The Routeburn Track

For those of you that don't already know, I took over the management of Skybar and things have been going pretty well. We have finally built a clientele and we are now on the map in terms of bars in Queenstown; its on everybody's pub crawl. It feels so good to be a contributer to the wild and crazy culture that makes Queenstown and to show people, both locals and tourists a good time. The management has been a new challenge for me in terms of hiring and training my own team of staff, keeping the bar stocked, getting broken things fixed, and most of all, keeping it fun, busy and running smooth. There are so many of the same cycles here as when I helped run the team of engineers on my project last summer, and its fun to see how life can contain so many hidden rhythms like that. I've been attacking it hard and apparently its paying off. The bar has been busy and the owner and bosses have been really happy with my work, giving good feedback and encouragement. Whats so liberating about running the place is that the owners are crazy themselves and go out and party a lot, so they know what it takes to keep a place fun. This allow me to be crazy, dance on tables and light the bar on fire, and they dig it. Pretty unique situation!
I just got back from an amazing trek in the mountains on the famous Routeburn track. It was a 3 day, 2 night hike, overall 38km (23 miles) through some of the best scenery I've ever seen. There were serene waterfalls and pools, alpine peaks, and cascading rivers and amongst high valleys. Many scenes from Lord of the Rings were filmed on this track, and I felt a lot like the fellowship trekking through the alpine valleys on a journey through the pass of the misty mountains. Its just amazing how unique this place is, like a dreamland, and it makes you wonder if Lord of the Rings was written based on this place instead of the other way around. The landscape seems to inspire a feeling of kingdoms and grueling journeys.

The best part was that it was a fully-guided trip paid for by the owner of Skybar and other bars in Queenstown, a 1200 dollar per person value! It was sort of a staff party in which all the managers of 5 bars and 4 liquor stores were invited to come. All together with the upper management and owners, there were about 20 people. It was a great chance to me to get to know the owners and coworkers a bit better.

We were bused in and out and stayed each night in these private, posh lodges with hot showers, comfy warm beds, laundry facilities, and amazing views. To top is all off, we had all our meals prepared for us, and stopped for morning and afternoon hot tea, all in the middle of the mountains! We had steak dinner with mushrooms and potatoes the last night, can you imagine? Wow, what a unique, once in a lifetime experience!

The owner also sent in tons of bottles of wine, beer and spirits for each night via helicopter so we partied each night. I didn't drink very much, but I was amazed at how those kiwis could drink so much and then kick my ass on the trail the next day. As a side note, I've noticed that most kiwis seem to be really burly and tough. They all seem to be in incredible shape and can hike fast and I was told that some people run the whole Routeburn track in one day.

The first day was perfect, beautiful and sunny for 12km (7.2 miles) of gradual uphill climbing through a dry bush landscape. We stopped for lunch and a refreshing shower in beautiful Earland falls before making it to a more moist, mossy landscape on our way to Lake Mackenzie lodge for the first nights rest, including Chicken Kiev and wine for dinner!

(Earland Falls)

(Lake Mackenzie Lodge)

Day two started out cloudy through a dark, mossy, beach tree forest that eventually gave way to hot sun and a clear hillside and steep switchbacks. We summited a pass called Ocean Peak corner (1150m, ~3500ft) where you can seen the Tasman sea in the distance and followed a mountain ridge along Hollyford face into a cloudy, windy and cold Harris Saddle (1250m, ~3900ft). We also did an optional and incredibly steep part of the trail to summit Conical hill (1515m, ~4600ft) after lunch at the Harris Saddle hut. Finally, we decended through 2 wide open valleys into Routeburn Falls lodge for night 2. Went for a dip in the ice cold waterfall before dinner too! Overall distance, 16km (9.6mi)

(Ocean View Peak)

(Harris Saddle)
(Lake Harris)

(Conical Hill)

(Routeburn Falls)

(A very cold dip)

(Routeburn Falls Lodge)

Day three was quite easy on paper, 10km (6mi) downhill, but difficult for me as I was pretty sore. It was all down hill through the narrow Routeburn valley following a deep blue rushing river. The landscape was pretty consistent mossy bush and high canopy beach trees.

(Routeburn Valley)

(Routeburn River)

It was so great to get back into the mountains and do some tramping. It has really refreshed my motivation to get into the outdoors, which is why I came here to NZ in the first place.

Milford Sound, a land of extremes

The life of a vampire, er, bartender. Up all night, sleep all day, and wincing in the sunlight. The new bar, Skybar, is going well. Chris and I have developed quite a reputation in town and every week is starting to get busier. I think we are becoming the new place to be in Queenstown! Chris has just amazed me at how well he can create a party, play the right music, and win the crowd. I’m leaning so much about people, about creating fun, and about life down here.

I feel that I have changed my outlook on things--not quite sure exactly how, but I know I have. I seem to live for the moment a bit more, treating my life as if it were short. For example, I feel like skydiving, which is something I’ve always been scared of, but I want to do it. Maybe breaking free from corporate America, and away from routine unleashed something inside me, like a personal liberation. I’ve noticed that traveling abroad generally causes one’s outlook on life to become more broad and global. Queenstown is special in the fact that you meet people that have done the same, broken away from their comfort zone. Its inspiring to hear their stories about travel and experiences.

The progression of Skybar is great but also exhausting for Chris and I since we are the only two running the bar--we are struggling to find any good staff with a bit of personality at the moment. This makes it really hard to get away and as a result, I haven’t done much outside of Queenstown which is a bit sad. However, we got someone to cover temporarily for one night and we got a chance to visit one of the icons of New Zealand, Milford Sound.

Milford Sound is part of Fiordland National park located on the Southwest coast of the South Island and a 5hr drive from Queenstown. Chris, my Scottish friend Stu, and I started the day with a five hour drive to the sound at 6am, which was completely backwards hours for us (Chris worked the night before and didn’t go to bed). However, we booked a 2 ½ hr boat cruise through the sound the day before and were looking forward to a nice relaxing day. The morning was misty and foggy and we were worried that we weren’t going to see anything when we got there, but it made for some nice photos along the way. The drive was still incredible and we still got to see some really nice scenery.

We arrived at Milford into a bunch of fog and frustrated and tired, we napped for an hour. Then, surprisingly, one ½ hr before our cruise, the sun burned the fog away, and the weather turned out perfect!

(My friends Till (GER), Chris (Skybar and ENGLAND), and Stu (Scotland))

We had an incredible narrated cruise through the sound relaxing and taking in some breathtaking sights. The massive valleys were created by extremely thick glaciers, some as thick as 1400 meters (~ 4500 ft) during the last ice age. We learned the rock around the place is mainly volcanic and thus very dense. The extreme pressure and grinding of the glaciers long ago left ‘wrinkles’ in the rock that are still visible today as evidence of the incredible force of the ice.

(Chris and I)

Queenstown and my job

Hello All!

Its been a long time since I posted, allow me to explain...

I'm in Queenstown now, the party capital of New Zealand, but also the extreme adventure capital as well. People come from all around to bungi jump, skydive, white water raft, and much more. As a result, this town attracts quite a crowd of young crazy travelers. Its also a gateway to the famous Milford Sound and Mt. Aspiring National park (where much of Lord of the Rings was filmed). This town has probably the most striking setting I've seen so far in NZ surrounded by rocky peaks and hugged by one of the deepest lakes in NZ.

As I mentioned before, I've been vigorously working since the second day I got here and thus have been really busy over the last few weeks. I got here with $400 and needed to get a job ASAP. Within 2 days, I had 3 job offers as a bartender since this town is crying for hospitality workers. I did a trial at a funky, brand new cocktail bar called Skybar and within 45 min, the guy offered me a job. Skybar is a nice wine and cocktail bar with a high-class loungy feel, but it's open late (until 4am), so it gets quite a crowd of late night people that party hard. In fact, there are a few bars that have 24hr licenses and many are open until 5am. Since I've turned my nights and days around, there have been many nights, I've come home when the sun was coming up!

This bar is only 5 weeks old, and just this other guy Chris and I run the place including the liquor orders, money counting, and ordering. Our mission from the owners is to make this bar the most popular place in town, it's kind of a nice challenge. Chris has taught me how to throw a good party for people and give them what they want. We have control over everything, the music, the drinks, the lights, the entertainment. There's a lot of freedom and anything goes! It's liberating having so much freedom and creativity with a job. I really like that, as this was something that was restricted a bit with my engineering job.

To make this the most popular place in town is a tall order since there are so many other bars. We try to do some different and crazy things like dancing on tables, performing to songs like Broadway performers, and we are also doing this "ring of fire" trick. We get lighter fluid, play Johnny Cash's song, and light the bar on fire and people love it! We've gotten so much positive feedback from everyone, it really motivates me to do more. Two people last weekend told me that was the best bar they'd ever been to in their life!

Its fun to get into bartending again, I missed it during my professional life. Additionally, I've secretly always wanted to be a Thespian and a part of me does like being "on stage." I also enjoy the craft of making a nice tasting cocktail and being creative with flavors, ingredients, spirits, and garnishes-its an art.
This seems a bit off track of my intentions for NZ, but its what I fell into, and I'm enjoying myself. Additionally, spontaneity was part of my plan for traveling, as I do think that that creates a more special experience, letting yourself fall into something. It was also the first and fastest job I could get here since I needed cash.

Since I've been working, I've been completely impressed with the people I've met here in Queenstown. Its a different town in the fact that no one really stays here longer than a year. There's a constant influx of new workers, travelers and locals. This transient atmosphere, combined with the high number of nightclubs, outdoor activities, and an amazing setting, creates a unique aura. Since all of us know that we are all away from our families and in the same situation, we take care of each other. Its like a big family of people working in the hospitality industry. I was taken back with how I was welcomed with opened arms as a new member of the team. They've been so warm and accepting, its made the introduction back to work enjoyable. People knew who I was even before I met them. I'm known as the "Rocket Scientist" that works at Skybar. Kind of fitting, isn't it?

So I'm experiencing all aspects of life: nature and beauty, a new culture and job, and a great and supportive social scene. What is really enjoyable here is that, unlike some of my experiences in America, people are so accepting and less judgemental. I really feel like I can be myself without someone asking "why are you wearing that? or You can't dance" People are so open-minded and everyone just want to have a good time. There are so many things that wouldn't fly in the US. It's so free. People are less superficial and aren't trying to be someone they are not. They are not trying to be "so cool." I really like that, it's real.

Alive and in Queenstown

Hello all!

I'm alive and well and having a lot of fun. I've been working on a post, but haven't been happy with the way I've written it and thus haven't posted it yet. Additionally, I've since gotten a job and been pretty busy the last 3 weeks.

In a nutshell, I spent Christmas in a hostel on a sheep farm in the middle of nowhere, near Twizel and the Kingdom of Rohan. It was quite peaceful, but I was a bit lonely after parting ways with my friends Olivia and Doug. A nice couple of older ladies from Vienna, AUS made me Xmas dinner, so that was quite nice! I went for a nice grueling hike on Christmas day, as it was 75 degrees and sunny, really nice!

(Buscot Station, a nice homelike hostel on a sheep farm near Twizel)

Currently, I'm in Queenstown and I've gotten a job as a bartender at a brand new bar called Skybar. Its a really fun job and we serve fine wines and make really nice cocktails. Late at night, the place gets busy and becomes a party bar where people go crazy and dance on the tables! Queenstown is quite the party town, and people party until 8am most nights. Our bar is open until 4am, so I've switched my days and nights around.

I'm still living at a hostel and looking to get a flat soon--sharing a room with 5 other guys is not fun!

I will get you more details and pictures later when I have more time. Right now, this is just a filler to let you know whats going on.

Cheers and thanks for tuning in. I really appreciate the comments!!!

-Rob

Haast Pass, Mt. Cook, and The New Zealand Experience

Our journey continued with the passage from Haast to Mt. Cook via Wanaka (from the West Coast through the Alps and into the central part of the S. Island) was outstanding. I grew up in the mountains and thus am used to seeing immaculate snow capped peaks, but never like this-- even I was astonished. Endless ranges of mountains freshly dusted with snow surrounded us as we traveled through the deep valleys and along cold crystal clear rivers during 8 consecutive hours of driving. We were belittled not only by the size of these mountains, but by their extravagance as each of them had a different combination of foilage, snow, and rock. We were drunk with happiness and nothing could have made a long drive easier.

(Haast Pass)

After leaving the coastline, the scenery changed but still retained its deep beauty. On Lindis pass, the connection between Wanaka and Twizel, we witnessed a floral landscape like none other. Being springtime here, many NZ wildflowers are in bloom and this area was dominated by alpine lupines. I've seen these in the states, but these were nothing like home. Not only were they gigantic in size, but they existed in all different hues of yellow, blue, purple, lavender, magenta, and white. The air was heavy with sweet fragrance as we photographed the endless colorful carpets of lupine. I was again in a dreamworld and frolicked in this interactive 3-D Monet painting. The pictures cannot describe the experience of seeing these infinite fields of lupines, I'd liken it to a place where the Easter bunny would live...under the willows next to the river in fields of colorful flowers.

(The Amazing Lupine Valley)

Our legendary drive terminated in the large valley of Twizel, home of the last battle scene of Lord of the Rings, Return of the King (Kingdom of Rohan). The next morning we drove to the base of Mt. Cook, the highest peak in NZ at around 3900 meters (~12,000 ft). This sharp faced tooth and the mountains around it were not suprisingly fused with glaciers and fresh snow, creating a true alpine feel.

We originally planned to hike the Mueller Track, one of NZ's great walks, but had to replan since the route had several snow avalanches due to the recent snowfall and current sunny conditions. Instead, we hiked up to Ball Pass alongside the Tasman glacier, the largest glacier in NZ at 28 km (17 mi.) long and 90 m deep (~300 ft). The glacier is rapidly receding and covered in rock, creating a landscape that looked like something from Mars: dark brown ice bergs floating in a chocolate colored lake. We spent the night nestled between our beloved mountain peaks in a small hut with three other new friends, people from Germany, Italy and the US.

(Mt. Cook and Lake Pukaki)

(Mt. Cook on far right, and surrounding mtns)

(Tasman Glacier, left, and home sweet home, Ball shelter, right)

I still cannot believe that one place on planet Earth can have so many naturally beautiful things. I often find it hard to accurately describe my feelings here without sounding trite and repetitive. Nevertheless, somehow I still find peace in communicating how moving these sights have been for me.

Because of the deep beauty and unspoiled nature of New Zealand, I have had some rich experiences. In several of them, the splendor of the surroundings has been so epic that time seemed to slow, and everything happened in slow motion, much like a dream. Surprisingly, in this dreamy trance, I have felt incredibly alive, alert, and inspired.

For me, this South Island is a dreamland. When you think it just can’t get any more spectacular, it does. You see a beautiful lake and mountain range and think what could be more beautiful. Then you turn around and there is a beautiful waterfall cutting through another mountain range behind you.

Nelson and an Introduction to the West Coast

While Doug and Olivia hiked the beautiful Queen Charlotte Track near Picton, I took the opportunity to visit the town of Nelson, located on Tasman Bay at the North end of the South Island. Nelson is a quaint town nestled in the mountains and bounded by the turquoise lapping waters of Tasman bay. I liked the lively vibrancy of this place as it had several art galleries, live music, funky gift shops, and lots of bars and cafés with outdoor seating. Once a town driven by a hippie art culture, it seems it has transitioned some toward affluent development and tourist attraction. The sudden influx of residents in the last few years has given me the impression that the population is growing too quickly for the size and infrastructure. However, this would be a great place to spend a summer working in a bar or art gallery and meeting lots of fun people, so I’ll keep that in mind.

An hour NW of Nelson, I hiked 10 km (6 miles) of the track in the beautiful Abel Tasman National park. I took in view after view of golden sandy beaches and bright turquoise waters along the way. The water is so clear here, and the bays are shallow, allowing you to see underwater rocks and land, making this a really magical place. Many people kayak along the shores here and hike back.

(Abel Tasman National Park, near Nelson)

A few nights later, I met up with Olivia and Doug again in Picton after their hike and we drove to the West Coast of the South Island. As soon as we reached the coastline, the large blue blanket of the Tasman Sea emerged. On one side of the road were beautiful rocky cliffs covered in tropical plants, and large, turbulent blue waves crashing on craggy rocks and beaches on the other. It was absolutely spectacular and like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Olivia and Doug liken it to the coast of the Big Island in Hawaii. We reached the small village of Punikaiki and I stayed in this incredible hostel buried in the rainforest, which has been my favorite hostel thus far. There were several lodges, each with their own bathrooms and kitchens hidden throughout the rainforest and connected by trails. It was an 8 minute walk to the beach, and I could hear the waves crashing all night. This is a place that stress just melts away, and time seems to chug along in slow motion within Zen-like aura. We could only stay one night, but I promised myself I will visit this place again before I leave NZ.

(Punikaiki and Te Nikau Retreat Hostel in the Rainforest)

Punikaiki is home to a famous place called the Pancake Rocks and Blowholes. This part of the coastline consists of sedimentary rocks that have been whittled away by wind and sea in such a way as to give the impression of several giant stacks of stone pancakes. There were also several places the ocean crashed against the rock and up through blowholes spraying several feet into the air. This was yet another unique sight belonging to this exquisite land.

The next day we headed further South down this incredible coast line to the twin glaciers Franz Josef and Fox. Maori legend says that these are the two frozen tears of a woman who lost her lover in the mountains due to a fatal fall. Not surprisingly in this temperate rainforest, the weather was cold and rainy and resembled a Seattle winter. Quite predictably, Doug and Olivia’s helicopter tour of Fox Glacier was cancelled. However, in lieu of the helicopter tour, we all went on a ½-day guided hike on to Fox Glacier. During our ascent, we learned a lot about glaciology and erosion from our guide, while still taking in incredible views of valleys and snow capped mountains*. Since it had been raining, there were also waterfalls everywhere! It was safe to fill up my water bottle with ice cold snow melt water from the nearest stream. Imagine the freshness of drinking ice cold mountain water from New Zealand!

This was my first time on top of a glacier and we hiked around it for an hour or so and even got to tramp through a few shallow crevasses. There were a few crevasses we saw that cut deep into the glacier exposing the smooth, dense blue ice**. It was like walking on something that was alive, hearing the sounds of cracking and the trickle of run-off. I really enjoyed being up on the glacier and in the NZ Alps; this was an incredible and inspiring experience.

(Fox Glacier)

Being around the sharp-toothed mountains and glaciers in the wilderness of New Zealand has brought forth some desires I’ve had all my life. I’ve been interested in learning more about glaciers and mountaineering, but never really had a chance to do so. Now I feel I have a great opportunity to do so, which is part of the reason I came to NZ: to explore and experience different things. I may try to get some work with that guide company and hopefully receive some avalanche and backcountry training-we’ll see what happens.

Thank you to all of you who left comments. I really love reading them and it helps me feel less lonely! I really do enjoy hearing your reactions and getting your support, so keep it up and I hope you enjoy the blog!

P.S. How are the pictures working out for everyone? Can you see them ok? Does the website load them ok? I have to use an outside picture host because of the way the computers work down here with blogger.

*Glaciers form when large amounts of snowfall accumulate on steep slopes causing extreme pressure underneath due to the weight of the snow. This initial snowfield, called the Nevé compresses the lower layers of snow and forces them down hill with incredible force, which is responsible for carving and shaping valleys into a U shape. In the process of moving down hill, the glacier grinds bedrock into fine dust which is taken away by run-off. This is what causes glacial streams and lakes to appear milky and colorful.

**The deep blue color of a glacier’s crevasses and caves is because the ice is compressed so much that its denseness traps the blue wavelengths of light.

Waitomo Caves and Goodbye to the North Island

At 7:30 am, after Navigating through Auckland’s morning traffic, I joined up with Olivia and Doug at the Auckland airport, a bit late. It was so great to see them, familiar faces after being away from home, friends and family for 5 weeks.

We immediately drove out of the bloody city and headed for the Waitomo Caves, near the center of the North Island. After they got settled in, we took an absolutely amazing tour of a glow worm cave. To gain access to the cave, we took a nice little bus ride through sheep pastures into a charming ravine. We took a short walk down to the mouth of the first cave and stopped to feed some freshwater eels living in the creek that was flowing into the cave. The guide submerged goat meat into the water, and soon five eels swam up the creek to get the food, it was crazy!

(Trip into the ravine)

(Feeding the eels)

(Mouth of the first cave)

The first cave was filled with NZ’s famous glow worms hanging from the ceiling. These are not actually worms, but the larvae stage of an insect. They live in silk hammocks and catch their food with sticky silk strands that hang beneath them. They attract bugs by glowing, which is light created by a biological chemical reaction.

(Glow worms)

Thousands of these worms covered the ceiling of the cave, and their bluish glow made it look like a three dimensional starry sky, it was so beautiful and like nothing I’ve ever seen! We jumped into a raft and floated on the under ground river to get even more spectacular views of these incredible creatures. Our group turned off all headlamps and flashlights to let our eyes adjust to the blackness. Even though we were on a river in an underground cave, we were able to see each other in the light created by these creatures. It was just incredible!

(Glow worms lined the ceiling of the cave like a 3D sky)

(Raft ride in cave and larvae close up (professional photos))

The next day we drove to Tongariro National Park, home of three active volcanoes: Mt. Ruapehu, Mt. Tongariro, and Mt. Ngauruhoe (aka Mt. Doom from Lord of the Rings). The drive was spectacular with views of green pastures in the foreground and jagged snow-covered peaks in the background. We stayed at Whakapapa Village, with a stunning view of Mt. Doom. The whole area, although desolate and brown, was still very beautiful in its own way. You could tell that the volcanic activity of the area has changed the whole ecosystem. The next day we planned to do one of the most famous hikes in New Zealand, the grueling 17km (10 mile) Tongariro Crossing. Unfortunately, I think some of the evil from Mt. Doom came out on me because that day on a small hike, on completely flat ground, I sprained my ankle! With the Tongariro Crossing the next day, there was no way I could make it, and opted to stay behind. Doug and Olivia ended up completing this trek the next day and said it was completely epic. The views of the volcanic landscape, the incredible winds, and the technical climbs and trails made this trail one of the hardest hikes, but it was well worth it. I’d wished I’d gotten to go. Instead, I did a short 1 hr hike and nursed my ankle.

(Road to Tongariro, Mt. Ruapehu)

(In front of Ruapehu, and Mt. Doom)

(Short and windy hike near Mt. Ruapehu

After Tongariro, we drove to Wellington and visited Rob and Debby and Bob and Shelly. We all had a great visit on a beautiful summer evening with, surprisingly, no wind! Since we were strapped for time a bit, we only made a quick stop in Te Papa Museum before saying good bye to the North Island and boarded the ferry for the South Island. So the moment we’ve all been talking about and waiting for is here: The beautiful South Island. With all the buildup and anticipation, this place almost seems like a dream, a utopia, a mecca. A place filled with magic and beauty that no one has ever talked bad about. We are finally going there.

The ferry ride was remarkable. It was really my first time on a ship in the open sea and I was awestruck by the power and size of the waves and the strength of the winds out there. It was scary being on the deck, but somehow the deck was enticing. It was a humbling experience to be out on the deck feeling the wind, tasting the ocean spray, braving the elements. Sometimes the ship would crush huge waves, sending a low rumble throughout the cabin. The ocean was a beautiful blue green, and the sounds surrounding Picton, our destination, were just gorgeous. It reminded me of the San Juan Islands, only much more mountainous. We’re in the cute and beautiful town of Picton now, the gateway to the South Island. Some say that New Zealand starts here.

(Picton Ferry to the South Island. Because of the geography, its actually an East to West trip instead of South)