Tongariro Alpine Crossing

Tongariro is the first National Park in New Zealand.  This is an area of immense beauty with active and dormant volcanoes in the area.  In fact, there was an eruption just in August this year and there were warning signs on our hike about watching out for eruptions and staying away from certain areas.

We were told a little bit about this hike but none of us were prepared for how tough the hike would be.  The distance of the hike is almost 20 km, or about 12 miles.  However, we climbed up about 800m elevation and through different weather conditions.  We started out wearing shorts and T-shirts but by the time we got to the peak of the mountain, we were wearing 3 layers of clothes, with the outer layer being an alpine ski jacket.  Up on the mountains we had to walk through snow and by the time we finished, we were walking through dense forests.  There is steam coming out of some of the mountains.  There is hardly any vegetation up on top.  One of the mountains was "Mount Doom" in the 3rd Lord of the Rings movies.  The hike took about 7-8 hours.  All of us were dead tired and hungry that night but we all thought this was one of the best scenery we have seen so far.

"Mount Doom" from Lord of the Rings movie

Hiking through rugged terrain

A lot of snow as we get to the top

Looking down from one of the trains

A few craters filled with water

There were warning signs everywhere about active volcanoes

Not easy hiking through snow with sneakers

Steam coming out of some of the mountains

On the way down

Dense forests and stream at the bottom of the mountains

Waitomo Caves

This is the second day of our trip.  We are heading towards a place called Maketu.  On the way there, we stopped at a place called Waitomo Caves.  At one time this area was part of the ocean.  A lot of dead sea life was deposited here and eventually became limestone.  After the sea subsided this became a limestone area.  Underground, rivers and streams carve out caves with their stalactites and stalagmites.  The town of Waitomo is a touristy town that is built around these caves.  We were offered many options to experience the caves.  One of them was walking or whatever it takes to go through the caves.  This is called the Tumu Tumu Toobing.  Other options include abseiling (or rappelling, as Americans called it) down a waterfall into the caves.
I chose the Tumu Tumu Toobing, which costs around NZ $140.  I thought it was a simple walk through the caves.  I was wrong.  It was a lot tougher than that.  We had to crawl or squeeze through the caves.  In some places, we had to swim and even tube down the caves.  In one section of the caves, we turn off our lights and saw the glowworms.  To do all this we had to wear wet-suits, boots and miners' helmets.
We were in the caves for about 3 hours and I was physically tired after this.  In some parts, it was even scary but we had a couple of good guides.  At times, we literally had to squeeze through the limestone formation.  It was a worthwhile experience but I don't know if I will do it again.
After Waitomo Caves, we are schedule to drive to a small town called Maketu, on the shore of Lake Rotorua.  That is a different experience.  It will be in the next blog.

Squeezing through a tight spot

Tubing through the caves was part of the experience

Area above the caves - just normal farmland

You'd never know that there are caves below this beautiful area.

Surfing in Raglan

We left Auckland early on Tuesday morning to start our trip.  The Stray bus was waiting at one of the intersections downtown and there were about 10 of us waiting for the driver to show up.  Our driver has an unforgettable name - Seagull.  Yes.  That is his real name.  We picked up several more travelers at different hostels and locations in Auckland before getting on the road to Raglan, our first stop.  There were about 30 of us from different countries.  I think there were 2 or 3 of us from the US but the majority of them are from Europe - Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, England, Ireland, etc.  As expected most of them are in their 20s', so I am the old man in the group.  Quite a few of them are curious as to what I do and how old I am.  They were pleasantly surprised that I am retired and just traveling for fun.  Most of the travelers are on breaks or in-between jobs.  Some travel for a 2-3 weeks, some a month, and some even for 6 months.  Many of them are combining Australia and New Zealand into one big trips.  Some are staying in NZ for a year to work.  This seems to be a popular place for young folks to work.

It took us about 5 hours to get to our first stop, Raglan.  On the way there, we stopped at a well-know waterfall called Bridal Veil.  Raglan is known as the surfing capital in NZ.  It's a small town, maybe a few hundred people but during surfing competition, the town gets very crowded.  We were offered surf lessons, just surfing or hanging out.  It costs NZ$80.  I decided to sign up for the lessons.  We were first given a lecture and some practices on land.  It sounds easy.  We then go to the beach, put on our wet suits, then put our lessons into practice.  Well....it's much, much harder than you think.  Also, it's a lot of work.  It's not easy fighting the waves and trying to hang on to your surf board.  The hardest part is getting up on the surf board and then keeping your balance.  I must have tried at least 20 times, and even with the help of the instructor, I was able to stand on the surf board maybe once or twice and only for a couple of seconds.  It gives me an appreciation seeing others who do it so easily.  You also have to be careful when you get washed over by the waves.  The board can hit you pretty hard.  One guy got his nose bloodied.  I slammed my face on the board once but fortunately, it was not too hard.  At the end of the 2-hour session, we were all very sore and tired.  I slept well that night.
The lodge where we stayed is also where the Raglan Surf School is located.  It is owned by the same people.  The lodge is pretty rustic.  It is built against the side of the mountain.  The bathrooms and showers are all outside.  I slept in a room with 4 beds but there were only 3 of us.  One guy is from the French part of Switzerland and the other is from the Netherlands.  The Swiss guy has just graduated from medical school and the Dutch fellow is a physical therapist.  Both are in their mid-20s'.  Even with the age difference, they accept me as regular friends.  The driver/tour guide bought fish and chips for $5  for each of us and we had a great time socializing with each other.
At night we took a walk down the drive way where we saw a lot of glowworms.  It is an amazing sight, seeing tiny bright lights in the bushes.  The glowworms use the light to attract their prey and the food is used to make them light up.
In the morning we starting driving towards Lake Rotorua and Maketu where we will spend the night.

Note:  I have not be able to update my blog as much as possible because we were traveling in remote areas.  It is amazing that internet is not as readily available in NZ, being an advance country.  We just arrived in Taupo this afternoon.  Taupo is a slightly bigger town and internet is easily available. I should be able to post a couple of new updates to my blog.

Who is this surfer dude?

Veranda outside kitchen in the lodge

Bridal Veil Falls

Auckland

The most exciting thing that happened to me when I arrived in Auckland is I lost my luggage.  Someone had mistakenly taken my luggage, which looks like hers.  It took more than 24 hours before that person realized she has the wrong luggage and called Air New Zealand.  I finally had my luggage back almost 38 hours after I landed in Auckland.  I was ready to go buy some new clothes.
The locals here pronounced Auckland as if it sounds like "Oakland."  I am lucky to have friends here whom I stayed with over the weekend.  John and Marsha live about 45 minutes east of Auckland in a town called Whitford.  I got a local flavor of the city, with them showing me around and taking me to some of the nicest restaurants.  We walked around the Harbor, went to the Auckland Museum, Mt Eden, and even went to a local farmers' market.  The downtown area is like any city center, a lot of tall office buildings and some parts of it a little rundown.  But, where they live, it's beautiful rolling hills and farmlands.  Everywhere you look, it's very green.
Auckland is a beautiful city, sandwiched between two oceans:  Pacific and the Tasman Sea.  It's a relatively small city, about 1.5 million friendly people.  It's the largest city in NZ.  Things are not cheap here, although it is slightly cheaper than Australia.  The exchange rate is USD 1 = NZD 1.22
On Monday, their son, Jonathan, dropped me off downtown, where I checked in to the Nomads Auckland hostel.  I want to be downtown because the bus leaves early on Tuesday morning.  I stopped by the Stray Travel office and have my trip pretty much planned out.  Later, I took a ferry to the island of Waikehe, where there are quite a few wineries and olive farms.  The island is about a 45-minute ride from Auckland.  Unfortunately, it drizzled the entire time I was there so we could not spend much time outside.
Tomorrow morning I start on my real trip around NZ.  The first stop is a town called Raglan, a place known for surfing.

Auckland Museum

Mt Eden - highest point in Auckland

View of downtown from Mt Edn

Viaduct Harbor Area

Queen St in downtown Auckland

Another view of downtown from the harbor

Alpaca farmer at the farmer's market

Lots of fresh fish sold in NZ

View from John and Marsha's backyard

F

New Zealand

This is the time of the year that I should be staying put in Arizona.  The weather is finally cooling off and I can enjoy the beautiful outdoors in Phoenix.  Since coming back in July, I've been wondering if I can squeeze in one more trip before the end of the year.  I was thinking of going to Ireland but by the time I start making up my mind, the weather in Ireland was getting colder and the days shorter.
New Zealand has been on the top of my list of places to visit and when I found a reasonable airfare, that was it.  I am leaving the US on October 25th and returning on December 2nd.  This gives me about a month of travel in New Zealand.  Since I am traveling alone, instead of renting a car and spending a lot of time finding my way around, I decided to sign up with a group called Stray Travel.  It caters mostly to those in their 20s' and 30s', which is where I belong (at least mentally).  Here is their website, if you want to read more about them:  http://www.straytravel.com
Basically, depending on the Pass that you sign up for, they take you to most of the interesting places in NZ.  You have time to enjoy each place but if you want to stay longer, you can.  You let them know and then take the next bus that comes along.  It's a hop-on hop-off bus and it gives you a lot of flexibility on where you want to spend more time.  They even book your accommodation for you.  The drivers also act as tour guides and know where all the best places to go and do.  Below is the itinerary for the Short Max Pass trip that I signed up for.
Hopefully, I will be able to update this blog as often as possible and share pictures and stories with you.  Lastly, if you have any questions or comments, please let me know.  I love to hear from you!

Itinerary:

 

Auckland to Raglan

Depart from Auckland at 7am. We head south travelling towards the mighty Waikato. Pick up your free cultural experience (kumara) to keep or have for dinner. We head on to the world-renowned Raglan surf beach, with cow spotting and a walk to the majestic Bridal Veil Falls on the way. Chill out or go hard in this funky surf and arts town.

Raglan (via Waitomo) to Maketu

Depart 8am. Head to the rural town of Waitomo, with time to explore its famous caves and glowworms. We then head across to Maketu for our unique and special cultural stopover. We have a modern ‘Hangi’ meal and learn about Maori traditions and contemporary Maori culture complete with an interactive haka and poi lesson.

Maketu (via Rotorua) to Taupo

Depart 8am and head into Rotorua for a morning free to discover its smell (geothermal areas), culture and adventure. We do hostel pickups, then head south to Taupo and its great lake (the world’s largest crater lake), via Huka Falls. This afternoon, you can take part in one of our most popular activities - skydiving.

Taupo to National Park

We depart at 6.30am (bad weather, depart 10am) and head to the active volcanoes and dual World Heritage of 'Tongariro National Park'. Today you get a chance to do what is rated as one of the world’s best one day walks - the Tongariro Alpine Crossing; or you can carve it up at NZ’s largest ski area, Mt Ruapehu. In the evening, reward yourself at the bar or just relax in the spa where we stay.

National Park to Whakahoro

We depart at 10:30am and head to the most remote part of the North Island. Our destination is Blue Duck Lodge, a 9,000 acre high country farm that is both a working station and an environmental conservation leader. Once you arrive, there are plenty of activities for you in to partake in. Spend the evening sitting around, listening to tales from this unique region.

Whakahoro to Wellington

Depart 7.30am. We head to Wellington, New Zealand’s capital city via Ohakune, Taihape and Bulls. You have the afternoon to cruise or explore.

Wellington to Marahau (Abel Tasman)
 

We catch the 8am Bluebridge ferry (check in 7am) across to the South Island where we meet the Stray bus, we then cruise through the famous Marlborough vineyard area and the coastal town of Nelson, before heading onto Motueka and to our amazing night stop of Marahau, right on the edge of the Abel Tasman National Park.

Non Travel Day: Marahau (Abel Tasman)

You have the day at leisure to explore this stunning, coastal National Park.

Marahau (Abel Tasman) to Punakaiki

Depart at 8:30am. We head for the ‘wild’ West Coast passing through the Buller Gorge before stopping off at Cape Foulwind to see the seal colony. We head on to our Stray exclusive stop, nestled amongst the native bush in Paparoa National Park. The sunset is a must if the weather is clear!

Punakaiki to Franz Josef

You have the morning free for activities, then at midday we head into the heart of the West Coast - where time almost stands still. We do pick ups at Greymouth, make a stop in Hokitika then head to Franz Josef, a town squashed between the Tasman Sea and the mighty Franz Josef glacier.

Non Travel Day: Franz Josef

A free day to explore the glacier.
 

Franz Josef to Wanaka

Depart at 9am. We head to Lake Matheson for the amazing mirror lake; stop at Fox Glacier for pickups then travel through to the mountainous Haast pass and Makarora. We pass by the beautiful lake Hawea and arrive in Wanaka with an afternoon to enjoy this picturesque lakeside town.

Wanaka to Queenstown

Depart 11.30am. This morning you have the opportunity to check out amazing views of the lake either by skydiving or walking up Mt Iron! We depart at 11.30am. We cruise into Queenstown with a stop at the famous A.J. Hackett bungy site and then head to the ‘Adventure Capital of the World’! Queenstown offers an optional big (make that huge) night out with excellent restaurants, pubs and live music.
 

Non Travel Day: Queenstown
 

Today is yours to explore. Obviously you can break your journey in Queenstown for as long as you want. If you’re not doing the ‘Burt’, look at doing a one day trip to Milford Sound before you go. Speak to your driver or hostel travel desk for Dunedin connection options.

 Queenstown to Aoraki/Mt Cook

Depart 8:40am. We head over the Lindis Pass through the beautiful Mackenzie Country and Lake Pukaki, then head north to our amazing stop at the base of New Zealand’s highest mountain Aoraki/ Mt Cook, arriving in the early afternoon. If you want to hop off the bus for a few days there are some incredible longer walks (we'd recommend leaving actually climbing Mt Cook to the mountaineers though).

Mt Cook to Rangitata

Depart 10am. We make our way to the ‘Lord of the Rings’ landscape of Rangitata. We head around the turquoise Lake Tekapo, where we stop for ice-skating or a swim at the hot springs. We arrive early afternoon in Geraldine, and then head through to spend the night at Rangitata Rafts in Peel Forest (39.1km from Rangitata).

Rangitata (via Christchurch) to Kaikoura

Depart 7.30am. It is an express haul across the Canterbury plains to Christchurch. We depart Christchurch at 9.45am and have a beautiful drive up the coast to Kaikoura. You have the afternoon free for activities.
 

Kaikoura to Picton or Wellington

Depart 8.30am. We wind our way up the rugged coastal roads with stops for photos and a seal colony. Those not heading north to Wellington on the ferry will stay in the port town of Picton for the night.

 

Wellington to Auckland

Depart 8:40am. This is an express day via National Park to Auckland. You can hop off anywhere along the way.

Dean

This post is for friends of Dean Bishop.  I am in Portland, OR, to visit Dean and has visited him twice.  I've taken some pictures and a video of Dean saying hello to you all.  Because of the number and size of the pictures and the video, this blog is the best way for me to share with all his friends.  Otherwise, I'd have to send several emails to all of you and put the video on YouTube, which I really don't want to do.  If you are not a friend of Dean, this post will be meaningless to you.
Dean is staying at the Gracelen Terrace, where he is recovering from his falls at St. Andrews'.  If you want to know more about Gracelen, here is its website:  http://www.gracelenterrace.com/
You can talk to Dean by calling Gracelen's phone number:  1-503-760-1727.  Be prepared to wait, as it takes them time to find Dean and bring him to the phone.  You can also write to him directly at the address:  10948 SE Boise Street, Portland, OR 97266, USA.
The facility is not very big but it appears to be very well run.  There appears to be adequate staff members to take care of the patients.  The afternoon that Jack and I first went there, they were getting ready for a jam session with some percussion instruments.  Dean said he just watch and listen.
We sat outside in the courtyard and had a nice conversation with Dean.  I was surprised to find him in good spirit and was his jovial self.  He seems to accept his situation very well and is aware that he is having some medical and mental issues.  On my second visit, I asked him if he knew what happened to him, he said he had a stroke.  I brought up a lot of conversations and situations that he and I had and he had no trouble remembering them.  I asked him about a couple of hotels that he used to stay in Singapore (Tai Ho) and Penang (Swiss Hotel) and he remembers them very well.  However, when I asked him if he knows my name, he drew a blank.  And I've known Dean for more than 40 years!
I asked him if he would like to go back to Thailand, he lit up and said yes.  I asked him why and he said that's because he has lived there for a long time.  I told him that he may not be able to get the kind of care that he is getting in the US, he didn't seen to be able discern the difference.

In my opinion, Dean is very well taken care of at Gracelen and I believe, at St. Andrews' as well.  He realizes that he is having some issues but he is having a positive attitude about it.  I know some of you think that Dean would be happiest in Thailand and I would agree with you.  However, Dean is not the same Dean that we've all known and love for a long time.  Even if he is medically fit today, he may not be 100% mentally able to take care of himself.  Here in Portland, at both Gracelen and St. Andrews', he is constantly monitored by the facility staff.  In Thailand, he'd have to be constantly monitored by someone.  Another issue that all of us have to consider is the financials.  In the US, he is taken care of by the VA (Veterans Administration) and Medicaid.  Would these assistance be transferrable when he is in Thailand?  If not, how is he going to pay for his medical bills and long-term care?
I am hoping to see Dean one more time before I return to Phoenix next week.  I am sure he'd like to hear from you, either by telephone or regular mail.

Dean and Jack

Meng, Dean and Jack

Dean

Dean's bed and room

Gracelen Terrace

Singapore By Night

The Central Business District in Singapore has a very impressive skyline.  Most of these buildings were built in the last 30-40 years.  Singapore also reclaimed a big chunk of land from the sea and built an area called Marina Bay.  The signature building in this area is the Marina Bay Sands (MBS) Hotel, with its 3-building hotel topped by a roof that looks like a ship.  At night the buildings in this area is all lit up as you can see from the pictures below.

Central Business District (CBD)

Another View of the CBD

Marina Bay Sands (MBS) Hotel

The Fullerton Hotel, which used to be the General Post Office

L-R: Art Science Museum, Singapore Flyer, MBS Hotel and Casino

Hawker Center, where local food are sold

Sunset View of Singapore Flyer

Promenade with Double-Helix Bridge

Sunset View of CBD

Malay Dancers Performing at the Esplanade

Laser Show in front of the Promenade

Big Band and Dancers Performing at the Promenade