Exploring New Zealand From the Left.

luthj

Engineer In Residence
Not Just a Fluke


By Jen.
Since I was bound and determined to see these sperm whales that are regularly off the coast of Kaikoura, we made our way back to the peninsula for our third attempt. This time, learning from previous lessons, I scheduled us in the afternoon (didn’t want to be the guinea pig) and asked about the success of the day before I got our tickets. At noon, it was looking good and we were out on the water by 1:30pm. On our way out, they spotted an orca. Surprisingly (unlike the 2 other times we had been out), they made a detour to get us up close and personal with them.​

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It was looking like a beautiful day!

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There was a male-and-female pair. I think this was the female (shorter dorsal).

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I think this was the male (taller dorsal and slightly bent).



The spotter thought perhaps he was mating, as he was behaving erratically.

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Landing albatross nearby.

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They were cool! But, now I was afraid that our main target (orcas can be seen everywhere) was no longer going to be in the vicinity. Supposedly, the orcas had scared off all the marine mammals on our last two trips out. We went out to the location where the whales had last been seen, and sure enough, there was no sign or sound. Just as I was mentally preparing my spiel on why I should be reimbursed 100% and not 80% this time around, our spotter let out a big yell. She and I had already come inside and were preparing to leave. We caught the tail-end of a sperm-whale breach just off the port side of the boat! I didn’t get to see it in the air, but the waves it sent up were massive! Whale spotted!​


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There were two of these gentlemen in the vicinity. Both were snoozing quite a bit.

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Sperm whales are unique with their spouting, as instead of a hole on the top of their head and centered, it is forward and off to the side. See how the water is coming from the left side of his head (viewing from behind)? It also is at a 45 angle (see below).

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Watch this beauty deep dive!


After he dove, we drove away to see the other whale, but apparently he missed the crowds, as he decided to do a breach to bring us back! This was followed by another breach. Sadly, all I ever saw was the aftermath, which itself was impressive (water as high the boat).

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They had some interesting rippling on their backs. Not sure if it was muscle or scar tissue. These giants’ favorite food is squid, especially the giant squid in the deep darks of the ocean. The giant squid fight for their lives with tentacles and claws.

It was time to head back in, and we were behind schedule. But, as we approached the harbor, we passed the marine mammals that stole first place in my book. Hundreds of dusky dolphins were on their way back out to see and doing amazing antics! There were so many doing such fun feats that it was difficult to know where to focus.




Check out those backflips!


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No photoshopping or trickery here! Literally a 2-3m jump! Maybe more! The dolphin is about 2m in length.

Dusky and common dolphins. The common are fairly rare here and have a yellow-ish underside, which are the group at the end of the video.

Dolphins swimming right next to the boat.


I had sent my oldest nephew a postcard with these fellows on them doing an impressive jump. I thought it was probably a bit deceiving, though (use of angles or photoshop, etc). But, boy, was I wrong! These impressive little guys can do some aerobatics. And, they were fast. You could tell that they wanted the boat to go faster so they could use the waves better. They were a lovely end to the day.​
 

luthj

Engineer In Residence
Wakefield and Pelorus Bridge

On our way out of Nelson we stopped by the South Island's oldest church. Built in 1846, now most of the original timber has been replaced in the last century and a half, but it still stands.

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A wooden headstone. Or should it be headboard?
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We then spent a day with a couple that Jonathan had met on the forums and had introduced us to the couple who helped us on the North Island. They had also done a Sprinter van conversion themselves, so we got to compare builds. It is really nice getting to know the locals.

From there we headed northward to Pelorus Bridge Reserve; located at the main crossing of the Pelorus River, which feeds into Pelorus Sound. Originally plotted for a town/settlement in the early 20th century, it was not sold for agriculture or development. The town never happened, and by that time, the surrounding forest had been completely obliterated by logging, and replaced by stands of knotty pine, eucalyptus, and farm pasture. This made Pelorus Bridge appear precious as the last remaining tract of native riverside forest in the region. It is home to the only colonies of bats in the region as well.

On the ridge in the distance you can see the start of the timber plantations.
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The forest is a mix of beech species, Podocarps (conifers) and ferns. The NZ conifers are quite unique, many producing small, unusually-shaped cones. Some of which are quite massive, growing over 30 meters tall.
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The understory is filled with ferns. With 6 species of giant ferns, NZ is known for them. The largest species grows to 20 meters tall.
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luthj

Engineer In Residence
Kaikoura Coast
By Jen.

We now had a choice in heading southwards: inland through Molesworth Station or along the coast via Kaikoura. We decided to save Molesworth until we had our DOC Vehicle Pass and instead go down the coast.

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Kaikoura is known for its wildlife. Off the coast, whales often visit, with a permanent sperm whale population. On the coast, birds and fur seals nest. When we arrived at the car park, we found a seal enjoying the sun.

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Apparently you have to check under and around your vehicle before driving off.

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There were lots of seals along their rugged coastline.

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A juvenile red-billed gull.

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luthj

Engineer In Residence
While checking under the vehicle, Jonathan noticed an rear axle leak. So, that night he took it apart and put it back together while trying to avoid sandflies. Really, without him, I would be spending lots more money getting things fixed.
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The next day, we drove down the coast past earthquake-affected cliffs and road work. This road had been closed for a year and had just reopened last month (Dec 2017) after the 2016 Kaikoura earthquakes. You could see the effects of the landslides in the area. Many sections of the road are still just one-lane as they work to clear the rubble and repair road and railway.
We decided to walk to Haumuri Bluff.

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Along the path, there was a hollow in the bushes with flowers surrounding the opening, which led to two graves. Must have been a camp here during the building of the railway, or perhaps whalers?

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This noisy insect is similar to a cicada in the noise it makes.

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There used to be an archway between those two landmasses. But a 2007 earthquake demolished the arch.

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There was a derailed train along the breakwater. Not sure it is was dumped there or if it derailed there.

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NZ has a sea snail that is endemic to its waters. This snail, called pāua, creates its own beautiful shell. We found several shells on the rocky beaches there.
 

luthj

Engineer In Residence
Mt Fyffe
Inland from Kaikoura lies Mt Fyffe and the surrounding reserve. There are several good multi-day hikes here, as well as a great view from the alpine hut on the saddle nearest the summit.

There it is in the distance. We are hiking up to the flat ridge to the left of the main peak.
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We started up, and already it was getting warm (for NZ). The wind was from the North, so humid land-warmed air was carried along the coast.

Not much to see at first, as the regrowth of the forest was well on its way, blocking the view.

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The flowers, as always, proved a good distraction for Jen.
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The cicada-like bugs were prevalent and quite loud. The steep track had us dripping sweat in no time, with no breeze to speak of. We reached the lower saddle, and took a break for some lunch, called some family, and enjoyed the breeze.
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We continued up and enjoyed the deep valley below. Carved by glaciers and marked by land slides, it was quite interesting.
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With the heat, we decided to turn back about 25 minutes from the hut. On the way down, we found the original lookout we had been searching for, but had walked right past! Here is a view out on the Pacific Ocean. Featured here is the Kaikoura Peninsula.
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On the way down, this enormous Dragonfly buzzed my hat. It felt like a chopper making a low pass overhead. A few minutes later it landed on Jen’s leg. This is a large specimen, as they are usually a bit smaller.

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We finished our day at a nearby NZMCA campground. I got around to patching a cracked taillight. Check out all that Australian dust!

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Jen started a borrowed puzzle. They had some strange board games.
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luthj

Engineer In Residence
Hope River
Heading southwest from Kaikoura, we decided to visit the high country. Near Lewis pass is Hope River. Our guide book said the walk along the river here was quite good (and not very popular), so we gave it a go.

Of course, the first step on the track is crossing a river.
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We wandered through a forest of black beech. The film of fungus covering everything gives it an interesting feel.
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The honeydew droplets forming on the fungus was very popular with bees and birds.
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We stopped for lunch on a well-placed log. A visiting bird was trying very hard to be nonchalant about his interest in our crackers.
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Eventually we rounded the mountain and got a good view of the Hope River itself.
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Leonmac

New member
Reading your Q&A section and your description of where you want to live, sounds pretty much like New Zealand. But I don't know what you call "Cheaper Living" as real estate in NZ has got pretty costly in the last 10yrs.
We do have the mild climate (Mostly) and we certainly have the nature and hiking etc. Depending on where you want to live there are plenty of Engineering Tech type jobs available in NZ and we are a friendly safe country to live in.

Cheers Leon (NZ)
 

luthj

Engineer In Residence
Reading your Q&A section and your description of where you want to live, sounds pretty much like New Zealand. But I don't know what you call "Cheaper Living" as real estate in NZ has got pretty costly in the last 10yrs.
We do have the mild climate (Mostly) and we certainly have the nature and hiking etc. Depending on where you want to live there are plenty of Engineering Tech type jobs available in NZ and we are a friendly safe country to live in.

Cheers Leon (NZ)

We did enjoy our time in NZ. Were it not for the challenges of island life, (import everything), and the geographic isolation, we may have stayed there even longer.
 

luthj

Engineer In Residence
Lewis Pass and Arthur’s Pass
By Jen.

We continued onto Lewis Pass from Hope River. We had stopped here before, but had not explored. This time we decided to try for the Lewis Pass Tops walk. It started off relatively level and wandering through beech forest with lots of native birds.

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We wondered if this rock was the argillite that is colloquially (and unaffectionately) referred to as “Weet-Bix” (a brand of cereal similar to Mini Wheats in the States), as that is what it sounds/feels like as it crumbles beneath your boot.

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Shortly, however, it started its steep ascent. Every time we start up anything even moderately steep, I am reminded that I am not at all good at inclines. I blame this on my Kansas roots. Many of you know that I grew up in Kansas. What you may not know is that in that “flat and empty” state that you tried to go through as quickly as possible on road trips, I grew up in the flattest county in Kansas. Hill? What is that? Ravine? Do those things even exist? Fortunately I did a lot of traveling, so I do know they exist, but apparently I don’t climb them very often. Combine that with 10 years of living in height-challenged Tulsa, Oklahoma, and a year on the flattest continent on Earth, I apparently revert to a snail’s pace anytime there are inclines. I thought with the past year of hiking, even managing 18 km in one day once, I would be prepared for hiking in NZ. That has not been the case. I can handle the distance, but I can’t handle the inclines. Going up is terrible, I feel tired and out of breath very quickly. Going down may be worse. While not as much required cardio; we aren’t talking about going down stairs here. When you are going down natural surfaces that are often loose (gravel, leaf-litter), you have to control each step and pray your foot doesn’t slip. Or, if it does, that you land on your butt instead of sliding down the mountainside on your face. I am slowly getting better, but make sure not to expect pleasant answers from me while I am focusing on traversing a mountain. At least the views are normally worth it.

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After 1.5 hours, we cleared the tree line.

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There was a set of birds at the top that were finding lunch and trying to avoid being blown away in the wind.

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From here, we restocked at Greymouth and delved back towards Arthur’s Pass. Before we got too far, though, we were sidetracked by the Goldsborough Track. We didn’t enjoy this track as much as we thought we would. We wanted to see the tunnels they made for redirecting the river for gold mining. But, we weren’t as prepared as we should have been (didn’t bring enough water nor lunch), and after an hour in, uncomfortable humidity, and no tunnels, we decided to turn back.

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Bluestone.

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We were walking in a rainforest next to a stream after a recent rain. You can guess from where the humidity might be coming?

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We think we found some uncurled/not-dried-up kidney ferns.
 

luthj

Engineer In Residence

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There were some flowering trees.

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The birds were singing happily despite the humidity and warmth.

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Red-orange fungi.
We came back for lunch and then decided to try Tunnel Terrace Walk. In one of our guide books, it was noted as great fun for children and walking through old water-race tunnels, so I figured I would be sure to enjoy it. Just call me a 30-year-old kid, as I loved it.

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You start and finish the short walk by going through tunnels.

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The landscape has been dramatically reworked by gold miners. This hill has been slivered into nearly a wall that looks like it could topple.

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The harvested side is now showing signs of regrowth.

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Leaf-like moth.

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You can still see the pick marks.
From there, we drove into Arthur’s Pass, visited Dobson’s Nature Walk and called it a day.

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This cliff is the result of a glacier that went up to top of the bare rock in the image during the last ice age.
 

luthj

Engineer In Residence
Cave Stream and Castle Hill
By Jen.

On our first pass through Arthur’s Pass, we tried to do Cave Stream, but then shortly realized I would be too wet and cold than was good for me while sick. The whole elaborate loop through both passes was just so that we could do this walk. This time, we were both quite healthy, and the water didn’t look too high, so we thought we make a try for it. We knew the water could get up to waist deep, so we changed into water-appropriate clothing (me into my stinger suit and swim gear), and pulled on shoes we didn’t mind getting wet. For me, that was Jonathan’s old pair of shoes that he wore daily in Australia and retired when we came here. For him, he thought he would see how water-proof his new hiking boots were. Geared up, we started down the hill to the entrance.

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The entrance is the deepest section. And, sure enough, we had to plow right through the water that just kept getting deeper. I was reminded that Jonathan’s and my heights vary quite a bit. While the water only reached his upper waist, it was up to my chest at the deepest part. I was also reminded how different NZ is from AUS. The cave and accompanying stream in AUS was placid and you mostly got walk on dry ground with only occasional low-level water crossings. We were able to do that walk in our flip-flops (called “jandals” here). In NZ, it was a rushing, roaring stream in a rocky cave, walking almost exclusively in the cold water and not on land. We had to do it in secure shoes and watch each step. Definitely a different atmosphere!

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The deepest section. Definitely much deeper for me!
Was it fun? Oh yeah! We acclimated to the cold water pretty quickly. While very dark, it definitely wasn’t quiet. You know how rapids sound? Magnify that in an echoing room. We had to shout and be close to each other to be heard. And, while there were no sharp edges, the walls were definitely not flat. It was like walking through a surrealist painting with whacky walls and shapes.

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I made Jonathan take photographic proof that went through it.

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This time the glowing red dot is my husband’s headlamp, not young crocodiles.

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As we went along Jonathan was able to spot a few fun things as well (my light was way too dim to see much). This is an eel.

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There were a couple sections around some of these dividers that were narrow, with water rushing through with great force. Some we were able to barely get through, another we had to try and rock climb on the walls past it (while not dropping my camera into the churning water).

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Some foam.

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A rock bridge that we had to go over.

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Some water that was falling in from another source than the stream.

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This is the end. See those rungs, we have to climb those to get out. In that dark chamber beyond is a 3m gushing waterfall that you can’t climb up on your own.

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Then, when you get to the top, you have to hold onto the chain on the left and crawl along on all fours to make sure you don’t descend back down that 3m.

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The waterfall and 3m drop.

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Sure doesn’t look so bad from the outside, does it?

 

luthj

Engineer In Residence
After drying off and having some lunch, we ventured down the road shortly to Castle Hill. Here rocks have been weathered down into fanciful shapes that remind some of old buildings, castles, or forts. We took a leisurely walk through them.

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That isn’t actually an arch, just different colored rock. Deceptive, huh?

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Next day was a visit to Mt Thomas, but with the heat and humidity, I didn’t last very long.

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In a town on the way to Mt Thomas.

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Then, the next day, we ran into Christchurch for supplies. Our colander developed a crack that was ever-widening, and I wanted some water shoes. The flip-flops that I had owned since 1st or 2nd year of college (11-13 years ago, a really hardy pair given to me by my mom) finally broke in Australia, back when we put our canoe into a crater lake in the Atherton Tablelands. I tried for a while to find a cheap pair to replace them, but couldn’t find what I wanted. I finally gave up and opted to wear Jonathan’s old flip-flops whenever I needed them (which wasn’t very often). But, Cave Stream had been a reminder that those wouldn’t work when crossing rivers, and I didn’t want wet feet for long hikes. So, we went in search of several items that day in Christchurch, and were mostly successful. And, of course, I had manipulated our schedule so that we would be in Christchurch on an ultimate-frisbee-pickup-game day. So, while Jonathan was being productive writing posts, I learned a new game of frisbee that you can play with only 4 players.

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Only one of the flip-flops broke, but it was time. The water shoes are lightweight, cheap, and my feet won’t slip out of them when walking on awkward, wet surfaces.
 

Leonmac

New member
I'm glad to hear you enjoyed your time here. You went to some great spots and your photos are a great view of our little Island paradise. Its that Geographical isolation that keeps it what it is, Safe and underpopulated.

Cheers Leon
 

luthj

Engineer In Residence
Wow great pics!
Thanks!

I'm glad to hear you enjoyed your time here. You went to some great spots and your photos are a great view of our little Island paradise. Its that Geographical isolation that keeps it what it is, Safe and underpopulated.

Cheers Leon

The safety bit is more a combination of cultural influences, and forward thinking government in my view. Though the current Measles outbreak is a bit of a blemish. The pre colonial (and the 75 years following) were a bit bloody. Typical for the era. We did enjoy our time there. Its an interesting country that is slowly coming to grips with a change in what it means to be Kiwi. Partially due to the immigration law changes that happened in the last 35 years. We had some interesting discussions with locals and imports alike. Very friendly and warm people (like human beings in general we find). We asked how long you had to live in NZ before you were a Kiwi. They responded, "never", not unless you were born there. Not that we weren't welcome, it was just an exclusive club! It was a bit surprising, as Americans we have a slightly different view (though it varies from person to person). It not a good or bad thing, just different.

We did find that Kiwis, like their British cousins, have a unique wit, an a absolute mastery of passive aggressive politeness. It was truly a hilarious thing at times.

We look forward to visiting again. Though the cats out of the bag, and NZ tourism is through the roof! It would have been amazing to visit in the 90s, with only 150k visitors a year!
 

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