Sidney – Day 4

Trip Day 22

February 28, 2010

The last day of February. How about that? Y'all in the states have one more to go, but it'll be March soon.

I've done something to my foot. I started hurting yesterday and isn't any better today. Truly cramped my walking plans, but I made the best of it. Managed to check off more items on Ted's list, but not all of them. Didn't get a return trip to Bondi in, for one. I did, however walk and window shop along Oxford Street in Paddington and went to see 'Hurt Locker' at the Verona movie theater. Whatamovie! I wasn't planning on spending two hours+ sitting in a theater, but it kept me off my foot and made sense. I'm really glad to have seen it.

Grabbed a large 'flat white' and then took a taxi down to Circular Quays, the central harbor location that has both the train station and the ferries. Only had to wait a half hour for one to Rose Bay. This trio wsa good enough to provide some entertainment. The weather wasn't perfect, but it was certainly nice enough to sit up top and admire the harbor on a summer Sunday afternoon. The boat was full both ways.

Rose Bay was pretty, and Ted's list suggested lunch at Catalina. That's the ferry at the left of the frame. I was a little underdressed, but it didn't seem to matter (does anything?) and I had a beer and some excellent calamari while I waited for the next ferry to take me first to Watson's Bay and then back to the city. There was a good breeze blowing and the sheer volume of sailing vessels was impressive.

Victoria Street, where I'm staying in Poggs Point, is something of a headquarters for backpackers. There are hotels everywhere near here catering to the young, Australia-on-a-budget crowd. Here's a scene just up the block from my hotel.

Then it was back to the city and the beginning of wrapping up Chapter 4. Had a great dinner atMaggie's, a German restaurant overlooking an urban park. It was the all-around best meal I've had on the trip to date.

Catch an 0800 flight to Perth tomorrow for the beginning of Chapter 5.

Bondi Beach

Trip Day 21.

February 27, 2010

Bondi Beach, Sydney

My friends Sonny and Alec MacMillan are visiting their daughter and son-in-law here. Jimmy is a lawyer for a NYC firm, and he and Kate grabbed the opportunity to spend two years here in the company's satellite office. Their apartment is close by and we met for dinner my first night here. Alec and Sonny hadn't been to Bondi Beach yet and since I was under orders to get there, the kids and we decided to have a beach day. They picked me up at 8.30 and we headed for the Depot for breakfast. Good choice. Alec digs into a 'flat-white.'

The weather was spectacular, and the beach lived up to its reputation for both natural and human (female) beauty. Is that a marshmallow? I love marshmallows. I have bruises from walking into things. As is the case everywhere, physical fitness events happen all the time. This coach is setting a swim course. He launched his students shortly after this and then grabbed a board to get out ahead and set the turn points.

I managed to drop a sandal walking back from a late morning shopping/water/toilet break and only discovered it missing as we were packing up to leave. Retraced my steps and found it. Don't think anyone had any use for a singleton Keen, so it stayed put right where it dropped out of my bag.

We had both breakfast and lunch at the Beach and then headed back to take a breather.

Yesterday Sydney hosted a mammoth gay pride parade, and Kate wanted to see it with her dad. Jimmy bought a variety of sausages: kangaroo and emu along w/ some more typical types and I joined them at their apartment for dinner after the parade. It was a nice day, and of all of them was the best beach day by far.

Sydney!

Trip Day-20
February 26, 2010

Sydney, Day 2

This is a BIG city. And like all others it shares common traits: noise, congestion and traffic. The cab ride to the hotel was familiar: . Someone got hurt here.

Good urban hiking day today. A few rain showers here and there, but they didn't keep people inside. Like other international cities, people want to be out and they get out.
Taking Ted's and my innkeeper's suggestion, I headed toward the Opera House via the Naval Depot, Mrs. Macquarie's Chair (for the view) and the Botanical Gardens Then took a ferry to Manly, had lunch and a little people watching at Manly Beach. Back to the hotel to clean up, do some photo-editing and some writing, grab a light dinner and head for the Symphony. No sense in just looking at the outside of the Opera House… So the first stop was the Navy base. A memorial at Embarkation Point caught my attention (I wouldn't have seen it had I gone the most direct route to the Botanical Gardens…I simply missed the shortcut while I paid more attention to the rain and my camera gear). Glad I did. If you were paying attention in NZ you'd see WW1 or Great War memorials in every city or town. The memorial here honored those soldiers from Australia who had shipped out from Embarkation Point.

Here are some statistics that most of us remember only indistinctly, if at all. During the Great War, from 1914-1918, Australian casualties amounted to almost 65% (215,518 of 331,781) of all who went to war. New Zealand casualties were 59% (58,526 of 98,959). [Source: Australian Campaigns in the Great War]. The experience, highlighted by the disastrous campaign at Gallipoli, helped define both Australia and New Zealand national identities.

Then on to the incomparable Royal Botanic Gardens, some showy birds and an introduction to Fruit Bats. Carolyn said they look a little like Phoebe with wings. True. Interesting little buggers just waiting for the sun to start going down to start their commute to work.

The Opera House is a place of immense energy and vitality. Lots of kids on school trips (note the uniforms) mixing with tourists and residents alike circulating in and around the plaza. There are six theaters in the complex. The Opera and The Man in Black were sold out, but I grabbed a ticket for Nigel Kennedy and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra starting at 8. Didn't see any sense of just looking at the outside of a iconic building.

$13 buys a round trip ticket to Manly and a good way to see the harbor. In about the same time as a ferry ride from Hingham to Boston, this half hourly service pretty much defines mass water transportation. It was much the same kind of experience as ours at home: relaxing, picturesque and efficient. 700 passenger boats. They actually understand and practice public transit by water here.

There is a serious commitment to the water here. What I thought might be a camp of some sort was, in fact, a class for city children to teach them respect for the sea and how to safely have fun in it.. Rips are real and dangerous. Children are taught early how to spot them.

The concert was something else. Not a sellout, but a good house for Mr. Kennedy. Didn't know who he was until yesterday, but I sure do now. He's hard to ignore. Spiked hair, an almost exaggerated informality with both orchestra and audience and a mouth that, in my opinion, didn't belong on stage in front an audience with children, he and a largely string orchestra played Bach and Ellington with three short Bartoks thrown in. It was hugely entertaining. Informal and profane he may be, but he takes the music seriously and drew us all into a two hour program that paired Bach with The Duke. The Bartok pieces were duets with a young female violinist whose extravagant (and profane) introduction drew unsettled laughter. She handled it well…I guess he does this kind of thing regularly…and they worked together beautifully. For the Ellington works he supplemented the orchestra with a terrific vibraphonist, a sax man, guitarist, drummer and his own electric violin. Julliard trained, he and first chair/concert master violinist studied together. They did have fun talking about school. And if the concert master didn't wear those damn shoes! At least they hadn't developed that cute little toe-curl yet. Maybe they're just a better brand?
Kennedy would be a good show at the Pops, but Keith Lockhart would likely have to take a seat. Nigel works alone.

Bondi Beach tomorrow!

Chapter 4

Trip Day 19 - #2

February 25, 2010
Aboard Qantas 56, AKL-SY
Chapter 4 begins.

We'll arrive in Sydney in an hour and a half. I've had the first semi-serious wrinkle happen. Involved my baggage. I booked the AKL-SYD flight separately from the international and the internal Australian legs. That queered everything. I was told it would cost an additional $200 for my second bag. The agent then looked at the rest of my itinerary, saw it was pretty extensive on Qantas and asked for some help. They excused the fee, but he warned me that I could expect trouble on the other legs. I've sent an email to my travel agent to see if she can help. Maybe, maybe not. We used to joke about the Delta department whose mission was to develop policies that would piss off customers. Guess Qantas has one, too.
So some thoughts about what I've just experienced:

• It's good to be in a place that's not a target. As I've mentioned before, the atmosphere in airports is much more relaxed. Security people are vigilant, but have a naturally different perspective. It's palpable to a yank.
  
• My perhaps unkind reference to Kiwis as a whole as not being particularly distinctive looking is overshadowed by their friendliness and warmth. I still wish I had a picture of the shoes, though. One of the flight attendants on the Queenstown to Auckland flight had some on. Long thin toe boxes that turn up at the toes…think Santa's elves. Maybe the Aussies wear them, too. One can always hope.


• NZ has 4 million people and about 3 million reside on the north island. Imagine what that means for the south island nearly 1000 kilometers long. Want to get away from people?


• I didn't have a truly memorable meal. Memorable beers and wines, yes, but not cuisine. The worst was a lamb dish described in the menu as: shredded, spiced and compressed. And breaded. It presented as something resembling a narrow bar of soap. [Actually, I didn't have it, but several of my hiking friends did. Not much of it got eaten.] Meats were offered braised, slow roasted and/or crusted. The closest to grilled was pan-fried. I had a pan-fried 'Hereford' [They're outnumbered, I think, I think by Angus, but make for good eating] porterhouse last night that was pretty good, but still didn't measure up to what I think most of us would expect. I did eat some seafood but it, too, lacked distinction. Vegetables were good. Fresh, as they should be, but not very much in evidence.


• Signs. There were some memorable ones and I've got the pictures to prove it. My favorite was a type of sign…the license plate in Wellington reproduced here despite having included it earlier. But then there were the billboards that read: "Drink-DrIvE"; the wonderful place that had all the essentials; the names of bridges, culverts and streams: Gout Creek, Imp Grotto Bridge; Solitude #2 Bridge (don't you just wonder where #1 is?); Prospector Flat Culvert; a shop that had an interesting business plan . Like beer? Me too:
  And then there's my favorite representative of that wonderful food group known as crisps:
  . Eat your heart out Frito Lay!


• I've already written about the outdoors culture. There's no surprise there, it's just a fact. One could spend a lifetime taking a drives to trail heads and going for walks, never doing the same one twice.
  
• The extravagant scenery (Mounts Tasman and Cook) and unforgettable skies both day and night. My friend Dana shot all three of these...she's getting good with that Canon Rebel. This was sunset on the Tasman Sea: And here're some cirrus clouds the likes I've never seen before. Note the two distinct patterns and directions. Must be at least two layers with winds about 90 degrees to each other.

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Queenstown Airport

Trip Day 19

February 25, 2010

Queenstown Airport

Queenstown, NZ

 

I'm leaving on a jet plane. Don't know when I'll be back again. We groaned in the van when the John Denver track came on. Several people asked to be shot on the spot. Poor John. Pretty good singer, bad pilot.

Have got an hour until boarding the Auckland flight. Will have a few hours of down time there before the SYD connection, but won't have any problem killing the time.

The cab driver who brought me here this morning, Hamish, was a young, fit looking guy. Guided on the Milford Track for three years before his knees gave out. 33 kilometers every 9 days took their toll, so he quit. Said it was the best job he'd ever had. Now is driving a taxi and has a role in a local production of 'Oliver.' It'll finish in a couple of weeks and he and a buddy are going to Stewart Island off the south coast for a 12 day hike. It all makes me smile. Find something you want to do and do it. Stretch the envelope.

Browns' Boutique Hotel was a great choice for me. Warm and comfortable to be there from the moment I set foot in the place. Donald cooks a mean breakfast, too. Gillian says she knows Backroads recommends them but she's never met anyone from the company. I think that's a little odd. She made a note while we were talking to give them a call to thank them. There are fancier places in Queenstown, but it would be hard to imagine one more convenient or welcoming.

 

Queenstown, NZ

Trip Day 18

February 24, 2010

This is day 3 in Queenstown. Yesterday, while I didn't blog except to reprise the day before, I did get several nuts/bolts kinds of things done. First on the list was getting rid of some of the 'stuff' I'd brought for the hike and things I've acquired since arriving two weeks ago. The post office isn't far away. Unlike the USPS offices we're used to, this one was modern, well appointed and staffed by people who don't look like they'll 'go postal' at any minute. I bought a good box and packing materials and went back to the hotel. Into the box went about 16# of things I'll be glad not to lug around anymore. It only cost $122NZD. Yipes!

I'd begun to think about my flights to Sydney via Auckland a couple of days ago. I began to realize I hadn't allowed enough time for the connection. Had treated it lightly and not given enough thought to the fact that I would be connecting to an international flight and that I would have to claim my bags and recheck them in a different terminal with a different airline. Sooo…I tramped over to the Air New Zealand office and chatted up Lucille, a friendly Kiwi agent. Bingo. She told me I wouldn't have made the connection (a), and she could book me on an earlier flight (b). It would only cost me an additional $250. Arrrgh, said I. That was half again as much as I'd paid for the entire NZ itinerary (internal flights are very affordable), but there really wasn't any choice. There was only one seat left on the airplane and I grabbed it. I'll sleep better tonight.

Queenstown is a vibrant, energetic and youthful small city. There are outdoor gear shops and adventure tour agencies everywhere; and if you're not biking, hiking, kayaking, trekking, skydiving, bungee jumping or some blend of everything people wonder if you've got a pulse. Oh, and did I mention the beer? [I think I did.] Speights? Monteiths? Tui? Emersons? Wonderful! The wine is mighty good and everywhere, too. I worked on some of that last night and will practice some more tonight. Practice, practice, practice.

Then there's the Fergburger. This little joint has people lining up to get in most any hour of the day.

I mentioned the youthfulness of the city. Student-aged kids are everywhere doing what student-aged kids do everywhere: hanging out with their friends and having fun. The little city green on the waterfront had bodies strewn everywhere yesterday in fine warm sunshine. A little later in the afternoon, 'flat-white' time for me (espresso, hot water and steamed milk), two barely resisting girls were carried a couple hundred yards from a pub to the pier and tossed into the lake. I missed the airborne shot, but here's the landing. That's one of the New Zealand Americas' Cup boats in the background.

A gondola nearby takes visitors up the mountain behind the city and offers a spectacular view of Lake Wakatipu, The Remarkables and the other nearby mountains. Of course there's a popular luge course up there (you would expect as much,no?) as well as, yes, a bungee jumping platform (unused at least for the moment). And hang gliding when the wind is right. The mini-golf course is at the bottom of the mountain...can't imagine why. There's also a graphic indicator of just how far we are away from home.

The population, both permanent and temporary, is overwhelmingly white and English-speaking. It is certainly very popular with Asian cultures, too, but Canadians, Brits, Scots and Irish are in the main with the USA heavily represented as well.

I rented a mountain bike this morning with the [unrealistic, as it turns out] goal of visiting some nearby vineyards. Ted Schrauth, my Perthian friend and host come March 1^st, had recommended seeing a half dozen particular vineyards. Not today, at least not on a bike. The closest one was about 25K away. They'll have to wait. I took the bike on a largely beautifully maintained trail around the lake and only crashed once. Rookie mistake. There were even bathrooms at convenient locations. What a concept!

Tomorrow is travel day. I leave for Auckland at 9.50am and will arrive in Sydney around 5pm. Bidding farewell to New Zealand the BIG little country will be bittersweet. It's been a wonderful experience.

Hike Day 10. Endings

February 23, 2010
The Browns Boutique Hotel
Queenstown, NZ

Trip Day 17 (a retrospective of Hike Day 10)

So yesterday was the Backroads' breakup day. It happened quickly at the Queenstown airport. Some sadness and promises of keeping in touch, but people already had their eyes on flight schedules, hotel pickups and other things so suddenly we found ourselves going our separate ways. No pictures.

No doubt some lasting friendships were born over the past week and a half. We certainly got to know one another, and David, our appointed 'cruise director,' had us do an exercise at our farewell dinner to show just how much. Our task began by drawing a name from a hat. No one could have his or hers, of course, nor one's partner. During dinner we were to choose a single word that described a positive quality of the person whose name we had drawn. Over desserts and coffee, we went around the table: elegant, fun loving (ok, so that's two words), ebullient, eclectic, courageous, thoughtful, enthusiastic, gentleman, kind, caring and resourceful were some of the words offered. Many drew applause.

Our hoped for "Plan C" to get a flight to Milford Sound didn't happen. The weather had not improved. Milford Sound will have to wait for another trip. We were all disappointed. Those who had not signed on for Milford did a short but vertical hike up Iron Mountain early and were back at the resort in time for a shower and breakfast before our departure for Queenstown.

The ride was quiet. All of us were alone with our thoughts. Most of the group had flights to catch, so that weighed on their minds…there's always some stress associated with getting on a plane. The rest of us were simply wondering what Queenstown would hold for us. Much, we hoped.

We did pass A.J. Hackett's bungee jumping center. Where it all began. We had planned to stop and watch, but a road construction project created a traffic backup and we needed to stay on schedule. Then came the vineyards on the outskirts of Queenstown, the remarkable Remarkables (mountain range) and there we were: the airport. Handshakes and hugs all around and it was over.

Now starts Chapter 3

Edgewater Resort Hike Day 9

Today was to be the day for a flight to Milford Sound. We all met in the lobby at 8am to learn if the weather would allow the trip. It wasn't. Despite crystal clear weather here at the lake, the Sound had a low overcast. It's a VFR (visual flight rules) kind of excursion, so it scrubbed. Here's a picture just after dawn of Mt. Aspiring to the west. Seeing the clouds lapping over and around the peak made me suspicious of poor weather in that direction: Plan B was to kick around Wanaka, the resort itself or go on a walk in the area. There was a possibility of the weather lifting and getting off on an afternoon launch, so we agreed we'd meet in town at 1300. The walk was lovely. This is the Clutha River that flows out of Lake Wanaka. Crystal clear and fast moving. When we finished the walk we all split up for a couple of hours. I went back to the hotel to do some odds/ends and then walked back into town along the lake. Sunday afternoon crowded beach scene.... It actually did get more crowded a little later in the day, but a person could get to like this kind of beach.

At 1pm as planned we got the news that the weather hadn't lifted and the trip was off. We'll try early tomorrow morning and if it goes the return flight will be directly to Queenstown Airport for the finish. Everyone headed out to do various things.

I discovered an open air market! And spent some money. Task #1 when I get to Queenstown will be to find a shipper and send some of the purchases home. I certainly can't take them with me...simply not enough room.

Anyway, the market was great fun. Dana, our Kate Spade designer, was looking for enough wool for a friend of hers to make a sweater vest. There were two weavers at the market (this was all arts/crafts, no food) and between the two she ended up w/ the seven skeins she needed. The vendors were warm and friendly (as is everyone we've met) and explained that it takes about 40 hours of spinning to make enough yarn for a sweater. Here Betty is chatting with us and spinning at the same time.

A nice day. Time for an adult beverage....

Lake Wanaka and Rocky Mountain

Sunday, February 22, 2010
Edgewater Resort, Wanaka, New Zealand

Hike Day 8 (retrospective)

Yesterday was primarily a travel day to get us back on the arid side of the island and get us closer to the finish line in Queenstown tomorrow. We headed south and then inland, across the juncture of the Australian Plate (right) and the Pacific tectonic plates. We survived, but in the picture you can get an idea of the forces involved. The rock is actually twisted as the plate from the right moves against the one on the leftover Haast Pass to the east side of the Alps and stopped for a scenic 'amble' at a place called Blue Pools, , one of the minor but still beautiful sites of the week. This was our last stop in the temperate rain forest (we'd just gotten beyond the pass and the vegetation hadn't changed much) and the walk through it was once again memorable. Here's a picture of a Rimu tree with me to offer a sense of scale: . This was large, but not as large as others we've seen. And here is a Lance plant: . Note the downward lance-like looking leaves and the more normal looking leaves at its top. This plant was a favorite of the Moa, the now-extinct very large bird of New Zealand. It produced its unappetizing foliage until getting to a height where it was not threatened. Then it changes its leaf structure. The Moa are gone, but the plant apparently doesn't know that. Change is hard.

We were on the lookout during part of the walk for Riflemen. Not Chuck Connors wannabes, but the smallest bird of New Zealand. I thought I had one here, but it's got a tail. It's a pretty yellow breasted tit (I think), but not the Rifleman. Didn't see any this trip. May have to come back.

We finished our amble with a Backroads' signature picnic lunch and then hit the road again to Lake Wanaka and Wanaka, the first real city (small) that we've seen since leaving Christchurch. Dropped Bob, who continues to nurse his sprained ankle, at the hotel and headed for Rocky Mountain (looks pretty ordinary, huh?)and a rigorous 3 hour afternoon hike. That, I believe, was the last of the hikes and ranks second in degree of difficulty. The entire group did the long option to the summit. (l to r: Kevin-leader, Glenda, Dana, Anthony, Pamela, Janet, David, Margo, Kent, Me, April, Linda, Marty, Cindy-leader). And here are our leaders proud and no doubt relieved to have shepherded us this far. As usual, the descent was more problematic for me than the ascent…knees barking at every foot plant going down.