back from the farm!

Where to start?!? I'm not sure I can fully describe my wwoofing experience at Port Ligar in writing! I started my journey to this remote tip of the Marlborough Sounds by ferry from Wellington, then van from Picton to Havelock (with Nick & Val, the mail carriers) over curvy Queen Charlotte Dr, then took the Pelorus Sound mail boat from Havelock to Port Ligar. Here's a map to help you out - Port Ligar is the northernmost stop on the Friday run (black):

We made the trip in a mere 3.5 hours (some mail deliveries were skipped due to the second week of easter holidays and folks on vacation). I met Alex on the boat, a French guy who had just cycled the south island for 2+ months, and my soon-to-be bunk mate at Port Ligar. We enjoyed the trip and became fast friends -- but how could you not, when you're delivering mail to pigs (yes, no humans at one house), dolphin-spotting, and anxiously awaiting the drop-off at your remote farm where the next opportunity for transport is a week away on the next mail boat run? Here are the well-loved pigs who came to collect the mail (and get a treat) at one stop:

We arrived at Waterfall Bay, rather than Port Ligar, because the Shands are busy rebuilding their wharf. So Alex and I hopped off the mail boat with only a minute's notice to gather our things, watched another wwoofer jump on, the mail bags were heaved out, and the boat was gone! Anson, the eldest brother of the 10 Shand children offered transport by dingy or road and we chose dingy (which turned out to be the best option -- definitely the quickest). Photo above = Alex (left) and Anson (right), motoring to Port Ligar. (farm house, below)

This gives you a pretty good impression of the farm -- above is clay point, on the other side of the "hill" from the house and port (Alex and I hiked it on our day off). Terrain was everything from this treeless, vertical, grazing land to lush bush (still vertical), waterfalls, and regenerating native forest. You can check out my photo album for pics of nautical sheep, nautical cows, nautical turkeys, nautical llamas (nevermind naturally nautical blue penguins and albatross) -- you name it! + a little more narrative, since I know this will get long!

The Shand's big cash crop is mussels (above), in addition to their nautical sheep & cows - and there's a bit of possum hunting too, as it's a very destructive invasive species and the fur brings a good price. One night we were planning a possum hunt (yes, a bunch of us speeding in the back of a pick-up with a big spot light, shooting at possums in the dark -- no, I did not shoot the furry menace), and before the 9:30 scheduled departure, we heard Cat call up "Heather -- come down quick -- possum!" Well, having just settled into a beer, welcoming the new french couple who'd just arrived, I wasn't too eager to rush off our comfy porch, but I grabbed the frenchies and we scooted down to Cat's hut. 

Cat, 27 (#3 of 10), who built her own cabin (very cool, reused materials, etc) is out on her back deck by the fire bath with a gun pointed up to the tree. Before we know it, she's firing and a possum falls right at our feet on the deck. (These are the moments I really needed video.) Alex and I desperately try to contain uncontrollable laughter -- this is, after all, life as usual. Seriously, we'd meet in our hut each night and recount our day's adventures and honestly couldn't believe we hadn't outdone the other, our stories were so incredible. We joked about our novel we had to write -- a chapter a night would be easy.

So, after several wwoofing tasks like righting a fallen telephone pole, building a deck (photo above), transplanting gardens, jumping knee-deep in manure pits under sheep pens, and chopping mega crates of veggies, we were informed Tuesday morning that there would be a 2-day hunting-fishing trip to d'Urville Island! The family loves this camping trip -- we take the mussel boat over the top of the sounds and around the far side of d'Urville Island, a place most people never see.

But this is no ordinary camping trip. Of course, by this time, I'm not silly enough to think it's about campfires and chatting around a boiling kettle in the morning. No way. We fish on the way, set a net, drop off a dingy of hunters to trek 10K across the mountains to meet us at our campsite and just get into the bay ourselves (by boat) before dark -- so we can haul the dingy up a very long beach at low tide, set up a campsite, eat, and be in bed by 9:30. This is, of course, so we can get up at 5am to send off the next round of hunters (without eating). I was on the boat going in and on the hunt going back. Our group of 8 split into 4 groups of 2 and silently stalked our deer just after sunrise. As fate would have it, Leeann and I were the "lucky" pair and took not one, not two, but three deer (one, a 6-pt stag). We were alone and a ways from the beach pick up point, so I'll leave all the gutting and dragging details to your imagination. We had to cross a swamp (below) to retrieve the stag, so all this was done with wet pants up to the hip, mind you. But did I mention the glorious sunshine?

Had great fun on the way back, drove the boat for a couple hours, spotted more dolphins, made up songs with the 7 and 10 yr-old and enjoyed fantastic views of the sounds. The next day, back at the farm, Cat and Leeann decide they're sailing "home" (to Mana Harbour, where they live in their 28-ft sail boat) Friday and Saturday. They invite me along, since I also live there (Camborne is right next to Mana, all part of Porirua city), so I decide to cross Cook Strait with them (officially the 2nd most dangerous strait in the world I learn AFTER).

We sailed to Port Gore (top of Marlborough Sounds) the first day and lashed ourselves to a mussel farm for the night -- strong anchors on those buoys (see photo above). Of course, before we were snuggly fitted, I nearly went overboard pulling up the anchor (no big reel, just by hand), and Cat was off the boat, barefoot, standing on buoys, tying us on in wind and waves . . . in the dark. Love my headlamp. Winds got pretty bad that night, but calm by morning for our crossing.

We fished in the morning off Cape Jackson (left) and then crossed to Mana (below), where a couple guys who also live on boats in the harbor greeted us, sailing out to meet us and inviting us to dinner. I returned to Wendy's later that evening (my house-sitting gig), and here I sit, at the comfort of a computer, not really sure that the last week and a half actually happened.

That's the SHORT version, but you can get more from photo captions in my album (see right bar - Port Ligar) - ENJOY!

finally finished fotos!

New albums: West Coast, Golden Bay, and flight from Golden Bay to Wellington -- enjoy!

whilst in wellington

Woefully behind in my photo albums . . . Golden Bay is still to come, complete with my flight in a 3-passenger Piper to Wellington (actually cheaper than buses and ferries). Above is a photo from my tramp in the Abel Tasman. Met a nice girl from Seattle who needed a lift back to Takaka (45-min drive), so we hiked together all day, getting as far as Separation Point and the seal colony. This next photo is looking back at Golden Bay.

Wharariki Beach (near farewell spit)

Now I'm in Wellington, organizing my life: house-sitting gig, job, etc. I've spent 4 lovely days with the Dearsly's, an English couple who moved to the Paremata area in the 70s and whose hobby nursery has grown to the biggest in the southern North Island (now run by their son). They'd visited Homer on a Rotary Friendship Exchange in 2008. I attended the Plimmerton Rotary Club meeting Thursday night and might have met Homer's rival for most fun club. Also saw the Evans and Lilicos for dinner Saturday and will be keeping in touch, as I house-sit for one of their club members who spends NZ winter in Europe (May-Sept). I'll be close to the commuter train, shops, beach and will have a bike, so I couldn't be happier! I've spent a couple days exploring Wellington (LOVE IT!), setting up job interviews, etc, and enjoying the endless sunshine in my new town along the Pauatahanui Inlet.

Now I'm off to the Marlborough Sounds Thursday for my two weeks as a wwoofer on the Shand's farm at Port Ligar (pronounced like cigar). Likely no blogs from the bush, but I'll do my best to get the Golden Bay and West Coast albums up before I leave. New updates are: Otago, Milford Sound, Te Anau and Journey albums.

who I found at the end of the road

Do you recognize these Homerites? 

Chris & Tom Laing, Jan Schofield & I stayed at Jan's farm in the Motueka Valley last weekend and had a fabulous easter dinner while Jan and her dog entertained us with harmonica and song (Jan-harmonica, Kai-vocals). We were also wowed by Jan's performing horses, gardens, shed mural and a pile of mystery gourds.
I met Chris & Tom Saturday in Karamea at the end of the road on the northwest corner of the south island, where they were enjoying long holiday weekend. We toured the honeycomb caves, complete with extinct moa skeletons, glow worms and sink holes. Visited Jan in Woodstock on our way back to Golden Bay, where the Laings have lived for the past two years. Jan's been in NZ a while longer and you might know her from her Alaska native plant books and recent novel. 

The Laings live at the other end of the road . . . near the northernmost tip of the south island, accessed from the east (road doesn't connect from Karamea, though it's geographically close). Golden Bay is truly the Homer of New Zealand, with a huge arts community, a 25km spit, and an opinionated bunch of locals. I got to kayak with one of them, their 81-yr-old neighbor Pat. We searched for oystercatcher nests (he tracks them daily and has names for each bird) and paddled next to a snoozing seal.


Today I hiked a portion of the Abel Tasman track (one of New Zealand's "great walks") and tomorrow I head back to Wellington to continue the job hunt before my 2 weeks wwoofing (see next post) April 15-30.

Really enjoyed my days with the Laings and left much to do in Golden Bay! It's no wonder why they feel so at home in this community. What is it about the end of the road?

staying left

Writing from Greymouth on my way up the west coast of the south island. And yes, I have taken my turn at the wheel! I can now claim minor competency at driving on the left, as I've managed to live through the last 3 days of oregon coast-like cliff drives and mountain passes! (I must say I'm rather enjoying it.) One-lane bridges are my specialty, including those shared with trains!

Visited both Fox and Franz Josef glaciers yesterday. In 1997 (on tour with the St.Olaf Choir) we saw the west coast from Punakaiki (pancake rocks, below) to Franz Josef, so that glacier was a return trip (and 13 years of retreat was obvious). Liew and I also did a night visit to a congregation of glow worms near the hostel -- had we gone one hour later, the glow surely would've been magnified by the fact that the entire town of Franz Josef lost power for the most of the night.

My news of the day is that I will be wwoofing for the last two weeks of April on a farm in the far reaches of Marlborough Sounds (a nautical sheep farm, they like to say). If you're not familiar with wwoofing, it stands for willing workers on organic farms. Like it sounds, you help out and in exchange receive free room & board. This place is a personal recommendation from Lizzy (a Kiwi kayak partner), who says the family is a hoot and the location spectacular. Check out their website. Since my Wellington housesitting gig doesn't start until the first week of May, I thought rather than canceling out my paycheck with rent, why not go rentless and paycheckless for a great experience?
Recently updated photo albums: Doubtful Sound (now complete) and Southern Scenic Route

birthday blog

can't complain -- spent my birthday kayaking milford sound and enjoyed my fellow paddlers singing to me while rafted up! My german bunk-mate offered dinner (unknowing that it was my B-day) when I returned to the hostel in Te Anau from the trip and we just spent a 3+ hours over good food and wine discussing universal themes of work, travel and men . . . 

Thanks to all the early birthday wishers with the 21-hr time difference! Good math!

Kayaking on milford was a bit treacherous today, but the combination with last week's doubtful sound experience really gave me a taste of the fiordlands. Drove through the Homer Tunnel today -- 20yrs in creation, making milford sound accessible by 1952. Stopped in the Gunn Camp Museum down the Holyford road at the end of the day, with lots of Homer Tunnel paraphernalia I'll share later . . .

Kayaking was my "splurge" activity -- though I'm mostly skimping on all the tourist traps (read: I did not see the glow worm caves). It's been blissfully inexpensive with the choices I've made, so I intend to return to Wellington April 8 to find a job and continue to see more of the south island until then. Tomorrow I head over to Queenstown to meet Liew again to drive up the west coast. Will revisit Franz Josef glacier (checking on retreat since my last visit in '97) and the free glow worm caves at Fox glacier + thermal pools. :)  Will meet up with Homer-Kiwis later in the week.

Oh, did I mention BEGGS music stores? Charles Begg brought the first piano from england to NZ in the 1800s and the store is still going strong -- in all major cities. Here's the one I stumbled upon in Dunedin.

penguin spotting and other assorted passtimes . . .

Hello from Dunedin! Just back from an evening on The Octagon celebrating Earth Hour, complete with fire throwers, drumming circles, folk band, and a kiddie pool for floating lanterns. These scots-kiwis down here really know how to celebrate (and kept the center circle dark, with only paper lanterns, for much more than an hour + cafes ringed the octagon with candlelit tables). So those of you reading this on the other side of the dateline have time to plan your earth hour!

Liew (my Malaysian travel mate who's used to driving on the left side) and I pulled into Dunedin this evening after completing the 'southern scenic route' all the way from Manapouri. I had an amazing kayaking and camping trip on Doubtful Sound with two couples -- kiwi newlyweds from Christchurch and a young doctor couple from the Netherlands. Our guide, Will, and I rounded out the 3 double kayaks for two incredible days in the fiords. Promise to upload albums soon . . . (here's a taste)

I joined Liew in Manapouri Thursday and we headed south, overnighting in Riverton (west of Invercargill) then on to the Catlins Friday and most of Saturday. Stumbled on a great shared beach house for a night in tiny Porpoise Bay (right next to Curio Bay) and spotted a rare yellow-eyed penguin after sunset. Watched it in silence until well after dark among the petrified logs from the jurassic period encased in the rocky beach. Today we continued with stops at Jack's Blowhole and Nugget Point, finishing off the Catlins with fish & chips at Kaka Point. Also ate NZ's best oysters in Bluff (rivals to KBay?) and visited the real southernmost point of the south island (not Bluff) at Slope Point. We've had sunshine the whole 3 days (making up for 2 days of rain on doubtful sound), or as the weather reports say, "fine" or "rain clearing by morning then mostly fine."

Tomorrow we'll explore the Otago Peninsula, then split up until Wednesday when we'll drive together up the West Coast. I'm returnnig to Te Anau for a birthday kayak on Milford Sound (now that the road is open -- it was closed all week!) and Liew and her car will see Wanaka, where I've already visited. I'll be back on the Naked Bus (which is not naked and not always a bus -- discuss). I think naked refers to the no frills mystique . . .