The last week we experienced a variety of different things. It continues to amaze me how much diversity exists in such a small area. In the United States, when we drive somewhere it often is hours of the exact same thing before you get to something beautiful (for example the incredibly flat and boring Dakotas, Nebraska, or Montana). In New Zealand, all you have to do is turn the corner and the scenery will be completely different! We never get bored here that is for sure!
Last Monday we completed our first HelpX experience. We spent 5 days in the city of Gore and helped out a lovely couple with some of their projects around their property.
They were pleased to hear that Dan is a carpenter and set us to work on the project of creating the wall and floor for an outdoor kitchen area they are working on. We made pretty good progress and even though Dan won't admit it, I think he was excited to swing a hammer and run a saw again :)
In exchange for our work, we got a place to sleep, food, and we could help ourselves to as many vegetables and fruits as we wanted from their impressive garden. This was the most exciting thing for me, we had our fair share of salads and incorporated vegetables into every meal! They also had a lemon tree, it was so good to have fresh lemon water! If I could have taken that with me I totally would have!
We enjoyed getting to know their animals as well. They had 5 alpacas (2 of them were only a few weeks old), a pig named Blaze, 5 sheep, 3 goats, a dancing parakeet, as well as many chickens, ducks, and cats.
It was a very pleasant experience and we enjoyed listening to their stories of living in Gore, owning a BnB, and their tips for our future travels as well! After we said our goodbyes, we made our way down to the Bluff to catch our ferry to Stewart Island.
In order to get to Stewart Island we had to cross the Foveaux Strait, which is known as the roughest strait in the world. (we did not know this until we were getting on the ferry). The day we crossed was exceptionally bad and they actually cancelled all of the trips after ours. I have never seen waves as big as the ones we crossed nor have I seen that many people puking in one place. Luckily, Dan and I made it without losing our breakfast but that was only thanks to Dramamine, a full stomach, and lots of deep breathing.
Once we arrived our sea legs improved quickly because we could not help but focus on the amazing beauty around us! The views of the island made the rough crossing completely worth it. The majority of our time on Stewart Island was spent tramping the island. It has many trails and we were able to walk around two different peninsulas. We also took to the sea again and went to Ulva island which is one of the few places left in New Zealand untouched by invasive plants and animals. This means it is home to some of the rarest and nearly extinct native birds and plants, including the Kiwi bird.
We braved the cold on Stewart Island and slept in our tent for the first time. It was rather chilly, but not as bad as we thought it would be. The first night it rained a lot, which kept us awake more than anything. Stewart Island was a wonderful experience and the entire island was very peaceful.
We survived a much smoother ride home and now are working our way through the Catlins area. We are following the coastline East and will eventually find our way to Dunedin. Temperatures are definitely dropping and daylight is shortening but the incredible scenery make it all worth it in the end!
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