note: I will, hopefully, get maps up of our routes some day... we have no internet at home at the moment which makes things more difficult...
The next two days were filled with hitching, crossing paths and sharing moments with complete strangers. What follows is a synopsis of a cast of characters that helped us on our way- taking us a few kilometers farther up the road... because I realize that half of our trip, especially in New Zealand was about the people we met- not just the places we experienced.
A long, solid day of hitching fueled by a great Tofu Scramble from Soul Food, the organic grocery and cafe in Wanaka, recommended by Sky. A few short rides got us out of town- a guy with two little girls took us up to the turnoff for 6-North, then a couple of travelers- a German girl and and Israeli guy took us a few kilometers to a campground where they were staying. We were almost immediately picked up by a burning man- type guy in a tricked out van, playing great electronica beats. Blackout shades, dayglo, and a portable welder- this guy was definitely a clubber. He dropped us at the desolate turnoff just before Haas pass- a windy crossroads at the southern tip of Lake Hawea.
hitching from the south end of Lake Hawea
The next ride was hard to catch but was a really great ride for the long haul. Marcia and Simon, a great English couple, picked us up and took us all the way to Franz Josef- half way up the West coast, maybe a four hour drive. They had never picked up hitchhikers before, but their daughter had recently backpacked through New Zealand, and they had heard that hitchhikers are pretty safe in NZ. So after the last hitching couple they passed, they discussed it and decided to pick up the next wholesome hitchers they saw- that was us!
Simon and Marcia gave us one of our best rides!
Not only did they take us a long way, but we made some great sightseeing stops as well- at a waterfall, the coast near Haas, and most spectacularly, at the Fox Glacier. We walked along an ice cube filled river, past an amazing massive cliff, to the edge of the brilliant blue glacier. Again, this one had a river running out of the cave at the bottom of the glacier. The weather was gray and rainy at the foot of the glacier where we were, but sunny at the top of the valley. Just amazing, colossal, that river of ice!
the west coast of the south island
fox glacier
the cliff and ice-cubed river at the base of fox glacier
They left us on the North side of the small touristy town of Franz Josef, where they were staying. We were having a hard time scoring a ride- there was one hitcher already working the roadside so of course he caught the first ride- and it was getting dark. Marcia and Simon drove past on their way to dinner and gave us their cell number in case we needed a ride in the morning. Finally, a younger guy, Pete, in a converted van stopped- he was just going up the road to a DOC roadside campground and thought we might need a place to camp. We went.
Pete gave us two "welcome home" beers upon arrival. The campground was nothing special but good for a quick night. We made a fat pasta dinner and chatted with our neighbors, Alec and Benic, twins from Iowa. Just as we turned in for the night, it started raining. It poured all night- about 2am we awoke to drips in the tent- the seams hadn't been resealed in a long time. Damn.
February 25th: Franz Josef to Nelson
We had wanted to get to Greymouth yesterday but no such luck. Wet, tired, dirty, we stood and sat half-heatedly at the roadside at the entrance to the campground. Not a great place to hitch from as cars were already going really fast- we were in the middle of nowhere. Eventually a strange, eclectic-bordering-on-crazy older woman picked us up and treated us to an early morning harangue on a number of teeth-gritting subjects including speeding and energy sources. Her near-monologue took us as far as the small town where she was going for a city council meeting and some grocery shopping.
A fine, light-hearted morning of hitching in front of a gas station in town was brightened by a chance encounter with non other than Jana (from the Ice) and her boyfriend Ian, riding by on bicycles!
An old Kiwi guy and his spry Asian wife took us for a ride, and dropped us off a few miles up, where a young curly-haired stocky guy pulled over for us. He had a giant check in the back seat and golf clubs in the trunk- looking to go pro. He took us up to the far edge of Greymouth where we snacked on cheese and crackers and Dave perfected his "we're friendly" exclamation.
dave is friendly!
It took a while to catch a ride, but eventually a leather-hardened boat builder threw us in his dusty car. He was a great character! This guy got us out of town, to a small spattering of houses y a cow field. There we played frisbee and waited....
Our next ride was sweet- Josh and Ian, 19 & 25, on assignment with the DOC. They were in for the long haul- going all the way to Nelson to take a course for work. They work with Kiwi birds- helping repopulate the South Island. We made one stop for tea but mostly pushed through, listening to the likes of Fat Freddy's Drop and other crazy bands. They took us all the way to the parking lot of Dave's favorite hostel in Nelson- Accents on the Park. Great family run place!
at the Nelson Hostel with Josh and Ian
We pitched our tent in the backyard, ate fish and chips and a great veggie burger (homemade chickpea patty!) and a few beers. That evening we saw the movie "No Country for Old Men"- I thought it was fantastic.
We spent the next day in Nelson- a much needed recuperation and planning day.
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