Microblog

Our dead-end road leads to a coastal path, but high tide had other plans for us. We detoured a few blocks over to pick up the trail through parks and urban stretches. A few miles later, we looped back to the start via train and bus.

Our rental only has a pod machine, so today we went searching for a pour-over cone, our preferred way to brew. It turns out pour-overs aren’t really a “thing” here, so we pivoted to a French press. Tracking one down required a fruitless trip downtown followed by a trek into suburbia, but we finally snagged one at a big-box store. Between Google Maps, tap-to-pay transit, and a fine lunch, it turned out to be an excellent day.

High tide at our Auckland home for the next month. We plan to just relax here, doing things that locals do at the weekend. We’ll manage easily without a car, relying on our feet, public transit, and the occasional Uber. Today we stocked up at the local Woolworths supermarket, a step up from the dingy Woolworths I remember from my childhood.

Arrival of the inbound kite, a sturdy ATR 72 turboprop, for our wizard flight to Auckland from Marlborough Airport (BHE). Hoping for no flak (turbulence) en route. (Word choices inspired by Biggles, fictional WW1 and WW2 British pilot.)

The Cougar Line boat arrived to collect us for our return to Picton after the final section of our hike. It was another day of lovely wooded trails that sheltered us from the sun, offering views of coves, mossy rocks, and vegetation indigenous to New Zealand. Whenever we encountered other hikers, they were invariably in a good mood, and so were we.

Queen Charlotte Sound to our left and Kenepuru Sound to our right, the trail proceeds between the two, offering lovely views. Another hour or two of hiking and we’ll reach the Te Mahia Bay Resort, our comfy doss for the night.

Continued hiking the Queen Charlotte Track, passing lovely mossy rock walls and lush epiphytes. Ridges offered great views of the sounds on both sides, with enough climbing to make it feel like a true hike rather than a walk in the park. A beautiful day on the trail, interrupted by a comfortable resort hotel for the night.

​A rest day: comfortably glamping off the grid for a couple of nights over a ridge from Queen Charlotte Sound. Here’s the view from our bedroom hut as I settle in for a nap: our kitchen hut (with a dishwasher!) with Kenepuru Sound beyond. In the mornings, the owner brings freshly baked bread and croissants, and in the evenings, a from-scratch pizza. *Modern conveniences, indeed.

The mist stayed with us for much of today’s hike, spritzing without soaking us as we walked a ridge. It invited us to focus inward, recalling the views from previous visits as the world around us faded in and out of view.

Me, a sheep, and a flightless weka while en route to the next port for the night. I walked while Dwight took a boat, resting a gently twisted ankle that now seems ready for tomorrow’s hike.

As planned, we’re spending two nights at a comfortable lodge, relaxing. On a friend’s recommendation, today I bought ‘Tokyo on Foot: Travels in the City’s Most Colorful Neighborhoods,’ an unusual visual depiction of Tokyo far from the FOMO of the over-touristed world. I actually had to put it aside because it transported me to Japan too effectively; since I’m currently in New Zealand, I’ve returned to ‘The Luminaries,’ set in 19th-century New Zealand.

A boat dropped us off at the spot where Captain James Cook first made landfall in New Zealand. This was Day 1 of our multi-day hike along the Queen Charlotte Track, marking our fourth time here. As these waterfalls show, we’re benefiting from the heavy rains that preceded our arrival.

With temperatures hitting -21°F (-29°C), our building’s heat failed. My smart home setup let me manage this from afar. I watched the temperature drop and ran ceiling fans and the AC blower to circulate air. The thermostat remained “on,” so glycol stayed moving through the radiators to prevent frozen pipes. There wasn’t anything more I could’ve done in person. After a few hours, the heat is finally back on and the plants look OK.

Today is a rest day before we start our big hike tomorrow. Woke up to this view from our hotel room. First order of business: freshly baked meat pies for breakfast at a spot we scouted yesterday. Next, we took a beautiful hike above Queen Charlotte Sound, covering almost as much ground as we will tomorrow: we always seem to hike on our “rest” days. A late pub lunch quickly revived us.

It’s been quite a journey, over 8,000 miles in total, capped off by a turboprop flight into Marlborough wine country. From there, we took a cab to Picton on the Marlborough Sounds. We’ll relax here for two nights before catching a boat to the start of our multi-day, inn-to-inn hike.

Found a fine spot between flights at LAX for refreshments. The glass wall is open at the top, so we get doses of fresh air and whiffs of aviation fuel. Our flight leaves tonight (Tuesday) and touches down in Auckland on Thursday morning.