Thursday, January 26th, to Monday January 30th, 2023 - A Loooong Journey to the Land of the Long White Cloud.

 I spent some time in New Zealand in the early 1970's when I was a University student. Friends of mine were avid outdoors people and had organized a very adventurous backpacking trip which I was invited to join.

In those days, I could not afford the cost of film and printing, so did not have any of my own photos. These images were from friends years later, to give you an idea of the land we traversed back then.

In particular I remember the sting of the cold glacial water during river crossings, the 80-90 lb backpacks laden with several weeks supply and my astonishment on discovering that our first day required a 4,000 ft climb. 

Forgotten River Col, Gateway to Olivine Ice Plateau

At the end of this trip, after traversing glorious woods and forests, slipping up and down steep scree slopes and several days atop a glacier in an igloo we built, I will never forget the profound sense of beauty and awe I felt when sitting under a bivvy rock and reflecting on the view depicted above. It has been a long enduring image in my heart and mind that this land was a 'spiritual home' for me.

Rosemary Porter and me, Canberra, 1960's

So when a long-time friend, Rosemary Porter, contacted me in mid-2022 about the possibility of meeting in New Zealand to sing with a small group of friends for 10 days, I didn't hesitate to decide to return to this glorious isle. When each of my sisters also were keen to meet me here for our first post-Covid time together, it was all on!

Bags were packed, and on Thursday 26th, 2023 (Australia Day) off I went from Jacksonville to Dallas, relishing in the ease of there being no more connections until Auckland, a mere 15.5 hours away. I enjoyed some decent airline food and settled in to my seat in anticipation of sleep for a long night........

Auckland International Airport, January 27th, 2023

............ until five hours out of Dallas, the pilot came over the intercom to announce, in a very measured, calm voice that they had received 'unfortunate news'. Due to severe flooding, the airport in Auckland was closed and we were going to return to Dallas! You can imagine how I felt after flying ten hours and being back in the same place!

The best my airline could offer was an arrival late the following week, which would leave my plan to meet my sister, Nadine in Christchurch completely awry. Happily I had purchased travel insurance, and their concierge service helped me find an alternate route through Sydney, which got me into Christchurch on Sunday night - only 1.5 days later than planned. I felt very fortunate. However, it meant that I would be travelling almost 3 days without a break from airports!

Final Destination - Christchurch

I arrived OK, but my suitcase didn't! LOL! After that journey, somehow I wasn't surprised! It's sort of like childbirth - one gets through it and it becomes a distant memory. 

TranzAlpine Train Route

Of course I was tired, but very pleased that I was able to meet up with my sister, Nadine and head to the TranZalpine train that we had planned for early Monday morning. This train crosses the Northern Alps of the South Island from Christchurch to Greymouth on the west coast. 

TranzAlpine Train, Christchurch Station

Knowing that they had an observation car with no glass had pleased me greatly, so I was keen to get my camera out to capture the beautiful mountains.

Tranzalpine Observation Car in Action

You'd think by now that I should have known that plans and reality do not always match up, so you can imagine my dismay to find that every available spot in the observation car was crammed!

Traffic Jam Eases

Happily, before long the lightweights had left and it became serious business, with people rushing from one side to the other as the scenery changed. There were many tunnels, so the train car was designed to prevent enthusiastic photographers from leaning out too far and getting injured. It was a bit frustrating working around the bars.

Somewhere......

As it turned out, this was not one of my best photography days. I did not accommodate for the speed of the train, and much is blurry. I chalked it up to tiredness! LOL! Sometimes my enthusiasm outweighs my skill - I start clicking without thinking, or checking the results......this was one of those days!

Backpackers Setting Out....

You can imagine my envy as I saw this group of backpackers setting out on their journey. In New Zealand it is called 'tramping' - a great descriptive word in my opinion.

Photo by Nadine Hood's Mobile Phone

One of the best photos of the day came from Nadine's camera, showing the treacherous scree slopes streaking down the mountainside, with the grassy plains at the base. 

The train takes an 8.5 kilometer tunnel to avoid the highest peaks, so there were no snow covered peaks on this day. The Otira tunnel, as it is called, has a 1:33 gradient, and the train staff took it very seriously, closing down the dining car and the observation deck so that passengers were not moving around during the steep descent.

A Delightful Journey

The train ride was a lovely, easy introduction to this land, that feels like a step back in time. The very pleasant 'hostess', was keen to explain every time there was a delay, making sure that we understood that permissions had to be obtained from the signal managers and there were reasons for their stops etc. In particular they made it clear when it was to protect workers on the lines.  It was a great delight to experience such clarity and courtesy.

Things to Look Forward To

However, you can imagine how pleased I was to arrive in Greymouth, get our rental car and settle in to our AirBnB where we will stay for four nights. Just a few steps from the ocean, I was thrilled to see this sign that promises more things to come. I'm keen to run into penguins and seals on my path!

The End of a Long Day in Greymouth.

02/01/2023 UPDATE: My suitcase was delivered this morning. The journey is now complete!