A Dream Come True

When I was in grade 5 one of my best friends (and now my oldest friend) Eden and I read a series of books called dolphin diaries religiously. Basically the books were about this family that lived in Florida that helped rescue wild dolphins. Ever since reading these books I have been in love (and in earlier years obsessed) with dolphins.

I’ve always been so jealous of people that have swum with them and at one point desperately wanted to do so myself. However in recent years, especially since I’ve become vegan and much more aware of animal cruelty, I’ve really questioned how bad the life of those dolphins are that are trapped in a pool and forced to “preform” for tourists.

A few days ago though my 10yr old self’s dream of swimming with dolphins came true!! It was probably the coolest experience I have ever, or will ever experience.

The company is run out of Kaikoura, a little town in the north of the south island that, according to our bus driver, used to be a shithole due to the amount of whale hunting that was happening. However since the department of conservation has put in place laws to protect the sea life in this area it has become a very popular destination not only amongst tourists but for kiwi’s as well. There is only one company that operates the dolphin swimming and they are the original family that started it way back in the day. What makes this dolphin swimming unique is that the dolphins are 100% wild. When you sign up they even let you know that they can’t always guarantee that they will be able to spot the dolphins.

Luckily 35mins away from shore we spotted a pod of over 500 dusky dolphins. Once we spotted them the boat slowed down and we were free to get in the water and swim around with them. The water was the type of cold that just takes your breath away but when you have 10 dolphins swimming around and under you that hardly matters.

Now the only downside was that since we were on a tiny boat in the middle of the sea with minimal movement at some points (when we had stopped to swim with the dolphins) the boat was moving up and down with the waves and I’m not kidding when I say almost every single person on that boat was sea sick. At one point everywhere I looked someone was leaning over, or grabbing for a bucket to puke in. I though I was going to be sick just seeing and hearing everyone else.

I have to admit the amount of movement from the waves was far from pleasant and I myself thought I was going to be sea sick. Luckily I was lucky able to just barely hold on until we were safe on solid ground.

However despite the amount of sea sickness on board nothing could dampen my mood. Seeing that many dolphins in the wild and being so close to them was a magical experience, not to mention a dream come true for my 10yr old self, and an adventure that I will definitely never forget!

The Glacier in the Rainforest and Bungy Jumping

the pancake rocks

The last few days have been a little busy and packed with some crazy adventures! After leaving Punakaiki, a small town known for the pancake rocks, we headed to Franz Josef a tiny touristy town at the base of the Franz Josef glacier. We spent two nights in this little town to ensure that we had one full day to do one of the main attractions, the glacier hike.

Unfortunately due to the nature of the weather on the west coast of New Zealand our hike got cancelled at the last minute (something, the guide informed us, that happens 60% of the time). We even got as far as standing in all our gear outside at the helicopter pad when the pilot decided that the clouds had dropped too low and it was no longer safe to fly. Luckily the next morning we were able to get on the first hike up and the weather managed to hold out for us, although already by midday the clouds had completely covered the sky that had been completely clear just hours earlier.

from this... 

There are two things that set Franz Josef Glacier apart from any other, first off it is the fastest moving glacier in the world and is expected to completely disappear in the next 20-30 years and secondly, it is the only glacier that is found in the middle of a rainforest. It was cool just to be able to see it but actually being able to hike on the glacier itself was amazing. We got a helicopter flight to the base and began hiking up, around and through the glacier.

..to this

After Franz Josef we had an incredibly long bus ride to Wanaka, a smaller, less touristy town a couple hours from Queenstown. The long bus ride was made just barely bearable by the amazing scenery outside. As we approached Wanaka there were snow capped mountains and huge green hills all around us, not to mention the pure blue lake we were driving along. Since some of us on the bus had done our glacier hike that morning we didn’t get into Wanaka until 6 in the evening.  

The next morning we got back on the bus and headed to Queenstown, the adventure capital of the world. Queenstown literally has every single adventure activity you can think of, from canyoning and skydiving, to parasailing and of course the world famous Bungy Jumping. I figured that I might as well make the most of being here so I signed up for the Nevis bungy jump, a 134m bungy jump over a canyon.

I don’t think I’ve ever been more scared in my life, and I was seriously unsure about whether I would be able to physically make myself jump off the ledge. But I had already paid the money AND I’m no chicken. So after getting all strapped in, myself along with 6 others from the bus, were brought to the platform via cable car.

Once you’re all strapped in they help you shuffle to this little tiny ledge overlooking the canyon. Just like that your ready, and they count down... I...2.... 3.... BUNGY. At which point you are expected to dive HEAD FIRST into the canyon.

The feeling was completely unlike anything I’ve ever experienced, and contrary to what I though there was absolutely none of that feeling in your stomach you get when your on a roller coaster. It is just purely free fall. It was so cool and despite being absolutely terrified before hand I am so glad I did it.

After these crazy past few days I’m hoping to spend a little time just exploring Queenstown, taking a break from all the crazy, not to mention a break from all the spending.

Thanks for reading!

Rachel

Some More From Abel Tasman

turquoise water

sunrise day 2

                                  

                                              view from the coastal track

                                  

                                               overnight stop #2 - it was just like a big slumber party

Ready to kayak

cool rocks 

weird looking birds

and again

Te Pukatae bay

The Koru

 

the coastal track 

A Roller Coaster Ride In Abel Tasman

After spending a few days in Nelson, the sunniest place in New Zealand, Laura and I headed to Abel Tasman National Park. On Sunday (Nov 10^th) we started a 3 day overnight kayak along the coast of the National Park.

out in the kayak - day 1

Sunday morning we were picked up by the sea kayak company we were renting from. After a very quick briefing on how to pack our kayaks, where to stop, how to read the map and what to do if we tipped we were sent off into the sea completely on our own.

I have to admit it was a bit scary. The sea is massive... I felt so exposed! But thankfully it was a beautiful and calm day. I don’t think we realized at the time how lucky we were to have such nice weather.

We headed off in the kayak and had a leisurely paddle along the coastline. It was absolutely amazing. There were so many beaches all along the coast and the water was an amazing color turquoise.

only ones on the beach for lunch

After about an hour and a half of paddling we pulled up on one of the beaches for a lunch break. We had the beach to ourselves and it was so nice and sunny so we took our time and explored the beach a bit before getting back in the kayak and heading to our first overnight stop, Anchorage Hut.

One of the many beaches along the way

We got into Anchorage around 2:30 in the afternoon. The weather was so warm it felt like summer! We went swimming and hung out on the beach all afternoon.

feels like summer

While having the sun out was amazing, unfortunately for me my brain wasn’t working this first day and I didn’t stop to think about how strong the sun was... so I may have gotten a fairly bad sunburn (sorry mom). But I had definitely learnt my lesson and will now be applying sunscreen regularly.

Another mistake that both Laura and I made was thinking that our entire day would be filled with so much to do that there was no need to bring a book or anything. So come the evening we were both sitting at a picnic table twiddling our thumbs unsure of what to do. Luckily there was a short walk to another bay, so we set out to do that. Once again the view was stunning.

Day 2

morning sunrise

I was awake extremely early, which probably had to do with the fact that since we had nothing to do the night before I went to bed extremely early. Anyways seeing as I was awake I thought I may as well get up. So I set out for a walk along the beach (I was the only one on the beach) and was lucky enough to see the last little bit of the sunrise. At 7 in the morning it was looking like it was going to be a beautiful day. However this changed drastically by the time Laura was up and we ate, packed up and were ready to go. By this time it was almost 10 and the sun was hiding behind the clouds and the wind was picking up.

As we headed out further into the open sea the waves got bigger and bigger. I have to admit I was feeling a little seasick. But we made it to our next overnight stop, Bark Bay, and just in time too. Just after we had pulled our kayak up onto the beach it started raining. So we went to the hut and tried to get warm, although we were very unsuccessful and it ended up being an extremely cold 24hrs.

Day 3

Despite the cold weather of the previous day we woke up feeling hopeful. The sun was shining and we were confident we would have a good last day out on the water. But we were mistaken. As we made our way from the hut to the beach we could hear the sound of the waves crashing against the shore getting louder and louder. By the time we got to the beach we realized it wasn’t going to be a relaxing day like our first. Trying not to think about the paddle that lay ahead we got our kayak ready and were about to get in when we realized that the waves were coming in so strong that there was no way we could make it out on our own. Thankfully there was a man on the beach who came over to give us a push out. While we did get completely soaked we at least managed to get out off the shore.

this picture doesn't properly capture the size of the waves

For a very brief moment we felt relief, however that feeling soon vanished when we realized just how big the waves were. I don’t think I can stress it enough. They were so big that on the way down from each wave I got that feeling in my stomach that you get on rollercoasters.

Once we got out of the bay, both of us already feeling the seasickness and with the waves still getting bigger we noticed two groups of rocks looming ahead. Being in the back I was seriously worried that I wouldn’t be able to steer us around or through the rocks because the waves were pushing us so much. Not knowing if we’d be able to make it past the rocks we made a quick decision to turn around and head back to Bark Bay.

Coming into shore wasn’t quite as easy as we had anticipated because even though we were now moving with the waves we had been warned that this is generally when tipping occurs. Luckily we managed to beach the kayak right before the waves pushed us over on our side.

Coincidentally at the exact same time that we came in another kayak came in as well. Like us they had made the same decision to not continue due to weather. After speaking with the ranger to figure out how to arrange a water taxi back to where we had begun our journey he mentioned we had made the right decision as the weather was just getting rougher as the day went on.

Safely back on the beach

We thought the worst of the waves were over however our ride back in the water taxi was far from calm. I felt like I was on a rollercoaster, bouncing over all the massive waves. Along the way our driver actually pointed out a bird in the water, which he said was a penguin. Turns out our first day I had seen a bird that I said looked like a penguin ... but we didn’t know at the time that it actually was one!

Finally after a few days of being back on solid land I have managed to get rid of the swaying feeling that I was left after being in the kayak for a few days.

But despite the far from ideal weather on days 2 and 3 of our trip it was an absolutely unbelievable experience!

The Naked Yoga Man

So let me tell you about Michael, the wwoof host who’s add on the website just sounded so appealing to Laura and I.

However there was a lot more to Michael’s life than what he advertised.  

The moment we met Michael, Laura and I both had a funny feeling. The way he was speaking to us, looking at us and asking us questions was just very strange.

When we walked into his house I was caught a little off guard. The place was a pig sty! It was so cluttered and there was stuff everywhere. Michael informed us that the house hadn’t been cleaned since April, when his last wwoofer was there.

What kind of person NEVER cleans their house?!

Next he brought us out onto the porch to discuss things such as the jobs we would be expected to do. He also gave us an overview of his daily schedule which included sunbathing and doing yoga naked on his back porch, an activity that he welcomed us to join in on. And from this comment he will be forever known as the naked yoga guy by Laura and I. He also asked us whether we were a lesbian couple because the caravan ...our new accommodation... was quite small.

Before heading down to the caravan he asked us how we felt about ants.

Why did he ask this?

Well he casually informed us that there has been an ant infestation in the caravan we would be staying in. As if this information wasn’t bad enough he felt the need to explain that when he walked in yesterday the walls were black with all the ants.

just a quick glimpse of the ants

ANTS?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! For those of you who know me well you know that I can’t stand ants. Its irrational I know, they are for the most part harmless, but I just can’t stand them.

On our way down to the caravan he gave us a tour first of the tiny sauna.. which he  emphasized gets VERY HOT with lots of people in it. Next was the massage room, a little cabin with nothing but a double bed and a TV in it. I personally do not want to know what goes on in there.

THE CARAVAN

Trying to keep an open mind we walked down to the caravan with some cleaning supplies. Our first job was to clean out the caravan. Our spirits were quickly plummeting as we started to clean and realized that he hadn’t been kidding when he had said that there were ants everywhere. All the drawers and window areas were covered but the worst of it were the ants crawling in and around the beds, blankets and pillows.

Laura and I made a quick decision and booked it out of there. It was just too weird and uncomfortable... and the presence of those damn ants was just the icing on the cake.

We arrived back in Wellington City later that afternoon and booked the ferry to Picton (the South Island) for the next day.

Having arrived in the South Island Laura and I are feeling extremely relieved and very happy that we haven’t spent the last few days in an ant infested caravan! 

Bed #1

Bed #2