Row row row your... kayak?

Apologies for the much delayed blog update.  Most readers know by this point that as of late my time has been consumed by some unfortunate circumstances.

I will start with where I left off however, which is more of the good and less of the bad!  I last spoke of the amazing adventures in Nelson Lakes National Park.  Once finished there, we headed up to the actual city of Nelson.  It is an absolutely beautiful place, and the town centre is called Trafalgar Square.  (Yes, like London!)  The only annoying part of it all was the clocktower, which while beautiful to look at, had an irritating habit of bonging obnoxiously every 15 mins.  (I would underline the word "obnoxiously" if I could!)

We then decided to plan a trip that would require something other than hiking shoes.  Seemed like a kayaking adventure was in order!  We hit the road to Abel Tasman National Park - home to clear blue waters and sea life.  (The frolicking cute kind, not the creepy slimy eat-your-face kind!) 

We arrived, and soon found out that due to safety restrictions, kayak companies in NZ are only allowed to rent double kayaks.  Me being a huge control freak had a bit of an issue with this, but I had a couple days to get over it and finally accept it. 

We set out around 11:00am, and it was a gorgeous day!  We paddled to a little island known as Fisherman's Island, and after giggling at some sunbathing seals, we found a secluded little beach that served as a perfect lunch spot.  After a quick sandwich, I decided that I wanted to go for a swim.  It was then that I realised I had forgotten my swim suit. The ONE place in NZ that is still warm enough to swim, and I pull a moron-moment and space out.   Excellent.

I pouted over that fact for a bit before we shoved off in search of our next destination.  We arrived at our first campsite, Bark Bay, in the late afternoon.  The campsite was beautiful, and had a cooking shelter and drinking water. It also served as a hut/campsite area for those people who were walking the Abel Tasman Track.

The next morning we enjoyed some tea on the beach before hopping in our trusty kayak again.  We ate lunch on the high seas, hanging our legs out the sides of the kayak while we drifted lazily along the waves.  We arrived at Onetahuti later in the day, beating most of the rush and claiming an awesome campsite.  I should also mention that Abel Tasman has some of the highest and lowest tides in all of NZ.  This means that when you beach at low tide, you have to drag your kayak for what seems like miles to reach the campsite.  Furthermore, these double kayaks are incredibly heavy.  You also have to make sure that your kayak is above the high water mark.  You wouldn't want to wake up in the morning with a missing kayak!  Anyways, the next morning we got up early to try and explore some arches we had noticed the previous day.  We were hoping that the tide would be high enough to kayak through them, but it seems that the water never quite reaches that mark.  None-the-less, the water did start to rush up at us, and we were forced back into our kayak.  In spite of not being able to paddle through the arches, the formations and rushing current made for some entertaining "obstacle courses."  We spent about an hour playing about in the rocks, pretending to be world class kayakers as we manouvered through the violent current between jagged rocks.

The next leg of our adventure was a quiet little spot called Mosquito Bay.  The nice thing about this campsite was that it was water accessible only.  We had a grand time paddling up a shallow side stream against the current.  We'd grunt and groan against the waves, and then turn around and surf out, guffawing and skrieking like hyenas.  Anybody in the near vicinity must have thought we were crazy.  One we settled into our camp, I decided to use the ever smelly facilities, and trekked the 50 feet towards them.  Little did I know that a wasp was stalking me and followed me into the outhouse.  The following couple minutes were most similar to a scene that one would see in a bad comedy movie - Me shrieking like a banshee while frantically batting at a angry wasp... all the while trying not to lose my balance on a cold seat.  I finally made it out alive (barely) and slammed the door shut, locking the stalker insect in the outhouse.  Here's to hoping he suffocated  from the fumes! 

The following day we set out to reach our last destination, Observation Bay. (also only accessible by water)  Before arriving however, we took a detour to another island, and came upon a cove that seemed to be a haven for playing seals.  Young seal pups were everywhere, and it was wonderful to watch them lurch along the rocks before clumsily flopping into the water.  Once we had our seal-fix, we continued the paddle on to Observation Bay.  It was a dark and creepy little site, and it backed right on to some dense and unforgiving jungle.  We spent the evening collecting various seashells and muscles.  I was glad when morning came though, as the whole place gave me a weird vibe.

We decided to get the most out of Abel Tasman, and decided to do a mini hike the next day.  We paddled just up the beach to a point where one can access the Abel Tasman Track.  We stowed our kayak and aced up our hiking boots, excited to do a bit of tramping.  Unfortunately, I started to feel quite sick and I had to make the call to turn back.  (Those who know me well will be astounded by this, as I am extremely stubborn and refuse to turn back unless there is a hungry yeti spewing rabies in my face.)  I came to the conclusion that I was suffering from mild dehydration.  An easy fix in any case!


Finally, it was time to beach the kayak for the last time.  We arrived at the pickup point, retrieved our car, and hit the road back to Nelson.  We stayed again at what is now one of my favourite hostels, in Nelson.  We even had our own Mussel feast, with the mussels that we had collected the night before.  Yum!!!  (Notice how large the mussels are here... the far left one is your normal Vancouver-sized mussel)

The next day we caught the ferry up to Wellington.  Once there, we were overwhelmed by how much the capital city resembled Vancouver.  In fact I decided to nick-name it Wellcouver.  I fell in love with the setting, and had ever mentioned wanting to work there.  At one point we came across a street performer, and I can honestly say that I've never actually stood in one place with my mouth open for so long.  It was a young boy, maybe 16 years old playing the guitar and he was AMAZING.  He combined guitar with percussion, using only the sides and panels of his instrument.  There were tons of people gawking at him, and almost every single person ventured up to throw money in his open case.  I suggest that everyone check him out on his Facebook Page (click here)  or on youtube. 

After exploring the city for several hours, we decided that it was time to head back to the car and make plans for the rest of the night.  We however soon encountered a slight problem.



Our car was no longer there.



What the heck?  Are we in the right parkade?  Is this the right level?  Did our car get stolen?  Yes, yes, and yes.  Well great.  I won't get into major details, as everyone mostly knows the story, and frankly, I'm tired of talking about it.  We ended up filing a report with the police, and finding accommodation for the next several days. 

We also decided that we now desperately needed a job, as there was no way we were going to be able to immediately replace all that was in the car.  I found a job posting for hostel managers in a town called Blenheim.  We decided to take a chance and hop a ferry back down to the south island.  We arrived at the hostel, and I was almost instantly disappointed.  The place was a dump, and our "free accommodation" was an ancient lopsided caravan parked at the side of the building.

No. Way. In. Hell.

The owner gave us a tour, which really just further served to solidify my urge to bolt.  She then mentioned that she owned another hostel in the near vicinity, and that there was a job opening in another week.  She drove us there, and we soon found that Copper Beech Backpackers was the direct opposite of it's sister hostel.  Where Leeway Backpacker's was a hovel, Copper Beech was a hotel.  The building - while old - was beautiful, with high ceilings and large windows.  Our accommodation was nothing less than an entire house, complete with the most comfy lazyboy chairs one has ever reclined in.  (Dad, your chair has nothing on these!) 

So, would we like the job?  Does a car thief like stealing vehicles? 

Give it to us!

More good news was on the horizon.  The police had recovered our vehicle, and we once again we hopped back on the ferry to Wellington.  Unfortunately, as had arrived on Anzac Day, which is Remembrance Day.  Thus, the impound lot was closed.  We were forced to stay another night in Wellington, but decided to make the best of it by catching the latest comedy movie at the theatre.  While there, we decided to much on some food-court grub.  I had just purchased a brand new camera to replace the one I'd lost in the car, and was taking pictures of our feast.  Wouldn't you know it, but someone stole it right off the table when our backs were turned.  Insanity!!!  So that of course put a bit of a damper on my night, but I consoled myself with the fact that our car was going to be back in our possession the next day. 

That night we stayed at a hostel called "Wellywood," and my fantastic luck continued.  The couple in the bed across from mine decided that it was appropriate to have sex several times that night.  Oh, and it came complete with sound effects and bed movement.  Joy.    I was thoroughly annoyed by the time morning came, and I took my leave quite early.  I will admit that I found extreme pleasure in slamming the door on my way out. 

We took the bus to the lot where our car was towed, only to find that the thief had done extensive damage to the ignition.  Long story short, it ended up costing us about $1000 to get Kiwi back on the road.

In any case, everything is in the past, and I can only look ahead to the future.  I have a job that is pretty grand as far as work goes, and I have a roof over my head.  I know that in time I will be able to replace what was taken, and in the meantime I can appreciate what I still have.

Thank you to my family for their help, contributions, and love, and to my friends for their unwavering support and encouragement. 

I am planning on updating my blog within the next couple days to showcase the hostel a bit more!



New Zealand Fact(s) of the Day:  

1.  Men here seem to love wearing short shorts.  It's quite repulsive.
2. It's perfectly acceptable to walk almost anywhere barefoot.  This includes any public stores or supermarkets.