NZ Adventures #8: Traversing Beach to Glacier in One Amazing Day

Earth Date:  Wednesday, November 21, 2018

Today we turn inland from the West Coast towards the west side of the Southern Alps.  I'm eager to see more of New Zealand, but I'm also sad to leave the West Coast behind.  Hey, we're still in FREAKING NZ!  Just checking to make sure that you're still with me.  We're on day 8, and it would be easy for you to lose interest... but don't.  Today we'll learn about the fervor with which the New Zealanders harvest possum wool.

Greymouth

Greymouth is the largest town on the West Coast map with a bustling population of 9,700 as of 2018, but it didn't seem much bigger than a blip.  The mighty TranzAlpine train stops here from Christchurch on the East Coast.

It sits at the mouth of the Grey River, thus "Greymouth."  See what they did there?

We got a bite to eat at the DP1 Squared as recommended by a friend.  Eh.  Hair in my food.  I don't think they believe in hair nets in NZ.  It's an au naturale kind of place, which I appreciate.  But minus the hair in the food.  This wasn't the first time.

We ate, strolled along the Greymouth Flood Wall, snapped a pic of the Coal Miners' Memorial and then we were off to Hokitika.

The Coal Miners' Memorial remembers those souls lost during coal mining accidents in the West Coast area.  Names were engraved on the black marble base, and there were many.

Hokitika

33 minutes south of Greymouth is Hokitika, where we stopped  for a shopping stroll along the main drag.

At one time, Hokitika was THE place on the West Coast.  Center of the West Coast Gold Rush.  But we know how gold rushes turn out.  And today, there's not much to it.  But like all the mini West Coast towns, it's cute.

We walked along Weld Street, which is their main street.  Past the inviting Hokitika Town Clock and down to the Hokitika driftwood sign on the beach.  Seems like all the other tourists in Hokitika where also at the driftwood sign, so we settled for the beach access version, complete with Christmas lights.

Check out that beautiful blue sky.

Jayme indulged me in a shopping stroll, so we walked through the main city center looking for fun lootz to bring home.

I wanted to bring home some specialty wool fibers for a good friend, so we stopped into Sock World.  We found yarn aplenty indeed, as well as wool socks for Dad.  Sock knitting machines abound at Sock World.  They are pretty neat looking.  Knitting socks with them is called cranking.  Umhmmm. (I'm on to you knitting-types.  #gimleteyeonPetra)  And apparently knitting aficionados come from world-over to check out the museum part of Sock World.  Doing homework after our visit to Sock World, I learned that Jacquie Grant, the proprietor of Sock World, is an expert on sock knitting machines, collecting and refurbishing them, and has turned a hobby into a business.

Anyways, I was checking out at the cashier with our lootz, and I asked, "Tell me something cool about this yarn I'm buying.  It's for a friend, and I'd like to share something interesting about it."  We'd scoped out hand-dyed yarns, and picked out a colorful skein.  A woman sitting at a knitting machine near the counter looked up and with much glee in her eyes and a snarl on her face said something like "let me tell you how we harvest the possum wool. We shoot them between the eyes and rip the fur out while they're still warm."  My mouth fell open and I could feel Jayme looking over at me.  Graciously, he's like "Oh hey, that's interesting.  Thanks.  Ok, time to go."  We walked along a bit, then had a good laugh once the shock cleared.  I'm thinking I either can't tell Petra this story or I can't give her this yarn.  But in hind-sight, we had a great chuckle.  New Zealanders are united in their hatred for the fertile possum (which they also introduced to the ecosystem, I'd like to add).  And in doing research after visiting Sock World, Ms Grant herself claims, "I'm legendary for being grumpy." Indeed.

I learned another interesting tidbit about Ms Grant.  She was among the early transgender folk in NZ and the first to receive a Queen's Birthday Honour (#noidea), when she was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit.  She's now an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit.  Sounds prestigious.  Yeah, kinda.  Read more here.  She is a prominent figure in NZ human rights and transgender advocacy.  Go her!  And kinda neat to meet a quasi-dignitary.

Petra, hope you knit up some socks for a good meatatarian friend.

And it's time to keep south on Highway 6 and turn inland just a bit to check out a glacier.  'Cuz we can, yo.  It's just under a 2 hour drive, so we settle in for some lovely sight-seeing.

Franz Josef Glacier

We arrive in Franz Josef just in time to check-in to our hotel and rest up for an evening tramp to the glacier.  Hotel stays have become an adventure, too.  It's like a lottery -- how nice will this one be?  Good choice for this night -- nice big bed with a beautiful view.

Our hotel is on the outskirts of Franz Josef, and when we get into town it's like BAM America has descended on NZ.  Why?  Why of all the beautiful spots we've seen would they be swarming in Franz Josef village, which is maybe a mile's stretch of a few restaurants, motels and adventure rentals + fire station & church?  Again, #noidea.  But there are hordes, and most of them are in the one tiny grocery store in the village.  Maybe I just answered my question.  Apparently in high season there can be upwards of 2,700 tourists in the area per day.  And residents?  330-ish.

We drive on through the village and head to the parking lot at the base of the glacier, 'cuz why start at the trail, when you can like drive most of the way to a glacier.  Again, 'cuz we can.

Franz Josef Glacier, aka Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere, is on the western edge of the Southern Alps in the Westland Tai Poutini National Park.  It descends to less than 300 meters above sea level.  Thus we can get a good view of it from a fairly easy hiking trail.

As we round the bend, lovely waterfalls come into view -- ice melts making their way down the mountain to the Waiho River.

Can you spot the glacier off in the distance?  We creep ever closer, passing multiple falls on our right.

The glacier was named for Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria by the German explorer Julius von Haast in 1865.  We meet Mr Haast tomorrow.

What's with the habit of naming sites for those who probably never saw it anyways?  Why not after your favorite kid or a wife?  Srsly.

Then we're at a milestone showing where the glacier was in 1960.  All the dirt and rock debris is the terminus of the glacier and gets left behind as the top of the glacier melts and recedes.

The global average temperate has risen 0.91 degrees from 1960 to 2016, driven by the significant rise in the global population -- from approx 3 million to 7.4 million.  And that change in the global average temperate has caused the glacier to recede that much.  Crazy.





And here's where it was in 2009.  0.28 degree difference in temperature in a seven year span, with a population increase of under 1 million. 

Go visit the glaciers, Friends.  Soon we will be without.

In case you feared for our safety, baby face kept us on the track.  The terminal face (the snow meeting all the rocks) is unstable and so now, only helicopter flights are required to visit the glacier.

This is as close to the glacier as they safety rails allowed.  I was tempted to just keep slogging to get to the edge.  Rules, eh.  But we really try hard to not be "those Americans."

And look how the weather shone blue upon our trek.  Thick clouds sat on either ridge of the glacier, but opened up just above it.  Lovely.

Whelp, maybe I mis-spoke on the safety front.  Jayme was tempted to enter the falling zone, on the dare of an un-named influence (/cough Jeremy).

And that Friends, is how you traverse from lovely tropical beach to cool glacier.  Thank you, NZ!

PS - You know who else thought Franz Josef was cool?  Peter Jackson.  Lighting of the Beacons anyone?  Filmed specifically at Mount Gunn, which is accessible only via helicopter.

You know what's special about the ninth episode?  Waterfalls.  Check it out here.

Adventures in DC: Cherry Blossoms + Monuments with a Few of our Tourist Friends

Weekend Anniversary Getaway:  April 4-7, 2019

Some people snicker when they read the name of this blog.  And I have a great retort.  After 22 years of wedded bliss, we get to call each other whatever we want.

And to celebrate those 22 years of wedded bliss and to get away for a short adventure, we headed up to Washington DC to see the lovely cherry blossoms and putz about the National Mall.  Because shopping!  Oh wait, I mean walking!  And hey... more walking!

But you know what's beautiful?  Cherry blossoms.  They are just so dang pretty.

Springtime in DC is delightful.

We flew in on Thursday night, so we had a full Friday and Saturday to explore.  Friday was a rainy day, but that was a-ok.  The grays, pastel pinks and bright yellows were a great combo for a backdrop of exploring the museums.  And it kept the hordes at bay.

We slept in, then ventured out to a coffee shop in Chinatown for a cuppa + carrot cake cupcake (as all mornings should begin).  Then, onwards to the Library of Congress.

Library of Congress

I love the Library of Congress, even though it's more of a museum than a library... at least the part they let the non-researchers in.  Did you know the Library of Congress is the world's largest library with more than 38 million books?  38 MILLION!  That would be heaven if we could get a looksee at them and maybe roll around in them for just a few minutes.  Apart from the viewing balcony overlooking the actual library, I saw a total of one book, and that one was behind glass.


The sculpture adorning the entrances were lovely, depicting ladies in flowing, revealing dresses.  Because that's how we ladies roll with the research... in our revealing nightgowns holding vases of flowers or an artist's palette while we pontificate on the vastness of knowledge available in 37 MILLION books.

Everything was gilded, designed in mosaic tiles or ornately carved from marble.  Fabulous.  Among the aluminum-leaf decor and stained glass on the ceiling above The Great Hall, the names of the world's leading writers and thinkers were painted in gold leaf.  Amaze-balls.  The building was decorated in 1892 by more than 40 American artists with a classical theme.

A delightfully snarky docent who was herding teenagers, commented that the Library of Congress was America's attempt to compete on the world stage for architecture.  That gave us a chuckle.  While not the winner, it's still beautiful and we had fun exploring.

I appreciated the encouragement and admonishments to seek knowledge that were worked into the overall design.  Like this one:

And in mosaic tile, no less.

Gutenberg Bible

An original Gutenberg Bible, People.  My heart was happy not just because I'm grateful to see the beginning of Bible distribution, but because it also represents the spread of the written word.  Books are such an important part of self-development, growth and social good.

This Bible in particular was produced in Germany in the mid-1540s.

Then up to the mezzanine to check out the main reading room from a glassed in balcony.

It's so lovely, I'm not sure I could study here.  I'd be staring up at the stained glass windows and decorative ceiling, using up library time drooling all over the marble-inlaid floor.  #classy


Naturally, a stop at the gift shop to score Jayme a coat plus a few other tidbits, and then we're off.


Oh, and a new favorite quote:  "I cannot live without books."  - Thomas Jefferson

A stroll by the Capitol, a chat with Ulysses S. Grant, then on by the Capitol Reflecting Pool to the US Botanic Garden.

We tend to enjoy botanical gardens, and the US conservatory did not disappoint.  We also enjoyed exploring the Sculpture Garden.

 #wedigselfies <--had you noticed?

After a healthy lunch at Protein Bar, we strolled the National Museum of Natural History where they still display real animals, stuffed.  /ugh.  Jayme's like, "It's ok, they lived a long life and then were filled with stuffing." Yeah, sure.  A quick turn about the museum full of teens + chaperons.  Then we decided to check out the cool-lookin' Smithsonian Castle.  We learned all about how the Smithsonian got started.

It was a grant from an English scientist, James Smithson, whose family line produced no heirs, so he bequeathed funds to the US to invest in learning and development.   Lucky US.  And then of course, Congress had to bicker about how they spent the funds.  Nonetheless, there are 11 Smithsonian museums and galleries along the National Mall, and that's neat.  The Smithsonian Castle was designed by James Renwick in Romanesque and Gothic architecture style and constructed of red sandstone.

The inside of the castle was old fashioned, and housed groups of artifacts from each of the museums... like an advert for each of the museums.  It was neat to get a taste of each of them.

And then we were tired.  We headed back to the hotel for a rest before getting dinner at Busboys & Poets, then heading up to Dupont Circle to check out Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe.

 A hot toddy, my honey and goober pie (that is a thing).  #winningcombo

And then we sleep, and sleep in... again. We're allowed; it's an anniversary trip.

National Mall, Monuments & Tourists

Saturday is just beautiful.  The weather is perfect and the blossoms are out in all their righteous beauty.

We're headed to the monument circle with thousands of our closest tourist friends.  I mean literally, you can't part these folks with a knife.  We are packed in and all jostling for the best pic.  Then, finally you give up trying to get a good pic and include e'erbody in the picture.

This is the Thomas Jefferson Memorial.  It houses a majestic bronze statue of this important founding father and an excerpt of the Declaration of Independence.

John Russell Pope was the architect and used the Pantheon for inspiration.  Yep, similarity noted.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, that to secure these rights governments are instituted among men. We ... solemnly publish and declare, that these colonies are and of right ought to be free and independent states ... And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor."

 On to the FDR Memorial:

The layout of this memorial was a neat nod to how the country overcame the Great Depression, and I especially appreciated the memorial to Eleanor Roosevelt:

The MLK Memorial was powerful as, well.  It's a new addition to the Tidal Basin monument walk, completed in 2011.  It's based on a quote from his "I Have a Dream" speech:  "out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope."

Another powerful memorial -- the Korean War Veterans Memorial.  An authentic representation of a soldiers' march.  Heart-wrenching.

My favorite?  The Lincoln Memorial.

It was hard to get a good pic, due to the hordes, but no matter.  He's an inspirational dude, carved in 19' of white marble.  I mean, just look at all those smiling people.

Architect & sculpture team, Henry Bacon, Daniel Chester French and Piccirilli Brothers, well done.  The Greek Revival shrine (I guess you call it that) housing Lincoln's statue is majestic.  The outside showcases the names of the 36 states that were part of the US at the time of Lincoln's presidency.  And the statue itself is just grand.  It's inspiring, and I can see why rousing speeches where spoken here.

I mean just check out the size of his boot tip-->  huge!  Grand in life and grand as a statue.

At this point, we are more than pooped.






We walked down the reflecting pool to the World War II Memorial, which is very well done.

And then on by the Washington Monument...

See, what a gorgeous day.  But, I feel like my legs are going to fall off, and a rest is in order.  But first... there's always time for a restorative cupcake.  A delish pizza joint for dinner, called &Pizza, oh and then moar gelato @ Pitango.  We know a good thing when we taste it, so don't judge if we ate gelato both days.

Oh and vegan friends, great food choices in DC.  You'll have more than two things to choose from on most menus.  Overwhelmingly good!

Dinner, dessert and we are ready to relax.  We caught the 6:00am flight home Sunday morning, and that 3:00am alarm comes around way too quickly.  It was a full two days and it was great.

DC, until next time.  We had a blast!  #peaceout