head up into the hills on December 23 and won’t be out till January 1st.   Christmas week is pretty crazy down here and the campgrounds are pretty full – so it will be fun to be out in the backcountry.   The Old Ghost Road is a tramping/mountain biking route and I will be at the Ghost Lake Hut checking passes, keeping things clean, and helping however I can.

Merry Christmas from Myles and Margaret’s beautiful garden!

So I send you tons of wishes for a very Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!