Takaka

Hello everyone! Lucas and I got back from the Abel Tasman sea kayak/tramp trip yesterday and are now in Takaka, which is in the North West corner of the South Island at a hostel.

We had a lovely three day sea kayaking trip. The water was an incredible shade of blue and the coastline was a mixture of golden beaches and carved out cliffs. One of the major highlights was seeing a seal colony with baby seals. THEY WERE SO CUTE!!!!! We had one seal that kept swimming around our boat until we left the reserve.
On the third day, we dropped off our boat and slipped on our backpacks and continued on foot. I loved the way we did this trip as we got to see the coast line from two different perspectives.
There was something really special about this walk as we were so aware of the tides (they dictated whether or not we could cross the estuaries when we were on foot and dictated whether or not we had to drag our heavy boat to the high tide line). Also, there were so many amazing little ecosystems going on everywhere...We spent a lot of time looking at all the sea critters and birds.
Tomorrow, we are going making the long trip south to Queenstown to do eight days of tramping on three different trails. I will miss this wild little corner of the South Island. This is where we spent most of our time last year and somehow, we ended up here again. We really know it.
Lucas is chopping up peppers right now and I should go and help make dinner. We are having gnocci with mushrooms, peppers, garlic, shallots, and tomatoes. All my love, Lucas and Alex

back in town

hello all,
Alex and I just rolled into town last night. First thing we did was shower, then get something to eat (pizza and beer), now checking email. Our hike ended up taking 9 days (I think, you kind of lose track of time). The hike was great. This corner of the country is really tropically feeling, lots of ferns and fern trees and just super green and palm trees and ferns growing out of the sides of trees, maybe how I would picture the northwest US (though I 've never been to the northwest US). The birds (robins and fantails) like to eat the flies that you stir up and any bugs unearthed by your footprints, so they will get within 2-3 feet of you and seem to be following you down the trail with you at times, it makes me feel like the birds aren't afraid of us, like we're friends. I like to imagine that's how the world used to be, when everyone had enough and we didn't have to be afraid of each other.

The trail was an adventure, our second day out had super heavy rains, numerous stream crossings (including one that was almost waist deep in a pool underneath this giant waterfall) and a saddle pass. Our boots were dripping wet the entire trip. We met lots of super cool people from all over the world, some out for a few days and others on a once-in-a-lifetime super vacation. Met a young Frenchman who was in the middle of a year-long vacation. We ate well, including some free food (one two different occasions) and some beers from a group of fishermen who had helicoptered in to fish trout in the local river.

Our next trip is sea kayaking in the Abel Tasman National Park. We'll spend today doing laundry, buying groceries and taking care of the trip planning details, spend tomorrow night in the town near the trailhead and hit the the trail Wednesday.

We are doing well.

Alex sends her love

zero day

Yesterday, Alex and I took our first zero day (no walking) of our backpacking honeymoon. A 20-year old German girl gave us a ride to the town we are in now on her way to her new job at a dairy farm. We catch a bus in an hour to the trailhead to start our next hike. It's beginning to rain as I write with forecast calling for heavy rains tomorrow. (Maybe another zero day on the trail?)

Hey Everybody! This is Alex writing now-- I want to wish my mother a happy happy birthday (our today--her tomorrow)! The last week and a half has been so so fun! It's been so great not being a dish washer and not having to wake up at five am every day... Antarctica feels like a dream now...
Our last hike, the St. James Way, was beautiful and right at my fitness level (easy walking--only 66 km. We spent the night yesterday with two Antarctic friends that picked us up from the trail head. We've been letting go and letting God when it comes to our transportation from town to town and it's working out pretty well so far. Lucas and I take five minute shifts standing out on the side of the road and trying to hitchhike. I get really bashful asking people for a ride; I think Lucas is a bit more of a natural, but he would disagree. Yesterday, it only took us eight minutes from first thumb out to getting in a car!

We are leaving soon for the Leslie-Karamea tramp that will surely kill me. It is seven to nine days of walking on some rough, mountainous terrain with a pretty intense river crossing (wet boots and hopefully not a wet pack). This hike will put us in a good spot to get up to the Abel Tasman region where we will do a lovely 5 day sea kayaking trip and we can get a tan and look healthy again.

We won't be able to blog for the next ten days or so (maybe twelve if the rain keeps up)--All our love, Alex

back in town

Alex and I spent the last six days hiking our first trail in New Zealand. We finished the trail and hitched to the campground we're at now. Many thanks to Karen and DJ from Antarctica, who picked us up and brought us here. We enjoyed talking with them, they are considering the Peace Corps and they just got married on Christmas day on the ice this year.

We asked the DOC (department of conversation - the park service of New Zealand) for an easy hike to help us get in shape. The hike was exactly what we wanted. The trail stayed in the valley mostly the whole way, but super pretty with mountains surrounding us. Lots of cows. We met some nice folks and spent multiple nights with a couple who works at some huge industrial mines in Australia. Alex and I were feeling the few hills we walked, but we did alright. Hoping to get on the next trail tomorrow or the next day.

Feeling rushed with this blog entry as we are again paying by the minute...

Alex was able to get her polio booster shot in Christchurch, so we've gotten all the medical stuff taken care off for Peace Corps and we just have to wait for our contract offer.

New Zealand

Alex and I are safe and alive in rainy New Zealand. We are back in the world of paying for the internet by the minute and having to buy food. We are starting off our honeymoon with an easy 5-day trip. all our love alex and lucas 40 second and I pay more money----

it's time

It is our last morning in Antarctica, probably forever. Our flight is scheduled to leave the ice at 4:15pm. It's bitter and sweet. We are sad to say goodbye to so many fascinating and special people, but we are tired. Our bodies need humidity and rest and reasonable diets.

Before we met, Alex and I both dreamed of an extended honeymoon. We've worked hard for it. We've felt work days drag on forever, antarctic COLD and sore hands from washing too many dishes.

It's been amazing and exotic too. Our memories will be of our friends, our hiking trips, conversing/hanging with Alex while she knit, trips to the wine bar and the mountains.

The honeymoon will be the longest I've ever lived out of a backpack.

Hey everyone! This is Alex...Yesterday I washed my last dish and scrubbed my last pot. It was my last painful five am morning wake-up (no matter how much sleep I got the night before, every morning hurt), it was the last time I had to mop and sweep the floor and take out the trash. It was the last time I had to wear my ugly outfit and be on my feet for nine hours straight. My DA days are officially over. Lucas was a doll and came to volunteer on my last day of work since he had the day off and I still had to work (see picture)...

I've been waiting and wishing for this day to come. Some days more than others. And then my friends started leaving...and I realized how much I've grown to love these people; there's something about group trauma bonding...and now it's my time to go and I'm realizing how much I love this place, too... With everything and all of it, I would have to agree with Lucas that it IS a special place... It breaks my heart a little that we will probably never come back (maybe when our unborn children go to college...)

It's been a really great way to start our marriage. Lucas and I have had way more good times than bad...we lived happily in a tiny room the size of a matchbox. I think we'll be fine in the peace corps!

For those of you who have known me for a long time, living out of a backpack for five and a half months is a BIG LIFE DREAM!!!!! I can't believe I get to share that with the man I love.

We haven't heard anything yet from the Peace Corps. We will let you all know the second we hear something.

Thanks to everyone who sent us snail mail, e-mails, packages, and commented and read our blog. Thank you especially to our families who have been such a source of both logistical and emotional support. We could have never done all of this without you! Next time you read this blog, it will be all about our honeymoon! All our love and bye to Antarctica! Lucas and Alex



We plan to continue blogging at this address.

Pics

Alex's penguin


the supply vessel


Lucas' coworkers