Matiu/Somes Island

Ross and I went out to Matiu/Somes Island this weekend (www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/wellington-kapiti/places/matiu-somes-island/).  It is the largest of three islands in Wellington Harbor and is only a 20-minute ferry ride from the waterfront (eastbywest.co.nz).   Historically used as a human quarantine station, an internment camp, military defense position, and an animal quarantine station, it is currently a predator-free scientific and historic reserve.  It is also the location of New Zealand's first inner harbor light house, which began operation in 1866.  The name is a combination of the original Maori name and the European name to reflect the bicultural history of the island.

Matiu/Somes Lighthouse with Wellington in the background

Northern Wharf

Former quarantine buildings

Lawn mowers (aka sheep)

Rats and other pests were eradicated from the island in the late 1980s.  Since that time, Matiu/Somes Island has become a sanctuary for native plants, birds, reptiles, and invertebrates.  Ross and I were both most interested to see wetas, as the only ones that we have seen in the Wellington area have been squished.  The Cook Strait Giant Weta and the Wellington Tree Weta were both reintroduced to the island in the late 1990s.  Along the foot paths, there are "Weta Hotels" that the Department of Conservation (DOC) has made for the wetas.  You can lift the lid off of a box and peak inside to see if there are any wetas or geckos.  We were lucky enough to see both types of wetas.

Cook Strait Giant Weta - they get a lot bigger than this

Hiding in a "Weta Hotel"

There are also a number of birds that have been reintroduced to the island or use it as breeding/nesting grounds.  We saw  Red-Crowned Parakeets, Fantails, North Island Robins, seagulls, and Common Chaffinch (probably introduced from Europe).  We didn't see any Little Blue Penguins but we did see some of the nesting boxes that the DOC has made for them on the island.

Common Chaffinch

Eight species of reptiles that are only found in New Zealand occur on the island; four skinks, three geckos, and one tuatara.  Tuatara are the only surviving member of an order that has existed since the dinosaurs (www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/reptiles-and-frogs/tuatara/).  They are only found in New Zealand and now only exist on 32 offshore islands that are predator-free.  The original Tuatara population on Matiu/Somes island was wiped out in the mid-1800s but 50 Tuataras were successfully reintroduced in the late 1990s.  Sightings of Tuatara are exceedingly rare and we were no exception.

Skink

There are a number of walking paths around the island and you can also camp.  We spent a very pleasant day wandering around the island but we want to go back and camp once our camping gear arrives from the States (hopefully later this week!).

Enjoying the sunshine!

Looking toward Wellington

Sailboats

WWII gun emplacement

Ross and I have a bunch of events/activities planned for August so more adventures to come soon!

48 hours in Picton

I am not working yet and had been going a little stir-crazy sitting around our flat all of the time.  Most days I go explore Wellington and some of the local attractions but last week I decided to travel some while I still have the freedom to do so on a whim.  As such, I left Ross in Wellington and went over to Picton for a couple days.

Picton is located at the north end of the South Island and is where ferries arrive from Wellington after crossing the Cook Strait.  It is approximately 3.5 hours via ferry from Wellington to Picton.  I took the Interislander Ferry (www.interislander.co.nz) but Bluebridge  (www.bluebridge.co.nz) is also an option.  Most people use Picton as a jumping off point to explore the South Island or hike the Queen Charlotte Track but I decided to just stay in Picton and save bigger trips that go further afield into the South Island until Ross can join me.

Heading into the Picton Ferry Terminal

Crossing Cook Strait can be extremely pleasant if the weather is decent.  A large portion of the crossing is in the sheltered waters of Queen Charlotte Sound and, to a lesser degree, Wellington Harbor.  However, the Strait is located in the Roaring Forties, a westerly wind belt, meaning that it can also be one of the world's roughest stretches of water.  Because it is also the only gap between the mountainous main islands, it often acts as a wind tunnel.  I made the mistake of going to the Wellington Museum (www.museumswellington.org.nz/wellington-museum/) the day before I left which has a whole section on all of the boats that have sunk in Cook Strait as well as the Wahine ferry disaster (www.nzhistory.net.nz/culture/wahine-disaster).  Since I have a tendency to get seasick on any body of water, be it pond or ocean, I was slightly concerned but I ended up sleeping most of the way after taking some dramamine and using my sea-bands (www.sea-band.com/why-seaband/).

Cloudy skies in Queen Charlotte Sound

In Picton, I stayed at The Villa (www.thevilla.co.nz).  It is a cute backpacker that had free apple crumble every evening and toast with spreads for breakfast, though I think that these were both winter-only items.  There was also a fire pit, outdoor spa, and free bike rentals.

After checking in and dropping off my bag I wandered around the waterfront area of Picton and then did the Tirohanga Track.  This track is in the hills behind Picton and you get a great view out over Picton Harbor and up Queen Charlotte Sound from the Hilltop Viewpoint, which is well worth the 300m ascent.

Tirohanga Track

Overlooking Picton and Queen Charlotte Sound

I spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the Picton Museum (www.pictonmuseum-newzealand.com).  This is a small, local museum that details the history of the area and the historic importance of whaling in the local community.

The next day I went on the Ship Cove Cruise with Beachcomber Cruises (www.beachcombercruises.co.nz) and it was very enjoyable.  We went out Queen Charlotte Sound, looking at wildlife along the way, and ended up in Ship Cove. Captain Cook anchored in this cove five times between 1770 and 1777 during his explorations of the Pacific.   On the way back to Picton we stopped by Furneaux Lodge and Punga Cove Resort in Endeavour Inlet to pick up and/or drop off luggage.   On the cruise we saw Bottlenose dolphins, Hector's dolphins, Little Blue Penguins, and Spotted Shags, along with a myriad of seagulls.

Morning light and mist by the harbor

Heading out of Picton

Spotted Shag

Bottlenose Dolphins

Bottlenose Dolphins

Upon returning from the cruise, I hiked out the Snout Track via Bob's Bay.  Bob's Bay is a cute little secluded beach that looks like it would be great for summer picnics.  There is a pretty steep, but short hike from there up to the Harbor View parking area from where you can pick up the Snout track.  This path follows the ridge line out to the tip of a peninsula into Queen Charlotte Sound.  By the time that I made it back to Picton the sun was setting.

Bob's Bay

Looking out over Queen Charlotte Sound

Looking up Queen Charlotte Sound from the Snout 

Sunset over Queen Charlotte Sound

Sunset over Picton Harbor

The final morning that I was in Picton, I ended up finding a nice sunny spot by the harbor and reading.  Unfortunately the ferry back to Wellington was a rather rough ride so the trip didn't end on a high note but all in all, Picton is a cute town and has some really nice trails that are easily accessible.

Rotorua

We wanted to get out and explore some before Ross started on his PhD so we went up to Rotorua for five days  (two of travel, three of exploring) at the end of June.  Rotorua is one of the world's most concentrated and accessible geothermal areas, so Ross and I spent our time exploring and marveling at all of the geysers, steaming pools, and boiling mud.

Rotorua is located about 480km north of Wellington, close to the Bay of Plenty, in the central North Island.  Since we do not have a car, we took an Intercity bus (intercity.co.nz) from Wellington but it is also possible to fly.  Seeing as we decided to go about 12 hours before our bus left Wellington, flying was out of the question.  It is approximately a 7.5 hour ride from Wellington to Rotorua but you pass through some lovely countryside and, if the weather is decent, you get a great view of the volcanoes in Tongariro National Park.

Mount Ngauruhoe (aka Mount Doom) from the Intercity Bus

In Rotorua we stayed at the Funky Green Voyager (funkygreenvoyager.co.nz).  I really like to stay at backpackers (hostels) because you can cook your own food, they often have good deals on activities in the area, they have tons of suggestions of things to do (free and otherwise), there are often other people traveling on a budget that you can talk to about activities in the area, and they are cheaper than normal hotels.  That being said, I normally get a private room as I feel like I am too old to be sharing a room with a bunch of twenty-somethings.

It was overcast and rainy on our first morning so we went on the trial run of the "Rainy Day Trip" with Real Rotorua (http://www.realrotorua.co.nz).  We spent a very pleasant morning soaking at the Waitangi Soda Springs and then drove around some of the lakes in the area.  We then spent an entire afternoon in Kuirau Park, which is a free, public park located in central Rotorua.  It is full of steaming ponds and gently bubbling mud.  There are even warm pools where you can soak your feet!

From there we wandered down to Ohinemutu which was the principal Maori settlement prior to the formation of Rotorua.  We tried to go to St. Faith's Anglican Church but it was closed for the day by the time that we arrived.  The church is known for a window featuring the figure of Christ in a Maori cloak and positioned so that he appears to be walking on the water of the lake behind the church.

The next day we spent all day at Te Puia (http://www.tepuia.com), which contains the New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts Insitute, in addition to a myriad of geothermal features.

Te Aronui-a-Rua Meeting House

Carving from above the front door of Te Aronui-a-Rua

Pohutu Geyser (on right) and Prince of Wales' Feathers (left).  Pohutu is the largest geyser in the southern hemisphere.

Boiling mud

Maori war canoe

After all of the walking to and from, as well as around Te Puia, we treated ourselves to a soak in the Blue Baths (bluebaths.co.nz).  The Blue Baths opened in 1933 and are designed in the California Spanish Mission style.  They were also one of the first public swimming pools in the world to allow mixed bathing.

On our last day in the area, we ventured out of Rotorua and visited Wai-O-Tapu (waiotapu.co.nz).  When we arrived, the whole area was socked in with clouds/fog and it was right about freezing.  We ended up hanging around all day to explore as the clouds burnt off in the afternoon and we were treated to great views.  Some advice if you are going to visit - skip the Lady Knox Geyser (Pohutu at Te Puia is much more impressive) and go in the afternoon (most of the tour busses show up for the 10:15 Lady Knox eruption and then leave again around lunch).

The Champagne Pool

Artist's Palette

Alum Cliffs

Sulfur-rich spring

Sulfur-stained cave

Lake Ngakoro waterfall

Devil's Bath

Rotorua is an amazing place and we both are already planning a trip back.  Ross really wants to Zorb (zorb.com), and we both want to go to the Waimangu Volcanic Valley and do some of the hikes in the area.  Plus, Rotorua is pretty close to Hobbiton (www.hobbitontours.com), so we could use it as a jumping off point to further exploration...

That's all for now.