Coming Home 12-15-2008

12-15-2008

The end of the holiday: Yes in two hours or less we will be boarding our A380 bound for LA.
It has been a good vacation - a lot of concentrated effort went into the planning and execution. We had a 95%+ success rate on everything. The flights were on time the rental cars were there, when we had a potential down day we converted it into something worthwhile. There were a couple of accommodations that were marginal but really only in Melbourne. The people we dealt with were all very nice. This is a nice part of the world. I never got the feeling that some one wanted me to take down my pants for a good shagging.
Our last couple of nights were spent in a low budget motel next to the Melbourne airport. The accommodations sucked so we rented a car and had a great day in downtown Melbourne. That is a great city, promenades, river walks, first class art museums!!, terrific public art and wonderful street performers. I even got into the act as one of the helpers for a comedian juggler who was really funny and cheeky as they say here. He had a very mixed crowd with a lot of young kids and he had several references to his balls and all of the kids laughed. The kids knew what the jokes were about, I guess that is what happens when you grow up in a pretty rough and tumble culture. It was kind of nice.

The best deal on the trip was the car rentals and the price of gas. It probably cost us about $8 US for every 100 miles we drove and our car hire expense for the 35 days was probably around $750. Rooms averaged $75 a night which is around $2800. Food and drink was probably around $1600, Gas around $150 and tours etc $500 Air fare around $2200. Ok so what does that up to = $7500 US for the total cost of 5 weeks traveling with a car, with nice accommodations, traveling to 2 countries (almost 3 considering Tasmania) and taking the occasional tours. Not cheap but a great value.
This time we took advantage of the lessons learned in previous trips we stayed at several locations for 2-3 days and 4 days in one case. It made the trip much more enjoyable. We also brought a cooler with us which was the right size - it was great we used it for food when we got somewhere and for packing stuff when we flew. I highly recommend that. Kathy used a clip on reading light regularly; I used a flashlight for the occasional midnight pee. Having a car when you are in an undesirable place is key - just get in the thing and drive to the nearest vineyard.
Kathy thinks that the trip went on about a week too long. I know what she is talking about - how many vineyards and harbor cruises can you go on until it becomes meaningless. That said I enjoyed the last couple of days exploring Melbourne and we would have had a very negative impression if we had just returned and gotten on the plane home.
The architecture in this place is first rate and superior to most things being built in the US. Over here Frank Gherry would be considered a marginal architect in my opinion because he is all about the form and puts little effort into the space.

I am looking forward to getting back at it even though it will be frustrating and slow at times. I need to get back to some training routine just for my health.

Tasmainia 12-12-2008

12-12-2008

Sitting in a coffee shop in Hobart having my drink of choice a cappuccino Spent the last couple of days in Tasmania, did a lot of driving probably 250 miles. This place is not what you would expect. It is generally dry - and there are many huge sand beaches, the sun is warm and the water is cold. We spent one day at the beach walking. We stayed at a hostel in the beach town. The building was very attractive and new. Kathy enjoyed talking to the German guests. The next morning we dove back to Hobart via Port Arthur the most notable of the Australian prison system. The British were actually doing state of the art experiments here - including the first sensory deprivation cell. The complex stretched out across a small bay and included a couple of small adjacent islands used for a boy’s prison and a cemetery. The sentence from England was pretty much the same 7 years of "transportation" then if you ever got out you had to earn money for the trip home - not any made it back.

Well only 3 more days. My experience after this trip is that you go through periods where you wish you were back home -they come and go. When you stop to appreciate the fact that you are living in what sometimes feels like someone else’s life. This can't be me I should be home working. Another tip is doing this while you can manage for yourself especially driving if that is necessary. This kind of travel is tiring - changing modes - lifting luggage - constantly changing accommodations - customs at the airport - numerous car rentals. I am really glad that we made this opportunity happen. You can sit on the sidelines and wonder or you can get busy and head in a direction not knowing all of the details - but isn't that life.

Kathy has done well on the trip participating in many hikes, acting as navigator, and making arrangements for accommodation. She has to work to carry the extra weight. I have tried to be a good influence on her in terms of nutrition. She did better on this trip - although she still believes that you have to eat three meals per day, she doesn't fully understand the concept of daily calorie totals and she buys candy secretly eats it. Oh well baby steps as my son Chris says I think she improved.

I would have had less fun if I didn't go to the vineyards - another reason to watch my consumption. I read an article in Men’s Journal written by a guy who liked to drink but didn't want to become an alcoholic because he didn't want to have to give it all up - I fall into that category.

I just got a suggestion from the owner of the shop that I should head south about an hour to a river area and then work my way back on some back roads.

Later

Back in Christchurch 12-6-2008

12-06-2008

Back in Christchurch -Vineyards -Glass Studio- Picton - Lockmara Lodge - Tony - Blenhem: Rolled into Christchurch last night after a few more days at the north end of the Island.
Everyday when you get up on one of these trips and you are around people their first question is where are you headed. It may sound crazy but I never say where I just give them a direction - like yesterday I said "we are headed south but I don't know where we will end up. Generally I have an idea of where our max range is. Yesterday it would have been two hours east of Christchurch.
We took off from Moteuka a few days ago and headed toward Picton based on a suggestion by a young swiss couple in their 20s. They recommended this eco-art-lodge on some island in the Marbrough Sound that you had to get to by water taxi. So I used skype and called to make a tenetive reservation the morning we left because not only do you have to make sure they have room you also have to know if there is water taxi service at your arrival time. There was space and the water taxi was leaving at 3:15 if we could make it. I was about 300km and we had the day so if figured we could do it. We were up in the NZ wine country supposedly the sunshine belt so as we made our way we stopped at a well know vineyard Neubauer. Moving on toward Nelson our tour book mentioned a glass blowing studio we saw the sign an checked it out, first class work!! Back in the car and on to Picton. Picton is where the north island - south island ferries land. The place would be crazy in the US but here there was activity but not craziness. We figured out where the water taxi was and had a picnic lunch. When we got to the dock out transportation had just left but another boat owmer called the taxi a the guy turned around and picked us up. After about a 20 minute ride we arrived at the lodge. The taxi driver let two school kids off at a home on the way turns out he is the lodge owner and those were his kids. The place was only a few years old but it seemed older than that. About 20 units ours was 115NZ per night or about $70 US.

Shawn the owner supports the arts and has a studion and art director there to provide space for artists. They in turn provide art which is all over the place. The immedate grounds involve about 5 acres and have llamas, an aviary, reptile enclosures, sheep, chickens, glow worms, a hot tub and a true gormet restaurant with a great wine list.



Here is Kathy holding a palm fron

They provided free kayaks and snorkeling gear - I went for a great perosonal kayak one morning, I used the snorkel gear one afternoon (not much going on underwater) and Kathy and I hiked a bit of the Queen Charlotte Tract which this area is known for. That night we drank a bottle of wine and had salmon at the restaurant - it was great. Many travelers from the track and sea kayak outfitters spend a night or two during their journeys stay here. The next morning I got up and saw this guy paddeling his kayak in. He was a Brit who had recently moved his family to the area after essentially retiring at age 38 from building a high risk window cleaning business in London. What a character - he dropped out of school when he was 13 and had traveled spending about 5 years in Australia being among other things a toilet cleaner, camping guide and camel driver on a ranch-station near Ayers Rock. His body was all tatooed with sayings. On his chest was never give up and on his back was "time and tide wait for no one". He gave us a couple of recommendations on things to see - we listened to his great stories for a couple of hours before the water taxi took us back. He says the New Zealanders don't care for the "bloody pom's" I guess POM stands for "prisioners of her magesty"which is pretty much all Brits and it may also be Australians. After another 6 hour session of NZ championship driving I was cooked so we stopped in Christchurch - we will be heading for Akaroa on the coast later this morning. 3 more days and it is off to Melbourne for a 24 layover and then Tasmania for 4 days before heading back.

Akwora East Coast

12-07-2008

Akawroa: It is a mixed day here on the east coast 2 hours from Christchurch, it is cold and windy with some clear sky at times. I am really missing clear weather!!! The bay here is very pretty but it is small surrounded by hills so a long distance run would be difficult, so maybe I will just walk laps. I miss my running and cycling routes. I guess that is why you go on these extended journeys - they help you appreciate your routines.
When I was getting up this morning I was dreading getting up to another cloudy day so I decided to take some action and go to the bakery, have a capuccino and read the guide on tasmainia. Guys it will be more of the same a cloudy cold maritime climate for another week so I better come up with a plan - maybe it will be hiking. Hiking believe it or not has been getting to my knees. We bought some trecking poles but by the time I get done with a 3 hour hike I am hurting. Oh well I will just have to get back to the flat land.
Today we will probably do a harbor cruise. They are nice but we have done so many this trip that they are loosing their specialness, yo don't want that to happen. I have been downing quite a bit of wine - it is easy in a land known for it. That hasn't been helping my athletic performace. Vacations are for letting go but I am letting my bad habits get in the way.

My daughter nikki knows about "Wicked" van rentals. They have crazy images and sayings painted on new vans. My favorite was "great legs - what time do they open up". In some ways I am ready to climb back into the saddle. One more week
later

Waiukoropupu Springs, Kaiteriteri Beach

12-3-2008
Motueka, Waiukoropupu Springs, Kaiteriteri Beach:

Yesterday we did a bunch of driving in the area. We drove over a pass into what was supposed to be a cool hippie town, but it wasn't that cool and the art wasn't very good. The landscape continues to be impressive. We stopped at some springs where the water was gushing in huge quantities. The water quality is reported to be the best on earth its only rival is a spring in the ant artic somewhere.
I wanted to get in the water on a beach the weather was perfect. After checking a wind swept beach full of wood and debris that was said to be good we headed back for another-Kaiteriteri. The water and condition were great. I put on my wet suit and went for a long swim along the outlet to the bay. I kept an eye on the mooring lines of the boats in the bay making sure that I wasn't swimming into a strong ebb tide. You can tell by watching how the boats swing off their mooring lines. I was able to watch the cormorants up close they regarded me as some sort of strange seal.
Afterward I got out and relaxed and laid in the sun for about an hour, it was perfect. I went glacier hiking on Sunday and sunbathing on the beach on Tuesday - California can't match this. If this place were in the US it would be mobbed. We missed out on wine tasting but it isn't as if I haven't been drinking my share of wine. Our room for the last few days has been great - modern new appliances, a plasma TV.... and it is only $71 per night. Today we head east I am not sure where we will wind up. There is an eco-lodge we have heard of maybe we will find our way there.

In Moteuka NZ

12-02-2008

Having a cappuccino in the bakery down the way from the motel: Had a travel day Monday (8 hours of championship driving NZ style) and a day of riding water taxis and tramping in the Able Tasman Reserve. Today we will probably hit the beach and some springs. It sure is nice knowing that my job is still putting money in the account because we are spending it.
Jobs - next year I will be faced with a choice of "retiring". I will probably have to continue. It is sort of funny that people who have jobs that have responsibility have more grounded opinions. It is one thing to say you are in favor of wind power for instance and another if you are actually basing your future on its success. I am engaged in this open space thing. I have to do things I don't always like to do (not immoral, just unpleasant and time wasting) but I believe I am making a difference. When you are retired all you can do is sit in the stands and have opinions. I would rather be a player. That is why my friend the chiefdude is still working; beside the fact he probably can use the money.
We stayed with some nice retired people. You could tell that money was an issue even though they said that their quality of life was much better since leaving work in their late 40's. They had built a small complex including a house that was very nice - and now they are renting them out to people like us. The guy said that he has to negotiate his purchases with his wife. Who wants that?
I still want to do some traveling. I don't want to have to worry about money. Like everyone else I lost about 25% of my equity in real-estate and savings in the last 4 months. I was relatively poor when I was a kid I don't want that again. My (perhaps unfounded) fear of being confined by lack of money is stronger than my fear of work.

Later

Franz Josef Glacier 11-30-2008

My keyboad on my PDA is giving me problems - about 5 of the keays aren't working so I am just going to post a few photos. We continue to have a great time a we are seeing some of the best scenery in the world. Most of it is between 2,000 and 6,000 feet so Kathy is not having any health issues to speak of. We drove to Milford Sound, on the way back hiked Key Summit (it was like being in the alps. Then we spent 10 hours driving north and wound up a the Fraz Josef Glacier which start just a few hundred feet above sea level here aon the coast. I went on a guide hike up into the glacier, crampons, ice axes, ropes the whole thing with about 13 others. Hiking a glacier is one of the things you should do if you are able before you die. Here are photos