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Wednesday, June 01, 2005
YouSendIt | Email large files quickly, securely, and easily!
YouSendIt | Email large files quickly, securely, and easily!
Pretty cool little way to send files. Have to use this someday.
Pretty cool little way to send files. Have to use this someday.
Saturday, May 28, 2005
Last day in NZ
So Thursday I got up early and went to see the Fox Glacier in the rain. Quite impressive and I wished I had had more time to hike on it at well. But I was off to the Copland trail that lead up to natural hot springs. I thought it might be a cake walk since the destination sounded pretty cushy, but it turned into a proper kiwi tramp, up creek beads, over roots and across suspension bridges. But the rain cleared up and I made it to the cabin just at dusk. Strangely enough the only other people there were a group of American college students from Ohio on some sort of regimented "outdoor leadership" program, so basically I had the hot pools to myself. And wow, were they nice to slip into! Very hot and quite comfy. But later that night it poured and I got worried about the river fords that I had to cross and the danger that I might have to stay an extra night at the cabin. Sure enough, the rivers and creeks were in flood conditions and just barely crossable, but it was wet, wet, wet, slogging through tons of water with wet feet the whole day. Not the most fun, but authentically New Zealand. Can't have rain forest without rain.
That evening I was bushed and decided to spend the night in Fox Glacier town. It was great tho get a hot shower and some warm clothes. Then yesterday I drove through the Southern Alps to Christchurch. The mountains were really nice and I wished I had more time to do some tramps there. I could imagine how Hillary could train for Everest there. Have to go back next time. At one of the rest stops in the mountains, there were two Kea hanging out, which are the world's only alpine parrot. Very funny looking birds and quite tame. They must have been looking for handouts.
Christcurch is another sprawl of a city, but the city center is quite nice, very English. Last night I hung out a local brew pub and watched the rugby game. Chirstchurch beat the Sydney team and won the championship so everyone was in high spirits and it was actually a fairly competitive game.
So later this afternoon I fly back to Auckland and catch my flight home. Actually I'm sort of looking forward to it, but at the same time could se staying longer as well. Oh well, se everyone soon
That evening I was bushed and decided to spend the night in Fox Glacier town. It was great tho get a hot shower and some warm clothes. Then yesterday I drove through the Southern Alps to Christchurch. The mountains were really nice and I wished I had more time to do some tramps there. I could imagine how Hillary could train for Everest there. Have to go back next time. At one of the rest stops in the mountains, there were two Kea hanging out, which are the world's only alpine parrot. Very funny looking birds and quite tame. They must have been looking for handouts.
Christcurch is another sprawl of a city, but the city center is quite nice, very English. Last night I hung out a local brew pub and watched the rugby game. Chirstchurch beat the Sydney team and won the championship so everyone was in high spirits and it was actually a fairly competitive game.
So later this afternoon I fly back to Auckland and catch my flight home. Actually I'm sort of looking forward to it, but at the same time could se staying longer as well. Oh well, se everyone soon
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Speedy Glaciers
I just got back from walking on the Fraz Joseph glacier which was awesome. It was very other worldly with the occasional CRACK of falling ice. Fraz Joseph is one of the only three glaciers that drop down into rain forest which is pretty odd, ice and tree ferns! It's very close to the coast as well and several thousand years ago dumped right out into the ocean. Supposedly it's melting and moving quite quickly, up to 1.5 m per day and the tip was like this bulldozer shovelling sand and rocks out of the way. It 's stuck in a tight U shaped valley and must be very similar to how Yosemite was carved out.
Today I was beginning to feel the pressure of the clock on my NZ holiday winding down and having to plan my final days carefully. I feel that I cut my time on the south island a bit sort and won't be able to make it down to Queenstown. But after getting off the ferry at Picton, I drove out to the Abel Tasmen, which is the northwest corner. I stayed there two nights and did a great sea kayak trip out to an island to see young fur seal pups. Really good and very few people about. I'd really like to do some more kayaking when I get back. Then I drove down the West Coast which is supposed to be very wild and rugged, but I found it very similar to past of N. California. One thing that was very unique though were these "pancake" rocks, weird eroded layers of sedimentary rocks right on the coast forming grottos and blow-holes. Quite spectacular and you could walk quite far out on them. Stayed there a night at this backpackers right on the beach that had a great ocean front hot tub. Then went down to the local pub and had an interesting conversation with a bloke that used to run a backpackers and the owner of the pub. And then today I was up early and on the road down to catch a glacier hike.
Tomorrow, I'll check out the Fox glacier and head up the Copland trail that takes you to a hut with natural hot spring. Both my friend Andy and another kiwi highly recommended so should be good. Then I'll have to head towards Christchurch to catch my flight home :(
Today I was beginning to feel the pressure of the clock on my NZ holiday winding down and having to plan my final days carefully. I feel that I cut my time on the south island a bit sort and won't be able to make it down to Queenstown. But after getting off the ferry at Picton, I drove out to the Abel Tasmen, which is the northwest corner. I stayed there two nights and did a great sea kayak trip out to an island to see young fur seal pups. Really good and very few people about. I'd really like to do some more kayaking when I get back. Then I drove down the West Coast which is supposed to be very wild and rugged, but I found it very similar to past of N. California. One thing that was very unique though were these "pancake" rocks, weird eroded layers of sedimentary rocks right on the coast forming grottos and blow-holes. Quite spectacular and you could walk quite far out on them. Stayed there a night at this backpackers right on the beach that had a great ocean front hot tub. Then went down to the local pub and had an interesting conversation with a bloke that used to run a backpackers and the owner of the pub. And then today I was up early and on the road down to catch a glacier hike.
Tomorrow, I'll check out the Fox glacier and head up the Copland trail that takes you to a hut with natural hot spring. Both my friend Andy and another kiwi highly recommended so should be good. Then I'll have to head towards Christchurch to catch my flight home :(
Friday, May 20, 2005
Wet and Woolly in Welly
I'm still in Wellington for another day, but the weather's turned grey and drizzly. Yesterday I spent much of the day in the Te Papa, the national museum. It's a huge open building with something like 6 floors of exhibits and still free to the public! There was a large natural history part with lots on tectonics and the unique species to New Zealand, like the extinct Moa and the the Tautara. Then there was lots on the different experience of settlement of the country. But maybe my favorite exhibit was one on New Zealand in the 70's. I've been reading The Penguin History of New Zealand and had just been reading about the period, but seeing all the clothes, furniture, toys and such was pretty cool.
In the afternoon I ducked into a brew pub and got talking to the Swedish guy who had emigrated to NZ. He was an Oracle developer who had just quit is new job to go back to his old, so was hanging at the bar waiting for friends to watch the Wellington/Christchurch rugby game. I ended up staying and watching the game and hanging out with his group of friends. It turned into a really good evening and quite good to just chat with locals. Good people. Wellington seems to really have an active night-life and a lot of the bars would not at all be out of place in SF.
This morning I rode the cable car up the hill and walked down into town. It's about time to get some lunch and then I was thinking about heading out to the zoo for the chance to see some NZ wildlife it would almost be impossible to see in the bush.
In the afternoon I ducked into a brew pub and got talking to the Swedish guy who had emigrated to NZ. He was an Oracle developer who had just quit is new job to go back to his old, so was hanging at the bar waiting for friends to watch the Wellington/Christchurch rugby game. I ended up staying and watching the game and hanging out with his group of friends. It turned into a really good evening and quite good to just chat with locals. Good people. Wellington seems to really have an active night-life and a lot of the bars would not at all be out of place in SF.
This morning I rode the cable car up the hill and walked down into town. It's about time to get some lunch and then I was thinking about heading out to the zoo for the chance to see some NZ wildlife it would almost be impossible to see in the bush.
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Episode III in Wellington
Just got out from seeing Episode III at the Embassy, the same theatre they did the Return of the King premier at. The theatre is quite nice and very well restored. An in the lobby are two plaques with a cave troll and another with Golem as tokens of appreciation from Weta. And NZ follows the European style of letting you have a drink as you watch a movie! As promised Ep III was much, much darker with very like of the "funny" bits like the last two Star Wars. And everything dove-tailed very well, like it could fit together as 6 movies. And seeing the birth of Darth Vader is really something. Shame it took Lucas 3 films to really find his groove again.
So far I'm loving Wellington, it's finally something that feels like a real city, with people out and about and everything. Of course it's a bit smallish cornered in by hills and water, but there were plenty of 'burbs on the drive in. It's situated in a smallish cove with hills on all sides. The downtown feels like a real downtown and there's even access to a bit of wharf. The plan is to stay here through Sunday and see a bit more of the city and then take the ferry to the South Island. Should be spectacular.
So far I'm loving Wellington, it's finally something that feels like a real city, with people out and about and everything. Of course it's a bit smallish cornered in by hills and water, but there were plenty of 'burbs on the drive in. It's situated in a smallish cove with hills on all sides. The downtown feels like a real downtown and there's even access to a bit of wharf. The plan is to stay here through Sunday and see a bit more of the city and then take the ferry to the South Island. Should be spectacular.
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