New Zealand’s South Island—Beauty on Steroids

At Abel Tasman National Park near Nelson

 If we had a dash cam, it still wouldn’t have conveyed the stunning South Island of New Zealand. It would miss the delightful smells, bird sounds, the weather on our skin, rocks beneath our feet, the taste of our meals, and above all, the delightful interactions we had with everyone we encountered. (Yes, Everyone.)

A lot of long and winding roads with stunning beauty.

We’re wrapping up over two and a half weeks and 1500+ miles of a road trip on the South Island. Our words and photos can’t really convey the whole wonderful experience. We loved nearly all of it, except for some of the long driving on tortuous roads on stormy days, a couple of bad beds, and one experience that now makes for a good story. More about that later.

Paparoa NP, aka Pancake Rocks NP in the NW

We can’t speak for the North Island yet, but everyone has told us the two islands are totally different. The southern island is more wild, mountainous,   non-industrialized, and sparsely populated with only 25% of the country’s population.

It really wasn’t until our last few days when we got to the east coast and the more populated parts of the island that we met local Kiwis in the service industry. The remote areas were staffed almost entirely by guest workers on three-month to three-year visas, mostly from Asia, Canada, and the UK. 

Lake Matheson, near Fox Glacier Village on Day 5

We loved visiting with nearly everyone we encountered, and to a person, they seemed eager to visit with us if circumstances permitted. Some were homesick and lonely, some were here for the adventure, and some were hoping to get permanent residency here. 

New Zealand is a first world country with second world prices. Cheap for us, and better wages than many would get at home. 

Now onto the road trip. Some quirky fun facts that don’t fit this narrative are at the bottom. 

We started off in Christchurch, the largest South Island city with a population of about 408,000. The Quake City Museum about the devastating 2011 earthquake was a real eye opener for us and a reminder to update our earthquake kit when we get home. We took a scenic train to the west coast where we rented a Hybrid Toyota RAV 4.

One of many on the South Island

We purchased rain parkas, plugged in our iPod touch fully loaded to the max with all genres of music, and proceeded along the route you can see on the map. On one day, we crossed about 30 one- lane bridges.

We adapted quickly to roundabouts and driving on the left side of the road. Only problem was, nearly every time we wanted to signal a turn, we would activate the windshield wipers. And everytime we wanted to wash the windshield we signaled a turn. (We’re better at it now, fortunately!)

And for us hikers as well

We are so glad we didn’t do the popular thing and rent a campervan. As it was, our small suv seemed too large for the road at times. Campervans here come in all shapes and sizes. The bigger ones are slightly larger than the so-called sprinter vans in the States. The smaller ones are basically small minivans. Here’s a link to about 14 photos of them. 

We would have been so miserable and claustrophobic for 34 days in the rain and wind we initially

Laundry day

encountered. Plus finding campsites is hard now in the summer.

But no matter the weather, the scenery was always beautiful, if not stunning. The weather gradually improved after the first week, but near the end of our trip, a wind gust 

at Mt. Cook National Park ripped the car door handle from my hand and nearly sheared off the door. A kind Chinese clerk at the park HQ that we had befriended hours earlier, discreetly gave us lanyards reserved for tours. 

Along with a long cell phone charging cord, we lashed the door almost shut to make the noisy 6.5 hour drive to Christchruch. There, a friendly rental agent gave us a blue-colored replica of our vehicle, no questions asked. The Kiwis here are so polite, friendly, and laid back. And they are mostly very polite and safe drivers, too.

 

on a bike ride near Wakanda. This area is at the 45th
Parallel, so we say many similar plants and enjoyed
Pinots and Chardonnay’s.

The so-called “Instagram Tree” in Lake
Wanaka. It started growing out of a
Fencepost in 1930

But it wasn’t all about driving. We traveled by boat, hiked and mountain biked, but our gonzo days of those activities are past us. Watching the bungee jumpers, surfers, backpackers, and long-distance cyclists made us feel old, but we are grateful we can still travel independently and experience this magnificent place. 

The magnificent Milford Sound in the SW

We took the shortcut back to Queenstown.

We watched whales, albatross, penguins and many other unique birds. We had some great seafood and ethnic dishes, tasted good pinots and ok grapefruit juice (aka sauvignon blanc) in wine country, and played rounds of cribbage together.  Above all, we enjoyed conversations with locals, fellow travelers, and of course, the guest workers.

The Tasman Glacier and Mt. Cook, just before 
The door incident.

We will miss this amazing island and the experiences we had on it. But if the North Island, with all of its differences, is even half as good as the South, we will be delighted. 

A 45’ Sperm Whale near 
Kaikoura

A giant albatross

View from our BnB in the wine country 

near Blenheim in the NE

More photos from posts on this trip are on my Instagram account @KelemenRon. Also on my public Facebook profile, which doesn’t require you to be a friend or on Facebook to view them. Enjoy!

”What We Can, While We Can”

”What We Could, While We Could”

Waiting for the Little Blue Penguins to come home from a day at sea to feed their young. 
Near Dunedin in the SE

Odds and Ends (Some or all of these may also apply to the North Island):

• NZ has 5X more sheep than people. 

• And the SouthIsland has more helicopters per capita than anywhere else in the world. This stems from the days of bounty hunting in the 70’s for deer, considered an invasive species, and also because hospitals are few and far between.
  

• And speaking of invasive species, rabbits, possums, ferrets, rats, mice, dogs, cats and even Douglas Fir trees (yes, Douglas Fir!) are also considered invasive. 

• Good news: There are no big predator mammals, snakes or crocodiles. The only native mammals are bats.

• There’s basically no disposable plastic here.  Recycling is everywhere and taken seriously. Even the electronic door keys to hotel rooms are made of wood.

• NZ was first nation to give women the right to vote in 1893.

• NZ has $1 and $10 commemorative coins featuring hobbits.

• Drones are prohibited nearly everywhere to avoid ruining the views of visitors, the harassment of wildlife, and conflicts with helicopters.

• We never went to an ATM. NZ is Mostly cashless, but paradoxically often a 1-2% surcharge applies, even in places that don’t accept cash. Sometimes it applies only to “tap” transactions but not when a credit card is inserted. 

• The latest statistics are that 15% of New Zealanders have migrated to Australia, mostly for better job opportunities and higher pay.

Road Tripping Down Under With Locals

Australia is just too big and varied to be comprehensively squeezed into a blog. That would be like trying to squeeze three weeks of travel in the US mainland into one, as Oz (as the locals call it) is 1.2% larger. 

This was our 51st country and seventh continent, and it exceeded our high expectations. For all but three nights, we were guests of our son-in-law’s parents, John and Babette, who live in Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast north of Brisbane. We called them a few months ago asking for some trip planning advice. They said, “Our only advice is to get on a plane to Brisbane and we’ll do a road trip together.” 

On the road in their Subaru Forrester 

And so we did, for 1,800 miles across backroads and freeways, beaches and mountains, national parks and city parks, towns and cities, to Melbourne. From there, Kathy and I took a three-hour flight to Yulara, also known as Ayers Rock in south-central Oz. As you can see by the map, we barely made it into the center of the Outback.

The red is our road trip; the blue is our flights to Urulu and onto New Zealand from Sydney.

We never listened to music, because most of the time we were conversing about everything with our new best friends.  A lot of it was John teaching us all-things Australia, especially its birds and wildlife. John and Babette are avid birders, and we’re glad we brought our binoculars. They would hear and see birds we couldn’t until they pointed them out to us. You can see a link to a few wildlife and John’s bird photos here. Because of Australia’s climate and evolutionary history, the birds are abundant and unique. We were also able to spot a platypus in the wild, apparently not many Aussies have seen one. 

A Lorakeet, one of John’s master photos

The roads are wide, well-maintained, and litter free. The drivers were among the most courteous we’ve ever encountered. Speed cameras are everywhere, so speeding was rare. Chinese-made cars are also everywhere, but not as popular as Toyota Hilux “utes,” which are modified flatbed pickup trucks used by the trades, surfers, and outback campers.

A Ute (short for utility vehicle)

One of many national parks

The countryside is vast and beautiful, from the subtropical Sunshine Coast to the savanna southern interior. But unlike the states with snow-capped peaks, the beauty was of coastlines, vegetation, and geologic formations.  Australia has many national parks, and I can’t recall how many we visited, as some are small. 

One of many beautiful shorelines

We also hit the major West Coast cities and coastal towns. A lot of Asians have migrated to them, and many speak with charming Aussie accents.

Perhaps the most stunning modern architecture we have ever seen was the Sidney opera house. Photos don’t do it justice. Also in Sidney, I overcame my moderate fear of heights and climbed Sidney’s suspension bridge, 439 feet above the water. Thank you, safety equipment!

Sidney Opera House by night. Beautiful inside, too.

My anxiety eased as we started the climb.

We detoured inland to see Canberra, the Australian capital. I wouldn’t want to live there but its parliament and government buildings were beautiful, and our tour guide gave us an Aussie Government 101 lesson.

 

In Melbourne, we stayed on the 44th floor of an AirBnB. What a view! John and Babette migrated there in the late 1970s when Australia was desperate for workers of any kind. We rode the type of trolley on which he used to be a conductor. “They now have doors,” he noted.

Retracing John’s routes and roots

It’s hard to decide what we liked most: our time spent with John and Babette or the drop-jaw beauty of Uluru-Kata Tjitrada National Park in the Outback. We bicycled around Uluru (formerly called Ayers Rock) one morning and hiked seven rugged miles the next in the Mars-like landscape of Kata Tjuṯa, both days in 100+ heat. The swarms of small flies targeting the moisture of our eyes, nostrils, and mouths were annoying until we bought mesh face covers.

Ayers Rock

It’s not as smooth up close.

The Mars-like landscape of Kata Tjuṯa NP

We learned more here about the sad history of how the Aborigines were treated, even though they have lived on this land for 30,000 years. But at least the Australian government acknowledges it now. In fact any walking tour, presentation, kiosk, or even during a veteran’s tribute ceremony in Melbourne, an acknowledgement of the land we are on is made. (That’s also starting to happen in Salem, Oregon, our hometown.)

There’s so much to see and experience in this vast and friendly continent. We’ll be back!

More photos are on my public Facebook page (Ron.Kelemen) Instagram (@Kelemenron). Check out the Aussie fun facts after the last photo.

The mountains of Tjuta National Park

”What We Can, While We Can”

”What We Could While We Could”

Aussie fun facts:

• Oz is mostly cashless. Tap everywhere. We never went to an ATM or used currency.

• Everyone—pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles—stick to the left hand side. Especially nice when hiking on paths or crowded city sidewalks..

• “No worries, Mate” seems to be the Aussie way of saying “you’re welcome.” We were never worried. Maybe we’re just getting old.

• Flat white coffees originated in Australia.

• Tipping is unusual. Workers are well-paid with health and retirement benefits.

• We paid for the groceries on our road trip, and were surprised how inexpensive they were, about 30% less than we would pay for the same at home. After currency conversion, restaurants were comparable to the States.

• Coffee shops and cafes charge a 10% surcharge on Sundays.

• Alcohol must be purchased in “bottle shops,” often next to grocery stores.
• Aussie accents are sometimes harder to understand than Scottish.
• Going for a walk, stroll, or hike?  They are called “a wander.”

Home Sweet Home and 102,000 Views

 The last time we traveled for two and a half months was 45 years ago on our way home from the Peace Corps in Malaysia via Thailand, Burma, and India. Back then, it seemed long toward the end. And so it did this time, even with much more comfortable accommodations and conveyances.

 This trip was really nine trips, involving 13 flights, 11 airport security checks, and many bus, train, and subway rides. I wrote about our walk across and drive around Sicily and the Uzbekistan wedding and Silk Road segments. But between those two posts, we enjoyed some amazing experiences and interactions with people along the way.

A street in Pompeii. The place was huge!

 Before Sicily, we hit Rome for three days and caught the papal funeral procession. Then Herculaneum and Pompeii, perhaps the best ruins we have ever experienced.  Why? Unlike so many other places that are mostly huge temples, pyramids, etc. we could get a feeling for how the common people lived in 79AD, just before their lives were buried in ashes. The cities were huge, and in Pompeii, we got to observe archeologists uncovering and restoring.

Inside the St. Sophia mosque

Istanbul, the crossroad between Asia and Europe, is a very amazing place. Like many places, it is so much more touristed and expensive than when I first experienced it in 1972. It was so fun with daughter Skyler, but three days of food and walking tours, plus some wedding shopping was enough. 

Inside the Gur -e-Amir Mausoleum in
Samarkand. It rivals the Taj Mahal 

 

We can’t say enough good things about Feruza and Kaveh's wedding in Uzbekistan. It was one of the highlights of our lives in recent memory. And the ancient Silk Road Cities reminded us that Europe wasn’t the apex of civilization 1,000 years ago.

 From Uzbekistan we flew to Switzerland right into the embrace of outrageous prices but stunning scenery.  And here’s a story that most likely can’t happen elsewhere:  We shipped our trekking poles, boots, Camelbacks, etc. from Sicily to Lucerne. But they weren’t at the post office when we arrived, because our Airbnb hostess had picked them up before cancelling our reservation. She had a friend put them on a train in Zurich above an empty seat. Sure enough, when the train pulled into the Chur station, there was our box!

Splugen, Switzerland, where our hike started

And we really needed those boots and poles as we hiked over the Alps into northern Italy. The hike wasn’t that hard.  It was four days of breathtaking beauty—just one step at a time, one day at a time. I’d say that after the wedding, this was the 2^nd best part of our trip. 

 But it was nice to get into lower prices and much better food when we arrived in Milan. We loved going through the grocery stores there!  As beautiful as the city is, we were ready to head home. When you travel independently, everything—from breakfast to which subway to take—is a transaction and a decision to make. It gets wearing, as do language barriers and bad beds.

The stunning duomo in Milan

 But fortunately, the last two legs of our trip were almost like home for us. We spent two weeks in St. Albans, UK with Shanti, Alan, and five-year old Hazel. We have our own room, know the town, get to do the cooking, and take her to and from school. She is so fun, and changed so much since we last saw her in early March!

 

St. Albans backyard dinner

Heading back to the States, we finally got to fly on a double-deck Airbus A380. What a treat! It’s huge, but quiet, smooth, and spacious. We spent a week in Beckett, in the Berkshire mountains of western MA, where daughter Skyler has a second home. It was a perfect way to adjust to the time zones, and just hang out with Skyler, Spencer, brother Neal, and Nati--my mentee for the past 26 years—and his wife Jasmine from DC. And we got to hear Rachmanoff's Piano Concerto #3 at the Tanglewood Festival.

Hiking in the Berkshires with brother Neal,
Kathy, Nati, and Jasmine

 We’re home now, enjoying our own bed, friends, our three-butt kitchen, and life in Salem. There is nothing like travel to make you appreciate what you have.

 And during this 2 ½ month trip, something else happened: This blog hit 102,000 views since 2014! The views come from a small email list of people who want to read them, plus a plug on Facebook with the link. But I guess people find my posts through word of mouth. I don’t post as frequently as I used to, but when I do, it is a labor of love and a way of documenting our travel for the past 11 years.  I hope you enjoy them, and please spread the word. I welcome your comments, either on this site or by email reply.

A Life Changing Decision 23 Years Ago

Graduation from Cottey College, 2005

 

When asked to host an exchange student from Uzbekistan for the 2002-2003 school year, we scrambled to find the country on a map. (It is one of the ‘Stans,’ north of Afghanistan and south of Kazakhstan in Central Asia).

We said “yes,” forever changing our lives the moment 17-year-old Feruza Esanova stepped off the plane. It changed hers, too.  

23 years later

Fast forward to 23 years later, we found ourselves dancing our hearts out at her wedding ceremonies in Uzbekistan and later exploring the subways of Tashkent and three ancient cities along the Silk Road. Who would have guessed? We certainly now know where Uzbekistan is and much more.

We helped Feruza get a student visa and a scholarship to Cottey College in Nevada MO. She later became a nurse, got a green card, became a US citizen, got a Master of Public Health Administration, manages a large surgery center, recently became a Nurse Practitioner of Psychiatry, and married Kaveh Kashkooli at a civil ceremony in New York.

The Wedding Ceremonies

Feruza and Kaveh at the Uzbek ceremony

An Uzbek wedding—what an unforgettable and emotional experience! Lots of dancing, music, food, vodka, and joy. The ceremonies began in her hometown of Navoi, about 289 miles west of Tashkent, with an official morning ceremony attended by about  50 guests.  That evening we attended a huge evening dinner and celebration for about 400 guests. Besides Kathy, Skyler, and my brothers Mark and Neal, a delegation of Americans flew here, including some of her co-workers, and PEO members. (PEO awarded her scholarships to attend Cottey College and Drexel University).

We were moved by the rich pageantry, apparel, music, food, and dancing, often to Bollywood-sounding tunes.

Then the whole delegation of American guests and Feruza’s family rode back to Tashkent in a hired “party bus”.  The 8 hour bus ride was a different view of rural Uzbekistan, and for most of us who partied hard the night before, a nice quiet time to rest and recharge.  

Symbolic items at the Persian ceremony

We got an equal—but different— experience for the Persian ceremony in Tashkent. The private event at the Hilton rooftop garden was serene, beautiful, and full of symbolism. The culminating event was a five-hour dinner and festivities at a big wedding hall for about 200 that evening. It just blew us (and our eardrums) away. Dancing, dancers, singers, a live band, a DJ, and everyone dressed up to the max. All we can say, is “Wow!” As I danced with the beautiful and confident bride, I got very emotional remembering a shy and scared 17-year-old exchange student fresh off the plane, and how far she has come in the past 23 years. Kathy and I were honored to be included in most of the parent photos. (Her father died in 2006). The whole thing was an emotional once-in-a-lifetime experience we will never forget.

Tashkent

View of City Park from the Hilton rooftop

Uzbekistan gained its independence in 1991 with the collapse of the Soviet Union. But much of the country—especially Tashkent, the capital—still has a Russian feel to it. In Tashkent Russian was heard more than Uzbek. Struggling worker and heroic monuments exist everywhere. On a free day, my brothers and I got on the 1970s era subway for 13 cents and stopped often to marvel at the murals and artwork. A university student befriended us and pointed out the stations with the best murals.

Subway art. More photos in link below

Our modern BnB was across from a giant park, which is Tashkent’s living room, especially in the evening. It was a fun mix of water/light shows, gelato vendors, children’s rides, and more. Nearby modern buildings put on their own light shows, some shamelessly promoting, consumer products.

Tashkent City Park at night.

The Stunning Silk Road

After four days of wedding ceremonies, we explored three Silk Road cities of Khiva, Bukhara, and Samarkand, often listening to Jack Weathers’ engrossing Genghis Khan, and the Making of the Modern World along the way. Over 3,000 years old and at the crossroads of ancient civilizations, they were beautiful beyond measure, especially Samarkand. They were also hot, as in 104 F in the modern parts, and much more inside the mostly treeless walled cities of brick and stone.

Much of Bhukara was bombed by the Bolsheviks in 1920 to dispose

Inside the lavish palace of the Amir in Bukhara

of a powerful Amir—the last direct descendent of Genghis Khan-and divide his kingdom into separate states of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan. (Kind of what Churchill did to the Otterman Empire in the Middle East after WWI, minus the bombing.) But what remains is still spectacular, especially the Amir’s former place. It was the only city Genghis had ever personally entered, and its mosque was the only building he ever entered.

Khiva. More photos in link below