Death of a Car but saved by Dolphins.

I left off while we were in Greymouth. So that is where I will pick up the story! (prepare yourselves. This is a long one)

So we get to Greymouth and the hostel we had planned to stay at was expensive as what AND we had to bring our own linens for the bed. Who does that for a backpackers hostel? Well we went looking for a different hostel and stumbled on the greatest backpackers hostel I have ever seen. Amazing facilities, cheap laundry (since we had some wet stuff from the rain from the previous nights) cheap internet, free movies and a lot of them, and finally a nice bed, three of them. I was in heaven. We were all going crazy because up to this point, we spent so much time together and the night before was stressful... I guess?. But since we were eating like birds the whole trip, I also decided to treat myself to some steak, onions, pasta, and a 6 pack. Good night. Then we wake up the next morning, and now the drama begins.

The girls decided to name the car Stanley (first street we drove on) so if I say Stanley, you will know who/what I'm referring to. But this part of the trip was just a straight 3 or 4 hour drive to Kaikoura, where we had a reservation to swim with dusky dolphins. But NZ had different plans for us. I was driving through the Lewis Pass, about 2 hours from Kaikoura, and it had stopped raining about a half hour earlier. The speed limit was 70 kph and I came around a turn, and there lies a rock, NAY a small boulder in the middle of the road. Karl can: A- swerve into oncoming traffic but avoid the small piece of mountain. B- slam on the breaks and skid into the mountain or oncoming traffic and maybe even the rock. C- fuck it. Or better yet, hope the car could clear the rock... I picked C. I thought it was the logical thought. The girls were asleep and the decision was made in about .6 seconds so, like I said, I went for it. The worst sound and a huge jolt followed there after. I guess the question of "Could Stan clear the rock" was answered real quick. We started to drag the rock for a while then the engine started smoking. Touché New Zealand, touché. I pulled over and began my diagnosis. I couldn't see any liquids leaking, but oh hey, our friend the boulder was still with us! Little bastard made its way to the rear axel and was stuck between it and the road. Thank god we had insurance on the car. We then tried to call a tow company, then the rental company. But better yet, no one had any sort of cell phone service and the closest town... well no one had any clue. I hitch hiked my way about 5 km up to a small place that does obstacle courses and outdoor education stuff to use their phone. I made the call to the tow company and they said they would pick us up in about 45 minutes. So I hitchhiked my way back to the car and we waited. After drawing on the foggy windows for 2 and a half more hours, I decided to go back and call again.

Typical though, as I was gone, the truck came. Side note, as we were waiting on the side of the road, there were 3 other people that pulled over to see if we needed help on top of the first person that took me to the camp. One of them was a little old man in a camper who invited us in for coffee and cookies. Side note ended- now we had to get the car towed back to a town called Hamner Springs. As the tow man hooked the car up, he punctured the oil tank so Stan started "bleeding" everywhere. It was quite a sad site. And in case you didn't guess, by this point we missed our dolphin outing. But Hamner Springs... Cool little town, known only for its numerous hot springs, which we didn't get to experience. The car got dropped off, and the damage on the car... The oil tank was dead, and the transmission was completely shattered. Not just cracked, but done. And the front axel was jacked up. Score: Karl-1, Car- 0. After I got the tally, I called the rental company. They told us that they had no one available to drive a car up to us, so to get a new car we'd have to get down to Christchurch somehow.... somehow. After much debate with the man on the phone, they couldn't pick us up anywhere with the car, even if we hitchhiked a couple towns up.

here is the tiny BOULDER I hit...
stan bleeding everywhere.
This is when it was stuck between the rear axel and the road...

Break- get up, stretch, breathe.

OK, lets go. Next we went to the i-site. For those of you who don't know, an i-site is this sweet thing that NZ has EVERYWHERE that all they do is help you. They book you trips, tell you about campsites, hikes, attractions, tours, buses, you name it, they do it. We went in there and asked about a bus back into Christchurch. There was only one a day and it was at 2 pm, so we had about an hour and a half to hang out. We asked them to book us a place on the bus so we didn't get robbed a seat. The girls had also decided that they didn't want to do the dolphin swim anymore. They would rather save the money and not go through the stress of getting there. Me, on the other hand, well when am I ever going to get this opportunity again? So during the wait I had the lady book my Dolphin Encounter. Fast forward now and the shuttle finally gets there. We bring our bags over and the driver tells us that the bus is full. Apparently they booked 3 people on a different bus but they were suppose to be on this one. And they already took 2 other kids who just bought a ticket at the curb. So all because they booked some people on the wrong day, we were screwed. Bullshit, I know, but thats how the dice fell. Bad news 1- I needed to get to Christchurch to get the car to get to Kaikoura because now that I put in my reservation, if I didn't show, I would still be charged. Bad news 2- We had to get to Christchurch by 6 pm before the rental place closed to get the car. Bad news 3- This was the last shuttle out of Hamner springs until the next day at 2 pm. Bad news 4- Hilary already booked the hostel and we couldn't get a hold of them to remove the reservation. Bad news 4- We couldn't find a hostel in Hamner Springs reasonably priced to lodge for the night. How did we resolve this conflict, you may wonder... Well I will tell you. The employees at i-site are saviors. I made friends with them as I was waiting for the shuttle and the girls were getting food. They heard about the predicament we were in and all 5 of them got together to try to brainstorm ideas. Everything was thrown around, and I mean everything, until we landed on a final solution. One of the employees was leaving at 4 pm. She was taking the company car to Anberley, a town a half hour outside of Christchurch. But the catch was was that because it was the company car, she couldn't drive us into Christchurch. So we could only get 3/4's the way there. Then she decided that she could take us to her parents house in Anberley, we would leave our luggage there (bags wouldn't fit in her car), hop in her own little car, go to Christchurch, get the new car, drive it back out to her parents' place, and pick up our luggage, then sleep! Well it didn't work out quite like that but this was the point it started getting better. I called the rental company again and she told me that if they closed before we got there, she would leave the car outside in the lot with the keys in the glove box. So we were on our way, got dropped off at her parents house (nicest people in the world) who then told us to just take their car into Christchurch. They wouldn't let us pay for gas or anything. They figured that if their kids were in a situation like ours, someone would help them. So why shouldn't they do the same... take note everyone. But we were able to stuff our bags and ourselves into the parents' car and go to Christchurch. Finally we were at the hostel and everything was settled. Better yet, I was going to swim with dolphins!

So we slept like babies and I woke up early to get to Kaikoura. They said it was about a 3 hour drive and my swim was at 12:30pm so I left at 8:30 am. Well I actually made it there in 2 hours, but the drive was amazing. Passed a bunch of vineyards, stopped at a sweet lookout spot over looking the town, and best of all, I finally got time to myself to listen to my own music in the car and drive without 2 other backseat drivers. Heavenly, I know. So I got into Kaikoura and I had time to look around the town and have some lunch. It is a real small town, and it's only there because of the whale, seal, and dolphin populations. So there wasn't much to do but oddly enough I ran into a friend from my orientation group in a cafe. Small world. But my time came and I went and checked into the Dolphin Encounter! They gave me a wet suit, mask, snorkel, fins, booties, and I rented an underwater camera. We watched a video telling us how to interact with the Dusky dolphins and other tidbits of info. Such as... they can't guarantee there will be dolphins, we are in their habitat, don't reach out to touch them, they like it if you sing (yes, sing) and they LOVE eye to eye contact. So we got out to the boats and drove out to the pod. Our lucky day, it was a beautiful day with a huge pod of around 400 dusky dolphins. Truly breathtaking. We jumped right in and everyone started singing. You could hear it through the snorkels. The dolphins were the most majestic things I 've ever seen. Powerful yet graceful, agile, quick as what, and playful. They love to investigate things so they would swim circles around us to check us out then just swim away. Also, they are they jump A LOT. Apparently they do it to show off so they were just jumping and going crazy the whole time. We swam with them for about 40 minutes, following the pod, getting in the boat, jumping back out, etc. The experience was life-changing. I even had one dolphin who I guess you could say had a connection with me. He (or she I don't really know but I'm going to say a guy dolphin) swam circles around me and I tried to stare at him. He went to swim off but didn't do it real fast like usual. He did it real slow so I followed him. Then I caught up to him and he swam circles around me again and then slowed down. And yes I was looking into his eye the whole time. This went on for about a minute and a half. I was astounded. I tried to take as many pictures as possible but the camera was tough to get used to and the dolphins are so damn fast thats its tough. But here are all my pictures... There are plenty. And I apologize if there are so many pictures/ videos of the dolphins, they were just that incredible.

this was my buddy.

After we swam with the dolphins, we got on the boat and they boat drive around and let us take pictures from the surface and see the dolphins in another light. They also provided ginger snap cookies and hot chocolate. Great great day. Like I said, it was one of the most rewarding and amazing experiences of my life. So after about 4 hours of seeing/ swimming with dolphins, I drove home during another amazing South Island sunset. Then the next day at about 10 am, I flew back to Welly. That was my trip!

All of if was so much fun. Between the glacier's, the bungy jump, getting a ticket (which sucks now and is actually 170 bucks, not 120), destroying a car, and swimming with dolphins, it was the trip of a lifetime. I will leave you to watch all the rest of my videos!

the epic trip continues.

Chapter 3 is as follows... (and with the upgrade of videos.)

When all the Aussie students left the great country of NZ saddened and distraught because they had only one week of a spring break, Hilary, Shannon, and I rented a little car and were going to continue this epic trip. The plan was to head west and go to Dunedin, see the royal albatross, penguins, fur seals, and sea lions, then head back east and stop at a town called Te Anau, wake up and do a two day kayak/ hike in Milford Sound, then drive to Haast Beach for some relaxation, then head up to Greymouth, and next up would be swimming with dolphins in Kaikoura, and finish it up with Christchurch for a day. The only reason I tell you all that we were planning is because in no way did it play out like that.

But we headed out to Dunedin from Queenstown. It was different to adjust to driving on the other side of the road, on the other side of the car. The pedals were the same, but the turn signals and windshield wipers were on opposite sides. You can probably see how annoying that got. But the drive wasn't terrible and we arrived in Dunedin just in time to make it for our tour. The tour picked us at the campground and we headed first to see the Royal Albatross colony. I never knew much about this thing but its friggin' huge. It has the second largest wingspan of any bird in the world, averaging 3.2 meters across (just about 10 feet) and weighs about 18 pounds. The chicks weigh up to 25-29 pounds, almost twice as much as the parents. But we were lucky enough to see two flying and three different chicks. It was amazing! I never knew much about the bird but the thing was massive and flew so smoothly. I got an okay video of it and some random pictures which you can see.

this is a picture of a parent feeding its baby... kinda rare to see. He's back in the bushes, he was hiding.

Once we were done with the albatross, we made our way over to one of the most scenic coastlines I've ever seen (pictured at the top). On the way over there we passed the coolest windswept trees that looked like the wind was tearing through them when there was no wind.

Don't really know how they are formed but they were all over the place.

But we got to go walk over and look at a fur seal colony, which were almost extinct in New Zealand do to over hunting when NZ was first colonized. But they made a come back and were running or waddling around trying to play with us. Next up was a walk over to see the seal lions and the yellow eyed penguins, yes penguins. They are a tropical penguin that hangs out by the shore line. It also used to be endangered but due to conservation efforts, is back to normal. These little guys were incredibly shy and were hilarious. We were fortunate to witness a type of mating ritual where one sees another from afar, and if he/ she is attracted to it, he/she sticks his or her fins straight out, and runs past the penguin. Then once past the other penguin, he/she stops and sticks his head up and stands up as tall as possible. Then waits. If the other penguin likes it, he/she will do it back and then they do a penguin hug and hang out. The only problem is that they don't know if the other penguin is a guy or girl, even if they are attracted. There are documentations of two penguins hanging out for 2 or 3 years, then finding out the other one is the same sex. Then they call it quits and go look for another mate. But it was cool do be able to see a little penguin sprint half the beach to show off. He did it about 4 times to 3 different penguins and got rejected every time. Story of my life hahaha. The only bad thing is my camera ran out of battery by the penguins so I only have one picture of them. But then we went back to the huge sea lions. It was right before feeding time and they all wrestle before feeding so it was interesting. With the sea lions, there are only 22 female sea lions in all of NZ so the big guys are always practicing to get ready for their time to impress her on the smaller, younger lions. They treat the smaller ones exactly like they were a female in every way. And the answer to the question you are thinking right now is yes, in EVERY possible way. Reference the end of the video I posted, you'll hear me say something. This pretty much concluded this part of the day, until we were caught by the most beautiful sunset I have ever experienced. Because of NZ's location in the world, the wind patterns create unique cloud formations that make sunsets that much prettier. I will let the pictures do the talking.

Upon our arrival to the site, we set up my magnificent tent and slept the night away while debating modern technology and politics. We woke up the next day and headed to Te Anau. While we were driving however, I got a speeding ticket. Yes a speeding ticket, for doing the equivalent of 73 mph. The kiwis don't like to drive fast. I was following this other car doing 120 kph and there wasn't a speed limit sign for kilometers so I figured he was doing the right speed, until a cop flipped a you-eey and got me. He said the speed limit was 100 kph, and NZ only posts signs when the speed limit changes. But while he was writing the ticket and I was getting my license out, he had a very nice conversation with me for about 7 minutes. And no he didnt let me off... $170 NZD its all good. Anyway, Te Anau is a town that exists pretty much only because it is the entrance of the road to Milford Sound, and you have to pass the city on your way in and out of the Sound. Nothing exciting happened, we just hung out, watched movies, and got a goodnight's sleep. The next day however was filled with a little more excitement. We made the trip into Milford and got there about an hour early, enough time to set up camp. It was getting real cloudy and windy, so I made sure to make sure the tent was perfect. And it was. As we finished setting up, it begins to pour. So we made our way into the lodge to get picked up for our kayak/ hike and they told us it was cancelled. The winds were too high to be safe in the sounds so they couldn't take us. Milford is the smallest town in the history of towns and all there was to do was hang out in the lodge or go to the pub. I chose the latter. I went and had some beers and played some pool, talked to the bartender (who was from Seattle), then went back to the lodge. We ended up meeting up with some friends from Wellington and we all played some board games and stuff. The only stipulation was that we still had to get up by 8:30 to do the rest of the hike or kayak. What it was was a hike in the afternoon of the first day, then we'd hike back, sleep at the site, then go kayaking in a different spot the next day. Because it was pouring all night and this storm was suppose to be a huge 3 day storm, the girls thought the next day would be cancelled too. But I didn't think so. The plan was to get up, make sure it was cancelled, go back to sleep, then jump on a boat cruise of the Sounds at 11:30 with a BBQ and still see Sounds. Throughout the night I was getting a little worried though because while we were playing board games, we were told that if if were camping and the rain continued, they would move us inside because some of the tent sites flood. But it turns out that we were in a camper powered site, not a tent site (don't ask) so they wouldn't move us if it flooded. I laid down and wrote in my journal, and by the time I was ready to sleep a half hour later, the water already rose about 3/4's of an inch. And at that rate, we would wake up 4 hours later floating. So I went to sleep but set an alarm for 3 hours later. I woke up at the alarm, and the water was real high, but only in the front. So I had to go out while it was pouring, find some big rocks, and prop up the front edge of the tent to give us a couple more hours until we were swimming laps. My genius idea worked. When I got up early in the morning, the tent was dry. Being proud and happy, I went to shower, eat and wait to see if they would call our name or if the trip was cancelled. Well, they called us and the girls were still asleep... atypical. I made up an excuse that one of them was feeling ill, seeing if we could get our money back because they were set on the cruise. He said no. But I worked a deal to go at 9:15 instead, to give the girls time. So I was all ready and I went and woke them up. They freaked out but got ready. We made it over to the kayaking base camp and it was still pouring. The wind had died down however, and the wind is the reason why they cancelled. Apparently, because of the geography of the sounds, it acts as a natural wind tunnel. Meaning if the winds are 40 knot winds, on the water they are about 80. But like I said, there was a very soft wind at the time. So we got fitted with thermal leggings, waterproof jackets, floatation devices, and splash guards for our kayaks. At first we were real sad about it raining, but it made the experience that much cooler. Because of the massive amounts of rain, there were literally hundreds of waterfalls everywhere, and the main waterfall, Lady Bowen Falls, was 3 times the size it normally is. It was so big that when we tried to get close to it, the current would push us all back and everyone's hat's were flying off because of the wind from it. We kayaked for 4 hours, just looking in awe of the scenery, watching seals play right next to our kayaks, drinking hot kiwi punch, and our guide even found a baby bird on a rock that couldn't fly. (In the picture, look at his chest on the jacket). It was an experience, because of the rain, that not many people get to have. It was amazing.

Our trouble started to hit after the trip however. Because we took the later kayaking trip, it meant we got on the road later then we wanted. We needed to make it into Haast Beach that same night so it was time to move quickly. We packed up the tent real quick... or I packed up the tent while they showered. Then I showered and we were on our way. This was a really long drive, especially because we didn't calculate the drive back through Te Anau, so the 4 hour drive turned into 7 hours with a late start. It was also pouring rain the whole drive through the smallest and windiest mountain road. I drove the whole way, thank god, but it was very draining. When we got into Haast, EVERYTHING was closed. We couldn't find a single hostel, camp ground, hotel, or motel, and it was only about 10:30 at night. Frustrated and tired, we ended up sneaking into a camp site, setting up the tent in the rain, and passing out. We were just hoping no one came and kicked us out for not paying. But everything worked out. We woke up and continued our drive into Greymouth, without a notice attached to our tent or car. And this is where I will save your brains from reading and continue this later. I don't have a thousand things due like I did last week so I will finish the trip soon. Next episode, the death of a car and dolphins- be excited. So long.

-Karl

Here are some pictures of all the waterfalls that were everywhere, and a rainbow for a moment!