Te Anau: March

March 2-6

Marco and I headed further south for a long weekend. Our plans were to visit Stewart Island which is another island south of the South Island, just a short forty minute ferry ride. We spent the first night in Invercargill, then the next morning we took the ferry to Stewart Island. After returning from two days spent on Stewart Island, we still had two full days to make another adventure. Unsure of where to go, we sat in an Invercargill coffee shop and decided to take our adventure east. We would camp overnight in Purakanui.

Side note: Like a twelve year old, this is also the weekend that I told Marco that I liked him. Little did he know that he had me within the first week that I arrived in Te Anau (end of December) after an in-depth conversation about Avatar. If you know me, you know why this is important. From this March weekend on, Marco and I would be a “thing” and eventually start to date. We decided that we would try this long-distance relationship thing out- a first for the both of us. Great timing too since Marco was about to leave to go back home around the 18th. Smh.

March 3

Marie and I met a guy named Noel on the Abel Tasman Great Walk track back in December which was in the north part of the South Island. No contact information was exchanged as that’s the way it sometimes goes when you’re a backpacker. You just enjoy the people you’re with in that moment and if paths cross again, it makes it that much more magical. Well magic happened as Marco and I were waiting to board the Stewart Island ferry, I saw Noel! We were taking the same ferry- same weekend, same day, same time. I can’t tell you how cool it is to reconnect with someone who is on a similar journey as you. We weren’t attending a special event on Stewart Island, we just happened to be at the same place at the right time.

Once we reached Stewart Island, Noel joined Marco and I to Ulva Island. Ulva Island is a tiny, isolated island near the main island (Stewart Island) which has zero vermin. This is extremely rare and really fortunate as stouts and rats have infested the rest of New Zealand. On this little island you can walk a few tracks and complete an island tour within a half day which we were able to do. We didn’t see kiwis, but we did see some wekas!

The cute ferry that took us to Ulva Island.

Once we arrived on Ulva Island, we were greeted with some jelly fish. It was my first experience seeing them in the wild! Pretty neat, eh?

And after the jelly fish, I saw my dear old friend, the weka! I love wekas! Marie and I had our fair share of weka-love while hiking the Abel Tasman. As you’ll see in the next video, Marco didn’t mind the wekas either. Its long video… more excitement towards the end.

I think this is a bell bird that is imitating Marco’s song. I could most definitely be wrong though. The bird species is BESIDES the point.

The day was practically spent after a few hours at Ulva Island. We took the ferry back to Stewart Island, ate some dinner, and went back to our hostel to get a good night’s rest.

March 4

Pop’s Birthday!

I thoroughly enjoyed this day as it ended up being a day full of unexpected sunshine! Marco and I took advantage of the day by sitting outside to eat our breakfast and taking a walk to Ackers Point, a nearby peninsula that features a lighthouse. On our way, we found a resting spot that ended up being a great place to watch activity in and out side of the water. I could have stayed there all day but we made a point to visit the lighthouse after spending an hour in one spot. We reached the lighthouse and looked out at the sea… Then headed back to “our” spot to relax for another hour before heading back to the hostel.

We washed up and got ready for the moment everyone hopes to get while visiting or living in New Zealand… We were going to look for some KIWIS!!! Kiwis are nocturnal birds that are rarely seen in the wild. They continue to be endangered as they are easy targets for stouts, rats, and other predators. Their flightless wings, large body, and long beaks with nostrils at the end are iconic for this bird as are their feeding habits- digging their long beak into the sand and blowing the sand away with their nostrils. They have a keen sense of smell which help them to detect and eat their prey (worms, bugs, seeds, fruit- not too picky).

On our way to a nearby island to find some Kiwis (not sure where). This is an Albatross. Such cool birds from what I’ve learned. Some quick facts: largest wingspan of a bird (up to 11 feet), some species are monogamous, can reach a speed of 40 mph, breeding couple will only produce one egg***.

***This bird was featured on the Netflix documentary Plastic Ocean. The parents of this bird will go to the water for food and will mistakenly return with plastic “food” causing their young to die. Not only do the young have this misfortune, the adults do as well. Unfortunately, many animals face this fate. I only write this as a reminder to myself and others who read this to be mindful of plastic. Not to get too graphic, but imagine a body of a dead bird with a hardened stomach… Hard from all the plastic it ingested. And died because it couldn’t digest any of it. It’s gross I know, but it’s happening… to many living things.

A lovely sunset matched with some cool clouds.

We went with a local organization who took us on a *Kiwi Encounter*. We silently walked through the bush hoping to come across a kiwi, but it wasn’t until we reached the water that we would see our prize.

Alas! Kiwis!

March 5

Marco and I took the ferry back to Bluff and drove to Invercargill to make a plan for the day. We decided to camp in Purakaunui at the Purakaunui Bay Campsite which was right by the water. There were a few stops along the way: Slope Point, The Lost Gypsy Gallery, and Nugget Point.

We stopped at Slope Point so Marco could get a picture at the iconic Slope Point sign. I had already been there back in January but its something one must do if in the area!

I am so glad we decided to go to Nugget Point because while we were on our way, we came across this… The Lost Gypsy Gallery. It’s a place where touching everything is permitted and someone else’s creations blow your mind. I truly enjoy an artist’s mind… oh how creative one brain can be. Marco and I spent a good hour here. To check out what we saw, there is a video on the The Lost Gypsy Gallery website. At first we went into the once mobile bus….

Then we saw there was more so we paid $5 more to see what else this artist had in store. I took some videos so you can see.

There was so much to see there! At first we stopped just to get some water and a flat white. We had no idea what we were walking into. After we got done playing at The Lost Gypsy Gallery, we continued on our journey and made it to Nugget Point.

Marco knew the right spot to take a photo… Had to walk up a primitive path to get the best view of the rocks and the lighthouse.

Based on our drive to the campsite, I thought we would be the only ones there. There was no one on the road and the road we traveled on wasn’t cement either… It was a dirt road that twisted us in what felt like several circles for several miles. Once we arrived though, we saw many other camper vans. Even though it seemed packed, we found a nice spot on a nearby hill.

March 6

We got up early and started the drive back home. We were going to take a river boat ride, but it didn’t work out due to timing. Without stress and time limitations, we took our time to get back to Te Anau and made another stop at The Lost Gypsy Gallery. I think I can speak for the both of us when I say we loved it there. We got a flat white, looked in the van again, ate some food prepared at the tiny food truck next to the bus, and played Foosball. I won.

We got back on the road again and made another stop at Curio Bay. I had also been there before, the same time I went to Slope Point. It’s a lovely beach where penguins and dolphins can commonly be seen. After Curio Bay, we stopped in Invercargill to get some pizza and then drove home. We eventually made it back sometime after midnight. Roommates were a little concerned, but they were happy to see us the next day.

March 7

Tom being Tom. I went upstairs after work and this is how I found him- bundled up in his sleeping bag watching a movie in the dark.

March 11

Lei, my coworker, and I walked to the 24 hour bird sanctuary on this day. It was only a mile or so away from the house so it became one of my favorite places to visit when I felt like walking or running somewhere. It houses a couple of other birds as well, but the takahe is my favorite which is featured below.

This bird was thought to be extinct fifty years ago… but it was believed by someone that the bird still existed so he and another sought out to prove it. Sure enough, in the nearby Murchison mountain range, a small fleet of takahe were found. Those birds were kept safe and have since grown in population but are still endangered. Like the kiwi, the takahe is also an easy target for predators.

March 15

What it looks like when you picnic with Marco.

Marco does not disappoint when it comes to picnicing. Freshly prepared guacamole, hummus, chips, cheese, bread, pickles, cocktail onions, tomatoes, and wine! What an evening this was.

March 17

I had the opportunity to go to Milford Sound again which was quite the treat since it was such a beautiful day! I went to Milford Sound the month previous with Kristie, similar to this day as it also offered something special. When I went in February, Milford had a dramatic setting as it was a rainy, misty day. Every photo I took looked like I used a black and white filter. On this day in March, it was blue sky with hardly any clouds. Pretty rare for the sounds.

This was also the day Marco’s car started to act funny. We ended up getting home fine, but it was pretty lucky that we did. He needed a new transmission. Even though I felt bad that his car needed to be fixed, this meant that Marco would have to stay at least a day or so longer as he would need his car to travel up to the North Island and get to the Auckland airport.

Mirror Lake. This site is on the way to Milford Sound. She’s a beaut! Like everywhere in New Zealand.

March 20

Below is capturing what a normal night looked like at the Moana house. Playing Uno was a house favorite. It brought everyone together, even those that didn’t live in the house like Lei. This is definitely one of my favorite memories looking back. We laughed so much!

The entire clan playing Uno (from left to right; Marco, me, Laura, Raphy, Simon, Tom, Lei and Kristie).

March 23

So Marco’s car ended up taking a bit longer than expected (yay!)… But eventually it was fixed and it was time for him to leave. He left the following day and would be heading north to catch a flight back to his homeland, Switzerland.

March 28

#kitchenlyfe Simon, Kristie, and I hanging out in the kitchen!

March 30

On this evening, I made friends with a fellow American named Natalie. I was out to eat by myself at the local Indian restaurant, Radhas, which was one of my favorites. I had just purchased tickets to Switzerland so I wanted to start planning my next adventure. I would first meet my father to do some traveling with him then return to visit with Marco and Chantal afterwards. I hadn’t told my dad that I was dating a Swiss yet. My dad and I had plans to meet before I was to head to Australia (Australia work would begin in July), and one day he messaged me and said “How about Switzerland end of May? Or Dubai?”. It felt out of nowhere that he suggested Switzerland, but I knew that he had wanted to ride one of the scenic trains for quite sometime; he had seen it on a documentary or something. Of course I chose Switzerland for obvious reasons, but I also wanted to do the same things as my dad like the Glacier Express train and visit authentic cuckoo clock makers in the German Black Forest.

Anyways…. Back to Natalie. There I was sitting by myself, being antisocial, and then this girl asks if she can share the picnic table I was sitting at. I probably said something like “Of course.” and then continued looking at my phone and writing things down. Then when we recognized each others accents, the “where are you from?” question came out. We got to know a little more about each other; making a connection with Natalie was quite easy since she is such a down-to-earth girl. Natalie takes a solo trip every year and this year it was New Zealand. She would be in the area for just a couple of days and the following day was her birthday! She graciously invited me to go fly fishing with her which was perfect timing since I had the day off. We exchanged numbers and split ways.

While on my walk home the moon was so bright! This picture doesn’t do what I saw justice but it’s an attempt nonetheless.

March 31

It was Natalie’s birthday and I was ready to help celebrate her day. I met her at her place around 12:30p with two flat whites in hand, one for me and one for her. What better way to start your birth-day than with an espresso beverage?

After meeting up with each other we took a short drive around the corner to the local sports shop so we could rent our fly fishing poles. Long story short, we ended up getting regular fishing poles since we were told the conditions weren’t appropriate for fly fishing. Not enough water or too windy… Something like that. I just nodded the entire time…. I’m not such a fisherwoman. After getting our gear, we went to Fresh Choice (the local supermarket) to get some snacks and drinks. Picture below is me walking through the supermarket…. Everyone, kids AND adults alike, walk in public stores without shoes. This was the only time that I took advantage of this privilege. This would never be allowed in the U.S. since we love our lawsuits (and I guess safety). A wee unfortunate if you ask me. We got some ciders and snacks and off to the nearby river we went for some fishin’! What a fabulous day for fishing it was…

In two separate areas, I caught a rainbow trout in each. It was a little bit traumatic so after the second catch, I was mentally done as I didn’t want to remove another hook from another fish eye again. UGH. We fished for four hours or so and decided to head back to our homes to eat and freshen up. We would meet later on at The Ranch (local bar… there are like two in the area) for some birthday drinks. My roommates showed up after they finished work and enjoyed a cocktail with us. They even invited Natalie over for some wine afterwards! We enjoyed getting to know Natalie more and eventually ended the night. I walked her halfway and returned home heading immediately to bed. The next day was a big day as I would be seeing Ed Sheeran with Laura.