The End of an Era

As is usual, I have gotten behind in posting and have to sacrifice detail such as describing the lush green fields littered with white sheep, the captivating hike through the rain forest opening up to a massive Fox Glacier, further hitchhiking adventures, making it up to the spectacular pancake rocks and taking a stroll along the beach watching the sun set over an aggressive though spellbinding Tasman Sea. Certainly all of these things made for a very enjoyable journey but I will have to rely on my memories alone to bring back the pleasures of my last days on the south island.

Very nice car for the price

I made it back to Wellington and stayed one night before picking up a rental car – a 6-speed manual Toyota Corolla that couldn't have been more than two years old. For those who don't know, I jump at any chance to drive stick shift. I have never had much access to one, so it's a huge treat whenever the opportunity arises. It didn't take long to get used to the left handed shifting nor the driving on the left side of the road. I've done it before so I felt confident doing it again. The journey alone provided a great deal of satisfaction, but it was the destination that was magnificent.

If you're familiar with BBC's Planet Earth series (absolutely amazing), perhaps you've seen the episode on caves. A large portion of this episode is devoted to the Waitomo caves on New Zealand's north island. When I discovered this, the caves worked their way to the top priority on my New Zealand agenda. Seeing the caves was not at all a disappointment. The tour started out with a quick abseiling (rappelling) lesson and before I knew it I was volunteering to be the first to drop down 40 meters through a narrow passage into the black abyss. Climbing through some tight corridors brought us to a platform where I was strapped in and told quite suddenly to turn off my lamp, jump, and let go. The consequence for my blind obedience was a terrifying yet exhilarating zip-line into a pitch black cavern light up by only meager starry lights from the glow worms above. An adrenaline-rushing jump into the icy water was followed by a relaxing drift in rubber inter-tubes along the black water contained by the moist limestone walls. A round trip voyage was much too short but what followed was a combination of walking and swimming through the shallow river systems cutting the cave passages out of the rock. These are the same rivers that go on to carve out the rock with passages reaching 900 meters below the surface. After a good trek through the caves on foot, our guides gave us the option to either turn left and walk right out back into the sun or continue straight and crawl around a bit before coming across a couple waterfalls that, if we rock climb against the water, will also take us back to the surface. No surprise in the decision. By the time it was over, I was ready to turn back around and do it all over again but my wallet disagreed and so I continued on my way to the car. A couple who went on the trip with me bought the photo cd and promised to send me the photos but I'm afraid since I've not yet received word, I will never see them.

My travel map of New Zealand

That night I worked my way back to Auckland having plenty of time to reflect on my trip in a serious traffic jam. Upon arrival I really wondered whether New Zealand could live up to its reputation or if people had built it up too much. Personally I found it to be everything I had expected and nothing less. Great sights, friendly people, good food, brilliant weather (mostly), and a lot of wonderful experiences. I'd like to send thanks out to Alastair and Nicole, the Abbots, the Bishops, and John for letting me spend several nights with them. Also a big shout out to all of them and other friends I met along the way such as Will, Alex, Sarah, and the grad students at U of Otago. Speaking of, the University of Otago is currently my top pick for graduate school. Overall I had a brilliant month in New Zealand and I look forward to the day I am able to return.

Hitchhiker's Guide

First of all, I was waiting for the day that I reached 25 followers. I was going to have a celebratory post where I got really excited about having a quarter of a hundred people reading my blog, but then I missed it. Sure enough, there are now 27. I try to make a habit of not judging myself on what other people do, but seeing the number of followers rise is the only measurable quantity to how many people are interested in what I'm up to. Here's a big shout out to all 27 of you. Thanks a million for following my travels and keeping me company along the way!

Hitchhiking outside Christchurch

Transportation. What does the word make you immediately think of? Does it bring up images of driving in a car? Fond memories of plane rides? Perhaps a lovely trip in a boat? If you think long enough about the concept of transportation, the idea of cost might cross your mind. With gas prices soaring, there is really only one cheap way to get form one place to another. I'm sure this form of transport is equally as old as any other: hitchhiking. Can't you imagine the very moment Karl Benz started up his first automobile for the first time how his buddies must have been running after him for a free ride? I'm sorry if your imagination doesn't have as much fun as mine seems to but the bottom line is that hitchhiking is still a great way to get around today.

I am going out on a limb and assuming that most of you have never tried it before as a means to travel across a country. Based on this assumption, I will describe a few things I've discovered as a result of my experiences.

Who:
From what I've seen, it's very difficult for more than one hiker to get picked up at a time. People often have space for only one more person, so if you're trying to hitch with someone else, good luck. If there is competition, it's best to walk in the direction you want to go. Separation from the competition is the only way to get picked up.

Where:
Places where cars need to slow down are ideal such as construction zones, turns, or bridges. However, there needs to be a place for them to pull off so forget mountain roads. Getting picked up in town is very unlikely, so starting from the far end of traffic areas is ideal.

When:
It's always best to start early. Sometimes there's hardly a wait but on off days, it may take over twice the time that it would driving there directly.

Why:
It is way cheaper than any other mode of transportation. Moreover, it can be far more interesting and much more beneficial. For instance, I had my first ride on a jet ski as a direct result of hitchhiking.

How:
As seen on tv. It's nothing special. Hold the arm out and confidently stick that thumb toward the sky. There are a few tricks that are handy: facing the cars allows for eye contact, a smile goes a long way, a limp arm or thumb will only hinder, a sign with a not-so-distant location (even if it takes 3 different signs) increases chances, and continuing to walk is an indication of liveliness and determination.

Off-roading in the second ride I got

As you should expect, I have come away with some great stories. For instance, the first car that picked me up literally went up in smoke. I was taken off-roading through bush and rocky river beds (pictured). As I said above, one of the people to pick me up later took me out for an absolutely thrilling ride on his jet ski. I've been picked up by many different nationalities, a wide variety of ages, and people with quite different stories. The experience that stands out slightly above the rest however would have to be the ride I got after finishing my tramp in Arthur's Pass.

Full picnic offered to me, a hitchhiker

Two long days of hiking several kilometers through rugged terrain with a 20kg pack brought me out to state highway 73. Some 200km to my right was Christchurch, and about 25km to my left was Arthur's Pass Department of Conservation (DOC). Unfortunately although my destination was Christchurch, I needed to swing by the DOC first. About 20 minutes of standing exhausted on the side of the road, a green car that had already passed me comes up behind and asks me if I need a lift. My initial thought was “duh,” but I politely said something to the extent of “if it wouldn't be any trouble, I would certainly appreciate it.” I hopped into the back of the '78 Rolls Royce and introduced myself to the other three. Steven, a 50+ year old New Zealander was on his way through Arthur's Pass with his mother and cousin to see the mountains covered in Rata, a native flowering tree that blooms red for about 2 weeks out of the year. We started talking and it turned out that Steven is actually going back to Christchurch after a picnic lunch with the family and offered to take me all the way there. After completing my errands at the DOC, it was insisted that I join them for the picnic lunch set beneath the mountains bursting out with red blossoms. The two and a half hour ride back to Christchurch (which included a shameless 20 minute nap) was probably the smoothest and most comfortable ride of my life. Who knew that my first ever ride in a Rolls Royce would be as a sweaty tired hitchhiker?