Day 1 (Mar 5, 2013): Into the Abyss

Follow me on Twitter at @adonaldson1214

Hi Everyone.  Welcome to my blog, Global Moorings. This forum will document my travels, starting with the ~4 month journey around the world that begins today.  There will be more pictures than words (I promise!), so I hope you will join me often to share in my experience and perhaps get some ideas for your own next adventure.

But first, let me introduce my travel partner.  This is Carrie…

 

…and that’s her stuff.  Believe it or not, that’s all beef jerky and Sprite in the bag (she keeps to an extremely specific diet).  I would say this trip is only happening because of her, but she would get mad at me and say that I was giving her too much credit.  But, just between you and me, it’s the truth.  Which makes me extremely grateful for her.  She is at this moment, with a few notable exceptions, the only other known character in this story.  But we hope there will be many new friends in the weeks and months ahead.

So how did I get here?!?  It started, as most crazy ideas do, with a joke.  One day last Spring, after listening to me describe yet another stressful day at work, Carrie said “we should just quit our jobs and travel the world.”  We both chuckled with the familiar “yeah right” that everyone understands to mean “wouldn’t THAT be nice” and then went about our lives.  Months came and went, but the idea stayed with us.  No matter how hard we tried to dismiss it from our minds, by the time December came around we both accepted that our fate had seemingly been decided.  We planned to wait until the beginning of 2013, quit our jobs, and begin our journey.

When January came around – and with it our time to act – we executed our plan with the boldness of John Glenn and the precision of Seal Team Six.  Actually, that’s a lie.  In reality, when January came around, we both freaked out like Khloe Kardashian being forced to shop at Target.  In the span of 3 weeks in January, the trip was called off and reconstituted no less than 15 times.  What was supposed to be a close-to-New Year’s booking with the airlines turned into a last-week-in-January booking with the airlines, and that occurred only after numerous assurances that we could back out with little penalty.  Change, it seems, is a process fraught with perils for even the most determined.  Fortunately, Carrie and I never lost our nerve at the same time, so one was always able to assuage the other into staying the course.

And so here we are: both newly unemployed and, for the next four months, travelers of the world.  As I write this I am in LAX, on layover from our flight from New York City before heading over to Sydney.  After ~12 hours in Sydney, we will fly to Auckland, New Zealand and then to Christchurch, which is our first official stop.  By my calculation, it will take us ~57.5 hours to get from Brooklyn to Christchurch.  We will spend ~2 weeks on the South Island of New Zealand before continuing our left turn around the world.

A brief description of our itinerary (as we know it today) is below.  If you like what you see and want to come join us for a bit, we’d love visitors!  If you can’t come visit, check back here on this blog and/or follow me on Twitter at @adonaldson1214.  You can also follow Carrie’s blog here: bigwanderings.tumblr.com (she promises to have a special section devoted to all of the faces I make, which will be interesting since I don’t make faces….ever) and follow her on Twitter at @carolynbigda.

The Plan:

Mar 7 – Mar 21: New Zealand (South Island)

Mar 21 – Mar 24: Singapore

Mar 25 – Apr 12: Bali (volunteering as English teachers at a grade school in a village near Denpasar)

Apr 13 – Mid May: Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines)

Mid May: Dubai, Oman

End May to End June: Train travel through Europe (starting in Rome, and hitting Venice, Croatia, Budapest, Krakow, Prague, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and London)

End June – Mid July: London

Mid July: Back to US!

 

Day 12 (Mar 17 2013): Hike in Abel Tasman National Park

The Quick Facts:

* Today it rained for the first time in ~6 weeks; good for farmers, bad for our plans
* Our combo hike/kayak tour was cancelled, so we roughed it out in the rain on a ~4 hour walk through the beginning section of Abel Tasman National Park
* Stayed at Tasman Bay Backpackers in Nelson – very clean and nice hostel, great Wi-Fi, cheap laundry, but a little noisy

The Good:

* Abel Tasman National Park is beautiful – right on the Tasman Sea, there are plenty of beaches you can access from your hike, and plenty of opportunities to kayak in the water to interact with seals and other marine life

The Bad:

* It did rain which forced us to alter our plans, but we still had a fun (albeit extremely wet) time out on the hiking trail

Well I think the above says it all.  We went on a nice hike, but really couldn’t take full advantage of Abel Tasman National Park because of the rain, and unfortunately needed to move on to other things on our itinerary.

To get to the hiking trail, you must take a water taxi to certain points in the park.  They pick you up in the water taxi *on land*, then drive you (as you sit in the boat) on the street as the boat is pulled by a tractor to the water access point.  I know the country is experiencing a draught, but this is ridiculous!  It’s hard to see, but you can make out our boat driver on the back of a tractor as he pulls us through the streets of Marahau.

 

And here is Carrie and me on the boat.

Once on the water, we stop at Split Apple Rock, the most photographed rock in New Zealand.  Before the ice age, the rock had a crack in it.  During the ice age, water got in the crack, froze, expanded, and eventually split the rock in two pieces.  Fortunately, there were other rocks there to catch the two pieces, and here we have Split Apple Rock!  Remember what I was saying yesterday about the sheer power of water?  Yeah.

Due to the rain, we weren’t able to take too many pics for fear of damaging our stuff, but here are a few choice shots taken from the cover of umbrellas.

 

Follow me on Twitter at @adonaldson1214

Day 11 (Mar 16 2013): Jet Boat in Buller Gorge; Drive to Abel Tasman National Park

The Quick Facts:

* Took Jet Boat on the Buller River in the Buller Gorge – walked over swingbridge to get there; boat reached speeds of up to 85km/h and did wild 360 degree turns
* Drove to Marahau, which is at the gateway to Abel Tasman National Park
* Stayed at Kanuka Ridge Backpackers: great facilities, friendly people, excellent Wi-Fi

The Good:

* The Jet Boat is a real thrill – I would definitely recommend doing this: the Buller River is pretty and my sense is it’s a better deal/experience than the jet boats in Queenstown

The Bad:

* I’ll be honest, it’s the most efficient means of travel in New Zealand, but if I never drive over another mountain again that will be just fine with me….especially if it’s in a 2 cylinder rent-a-wreck that can’t do more than 40km/h on hills

First off, Georgetown lost in the BET semi-finals to those traitors the Syracuse Orange, but all that is at stake is a #1 seed in the tourney.  All in all these are great problems to have and I am more than proud of the boys in blue and grey.  Hoya Saxa!

Secondly, the sandfly onslaught continues.  Nasty little beings.  I have been bitten so much, I really only have one bug bite: my entire body.  I just want to dip myself in a vat of calamine lotion.  This could be a business I start here.  I’d make millions.

But I digress.  Today’s main event was a jet boat ride on the Buller River, which is known for its gold deposits (that still exist today, but more on that later).  To get to the boat, you need to walk over this swingbridge which was built by goldminers and is 110m across.  As long as you don’t have an acute aversion to death, walking over it isn’t too bad…

 

 

Then we get on the jet boat, which takes you on speeds up to 85km/h through the Buller River to see some magnificent rocks and waterfalls.  The river flows for 170km from the north part of the island and into the Tasman Sea at a town called Westport, which is in the central part of the island.  When you’re on the river, the rate at which the water moves commands respect, and serves as a reminder that water alone is such a powerful force in nature.  Anyway, here is our boat:

 

And here is Carrie, enjoying (?? hmmm, perhaps I better use that term loosely!) the ride.  Behind her is Mark, our driver.  A native New Zealander, Mark is probably a few sheep short of a flock, but exactly the person you want driving you around in a jet boat.  He is very knowledgeable about the river, which is good since he guides the boat at top speeds to about 6 inches from the ~30 foot rock walls.  Then, with a twirl of his finger, he will turn the boat one way and then jerk it in the opposite direction to initiate a 360 degree turn, sending me crashing into Carrie or the side of the boat depending on which way the turn went.  Great fun actually, had a smile on my face the whole time  When his day job is done, Mark scuba dives into certain parts of the river mining the gold that lies in the river bed.

 

Here are some shots of the pink rocks that line the river – they are pink because potassium deposited into them when they were formed.  Also, there is a lot of gold in those rocks (that are over 450 million years old), just nobody can get to it….

 

Here is a good shot of the depleted water levels.  As we speak, New Zealand hasn’t had rain in 6 weeks, and the country is in a draught situation. You can see the normal water level markings on the rock here, and obviously where the water is now.

 

Here are some other shots from the trip, including one where I freak out and start paddling for shore (OK, maybe it didn't happen exactly that way).  In the background is a wonderful New Zealand family from Nelson who were kind enough to play along with my antics.

 

 

And that’s basically our day – the rest was driving to Abel Tasman National Park, where we spend the day tomorrow.

Day 10 (Mar 15, 2013): Franz Josef Glacier, Drive to Punakaiki, “Pancake” Rocks

The Quick Facts:

* Hiked to the terminal face of Franz Josef Glacier (note we did *not* do any of the helicopter tour options which may allow for hiking on the actual glacier)
* Drove from Franz Josef Glacier to Punakaiki Beach
* Saw the “pancake rocks” in Punakaiki
* Stayed at the Punakaiki Beach Hostel, which is right on the beach and wonderfully maintained…we even got to stay in a truck that they converted into a bedroom and is separate from the main house

The Good:

* Franz Josef Glacier is extremely interesting and different (my first glacier and, as Carrie points out, rare in that it is so close to the sea and that you have to travel through a rain forest just to get to it)
* “Pancake” rocks in Punakaiki – they are limestone but, to this day, scientists do not know why they have the markings they do

The Bad:

* The sandflies are eating us alive; got a tip from a local that a 50/50 mix of baby oil and Dettol (a new Zealand household cleaner) will repel them; will investigate this tomorrow and report back

 

First off, go Hoyas!  Georgetown seemingly dispatched with Cincinnati with great ease in their first game of the Big East Tournament, looking forward to more wins in the coming days.

So today started a bit early with a hike to the terminal face of Franz Josef Glacier.  The walk to the face, and to a separate lookout point, is not far – we spent a total of maybe 2 hours there.  Franz Josef Glacier is named after the emperor of Austria-Hungary who was in power at the time an Austrian explorer discovered it in the 1860s.  You can understand why they kept the name – it just rolls off the tongue and is definitely not vaguely angry (for those who do not know me well, insert sarcastic eye roll here).  Anyway, the glacier used to extend all the way to the Tasman Sea, but has since retreated to its current point approximately 19km from the sea.  Here are some pics (that's ice on the bottom side of that bridge, and it's blue):

 

This is the actual terminal face of the glacier...

And here are pics of the glacier water run-off that presumably goes all the way to the Tasman Sea

 

And here is a pic from a separate lookout area, you can see the face pictured earlier but also how it extends up and back into the mountains (the terminal face that is shown in earlier pictures is on the left, and the glacier then extends back and to the right in this photo -- note three different “peaks” with the ice)

Then we made the ~3.5 hour drive to Punakaiki, which is home to the “Pancake Rocks” which are limestone rocks with certain groovings in them that make them look like pancakes.  Scientists still do not know why this occurred in the rocks.  We still have some mysteries left in this world.  Pretty cool.

And finally, we stayed at a hostel on the beach.  Here is our converted truck that we stayed in:

And here is our view.  Not a bad way to end a day…

 

Follow me on Twitter at @adonaldson1214

Day 9 (Mar 14, 2013): Drive from Arrowtown to Franz Josef Glacier

The Quick Facts:

* Made the long drive from Arrowtown to Franz Josef Glacier
* Several scenic stopping points
* Relaxed at the Franz Josef Glacier Hot Pools
* Stayed at Montrose Backpackers – definitely our least favorite hostel to date but we did make a good dinner

The Good:

* Picturesque spots along the drive
* Franz Josef Glacier Hot Pools are a must (yes, this is germophobe Andy Donaldson saying this)

The Bad:

* Not sure if there are good hostel accommodations in Franz Josef – might be better bet to upgrade to one of the hotel options instead

Today we made the ~5 hour drive from Arrowtown to Franz Josef Glacier (which is our first stop on the west coast of New Zealand).  We stopped at a few places along the way, including Lake Hawea

 And Knights Point (that is the Tasman Sea – kind of looks like the PCH coastline eh?)

 And here's a picture of another picture being taken...

 

We finally arrived at Franz Josef Glacier and will hike their tomorrow.  We did hit up the hot springs in town which felt great before making dinner and going to bed.

Follow me on Twitter at @adonaldson1214

Day 8 (Mar 13, 2013): Glenorchy, The Routeburn Track, and Arrowtown

The Quick Facts:

* Drove from Queenstown to Glenorchy which is filled with stunning scenery (Glenorchy is where a majority of Lord of the Rings was filmed)
* Hiked the first two sections (~9km, 3500m in elevation) of the Routeburn Track, one of the world’s 10 “great walks” as designated by Lonely Planet
* Stayed at Poplar Lodge in Arrowtown, which is a cute little town ~30 minutes outside of Queenstown (stop for a sticky bun at Provisions Café, and for a glass of wine at Blue Door; we also had dinner at the Fork and Tap which was very good (the morroccan beans especially) *and* the first place we’ve encountered where the prices weren’t jaw-droppingly offensive)

The Good:

* Sheep traffic jam
* Routeburn Track is truly a wonderful walk, with a well-cared for trail to match its worldwide esteem
* Arrowtown is a great little town and the perfect quiet antidote to Queenstown

The Bad:

* Wish we had another ~2 days to hike the entire Routeburn track

Today we made the ~80 minute drive from Queenstown to the beginning of the Routeburn Track, which involves a drive up the coast of Lake Wakatipu and the town of Glenorchy (much of the Lord of the Rings was filmed in this area).  Here are some views from our drive:

And here is the New Zealand version of a traffic jam…
 

 

Once we got to the Routeburn Track, we did the first two sections which is ~9km and a climb to 3500m above sea level.  Here are the photo highlights:

 

 

 And, here is Picnic Lunch Part II, this time from the top of Routeburn Falls…this is really how all of us should have lunch!

 

After our hike we drove to Arrowtown, which is a cute little town ~25 minutes from Queenstown.  See above for what we did for restaurants, bars, hotel.  I would definitely recommend staying a night here if you ever get to NZ (thanks Liz N. for the recommendation)!

 

Follow me on Twitter at @adonaldson1214