Hi everyone!
I've had a great time here in Tasmania with my five friends here. We met up in Sydney and headed down to Launceston in Northern Tasmania. We had overcast conditions the whole time but were really lucky to not get too wet -- and actually the weather even enhanced our experience. ;) (whatever!)
Highlights of the last two weeks:
* Completing the Overland Track, considered one of the best hikes in the world. We crammed a seven-day walk into five days and had so many fun experiences, meeting people in huts, visiting rain forests, and learning card games! It's the kind of thing you really have to experience for yourself. I felt a real thrill at the top of the Acropolis, a mountain that a couple of us summited on the side.
* Visiting Wineglass Bay and other incredible beaches. This was the first time I've ever gone backpacking to a beach -- and actually there were three or four of them. I've never seen so many shells strewn across beaches. Wineglass Bay is considered one of the ten best beaches in the world (I have no idea how they rank these things!) but it was really something special in person.
* Seeing lots of wildlife on Maria Island. We saw wallabies in other places but on Maria Island there are kangaroos all over the place and they are very friendly. We also saw wombats, some very colorful birds -- and on the ferry back to Tasmania, we had a special encounter with a group of dolphins who were jumping and chasing our boat.
* Fall colors. We saw lots of beautiful colors both in the botanical park as well as above the tree line. Fall is one of my favorite times of the year, and this year I get to see it twice!
We really had a fun time traveling as a group, complete with a lot of jokes and stories that are only natural when you spend that much time together. We had fun driving around (I was the designated driver for our van due to my vast experience driving on the wrong side of the road!) I love road trips!!
We are returning home this weekend! It's been fun to travel but there's no place like home!!! I'll post pictures after I get over jetlag (that may be a long time from now!)
Love,
Ray
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Friday, April 13, 2007
Road Trip Heaven
Hi friends,
This is my last posting from New Zealand. This week I have been a road trip maniac, traveling from the south end of the South Island by bus all the way to Christchurch, where I will depart on Sunday morning to return to Australia. New Zealand truly is a beautiful country, and I have really enjoyed the road trips. I am sad to be leaving.
Highlights of my week:
* Milford Sound: I finally listened to what everyone said -- "A trip to New Zealand isn't complete without seeing Milford Sound". They were right! I went on a cruise around the Sound in a rain downpour -- and saw more waterfalls than I have EVER seen before! The drive to the Milford Sound was incredible too.
* Mt. Cook: The highest point in New Zealand. Mountain climber mecca -- Edmund Hillary climbed Mt. Cook before conquering Everest. I just did some dayhikes but the glaciers and lakes were breathtaking!
* Akaroa: A volcanic peninsula with an opening to the ocean. Dolphins, seals, and lots of other sea animals hang out here. Unfortunately the weather was too bad to take a cruise, but I thoroughly enjoyed the mountain and ocean scenery and the French Riviera-like towns.
* Hanmer Springs: I'm actually headed there tomorrow on my last day in New Zealand, but it sounds like a highlight already. I'll visit the hot springs and enjoy the mountain scenery of the area.
A funny side note: I've visited the town of Te Anau, the "Walking Capital of the World", six times in the last couple of weeks! It's a town that's right in the middle of everything, so I kept passing through (I spent two nights in hostels here in between hikes).
I'm really looking forward to heading to Tasmania with 5 friends. I've heard so many great things about Tasmania -- plus I'm very excited to see friends again. Wish you could all come too!
Love,
Ray
This is my last posting from New Zealand. This week I have been a road trip maniac, traveling from the south end of the South Island by bus all the way to Christchurch, where I will depart on Sunday morning to return to Australia. New Zealand truly is a beautiful country, and I have really enjoyed the road trips. I am sad to be leaving.
Highlights of my week:
* Milford Sound: I finally listened to what everyone said -- "A trip to New Zealand isn't complete without seeing Milford Sound". They were right! I went on a cruise around the Sound in a rain downpour -- and saw more waterfalls than I have EVER seen before! The drive to the Milford Sound was incredible too.
* Mt. Cook: The highest point in New Zealand. Mountain climber mecca -- Edmund Hillary climbed Mt. Cook before conquering Everest. I just did some dayhikes but the glaciers and lakes were breathtaking!
* Akaroa: A volcanic peninsula with an opening to the ocean. Dolphins, seals, and lots of other sea animals hang out here. Unfortunately the weather was too bad to take a cruise, but I thoroughly enjoyed the mountain and ocean scenery and the French Riviera-like towns.
* Hanmer Springs: I'm actually headed there tomorrow on my last day in New Zealand, but it sounds like a highlight already. I'll visit the hot springs and enjoy the mountain scenery of the area.
A funny side note: I've visited the town of Te Anau, the "Walking Capital of the World", six times in the last couple of weeks! It's a town that's right in the middle of everything, so I kept passing through (I spent two nights in hostels here in between hikes).
I'm really looking forward to heading to Tasmania with 5 friends. I've heard so many great things about Tasmania -- plus I'm very excited to see friends again. Wish you could all come too!
Love,
Ray
Saturday, April 7, 2007
Kiwi Hitchhiking 101
Hi everyone!
I've escaped once again from the beautiful rugged mountains of New Zealand for my weekly clean up ritual. This week I completed the Kepler and Dusky Tracks, both in Fiordland National Park and both incredible in their own rights. For its part, the Dusky Track was all around one of the most challenging hikes in my life -- I've never seen anything quite like it. I'll write more about it later, but suffice it to say I think I really need a nice long break from tramping!! I will also just note that I got to the start on Dusky Sound via a helicopter ride to Supper Cove (wow!) and finished with a ferry ride across Lake Manapouri.
My main topic of this blog, however, is hitchhiking in New Zealand! It's funny how many times people have recommended this to me when I mentioned that I needed to get from point A to B. They kept telling me how everyone is willing to give you a ride, so I tried to hitchhike a couple of times my first week here, to no avail. I learned then, however, that they have funny hand signals when they drive by you to indicate why they can't stop (as if they feel guilty for not stopping). They have signs indicating "No room in my car", "I'm just going around the corner", or "I don't care to stop!". Hilarious!
Then the last week I did end up getting a couple of rides:
* One from a fellow tramper from USA going 3 hrs back into town
* One from a nice gentleman going 20 minutes between towns
* One from a young man driving home for a long Easter weekend. This was last night, when I was too late to take a bus back into Queenstown from Te Anau (having just completed the Dusky Track). He picked me up minutes after I started trying -- he said he could take me part way to Queenstown. I ended up deciding to go with him all the way to Invercargill and see what there is going on there. This last week I really have no detailed plans, just lots of ideas, having completed the main things I wanted to do in New Zealand. So I'm here in Invercargill this weekend, at the bottom tip of the South Island. I stayed at a hostel here last night, and today went to church at the southernmost LDS chapel in the world! Wow! The members are so friendly that I received an offer to stay at someone's place tonight on Easter Sunday. Very fun!
I'm looking forward to meeting up with five friends from home in Sydney in one week!
Love to all,
Ray
I've escaped once again from the beautiful rugged mountains of New Zealand for my weekly clean up ritual. This week I completed the Kepler and Dusky Tracks, both in Fiordland National Park and both incredible in their own rights. For its part, the Dusky Track was all around one of the most challenging hikes in my life -- I've never seen anything quite like it. I'll write more about it later, but suffice it to say I think I really need a nice long break from tramping!! I will also just note that I got to the start on Dusky Sound via a helicopter ride to Supper Cove (wow!) and finished with a ferry ride across Lake Manapouri.
My main topic of this blog, however, is hitchhiking in New Zealand! It's funny how many times people have recommended this to me when I mentioned that I needed to get from point A to B. They kept telling me how everyone is willing to give you a ride, so I tried to hitchhike a couple of times my first week here, to no avail. I learned then, however, that they have funny hand signals when they drive by you to indicate why they can't stop (as if they feel guilty for not stopping). They have signs indicating "No room in my car", "I'm just going around the corner", or "I don't care to stop!". Hilarious!
Then the last week I did end up getting a couple of rides:
* One from a fellow tramper from USA going 3 hrs back into town
* One from a nice gentleman going 20 minutes between towns
* One from a young man driving home for a long Easter weekend. This was last night, when I was too late to take a bus back into Queenstown from Te Anau (having just completed the Dusky Track). He picked me up minutes after I started trying -- he said he could take me part way to Queenstown. I ended up deciding to go with him all the way to Invercargill and see what there is going on there. This last week I really have no detailed plans, just lots of ideas, having completed the main things I wanted to do in New Zealand. So I'm here in Invercargill this weekend, at the bottom tip of the South Island. I stayed at a hostel here last night, and today went to church at the southernmost LDS chapel in the world! Wow! The members are so friendly that I received an offer to stay at someone's place tonight on Easter Sunday. Very fun!
I'm looking forward to meeting up with five friends from home in Sydney in one week!
Love to all,
Ray
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Redefining "wet"!
Hi everyone!
Instead of "All Over Down Under" I should be "A Lover Down Under" or "A Loner Down Under" because I am really loving this scenery but I'm starting to feel a bit lonesome! Fortunately in two weeks I will be headed to Sydney to meet friends and head to Tasmania. Crazy as it sounds, now five friends (Susie, Renee, Val, Thad, Tonisa) will be joining me for the last two weeks in Tasmania -- I think we should call our group the "Tasmaniacs"!
I'm on my weekly break from the mountains. For two weeks I have gone on backpacking treks during the week and retreated to the hostels & cities on the weekends to do laundry, buy food, dry out, etc.
The first week I hung out in Arthur's Pass National Park in central South Island. This second week here I have been further south in Mt. Aspiring National Park, where I completed the Cascade Saddle Route and Routeburn Track. This coming week I am further south in Fiordland National Park around Te Anau, doing the Kepler Track and possibly the Dusky Track.
What have I seen:
* A haunted hut -- the spookiest night ever, with scary sounds all night and my equipment even making noises as if being picked up.
* Beautiful glaciers going down all the way to rain forest, and would you believe still expanding? (A strange side effect of global warming) I even heard the incredible exploding sound of glacier calving.
* A porcupine-like animal getting into my food IN MY TENT twice the same night -- talk about scary! I later found out that this is the kiwi bird! It shriveled into a ball when I pushed it outside -- and finally left.
* Some of the worst rain ever. I was on the Routeburn Trail (widely considered one of the ten best hikes in the world) when I got caught in a deluge. Fortunately I had already seen some amazing scenery, but once in the storm I couldn't see much anymore. (Although I did see LOTS of huge waterfalls all around me, including the Earland Falls, one of the highest in the world). I was planning on camping that night but my sleeping bag was soaked thru, so fortunately I had the sense to beg to stay in the expensive hut that night. The crazy thing is rain or not, you put on the same wet clothes the next day to go out hiking again. You save the dry clothes to sleep in each night.
* New shoes -- my feet were giving me some problems and so I just bit the bullet and bought some new shoes in some sports store! Pretty gutsy to just throw away my old shoes but that's what I did.
* Tiny church branches -- I went to church in Greymouth and Queenstown. Both places the church is very small. It reminded me a lot of my mission and brought back fun memories. The spirit was strong, the members were friendly, and the gospel is the same there too!
Please feel free to send me questions or comments (either to my email address or to the comments in the blog) and I'll try to respond. I will be sending out pictures when I can find time to do it where I can get a cheap internet connection!
Love,
Ray
Instead of "All Over Down Under" I should be "A Lover Down Under" or "A Loner Down Under" because I am really loving this scenery but I'm starting to feel a bit lonesome! Fortunately in two weeks I will be headed to Sydney to meet friends and head to Tasmania. Crazy as it sounds, now five friends (Susie, Renee, Val, Thad, Tonisa) will be joining me for the last two weeks in Tasmania -- I think we should call our group the "Tasmaniacs"!
I'm on my weekly break from the mountains. For two weeks I have gone on backpacking treks during the week and retreated to the hostels & cities on the weekends to do laundry, buy food, dry out, etc.
The first week I hung out in Arthur's Pass National Park in central South Island. This second week here I have been further south in Mt. Aspiring National Park, where I completed the Cascade Saddle Route and Routeburn Track. This coming week I am further south in Fiordland National Park around Te Anau, doing the Kepler Track and possibly the Dusky Track.
What have I seen:
* A haunted hut -- the spookiest night ever, with scary sounds all night and my equipment even making noises as if being picked up.
* Beautiful glaciers going down all the way to rain forest, and would you believe still expanding? (A strange side effect of global warming) I even heard the incredible exploding sound of glacier calving.
* A porcupine-like animal getting into my food IN MY TENT twice the same night -- talk about scary! I later found out that this is the kiwi bird! It shriveled into a ball when I pushed it outside -- and finally left.
* Some of the worst rain ever. I was on the Routeburn Trail (widely considered one of the ten best hikes in the world) when I got caught in a deluge. Fortunately I had already seen some amazing scenery, but once in the storm I couldn't see much anymore. (Although I did see LOTS of huge waterfalls all around me, including the Earland Falls, one of the highest in the world). I was planning on camping that night but my sleeping bag was soaked thru, so fortunately I had the sense to beg to stay in the expensive hut that night. The crazy thing is rain or not, you put on the same wet clothes the next day to go out hiking again. You save the dry clothes to sleep in each night.
* New shoes -- my feet were giving me some problems and so I just bit the bullet and bought some new shoes in some sports store! Pretty gutsy to just throw away my old shoes but that's what I did.
* Tiny church branches -- I went to church in Greymouth and Queenstown. Both places the church is very small. It reminded me a lot of my mission and brought back fun memories. The spirit was strong, the members were friendly, and the gospel is the same there too!
Please feel free to send me questions or comments (either to my email address or to the comments in the blog) and I'll try to respond. I will be sending out pictures when I can find time to do it where I can get a cheap internet connection!
Love,
Ray
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Tramping in New Zealand!
Hi everyone,
Thanks to Melvin for his guest blog entry and slideshow! I'm having a great time in New Zealand so far. I'm having fun this week at Arthur's Pass National Park on the South Island. Today's topic: tramping. That's what they call hiking in NZ, except it really feels like tramping (i.e. walking thru wilderness on what you could hardly call a trail). Tramping is a big deal in NZ -- although they like to call it a "water sport" because you're either walking thru rivers or in the rain a lot!
Other features:
* Huts: They have a wonderful hut system -- you could go for days going from one hut to the next without ever camping out. It's really nice. Each hut has its own personality. One hut I stayed in was brand new, another one had mice playing in the walls all thru the night!
* Scenery: Incredible. Lush green woods. Glaciers. Waterfalls. Makes me want to see Lord of the Rings again, just for the scenery.
* Trampers: Very friendly, from all over the world as well as NZ. Fun to visit with at huts & on trail. Amazingly it seems that everyone is here for longer than I am. A couple of girls from Europe I met going the opposite direction on the trail let me borrow their car they had left at one end of the trail -- I drove around to the other end and picked them up, then we drove back into town.
Have a great week everyone!
Ray
Take a break and play crossword puzzles - FREE! Play Now!
Thanks to Melvin for his guest blog entry and slideshow! I'm having a great time in New Zealand so far. I'm having fun this week at Arthur's Pass National Park on the South Island. Today's topic: tramping. That's what they call hiking in NZ, except it really feels like tramping (i.e. walking thru wilderness on what you could hardly call a trail). Tramping is a big deal in NZ -- although they like to call it a "water sport" because you're either walking thru rivers or in the rain a lot!
Other features:
* Huts: They have a wonderful hut system -- you could go for days going from one hut to the next without ever camping out. It's really nice. Each hut has its own personality. One hut I stayed in was brand new, another one had mice playing in the walls all thru the night!
* Scenery: Incredible. Lush green woods. Glaciers. Waterfalls. Makes me want to see Lord of the Rings again, just for the scenery.
* Trampers: Very friendly, from all over the world as well as NZ. Fun to visit with at huts & on trail. Amazingly it seems that everyone is here for longer than I am. A couple of girls from Europe I met going the opposite direction on the trail let me borrow their car they had left at one end of the trail -- I drove around to the other end and picked them up, then we drove back into town.
Have a great week everyone!
Ray
Take a break and play crossword puzzles - FREE! Play Now!
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Wrong slideshow address
Whoops! I put the wrong web address for the Aussie Adventure slideshow. It is at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjJOhDwyJpU
Melvin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjJOhDwyJpU
Melvin
Touring Aussie-Style, with Ray
Ray asked me to "guest blog" and report on our week-long adventures in Australia. We had a great time, with lots of interesting sites, sounds and experiences as we toured New South Wales. We did a little bit of everything as we covered almost 2500 kilometers in our rental car, from hiking remote bushtrails in the Budawand Mountains to walking across the Sydney Harbor Bridge with a thousand of our closest Aussie friends. We rode bikes through vineyards in Hunter Valley and spelunked through the amazing Jenolan Caves, camped with kangaroos and survived a downtown youth hostel with even wilder animals. We were amazed at the Snowy River's beauty, confused by Aussie slang, and befriended by nice people all around us. Some of the highlights:
-Wildlife! We were amazed to find animals and birds of every description, from the most colorful and exotic birds ever imagined, to kangaroos hopping across roads and past our tent early in the morning. We especially enjoyed a dolphin-watching cruise in Port Stephens and the amazing Sydney Aquarium, which showcased fish and wildlife from across Australia including sharks, giant turtles, penguins and exotic fish from the Great Barrier Reef.
-Driving on "the wrong side of the street." It took some courage and some constant vigilance, but we both figured out the whole driving thing. The trickiest part was remembering which side the turn signal and rear-view mirror was on (opposite than US cars) and mastering the ever-present Aussie roundabout.
-Hikes. We went on several walks and trails, but also tried our skill at two day hikes. We hiked to the summit of Mount Kosciusko, the tallest mountain in Australia and also Pigeon House Summit, and enjoyed many scenic views and vistas.
-Sydney. Wow! What an amazing city! We were excited to see the famed Sydney Harbor and iconic Opera House, but also enjoyed many other parts of the city, including Darling Harbor, the Royal Botanic Gardens, the Government House, the Rocks, Bondi Beach, Botany Bay and so forth. We were lucky to be there as the Harbor Bridge celebrated its 75th birthday and joined in with a giant party across the city to celebrate. We also had great Thai and Japanese food and had a great time in Sydney.
-People. We met several very friendly Aussies through our travels, including a very kind couple, Selmar and Lisa Nebalung, who rescued us from near disaster when our rental car had two flat tires within a couple minutes time on a deserted dirt road. Very thankful!
We had a great trip Down Under in Australia!
Melvin
For a slideshow of our trip, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjJOhDwyJpU or check out:
-Wildlife! We were amazed to find animals and birds of every description, from the most colorful and exotic birds ever imagined, to kangaroos hopping across roads and past our tent early in the morning. We especially enjoyed a dolphin-watching cruise in Port Stephens and the amazing Sydney Aquarium, which showcased fish and wildlife from across Australia including sharks, giant turtles, penguins and exotic fish from the Great Barrier Reef.
-Driving on "the wrong side of the street." It took some courage and some constant vigilance, but we both figured out the whole driving thing. The trickiest part was remembering which side the turn signal and rear-view mirror was on (opposite than US cars) and mastering the ever-present Aussie roundabout.
-Hikes. We went on several walks and trails, but also tried our skill at two day hikes. We hiked to the summit of Mount Kosciusko, the tallest mountain in Australia and also Pigeon House Summit, and enjoyed many scenic views and vistas.
-Sydney. Wow! What an amazing city! We were excited to see the famed Sydney Harbor and iconic Opera House, but also enjoyed many other parts of the city, including Darling Harbor, the Royal Botanic Gardens, the Government House, the Rocks, Bondi Beach, Botany Bay and so forth. We were lucky to be there as the Harbor Bridge celebrated its 75th birthday and joined in with a giant party across the city to celebrate. We also had great Thai and Japanese food and had a great time in Sydney.
-People. We met several very friendly Aussies through our travels, including a very kind couple, Selmar and Lisa Nebalung, who rescued us from near disaster when our rental car had two flat tires within a couple minutes time on a deserted dirt road. Very thankful!
We had a great trip Down Under in Australia!
Melvin
For a slideshow of our trip, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjJOhDwyJpU or check out:
Sunday, March 18, 2007
On to New Zealand!
Hi everyone,
I'm late for my plane to Christchurch so I'll just leave a quick hi and say that Melvin and I had a GREAT time this last week driving around Sydney area. We'll provide more about our adventures later but all is well!
I'm late for my plane to Christchurch so I'll just leave a quick hi and say that Melvin and I had a GREAT time this last week driving around Sydney area. We'll provide more about our adventures later but all is well!
Love and miss y'all.
Ray
_________________________________________________________________
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Saturday, March 10, 2007
G'day mates!
Hello friends from Down Under!
I got here Wednesday night and am back at the Sydney airport awaiting Melvin's arrival. I spent three days up in the Blue Mountains exploring that tourist mecca (Katoomba) before heading back down to Sydney last night. With Melvin I'll explore Sydney & surrounding country more. To keep this interesting, I'm going to change my format this time and present to you the highlights of my stay here so far, discussing topics of interest.
Executive Summary:
*The people: VERY friendly. Everyone is interested in my trip and has plenty of advice about where to go and what to do here. The bus driver, the man at the train station, the man on the trail, the hostel roommate, etc.
* Losing things: I must be losing my mind or something because I seem to be losing something every single day. I've already lost two headlamp lights (that makes 4 in the last 4 months & 2 in the last week!) I'm starting to feel like they did in the book of Ether -- sleep on it or lose it!
* Pack-weight: A constant obsession. How can I lower my weight? I seem to be accumulating even more stuff. Books, brochures, food, etc. I've never felt so much like a homeless person! I'm looking forward to this next week driving a car with Melvin. Maybe I'll send some stuff home with him?
* Hostel life: I must be getting too old -- I'm just not up for the party atmosphere at the hostel. The rates are great though (except the nickel-and-diming laundry) -- and fortunately my room was clean and quiet, even sharing the room with 5 other guys. Americans are strangely rare here, but there are many from the UK.
* Church: I found the singles branch here in Sydney and attended it today. I always love going to church in different countries. There are so many interesting people to meet, and new insights to be gained. It was such a stark difference in the spirit between the hostel and the church. It was a bit embarrassing walking in with a backpack on (I hid it in the library) but I was proud of myself for having a white shirt and tie. I should make it back to the Hyde Park Branch 3 more times in my coming/going thru Sydney! I was amazed by how international the branch was -- really people from all over the world were there. And people here are joining the church in big numbers -- today a new member from Sri Lanka was confirmed.
* Shopping: I found a K-Mart (!) in Katoomba and got me some styling new clothes (watch out world!) then headed next door for groceries. It's interesting to shop a week's worth of food when you realize you have to carry it all with you!
* My foot problems: Unfortunately suffering from "coral toe" -- a couple of toes got pretty gouged in Hawaii on the reef and they're not getting better very quickly. I may need to take it easy for a week or so. Fortunately the doctor (my brother Melvin) is coming and he'll take care of it! In the meantime I've been wearing my reef shoes (thin & rubbery) because they are so much more comfortable on my feet.
*The Blue Mountains: A rain forest paradise. I dayhiked what they call the "Grand Canyon" -- which although very different than Arizona's Grand Canyon is incredible in its own right. Giant ferns, pools, waterfalls everywhere, a catwalk on the side of a narrow canyon. I also did a backpack trip to Mt. Solitary, very fitting name because I had the whole mountain to myself on a mystical, foggy day. I just about stayed in my tent all day but fortunately the rain let up around mid-day after raining all night. The mountain was quite rugged but the big views of valleys below and exotic foliage was all worth it. I spent another night sleeping under a huge overhang -- if only the ground had been flat it would have been perfect. I felt like I was almost rolling down the slope all night.
* The birds: I've seen a beautiful red/white/blue bird, a big flightless bird with a big tail feather, a tiny brown speckled bird, and a crow-like black/white bird. I've heard all kinds of neat bird calls. In the backcountry one type of bird makes a call that basically sounds like you're hitting the two highest keys on the piano over and over! I tried recording some of these sounds.
* The foliage: I love the giant fern trees, the beautiful eucalyptus trees (I love the tree trunks), moss covered boulders, and I wish I knew what else I saw.
Have a great week and we'll catch you all later!
Ray
I got here Wednesday night and am back at the Sydney airport awaiting Melvin's arrival. I spent three days up in the Blue Mountains exploring that tourist mecca (Katoomba) before heading back down to Sydney last night. With Melvin I'll explore Sydney & surrounding country more. To keep this interesting, I'm going to change my format this time and present to you the highlights of my stay here so far, discussing topics of interest.
Executive Summary:
*The people: VERY friendly. Everyone is interested in my trip and has plenty of advice about where to go and what to do here. The bus driver, the man at the train station, the man on the trail, the hostel roommate, etc.
* Losing things: I must be losing my mind or something because I seem to be losing something every single day. I've already lost two headlamp lights (that makes 4 in the last 4 months & 2 in the last week!) I'm starting to feel like they did in the book of Ether -- sleep on it or lose it!
* Pack-weight: A constant obsession. How can I lower my weight? I seem to be accumulating even more stuff. Books, brochures, food, etc. I've never felt so much like a homeless person! I'm looking forward to this next week driving a car with Melvin. Maybe I'll send some stuff home with him?
* Hostel life: I must be getting too old -- I'm just not up for the party atmosphere at the hostel. The rates are great though (except the nickel-and-diming laundry) -- and fortunately my room was clean and quiet, even sharing the room with 5 other guys. Americans are strangely rare here, but there are many from the UK.
* Church: I found the singles branch here in Sydney and attended it today. I always love going to church in different countries. There are so many interesting people to meet, and new insights to be gained. It was such a stark difference in the spirit between the hostel and the church. It was a bit embarrassing walking in with a backpack on (I hid it in the library) but I was proud of myself for having a white shirt and tie. I should make it back to the Hyde Park Branch 3 more times in my coming/going thru Sydney! I was amazed by how international the branch was -- really people from all over the world were there. And people here are joining the church in big numbers -- today a new member from Sri Lanka was confirmed.
* Shopping: I found a K-Mart (!) in Katoomba and got me some styling new clothes (watch out world!) then headed next door for groceries. It's interesting to shop a week's worth of food when you realize you have to carry it all with you!
* My foot problems: Unfortunately suffering from "coral toe" -- a couple of toes got pretty gouged in Hawaii on the reef and they're not getting better very quickly. I may need to take it easy for a week or so. Fortunately the doctor (my brother Melvin) is coming and he'll take care of it! In the meantime I've been wearing my reef shoes (thin & rubbery) because they are so much more comfortable on my feet.
*The Blue Mountains: A rain forest paradise. I dayhiked what they call the "Grand Canyon" -- which although very different than Arizona's Grand Canyon is incredible in its own right. Giant ferns, pools, waterfalls everywhere, a catwalk on the side of a narrow canyon. I also did a backpack trip to Mt. Solitary, very fitting name because I had the whole mountain to myself on a mystical, foggy day. I just about stayed in my tent all day but fortunately the rain let up around mid-day after raining all night. The mountain was quite rugged but the big views of valleys below and exotic foliage was all worth it. I spent another night sleeping under a huge overhang -- if only the ground had been flat it would have been perfect. I felt like I was almost rolling down the slope all night.
* The birds: I've seen a beautiful red/white/blue bird, a big flightless bird with a big tail feather, a tiny brown speckled bird, and a crow-like black/white bird. I've heard all kinds of neat bird calls. In the backcountry one type of bird makes a call that basically sounds like you're hitting the two highest keys on the piano over and over! I tried recording some of these sounds.
* The foliage: I love the giant fern trees, the beautiful eucalyptus trees (I love the tree trunks), moss covered boulders, and I wish I knew what else I saw.
Have a great week and we'll catch you all later!
Ray
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Incredible Hawaii!
Hi everyone,
I've had a wonderful time here in Hawaii the last few days. It's every bit as wonderful as they say. I'm most impressed by all the colors, textures, exotic plants, animals, and friendly people. I especially loved Kauai and hope to return for more adventures some time. Why have I waited so long to come to Hawaii?! Here's a quick run-down of my trip so far:
Wednesday, Feb. 28: Arrived in Kauai and met up with Renee and Val. Drove to a beach on the North Shore and set up camp.
Thursday, Mar. 1: Took a beautiful walk along the beach at sunrise. Drove all the way to the end of the North Shore road and took a hike on the famous Kalalau Trail along the Na Pali Coast to Hanakapiai Falls and back. Incredible hike! You earned the views because the trail was really up and down and muddy but what views!! Highlights were seeing the incredible green color ocean, rock-rock-hopping up the Hanakapiai Canyon, turning a corner and seeing the huge falls tucked away all to ourselves, then swimming in a pool in the creek on the way back. Renee and Val were brave enough to jump into the cold water at the natural pool too! Back at the trailhead, we enjoyed a quick swim at the beach and then drove all the way back around the island (clockwise) up to Koke'e State Park (next to Waimea Canyon) where we camped for the night at a YWCA camp.
Friday, Mar. 2: Gluttons for punishment, we hiked an 11-mile loop along three trails with more incredible views from above the Na Pali Coast. We enjoyed meeting a group from France as we hiked along. We had lunch at a dry waterfall. At the second viewpoint I thought I was stepping on firm ground on the edge, but what a surprise when my foot fell through and I just about fell off the cliff and became part of the scenery! Everyone laughed about it -- it wasn't too dangerous. We actually ran into a family of wild pigs on the hike back out! We drove by Waimea Canyon on the way back to the beach and gawked at this beautiful work of nature labelled the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific" by Mark Twain. No time to hike around it so we'll have to go back again soon! We had a fun time at a Thai restaurant then headed to the beach and camped. At least we tried to sleep while the natives' beach party continued late into the night!
Saturday, Mar. 3: We enjoyed a morning at the South Shore beach. Snorkelling, swimming, watching the rare Hawaiian monk seals playing with each other (biting) right next to us in the bay and on shore. I was amazed by all the different types of fishes we saw under water -- long & thin, striped, rainbow colored, yellow neon, etc. After lunch in Lihue, we made our way to a lush river valley (reminded me a lot of Fossil Canyon) with a 25-foot waterfall or so. You wade across the creek just above the roaring falls by holding onto a rope, then you grab onto another rope and swing high above a pool Tarzan-style and then fall into the water, then climb a ladder out of the pool. I was brave enough to do the swing rope 4 times! There were lots of people watching from the lip of the falls. What a blast! We then drove up into the mountains of Kauai and took one last nice 3-mile hike along a ridge with incredible views of the island. We checked out a couple of beaches to camp at but decided to stay at a hostel that night instead -- after a timely visit to Walmart to make up for all the things I've lost on the way or left at home!
Sunday, Mar. 4: Renee and Val drove me over to the airport and we parted ways. I flew over to Honolulu and drove to Laie. I found a church ward to visit and had a great time making new friends there -- it felt like a very small world when I ran into a couple Japanese guys who knew people I knew in Japan. After church I walked the beautiful grounds of the Laie Mormon temple, then took a drive along the famous North Shore of Oahu (where all the Hollywood surfing movies are made). The aqua blue color of the water has to be seen to be believed. I drove back to Honolulu and made my way to my mission president's home (I served with President Kiyabu in Tokyo Japan about 17 years ago!) We had a fun visit talking about all the missionaries we were with and where they are now. We haven't had a reunion in years because it's hard for my mission president to come to them -- I told him if he did a reunion in Hawaii that a lot of us would come!
Monday, Mar. 5: Pres. Kiyabu was kind enough to take the day off work and show me around the island! We went to Hanauma Bay and went snorkelling there. It was amazing! Huge schools of fish, big fish, beautiful blue water, extensive coral reefs to try swimming thru (it was challenging at low tide). I did cut my toes on the reef -- hopefully that will heal up quickly. I highly recommend Hanauma Bay to everyone! We drove on to the tip of the windward coast then drove back to Honolulu. We hiked up Diamond Head and got great views of the city from the top. It's a really neat hike with tunnels thru portions that were created by the military to protect the island during the war. At the top we ran into a Japanese girl who overheard me speaking Japanese to a couple of tourists and asked me if I had been a Mormon missionary. It turned out that she's also a return missionary and was visiting the island herself for a week. She was just taking the bus so Pres. Kiyabu and I took her with us as we finished our tour of Honolulu (Waikiki Beach, Punchbowl overlook, Pali Lookout). After dinner at the Kiyabu's, we drove her back to Laie where she was staying with friends. She has friends in Australia, New Zealand, and Tasmania so maybe she'll hook me up with them! I love international networking!
Tuesday, Mar. 6: Today I'm headed to Australia -- with the international dateline I'll arrive there on Wednesday. I really don't have many details planned for the next part of the trip so I'll be winging it! Actually I might just take a down day somewhere because Hawaii wore me out! I'll spend a couple of days up in the Blue Mountains then meet up with Melvin on Sunday before driving out to Snowy River country and Melbourne!
Sorry this post is so long! Hope you enjoyed it! Hawaii was a blast!! I'm having a hard time posting pictures but hopefully I'll be able to post pictures later. Feel free to leave comments on the web page alloverdownunder.blogspot.com or email me directly at rayhiker@hotmail.com.
Best wishes!
Ray
I've had a wonderful time here in Hawaii the last few days. It's every bit as wonderful as they say. I'm most impressed by all the colors, textures, exotic plants, animals, and friendly people. I especially loved Kauai and hope to return for more adventures some time. Why have I waited so long to come to Hawaii?! Here's a quick run-down of my trip so far:
Wednesday, Feb. 28: Arrived in Kauai and met up with Renee and Val. Drove to a beach on the North Shore and set up camp.
Thursday, Mar. 1: Took a beautiful walk along the beach at sunrise. Drove all the way to the end of the North Shore road and took a hike on the famous Kalalau Trail along the Na Pali Coast to Hanakapiai Falls and back. Incredible hike! You earned the views because the trail was really up and down and muddy but what views!! Highlights were seeing the incredible green color ocean, rock-rock-hopping up the Hanakapiai Canyon, turning a corner and seeing the huge falls tucked away all to ourselves, then swimming in a pool in the creek on the way back. Renee and Val were brave enough to jump into the cold water at the natural pool too! Back at the trailhead, we enjoyed a quick swim at the beach and then drove all the way back around the island (clockwise) up to Koke'e State Park (next to Waimea Canyon) where we camped for the night at a YWCA camp.
Friday, Mar. 2: Gluttons for punishment, we hiked an 11-mile loop along three trails with more incredible views from above the Na Pali Coast. We enjoyed meeting a group from France as we hiked along. We had lunch at a dry waterfall. At the second viewpoint I thought I was stepping on firm ground on the edge, but what a surprise when my foot fell through and I just about fell off the cliff and became part of the scenery! Everyone laughed about it -- it wasn't too dangerous. We actually ran into a family of wild pigs on the hike back out! We drove by Waimea Canyon on the way back to the beach and gawked at this beautiful work of nature labelled the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific" by Mark Twain. No time to hike around it so we'll have to go back again soon! We had a fun time at a Thai restaurant then headed to the beach and camped. At least we tried to sleep while the natives' beach party continued late into the night!
Saturday, Mar. 3: We enjoyed a morning at the South Shore beach. Snorkelling, swimming, watching the rare Hawaiian monk seals playing with each other (biting) right next to us in the bay and on shore. I was amazed by all the different types of fishes we saw under water -- long & thin, striped, rainbow colored, yellow neon, etc. After lunch in Lihue, we made our way to a lush river valley (reminded me a lot of Fossil Canyon) with a 25-foot waterfall or so. You wade across the creek just above the roaring falls by holding onto a rope, then you grab onto another rope and swing high above a pool Tarzan-style and then fall into the water, then climb a ladder out of the pool. I was brave enough to do the swing rope 4 times! There were lots of people watching from the lip of the falls. What a blast! We then drove up into the mountains of Kauai and took one last nice 3-mile hike along a ridge with incredible views of the island. We checked out a couple of beaches to camp at but decided to stay at a hostel that night instead -- after a timely visit to Walmart to make up for all the things I've lost on the way or left at home!
Sunday, Mar. 4: Renee and Val drove me over to the airport and we parted ways. I flew over to Honolulu and drove to Laie. I found a church ward to visit and had a great time making new friends there -- it felt like a very small world when I ran into a couple Japanese guys who knew people I knew in Japan. After church I walked the beautiful grounds of the Laie Mormon temple, then took a drive along the famous North Shore of Oahu (where all the Hollywood surfing movies are made). The aqua blue color of the water has to be seen to be believed. I drove back to Honolulu and made my way to my mission president's home (I served with President Kiyabu in Tokyo Japan about 17 years ago!) We had a fun visit talking about all the missionaries we were with and where they are now. We haven't had a reunion in years because it's hard for my mission president to come to them -- I told him if he did a reunion in Hawaii that a lot of us would come!
Monday, Mar. 5: Pres. Kiyabu was kind enough to take the day off work and show me around the island! We went to Hanauma Bay and went snorkelling there. It was amazing! Huge schools of fish, big fish, beautiful blue water, extensive coral reefs to try swimming thru (it was challenging at low tide). I did cut my toes on the reef -- hopefully that will heal up quickly. I highly recommend Hanauma Bay to everyone! We drove on to the tip of the windward coast then drove back to Honolulu. We hiked up Diamond Head and got great views of the city from the top. It's a really neat hike with tunnels thru portions that were created by the military to protect the island during the war. At the top we ran into a Japanese girl who overheard me speaking Japanese to a couple of tourists and asked me if I had been a Mormon missionary. It turned out that she's also a return missionary and was visiting the island herself for a week. She was just taking the bus so Pres. Kiyabu and I took her with us as we finished our tour of Honolulu (Waikiki Beach, Punchbowl overlook, Pali Lookout). After dinner at the Kiyabu's, we drove her back to Laie where she was staying with friends. She has friends in Australia, New Zealand, and Tasmania so maybe she'll hook me up with them! I love international networking!
Tuesday, Mar. 6: Today I'm headed to Australia -- with the international dateline I'll arrive there on Wednesday. I really don't have many details planned for the next part of the trip so I'll be winging it! Actually I might just take a down day somewhere because Hawaii wore me out! I'll spend a couple of days up in the Blue Mountains then meet up with Melvin on Sunday before driving out to Snowy River country and Melbourne!
Sorry this post is so long! Hope you enjoyed it! Hawaii was a blast!! I'm having a hard time posting pictures but hopefully I'll be able to post pictures later. Feel free to leave comments on the web page alloverdownunder.blogspot.com or email me directly at rayhiker@hotmail.com.
Best wishes!
Ray
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
On my way!!
I'm just about to head to the airport for my two month odyssey! After doing some last minute errands, taxes and yard work, I'm on my way to Kauai! We plan to camp in Koke'e State Park and hike around the Na Pali Coast and Waimea Canyon the next couple of days, then on Sunday I'll head over to Honolulu for a couple of days! I'm traveling "lean and mean" with just a backpack with everything I need. Wish me luck!
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Four days to go!!
Hello everyone! After seven years working at Intel, I've earned a two-month sabbatical to do whatever I want. I've actually held on to my sabbatical for three extra years, to the point that I need to "use it or lose it" right now. Naturally with my love of the outdoors and the desire to do something totally different, I've chosen to go on a two-month adventure on the other side of the world! I'll be doing lots of hiking, but I have a bunch of other fun plans too for this trip.
Here's my basic itinerary:
Feb. 28: Leave Phoenix for Kauai island of Hawaii with friend Renee and Val
Mar. 4: Jump over to Oahu
Mar. 6: Head to Sydney, Australia
Mar. 11: Meet my brother Melvin in Sydney
Mar. 18: Fly to Christchurch on South Island of New Zealand
Apr. 14: Fly back to Sydney, meet up with friend Susie & head to Tasmania
Apr. 22: Meet Val in Hobart, Tasmania
Apr. 29: Fly back to Sydney and on back to Phoenix
Just figuring out my flights was a logistical nightmare, but then I had to figure out all the details -- what to do on each day, how to get there, where to stay, etc. It would have been a LOT easier to leave the trip planning to someone else or just buy a package deal or something, but in my opinion doing things this way is a LOT more fun. With four days to go I have lots of plans made but really have a lot left to do. I like to say that I'm really good at "winging it" and I'm sure going to prove that on this trip. But the best "winging it" comes after lots of reading and thinking through ideas (which I've done!) so I'll be ready for adventure. As it is, this is easily the most complex plan I've ever made.
I've set up a blog (alloverdownunder.blogspot.com) and mailing list (join by sending email to alloverdownunder-subscribe@yahoogroups.com) to keep in touch with those who are interested in following my adventures -- but especially to let Mom know that I'm safe!! Once I'm on my way, I'll probably only have email access about once every week or so. We'll see how I do in posting my updates -- I have no idea if I will be posting pictures on the way. I'll look forward to hearing people's comments.
Mahalo!
Ray
Here's my basic itinerary:
Feb. 28: Leave Phoenix for Kauai island of Hawaii with friend Renee and Val
Mar. 4: Jump over to Oahu
Mar. 6: Head to Sydney, Australia
Mar. 11: Meet my brother Melvin in Sydney
Mar. 18: Fly to Christchurch on South Island of New Zealand
Apr. 14: Fly back to Sydney, meet up with friend Susie & head to Tasmania
Apr. 22: Meet Val in Hobart, Tasmania
Apr. 29: Fly back to Sydney and on back to Phoenix
Just figuring out my flights was a logistical nightmare, but then I had to figure out all the details -- what to do on each day, how to get there, where to stay, etc. It would have been a LOT easier to leave the trip planning to someone else or just buy a package deal or something, but in my opinion doing things this way is a LOT more fun. With four days to go I have lots of plans made but really have a lot left to do. I like to say that I'm really good at "winging it" and I'm sure going to prove that on this trip. But the best "winging it" comes after lots of reading and thinking through ideas (which I've done!) so I'll be ready for adventure. As it is, this is easily the most complex plan I've ever made.
I've set up a blog (alloverdownunder.blogspot.com) and mailing list (join by sending email to alloverdownunder-subscribe@yahoogroups.com) to keep in touch with those who are interested in following my adventures -- but especially to let Mom know that I'm safe!! Once I'm on my way, I'll probably only have email access about once every week or so. We'll see how I do in posting my updates -- I have no idea if I will be posting pictures on the way. I'll look forward to hearing people's comments.
Mahalo!
Ray
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