Another day, another drive!

This time, we were on our way to see Aoraki / Mt. Cook, the highest mountain in New Zealand at more than 12,200 feet. Today’s driver guide, Stuart, had a teacher’s way with his old-timer’s knowledge of the land, its nature, and the country ways. We spent 7 hours on the bus to and from Mt. Cook village (160 miles each way). It was not nearly enough time to explore the area. Once again, we had to reassure ourselves with “Next time.”

Lake Pukaki

Stuart knew a lot about geology. He told us that New Zealand was the only above-water land on the 8th continent, Zealandia. He explained the moraines that formed the valley and the glacial flour that made Lake Pukaki so unbelievably blue. There were sky blue dollops, within turquoise blue pools and aquamarine patches in Lake Pukaki. I’ve never seen water that blue in all my life. It would have been grand to spend a whole week on those shores, watching the lake change shades of blue in the light, and trying to think of all the words in the world for this Lake Pukaki blue. Next time.

Animals of (and not of) New Zealand

Stuart knew a lot about sheep farming. He told us about Shrek the Sheep who avoided shearing for 6 years by hiding out in the mountains. Poor old Shrek was so matted and “wool blind” by the time they got him that he had to be carried down the mountain. When he was at long last shorn, his wool made enough yarn for 20 large men’s suits.

Stuart knew a lot about herding dogs. He explained the difference between “heading dogs—silent, obsessive, steely-gazed herders” and “huntalongs who walk with the farmer–speaking as often as necessary.” Stuart told us about the Country Calendar TV show that documents rural life in New Zealand. I watched a few episodes in New Zealand, and…next time, I’d love to spend some time with the sheep, the headings, and the huntalongs. The Country Calendar program is not fully available outside New Zealand, but I found an episode featuring the group Retired Working Dog Adoption NZ.

Stuart knew a lot about non-endemic plants and animals:  like the pine trees we saw cut and stacked as wind row fences, and like the rabbits and deer we saw in the fields. Rabbits were first introduced to New Zealand in the 1830s. With few natural enemies, the rabbits over-populated and are periodically culled. New Zealand also has deer over-population, said to have started when deer were gifted to the country for hunting stock. The rabbits and deer compete with the sheep for grass, and in the winter of 1890, it came to a critical head. There was not enough fodder for the sheep, who were left on the fields. When the snow accumulated that year, in one of the harshest winters ever recorded, there was not enough labor to dig the sheep out of the snow in the fields. It’s estimated that 45,000 sheep died. Horrible. But It doesn’t seem fair that rabbits and deer take all the blame. They are not responsible for sheltering sheep, or for not hiring enough people to bring them in. And hey, sheep are not native to New Zealand either.

Kiwis are endemic. And they are endangered because of loss of habitat and non-native predators. In a cruel design twist for a bird, they cannot fly. They lay eggs that are very large in comparison to their chicken-like body size. They have hair-like feathers, and an unusually good sense of smell for a bird (presumably to make up for being nearly blind). These flightless quirky birds can live to be 60-years old. Many live in captivity–to save them, and/or to make a few bucks showing them off to tourists. There is one group called Kiwis for Kiwi that helps birds safely hatch and make it to adulthood before releasing them into nature with their project Operation Nest Egg.  

Cromwell and the Golden Kiwi

We passed Jones Family Fruit Stall in Cromwell twice that day, stopping both times for fresh fruit and sampling. Did you know there is a golden kiwi? We sampled the green and golden kiwis side-by-side at Jones. The golds look almost the same from the outside, maybe a little less hairy. On the inside, golden kiwis look less seedy than the traditional green variety, and I found them to be a bit sweeter. 

Mt. Cook and Sir Edmund Hillary

And as we got closer to Aoraki / Mount Cook, Stuart turned our attention to Sir Edmund Hillary and mountain climbing. Mt. Cook is considered an assessment and practice mountain for those wanting to climb Everest. According to New Zealand’s tourism site, “Mt Cook is a technically challenging mountain. Its level of difficulty is often underestimated. The climb crosses large crevasses, and involves risks of ice and rock falls, avalanches, and rapidly changing weather conditions.” The mountain lost nearly 100 feet in height in 1991 because of a large rock fall that reshaped the summit.

Sir Edmund Hillary—or “Hilly” as they call him here–was born in Auckland. In college, he joined the Tramping Club and studied math. But he dropped-out to keep bees with his family in summers and hone his climbing skills in winters. Hilly made his first ascent of Mt Cook in January 1948, and a month later was the first to top the South Ridge (now known as Hillary Ridge). Of course, in 1953, Hilly was the first to summit Mt. Everest with Tenzing Norgay. New Zealand is quite proud of their native son and he occupies their colorful five-dollar note, sharing it with images of Mt.Cook and the endangered Hoiho penguin.

We spent only a few hours in Mt. Cook Village. A month would not have been enough time. Next time. But my, what a fine, fresh smell. What is it about mountains? Is it the juniper, the grasses on the surrounding slopes? Or is it just the smell of altitude. I stared and stared at those mountains, trying to see the knife-edge ridge of Mt. Cook’s summit through the thick cloud cover. Sometimes, I was allowed a one-second glimpse of snow-capped mountain tops. Was that Mt. Cook? 

Lindis Pass

Of all the places we saw this day, I’d most like to spend more time around Lindis Pass. As we drove into this quiet, treeless landscape, Stuart pointed out that early settlers had burned large swaths of tussock around the Pass, destroying the underlying ecosystem. Today, there are miles and miles of rolling green land, rolling and rolling and rolling….like a worn-thin green velvet blanket draped over jade stones, in places rubbed smooth from a worrying thumb.  There was something so peaceful and empty and raw about that landscape. A draw-in-your-breath kind of beauty. Respect. Silence. 

Next time.

If you are going to New Zealand, we have unused bus pass hours for two people for sale at a discount. We have 17 hours each for 2 people which is a $175 USD ($260 NZD) total value. We’re selling the hours for $150 USD total. Payment can be made via Paypal, and with a quick name transfer at InterCity.co.nz, the passes will be yours. The pass hours are good for these GreatSights bus or Interislander ferry services. Travel has to be completed by January 5, 2019 or I’d be keeping this for our next trip! Comment or message me if you’re interested!