South Island #2

Since our last entry, Marshall and I have spent the week driving from the lower end of the South Island to the northernmost point. The roads are small two-lane highways that twist and turn through mountain passes and along the coasts and it is very hard driving. The land varies dramatically every three hours. In one day we went from mountain passes, through a rain forest, visited a glacier, and ended up on the coast of the Tasman Sea. It is like traveling in California along the coastal highway without the population. Truly incredible. Since we are booking our rooms on the fly, we have become regular users of the government-sponsored I-Site visitor centers. It takes us back to 1983 when we spotted the same kind of centers in Europe and inspired the legendary Capitol Reservations. My goodness, that feels like a different life. I always wanted to develop the concept into this kind of walk-in center but could never find the right location in DC. The main drawback has been lack of internet service. Oftentimes we have used internet cafes in 20-minute segments, so we are forced to race through our emails. Please understand if we have not responded to your emails. Apparently the broadband is charged according to data download usage, and nobody wants to offer wi-fi because it will run up their bill.
The natural history of New Zealand reads like a parable: When the land mass was formed 80 million years ago, it was an isolated Eden. There were no natural predators, so birds that settled in evolved without wings, including the kiwi http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiwi which has become the national symbol. (New Zealanders refer to themselves as Kiwis and the dollar is called the kiwi.) That changed when the first Maori arrived by boat from the Polynesian islands about 1000 years ago, importing rats and other animals. Since the rat has no natural predator, they multiplied like crazy. When the European settlers arrived in the mid-1850s, they decided to do something to control the rats, so they brought in weasels (stoats). Instead of feeding on the rats, they went after the native bird eggs, and they, too, bred out of control. Same with possum, deer and anything else that was brought in. We met one fellow who developed a business back in the early 70s by trapping and poisoning the possums for their fur, which he sold overseas at a high premium. That is no longer allowed, so possum today are the predominate road kill on the highways. The same guy said deer are so out of control that anyone can shoot any deer any time (there are no hunting seasons). Back during the 1930s his father was hired by the government to kill as many as possible, in an effort to control the population. His father killed more than 600 deer, but apparently made little dent. As one guide explained, today New Zealanders spend an inordinate amount of time trying to control invasive species of plants and animals brought here more than 100 years ago. Around the trails predator control boxes are planted, trying to capture them before they attack native bird eggs.
Of course, we have the same problem in the US Great Lakes with the Asian carp, a voracious invasive fish that eats everything in sight, including the native fish population. First imported by Southern catfish farmers to control algae, the carp has now moved up the Mississippi River and DNA samples have been detected in the Great Lakes. Michigan has sued Illinois to require the closure of the main barge waterway leading into the Great Lakes, which would be a huge economic loss. If the carp does get into the lakes it may destroy the native ecosystem and all sport fishing (of course, much of the fish there is already inedible, thanks to mercury poisoning). Here in New Zealand we get a more Asian view of the news, and one story is about the blue fin tuna. It is becoming endangered, but Japan refuses to limit the catch. You get the idea.
Do you have your most embarrassing travel story? We got to revisit ours this trip. This is actually our second trip to NZ. We first came here twelve years ago for about 10 days for a drive around the South Island and then spent another 10 days in Australia (Sydney and the Great Barrier Reef). On that trip we stayed at an eco-lodge along the southwest corner of the South Island, near the glaciers. Fit and vigorous, we decided to do an early morning kayak trip on the river in front of the main lodge. As each of us got in our separate kayaks, the outfitter warned us there was a strong current on the river, so just make sure to stay upstream away from the waterfall. Well less than five minutes later Marshall found herself drifting downstream and I was not able to keep her in the right direction without tipping over myself. In a mild panic, Marshall made a beeline for the nearest bush, which she grabbed onto. Immediately she was attacked by mosquitoes on her arms, face and neck. After a few minutes the outfitter headed our way in his kayak and got us safely returned to the dock. We were, of course, mortified. But the final embarrassment came a few days later when we were on a ferry and talked to some familiar looking people. “Oh, yes, we know you—we watched you out the window while we were having breakfast.”
Now we only do hikes, or tramps as they are called here. We did a warm-up five mile hike on the famous Abel Tasman coastline, and we got a bonus sighting of baby dolphins playing in the water: see a movie clip here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPBgXLyn7aU
We did another two-hour hike along the beach of Farewell Spit, named by Capt. Cook in 1780 when he said farewell to the South Island. It is just a long spit of land, but it has thousands of black swans in the water. We have spent the last three days in Nelson, checking out the restaurants, farmers market, doing laundry, etc. We also have had a chance to catch up with the big news—Tiger is playing in the Masters! No mention of health care, but we sometimes check the news and follow the high drama.
Next we have signed up for a tramp on the famous Queen Charlotte Track for two or three days, depending on how it feels. If it is too much, we have the option of taking a water taxi back home. Wish us luck!
Click here for the photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/thomashall99/NZBlog3#\