Harvest is behind us now but the experience continues in our travels. Traversing the highways of the South Island we can explore the big and small and find in it and our selves awe inspiring moments. Moments where our mouths hang open from the sheer scope of the beauty we are witnessing or the private moments that only the mind is privy too when a revelation comes that we have changed and are changing and growing and becoming better more complete human beings. At the heart and soul of who I am I will always be me but the rough edges are rounding off and my scope of vision widening. Life is a great learning experience and I am ready to absorb.
Amanda is a woman who loves to have fun and enjoys herself and her company. She is rubbing off on me and everyday gets a little better. Each car picnic is the best ever, every dinner more delicious than the one before and our experiences topped only by the next. What a way to live.
I look forward to advancing onto our next leg of the journey: to the time when we leave our base in Bannockburn to explore the south east side of New Zealand. We are comfortably stagnant for the time being, lazily soaking up the sun’s rays and safe from the blustering winds in our little beach house in the desert.
Driving into Bannockburn there is a welcome sign inviting travelers to enjoy their stay in “the heart of the desert”. We gaze around us and see trees sparsely dotting the landscape, shrubs and California poppies hug the ground while a dry wind whips above, a brilliant aquamarine lake hugs the roadside. Summer has just passed but I wonder how green it grows with spring. This is the kiwi version of a desert: more water than Central California and not a succulent to be found. It is all about perspective.
The dry landscape and cloudless blue sky is a welcome and dramatic change. Driving down we were plagued with dark low clouds and torrents of rain. The Southern Alps hidden behind a blanket of precipitation, their lush green vegetation grey in the dim light.
For one day the sun shone on us. As we headed out from Nelson and down to Hokitika the clouds stayed back allowing us our only outside lunch. We sat down and began a tradition that will continue until the end of this journey. We feasted on cheese and crackers, apples and avocados, seafood and meats. Cucumber and portabella mushrooms spilled from herbed pita bread and we washed it all down with a glass of Nelson Sauvignon Blanc, courtesy of my winemaker and mentor.
We had stopped in Punakaiki the sight of New Zealand’s famous pancake rocks and one of the few blowholes in the world. The sun continued to shine as we poured two more glasses and set off down the trail. Stepping into dense forest vegetation we walked along blinded on all sides by a wall of native bush; shortly it opened up and we cast our eyes on a sparkling blue ocean, deep grey rocks, formed by layers of sediment, with bright green grasses clinging precariously to them.
As the path wound on and our glasses slowly emptied our eyes soaked up deep crevices carved by pounding waves, precipices shaped like animals and tikis, all the while our feet carefully navigated the spray soaked rock pathways, every meter threatening to topple unwary visitors. The air was heavy with the smells of the ocean, the aromas breaking loose with each crashing wave and ascending to reach our senses, mingling with the capsicum and gooseberry floating out of the wine.
*from "Candide" by Voltaire
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