Training Log Archive: bl

Cape Farewell area - took a walk across fields to Outer beach & then across Spit Track to Inner Beach & back to car park. Cicadas intense! Nice sampling of ocean & bay beaches & moods. Track calls for a wide low tide beach which is what it was.

Cape Farewell & return.

Day became sunny, blue & bright as it progressed. Went to Cape Farewell vantage & had lunch atop the Cape, the turquoise & blue, white-capped Tasman stretching before us. Looking out to sea, I could see Rhodora’s white sails 25 years back with some imagination. Then we drove over to Wharariki Beach parking & walked the kilometer to the beach. There was a wedding ceremony taking place. Walked to the far end for a photo of Archway Islands. I returned via Hill Top trail to Cape Farewell parking. Then we drove away, leaving that lovely area behind. No time for Abel Tasman. Beth was nailed for a $170 speeding ticket for what she/we knew not. She’s the last to be ticketed for speeding. We are among the slower cars on the road here. PD said 94 kph in 70 zone (even a breathalyzer check - as bad as the US in that regard...). I wasn’t even looking at the road & had zero sense of “speed”. We see much more police presence here then in, say, Scotland.

Looking back on Wharariki Beach


Flooding tide in Tasman Bay

Friday saw alot of rain. We were also washed out from the ferry ride, 0230-0530 and wait til 8 for the rental car. Then we drove many k’s to Collingwood where it was raining steadily.

Impulse jog inspired by scenery & fact that it was still am cool. Decided 2 mi or 20 min, whichever came first. Beth followed in 18’ by stopwatch which made it predictable. Mostly shaded along the Mangawhero River valley edged by high clay cliffs (say 75’) in places. Terrain was mumbo-jumbo volcanic, corrugated brown hills with occ attractive pine forest & sculptured (wind or man) copses. Plenty of sheep & cattle grazing alongside. An all’s-right-with-the-world roadside moment.

We finished the day in Wellington - waiting for a 0230 ferry departure across Cook Strait...plan ahead...or see stars!

NZ North Island highlight day hike named Tongariro Alpine Crossing, 19.4k, about 6.5 hrs for us (a mountain runner did it in 85’). Lots of hikers! We started in our group of 12 from our caravan camp at 0555, just at light. Climb going from west to east was easy in that there were stairs & smoothed surfaces. It got extremely windy climbing out of South Crater & on the ridge to the highest point in the walk. Windy enough (maybe 50mph) to be concerned with being blown off the ridge. There were lots of hikers by then & many were sheltering in the rocks along the way. Some were really under-dressed: one kid in flip flops, shorts, tee shirt, no hat or mitts. Another, an AR-type, jogged by in tee shirt & running shorts before the windiest section. Fingers were numb. After the high point, we picked up a lee. Warm enough by Emerald Lake in the sun, and some wind later but less. Down & down, finally to forest which was refreshingly green at that point. Beth had a particularly hard time in the wind & did not want to continue. But continuing seemed the best way out & it was. Most of the hikers were under 40 if not 30. Rare to see someone over 55 (& we must have seen 200).

Looking over the central crater (black=recent flow); highest point on crossing was just to right of center

Went the other way, found a trail but not so interesting so bailed out thru "bush" to road & return. Preoccupied with car problem so needed to get back.

To Te Wahapu Bay & return from David & Susan's.

D&S (about our age) are two Americans who emigrated to NZ in 1996. They spent 12 years in arriving here (by boat from FL) & after 4 years, decided to stay. We met them in the Bahamas in 1984 and again in Costa Rica in 1987. We've kept in touch somewhat over the years. We've no shortage of things to talk about & their perspective on America (with their dual passports) is most interesting.

C • Kiwi land 3

The 4 of us hiked over to Whangamumu Cove & back. Lovely green hills & turquoise water.

Beachcombers

Return, quite hot in sun - decent breeze on heights, however.