Getting back to North

(for english scroll down, please)

Yee! Blog time. Immaron kengurukkal egy tarsasagban irom kovetkezo posztomat, bar a tema meg mindig Uj-Zeland.

Fun facts: kezdek faradni. A sok vezetes kiveszi a reszet a mokabol, nekem is egyre tobbszor kell megallni vezetes kozben. De sebaj, a kalandok es a latvany potol. Az elkovetkezo napokban sikerul megint egy stoppos parocskat felvenni, ezuttal Israelbol. Kedves embereknek tuntek, nagyon visszafogottak es illedelmesek voltak. A szokasos par stopposoknak szant kerdes utan kiraktuk oket a megbeszelt hely kozeleben.

 

No, de ne szaladjunk ennyire elore. Ott tartunk, hogy Dunedinbe kell eljutni. Nagyon szep kis varos tarult elenk, igazi europai hangulat fogadott minket, nem tul nagy, de ugy pont minden megvan benne, legalabbis a par oras nezelodes ezt sugallta. En dobtam egy delutani szunyat, amig Ati muzeumozott, majd megprobaltunk kek pingvineket lesni, de sajnos az eso elkezdte labat logatni, igy ez a probalkozasunk nem jott ossze. Este szokasosnak mondhato szabad kemping es szunya.

Masnap reggel botlottunk a stopposokba, epp Moeraki Boulders fele tartva. A szabalyos golyo es hallalcsillag formaju kepzodmenyek rovidke idore kotottek le figyelmunket. Mivel a felhok a nyugati parton mar nagyon gyulekeztek, igy ugy dontottunk modositunk a programon es visszamegyunk Christchurchbe Szabihoz, aki eddigre mar kitalalt egy remek kis turautvonalat. 

Estefele elmentunk Akaroaba egy tejbegrizsre es fergeteges oceanparti latvanyra, majd irany a Szabi Apartmant.

Azt kell hogy mondjam, Szabi egy remek hazigazda, isteni piritott majjal es legutobbi talalkozasunkkkor gulyas levessel fogadott minket. Rengeteget meselt a eleterol es arrol, hogy milyen a let Christchurchben. Ket gyonyoru szep harci kutyusa, Lena es Igor gondoskodott arrol, hogy a paripanknak semmi bantodasa ne essen.

Szoval a remek vacsit es kis kanapes alvast kovetoen reggel keltunk es indultunk a komphoz, hogy eljussunk  a tura kiindulopontjathoz. Persze, felhotlen ido es kb 30 fok vart rank, ezt osszeadva az uj-zelandi napsutes erejevel… Izzadtunk, de ugy rendesen. A 900 meteres Herbert Hegy, nem volt tul nagy kihivas, de persze par litert igy is kiizzadtunk. Mint mindig, most is volt vigaszunk, szep latvany, csucscsoki es esovizforras a csucs kozeleben.

Lefele nehany kisebb erdo biztositott nekunk arnyekot, igy teve elviselhetove az eleg utos hoseget.

Mikor leertunk, jottunk ra, hogy a komp kb meg masfel ora aszfalt seta, ami azert nem esett volna jol a kb 16km tura utan a hosegben. No, de akkor jott a huvelykujj technologia, mely kb 40 masodperc utan mar adta is a fuvart egy kedves kiwi csalad formajaban. Behuppantunk a 7 szemelyesbe es kb 10 perc mulva mar a kikotoben szurcsoltuk a jeghideg teat.

Este meg kis dumalas, vacsi majd felkeszuleskepp az ujabb kilometerekre, alomra hajtottuk fejunket.

Petty

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Yeeah! It’s blogging time! Already sitting in the company of kangoroos, but the story is still about New Zealand.

Fun facts: I am getting tired at this time. The long drives are taking their toll. I have to stop more and more often for power naps. But no worries, the adventure and breathtaking views are paying back the toll. In the next few days we managed to pick up another hitchhiker couple, this time from Israel. They seemed to be nice people, very polite and modest. After the usual hitchhiker questions we dropped them off near the agreed destination.

But let’s get back a little bit in the past. So, we are planning to get to Dunedin. A really nice cosy city was in front of us when we arrived. Quite european style, not too big, not too small. Looked like it has everything I would need for living. At least judging after the few hours we spent there. While Ati was in the museum I took a long nap to regenerate and then we tried to do some blue penguin watching, but the weather turned quite uncomfortable, so this attempt was unsuccessful… No worries, maybe next time. In the evening the usual freedom camping and sleeping.

The next day, we bumped into the hitchhiker on the way to Moearki Boulders. The perfectly round and death star –shaped natural structures gave us only a short entertainment. Soon we were already on the road… again. Unfortunately, the big storm clouds were emerging on the West Coast, so we changed our plans and stayed on the East side and head to Szabi in Christchurch once again. By this time, he already figured out a nice tramping for all of us.

In the early evening we made a detour in Akaroa, to have a nice milky semolina-rice and an extremely spectacular view at Akaroa Heads then drove back to the Apartment Szabi.

I have to admit Szabi is a great host. He made for us an amazing fried lever and last time a really tasty goulash. Also, he told a lot about his life and the life generally in Christchurch. Also his two beautiful fighting dogs Lena and Igor provided a safe place for our stallion for the two nights.

So, after the great meal and some couch sleep we got up early in the morning to get to the ferry which took us to the starting point of the hike. Cloudless sky and 30 degrees was waiting, in addition the strong sun… well, we were sweating buckets… Although, the trail to the 900 meters high Mt Herbert, was not specifically difficult, we still lost a few liters of fluid in form of sweat. But, we had our rewards. Nice view, Peak Chocolate and the rainwater barrel in the shelter nearby. A few scarce forest patch made our trip a bit more comfortable in the heat.

The small twist: We got to the realization only at the end of the hike, that we still have to walk about 1.5 hours on tarmac in order to catch the ferry. Hurray! But no worries, it was time to use the thumb technique. “Raffly” after 40 seconds we were already in the car of a nice kiwi family and after 10 minutes we were sipping our ice tea at the ferry pier.

In the evening another awesome dinner a little bit of chatting and as to prepare for the new kilometers, we put ourself in the bed… couch.

Peter, Hot Balls, Pumpkin

Penguins riding on the back of dolphins!

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Elerkeztunk az utazasunk csucs attrakcioihoz! A cim talan le is lovi picit a poent, de azert belemerulok a reszletekbe.

Fun facts: mindig beszelgessunk a helyiekkel, vagy epp turista tarsainkkal. Hasznos, kevesbe turistas tippekkel tudnak ellatni minket. Tovabba, nem volt stopposunk az elkovektkezo egy-ket napban. Tovabbra is napuldozes zajlik meglehetosen sikeresen, mig az orszag nagy reszeben eseget az eso, mi sikeresen a nap (es a pingvinek) nyomaban loholunk. Pompas!

 

Nos, Milford cikk-cakkos hegyei, fjordjai es kivancsi, gumiragcsalo madarkai utan, del fele vettuk az iranyt. Egeszen delre, a deli sziget legdelebbi pontjaba. Utkozben letaboroztunk egy regi fahidemlekmu labanal uzemeltetett freedom kempingben, ahol kedves holland csaladka latott el minket, par ausztraliaval kapcsolatos tippel, es beajanlottak nekunk egy franko kis barlangot a kozelben. Ugye, hogy milyen jo ismerkedni??

 

Szoval masnap reggel, kis barlangaszasra adtuk fejunket. Pici, keskeny zegzugok kalandos kis 2 orat biztositottak nekunk. De eronket es kedelyunket, nem tudtak elvenni tolunk, hisz meg az nap levezettunk a deli csucsokbe. Menetkozben felszerelkeztunk Invercargillban, es vetettunk par pillantast a varos kivalo tuatara gyujtemenyere. Lattuk a kb nagyon oreg Henry-t… a tuatarat. Majd hajtottunk tovabb, hogy elcsipjunk egy jo naplementet a fentebb emlitett celhelyszinen.

 

A kozelben egy ujabb szabad kemping vart rank, ahol a hemzsego nemetek mellett egyre nagyobb szamban bukkantak fel kedves barataink, a sand flyok. De a Bushman spray erejevel gyozedelmeskedtunk a vadallatok felett!

Ami masnap kovetkezett az “csak egyszer az eletben” tipusu emlek lett. Reggel, elvagtaztunk a paripaval Curio Baybe. Mar erkezesunkkor is volt jo par beloluk a vizben. Nevezetesen a hector delfinekbol. Ezek az kb 60-100 cm hosszu apro joszagok, paratlan kivancsisaggal vannak megaldva.

Bar, a nem tul meleg 17 fokos viz riasztonak tunt, ugy gondoltam kis szorfozes belefer. Mikozben a jeges szornyekkel kuzdottem, nehany kis kivancsiskodo is megkornyekezett, konkretan a deszka mellett bukott le karnyujtasnyira, majd a masik oldalt fel a felszinre a szomszedos szorfos iranyaba. Szavakba nehezen foghato, ilyen kozel lenni a termeszet fenseges alkotasaihoz. Kesobb a nap is kiderult, es Ati is belemaszott a vizbe. Neki picit nehezebb dolga volt neoprem nelkul (ha a termeszetes neopremet nem szamitjuk :P), de a nap es a bodyboard segitsegevel, neki is sikerult megkornyekeznie par meterre a “helyieket”.

Ezzel meg nem volt vege a nap esemenyeinek. Ahogy a naplemente kozeledett, ugy mi is egyre kozelebb helyezkedtunk a pingvinleshez. Sajnos, semmi esemeny nem volt, igy ugy dontottunk lelepunk szallast keresni. Ez az ido eleg volt arra, hogy pont odaerjunk a halaszatbol hazaero sarga szemu pingvinek vandorlasara.

A latvany megint csak egyedi, mivel, elvileg ezek az allatkak a vilag egyik legnehezebben megfigyelheto pingvinfajtai. Nekunk 4-et is sikerult lencsevegre kapni. Es hogy ezt meg tetozzuk a fiokak eteteset is elcsiptuk!! Ez mekkora mar!

 

Kicsit kiabrandito volt azonban, hogy a kihelyezett, nem tul feltuno kotelkordont minden turista atlepte, igy belepve szegeny pingut eletterebe. Atinak az az otlete tamadt, hogy epitsunk kis kooszlopokat a kotel menten es irjuk ki hinarbol, hogy "stop!" Hatha ezzel meg tudjuk allitani az ujabb turistakat. Eloszor nem tunt hatekonynak, de miutan az elso igen kedves holland leanyzo, Daniella nem lepte at a hatart, kicsiny tunteto tomegunk 3 fore emelkedett, s mialatt a holggyel megvitattuk uj-zeland csodait, azon kaptuk magunkat, hogy elfogytak a vadorzo turistak, es mindenki a vonal mogott volt felsorakozva!!!

Megtettuk a napi jocselekedetett, ami nagy buszkeseggel toltott el mindkettonket, es meg pingukat is lattunk. Eddigre, felbukkant a holland leany baratnoje is, es miutan beszeltunk a delfinekrol, felajanlottam nekik, hogy mit szolnanak, ha adnek nekik par boardot, hogy ok is be tudjanak uszni a jegesbe, es at tudjak elni a csodat. Miutan megegyesztunk es elvaltunk, meg egy horvat parossal, Neven-nel es Kseniaval is osszehaverkodtunk, akikkel ugyancsak jot beszeltunk es megosztottunk egymassal par tippet, cserebe par prima pingvines videoert. Remek termes egy napra.

Huh, ez a poszt picit hosszura nyulik. No, de masnap jott a delfin es pingvin les masodik kore. Reggel, mi mar tul voltunk egy kis szorfozesen, mire a leanyok befutottak, persze kozben a horvatokba is belefutottunk a vizparton. No, de jott a helyiekkel valo uszas. Amig Ati melegedett a parton az elozo uszkalas utan, en bekisertem a holland holgyemenyeket es sikeresen tudtunk karnyujtasnyira kozelkerulni a joszagokhoz. Orom volt latni, hogy megint hozzajarultunk valakinek a boldogsagahoz! Vegul Ati is bejott, es ezuttal videora is kapta a delfinkeket, csak hogy a fennti zagyvasag nemi hitelt is kapjon.

Az elmenyeket kis ebed segitsegevel feldolgoztuk, majd indultunk tovabb keletre,hogy lassunk par vizesest es hatalmas oceanvajta barlangot. Persze uton-utfelen belebotlottunk a horvat es holland parosokba.

 

Szamomra, a barlangokban a leglenyugozobb, a szovevenyes pokhalok voltak, melyek gyongyszemkent tartottak az ocanbol lecsapodo parat fonalaikon.

Par fokaval es pingvinnel kesobb, korulbelul este 11re beertunk a kovetkezo szabad kempingbe a vilag vegen. De nem szamitott, halozsak es matrac volt a fejunk alatt es hihetetlen elmenyek a fejunkben. Egyszeri es eletreszolo…

Petty

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Finally, we’ve got to the main attraction of the whole NZ trip. The title may actually gives away some of it. I will dive into the details, though.

Fun facts: Always start a convo with the locals or fellow travellers. They can give us useful infos about less touristy places, happenings. Also, we did not have any hitchhikers in the next few days!

We still are in sunchasing with great success. While in most parts of the country it was still raining, we managed to tag along the sunshine (and penguins). How fantastic this is!

Well, after the steep ridges, deep fjords and rubber chewing birds of Milford Sound, we head down to south. I mean the very south, the southest point of the South Island. We stayed at a freedom camping, set up at an old unused wooden bridge. During our stay, we started to chat with a kind family from Netherland, who shared some info with us about Australia and recommened a cool cave nearby. You see! It is valuable to make random conversations with random people!

 

So, the next day we decided to do some caving. The tiny, narrow tunnels provided us roughly two hours fun, but could not take our strength or enthusiasm, since we drove down to the south point the same day. Underway, we restored our food and water stash in Invercargill. Also, had a quick glance on the local tuatara colony. We saw the approximately very old Henry… the tuatara. Then we went on, to capture the sun set at our destination.

There was another freedom camping waiting for us nearby. Besides the usual german crowd our old friends the sand flies were waiting for us in increasing numbers. Luckily, we triumphed over the armies of wild beasts (not referring to the german crowd) with the help of our Bushman sprays.

What happened the next day was the so called “once in a life time” experience. In the morning we rode down with our stallion in Curio Bay. When we arrived, there were already a few of them in the water. Yes, I am talking about the Hector Dolphins. These 60 to 100 cm long little animals are blessed with exceptional curiosity.

Although, the not to warm 17 degrees water looked quite discouraging, I decided to do some surfing. While I was fighting with the freezing beasts, some of the nosy little fellas came by. To be more accurate, they came as close as my arms length, dived beneath my board, came up the other side and headed to the surfer besides me. It is really difficult to describe, how I felt when I was that close to these spectacular creations of the mother nature. Later on, the sun came out as well and Ati joined the fun too. Unfortunately, he did not have a wet suit (besides his own natural one:D), yet with the help of the sun and one of the bodyboards, he was able to attract the “locals” in a few meters distance.

Of course, this was not even near to the end of that day’s happenings. As dusk has approached, we tried to relocate ourself at the penguin watch beach. Unfortunately, the waiting was quite eventless, so we decided to drive around to look for a place to sleep. This was enough time to arrive to the top event, once we were back, we managed to spectate the arrival of the fishing yellow eyed penguins. This is, once again quite unique, since in theory, these animals are one of the rarest to watch of all the penguin species. We managed to capture on photo even four of the tiny fellas. In fact we were the lucky ones to see the chicks as the parents were feeding them. What the hell!!

However, it was a bit dissapointing to see, that almost every tourist has stepped over the not too visible protection ropes. With this, they basically trespassed the private sphere of the little ones potentially causing a disruption in in their natural habbits. Ati had this great idea, to build small stone colums along the rope and form a “Stop here!” sign form sea kelp, hoping to stop the intruders. First, it seemed to be useless. However, once the very kind traveller lady, Daniella from Netherland stopped behind the barrier, our environmentalist crowd grew to three people and while we were discussing the amazing adventures in New Zealand, we’ve got to the realization, that all the way too curious tourists have been gone and everybody was lining up behind the rope!

We had our daily good deeds and felt really proud about it and in addition we were able to spot penguins. By this time, Daniella’s friend, Melanie has joined us too. As we were explaining the dolphin experience, when I figured, why not to offer them two of our boards, so that they can fight the icy water in order help them experiencing the wonder. After we separated, we bumped into a kind croatian couple, Neven and Ksenia, who we shared some infos and tips with in exchange for some awesome penguin videos. Wow, this day was full on!

Gosh, this post is getting a bit too long. But the next day, penguin/dolphin watch round two was coming. In the morning we already finished the first round of surfing by the time the ladies have arrived. Of course we bumped into Neven and Ksenia as well, while having the surf fun. But,now! The second encounter came. While Ati was warming after the previous swim, I went in with Daniella and Melanie and yes, we were able to get really close to the little animals. Wohoo! Also, it was so wonderful, that we could contribute to others happiness once again!!

At the end Ati has joined us as well and he managed to capture a footage, so that all my mumbling above can gain some credit.

We processed the experience with the help of a quick lunch and we went on with our trip to the East, to see some waterfalls and huge ocean carved caves. Of course.. We continously bumped into the croatian and holland teams during the sightseeing.

For me the most attractive thing was the magical spiderwebs in the caves, that were collecting the condensing ocean humidity as pearl beads on their threads.

A few ocean beaches, seals and penguins later, at around 11 pm we have arrived to our next freedom camping. It did not matter, we had our sleeping bag under and all the experie

nce in our heads. Unique, once in a lifetime…

Peter, Hot Balls, Pumpkin