Wellington, Windy Welly

Time to hit the road again towards our NY Eve destination, and where better than in the world's greatest small capital. After the East coast with all its bays, small sandy beaches, sheltered coves and good spearfishing, the West coast seemed a bit boring, flat, tasteless and windswept. I think it is a matter of finding the beauty in it...Wellington or Windy Welly, due to its western and southern gales coming in, received us with a bright and shiny day towards or small AirBnB room which in my opinion came the closest to a cave in the basement of a house on a hill but which was worth every penny due to the magnificent view on the sea, watching kayaks, sailing yachts and the South-North Island connecting ferries pass 

Continuamos camino a Wellington, ciudad donde recibiriamos ano nuevo, el cumpleanos del Chiwawin, y ultima ciudad visitada de la Isla Norte, puesto que desde Wellington tomariamos el ferry que nos llevaria despues a la Isla Sur. 

Llegamos a nuestro hogar temporal que conseguimos por AirB&B, una habitacion con vista magnifica a wellington harbour. 

El primer dia, llegamos a acomodarnos, comer algo, salir a conocer la ciudad y visitar el jardin botanico de Wellington. (Precioso, con vistas de la ciudad que parecian sacadas de postales) ... terminando la caminata por el jardin botanico fuimos a refrescar las gargantas a un bar frente a una laguna donde podiamos tomar una cerveza y una sidra sentados en unos puff en la terraza del bar, todo un placer! 

Gallipoli to me sounded like an italian beachfront town, which I vaguely knew was involved in one of the World Wars, but with Ypres, Paschendaele, Bastogne there was no need to go much further during my primary school career and after. The Te Papa National Museum had a Gallipoli exhibition, based on testimonies, memories and relics of people involved with impressively real images of these people made by the Weta Cave (normally involved in making hobbit feet, elf ears and King Kong heads for Hollywood movies directed in NZ). The exhibition was very good, emotional and mind boggling. You wake up one day and suddenly, through your link to the empire which you are so proudly and thankfully part of, you are at war. You come from NZ, leave farms and fishing, to support and fight with the Australians, for a shitty and desert piece of land with the back against the sea against the Turks supported by their land supply lines. A one day truce was held to burry the rotten bodies by both Turks and Anzac. Sleeves where cut off to support the summer heat in order to loose fingers and toes to frost bite when winter came. After a few heroic battles for another hill or crest the operation was abandoned and Gallipoli became calm again. Useless and pointless in sacrifice for our European peace young boys enlisted and died, fortunately humanity learned its lesson ... or didn't it. I can not help feeling very grateful to these NZ and Aussie army corpses although I am not sure what for. 

El 31 empezamos con una visita al museo de Wellington (Te Papa) especialmente a la exposicion Gallipoli, en la que nos contaban con maquetas, imagenes, audios, etc la paricipacion de NZ en la primera guerra mundial (participacion que costo muchas vidas para que finalmente se abandone la operacion). Despues de Te Papa, fuimos a alistarnos para recbir el ano nuevo... empezamos con unas copas de Sidra frente a la laguna, luego nos dirigimos al restaurante Istana (comida de Malasya) bueniiisima... realmente delicioso. Saliendo del restaurante fuimos a la laguna donde disfrutamos de una orquesta y fuegos artificiales al llegar las 12.00 pm ... finalizamos la noche en una fiesta latina en el bar mas grande de Wellington (The Grand) bailando y celebrando el ano nuevo ... y claro! el cumpleanos del chiwawin. 

A visit to one of my Mums childhood residencies and a walk to the botanic gardens gave us a good first view of the city. A delicious Malaysian dinner, public concerts, local beers and a Fiesta Latina took us to 2016. By then we had figured the provincial character of Wellington, not a capital at all, but with a laid back atmosphere and great setting it is a beautiful city to live in. On the 1st of January, coincidentally my 30th birthday, we did a beach walk and in a nostalgic moment expressed my wish to have a cheese and wine table exactly as Mum used to prepare for me all these years when I would wake up late and hung over on my birthday, together with the entire family around the round table at the Canadalaan. 

This was professionally and deliciously catered for by Belen, and the round table was changed for a round rock in the Harbour with views on Wellington. Thank you Belen, te amo. With the loss of 2 incomes and careful spending, a birthday present didn't seem to come until, discussing on the same round rock, I said "after all the wildlife we have seen so far what is missing are doplhins, whales,...." 43 seconds after saying these words, a bunch of dolphins was jumping in front of us, graciously traveling the bay. Now I see where Michelangelo got his inspiration for the Sixtine Chapel, God sitting on his cloud, pointing down to Wellington Harbour and with a thundering voice "give him his dolphins". Cheese, wine and dolphins, a happy chappy went to bed.

El 01, hariamos lo que mi cumpleanero favorito quesiera por su dia, por lo que empezamos con un suculento desayuno levanta muertos, para despues irnos de caminata por la costa pasando por distintas playas, montanas, playas nudistas etc. Despues de la caminata, nos fuimos a hacer un picnic a la playa, con una tabla de quesos,pan, tomates cherry, aceitunas y un vino... para luego cantar HB al chiwawin... que estaba fascinado viendo el atardecer sentado en una roca frente al mar y viendo a los delfines pasar. 

En wellington quedaba el Weta Cave, pequeno museo de la empresa que se dedica a hacer toda la produccion de vestuario y maquillaje de peliculas como: The Lord of the rings, Hobbits, King Kong, Avatar...etc, no podiamos dejar de ir a visitarlo. 

Wellington, actualmente capital de NZ, (en ningun momento sentimos que estabamos en la capital) es una pequena ciudad acogedora, con lindas vistas, buenos restaurantes asiaticos y un buen ambiente de after office con los bares y restaurantes frente a la laguna, donde se aprecia a la gente que sale a andar en Kayak, o a los calurosos que deciden darse un chapuzon saltando desde un trampolin en medio del muelle. 

One of the things that I like about a capital like Wellington, as well as Santiago, is that with a 2 hours drive you can be in the middle of nowhere, and that is exactly what we did. One hour towards Martinborough, a small wine area which produces 1% of the wine in NZ which in its turn produces 3% of the world's wine production. As we saw the big clouds coming and the first drops falling we decided to buy one of the Syrahs and then drive south to the coast opposite of Wellington harbour. For the next 24 hours it wouldn't stop raining bringing to a first real test the small physical space the back of our van provides as well as our ability and patience to spend long hours there. With a beautiful rainy ocean view, big waves, the Syrah and the cheese left overs, this didn't proof too difficult and the next day we woke up to the remnants of the storm which soon converted in a bright blue sky. Driving further down the coast we then got to the NZ fur seal colony, small baby seals included, where we spent a good part of the day observing the seals. They are cute, stinky, playful animals with an exceptional quality to swim in huge ocean waves beat to white spume against the rocky cliffs. Our camping spot was on the grass right next to the beach where there would be at least 50 bulldozers hooked up to trailers to bring the boats going for crayfish to the sea or to shore. To the question why a few common bulldozers wouldn't be sufficient for the town, the answer was that many boats come ashore at the same time and that much time is also spent leveling the beach again after big southerlies.

Back to Wellington and to the ferry for the South Island....

Te Urewera National Park

I was introduced to hiking by the Scout Group from Hoevenen, my hometown, years ago. Ever since I have enjoyed hiking especially multiday hikes, with my parents, my brothers or alone. Hiking in a national park gives you time to think, to contemplate and to admire, as well as to discuss, while you rest, set up camp, walk, suffer a climb or enjoy a view. One of my big frustrations in Chile was the apparent lack of time to do some proper multiday hiking (I did some, not enough) and due to the steep terrain and mostly rather rudimentary facilities I had not intended yet to take Ana Belen along. Te Urewera, through NZ North Island native rainforest around a natural lake in 4 days was the opportunity.

Y quien dijo que en este viaje ibamos a estar solo echados frente al mar, viendo las gaviotas pasar...? Despues de nuestros dias relajados en Tolaga Bay, en realidad estabamos reuniendo energias para lo que se nos venia (al menos yo)... la primera caminata de 4 dias consecutivos, la que para mi significo ponerme a prueba yo misma y ver si era capaz de lograrlo... pues lo maximo que habia caminado eran 22km, y esta caminata seria de 45km. 

Water taxi to the starting point, a flat day of 15 km, a relatively flat day of 12 km, an 9 km climb and a 7 km descent would take us back to the starting point. The beauty of such a long hikes is the feeling of a continuous positive mood with a few peaks of excitement and sometimes downsides when you realize you took the wrong turn or rain is imminent. The highs in this walk were the nightly encounter with 4 or 5 possums eating blossom in the manuka trees, spotting wild boars foraging for food in the forest, several rewarding dips in the lake after a long days walking and the smoked trout given by a fishermen who had so much trout he couldn't keep it fresh and which was the most welcome change in our beans and dried pasta diet. On a side note, the possum is an introduced species from Australia which for a European is a new and exciting species to meet in the wild, but which has done an enormous damage to the incredible native bird life. The continuous reminders of traps and poison for possums thus gives a bit of a mixed feeling.

Empezamos el trayecto tomando una lancha que nos llevo a nuestro punto de inicio, atravezando el lago Wakaremoana... (lago que rodeariamos en toda nuestra caminata). El primer dia hicimos 14km, termine exhausta, casi ni sentia las piernas, pero era un cansancio gratificante ya que durante toda la caminata habiamos tenido vistas preciosas, que hacian que valga la pena. En la primera noche, cuando nos dirigiamos a los banos, escuchamos que algo corria entre los arbustos cerca de nosotros, enfocamos con nuestras linternas... y vimos varios possums, a menos de 3 metros caminando y trepando y bajando de los arboles... yo corri a esconderme a la carpa, Johan fue a buscar la camara y volvio a tomarles foto. 

Los siguientes dias, ya estaba mas acostumbrada a la caminata, entonces fueron menos duros que el primero ... vimos un par de chanchos salvajes, nos dimos unas refrescadas en el lago junto a los cisnes, comimos una trucha ahumada que nos invito un senor que acampaba en un sitio por el que nos tocaba pasar y habiamos decidido tomar un descanso, tuvimos tiempo para hacer siestas despues de cada almuerzo, y para contarnos toda nuestra etapa del colegio y universidad mientras teniamos tramos largos de caminata... fue divertido para ambos recordar esas epocas y compartirlas mutuamente. 

While their had been some uncertainty about the hike, what if it rains 4 days, what if it is just too much for a person who has not done this before, what if we get blisters or other injuries.... it turned out to be a wonderful experience. We suffered a little together but we shared a lot of good things during the 4 days the views, the meals, the finishes, stories about our high school times. The arrival at the final point was nothing but satisfaction and another good memory. The first of the 9 Great Walks of NZ on our record, that many might come....

El ultimo dia, subimos una montana que estaba a 1200 mts sobre nivel del mar... ambos terminamos agotados, pero llegamos a una cabana donde pudimos relajarnos, cenar, jugar cartas a la luz de unas velas, leer nuestros libros, y celebrar el haberlo logrado sin ningun contratiempo. 

Sin duda fue una linda experiencia juntos, venci casi por completo el miedo a las alturas y abismos, me sorprendi al ver desde la cima de la montana todo lo que habiamos caminado, en cierto modo me senti orgullosa de mi misma... fue muy gratificante. 

Palmy

Terminada la caminata de 4 dias, nos dirigimos a Napier, ciudad que fue destruida en un terremoto de 1930, y cuando deciden restaurala, estaban en la epoca del Art Deco, motivo por el cual, en el centro de la ciudad podias hacer un tour a pie por el boulevard donde predminaban construcciones bajo esta tendencia. 

Waking up after a terrible and destructive earthquake, with sky high debts and in the middle of the Art Deco movement, Napier was constructed or better said reconstructed in this context. Walking on its boulevards gave faint memories of Miami. Apart from this sniff of architecture, 15000 cal in fish and chips after hiking and the first medium to upper range wines after leaving Auckland in the Hawke's bay vineyards our visit to Napier was rather short.

Despues de Napier, llegamos a Palmerston... a casa de Felix y Clari... (Felix, es amigo de Johan de cuando hizo el intercambio hace casi 10 anos en Argentina)...fueron dias realmente reponedores, nos sentimos como en casa. Llegamos justo para navidad, y nos unimos a una fiesta latina en casa de otra pareja de argentinos, donde estaban haciendo un cordero al palo, fue lo mas delicioso que probe, bueno despues de haber estado 4 dias de caminata comiendo atun, latas de frejoles y noodles, todo me sabia sabroso...jajaja pero el cordero realmente estaba exquisito. 

With a slight anxiety and a lot of expectations, I stepped over the doorstep of one of my Concordia-Argentina soulmates. After 10 years of barely communicating, but with past moments such as soccer games, fishing trips, history classes, tennis matches and long party nights fresh in mind, what has a friendship become? Apparently, boys will be boys. We spent a great few days in Palmerston North in "casa" of Felix and Clari and a third one very soon to come. Obviously, some Argentinian barbecues were a must so we were invited in each and every Argentinian bbq taking place in the Manawatu province during that period, with great food, a few (too much) beers and wines and great warm company. 

Los dias siguientes fuimmos de paseo a un Tambo (lugar donde se trabaja con ganado) ... intentamos pescar truchas en el rio, fuimos a pasar un dia de playa, hicimos asado en casa de Felix con hamburguesas de sus "chicas" (las vacas con las que trabaja en el tambo), jugamos a las cartas, hicimos un paseo en kayak por la laguna, y Johan hizo un paseo largo con Felix en kayak por el rio que recorre Palmerston... en todas estas actividades, Clari estaba presente (y estaba embarazada de 8 meses y medio) no se como lo hacia, quede impresionada de la energia que tenia para hacer todas esas actividades con nosotros, idola!

One of the highlights was a day kayaking down the Manawatu river. After practising on the pond of the universitty and counting on an impeccable kayak, 17 km as the crow flys, strong currents which would take us at at least 20 km/h and 2 athletic young men, we calculated the trip through the gorge and down to Palmerston at around 2 hours. A slightly damaged kayak, 30 km including the river bends, nearly standing water at some stages delivered the 2 young athletic men roughly 6 hours later to the Manawatu river banks in Palmerston ready to be picked up and for a beer. At least another kayak enthusiast was born.

Beach, farm life, many bbqs and conversations later and with a sense that this beautiful family might very soon expand as well as with a sense of regret we took the road again. 2 days later we got the good news that Sarita was born and Clari was doing very well. Congratulations!!!! ... and thank you so much, we will see you soon.

Friendship is such a rare, precious but sometimes powerful thing. 5 years living "only" separated by the Andes without meeting, it took me 10 years and getting to New Zealand to see my very good friend again.