Kia Ora!

Its been forever since my last post but Im takin a study break to recap some events and post some pics.  I went to a rugby game in Wellington a while back and it was quite an experience.  Everybody gets real into rugby and it was sweet as cuz the hurricanes, the home team, won so the atmosphere carried into the streets and it was crazy.  I actually got hit by a car, his fault not mine, haha but it was more like a love tap so it was ok.  Since then Ive finished up classes and now only finals await me.  3 of my finals are worth 60% of my grade so Ive been tryin to be studious and get some work done but still live the dream as RC says haha.  LT and Sam came and found me at Atawhai which was pretty amazing cuz I wasn’t expectin them til the next day.  It was pretty weird when I opened the door and they were there haha.  We had time to catch up on Tennessee life and they got to meet my friends here before we went back to Miro where they shared my bed and I slept on the floor.  The next morning it was cloudy and overcast so I took the guys to the windmill farms and we drove through the Manawatu Gorge.  We got some Hell’s Pizza before we left which they loved.  We got 2 Mordors which is a BBQ chicken pizza, prolly the greatest in the world.  Once we got to the windmill farm we looked at the views which included “Carl” racin around the base of one of the windmills.  “Carl” is the name LT and Sam gave their escape rental van haha.  We headed back and got some Burger Fuel which the guys liked as well.  The next day we left for Putangirua Pinnacles at the bottom of the North Island.  LT and Sam are in love with Jesters, a local pie shop, and we grabbed some “Southern Man”, “Kiwi Classic”, and “Dr. Pepper” pies before we headed out.  On the way down we got stuck in a herd of cows which some ranchers were moving down the road but other than that, and a few missed turns, we made it safe.  It was raining when we got there but we decided to brave the conditions and set out.  We had no idea.  The rain had turned the docile stream into a river which we had to cross by jumpin.  Well by jumpin I mean LT jumped and me and Sam waded because we ain’t got LTs hops.  The Pinnacles, as well as every rock face around the area, is actually just gravel with huge boulders that has all been packed together, making it a very unsafe area in the event of heavy rain and flooding.  We were walkin in heavy rain and a flood.  Nonetheless we were already wet and determined to find something so we continued up the valley and eventually just started trampin right through the flood and not caring about takin our boots off.  LT, as MVP hiker of the day, led us across one section of the river only to find a dead end.  This particular dead end, which was fully explored by Sam, was in a particularly narrow section of rock face and the rain was washin down bits of gravel and rock all around us.  However, on our way down from the dead end we saw a DOC sign and managed to get back on course.  We walked through mud that swallowed up our boots and emerged at the mouth of another side valley, much like our dead end before.  It was obvious that there had been a recent rockslide but we ain’t quitters and we trudged up the side valley toward the pinnacles anyway.  As we went further we could see new streams appearing all around us which was pretty sweet but at the same time we knew it wasn’t good at all.  We made it to the pinnacles, which were at the very most just towers of gravel where the Lord of the Rings was filmed, and took some pictures and video before we heard a huge bang.  It kinda sounded like a flood had just taken out a tower so we turned around and ran back down to the now even bigger river below us.  Once we got there we reasoned that we were safe so we took our time back to Carl.  Once there we changed clothes and began the next adventure.

The next adventure happened to be more of an over-the-mountain excursion in search of seafood.  We decided to drive to Otaki where the GPS, not me although some will say different, said we could find Otaki Premium Seafood.  The road to Otaki, at least 50k of it, was a single lane windy road up and over and down the Tararua mountain range.  Cars travelling the other way were intimidated by Carls beastliness so we never had much trouble with space on the road.  The drive to Otaki took like 2 hrs and when we pulled up to Otaki Premium Seafood it turned out to be just a fish and chip shop haha.  LT and Sam proceed to rant and rave, especially once they tasted the “tasteless” fish and ate fries with no ketchup.  I on the other hand enjoyed the meal haha and it only cost like 6 NZD.  We drove back to Palmy and debated on whether it was my fault or not, clearly it wasn’t, and once in Palmy we got more Hell’s Pizza so they were content after all. 

After our adventurous day we slept in a bit and took off to Napier to see Hawkes Bay and try to find Te Mata peak which we later determined, after countless hours of driving, did not exist.  We drove back to Palmy a bit defeated but got to see a choice sunset and we got more Hell’s Pizza. 

The next morning we got up early and headed for Tongariro cuz LT and Sam wanted to climb Mt. Doom.  On the way Carl nearly ran out of gas but thanks to some expert coasting by Sam we made it to a gas station.  We rolled up to Mangatepopo car park and walked to the South Crater from there.  Mt. Doom was snow/ice capped and we couldn’t make it up so we stomped our way to Red Crater and a view of Emerald Lakes.  We slid down from Red Crater on the snow/ice back to South Crater.  It should be mentioned that to make LT hike faster all you need to do is wake him up at 6, not feed him, then around 1pm turn around and say we’re goin to get food.  LT kicked the burners on at that point.  It was a good day for hiking though and the sun even came out so we were as lucky as we could be.  We went to the same cafe me Mike Jeb and Dan spent forever in waiting for our bus and got some sandwiches and nachos.  On the way home we couldn’t help but notice that New Zealand could really use a lesson from T-DOT (TN Depart. Of Transportation).  The roads here are quite dismal but they’ll do.  Anyways Im really hungry now and Ive taken a long break so Im gonna go grab dinner and see how long I can extend my break!

With Love,

Sean

I have learned to live each day as it comes, and not to borrow trouble by dreading tomorrow.  It is the dark menace of the future that makes cowards of us. – Dorothy Day