Back in the US Southwest

January 30-February 21, 2016

Arrival in LA from Auckland

The flight back to LA from Auckland was much better than the flight to Auckland for four reasons:

1. Neither of us was sick. A biggie.

2. Leah's ears weren't bothered by the pressure change involved in ascent and descent

3. On this flight, there were quite a few more movies and TV series to watch, even for me, a non-watcher. I think I watched 6 or 9 one hour episodes of "Humans", and I have to say, I was enthralled. Sure made the time pass quickly.

4. We were both so glad to be heading back to our little trailer and the fabulous (and inexpensive) Southwest.

LAX was absolutely enormous, but our baggage pick-up and shuttle to the rental car location were both smooth and quick. We were about to drive out of the rental car parking lot when I noticed an odd billboard (not the Mixed Chicks one):

Who is the target here? And who paid for it? Wonder if a group of employers is trying to persuade their minimum wage employees that they are lucky?? And where do they get these stats? 

Well, I was curious, so I did some research. And it turns out the conditions alluded to are accurate, though not sure about the stats. Read about it here. This same linked article explains where the stats come from in paragraphs 21-23.

Anyway, off we drove headed for Las Vegas. Got as far as Baker, CA, then searched for a motel--no luck. So we drove all the way to Las Vegas and checked into a Marriott Courtyard in Summerlin (we knew it was a good neighbourhood). Up the next day and had a wonderful heuvos rancheros breakfast at The Coffee Pub. It was raining when we dropped off the rental car and took a taxi to the storage lot. There it is was: our trailer...waiting patiently for us. Drove it out on the first try! Driving the truck again felt like a limousine compared to the Toyota Vitz we rented in NZ! So smooth, spacious, and quiet.

Of course, the essentials of RV living had to be taken care of before we set up at Boulder Beach Campground, on Lake Mead:

Filling the fresh water tank.

Possibly because of the wet and cold weather, the campground was not busy, and we scored site # 79, as close to the beach as you could get. Next few days were spent unpacking our 3 huge suitcases, de-winterizing the RV, and replacing all four house batteries (Sam's Club, $84 each!). Once those chores were out of the way, we just settled in, enjoying the weather, the view, the restaurants, the hikes, and bike rides--for three weeks! Initially, we thought we'd stay only a day or two, then leave for a new place, since we'd been in the Las Vegas area for a month already before we flew to NZ.  But Boulder Beach was so lovely, and the amenities (like The Coffee Cup in Boulder City, thrift stores, bike paths) were so compelling, that we just stayed...and stayed, then stayed some more.

Medium telephoto shot of sunset on Lake Mead from our camp site

Long telephoto shot from the same vantage point as above

Soaking up the magic hour view from a few feet in front of our camp site, # 79.

We both did a lot of cycling here at Boulder Beach. The very lightly-used paved road behind Leah was perfect for quick rides. And there's a paved bike path that runs both ways in front of the campground entrance and parallels the road for, like 20 miles, all the way to Las Vegas.

Leah spotted this VW campervan, and grabbed my camera for a few shots. Reminded us both of Levi and Jess.

Leah spoke to the woman and asked if she could take some photos. Her husband was trying to fix the sink drain. You can see his boots as kneels on the floor. The dog even looked a little bit like Milo!

Closer look...though this dog looks less like Milo, here.

Lake Mead from the old railroad right of way, now a hiking path. This railway line was built specifically to move huge equipment to the Hoover Dam building site. It features lovely views of Lake Mead, like this one, as well as enormous tunnels that had to be carved out in order to transport the monster equipment to the Hoover Dam work site.

One of the 4 or 5 tunnels, 25 feet in diameter, used to transport the huge 'penstocks'--basically, pipes-- that direct the lake water to the turbines at Hoover Dam.

Stealth shot from outside the trailer, of Leah watching one of her shows

Our campsite at night.

In front of our camp site. Plane visible as a streak of light on the right.

Next post: Death Valley, California.

Queenstown to Picton, and on to Auckland

January 22-30, 2016

We began the long, multi-day trip back to Auckland from Queenstown. Before we left, though, we had a great lunch at Speitz Ale House in Queenstown. Excellent food, ample portions, and not too expensive. After an all-day drive, we stopped for 3 days in Hokitika (covered in another blog post; scroll half way down), as we both wanted to stay in a place right on the ocean. Although the 'bach' was excellent, it rained the whole time we were there. Another two days and we arrived in Picton, at the north end of the South Island, where we could catch the ferry to Wellington on the North Island. From there it would be a one or two day drive to Auckland and the plane back to LA.

Saw this old car on the highway to Picton:

From the 20s or 30s??

Saw this on arrival in Picton:

Who knew these were his passions?!

We had not booked accommodation in Picton, since we thought we'd be able to get something when we arrived; however, the only place we could find that seemed half decent was a motel on the main street. It was, indeed, only half decent, since it was on the 2nd floor and very hot with no air circulation, and no air conditioning. But later that day, Leah scored a really nice-looking cliff house with balcony for 3 days, only a few miles out of town. The next day, we moved in. Just what we wanted:

This glass-enclosed dining area represents less than 20% of the deck length. The other 80% is not enclosed.

The other 80% of the balcony, complete with really nice hot tub/whirlpool and a view of the bay.

Another view of the deck. We lived out here.

Dinner is served. Leah is a great cook!

Soothing for the body and the soul.

The garden just below the deck.

More of the garden.

We finally left the South Island on January 29th. Lovely 3 hour ferry ride.

Arriving back in Wellington, on the North Island

Nice to have a striking public sculpture to lean against while reading.

We drove off the ferry at about 12:15 PM, and headed right for Great India, which we'd been pleased with on the previous visit to Wellington. This time, the butter chicken was very good, but not great, as it had been before. Nonetheless, we'd highly recommend Great India. Relatively inexpensive, delicious and filling. One of the best restaurants we sampled in New Zealand.

We immediately began the 8-hour drive to Auckland, stopping for the night in Taupo, a nice looking tourist town on Lake Taupo. About 10 PM, we finally found a motel room, perhaps the last in town, as there was some kind of concert there the next day, a Saturday. At $180, it was expensive for us, but cheap given the location and the big event.

On the way to Auckland the next day, stopped at a rest area Subway and had lunch. While we were there, we realized we'd need to jettison some of the stuff we'd accumulated in order fit all our junk into 3 large suitcases. As we were sorting everything into two piles: take and dump, we noticed a young couple reading under a tree. We ended up giving them a ton of stuff, like road atlases, bottles, food, etc. They were very thankful. Feeling lighter, we drove the last few hours into Auckland, returned the rental car to Blue Sky Rentals, which we highly recommend, and were dropped off at the airport to await our 7:30 PM flight back to LA.

Next post: Arrival back in the beautiful Southwest.

Arrowtown, Glenorchy, Manapouri, and Doubtful Sound, NZ

January 19-21, 2016

We'd seen Queenstown and Milford Sound, but wanted to check out Arrowtown, a reconstructed gold mining town a few miles from Queenstown. It certainly had been reconstructed, but as a tourist mecca that sold high-end goods in fancy shops. I had envisioned an old mining town restored to the way it would have looked in the 1860s. However, I was consoled by the fact that there was also a preserved village just outside Arrowtown where the Chinese gold miners had stayed. It was a collection of tiny hovels that provided shelter and not much more to dozens of Chinese miners who toiled in the mines for wages that, by local standards, were probably low, but represented quite a bit more than they could have made at home in China. They worked long hours and lived simple lives, keeping to themselves in this small Chinese oasis just beyond the city limits. Most sent the bulk of their wages back to families in China. Many also kept hillside, tiered gardens, and sold vegetables to the white New Zealanders in Arrowtown.

Main Street, Arrowtown, NZ, a tourist mecca, not a restored mining town.

Colourful visitors to Arrowtown. Many bus tours stopped here.

View off the main street of Arrowtown, NZ.

Skatepark in Arrowtown, NZ.

Here is where the Chinese miners lived, just off the main street:

Homes of the Chinese miners were built into the hillside, and were so small I couldn't stand up in the doorways.

A kind of general store for the Chinese miners, this building was also their defacto community center and gathering place. 

A Chinese miner's house--little more than a roof and walls built around a natural alcove in the rock face.

...view from inside looking out.

Those Chinese miners must have been tough!

Glenorchy, NZ

Next day, we decided to drive along the coast of Lake Wakatipu from Queenstown to Genorchy, located at the end of the lake. Beautiful drive right alongside the lake with great views the whole way.

Road to Glenorchy along shore of Lake Wakatipu

Residence in Glenorchy

On the beach in Glenorchy, this boy and dog were instant playmates, even though I think they'd never met.

Glenorchy, NZ, near the restaurant where we ate lunch.

Beyond Glenorchy on the rapidly deteriorating road

Still farther along the rapidly deteriorating road. 

Doubtful Sound

Even as we enjoyed Queenstown and Glenorchy, we realized we both felt we'd had enough of living out of suitcases and a small car, of spending so much time on VRBO and Airbnb lining up accommodation in wherever we were headed next, and paying so much for everything. Now that we'd seen most of the most spectacular scenery in NZ, we made the decision to begin the long drive back to Auckland so we could fly back to LA (a month early) and resume our wanderings in the US Southwest. Except we hadn't yet seen Doubtful Sound, which we'd heard was not to be missed, since it was at least as beautiful as Milford Sound, but much less crowded...because harder to access. Leah was not up for another boat ride, so I made reservations for myself for the 2+ hour cruise up Doubtful Sound to the open ocean and back. I really wanted to take the overnight cruise on a large sailboat, which included meals and sea kayaking. However, I discovered I'd either need to share a cabin with a stranger--something I vowed not to do again--or I'd need to pay $1000 for a private cabin, which was too rich for my blood. Leah decided to stay at the motel we booked in Manapouri, the town from which the Doubtful Sound cruise launched. By the way, Doubtful Sound was named by Captain James Cook, who, in 1770, sailed past the entrance to the Sound from the open ocean, expressing doubt that a sailing ship could navigate it. Hence, the name.

On the way from Queenstown to Manapouri.

Abandoned train station on way to Manapouri

Closer look...

Inside the station (taken through the window, as station was locked)

On the way to Manapouri, dusk

On the way to Manapouri, dusk

View from our motel in Manapouri

Our motel in Manapouri

I mentioned above that Manapouri was the town from which the cruise to Doubtful Sound left. Well, that's only partially true. One of the reasons most people don't visit Doubtful is that, in order to board the cruise ship at Doubtful, one must first take a 2-hour boat ride across Lake Manapouri, then an hour bus ride over Wilmot Pass on the most expensive road in New Zealand, followed by a 2-hour cruise on the Sound, itself. And that's after you've driven 2 hours from Queenstown to Manapouri. So we divided it over two days, with the first one spent driving to Manapouri, and I spent the 2nd getting to Doubtful Sound and taking the cruise.

Here's the cruise I'd like to have taken, the overnight one on a sailboat:

Overnight cruise on sailboat with private cabin, meals, and sea kayaking from the ship.

However, the cruise ship I sailed on was a large catamaran, so it was quite stable, for which all the passengers were thankful, as the seas were quite rough as we approached the open ocean.

Doubtful Sound

Doubtful Sound

Doubtful Sound

The wind in my sail. 

Interesting patterns in the rock walls of Doubtful Sound

Same place, but farther away.

A closer look...

Very windy as we approached open ocean

Shooting from shelter in the rain.

On Doubtful Sound

On the way back.

When I got back to our motel in Manapouri, I was pleased to discover that Leah had had a nice day of beautiful sunny weather. She spent a lot of it "...on the porch playing games, listening to my book, talking to people, watching the sun on the lake, and the clouds playing peek-a-boo with the mountain tops."

For supper, we drove into Te Anu, and after looking at every menu in town, we settled on the Fat Duck. Waited a while for the food, but it was worth the wait: delicious, filling and not too expensive, a rare combination in NZ, in our experience.

Next post: the drive to Picton, a stay in cliffside house, then the drive back to Auckland and plane back to LA.