Jun 2009

TASMAN TALES

MONTH

June 2009

COUNTRIES

Fiji – Viti Levu and Yaswan Islands

New Zealand – South Island

SITES

Waya Lailai village, island cove featured in the Tom Hanks movie ‘Castaway’,Airport Golf course (home of Vijay
Singh). Christchurch – Camshorn Dinner and wine tasting, Banks Peninsula, Lake Tekapo, Milford Sound, Queenstown - Frisbee Golf / Luge / Gondala, Jackson Bay, Fox / Franz Joseph Glacier, Okarito Lagoon, Hokitika - West Coast Historical Museum, Pancake Rocks, Greymouth, Abel Tasman National Park, Golden Bay – Collingwood Museum, Mussel Inn, Anatoki Salmon Farm.

Wildlife: Kea, takahe, NZ falcon / harrier, brown trout, fur seal, possum, red deer,

TOP MOMENTS

1. Liannah’s Fiji Island birthday – Fijian hospitality at its best, following a lazy day on palm lined sandy beaches, they organised a dinner table for 2 on an ocean side veranda, followed by cocktails, a massive birthday cake (with Happy Birthday Liannah on it) and singing of Happy Birthday in Fijian.

2. Catching a massive fish (Chris Only) – After making lots of friends in the village with bribes of vodka and cigarettes (bough for this purpose) not only did Chris feel like a VIP guest but was taken on his on personal trawling trip at 5am in the morning. The result the 2nd biggest fish so far a 5lb-ish Kingfish but by far the best fight.

3. Snowboarding Coronets Peak, Queenstown – Carving up the open treeless snow slopes at high speed, popping a few small jumps and avoiding injury.

4. Franz Joseph Glacier – Strapping on the crampons and scaling the huge chunk of blue ice sliding down the valley at a rate of up to 5 meters a day. Amazing caves, ravines and ice crystal formations.

LOWEST MOMENTS

1. Both Cameras breaking down - The Olympus; after 2 lots of repair the LCD screen fails (sent back to be replaced). The Nikon; lens became stuck out, not retractable (sent home for the back of the cupboard, out of warrantee). Upside - We did not miss many photos as we now have a new Panasonic. Downside – we are $300 out of pocket.

2. Bed bugs, again!!! – Liannah attacked again in a Fiji island hostel. Well over 100+ bites.

SCARIEST MOMENTS

1. Jumping off a hill (only Chris scared) – Paragliding off the 450 metre hill behind Queenstown. Not sure what the acrobatic moves were called but resulted in staring a long way down at the ground a few times. An amazing adrenaline rush with top views (special thanks to Tim Parky) - http://www.nzgforce.com/

2. Snowy Drive (Lil) - Crossing the Takaka Hill summit (791m) in the car. Fine weather at sea level, knee deep snow at above 700m makes for fun driving conditions on skinny / windy mountain roads.

UNUSUAL FOOD

Sea grapes – green sea weed plant.

Pilli’s – whitebait style fish roasted on open fire.

Fijian fish – Travelley, Dolphin Fish, Coral Cod and Kingfish

Kava – ground root drink, drank by the bucket load in ceremonies. Loopy juice!

Lemon leaf tea

Whitebait fritters

Venison, silverbeet and red yam – NZ food all the way (cooked by Chris)

Green lipped mussels

Captian Cooker Manuka Honey Beer

MOSTLY MISSING

Hot baths and showers

MOSTLY HAD FILL OFF

Cold mornings

QUOTES

• ‘Say hello to the Prince and the Queen for me’ *

A Fijian bloke who was very proud of his commonwealth status. All of the notes and stamps still bear the queens head.

• ‘Bulletproof, you may have to hire ice skates’*

The worrying response from the bloke in the snowboard hire shop to Chris’s question – How are the slope conditions? Luckily it snowed later that day.

• ‘The finest worker in stone are not the copper or steel tools, but the gentle touches of air and water working at their leisure with a liberal allowance of time.’*

David Henry Thoreau about the Chasm rock shapes, Milford Sound

SURPRISING FACTS

Colonists of New Zealand introduced many animals for hunting with the usual disastrous results. Rabbits and possums over ran the place with no predators. Stoats and weasels introduced to control their numbers found it easier to feed on the birds and eggs, killing one third of native species. Red deer, goats and boar all ate young trees and plants, in some areas no trees are younger than 50 years. The only upside was it is said that having wild boar to eat saved the Maori from eating each other, not a well know fact but rival tribes often cannibalised each other, even as recent as 1919.

FISH CAUGHT = 4

Chris – Large king fish, medium Coral Cod, 0.665kg salmon and a small bream.
Lil – 0.720kg salmon and a small bream.

BITES

Chris – 4 x Sand fly

Lil – 1 x Sandfly and 100+ BB’s

TAN

Fading fast

VEHICLE (new category)

Type: Spaceship (http://www.spaceshipsrentals.com.au/)

Number: 18

NEXT ON AGENDA

North Island – New Zealand